Chapter 106 Dream City Rainfield! The Crocodile's Invitation
After traversing a long and brutal desert, the Straw Hat crew finally arrived at the end of their journey.
It is also the headquarters of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Rainland, the "City of Dreams".
The moment everyone stepped through the city gate, the stark contrast was almost dizzying.
In stark contrast to the barren villages outside the city, withered and littered with bones due to drought, this place was practically a paradise in the desert.
A huge fountain sprays cool water mist, and the streets are lined with shady trees.
People were dressed in fine clothes, holding fine wine, and their faces were beaming with joy.
There is no war, no drought here, only prosperity, wealth, and casinos scattered throughout the city.
"What...what's going on?" Vivi stared at the scene before her, incredulous. "People everywhere else are dying of thirst..."
Viktor stood on the street corner, looking around at the gamblers who were addicted to gambling, oblivious to the national crisis, and even mocking the rebels for their stupidity.
His eyes turned icy cold.
"They monopolize all the water resources here and use money to numb people's hearts."
Viktor lowered his voice, a hint of disgust in his tone:
"Prosperity built on the dried blood of others… What a disgusting 'ideal land'."
However, for the other two idiots, this place is just a hydration paradise.
"Water!!! So much water!!"
Luffy and Usopp, whose lips were cracked from severe dehydration, had their eyes turn into fountain shapes as soon as they entered the city.
They immediately spotted the most magnificent building in the city center, shaped like a giant pyramid and topped with a huge crocodile statue.
That is the largest casino in the rainy land – "Rain Banquet".
"That looks like the water's the most!! Let's go!!"
Luffy shouted and dragged Usopp inside.
...
Inside the "Rain Banquet" casino lobby, the place was resplendent with gold and filled with the clamor of voices.
"Make way!! I need water!!"
Luffy charged in like a runaway cannonball, not even looking where he was going, and headed straight for the bar.
At the bar, a white-haired man wearing a coat with the word "Justice" written on the back was eating pizza.
"Bang!!"
Luffy crashed headfirst into the man's back, and the two rolled on the ground like a human pyramid, pizza smeared all over their faces.
Luffy got up and stared at the man in front of him with his face covered in pizza sauce, stunned.
The other party was also stunned.
"Straw hat!!!" Smoker's eyes widened, and he almost bit off the cigar in his mouth.
"Whoa!! It's the Smoke Man!!!"
Luffy's eyes popped out of their sockets in fright, and he reflexively yelled, "Run!!"
The once orderly casino was thrown into chaos in an instant.
"Catch the Straw Hat Boy!!"
Smoker transformed into white smoke and roared as he gave chase.
Luffy and Usopp were running wildly through the casino when they bumped into Zoro, Nami, Vivi, Victor, and the others who had arrived shortly after.
"Luffy?! That's... Smoker?!" Zoro exclaimed in surprise.
"Stop talking nonsense! Run!!" Luffy led the charge.
During the relentless pursuit by the navy, the group fled in panic.
But guided by some seemingly coincidental coincidence, they rushed through a long corridor and arrived at a door at the end that read "VIP".
"This is definitely a place to avoid the smoke man!"
Luffy kicked the door open.
...
Inside the VIP room, the lighting was dim, with only a few luxurious crystal chandeliers emitting a cold glow.
There was no escape route at the end of the room.
There was only a huge leather sofa and a man sitting in the shadow of the sofa.
He had his hair slicked back, wore an expensive fur coat, had a cigar in his mouth, a golden iron hook in his left hand, and a horizontal scar on his face that made him look particularly ferocious.
Beneath the floor at his feet was a huge glass tank, in which several enormous banana crocodiles were swimming with their jaws wide open.
Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
He seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
"Hmph hmph hmph..."
Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring, his sinister eyes sweeping over the intruders, his voice low and hoarse:
"Welcome to Rain Party, Straw Hat Luffy..."
His gaze lingered on the black-haired boy:
"And then there's… 'Crimson Lotus' Victor."
"I never thought you would actually make it this far alive."
In that instant.
Viktor's muscles tensed instantly; the oppressive feeling emanating from a top-tier expert made his hair stand on end.
Buzz—
The three-tomoe Sharingan is activated instantly.
