A massive flaming blade, as if to set the entire sky ablaze, slashed down toward Crocodile head.
But at that moment, the sand crocodile had already rushed to the city edge.
Feeling the scorching heat wave surging behind him, he suddenly dove toward the ground and frantically unleashed his powers, gathering as much sand as possible behind his back, attempting to block the joint technique unleashed by Sherwin and Klee Meow.
Crocodile indeed managed to block Ryujin Jakka. However, the moment he did, he also lost control over the sand he had gathered, for the extreme heat had already melted it into thick, semi-transparent liquid.
"Logia!"
The sand crocodile ground his teeth as he glared at the flaming cat head perched on Sherwin shoulder.
He had never expected that among those "Felynes" he had always dismissed, there would actually be a Logia fruit user like himself—one with flames whose destructive power far surpassed sand.
"Heh…" Sherwin descended from midair, proudly showing off the flame-wrapped Longsword in his hand and Klee Meow perched on his shoulder. "Well? My cat is amazing, isn't she? Didn't see that coming, huh?"
"Give it up already, you big villain meow! Even if you're a jinchuriki of Shukaku like Gaara, you still can't beat the combined power of Klee and Brother Sherwin meow!"
(=`Д=)
The little flaming plush on Sherwin shoulder sprouted two more claws, waving them about menacingly as it spoke.
Crocodile ignored Klee Meow threat, which carried no real intimidation at all. After a moment of silence, he suddenly softened his tone and said:
"Actually, we could work together. Once we find the Ancient Weapon, we can follow the model of the World Government Five Elders and divide this world between us."
"..."
Sherwin wasn't sure how much sincerity there was in Crocodile words. But even if Crocodile truly meant cooperation, Sherwin had absolutely no interest.
If he had really wanted Pluton, back in Water 7 he could have simply ambushed Franky in secret.
So he let out a mocking laugh, shattering Crocodile fantasy on the spot…
"I think you've misunderstood something. I'm not interested in Ancient Weapons in the slightest. In fact, I already know where Pluton is. Not just Pluton— I even know exactly where Poseidon is."
"What?! How could you possibly know that?!" Crocodile face twisted in shock, but he quickly recovered, roaring angrily at Sherwin: "Are you toying with me?!"
Sherwin shrugged. "Think whatever you like. Either way, I'm not playing your game of ruling the world. I only want to kill you. Or… let my cat kill you."
With that, Sherwin couldn't be bothered to argue with the sand crocodile any longer. He raised his blade once more and slashed forward.
Monster Hunter Style · Inferno Dance of the Heavens!
"Shikai · Enjō-jō Shiro!"
"Damn it!"
Crocodile hastily pressed his palm to the ground, pulling the surrounding sand toward him. It quickly gathered into a massive sphere, enveloping him in a protective shell.
It wasn't that the sand crocodile didn't want to evade by turning into sand. The problem was that Sherwin slash wasn't just a flaming blade— it was a sky-covering sea of blazing fire clouds.
Even if he transformed into sand, he couldn't escape the overwhelming range of Klee Meow flames.
Having learned from his earlier clash with Ryujin Jakka, this time Crocodile sand sphere wasn't only massive, but also reinforced with more than a dozen extra layers.
He even left gaps between each layer to vent heat, preventing himself from being roasted alive inside.
One had to admit, Crocodile was still clever. With that method, he truly managed to block Sherwin and Klee Meow wide-area strike.
Although most of the sand shields were burned and melted by the heat, and the sand crocodile inside was first drenched in sweat then baked dry almost instantly, he still managed to endure it.
But hiding inside the sand sphere, Crocodile head was spinning from the intense heat, and he was beginning to dehydrate…
The sand crocodile, who had always used his powers to drain others into mummified husks, was experiencing for the very first time what it felt like to lose massive amounts of body moisture himself.
He had no time to savor this new and unpleasant sensation. Quickly activating his Logia powers, he turned into a mass of yellow sand, merging with the desert beneath his feet.
