"Sandstorm!"
The enraged Crocodile struck immediately with a killing move.
A whirlwind of sand formed around his right hand and, in the blink of an eye, became a massive desert storm. Crocodile himself turned to sand, merging with the storm as he approached Oguro, waiting for an opening.
Seeing the overwhelming sandstorm, Oguro drew his Zanpakutō and spoke the release command.
"Whisper, Haineko!"
A white smoke spread instantly across the battlefield.
Unlike the original Haineko, Oguro's smoke was pure white.
"Whirlwind!"
The smoke quickly formed a tornado, directly colliding with Crocodile's sandstorm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook violently, dust and sand clashing everywhere. From a distance, it looked like an impending natural disaster.
Crocodile's body began to coalesce in the air. His expression darkened as he thought, "What is this ability? It's on par with my Sand-Sand Fruit!"
Encountering a similar elemental power left him thoroughly displeased.
Hiss!
Blades formed from white smoke slashed toward Crocodile, but they passed through him harmlessly. Elemental phase—indeed, a troublesome ability!
"Trying to defeat me with just this power? Delusional!"
Crocodile sneered and swung his right hand, instantly forming a massive sand blade from the sky.
Desert Sword!
The gigantic blade cleaved the earth, leaving a deep black scar, and charged toward Oguro.
Oguro's pupils narrowed. This attack posed a serious threat.
Shunpo!
He instantly stepped back to create distance.
The naïve fool!
Crocodile had anticipated this. He surged forward, the massive sand blade sweeping horizontally, completely encasing Oguro.
Crescent Dune!
This sand blade didn't cut, but anyone it touched would have all moisture drained instantly, turning into a desiccated corpse.
Just as Crocodile had promised: Oguro would feel the most painful death.
"Not bad… but still not enough!"
Despite the imminent danger, Oguro's face remained calm. He recalled his Zanpakutō and softly spoke a second release command.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki! First Dance: Tsukishiro!"
Instantly, a towering pillar of ice erupted, freezing Crocodile's crescent dune solid, halting its advance.
Crocodile had to abandon the blade and reconsolidate his arm.
First smoke, then ice… what kind of fruit did this man eat?
His face revealed both surprise and doubt. Oguro's ability exceeded all expectations.
"But no matter! With elemental phase, I remain unbeatable! Once I find a weakness, this battle is over!"
The confidence granted by a Logia-type Devil Fruit never wavered.
"Your strength is impressive… but unfortunately, you've chosen the wrong opponent!"
Crocodile slammed his hand on the ground, sand billowing around him.
Erosion Cycle!
Crocodile's ultimate technique. Within its range, anything—person or object, even rocks—would be drained of all moisture, reduced to dust. With this, he could turn an oasis into the most barren desert.
"You're courting death!" (TN:- HE SAID IT!!)
A sharp light flickered in Oguro's eyes.
The royal city of Alubarna lay just ahead. If Crocodile unleashed this, at least a third of the city would be devastated.
Whoosh! Oguro raised his Zanpakutō and charged.
"Got you!"
Crocodile smirked. Trying to stop me? You've shown your weakness!
The sand hand lunged, ready to drain Oguro dry.
Second Dance: Byakuren!
Crocodile's hand froze instantly, encased by Oguro's icy attack. Oguro stepped on the ice and vanished in a Shunpo.
The next instant, he appeared beside Crocodile, Zanpakutō horizontal.
Slash!
A deep cut appeared across Crocodile's lower back. He stared in disbelief, realizing Oguro's Zanpakutō was enveloped in a faint aura of Haki!
"You… were holding back!"
Despite possessing a natural counter to Logia powers, Oguro had concealed it, waiting for the decisive moment.
Even worse, the icy aura seeped through the wound, freezing Crocodile's blood before it could flow.
Minus eighteen degrees Celsius!
His body temperature plummeted, paralyzing him in the scorching desert.
"Crocodile… your vigilance has dropped now that you're outside the New World," Oguro said, shaking his head.
A pirate who had once contended with Whitebeard, now felled by arrogance and complacency.
"Survival of the fittest!"
Crocodile tried to elemental-phase himself away, but the frozen blood and internal injuries could not be reversed.
The remaining sand fragments also carried frost. His complexion grew pale, and his body temperature continued to drop.
Sir Crocodile, Warlord of the Sea… dead.
Oguro watched silently, reflecting on why he had trained both Haki and Zanpakutō abilities. On the seas, accidents happened constantly. Without full preparation, anyone could be the next to fall.
Ding!
A system alert sounded: "Detected a powerful unclaimed Devil Fruit soul. Host, please absorb immediately!"
Oguro realized—it was the soul of a strong Logia-type Devil Fruit. The system urged him directly to absorb it.
"Absorb!"
A massive black soul was drawn into a portal in the void.
Ding!
"Absorption complete. You may now redeem a Legendary-tier lottery ticket!"
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