"Sir Crocodile..."
Jin Caesar let out a light scoff as he stared at that gloomy face.
"This bastard!"
Dorry and Brogy climbed to their feet, wiping the blood from their chests.
Though they had carelessly taken a hit, fortunately, while the attack was fast, its damage wasn't particularly high. For the two giants' physiques, it didn't even count as a minor injury.
This was also the weakness of the giant race—though they possessed strength unmatched by ordinary humans, their massive bodies severely limited their speed, making them easy prey for agile opponents.
This wasn't just true for giants; the same applied to others with similarly large builds.
"That guy's here for the girl named Robin," Dorry said, glancing at Caesar as a reminder.
"Yeah, seems so. But I didn't expect him to be this bold—or should I say... arrogant?"
Caesar sneered, not bothering to hide his disdain.
"Jin Caesar..."
Crocodile's expression darkened as he looked up at the figure looming above him.
Honestly, he had thought he stood a chance.
Sure, Caesar's track record was impressive—fighting Doflamingo to a standstill, clashing evenly with Kaidou, repelling Garp...
But so what?
Who hadn't fought one of the Four Emperors before?
He himself had once battled Barrett to a draw and even challenged Whitebeard. Sure, he lost, but at least he had the guts to try.
And yet?
Caesar's kick had nearly knocked his kidneys out of his body...
Forget Caesar's overall strength—just his raw power alone was inhuman!
But power aside, with his ability to create sandstorms, Crocodile didn't believe Caesar could actually keep him here.
Staggering to his feet, Crocodile's face twisted with frustration.
"That woman, Nico Robin—she's under your command, isn't she?"
"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"
"Name your terms."
Crocodile raised a hand. "She's useful to me. What will it take for you to hand her over?"
The moment the words left his mouth, a shoe sole suddenly filled his vision—BAM!—Caesar's foot slammed his head into the ground!
"You bastard—"
BOOM!
Another monstrous force pressed down, cutting off his words.
"Did I hear that right?"
Grinding his foot against Crocodile's skull, Caesar's smile turned icy. "You came all this way, injured my friends, and now you have the nerve to demand I sell you my woman?"
"Did surviving Whitebeard make you think you could actually challenge the Four Emperors?"
"You... damn... bastard!"
Hearing Caesar's mocking words, Crocodile's eyes burned crimson, veins bulging on his forehead as he struggled, swinging his golden hook toward Caesar's waist.
"Oho~ Getting feisty, are we? How scary~"
Caesar lifted his foot from Crocodile's head, sidestepping the hook with ease. As Crocodile rose, Caesar pivoted sharply—his heel smashing into the man's face and sending him flying.
"Desert Treasure Sword!"
SHING!
Before he even hit the ground, Crocodile adjusted his posture, slashing his hand toward Caesar—bisecting his figure in an instant, the sharp slash splitting the earth.
Flutter... flutter...
A swarm of blood-red bats scattered before reforming into Caesar's figure.
"Elementalization..."
Crocodile's expression grew increasingly grim.
A Mythical Zoan capable of Elementalization, similar to someone like Marco?
And those bats...
No, it must be blood, merely taking the form of bats.
This meant that even without Armament Haki, Caesar's abilities were a natural counter to his own.
"Brogy, Dorry, you two go rest first. Let Law treat your wounds," Caesar called out.
"Got it! Then we'll leave this to you—pummel that bastard who dared interfere with our duel!" Brogy roared angrily.
"Leave it to me..."
Caesar glanced at the disheveled Crocodile, whose face still bore the imprint of his shoe. "Though it's hardly necessary."
As he spoke, the others arrived one after another.
Caesar waved his hand. "Ace, I'll leave this guy to you. Defeat him, and you'll make a name for yourself on these seas!"
"Him?"
Ace's gaze landed on the shoe print on Crocodile's face, his expression full of disbelief.
"This guy is one of the Royal Shichibukai—Sir Crocodile."
"Bastard, don't look down on me!"
Seeing Caesar treat him as a whetstone, Crocodile flew into a rage, transforming into a storm of sand as he charged at Caesar.
"Whoa there!"
Leaping in front of Caesar, Ace raised his foot and kicked Crocodile's golden hook.
"Not happening! If I can't even stop you, how embarrassing would that be?"
