With a thought, Crocodile's detailed information appeared before Creed.
[Name]: Crocodile
[Abilities]: Armament Haki (SS rank – extractable), Observation Haki (SS rank – extractable), Martial Arts (S+ rank – extractable)…
[Devil Fruit]: Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit) (SS+ rank – conditions not met, not extractable)
[Overall Strength]: SS+ rank
...
SS+ rank overall strength…
Perfect. That meant the conditions were met.
Defeating Crocodile would allow Creed to extract an SSS rank ability.
Boom!!
Crocodile's upper body stretched and dissolved into a mass of sand, his golden hook whipping toward Creed.
Creed strode forward, blade flashing—Reincarnation unsheathed!
Clang~!
Their weapons collided with a piercing screech. The violent force shattered the walls of the corridor, sending cracks spreading before the whole thing collapsed.
"Oh? You can use Armament Haki?"
Creed looked at the golden hook, now coated in metallic black. Interesting—Crocodile's status panel indeed showed Armament and Observation Haki.
"Brat, don't underestimate me! I am a Shichibukai!!"
Creed raised an eyebrow. That was more like it. A Shichibukai couldn't possibly be so weak as to not even know Haki. If they were truly that fragile, the title would've been replaced countless times over.
After all, Crocodile had once dared to raise his hand against Whitebeard. He had gone to the New World, challenged him, been defeated, and then accepted the Government's offer to become a Shichibukai—all the while plotting to uncover the Poneglyph holding Pluton's location, to one day exact revenge.
As for why eight years later, when fighting Luffy, he didn't use Armament Haki… who knew?
Perhaps arrogance—believing Luffy unworthy of seeing it.
Perhaps overconfidence—thinking Luffy could never defeat him, only to trip in the gutter.
Or perhaps, in those eight years, something happened to strip him of Haki.
The truth was unknown.
"Sabaku no Tsurugi (Desert Spada)!"
As Creed pondered, Crocodile's arm turned into a sand blade and slashed.
A crescent blade of sand flew forth, slicing through a wall like tofu.
Creed dodged, surging forward, fist slamming out.
Boom!!
Crash!!
Their battle tore through Rain Dinners, blasting apart its walls as they leapt outside.
Crocodile narrowed his eyes. Rainbase was filled with fountains—bad terrain for him. His sand lost its properties when wet. Fighting here meant a huge handicap.
So he said, "Too many civilians here. You're a Marine—surely you don't want needless casualties? If you've got guts, follow me!"
His body dissolved into sand, sweeping into the distance.
Creed smirked. As if Crocodile cared about civilians' lives. He knew the real reason.
But so what?
Without hesitation, his figure blurred—Soru propelling him after.
Chase and pursuit carried them beyond Rainbase, deep into the endless desert.
They stopped. Crocodile sneered. Here, he was king. Here, he was invincible.
He swept his hand—sand writhed beneath his feet, forming massive sand dragons that roared toward Creed.
"Zan! (Slash!)"
Blade light erupted—sword aura shredding the dragons to dust.
"Sabaku Ōtsubo (Desert Sunflower)!!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath Creed collapsed into a pit, sand sucking him down like a maw, pulling with terrifying force like a swamp.
Above, waves of sand rose like an ocean, surging to bury him alive.
Creed snorted coldly. His body pulsed, blasting the sand away from his legs.
Then, seeing the sky-darkening sand waves, he raised his blade.
"Ittōryū: Mujin Tonbō Kaze!! (One Sword Style: Endless Troubling Wind!!)"
Whshh!
Countless sword slashes erupted, tearing the sand tsunami apart.
Creed leapt free with Geppō, vaulting out of the pit.
"Impressive. The strongest of the new Marines… the one who felled Iron-Arm Madman, worth 500 million…"
Crocodile's gaze sharpened. "But I am no Iron-Arm Madman…"
"Trash!!"
The last word exploded beside Creed's ear—Crocodile's body appeared behind him.
"Sabaku no Tsurugi!! (Desert Spada!!)"
His arm turned into a massive sand blade, slashing down.
Creed had already sensed it with Observation Haki. His blade flashed, scattering the sand blade into particles.
The two clashed again!
Boom!!
Sandstorms exploded.
Dragons roared, sword aura howled. Their aftershocks, their slashes, leveled dunes all around.
Thud!!
"Sabaku Ryūshoku (Sand Dragon Erosion)!!"
"Enzan!! (Flame Slash!!)"
Crocodile's sand dragons surged, while Creed's blade released a black slash wreathed in orange flame.
Boom!!
The dragons shattered.
But suddenly—danger! Creed's instincts screamed.
The sand before him exploded—Crocodile emerged, fist hammering forward.
Creed raised his blade too late. The blow smashed him, sending him flying.
Crocodile pounced, golden hook crashing down toward Creed's skull.
"Back!!"
Creed swung Reincarnation, the slash forcing Crocodile to retreat as he steadied himself on the ground.
He looked up—another Crocodile stood at a distance.
But that one dissolved into sand. A fake.
Creed's eyes grew grave.
As expected of a Shichibukai. Troublesome. He'd nearly been tricked. Crocodile's sand clone had drawn his sight while the real body lurked, hidden, striking at the perfect moment.
…
(End of Chapter)
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