Yamato couldn't help but chuckle as she lifted Kawamatsu onto her back, careful not to cause him any additional pain.
"Let's go. While the situation remains chaotic, we need to seize the moment to gain control over Udon."
Yamato spoke while gazing toward the direction where Who's-Who had disappeared, her demon horns casting long shadows in the setting sun.
"But seriously... who would've thought that pervert would unexpectedly value loyalty?"
Momonosuke solemnly bowed toward the direction Who's-Who had departed.
Though the other had long vanished from sight, he still carried a heart full of gratitude.
He understood that in this world filled with slaughter and conflict, any shred of goodwill was worth cherishing.
He was thankful that Who's-Who had saved Kawamatsu, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, and he'd forever remember this debt of gratitude.
...
The fierce battle raged on!
On the battlefield, an extremely violent sandstorm swept through.
The howling winds carried countless grains of sand, roaring and charging through the air like enraged beasts.
Crocodile now stood in his Sand-Dragon Human Form, towering at six meters tall.
His figure loomed faintly through the dissipating gunpowder smoke, enveloped in a faint halo of light that made his presence awe-inspiring.
Wrapped around his right arm was black sand infused with Ryuo, flowing as if possessing its own consciousness, poised to strike at any moment.
His left arm had fully transformed into that of a dragon, covered in sand-scaled armor that gleamed with a metallic luster.
These scales were tightly arranged like meticulously crafted battle armor, seemingly indestructible.
Each scale refracted light with a cold, harsh gleam.
"What's wrong? Is this all the Flying Six are capable of?"
Crocodile's deep, mocking voice echoed through the howling wind. The corner of his mouth, holding a cigar, curled upward slightly.
Cigar smoke wreathed around his face as his powerful draconic tail suddenly swept through the air, creating a whistling gust and stirring up a cloud of dust.
The sandstorm tornado surged forth like a raging tidal wave, violently hurling Black Maria back dozens of meters.
Her body traced a clumsy arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
"Don't look down on us, you bastard!" Sasaki's furious roar shattered the brief silence.
He'd now transformed into his Triceratops form, his entire body drenched in blood as if he'd just crawled out of a pool of it.
Crimson blood trickled down his rough skin, dripping to the ground and splattering into tiny blossoms of red.
His eyes burned with raging fury, reflecting a mix of determination and defiance.
Suddenly, he lowered his head and charged toward Crocodile like a fired cannonball.
The massive horn on his forehead glinted coldly under the sunlight, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as he surged forward.
Just as Sasaki's horn was about to pierce Crocodile's back, a blinding golden light suddenly tore across the battlefield like lightning!
The radiance was so intense that everyone instinctively squinted.
Countless particles of light rapidly converged in the air, gradually forming a distinct figure.
Who's-Who's form materialized like a ghost, his purple long hair whipping wildly in the fierce wind, stained with specks of blood.
The sharp fangs at the corners of his mouth glinted with a chilling gleam.
"Who's-Who?!" Ulti's voice was filled with shock.
Her fur, already bristling in her human-beast form, now stood completely on end.
How dare he show up here?!
Every strand of Ulti's hair stood erect as if struck by an electric current, betraying her extreme unease.
Page One outright cursed, "You traitor still dare to show your face?!"
His voice seethed with rage and hatred, his already ferocious features twisting even more grotesquely.
His eyes fixed intently on Who's-Who, glaring as if he could slice him into a thousand pieces.
Crocodile also raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. But then, the corner of his mouth curled into an amused smile.
He knew perfectly well that Who's-Who wasn't on their side, but why would he spoil such an entertaining spectacle?
In his eyes, this was undoubtedly an even more spectacular farce.
He was eager to see what amusing events would unfold next, but the battle couldn't pause.
"Oh? Interesting, but this is no excuse to lose focus in combat."
Just as the Flying Six were momentarily distracted by the sudden turn of events, Crocodile's dragon claws abruptly swelled.
The already thick dragon claws instantly expanded to the size of a small mountain, and a colossal fist of sand, wrapped in advanced Armament Haki, descended like a meteor!
This punch carried the power to shatter heaven and earth, as if intending to obliterate the entire world.
"Sand Dragon: Ryuo Shattering Fist!" Crocodile roared.
"Boom—!"
A deafening explosion echoed, and a dull thunderclap resonated between the sky and earth.
Three of Black Maria's spider legs snapped instantly, the crisp cracking sound sending chills down one's spine.
Her body trembled violently as if struck by a heavy hammer.
Page One's spinosaurus armor shattered into countless pieces at that moment, the once-impenetrable scales falling like snowflakes.
He was sent flying backward, spitting a mouthful of fresh blood.
Ulti fared even worse.
She was directly blasted into the ground by the overwhelming force, creating a ten-meter-wide crater.
Amid the swirling dust, blood gushed like a fountain from the mouths of the three, staining the surrounding earth crimson.
The atmosphere grew unbearably oppressive and gruesome.
But the most devastating fate befell Sasaki.
Crocodile's massive, menacing dragon tail had, at some point, pierced through Sasaki's chest like a merciless blade.
The sharp tail, brimming with malice, embedded itself deep into his body, intent on crushing the last vestiges of his life.
Not only that, the dragon tail tightly constricted his neck, leaving him with almost no chance to struggle.
Simultaneously, the surrounding sand began voraciously devouring the moisture within his body.
As his fluids drained away, Sasaki underwent a terrifying transformation.
His body withered like a flower deprived of water, gradually shriveling and decaying.
His skin lost its elasticity and luster, becoming as dry and wrinkled as barren tree bark—a sight that evoked sheer horror.
"Cough... Who's-Who... you... bastard..." Sasaki's voice was faint and hoarse, each word sapping his final reserves of strength.