With that, Ace threw a punch.
"Fire Fist!"
Boom—
Flames erupted, forming a sea of fire that clashed violently with the sandstorm.
"A Logia Type..."
Crocodile's heart sank.
Not just a Logia, but one with such a troublesome ability—fire.
Even without Haki, combat-oriented elements like this were a pain to deal with.
Not to mention this kid's Haki level... Hmph, it wasn't beneath his own.
"Your Haki doesn't live up to that arrogant attitude of yours," Ace chuckled, launching another punch.
Clang—
Fist met hook, producing a deafening impact.
"Insolent brat!"
"You're the insolent one!"
Dodging the sweeping hook with a backbend, Ace planted his hands on the ground and kicked Crocodile square in the jaw.
"Guh—"
Crocodile's head snapped back as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Honestly, your close combat skills are terrible too!" Ace couldn't help but mock.
"Damn you..."
Crocodile's face twisted with fury.
Losing to Caesar—he could chalk that up to the man being a natural monster. That was understandable.
But failing to defeat some no-name kid under his command? That was downright humiliating.
And to make matters worse, there was a whole crowd watching nearby!
His gaze flickered to Robin, standing calmly among the onlookers. Crocodile sneered inwardly and suddenly slammed his palm against the ground.
Boom—
The earth split apart, endless waves of sand surging from the fissures like raging rivers.
The swirling sand formed a dense dust storm, obscuring everyone's vision as his figure vanished into the golden haze.
"I'll concede this round, Caesar..."
Crocodile's voice echoed from all directions, laced with icy arrogance.
"But don't get too cocky, you—Guh—"
A dull thud cut him off, followed by Barto's maniacal laughter.
"Kehahahahaha! I knew this guy was up to no good!"
Amidst the sandstorm, Barto formed a barrier gesture, encasing everyone except Kuma within a protective barrier box.
Outside the barrier, Crocodile clutched his nose, blood seeping between his fingers.
Inside the barrier, the group remained completely unaffected by the sandstorm, staring at him as if he were a fool.
"Barrier Fruit, didn't see that coming, did you, idiot!"
Barto crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue at Crocodile, then mimicked his tone: "But don't get too cocky, pfft—hehahaha!"
"Hahaha, is this guy an idiot?"
Seeing Barto's antics, Bonney burst into laughter.
"Bastard…"
Crocodile's gaze turned fierce as he pressed his hand against the barrier.
This thing… he just needed to suck out the moisture…
"Desert Prison!"
Hum—
An invisible force spread over the barrier, yet it remained completely unmoved.
Baby5: "What's he doing?"
Robin: "Performance art, perhaps?"
Crocodile: "…"
Visibly, his face flushed red with anger.
Suddenly, a flicker of flame erupted within the sandstorm. Surging fire dispersed the swirling sands as Ace launched a flying kick toward Crocodile.
Seeing the danger, Crocodile took to the skies.
At this moment, he finally abandoned his pursuit of Robin entirely, transforming into a sandstorm as he fled toward the distant docked ship!
Then, a shadow loomed over him.
A towering man wearing a bear-eared cap stood before him, his seven-meter frame blocking out the sunlight like a small mountain.
As if teleporting, the man had appeared out of nowhere, his voice eerily calm and devoid of emotion.
"The battle isn't over yet."
"Get out of my way!"
Crocodile swung his arm violently: "Desert Vajra Treasure Sword!"
Pop!
With a wave of the man's hand, the sand blade shattered. A Paw Pad Air Cannon struck Crocodile square in the chest, slamming him back into the battlefield.
"Haha, thanks, Kuma!"
Ace waved. "Almost let this guy get away."
Nearby, Caesar tsked and shook his head. "This Crocodile's just pathetic, can't even handle some brat."
"Damn it…"
The sandstorm dissipated, leaving Crocodile seething with rage.
How had things come to this?
He'd just come to capture a woman, and now he was the one trapped!
Before he could dwell on it further, Ace's infuriating voice rang out again.
"Fire Fist!"
Do you even know any other moves?!
Crocodile's expression darkened as he raised his golden hook and charged.
If he couldn't escape, then there was nothing left to say.
Fight!
Boom—
Flames and sand collided once more.
"Fire Fist!"
