Kai stood about a thousand meters away from Alubarna's royal palace.
He watched Douglas Bullet charge straight into the palace like a rampaging beast, but he made no move to interfere.
Since Bullet's target was Crocodile, his goal and Kai's were almost the same. Kai had also come to find Crocodile.
The difference was that Kai had come on behalf of the Marines to deliver a Warlord invitation, while Bullet had come to challenge Crocodile.
With Bullet doing the searching for him, Kai had no need to waste effort.
As long as he kept his eyes on Bullet, he would naturally find Crocodile.
"A fight between Bullet and Crocodile…"
"That's worth watching."
Kai's eyes showed a trace of expectation.
Bullet was a monster from the old era, a man even the Pirate King's crew had regarded as dangerous. His strength was beyond question.
Crocodile was no weakling either. He had the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, and here in the desert, his power could be pushed to its limit.
If those two fought, the result would not be ordinary.
Both were famous great pirates.
Which one was stronger?
Kai was very interested in finding out.
He had a feeling that once these two clashed, the battlefield would be terrifying. The surrounding land might even collapse under the force of their fight.
It would not be much weaker than his battle with Doflamingo.
"A battle between fighters of this level is rare."
"Looks like I'm lucky today."
Just as Kai expected, once Bullet entered the palace, he smashed through everything in his path.
The palace guards could not stop him. Hundreds of guards were crushed in one-sided fashion, throwing the royal palace into chaos.
The Nefertari royal family was alarmed.
Soon, Bullet found Crocodile.
And without wasting a word, he issued his challenge.
"You want to challenge me?"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes.
He wore a dark gray coat, a cigar clenched between his teeth. Thin smoke rose slowly around him. His dark blue slicked-back hair and sharp eyes gave him the air of an elegant but dangerous boss.
Most noticeable was his left hand.
Or rather, the golden hook where his left hand should have been.
Whether the hand was completely gone or badly injured, one thing was obvious: Crocodile's left side had once suffered a severe wound.
The moment he saw Bullet, even Crocodile did not dare to be careless.
He knew exactly how terrifying this man was.
Years ago, he had briefly fought Bullet.
There had been no clear winner.
But Crocodile understood very well that he had been at a disadvantage back then.
If that battle had continued, his chances of losing would have been high.
And now, years had passed.
Bullet had only become more dangerous.
Even before the fight began, Crocodile could feel a faint threat of death from him.
That pressure forced Crocodile to treat this seriously.
He knew who Douglas Bullet was.
A monster who had joined the Pirate King's crew at a young age.
A man who had only ever lost to Gol D. Roger.
It was even rumored that Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King himself, had never truly defeated Bullet.
After Roger's death, countless powerful pirates had died at Bullet's hands.
Some of those pirates were strong enough that even Crocodile would not have taken them lightly.
Knowing all that, Crocodile hesitated.
He did not have certainty of victory.
And with his cautious nature, he had no interest in accepting a battle he was not confident in winning.
Bullet's strength made him wary.
After a moment, Bullet grew impatient.
His eyes turned cold.
"Come out and fight."
He was not asking for Crocodile's agreement.
He was demanding it.
If Crocodile refused, Bullet would attack anyway.
He had come all the way to Alabasta for this battle. There was no chance he would leave quietly.
Crocodile understood the look in Bullet's eyes.
"This fight can't be avoided."
He slowly suppressed his hesitation.
Then his entire aura changed.
"You want a fight? Fine."
"I'll give you one."
Crocodile's eyes sharpened, and his fighting spirit burned.
He was no easy prey.
He was Sir Crocodile.
A great pirate feared across the sea.
A man whose name alone could make countless pirates tremble.
How could he shrink back here?
Bullet was strong, yes.
But Crocodile would not show fear.
"I'm Crocodile."
He raised his head and met Bullet's gaze without flinching.
Their eyes collided.
An invisible pressure rose between them, and the air seemed to crackle with sparks.
The killing intent became heavier.
A battle could erupt at any moment.
"Outside."
Crocodile did not want the palace destroyed, so he turned and walked toward the gates.
Bullet grinned and followed.
That was exactly what he wanted.
"A proper fight."
"I'll crush you head-on."
"I'll step over you and prove my strength."
Bullet laughed.
A short while later, the two left the palace.
Behind them, the palace guards stood trembling.
King Nefertari Cobra's expression was tense and unsettled.
Outside the palace, Crocodile led Bullet to a barren desert area about a thousand meters away.
This was a perfect battlefield.
More importantly, it was perfect for Crocodile.
Here, in the desert, the Sand-Sand Fruit could display its full power.
Terrain mattered greatly to Logia users.
And for Crocodile, a desert was the best possible stage.
In the desert, his confidence returned. His eyes became sharp and fearless.
"Come."
"Let me see how much stronger you've become."
In the desert, Crocodile feared no one.
Here, he believed he was close to invincible.
Even if his opponent was Douglas Bullet, he was confident he would not lose.
"You'll see soon enough."
"This time…"
"I'll crush you."
Bullet smiled fiercely.
A brutal pressure slowly spread from his body.
Just as the battle was about to begin, Bullet's gaze shifted.
He looked toward a figure standing a thousand meters away and smiled with contempt.
"Before we fight, I should clean up the small fry first."
"I don't want insects disturbing our battle."
"Some random weakling thinks he has the right to watch?"
"How laughable."
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