The sand and gravel on the ground rippled outward in waves, circle after circle spreading. At the center stood Blue Ogre and Red Ogre, their hollow eyes locked onto Crocodile.
Reiner was preparing to seize the moment, charging up a finishing move to end the battle. Even though Crocodile had already been struck by a Seastone bullet, he couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him—an ominous premonition arose.
What if…?
Crocodile's mouth was already twisted, but one could never be too careful.
The next instant, something no one expected happened.
"Ahhhh!!!" A piercing scream tore through the hall.
Pinned against the stone pillar, Crocodile's eyes hardened. He suddenly lifted his left arm and drove his poison-laced hook into his right wrist. Blood gushed out, purple venom spreading visibly along his veins.
Without the slightest hesitation, veins bulging, he clenched his teeth and violently ripped downward.
"He actually—!"
"Tore off his own hand!!"
Nami and Vivi's pupils shrank, hands covering their mouths. The ghastly sight of sinew tearing apart was horrifying beyond words.
At the exact instant his Seastone-embedded wrist was severed, Crocodile transformed into flowing sand and slipped free of the spears, diving straight toward the ground.
"Straw Hat brat! Nico Robin!
I don't want anything anymore!!"
Crocodile's face twisted into a hideous snarl, skimming the ground at explosive speed. As he moved, he raised walls of sand that condensed into blades, his roar echoing with madness:
"Die!! All of you die!!!"
Blue Ogre and Red Ogre were charging their power. Luffy's eyes locked on Crocodile. Steam burst from his body as he crouched low, then—
Boom!
The ground cracked like a spider web beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, Luffy appeared on Crocodile's left, fist cocked back.
But Crocodile, as though sensing it in advance, swept his arm left before Luffy even appeared—
A sand blade sliced out, its edge sheathed in a flowing, obsidian-black sheen.
Armament Haki.
Luffy's face tightened with shock. Despite Crocodile's grievous wounds, he could suddenly keep up with his speed?
Caught off guard, Luffy twisted in midair with raw core strength, his flexibility pushed to the limit.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
Dodging the sand blade, he inverted himself midair and still drove his punch forward—slamming into Crocodile's chest.
But Crocodile did not attempt to evade. The fist sank into his body, scattering sand, while he kept charging straight ahead.
"Damn—it dried out!!"
Luffy realized instantly. The water he'd soaked himself with had completely evaporated by the heat of Gear Second.
"Now even Haki's coming out?!"
"This is so damned unfair!!"
Reiner cursed aloud. What kind of nonsense is this? Power-ups by sheer willpower? What are you, another D?!
Trouble. His Conqueror's Barrage wouldn't charge in time. Crocodile was flying straight at Blue and Red Ogre—but then swerved past them, beelining for…
Reiner?!
"What the—coming for me?!"
Panic surged. Reiner whipped out his pistol and his Bone Chain Sword, firing two shots as Crocodile closed in.
Bang! Bang!
But Crocodile, remembering the last time he'd been struck, was ready. His body dissolved into sand, the Seastone bullets passing harmlessly through.
"Desert Spada!"
Golden sand slashed forth like a giant blade, cleaving toward Reiner.
The Bone Chain Sword whirled and tightened into a massive shield, a skull glaring at its center.
Clang!!
The vibrating sand blade struck, shattering into flying grains, but left a deep gouge across the shield.
"Kill him!!"
The skull at the shield's center suddenly launched forward like a spike.
Crocodile almost dismissed it, preparing to tank it with intangibility—but an uneasy instinct screamed at him.
Slamming both sandy hands into the ground, he roared:
"Desert Greatsword: Hundred Slashes!!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Dozens of enormous double-edged swords erupted from the ground, each one coated in black Armament Haki, instantly filling the gap between them.
CRASH!
The sand swords tore against the Bone Chain Sword, sparks spraying, shards of bone splintering apart. Even Reiner's custom pistol was shredded into pieces, its Seastone rounds scattering across the floor.
His mastery of Haki was even sharper than Blue and Red Ogre's!
"Desert Sunflower!"
Crocodile slammed his palms down. The floor beneath Reiner crumbled, transforming into a massive whirlpool of sand that dragged him down fast.
Half his body swallowed by quicksand, Reiner lashed out with his chain sword like a whip.
Crack!
The barbed edge struck Crocodile's body, tearing through—but only scattering sand again.
"Useless. Die!!"
Crocodile's face twisted as his left arm extended into the sand, his venomous hook driving toward Reiner's chest.
But then—
The skull tip of the chain sword suddenly whipped back, stabbing straight at Crocodile's spine.
Yet Crocodile, now wielding Observation Haki, had all his focus locked onto Reiner. He anticipated every move, every strike.
Small sand serpents coiled out of the floor, biting down on the skull and chain, binding them tight.
"Reiner!!!"
Luffy roared, sprinting at maximum speed back across the hall. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the scene.
The poisoned hook was inches away—when Crocodile froze.
The golden-haired man before him… the panic vanished from his face. Instead, he was smiling. Cold, cruel.
He's smiling?!
That sinister grin sent ice through Crocodile's spine. His instincts screamed danger.
Whipping his head around, he saw it—two rifts tearing open in the air behind him.
From the void, Blue Ogre and Red Ogre emerged, already half out, black-armored spears raised high.
They were right behind him!
"When—?!" Crocodile's pupils shrank.
My undead can't be shaken off, Reiner smirked.
The instant Crocodile had lunged, Reiner had recalled his Ogres mid-charge—only to resummon them directly behind Crocodile. Zero-frame start.
BOOM!!!
Twin Haki-coated spears rammed through his body, pinning him to the ground.
"Ahhhh!!!" Crocodile howled in agony, veins bursting as he unleashed the last of his strength.
From the sands, a monstrous crocodile surged up, maw wide, snapping toward Reiner.
So you're dragging me down with you? Reiner thought coldly, readying to transform.
Bang!!
Another gunshot split the air.
A Seastone bullet pierced Crocodile's body, snuffing out his final hope.
An ambush?!
Despair flooded his face. The massive sand-croc shattered into dust.
Turning weakly toward the shot's origin, he saw—
A long-nosed man with an afro, trembling hands clutching a pistol. His face was pale, drenched in panic.
But the smoking barrel left no doubt—it was him.
Another nobody?!
Rage boiled, straining against his fading consciousness. But his body had already reached its limit.
Wracked with pain, blood flowing, his eyes rolled back. Darkness swallowed him.
"Holy crap, Usopp," Reiner gasped, stunned and elated. From that distance?! That's a godlike aim.
Far away, Usopp himself still hadn't processed what he'd done, frozen in shock.
Reiner pulled himself free from the quicksand and glanced down at Crocodile's body.
Collapsed in a pool of blood, the Warlord lay unconscious, breath shallow, barely clinging to life.
Gratitude fills my heart—
I am thankful for you.