"Fire Fist!"
"Ora!"
The battle quickly escalated into a frenzy. Ace remained silent, relentlessly throwing Fire Fists, each one leaving Crocodile more battered and desperate.
Nami watched the fight, hesitating. "Is this really the strength of a Warlord of the Sea?"
"What are you thinking?"
Caesar chuckled. "First, you need to understand—strength is tied to your spirit. Without that drive, even the mightiest can fall from grace."
"As for Crocodile, he did have some skills in his younger days, but after being defeated by Whitebeard, he seemed to have faded into obscurity for many years. If he had been more determined and honed his abilities, Ace definitely wouldn't be his match now."
"But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. If he could regain his conviction, he'd quickly climb back among the strong."
"So, does that mean if you, Caesar, lost your conviction, you'd weaken like him too?" Nami asked curiously. She couldn't imagine what Caesar would be like without his drive, and deep down, she didn't want to think about it.
"Do you even understand what 'stats' mean? For normal people, sure, but for monsters like Big Mom and Kaidou, even if their strength declines, they could still one-shot a Supernova."
Caesar couldn't help but laugh. "For most people, reaching the level of a Navy Vice Admiral or a top officer in an Emperor's crew is already an unattainable peak in life. But for me, the strength of the Four Emperors is just the bare minimum of my growth—even if I do nothing at all."
"Not to mention, I never had much conviction to begin with. Conquering the world is an ideal, but if it fails, so what? Life's bound to have regrets…"
"No! I'll definitely help you achieve your dream, Caesar!" Yamato raised her hands high, full of energy.
"What a cocky guy…" Nami rolled her eyes and turned her gaze toward the battlefield.
BOOM—
Flames erupted, and the dust cleared.
Ace and Crocodile stood facing each other from a distance.
Crocodile was panting heavily, looking disheveled, while Ace brimmed with fighting spirit.
"Is this the only move you've got, you bastard?"
"You're a Logia Type—other moves wouldn't work on you, right? Why waste my energy?" Ace clenched his fist and threw another punch. "Fire Fist!"
Crocodile dodged, but Ace suddenly spun around, flames jetting from his heel as he stomped right on Crocodile's face.
"Go… die!"
Having his face stomped on again, Crocodile burned with murderous intent. Enduring the immense force, he swung his hook toward Ace's back.
WHOOSH—
The flames dispersed as the golden hook passed smoothly through them.
"Observation Haki…"
Crocodile's eyes filled with frustration. This guy hadn't shown any sign of Observation Haki earlier, yet at this critical moment, he had predicted the attack and used Elementalization in advance!
"Rocket Punch!"
BOOM!
In the midst of his spin, flames burst from Ace's elbow as his fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, smashed into Crocodile's face!
Crocodile was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground, mouth agape and eyes rolled back—completely unconscious.
"We won!" Deuce pumped his fist.
"Hah… This guy was weaker than I expected." Ace exhaled lightly, acting like it was no big deal. "His physical combat skills were a mess! Too reliant on his Devil Fruit ability—what an idiot!"
Caesar rolled his eyes.
If I hadn't trained you, you'd be even more dependent on your Fruit than him, you brat.
But he didn't ruin the moment. A rookie beating a long-renowned fighter was bound to get excited—he'd acted the same way when he defeated King back then.
Let him have his moment this time…
No big deal. Next time he challenges me, I'll just remind him of reality.
CRACK—
Taking out his camera, Caesar snapped a photo of the decisive moment, intending to send it to the Navy and Morgans to boost his crew's reputation.
Next, Caesar pulled out some Sea Prism Stone and cuffed Crocodile with it, then waved his hand, signaling Barto to step forward.
"All the ladies, step back! Come on, Barto! Strip this guy's pants off!"
"Huh?!"
Barto looked stunned. "Strip his pants? Why?"
"Ew!!!"
Nami shuddered in disgust. "You're not even sparing men now?"
"I'll beat you to death!"
Caesar twitched his lips and explained, "This guy is, after all, a big shot on the seas with quite a bit of wealth to his name!"
"Oh—I see~"
A sinister grin curled on Nami's lips, while Caesar smirked with equal mischief. The two exchanged glances before bursting into a fit of shameless laughter.
Everyone else: "..."
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