In Viktor's vision, the man before him was not flesh and blood, but a terrifying aggregate of extremely dry sand and dust.
"This guy..."
Warning bells rang in Viktor's mind:
"His body was filled with flowing sand. And in this desert environment, his power was limitless..."
"If we don't consider elemental advantages, this guy's combat power in the desert is practically at the level of a tailed beast."
but...
Since it's sand.
Viktor's eyes flickered, and he quickly formulated a tactic in his mind.
Sand should be afraid of water, right?
Although there isn't a large water source here, I can create one using chakra.
Viktor quietly put his hands behind his back and began to quickly form hand seals.
Those were forty-four extremely complex seals.
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique].
Victor decided to take the initiative and, without saying anything else, let him test the waters of this sand crocodile with his water dragon.
However.
"You damn crocodile!!"
Before Victor could even finish his hand seals, Luffy, seeing his enemy and filled with intense hatred, charged forward without a word, throwing a punch:
"I'm going to send you flying!!"
"Wait! Luffy! Don't be impulsive!" Victor shouted.
But it was too late.
Crocodile watched Luffy charging towards him, a mocking smirk playing on his lips, and lightly pressed a button on the armrest.
"What a stupid mouse."
"Click".
The sound of the machine starting up rang out.
The floor beneath their feet suddenly cracked open like a flip-flop!
"Why?!"
Luffy's feet hit the ground as he charged forward.
Not only him, but Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and even Smoker who had caught up with them all lost their footing.
"Aaaaaaah!!"
The group slid down the huge slide and fell straight into the trap beneath the floor.
And at the moment the floor cracked.
"Instantaneous Movement Technique!"
Viktor reacted extremely quickly, lightly touching the ground with his toes, his body becoming a blur as he attempted to leap to the only safe spot nearby.
"Trying to run?"
Crocodile snorted coldly.
"Desert Treasure Sword!"
Suddenly, high-pressure sand and dust erupted from the surrounding walls, instantly blocking all of Viktor's footholds and evasive routes.
At the same time, Victor saw Nami falling as well, screaming in fear.
"Victor!!" Nami reached out in despair.
If Viktor forces his way out, he might escape, but Nami will definitely fall heavily and may even get injured.
"Tsk."
Viktor stopped forming hand seals, and a flash of red light appeared in his eyes.
He forcibly twisted his body in mid-air, giving up his chance to escape, and instead accelerated his downward dive.
brush!
Viktor grabbed Nami's hand and pulled her into his arms to protect her.
"It's alright now!"
"Bang!!"
The next second.
The group crashed heavily to the bottom of a cage made of sea stone.
The flap above slammed shut with a loud bang.
The light dimmed instantly.
Crocodile walked to the top of the cage, looking down at the trapped group of fish in a barrel, and let out a triumphant laugh:
"Hahaha! Welcome to my specially made cage!"
"Enjoy your last moments here, pirates."
"Oh? There's a navy guy too, whatever! Hahahaha!"Chapter 107 The Despair of Seastone! The "Prince" Who Wasn't Caught in the Net
Inside the enormous sea stone cage.
"Bang!"
As Crocodile finished speaking, the heavy flap mechanism above his head slammed shut with a loud "boom," cutting off the last ray of light from the outside world.
The light inside the cage became dim and oppressive.
"Damn it... that bastard crocodile! He actually used a trap!"
Luffy angrily got up from the ground and rushed towards the fence in front of him without saying a word, grabbing the bars with both hands and trying to pry them open:
"Open it!!"
However, the moment his hands touched the railing...
"Waaah..."
Luffy felt as if he had been electrocuted, as if all his strength had been instantly drained.
His eyes rolled back, and he slid down the railing like a lump of soft mud, collapsing to the ground.
"Hey! Straw Hat! What's wrong?"
Upon seeing this, Smoker frowned and instinctively tried to transform into an elemental form to pass through the railing.
But the same thing happened when his smoke touched the railing.
"Cough cough... Ugh!"
Smoker grunted, his usually upright body instantly losing its support, and he knelt on one knee.
The ten-armed sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
"What's going on... I can't muster any strength at all... Could it be Seastone?!"
"Guhahahaha!"
Outside the cage, Crocodile looked at the group of turtles trapped in a cage and let out a triumphant laugh:
"Don't waste your energy."
