While Sandy and the others were traveling, Luffy and his crew had already arrived at Alubarna, the capital of the Alabasta Kingdom.
But as expected, they were intercepted by the high-ranking agents of Baroque Works.
Along the way, Luffy encountered Crocodile once more.
When everyone saw him, Nami was the first to ask, "Crocodile, why are you here? What happened to Sandy?"
Luffy also shouted, "What did you do to Sandy?"
"Heh heh… Heh heh heh… Hahaha, hahahaha…" Crocodile mocked shamelessly, "Why don't you go to Rainbase and see for yourself? Hahaha…"
Usopp yelled, "Don't joke around! We know exactly how strong Sandy is. What kind of trick did you use? Where is he?"
Crocodile sneered, "My presence here doesn't explain everything? Just accept reality, hahaha…"
"Everyone." Luffy suddenly stepped forward. "I don't believe anything happened to Sandy. You guys go ahead. I'll hold Crocodile off."
Vivi stepped up nervously. "Luffy, Sandy, he…"
Luffy turned his head and smiled. "Don't worry. That guy will definitely be fine. You still have things to handle."
Why do these people trust that annoying bastard so much?
Crocodile was still pissed about being kicked twice by Sandy earlier. Now was the perfect time to vent his frustration on this group.
The moment Crocodile decided to attack, a fist suddenly flew toward his head.
But since Crocodile was a Logia user, without Haki or exploiting his weakness, there was nothing they could do against him.
His head turned to sand, exploded apart, and then reformed effortlessly.
"You trash," Crocodile mocked, "do you really think you can defeat me?"
"You guys go first. I'll block him."
Luffy immediately activated Second Gear. Since his opponent was a Warlord of the Sea, he went all out from the start.
"Luffy!" everyone called out worriedly.
"Hurry up and go!" Luffy barked firmly.
Zoro stepped forward. "Let's move. Listen to the Captain."
Usopp hesitated. "Luffy…"
Sanji grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away. "We've got other important shit to do. Move!"
Luffy stared down Crocodile and shouted back to his crew, "The rest is up to you!"
"Luffy, be careful!"
"We'll meet in Alubarna!"
"Hey, hey… is Sandy really okay? Crocodile didn't actually—"
"I say, Chopper, do you really believe Crocodile's crap? We all know how strong Sandy is."
Sanji couldn't help but smirk. "Oi, Moss Head, why does your voice sound like you're not convinced?"
Zoro snapped back. "What was that, damn cook? Believe it or not, I'll cut you down right here!"
Nami jumped in. "Can you two not start fighting now?!"
Watching the Straw Hats run off, Crocodile turned back to Luffy. "Why are you, a pirate, trying to stop me?"
Luffy's expression hardened. "Because Vivi loves her country. I won't let you hurt her."
"Hahaha…" Crocodile laughed. "Do you really think you can defeat me?"
"How would I know without trying?"
Luffy crouched slightly, one hand clenched at his waist, the other extended straight at Crocodile.
"Gomu Gomu no… Jet Pistol!"
Luffy made the first move. Crocodile didn't even bother dodging; Luffy's punch passed right through him. The frustration burned on Luffy's face.
Sandy had warned him before: Never let Crocodile touch you with his right hand. If he does, he'll suck the water right out of your body.
Water…
Luffy finally remembered—Crocodile's weakness was water!
Seeing Luffy hesitate, Crocodile mocked, "Hahaha, you figured it out? You can't hit me. There are as many pirates like you as there are grains of sand."
Then he attacked.
"Desert La Spada!"
A massive sand blade flew straight at Luffy's head. Thanks to his instincts and sharp reflexes, Luffy barely dodged.
"That was close!" he muttered, staring at the cracked ground.
"Hahaha…" Crocodile grinned. "Kid, you'll be buried here. Desert La Spada!"
"Here it comes again!" Luffy dodged and reactivated Second Gear.
But this time, his body was covered in droplets of water. He knew he couldn't maintain it long—any longer and dehydration would knock him out.
Crocodile mocked, "You still don't understand—"
Before he could finish, Luffy's punch slammed into him, sending Crocodile flying.
"That Sandy bastard really is something… how the hell did he figure that out?" Luffy grinned, excited by finally landing a hit.
But then—shunk!
Pain ripped through his abdomen. Crocodile had moved behind him in an instant and stabbed him with his hook.
Crocodile leaned in close to Luffy's ear. "You may know my weakness, but who do you think I am? I'm a Warlord of the Sea. You dare get distracted while fighting me? This is your end."
He yanked the hook out with a cruel grin and walked away, laughing. "Hahahahaha!"
Blood gushed from Luffy's wound as Sandy's voice echoed in his mind:
"When you fight, always focus. You can mock your opponent, but never let your guard down. One slip, and it'll cost you everything."
Luffy struggled to stay conscious, furious at himself for letting it happen.
This was his first time fighting someone like Crocodile—and he'd failed.
But this was Monkey D. Luffy. The protagonist. The man who doesn't die so easily.
Not long after, Pell—the Falcon Zoan user and Captain of the Alabasta Kingdom's guard—found him and carried him to safety.
…
Author's Note:
The fanfic One Piece: My Flirtatious System Adventure is first half completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 One Piece (Chapters 1–362)
Carefully organized into multiple posts, with several chapters per post for smooth and easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this journey 💙