Of course, Klahadore couldn't beat Crocodile. Kuro knew that, so when he saw them fighting, he just watched from the sidelines.
Yes—just watched.
Why get involved in such troublesome business? Helping would only expose himself.
But when Klahadore was really about to go down, Kuro lent a hand.
That "Red Eye"? That was from him.
Just like Ittōryū - Akkai, it was a technique formed from killing intent—a mental attack. His original goal was just to dull Crocodile's senses momentarily, giving Klahadore a chance to escape. He was even prepared to jump in and rescue him. But unexpectedly, Crocodile actually froze in place.
Klahadore collapsed on the ground, blankly staring at the sky, muttering to himself:
"I was wrong. I was really wrong. I never should've agreed to join the Marines. If I hadn't joined, I wouldn't have encountered Crocodile, and I wouldn't be in this miserable state."
"Mr. Kuro!"
At that moment, Tashigi gathered the Marines and caught up. Luckily, there were no casualties—just a few unlucky ones who'd run into the edges of ruins and sustained minor injuries. Overall, their morale remained intact.
"That just now was—"
"Oh, nothing. Just another sandstorm. You take the troops to Alubarna. Lida and Klahadore, go with them. I've got something to handle here."
Kuro took Kashu from Klahadore and slung it at his waist, saying:
"Yes, sir!"
Tashigi saluted and led the troops toward Alubarna.
With mounts to ride, their speed wasn't slow, and they quickly disappeared into the distance, kicking up clouds of dust.
Watching them leave, Kuro sighed. "What a pain…"
He had almost lost his safety buffer.
It was clear Crocodile had discovered Klahadore's existence and viewed him as a threat—trying to eliminate him in advance.
"Even if the name 'Klahadore' has spread, no one should know he's in Alabasta. Did someone overhear? Robin, maybe? Good thing I changed my outfit earlier."
Kuro thought it through—it was likely just that.
He kind of regretted agreeing to come to Alabasta with Smoker. Wouldn't heading straight to HQ have been better?
But there was still a way to handle this.
His Observation Haki had a wide range.
Up in the air, Crocodile reappeared, spotting the Marines heading rapidly toward Alubarna. He began to gather a sandstorm in his hand.
"Sables…"
That man—he couldn't be allowed to reach Alubarna, or the plan would be heavily impacted!
Just as he was about to attack, a golden slash shot up from the ground and sliced through Crocodile's body.
Whoosh!
The sand reformed, and Crocodile's face turned grim as he looked toward the direction the slash had come from. "Still there? Were you waiting for me on purpose?"
He couldn't see it, but that slash wasn't a bluff.
Sure enough, that Kuro had that kind of power.
"Then I'll deal with you right here!"
Crocodile transformed into sand and flew toward the direction the slash had come from.
However, at that moment, another golden slash came flying in and sliced him in two.
"You—!"
He had just reformed his body and couldn't even react before yet another slash hit him.
One after another, golden slashes came raining down like blades of wind—dense and overwhelming—tearing Crocodile apart into countless pieces.
But against a Logia-type user, these were only a nuisance at best.
Still, that was enough.
Outside Rainbase, Kuro launched another slash, continuously swinging his blade.
There was no one in Rainbase now—only Crocodile. Kuro could sense him with his Haki and send out slashes to cut him.
Who knows how strong a Warlord truly is? What if Crocodile had some hidden trump card? Even if he didn't, Kuro didn't want any involvement with him.
As long as you can't see me and don't know who I am, I'll just keep slashing at you from afar and stall you.
That's Kuro's strategy!
But Crocodile wasn't having a good time. What the hell were those attacks?
He felt like a lone boat in a storm, silently enduring blow after blow—his body getting torn apart and re-forming again and again.
The attack frequency was too high. Like rain—once hit, he couldn't dodge at all.
Even as a Logia, under such relentless attacks, he couldn't move and could only silently endure.
"Are you waiting for the Marine to escape? That's your weakness. You keep attacking… you'll tire out eventually!"
Crocodile reconsidered and wasn't in such a hurry anymore. As long as there's a weakness, there's a way to counter it.
This level of strength—even a great swordsman couldn't maintain it for long, right?
But then he realized how laughable that thought was.
I can cut down mountains for a whole day.
Kuro just kept swinging and launching slashes, from day to night. When the sky was full of stars, he finally stopped.
Because he could feel that Crocodile had given up resisting.