He continuously commanded the sand around him to part, allowing him to "dig" his way out and escape…
Yes—at this moment, Crocodile had already chosen to flee. True to his usual style, even if he hadn't lost his spirit after Whitebeard crushing blow,
and even after gaining enlightenment during his time in Impel Down, he would still retreat without hesitation once things turned dire.
Let alone now, when both his strength and his will were at their lowest point.
However, every move Crocodile made within the sand sphere was clearly perceived by Sherwin and Klee Meow through their Observation Haki.
Just as Crocodile sank into the ground, a burning jet-black blade pierced through the last two remaining layers of sand shields.
The strike didn't quite reach Crocodile—his body had already slipped underground—but for Klee Meow, it was enough.
The fiery cat head that had been perched on Sherwin shoulder now appeared at the sword tip. The little plush puffed up its cheeks and blasted flames down toward the earth—
"Fire Release · Majestic Destroyer Flame Meow!"
"AAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
In an instant, roaring flames flooded the inside of the sand sphere. Crocodile, who had only just started tunneling away, let out a blood-curdling scream.
The sand sphere blocking Sherwin view instantly collapsed. The sand crocodile, having returned to human form, tore off his burning black fur coat and hurled it toward Sherwin.
He then summoned another massive sandstorm and, gritting his teeth through the searing pain of his burns, transformed into a raging gust of sand to escape into the distance.
"Exploding Spark · Dodo Sparrow Meow!"
A dozen flame sparrows split off from the fire on Sherwin arm, crashing into the sandstorm Crocodile had created.
A chain of explosions tore it apart, while Sherwin, protected by Klee Meow, pierced straight through the fiery blasts and charged at the rapidly fleeing Crocodile.
"Klee!"
Sherwin called out, then hurled the Longsword in his hand with all his strength. Klee Meow, in perfect sync, infused her elementalized body into it.
The thrown Longsword instantly overtook Crocodile, flying ahead of him.
Next, the flames attached to the Longsword rapidly gathered at the hilt. Klee Meow reverted from her elemental form back into her adorable little Felyne body.
"Witness Klee Bankai · Blazing Longsword · East · Rising Sun Blade, meow!"
The little doll-like Felyne gripped the Longsword hilt with both hands, twisted her body midair, and swung it down in a wide arc at the sand crocodile, who hadn't managed to stop in time. She shouted out the name of the move she had heard from Sherwin.
Facing this strike from above, Crocodile, whose mind was fully on escaping, had no intention of resisting.
He desperately tried to halt and change direction, but the blade was already upon him.
By reflex, the sand crocodile raised his arm to block, though his heart had already gone cold...
From the power of the previous two strikes, he knew this half-hearted defense couldn't possibly stop the opponent flames.
What more, judging from the name that little cat had shouted, this move was clearly far more terrifying than the last two. This time, there was almost no chance of survival.
And yet...
Slash.
Klee Meow strike sank halfway into Crocodile arm before getting stuck. There were no flames on the blade, nor any Armament Haki.
In other words, it was nothing more than an ordinary slash—completely incapable of harming a Logia user like him.
"You're playing me?!"
"It you who too dumb, meow!" The little doll-like Felyne hugged the hilt proudly, tilting her tiny head high. "Klee is a bomb cat. Of course she can't use sword techniques, meow!"
(=`=)
"You—!"
Pfft!
Just as Crocodile, furious to the point of losing his reason, raised his hand to drain Klee Meow into dried cat jerky, a pitch-black "fish tail" suddenly pierced through his chest, spraying a burst of blood.
Crocodile: "!!!"
The Longsword water attribute naturally countered Crocodile Sand-Sand Fruit. What more, Sherwin had also wrapped it in Armament Haki.
Naturally, the sand crocodile couldn't withstand Sherwin "righteous backstab."
"D-Damn it…"
Crocodile lowered his head to look at the "fish tail" piercing out of his chest, his heart surging with bitter unwillingness.
He still had ambitions yet to realize. How could he die here?! And in such a ridiculous way!
Yet, the strength and warmth draining rapidly from his body, along with his darkening vision, told Crocodile the undeniable truth—he was about to die.
"Ancient… weapon… my… ambition… P-Pirate King…"
With his heart full of resentment and unfulfilled dreams, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, let out the final breath of his life.