He exhaled a smoke ring, looking contemptuously at the limp ability users:
"This cage is made of'seastone.' This stone exudes the same energy as the ocean."
"For Devil Fruit users, once they come into contact with it, they become as powerless as a duck that can't swim."
"This place... is your hell."
"Seastone, huh..."
Viktor was unaffected.
Despite not having superpowers, he still maintained ample physical strength.
Viktor walked to the railing, pulled out a jet-black kunai covered in chakra, and slashed it hard at the railing.
"Sizzle!!"
Sparks flew everywhere.
However, not a single white mark was left on the railing; instead, a chip was broken in the steel kunai in Victor's hand.
"Tsk."
Viktor put away his kunai, raising an eyebrow slightly:
"It's so hard... It seems impossible to get out by physical means."
"oh?"
Crocodile noticed the only black-haired boy standing upright, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:
"You look quite energetic, 'Red Lotus'. It seems you're not a power user after all."
"But don't waste your energy. Even that pirate hunter couldn't cut through this hardness."
Zoro was trying to draw his sword at the moment. Upon hearing this, he gritted his teeth with a gloomy expression, but did not refute it.
Because his intuition told him that this thing was indeed ridiculously hard.
Just then.
"Everyone!! I'm here!"
Vivi's voice came from the corridor.
Because she ran relatively slowly and was familiar with the terrain, she did not fall into the trap.
"Vivi! Run!" Luffy shouted weakly.
However, in a sandy arena, how could Vivi possibly escape?
"Desert Diamond Sword!"
Crocodile casually swung his hand, and the Sand Blade forced Vivi's retreat.
Immediately afterwards, a large, sand-like hand reached out and easily grabbed Weiwei's neck, lifting her into the air.
"Let her go!!" Nami and Usopp screamed in terror.
"What a touching reunion, Your Highness."
Crocodile, holding Vivi, looked down at the people in the cage.
He finally revealed his insane plan, "Utopia," to these "dying men":
"Keep your eyes open, this is the final moment."
"I have arranged for my men to impersonate the King's army and attack civilians, while also inciting the rebels to launch a general offensive."
Crocodile's eyes gleamed with fanatical ambition:
"The two armies will clash in Arubana, and the country will be destroyed in the civil war. And I, as a 'hero,' will take over all of this and build my ideal world!"
"And... obtain the ancient weapon that lies dormant beneath this country—'Pluto'!"
"Pluto?!" Smoker's pupils contracted sharply. As a Marine, he knew all too well what that meant.
"You bastard!!"
Luffy and Vivi roared angrily and struggled desperately.
But under the overwhelming power and the suppression of the Seastone, their anger seemed so powerless.
"Alright, enough of the nonsense."
Crocodile glanced at the gold watch on his wrist, then pulled a key from his pocket and waved it in front of everyone:
"This key is the only hope to open this cage."
"then."
He tossed it casually.
But instead of throwing the key to everyone, they threw it directly into the huge pool of water under the floor.
"roar!!"
A giant banana crocodile opened its blood-red maw and swallowed the key whole.
"Hahaha! Sorry, it's not for you."
"An hour later, the water inlet to this room will be opened, and water will fill the entire room."
Crocodile turned around, picked up Vivi, and walked out:
"You will slowly savor the pleasure of drowning in this long period of fear."
"Farewell, Straw Hat Luffy."
"Boom!"
The heavy door closed.
The room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sounds of crocodiles swimming in the pool and the hum of the water pipes starting to operate.
A sense of despair was spreading.
Nami collapsed to the ground, hugging her knees: "It's over...we're all going to die here..."
Usopp was so scared that tears and snot streamed down his face: "I don't want to be eaten by a crocodile!!"
However.
"Don't rush to write your wills, everyone."
A calm voice broke the silence.
Viktor leaned against the railing, arms crossed, showing no sign of panic.
His gaze swept over everyone in the cage:
"Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and that guy with the smoke..."
Viktor's lips curled slightly upward, and a glint of wisdom shone in his dark eyes:
"Two people are missing."
"Why?"
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked around.
"Yeah!! What about that perverted cook and Clay?!" Zoro exclaimed in surprise.
"Sanji!! Sanji is missing!!" Nami's eyes lit up with renewed hope.
