The desert outside Rain Dinners was quiet. The wind passed over the broken streets and empty rooftops, carrying heat and dust through the air.
Smoker and Crocodile faced each other in the open. There was no crowd of Marines or backup coming—just the low whistle of wind and the scrape of boots on stone.
Smoker exhaled a stream of smoke from his mouth as he stepped forward. His eyes were calm, but the tension in his stance showed he was ready.
Crocodile didn't move. Sand shifted around his boots. His golden hook raised slightly, but he waited.
Then they both struck.
Smoker's body turned to smoke as he rushed ahead, fist raised. Crocodile's hook came around in a wide arc, cutting straight through Smoker's chest.
There was no resistance. Smoker's body had already become smoke. Crocodile didn't even flinch as the attack passed through.
Smoker reformed a second later and swung his fist toward Crocodile's head, but Crocodile's body had already broken into sand and pulled apart. The punch went right through him.
They backed off and moved again.
This time, Smoker came from below. He feinted a punch and tried to wrap Crocodile in smoke from behind, but the sand shifted and slipped through his grasp.
Crocodile came around with his hook and aimed for Smoker's shoulder, but again, the hook passed through empty smoke.
Blow after blow. Punch after slash. Nothing landed. Neither of them could hit the other.
After a few more exchanges, they stopped again.
Crocodile brushed some sand from his coat. His grin returned.
"You see it, don't you?" he said. "This is pointless. Neither of us can touch the other."
He tilted his head slightly. "This is a fight of stamina. It's about who can outlast the other."
His hands stayed clenched. "But you're doomed to fail. You're fighting me—the user of the sand fruit—in the desert. I can keep going for days. You can't."
"You're wasting your time, Captain Smoker."
Smoker didn't respond. Instead, his hand moved behind his back, and he pulled something out.
Crocodile's smile slowly faded, and his eyes widened.
Smoker drew a long jitte. Its tip gleamed dull and grey in the sunlight.
"Seastone," Crocodile said. "You have a seastone weapon."
Crocodile stopped moving.
Smoker stepped forward, the jitte held low.
"That's right. Not so untouchable now, are you, Sir Crocodile."
Crocodile gritted his teeth and raised his hook. Sand gathered at his feet again.
The fight had changed.
---
Meanwhile, Behind Rain Dinners
Robin stood up slowly. She wiped blood from her cheek. Her top was torn, and her breathing was uneven, but her eyes stayed on her enemies.
Tashigi was on the ground, trying to get up with one hand. Her other arm hung uselessly, clearly broken. Her sword lay beside her, just out of reach.
Miss Valentine floated nearby, spinning her umbrella. She looked surprised that Robin was still standing. Gem stood further back, arms folded.
Robin saw an opening and moved without a word.
She spun and sent a line of arms growing from the ground toward Mikita. One arm caught her foot and pulled.
Mikita screamed and dropped fast. The impact of her fall shook the ground.
Gem immediately launched a booger bomb. Robin ducked and clapped her hands. Two large arms grew from the wall and slammed him against the ground.
Tashigi reached for her sword, but Robin was already in front of her.
Robin's eyes shifted down to her footing.
"For a swordswoman, you're awfully clumsy," she said.
In one quick move, arms burst from the ground. They caught Tashigi's legs and pinned them down. Another arm grabbed her broken arm and twisted.
Tashigi let out a loud cry and dropped again. She gritted her teeth and fought not to lose consciousness.
Robin stepped closer.
"You should've stayed down, Marine girl."
Then suddenly something slammed into her chest.
Robin lost her balance and rolled backward, spitting blood from her mouth.
She looked up in shock.
Karoo the supersonic duck, Princess Vivi's pet, stood in front of her. His body was shaking slightly, but he stood over Tashigi, flapping his wings.
Robin started to get up again, but Mikita landed a kick to her side. Robin stumbled from the blow. Gem came in and threw another explosive attack.
Robin barely had time to block with arms growing from the ground. Even then, it was clear—she was injured and surrounded.
Mikita hovered back and narrowed her eyes.
"She's still standing? After all that?"
Gem gave a short nod, watching Robin closely.
"She's Miss All Sunday—the top female agent in Baroque Works," he said. "She outranked both of us. Don't underestimate her."
Robin grunted and straightened herself. Her lip was bleeding now.
She looked at all of them without speaking.
This was now a four-on-one.
---
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
The seastone jitte clashed against Crocodile's hook. Sparks flew.
The jitte struck again, and Crocodile barely blocked it with the curved part of his weapon. His arm shook with the effort.
Sand gathered under his feet, but it didn't spread like before. The jitte was too close. If it touched him, it disrupted his powers.
Smoker swung again. Crocodile leaned back and brought his hook up. The two weapons locked for a moment.
Crocodile's hand moved quickly into his coat.
Smoker stopped cautiously.
Crocodile pulled out a Den Den Mushi and held it up. He suddenly relaxed and laughed at Smoker's expression.
"I made a call while you were swinging that stick around," he said.
Smoker didn't move. "Who did you call?"
Crocodile didn't reply. He just nodded past Smoker.
Smoker turned around.
Far out on the desert road, he saw shadows. Dozens of them. They walked together and were closing in fast.
Crocodile put the Den Den Mushi away.
"How about you say hello to my backup."
Smoke started curling from Smoker's arms. His grip on the jitte tightened. His eyes went from Crocodile to the figures in the distance, then back again.