"It seems you're lost in your own little utopia!" Ryuuto chuckled, looking at Crocodile, who stood before him clad in a black greatcoat. He spoke lightly, his right hand resting on the hilt of Yubashiri.
"Ku, Nami, go help Betty!" Ryuuto called out to those inside before turning his gaze back to the grim-faced Crocodile, a cigar clamped between his teeth.
"Alright! Be careful, Captain!" Nami's voice faded into the distance, clearly heading for the city's central plaza.
Now, only Cobra remained in the grand hall.
Seeing that Crocodile had come alone, Vivi deduced that the rest of his officers must be at the plaza. The battle there was likely not going well. With that realization, she followed after Nami and Ku, rushing toward the city square.
Igaram, sworn to protect the princess, went with her.
"You're courting death!" Enraged by Ryuuto's mocking expression, Crocodile instantly dissolved into sand and lunged forward.
A glint of gold flashed within the surging cloud of sand.
"Trying to poison me with that hook?" Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. In a flash, Yubashiri was unsheathed, its hilt held in a reverse grip in his right hand.
"Soru!" He vanished, reappearing at Crocodile's side in an instant.
Just as Crocodile's hook swung around, Ryuuto tightened his grip, spun, and slashed with Yubashiri from behind his back.
Coated in Armament Haki, Yubashiri instantly became a black blade.
Shink!
A spray of red erupted from the swirling yellow sand.
Clang!
On the ground, the golden hook that had been on Crocodile's left hand lay severed.
"Ngh!" Crocodile let out a stifled grunt, his left hand severed by Ryuuto's blade. He now clutched the bleeding stump.
"Sand Crocodile, a man who's lost his courage," Ryuuto said in a low voice, Yubashiri held ready. "That poison hook is disgusting. A real man fights fair and square."
"I underestimated you!" Crocodile's face twisted into a snarl at Ryuuto's words. He angrily flung out his severed arm. With the power of the Suna Suna no Mi, the bleeding stopped instantly, and a new hand formed from sand took its place.
"Now that's more like it." Ryuuto pointed the tip of Yubashiri at him. "Show me the courage you had when you faced Whitebeard!" Imbued with Armament Haki, the black blade of Yubashiri emanated a menacing aura.
"Severing Wind!" Ryuuto unleashed his technique and vanished. The air between them seemed to freeze, and in the next moment, it felt as if it had been cleaved in two as Ryuuto reappeared directly in front of Crocodile.
Clang!
With a jarring crash, the black blade of Yubashiri met a sword made of sand. The yellow sand-blade was condensed to an incredible hardness, managing to block Ryuuto's strike completely. It was Crocodile's Desert Spada, a technique born from his Suna Suna no Mi.
"Arrogant brat! I won't be careless again!" Crocodile spat out his cigar, his eyes fixed on Ryuuto as he bellowed.
Seeing his slash had no effect, Ryuuto instantly used the force of the impact to launch himself into the air. He lifted his right leg, coated it in Armament Haki, and aimed a powerful kick at Crocodile's head.
As his foot shot forward, Crocodile instantly formed a thick layer of sand armor over his face. But this hasty defense was clearly not enough to stop Ryuuto's attack.
Bang!
With a heavy thud, Crocodile was sent flying, crashing down from the palace balcony to the ground below.
"Is that all you've got?" Ryuuto said, looking down on Crocodile from above.
A trickle of blood ran from the corner of Crocodile's mouth where he had taken the kick.
He's so strong! When did someone like this arrive in Alabasta?
"Crescent Dune!" Crocodile calmed his turbulent emotions and unleashed several blades of sand from his palm, sending them slashing toward Ryuuto. After leaving his hand, the sand blades transformed into massive, crescent-shaped shockwaves.
Watching the attack fly toward him, Ryuuto chuckled. "What a coincidence. I know a thing or two about shockwaves myself!"
"Wind Blade!" With a flick of his left hand, Ryuuto condensed several gusts of wind into blades that shot forward to meet Crocodile's attack.
Bang!
The wind blades and sand dunes collided, and both were annihilated in the blast.
"What is that ability?" Crocodile's eyes widened at the sight, his expression growing even more grim. "A Devil Fruit power?"
Sensing Ryuuto's formidable strength, Crocodile formed another Desert Spada in his right hand and prepared to charge again.
"Hahahaha, wrong guess!" Ryuuto laughed loudly as he leaped down from the balcony, landing directly in front of Crocodile.
"Perfect! Desert Girasole!" Seeing his chance, Crocodile dispelled his sand blade and slammed his right hand onto the ground. Instantly, a massive sand vortex formed beneath Ryuuto's feet.
Falling into that would be dangerous.
Seeing this, Ryuuto immediately jumped, evading the trap, and flashed in front of Crocodile with Yubashiri in hand.
Bang!
He brought his sword down on the sand armor Crocodile had formed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One slash! Two slashes! Three slashes!
Under Ryuuto's accelerated assault, Yubashiri glowed with black light, each strike carving into the sand armor. Swirls of sand flew everywhere as the once-thick defense rapidly thinned.
Shink! Shink!
With each slash, sprays of crimson blood flew through the air.
Crocodile felt the threat of death, and a new surge of power welled up from within him.
"Adamant Desert Spada!" he roared. A massive sand blade formed on his right arm. Taking one of Ryuuto's slashes head-on, he swung his own weapon back with brutal force.
Poof!
The giant blade cut through the afterimage Ryuuto had left behind.
Before Crocodile could even catch his breath, his eyes narrowed, and he quickly swung his Desert Spada behind him to block.
Clang!
Yubashiri met the Adamant Desert Spada with a deafening shriek. After vanishing, Ryuuto had instantly reappeared behind Crocodile, bringing his sword down for the kill.
"I'm one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, recognized by the World Government!" Crocodile shouted in a panic, the chilling aura of death refusing to dissipate. "You'd better think about the consequences of killing me!"
"A Warlord?" Ryuuto landed gracefully. "You're just a bunch of pathetic cowards who've lost their courage."
Crocodile's aura was in disarray. His suit was torn to shreds, and his chest was covered in wounds, one of which was so deep that bone was visible.
"I'll give you one last chance," Ryuuto said, calmly observing Crocodile, his sword held ready. "Use whatever moves you have left."
"Cycle of Erosion!" Driven by a desperate will to survive, Crocodile ignored the gash on his chest, bent over, and plunged both hands deep into the sand.