Crocodile's body reformed after the explosion, but he was already extremely withered, his presence as weak as a flickering candle in the wind.
He spat out another large mouthful of blood mixed with sand, the corners of his bloody mouth pulling into a self-deprecating, bitter smile.
"Even like this... I still can't do anything to you?"
His voice was so faint it was almost inaudible.
"Truly... a monster..."
Lorne didn't give him any more chances to speak. For a hero like this, he had to ensure his death was thorough.
Immediately, the ice spikes that were holding Crocodile up suddenly sprouted countless even sharper spikes in all directions, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki!
Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out in rapid succession.
The already listless Crocodile was instantly skewered by the suddenly growing ice spikes, his body becoming riddled with holes.
The last glimmer of light in his eyes faded completely, and he lost all signs of life.
Gurgling blood flowed down the ice spikes, instantly staining that crystal-clear blue-white area red.
Lorne quietly watched the mangled body skewered by ice, and once he confirmed Crocodile's life force had completely vanished, he gave a casual wave.
Crash!
The ice spike cage imprisoning Crocodile's corpse shattered upon command, turning into countless shimmering ice crystals that dissipated into the air.
The corpse, losing its support, fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust, and fell silent forever.
"ancient weapons... truly a pathetic obsession."
Lorne whispered to himself, not even bothering to spare another glance at the corpse.
For someone who knew the future course of events, Crocodile's ambition was destined for failure from the start.
Whether he appeared or not, this man would eventually be defeated by that Straw Hat kid, becoming a stepping stone on the other's path of growth.
He had merely moved the process forward a bit!
At this moment, the bounty hunters in the distance who were lucky enough to survive the sandstorm were all frozen in place, their bodies shaking like leaves in the wind.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed hard with difficulty, the sound particularly jarring in the silent environment.
"Dead... he's dead?"
A bounty hunter spoke with a tremble, his teeth chattering so violently he couldn't even finish a complete sentence.
"Even a Warlord of the Sea... the 'king of the desert' Crocodile... has..."
Another person stopped halfway through his sentence, unable to go on. He stared with wide, terrified eyes as a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
That was a Warlord of the Sea!
One of the three major powers recognized by the World Government, alongside the Marine Headquarters and the Four Emperors, meant to suppress this ocean—a legendary figure that struck fear into the hearts of countless pirates!
But now, this legend had been taken down right before their eyes by a man in a nearly overwhelming manner, cleanly and efficiently... This fact was so shocking that their brains stopped functioning, leaving only primal fear to grow wildly.
At this moment, they didn't even dare to entertain the thought of running away.
Because they knew clearly that in front of such a monster, any attempt to flee would be a futile struggle and might even draw his attention, leading to a devastating blow.
Lorne naturally felt the gazes and reactions of those survivors, neither daring to approach nor flee.
They were being sensible, and Lorne didn't plan on actively looking for trouble with them either!
In fact, it was the other side that had repeatedly come looking for trouble with him at the start. How nice it was to just not bother each other!
His attention fell on the port town, which had been destroyed beyond recognition by the aftershocks of the battle between the two.
This was Whiskey Peak, the first island after Reverse Mountain on the Grand Line, and also the place where the Straw Hat crew was about to land.
According to the original plot, they would meet Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom, who was undercover in Baroque Works, and thus get involved in a massive conspiracy to subvert the nation.
And now, the mastermind behind this conspiracy, Crocodile, had been dealt with by him in advance.
So... Lorne's thoughts began to drift.
Without Crocodile, would the civil unrest in Alabasta still happen?
Would Princess Vivi still meet the Straw Hat crew and ask for their help?
The trajectory of history seemed to have deviated slightly because of his intervention.
However, it didn't matter to him; he wasn't the type of person to let an enemy go just to maintain the plot's development.
Besides, after this, the Alabasta Kingdom might end up having an easier time than in the original story.
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