Crocodile glared at Leo, his eyes filled with venomous hatred. His once-imposing cape was now tattered rags, his body crisscrossed with bleeding welts from the water whips. No matter how he dodged, the watery lashes, as if guided by some unerring tracker, found their mark with precise, stinging accuracy.
Wait... Observation Haki?!
The belated realization sent a jolt of shock through Crocodile. He'd been so enraged he'd almost missed it. Damn it! This was just the first half of the Grand Line! Why was he encountering someone who could use Haki?! Especially someone from the East Blue! It was absurd.
"So you know Observation Haki! Don't get cocky, Leo!!" he snarled.
"Desert Girasole!"
With a cold snort, Crocodile vanished, reappearing instantly behind Leo. A blade formed from swirling sand slashed directly at Leo's neck.
"Crocodile, you're too slow!" Leo's voice was dismissive.
Instant Transmission!
Their positions swapped. Now behind Crocodile, Leo drove his fist forward.
BOOM!
Crocodile's face contorted violently, his nose bridge shattering. Several teeth, mixed with blood, flew from his mouth. He sailed through the air in a high arc before crashing heavily to the ground, his already misshapen face scraping against the stone floor.
"I was going to make this quick," Leo said calmly, walking toward him. "But you had to run your mouth. You dared to threaten Robin."
"You...!" Crocodile managed to spit out before Leo teleported in front of him again.
WHAM!
A powerful kick connected with his face. Pfft! More bloody teeth were dislodged as Crocodile was sent flying dozens of meters backward, smashing through several thick stone pillars before finally slamming into a wall and sliding down it.
Robin watched, wide-eyed, as Crocodile's body flew past her.
"This..." She brought her hands to her face, her composure completely shattered. Was that really one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea being tossed around like a ragdoll? Against Leo, he seemed as helpless as a chick. He was being utterly dominated, unable to mount any real resistance. And Leo had said he was doing this for her? The brutal scene was, strangely, somewhat touching.
"Don't worry, I'll finish him now," a gentle voice said beside her. Leo walked past.
Robin nodded numbly.
In the corner of the palace, Crocodile lay on the ground like a dead dog, his vision blurry. A pained groan escaped his lips. Leo's punch and kick had nearly sent him to meet his ancestors.
Bastard!!! Even when he'd challenged Whitebeard all those years ago, he hadn't been humiliated this badly.
"You know Observation Haki... and Armament Haki... Who are you?!" Crocodile forced himself up, leaning on a broken pillar, his eyes burning with malice as he watched Leo approach.
He had once mastered both types of Haki himself. He'd even fought Douglas Bullet, a former member of the Roger Pirates, to a standstill. That same year, inflated with pride, he had challenged the great pirate Whitebeard... and was swiftly cut back down to size by a single blow from the man's bisento. After that, he had left the New World, come to Alabasta, and begun his plot to seize the Ancient Weapon, Pluton. In this region, his Sand-Sand Fruit power was enough to dominate everyone. Over time, he had let his Haki training lapse. Now, he could only recognize Observation and Armament Haki; he had long forgotten how to use them.
After twenty years of calm, he never expected to run into a hard counter like Leo today.
"What? Trying to pull out a last-minute power-up?" Leo looked at him with disdain. Did he think he had the protagonist's plot armor?
"Damn you!!" Crocodile's eyes bulged with rage. This man clearly had the power to defeat him but was instead toying with him, humiliating him. All over a single threatening remark?!
"And one more thing..." Leo's voice dragged out, a thoughtful look on his face as his gaze drifted downward. "That time you sought out Emporio Ivankov... was it really to..."
Before Leo could finish his sentence, a massive surge of adrenaline shot through Crocodile's body. An aura of sheer, unadulterated killing intent erupted from him, sharper and more ferocious than at any point in their fight. The murderous pressure, so thick it felt tangible, made Robin, who had just begun to relax, instantly pale. She shrank back into her corner, bewildered. Why would that name provoke such an extreme reaction? It was like stepping on a cat's tail. Crocodile's over-the-top response immediately piqued Robin's curiosity. Even the collapse of his years-long plan hadn't made him lose face like this. Ivankov? That okama? Her mind began to conjure up all sorts of dramatic scenarios about their past.
Could it be true? Leo wondered internally. Ew. What a strange kink.