From the moment they entered the Rain Party, Sanji and Clay were never with the main group!
"That lecherous cook, he always seems so unreliable..."
Viktor looked at the tightly closed door and said with a smile:
"But in such crucial moments, he can be a'secret weapon'."
"Poruporuporuporu...Poruporuporu..."
Just then.
As Crocodile left, the Den Den Mushi he had deliberately left on the table to humiliate them suddenly rang.
Because he was not far from the railing, Viktor reached out and grabbed the microphone.
"Click".
The call was connected.
"Hello? This is the 'Rain Banquet' VIP room," Victor said calmly.
On the other end of the phone came a familiar, languid voice, accompanied by the sound of a lighter lighting a cigarette:
"Oh, did it connect?"
"Um… I am 'Mr. Prince'."
"Coo-coo-coo! I am Mr. King!"
"Sanji!! Clay!" Luffy and Usopp shouted excitedly, as if they had heard the voices of angels.
"Gah..."
With a muffled thud and a scream, Sanji's voice continued to ring out.
"Shut up, you idiots."
"Listen carefully, I've already lured away those scumbags outside who call themselves 'Billionaire Elders'."
"And just now I made a harassing call to that sand crocodile, pretending to be one of his men and saying something big had happened outside."
Sanji on the other end of the phone exhaled a smoke ring and chuckled softly:
"Now, that crocodile has been tricked by my 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' trick and has no choice but to leave Yuyan and go outside to check the situation."
"Take advantage of this opportunity..."
"Well done, Mr. Prince."
Hearing this, Viktor gripped the microphone tightly, looked at his companions in the cage, and a smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"The crocodile has been transferred, and the guards are in disarray."
"The opportunity has arrived."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding walls made a series of noises, the sound of a mechanism being activated.Chapter 108 The Triumph of Physics! A Tale of Ice and Fire Breaks Through the Sea-Stone
Inside the VIP room cage beneath the Rain Banquet Hall.
"Boom..."
With Crocodile's departure, the water-filling mechanism hidden behind the wall was fully activated.
The icy underground lake water rushed in like a flood bursting its banks, and the water level rose extremely quickly, soon reaching everyone's knees.
"Ugh... I'm out of energy..."
As soon as Luffy touched the water, it was as if his spine had been removed; he went limp and fell face down into the water.
Smoker on the other side was in the same sorry state. The sea stone railings and the lake water containing the energy of the ocean instantly turned this Logia-type Devil Fruit user into a cripple.
He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, unable to even lift a finger.
Just as everyone was falling into despair once again.
"Bang!!"
A muffled thud.
The giant banana crocodile guarding the cage was kicked hard by a black leather shoe, crashing into the wall and losing consciousness.
"I've sent Clay to guard the door."
Immediately afterwards, a blond figure with a cigarette in his mouth and wearing sunglasses landed stylishly.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Sanji (Mr. Prince) pushed up his sunglasses, revealing a confident smile:
"Are you all alright? The prince has come to rescue you... However, I just looked around, and it seems the key was swallowed by a crocodile, but I can't tell which one..."
Everyone looked at the ferocious crocodiles swimming in the pool and felt a chill run down their spines.
If things had followed the original trajectory of fate, Mr. 3, who was still alive at this point, should have used the Candle-Candle Fruit to forge a key and open the cage.
But now...
Victor looked at the empty crocodile pool and sighed helplessly.
"Mr.3's grave is probably covered in grass by now, where would he get a candle and key?"
"Since there's no key, let's just cut it open!"
Zoro, gripping the Wado Ichimonji in his teeth, struggled to exert force in the water and slammed it down hard against the railing.
"clang!!"
Sparks flew everywhere, and the recoil made Zoro's hand go numb, but the gray railing remained completely still, without even a scratch.
"No... this thing is harder than steel, it can't be cut at all!" Zoro's face was grim.
The water level rose higher and higher, reaching chest height.
"Gurgle..." Luffy has already started rolling his eyes and blowing bubbles.
Due to the resistance of the water, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji would have a hard time breaking the cage underwater, not to mention that the cage was ridiculously hard.
Just then.
"Buzz".
Viktor took a deep breath, and blue chakra light flowed and gathered at the soles of his feet.
