"What a pain in the ass..."
A sand blade slashed out of nowhere. Aus had seen this move before—he'd tanked it with raw power.
Sakazuki's body split clean in half. Top and bottom separated slowly. His eyes tracked downward. That cluster of sand reformed into human shape.
Crocodile.
"Sakazuki. I'll use your head to make my name."
"Arrogant bastard!!!"
Sakazuki's expression darkened. Where his body had been severed, molten magma bubbled up at the seam. The halves fused back together.
Crocodile wasn't the only one with that trick.
Sakazuki was a Logia too.
"Now we're talking. You're the guy who fought Aus. Can't be that easy to kill."
Sakazuki ground his teeth. That name. The orders flashed through his mind.
Rage burned inside, but he forced the words out:
"Leave now. I'll pretend I never saw you."
Crocodile alone? Not a problem.
But her connection to Aus—one of his few actual companions—that changed everything. Kill her and risk shattering the fragile peace between Aus and the Marines. Between Aus and the World Government.
The Fleet Admiral's orders were clear: Don't engage unless absolutely necessary.
"Leave now?"
Crocodile laughed like she'd heard the world's best joke.
"I came here to kill you!!!"
Her palm dissolved into flowing sand. Black grains laced with Armament Haki formed a blade. It shot toward Sakazuki.
"Desert Spada!!!"
The sand blade extended endlessly, cutting through the air in a streamlined slash. Zero hesitation.
Sakazuki's fury exploded. This bastard had a death wish.
Fine. No more holding back.
His fist clenched. Magma swelled instantly, erupting with volcanic force. The punch rocketed toward that black desert blade.
"Dai Funka!!!"
BOOM—
The magma fist collided with Desert Spada. The impact tore a crater in the warship's deck. Heat and destruction sent Marines diving overboard.
On the battlefield—
Crocodile took the full hit. Her face went blank. She stumbled back several steps, rolling to kill her momentum.
Sakazuki stood perfectly still, rage radiating from every pore.
She couldn't believe it.
Impossible.
This was just a Vice Admiral who'd gotten wrecked fighting Aus. How could she lose?
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Mega Sandstorm!!!"
Crocodile bit clean through her cigar. Didn't even notice where it went. Her hand rose. A disaster-class sandstorm erupted.
Truth was, Aus had already evaluated Crocodile's strength. She just hadn't been around to hear it.
The assessment: Stronger than average Vice Admirals. But not by much.
However—
Her Logia intangibility and the sheer annoyance of the Sand-Sand Fruit meant she could trade blows with anyone.
Both fighters specialized in wide-range devastation.
After a few exchanges, the warship gave up and sank.
Neither could touch water. Especially Crocodile. Sakazuki could at least cool his magma into volcanic rock, stand on the surface briefly.
But Crocodile's sand? Water killed her control instantly.
So—
She transformed into a sandstorm and shot toward a distant barren island.
And Sakazuki?
His warship was destroyed. He'd taken hits. No way he was slinking away.
Besides, he'd already broken orders. Might as well finish it.
BOOM—
His body became a volcanic projectile. Eruption force launched him after Crocodile.
Even if he couldn't kill her, he'd get his pound of flesh!!!
This battle taught Crocodile a valuable chemistry lesson:
What sand crystallization feels like.
"What! The Marines captured Crocodile?"
The intel hit Sami like a freight train.
First thought: Had the Marines lost their minds?
They openly arrested one of Aus's companions? Were the Marines—no, was the World Government—declaring war on the underworld?
Too sudden!
But as she listened to the full story, the picture cleared.
Bottom line: Crocodile picked a fight. Lost. Sakazuki arrested her.
Whether she couldn't escape or was too stubborn to try—who knew?
Either way, she'd been shipped back to Marine Headquarters at Marineford. Rumor was they'd sunk their warship and used a pirate ship for the return trip.
"What a reckless idiot..."
Sami rubbed her temples. Time to contact the Marines.
Use Aus's name to bail Crocodile out.
Should work, right?
If it didn't...
If it didn't, Crocodile was headed straight for Impel Down Level 6.
Sami wasn't the only one with a headache.
Marine Headquarters was suffering too.
Marine Headquarters.
Marineford.
Fleet Admiral Kong's office.
Kong's hands pressed flat on his desk. His brow furrowed. He glanced at stone-faced Sakazuki, then at Sengoku and Tsuru on the sofa.
Their silence stretched. Finally, Kong broke it.
"Alright. She's already here. Can't leave her in Marineford forever. Let's figure out how to handle this."
His eyes shifted to Sengoku in his toad-style glasses. His future successor.
Sengoku's expression was grim. When Kong's gaze landed on him, dread spiked.
Oh no...
"Sengoku. Your thoughts?"
The man called "The Resourceful General" cursed internally.
"This..."
A red-hot potato.
Arresting her was bad. Releasing her would humiliate the Marines.
And if the rank-and-file found out the Marines got attacked, then politely let the pirate go? Mutiny wasn't off the table.
Morale would collapse!
But if they didn't release her...
Aus's power. That barely-known identity...
Damned either way!
While the high command debated—
"Buru buru buru buru..."
"Buru buru buru buru..."
A Den Den Mushi's urgent ringing cut through the room.
Every officer froze.
"That's..."
"Everyone except Sengoku—out."
They hesitated, then saluted and filed out.
Only Sengoku, groomed as the next Fleet Admiral, stayed.
Kong shot him a look: Stay quiet.
Then he picked up the receiver.
The Den Den Mushi's face transformed. Cold. Imperious. The voice dripped superiority:
"Kong. We need to inform you—Aus has started asking questions.
About Sand Crocodile."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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