"LEO!!!" The exposure of his deepest, most shameful secret shattered the last of Crocodile's reason. He no longer cared about his plans or Pluton. He had only one thought: erase Leo from existence.
"DIE! EROSION RECESSION!"
Enraged beyond measure, Crocodile unleashed his ultimate technique! The power of his sand surged outwards from him, rapidly spreading through the hall. Where the sand passed, the floor, walls, and pillars were instantly desiccated and assimilated, turning the entire great hall into part of his desert domain.
Ivankov was a taboo subject for Crocodile, a name no one was ever allowed to mention in his presence! His plan could fail, but that matter could never be known by anyone. Anyone who learned that secret had to die!!!
"DESERT DESSICATION!"
Crocodile swung his golden hook, and the rivers of sand on the floor seemed to come alive, flowing rapidly. As they neared Leo, a colossal blade of sand shot up, aiming to decapitate him. The Desert Dessication not only had the sharpness of a blade but could also drain all moisture from a living body, turning it into a desiccated mummy.
"Throwing a tantrum now? It seems the rumors are true," Leo said with a laugh, easily blocking the attack. Knowing the truth, he could no longer look at Crocodile the same way. A wave of disgust washed over him. What was wrong with the original equipment? Why mess with it?
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, LEO!!"
"DESERT GRANDE ESPADA!"
Crocodile's right arm plunged into the flowing sand, merging with it. At the same moment, Leo's Observation Haki screamed a warning.
Instant Transmission!
The moment Leo vanished, a massive sword of sand erupted from the ground, cleaving through the space he had just occupied. The attack missed, and the sword dissolved back into the flowing grains.
"Crocodile, it seems you've grown soft living the high life in Alabasta. You've really let your training slide," Leo taunted. "If this is all you've got, then it's time for you to die!!!"
Leo raised the sword in his hand.
Seeing the motion, Crocodile's heart sank. Though he no longer possessed Observation Haki, he could smell death in the air. Without a second thought, his body disintegrated with a poof, merging completely with the sand filling the hall.
"Trying to run?!" Leo's eyes narrowed. His Observation Haki locked onto Crocodile's true form, and he swung his sword with immense force.
"BAKU!!!"
BOOM!
A gigantic energy shockwave, like a cannonball, shot forth, carrying overwhelming force straight toward Crocodile.
"NO...!" A terrified scream echoed from within the river of sand. The next instant, the Haki-infused slash found its mark, cleaving Crocodile's main body in two.
The flowing sand stilled. Crocodile's physical form reappeared, severed. His mouth opened and closed a few times, as if trying to speak, but he held on for less than a second before his life faded completely.
A profound silence fell over the palace.
"He's... dead?" Robin stared in a daze at Crocodile's body lying in a pool of blood, a sense of surreal disbelief washing over her. After all, Crocodile was the strongest person she had encountered since Admirals Akainu and Aokiji. After a long moment, she finally accepted the reality. Crocodile was truly dead.
"Captain, that was... impressive," Robin said, the last of her worries vanishing now that Crocodile was gone, allowing her true self to surface.
"Who told him to bully our Princess Vivi... and you, Miss Robin," Leo said, his tone light as his right arm possessively snaked around Robin's slender waist.
Robin flustered for a moment before regaining her composure. "Captain, you're such a lecher. I'm truly worried about my future," she sighed, a look of mock resignation on her face. She could already foresee what was in store. After all these years of hiding and protecting herself, it seemed she would soon be saying goodbye to her virginity.
"No rush for that. First, let me show you the Poneglyph," Leo said, ignoring her feigned complaint and leading her deeper into the palace.
The Other Battles
Shing! Shing!
The sound of clashing metal rang through the night. Tashigi, her form hidden in the shadows, unleashed a flurry of slashes.
"Shadow Moon Barrage!" she stated coolly, sheathing the Wado Ichimonji.
Sssschk! Sssschk!
The next moment, deep gashes appeared on Daz Bones's skin. Crimson blood sprayed out, staining the ground.
"You...!" Daz Bones looked down in disbelief at the grievous wounds on his chest. He couldn't understand how her attacks had pierced his steel-hard skin. But his fading consciousness didn't allow for further thought. With a heavy thud, he collapsed into the pool of his own blood.
