The moment the words left her lips, she launched the sandstorm.
A miniature tornado, a mere meter high, shot from her palm. But as it neared the massive Krieg pirate ship, it grew tenfold, becoming a raging wall of sand.
WHOOSH!
The sandstorm tore through the hull like it was nothing, sending splintered wood flying in every direction. A few unlucky pirates were caught in the swirling vortex, their bodies instantly desiccated and turning into little more than skeletons.
"Damn it! Where did that tornado come from?!"
"Run! Run!"
"Who the hell has the energy to run?!" The pirates, weakened by starvation, barely had the strength to scream. Their wails were swallowed by the roar of the wild sand.
Krieg, the captain, watched the disaster unfold. He was still the pirate who has travelled to Grand Line, and he wasn't going down without a fight. He quickly donned a metal helmet and wrapped his body tightly, hoping to ride out the storm.
"No... a tornado like this doesn't just happen in the East Blue without a reason!" he thought frantically, a dawning horror in his eyes.
On the warship, the Marines stared in awe at the massive pirate ship being dismantled by the sandstorm. They looked at Crocodile, and then back at the destruction, their bodies trembling. Who were these people? How could a force this terrifying exist in the East Blue, and in the form of a woman who looked suspiciously like a Seven Warlords of the Sea?
"So boring," Crocodile muttered, a sense of disappointment in her voice. This kind of low-level pirate offered no challenge at all. She almost wanted to light up a cigar.
Rodin, with his legs crossed, simply watched. In the past, he might have been impressed by a pirate crew of 5,000, but now, with a powerful Devil Fruit user at his side, he had the confidence to ignore all the pirates in the East Blue.
"Next time, try not to be so impulsive," Rodin said. "Wouldn't it have been better to search for their treasure first?"
The two ships drew closer. As they neared the ten-meter mark, the storm finally subsided. The Krieg pirate ship was now just a pile of splintered wood and debris floating on the water. However, a small waterspout had formed where the sandstorm had been. Crocodile dispelled it with her power to keep it from affecting their ship, and the sea returned to its calm state.
Krieg lay on a half-deck, the sole survivor. "Damn it... am I the only one left?" he mumbled, anger consuming his relief. He had a fleet of 5,000 men, and now he was reduced to this. He couldn't understand it. He'd been defeated on the Grand Line, but why was he being destroyed here, in the East Blue?
Just then, a shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw a Marine warship. A wave of joy washed over him, and he scrambled to his feet. He fished a hooked rope from the water, found a good spot, and threw it up.
CLANG!
It caught on the railing. With the last of his strength, he climbed aboard. His body, weakened by hunger, gave out as soon as he stepped onto the deck, and he collapsed to his knees.
"Hey, no need for such a grand gesture," a man's voice said from in front of him.
Krieg's mouth twitched, but he wasn't angry. He took advantage of his position, knocking his head on the ground in a desperate plea. "Marine... please... please, give me something to eat. I haven't eaten in so long."
"Marine?" Rodin raised an eyebrow. "Since you know we're Marines, why do you think we'd feed a pirate?"
"I believe there are still good people in the world... please…" Krieg's plea was cut short as he suddenly pulled a gun from his coat. "Die!"
But as he raised his hand, before the shot could be fired, there was a sharp CRACK. His arm broke.
"AHH!" Krieg screamed, sweat beading on his forehead. But as the overlord of the East Blue, he quickly regained his composure. With his other hand, he pulled another gun and fired.
SHING!
The sound of a bullet flying through the air never came. Instead, he heard the sound of sand. He looked up, a look of pure terror on his face.
Towering over him was a figure in a black fur coat. The wind whipped the coat, brushing against his face. He knew this coat.
Krieg's pale lips trembled. "C... Cro... Crocodile?"
His legs gave out, and he fell to the deck, his strength completely gone. The name of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was known to everyone who had ever sailed the Grand Line.
But as he looked at her long legs wrapped in fishnet stockings, his face trembled.
"This... this is wrong? Why is Crocodile a woman?!"