Chapter 34: This Stuff Works Better Than Haki!
With a single punch from Ryuji, Crocodile was sent flying.
Dust filled the air. The battlefield was dead silent.
Nico Robin, standing in the massive sand pit behind Ryuji, covered her mouth in shock.
"That Crocodile... he was actually..."
To be honest, she had chosen to betray Crocodile and cooperate with Ryuji largely because she felt she had no choice after her identity was exposed.
But deep down, she wasn't optimistic about this betrayal.
As Crocodile's partner, she knew his power all too well.
He was a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, handpicked by the World Government to balance the Great Pirate Era.
Crocodile was undeniably a dangerous existence.
Especially his strength—Robin had never even seen him injured.
Before him, anyone seemed as insignificant as a human facing a desert storm.
That was why, despite knowing about his cruel plan for Alabasta and hating it, she had never dared to openly resist.
But now... that invincible Warlord... had just been blasted away right in front of her eyes.
"This man..."
Her gaze unconsciously shifted to Ryuji's back.
The executive of 'The Zodiac,' code-named Ryuji.
"Just like when a person has a rare chance to fulfill their true value, but misses it... and ends up having to hide back in a dark corner... Is that what you want?"
His words from before suddenly echoed in her mind.
"What I... want..."
She murmured to herself.
But right then...
"Hey, Miss Robin. Instead of spacing out, you might want to get clear of the battlefield."
Ryuji's voice cut through her thoughts.
His tone under the mask was calm, but his words made Robin freeze.
Then, she realized what he meant.
The battle... isn't over!
VMMM!
As if to prove his point...
With a piercing, cutting sound, a massive blade of sand sliced through the dust cloud.
It cleaved through a weathered rock formation like it was paper, heading straight for them.
"Desert Spada!"
Faced with the attack, Ryuji gently raised his hand.
Three massive ice shields materialized instantly, blocking the path of the sand blade.
CRASH!
CRASH!
But this time, the powerful sand blade shattered two of the shields before finally stopping at the third.
Ryuji looked at the figure emerging from the dust.
Crocodile.
The clothes on his left side were shredded, revealing a clear fist-shaped bruise on his muscular torso.
Around the bruise, there were unmistakable signs of frostbite.
A trace of blood lingered at the corner of his mouth. He looked miserable.
The arrogance and indifference were gone from his face, replaced by the ferocity of a cornered, enraged beast.
"No Haki attached... So you knew?"
His eyes were locked onto Ryuji.
Both men understood exactly what he meant.
"Of course there wasn't any Haki."
Ryuji laughed.
He naturally wasn't going to admit, 'Bro, I haven't even learned Haki yet.'
Instead, he raised his hand.
Water droplets were continuously condensing on his palm.
"Against you... this stuff works way better than Haki."
Yes.
Water. The fatal weakness of Crocodile, and the Sand-Sand Fruit.
Sand solidifies when wet. If Crocodile gets hit by water, he cannot transform into sand.
Against Crocodile, water was even more effective than Armament Haki.
Ryuji had coated his fist in water to land that blow.
Patter! Patter! Patter!
As he spoke, rain began to fall from the sky, growing heavier by the second.
"Like I said—you can't beat me."
Ryuji repeated his earlier statement calmly.
But this time, Crocodile showed no disdain.
He bit down on his cigar, looking at the torrential downpour and feeling the sharp pain in his abdomen.
He didn't hesitate to admit a fact: he had underestimated Ryuji.
Or rather, years of smooth sailing in Alabasta had made him complacent.
He knew Ryuji was the 'Rain-Caller,' but he hadn't been wary enough. He thought his weakness was a secret. He never expected Ryuji to use water against him from the very first strike.
It had put him in grave danger. If he hadn't sensed something wrong at the last second and used Haki to block most of the freezing damage, that punch might have taken him out of the fight entirely.
Ryuji's ability was a hard counter to him.
For the first time in a long time... Crocodile felt a sense of crisis.
But even so, he didn't feel panic. Instead... he felt excitement.
How many years had it been?
Since his crushing defeat against Whitebeard in the New World, how long had it been since he felt this thrill?
He hated being outsmarted, hated being at a disadvantage.
But he enjoyed danger.
"I... am Crocodile!"
"If you think just knowing my weakness to water is enough to defeat me, you're dead wrong."
He grinned, a savage, terrifying smile.
"Desert Encierro!" (Desert Curtain)
At his command, the dry sand on the ground surged upward.
It writhed into the sky, forming a massive, dense canopy of sand that blocked out the rain—and the sunlight.
As he said before, Alabasta was a kingdom of sand.
And in this kingdom... he was the only King.
Even the rain could not fall without his permission.
"Impressive."
Seeing the magnificent curtain of sand blocking the sky, even Ryuji couldn't help but praise him. "As expected of a Warlord."
He meant it.
Even knowing the plot and Crocodile's weakness, he hadn't expected Crocodile to have a move like this to counter the rain. He hadn't used this in the original story.
"A true ambitious villain who made it to the final circles."
"If I didn't have plot armor like Brother Nika, underestimating him would be suicide."
He thought to himself.
Crocodile, of course, didn't know Ryuji's thoughts.
The Warlord looked at Ryuji. "Kid, I've figured out your ability. Rain, ice, water on your skin... I don't know what fruit it is, but you can manipulate moisture in the air, right?"
He raised his golden hook, pointing it at Ryuji again.
"But you missed your only chance to kill me."
"From now on... you won't touch me with water again."
Hearing this, Ryuji laughed.
"Really?"
"I don't believe you."
☆☆☆
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