"Whew..." Seeing Daz Bones unconscious and defeated, Tashigi finally let out a long sigh of relief. This was the first notable opponent she had faced. Defeating him felt quite rewarding.
"I should go find Leo," she thought happily, starting to jog away. Halfway there, she stopped, turned around, and went back. She had forgotten to make sure he wouldn't be a problem later. When dealing with enemies, you must never show mercy!
Meanwhile, in the palace gardens, a pavilion collapsed with a crash, burying Miss Doublefinger under the rubble.
"Miss Doublefinger, you're no match for me now. Why struggle pointlessly?" Miss Valentine said, strolling over casually and pulling the other woman from the wreckage. "Someone like Crocodile isn't worth dying for."
"Cough, cough... You bastard! Couldn't you have been a little gentler?!" Miss Doublefinger spat at her. The spikes all over her body were nearly all broken.
"When did you get so strong?!" Thoroughly beaten, Miss Doublefinger had no fight left in her and retracted her spikes.
Miss Valentine puffed out her chest proudly. "It's all thanks to the Captain. Come on, I'll take you to see him. He's planning to invite you to join the Leo Pirates. Think it over."
In contrast to the other battles, Nami stood with her hands on her hips, stomping her foot in frustration. "Hey, you two... no, you three! Can't you get up and fight me a little longer?!"
There was no response. Mr. 4, his partner Miss Merry Christmas, and the dachshund lay on the ground, unconscious. Tendrils of black smoke rose from their bodies; they had been thoroughly electrocuted. For Nami, with her Weather-Weather Fruit and all three Haki types, fighting them was a complete mismatch.
"How boring," Nami pouted, turning and walking away with a lack of enthusiasm.
Back in the Palace
Leo led Robin into a secret chamber deep within the palace. Robin was both curious about how Leo knew this location and filled with anticipation. As the sole survivor who carried the will of all the scholars of Ohara and her mother, Robin's unchanging dream since childhood was to read the true history and uncover the truth of the Void Century.
Holding Robin's hand, Leo could feel her trembling with excitement.
"Go on, take a look," Leo said, giving her an encouraging nod before releasing her hand. He knew she was destined for disappointment. The contents of this Poneglyph were not what she sought. It truly recorded the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton, which was not in Alabasta, but in Wano Country.
Robin walked gracefully toward the large, cubic stone, reaching out to touch the ancient text inscribed upon it. In that moment, she felt a connection to the people of the past; it was as if these words had been waiting for her arrival, for her interpretation.
Leo stood to the side, waiting quietly.
After reading the contents, a flicker of disappointment and sadness passed through Robin's eyes. Leo hadn't lied. It did record the location of Pluton, the very thing Crocodile had schemed for years to obtain. But to her, it was worthless.
"Don't worry," a warm hand landed on her shoulder. Robin looked up at Leo beside her. "I know where other Poneglyphs are. I'll take you to them."
"Captain," Robin said, her voice a mix of emotion and playful accusation, "why are you always so good at finding the perfect moment to say the right thing to a girl? What you just said... it was very moving, you know?"
In this moment, acting coy, Robin resembled a perfectly ripe peach.
Leo pulled her closer, looking directly into her eyes. "Robin, I told you before. No one in this world is born to be alone. Your dream... is my dream too."
Those words again! Robin's mind went blank for a moment. After a pause, she smiled up at him. "Captain, please stop making me so emotional. I might really start crying." As she spoke, she took his hand and led him out of the chamber.
As they reached the entrance, the darkness of night was receding, and the first rays of the morning sun fell upon Leo and Robin, warming them both. Feeling the warmth on her skin, Robin felt a sense of peace. She leaned her head against Leo's shoulder, imprinting this scene deeply into her memory.
"Leo, my opponents were way too weak!!"
"Leo, I defeated Mr. 1!!"
"Captain, Miss Doublefinger has agreed to join the Leo Pirates!!"
Nami, Tashigi, and Miss Valentine came running from different directions, their faces bright with the joy of victory. Miss Valentine was, of course, dragging a dejected Miss Doublefinger along with her.
"See, Robin?" Leo said softly to the woman beside him as he nodded to the approaching crew. "You'll be just like them soon."
Watching the three women running through the gentle morning sunlight, a brilliant, genuine smile—one she hadn't worn in over twenty years—spread across Robin's face.
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T/N :
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