The burning sun gave way to overcast skies as the Straw Hat crew finally arrived at Rainbase. The once-blue sky had turned a dusty amber, with the rising wind swirling fine grains of sand into the air. The desert city shimmered in the distance, and beyond its edge stood the tall, ominous casino—Rain Dinners. It towered like a fortress, half-shrouded in storm clouds and dust.
Vivi's breath was shallow, her body trembling. Her eyes remained fixed on the casino as if she could see the enemy through its walls. "That's where he is," she whispered. Her voice trembled with urgency and fear. "That's where Crocodile is."
Luffy stood beside her, unusually silent. His straw hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but it couldn't hide the intensity in his gaze. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't laughing. There was no hunger in his eyes, no mischief. Only focus.
"Luffy... what are you thinking?" Nami asked cautiously, walking up beside him.
He didn't look at her. He didn't need to. "I'll handle this. Alone."
Vivi stepped forward in alarm. "Alone? You can't! Crocodile is—he's too dangerous!"
"Trust me," Luffy said simply, his voice firm.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and began walking toward Rain Dinners.
Zoro watched him go, arms crossed. The usual smirk was absent. "That idiot… he's not acting like himself."
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke. "No. He's acting like someone who's made up his mind."
Usopp adjusted his goggles. "He must have a plan, right? I mean… it's Luffy."
Chopper trembled slightly, ears twitching. "I hope he comes back."
Inside Rain Dinners, the atmosphere was suffocating. The usual bustle of customers and staff was gone. The casino was dead silent. On the top floor, Crocodile sat lazily on a golden throne, puffing a thick cigar. His long coat fluttered slightly from the draft coming through the open balcony.
Beside him stood Nico Robin, arms crossed and face calm, though her eyes were sharp. She, too, could feel something was different.
Crocodile glanced at a monitor beside his seat. A smirk curled his lip. "So the Straw Hat brat came after all. Brave—or stupid."
He reached beside him and pressed a hidden switch. A heavy mechanical clang echoed through the building. Far below, a section of the floor opened.
In the lower chambers, Luffy plummeted through a trapdoor, landing in a reinforced room built of seastone. He rolled across the dusty ground and came to a stop against the bars. The fall hadn't harmed him—but he allowed himself to look shaken.
Dust swirled around him as he rose. His muscles tensed, his posture deceptively relaxed. The quiet was thick.
Crocodile's voice boomed from above. "You really thought you could sneak into my kingdom and walk out alive?"
Luffy stood up, dusting off his pants. He cracked his neck, then his knuckles. "I came to end this."
Crocodile's boots echoed on metal as he descended into the chamber. "You? End this?" He chuckled, flicking ash from his cigar. "You're nothing but a naive rookie. You don't even understand the scale of this war."
Luffy didn't respond. He simply raised his fists.
Crocodile's grin faded. "Then die."
He raised his hook, and a storm of sand burst from it. "Desert Spada!"
The razor-thin blade of sand cut through the air, ripping toward Luffy. He dodged, barely, letting the sand graze his side. He stumbled and coughed, blood dotting the floor. His legs buckled as if from exhaustion. His breathing slowed. Controlled.
Crocodile laughed, approaching slowly. "Pathetic. Is that all?"
Luffy spat to the side and smirked. "You talk too much."
Suddenly, dark tendrils slithered across the floor. The sand hissed as if protesting the unnatural energy.
Robin's eyes widened. "What is that...?!"
From the shadows behind Luffy, a towering, monstrous figure emerged—broad-shouldered, jagged, with a long saw-nose and rows of sharp teeth. Shadow Arlong. His water-drenched blade gleamed in the dim light, dripping steadily onto the sand.
Crocodile stepped back instinctively. "You... you kept him?!"
"You're not the only one who plays dirty," Luffy said coldly.
Shadow Arlong let out a low growl and lunged. The blade struck Crocodile's shoulder, piercing through the sand before it could reform. The Warlord grimaced in pain as the water clung to him, weakening his powers.
Luffy charged next, fists moving like pistons. Each punch struck with brutal precision. The air echoed with the thuds of bone and flesh, Luffy's strikes flowing in perfect rhythm with Arlong's flanking attacks. The combination was merciless.
Crocodile's body faltered. His defense broke. His arm crumbled into loose sand. His hook barely deflected another strike.
Luffy ducked and delivered an uppercut that snapped Crocodile's head back. Shadow Arlong slammed his water blade into Crocodile's ribs, causing him to roar in pain.
A final hook punch from Luffy shattered what remained of Crocodile's guard. The Warlord slammed into the far wall, coughing blood.
"This... this wasn't supposed to happen," Crocodile muttered. He staggered, trying to lift his arm. The sand refused to obey him.
Luffy approached slowly, eyes locked. "I know everything you were going to do. I've seen it all before."
Robin moved a step forward, hands twitching. But something held her back. She watched Luffy—not with contempt, but with curiosity and fear.
Crocodile let out a guttural roar and lunged one last time.
But Shadow Arlong was faster.
His blade pierced straight through Crocodile's chest.
Time froze.
Blood pooled onto the sand.
Robin gasped. Her mouth opened, but no sound came.
Crocodile dropped to his knees. His body trembled, then began to dissolve, turning back into sand.
Luffy stood over him, unmoved.
"You would never stop."
He raised his hand. Shadows rippled at his feet, stretching unnaturally across the chamber.
Robin's breath caught.
"Arise."
The sand convulsed. A pool of darkness formed. Then, slowly, a new figure emerged from the shadows—Crocodile's form reborn, cloaked in black mist and void of expression. He knelt before Luffy without a word.
Robin whispered, shaken to her core, "He's not human..."
Outside Rain Dinners, the swirling sandstorm abruptly ceased. The skies cleared, revealing the sun once more.
Marines stationed nearby froze. "The sandstorm... it vanished."
Inside the casino, footsteps echoed. The heavy air had shifted. The tension that gripped the town seemed to lift slightly.
Luffy emerged from the shadows, bruised and bloodied—but his expression was calm, resolute. His footfalls echoed like thunder.
Vivi ran to him, panic in her voice. "What happened?!"
He didn't answer at first. His gaze swept across the horizon, where rebellion still brewed and gunfire echoed faintly.
"Crocodile is dead. But the war's not over."
Behind him, Shadow Crocodile stepped into the sunlight.
The crew froze.
Nami's eyes widened. "Is that... him?"
Zoro placed a hand on his sword. "That's not natural."
Sanji clenched his jaw. "Luffy… what did you do?"
Luffy said nothing. His eyes remained fixed ahead.
To be continued...
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