"Farewell, sir."
Kuro sheathed his sword and slipped away.
Rainbase was already destroyed beyond recognition.
Crocodile lay on the ground—he had given up resisting long ago. From anticipation, to shock, to rage, to helplessness, and finally, complete surrender.
He had never seen anyone who could maintain such a barrage of slashes for an entire day.
Even as a Logia-type, he now felt pain all over—as if his whole body had been sliced apart.
It wasn't real wounds—just phantom pain from being cut apart so many times.
"Has it stopped…?"
Crocodile blankly stared at the sky. The golden lights seemed to be gone.
After lying there for a long while, he slowly regained his senses. It had indeed stopped.
"That man…"
Crocodile gritted his teeth and flew up toward Alubarna.
He had given up on keeping Kuro trapped in Rainbase.
That kind of power was just too monstrous!
"That man… there are many ways to stall him. No need to do it personally. Once I find Pluton, I won't fear anyone. Not the Marines, not pirates, not even the World Government!"
Crocodile clenched his teeth. In his mind, a tall figure wielding a naginata inexplicably surfaced.
He flew even faster.
(***)
Alubarna.
"Why are you chasing me?!"
Klahadore kept using Soru down the street, his expression dark like a brewing storm.
He had only just arrived in Alubarna when he got targeted.
By a lot of people.
From the lowest members of Baroque Works to the highest-ranking officers—all were trying to kill him.
Klahadore was totally dumbfounded. He had just escaped Crocodile, only to step into another bad situation.
"Spar Claw!"
A deep voice came from behind, and Klahadore's heart tightened. His foot twisted on the ground.
"Soru: Nukiashi!"
A circular ripple formed on the ground. Just as Klahadore vanished, a tall man rushed in, swinging five fingers downward. The force behind it sliced the nearby building into several parts.
Clang!
Five sparks exploded from behind him. Klahadore reappeared from the side, both hands holding his ten-bladed weapon, and shouted in disbelief:
"Daz Bonez?! Why are you here?!"
This guy's Devil Fruit power was said to be the bane of all swordsmen. Klahadore wasn't exactly a swordsman, but he used weapons—and he'd heard of this guy back in his pirate days.
"Boss's orders: eliminate you at all costs."
Mr. 1 cracked his joints and turned around. "Though I don't get why a small fry like you is worth the trouble."
Of course, Crocodile hadn't told anyone how terrifying Klahadore actually was. He just issued an order to all Baroque Works members:
Eliminate Klahadore at all costs.
.
..
...
"Aren't we going to do anything about him?"
At the top of Alubarna's tallest clock tower, the person in charge of the bombardment had already collapsed. Kuro and Lida overlooked the scene below. Lida chewed on an apple as she spoke.
"I'm watching. He'll be fine. He needs this."
Kuro sat on the platform with a cigar in his mouth, his eyes calm and detached.
After the incident with Crocodile, Kuro had come to a realization.
Even if he needed someone to take the fall, he had to be strong enough himself—otherwise, his cover would eventually be blown, and he'd be forced to act.
So, he decided to prepare on both ends. Keep a low profile—no promotions, no unnecessary merits.
And at the same time, help Klahadore grow strong enough to handle situations like the Crocodile fight.
Even if he wanted to avoid big-name opponents, in this sea, you never knew when one would show up.
I mean, it already happened twice.
As long as Klahadore got a bit stronger—not enough to beat monsters like a Warlord, but enough to avoid being totally crushed—he could keep flying under the radar!
"You got this, Klahadore!"
Watching Klahadore scramble below like a rat, Kuro silently rooted for him in his heart.
"Seriously…"
As Klahadore faced a barrage of attacks like a storm, dodging left and right, his mind was in chaos.
What the hell is this?!
Ever since joining the Marines, there hadn't been a single good day!
Boom!
A baseball-sized projectile whizzed past his face and exploded ahead, demolishing a building and blocking his path.
"Spar Break!"
The senior officers seized the opportunity and launched their attacks.
There was no way to escape now.
Klahadore's pupils shrank, and his legs began to tremble.
High above, Kuro pushed his thumb against his sword, exposing a sliver of the blade as he gripped the hilt with his right hand.
But just then, the dark figure suddenly leapt into the air, and all the attacks struck the building's rubble instead.
Klahadore shot into the sky, his steps seeming to land on thin air as he kicked several times in succession, soaring over everyone's heads before landing again.
When he hit the ground, he froze for a second—then bolted off like a shot.
"What just happened? How did he fly?!"
Bonez was visibly stunned, then frowned deeply. "Is he mocking us?"
"He flew, Kuro! You saw that, right? Klahadore flew just now!"
Lida's eyes widened in disbelief.
"He learned Moonwalk on his own, huh."
Kuro was also surprised, but thinking about it, it made sense.
This was a man who had invented a technique similar to Soru all by himself. Now that he'd learned actual Soru, it made sense that being pushed to the brink would unlock Moonwalk.
He really didn't make a mistake recruiting this guy.
Push him a bit further, and maybe he'll master all six styles on his own.
Desperation makes people do crazy things—and look, he was flying now.
But judging by Klahadore's appearance, he looked just about spent.
"Kuro, the battle's getting intense—it's turning into a bloodbath. They've completely lost control," Lida said, watching the battlefield.
Unlike before, where both sides were holding back somewhat, now the Army and the Rebels were going at it like rabid dogs—utterly lost in rage.
That was why Kuro had come to Alubarna—otherwise, just letting Crocodile fail would've been enough.
But some things couldn't just be brushed aside.
As for the armies, Kuro didn't care. They had chosen to be soldiers—they'd accepted the duty and the risk that came with it. But the innocent people—that was different.
No matter how wild the tides of the era became, they couldn't be allowed to drown the land.
No matter how crazy the fight got, innocent lives couldn't be sacrificed.
He was a man with a proper moral compass. And the more chaos he saw, the more he despised those who caused it.
Kuro stood up and took an iaijutsu stance.
"Ittōryū - Akkai!"
With a draw of his blade, flames danced along the fiery patterns as he swung down.
His killing intent turned into a massive mental shockwave, descending from the sky.
Tens of thousands of soldiers were instantly frozen in place.
Both sides halted.
An Army soldier was mid-thrust with his spear, aiming at a Rebel. Behind him, a Rebel soldier was mid-swing with his sword.
And in that moment, everything stopped.
Thud.
As the first person fell, it triggered a chain reaction—like a collapsing set of dominoes. From above, a dark wave of bodies began to topple.
"What the hell?!"
Bonez stared upward, heart racing—he felt like he had just brushed death itself.
The rest of the senior officers? Every last one had fainted. None of them could chase Klahadore now.
Where did this monster come from?!
Unlike the others, Bonez had killed many and knew exactly what that aura was.
Cold sweat poured down his face.
A Killer had infiltrated Alubarna!
"You really are something…"
That strike had been aimed downward and hadn't directly hit Lida, but even brushing past her had made cold sweat pour from her in instinctual terror.
"If you didn't reek so bad, I'd say you had some real potential," Lida muttered, giving Kuro a deep look.
"What nonsense. That's called killing intent. Killing intent! What do you mean I reek?!"
Kuro flicked her forehead, irritated.
Boom!
The ground suddenly exploded as Crocodile was launched into the air by two long arms, spitting a huge mouthful of blood.
Soaked and suspended in the air for a moment, he then came crashing down.
Bang!
Crocodile landed on one knee, hand braced on the ground, staring at all the unconscious bodies around him.
"What's going on?!"
He hadn't been defeated by Luffy.
Just as he had said—they weren't on the same level of pirate.
After that battle with Klahadore, Crocodile had gotten serious. He wasn't as arrogant as in the original story. He hadn't suffered a crushing defeat. He could still fight.
Though he was injured, he hadn't lost consciousness.
He still had strength left.
He'd been planning to finish Luffy with his next move, but when he flew into the air, he caught a glimpse of the ground—
Everyone had passed out!
His plan…
Without the Army and Rebels continuing their clash, his plan couldn't proceed!
"Damn it… damn it all!"
Crocodile's face darkened. He spread the fingers of the hand bracing on the ground.
"Unforgivable! In that case, I'll drag everyone down with me! I know Pluton exists. I'll find it myself! Ground Death!"
His strongest move—whether people, rocks, or anything else—it would all turn to sand.
He would turn this whole place into a desert!
Slash!
A massive golden slash flew through the air, cutting off half his body and turning it into sand.
Crocodile reformed and screamed, "You again?!"
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he saw the man in the black suit lying unconscious not far away.
Wasn't that the Klahadore he feared?
But… why was he passed out too?
(*****)
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