To everyone's astonishment, including Smoker's, Viktor didn't soak in the water like the others, but instead stood steadily on the rippling water!
He bent down and grabbed Luffy by the back of his collar, who was nearly drowning.
They lifted him up like a chick, letting his head surface to breathe.
"Red…Red Lotus…you're actually standing on the water?!" Smoker said weakly.
Victor ignored his surprise and stared at the indestructible seastone railing before him, his brow furrowed.
"This is the butterfly effect... because I killed Mr. 3, and the original escape route was cut off."
"Seastone is as hard as diamond, making it immune to physical attacks. However..."
Viktor's eyes sharpened, and he instantly communicated with the system through his mind.
"System! Exchange for ninjutsu!"
[Ding! 1500 Ninja Points consumed to exchange for Water Release Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Severing Wave.]
As knowledge flooded into his mind, Viktor's lips curled into a smile.
Since physical hardness cannot be overcome, let's use scientific methods.
He looked at Zoro in the water and Sanji outside, and shouted:
"Zoro, Sanji, get ready! On my command, attack this railing with all your might!"
"Huh? No way!" Zoro shouted, "This thing is too hard, the sword will break!"
"Who said I was going to cut it open?"
Viktor stood on the water, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, chakra surging at his fingertips:
"Everything has its weaknesses, even Seastone is no exception."
Step 1: Extreme heat.
Viktor's chest bulged high, and the fire-style chakra within his body was being compressed wildly at his throat.
Then, a high-pressure jet was applied to a specific point on the sea stone railing.
"Burn it!!"
[Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow!]
"boom--!!"
A line of fire, condensed to its extreme, carrying terrifying heat, relentlessly scorched the middle section of the sea stone railing.
Even above the water, the blazing flames emitted a suffocating heat wave, instantly evaporating the surrounding water vapor.
Under continuous burning at extremely high temperatures.
The sea stone, which was said to be indestructible and would never deform under any circumstances, began to slowly change color.
It changed from gray to dark red, and finally to a clear, bright red!
Step Two: Extreme Cold.
"Now!!"
Viktor abruptly stopped his fire-style attacks, instantly changing hand seals to manipulate the icy lake water beneath his feet.
Yin-mao-hai-xu-chou!
[Water Release: Water Severing Wave!!]
This is the signature hardcore water jutsu of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, possessing extremely strong cutting power. In the original work, it even severed the roots of the God Tree.
"puff--!!"
Viktor violently spurted out a jet of ultra-fine water, like a high-pressure water jet.
The icy lake water, carrying the kinetic energy to cut through everything, crashed instantly against the railing that had just been heated to a bright red.
"Zzzzzzz!!!"
A huge plume of white smoke rose up, a violent reaction between water and fire.
The sea stone underwent a temperature change of several thousand degrees in a very short period of time, causing drastic stress changes and collapse in its internal structure.
"Snap!"
A crisp, melodious sound rang out in the deathly silent water prison.
A visible crack appeared on the reddened railing!
"Attack!!!" Victor roared.
The two main forces, who had been poised to attack, suddenly surged forward.
"Ittōryu·Iai·Demon Slayer!!"
Zoro drew his sword in the water, a flash of cold light.
"Lamb Shot!!"
Sanji kicked out with his right leg from above.
The blade and the kick struck precisely at the same time the fragile crack.
"Splash!!!"
The sea stone railing, which was said to be so strong that even diamonds could not cut through it, finally let out a mournful cry and shattered into pieces under the combined attack of the laws of physics and violence!
"It's open!!"
"Run!!"
The water level is almost submerging the roof.
The group grabbed the half-dead Luffy and Smoker, and just before the room was completely submerged, they darted out of that desperate cage like fish.
...
"Cough! Cough cough!"
In the corridor of the Rain Banquet, everyone was soaked to the bone, collapsed on the ground, and gasped for fresh air.
Smoker lay on the ground and vomited up several mouthfuls of bitter water. The feeling of weakness finally subsided, and his strength gradually returned.
He looked up, his gaze complex as he looked at the group of pirates wringing out their clothes and exchanging sarcastic remarks.
As a naval officer, he should have immediately taken action to arrest them.
but...
Smoker gripped the jib in his hands tightly and asked in a hoarse voice:
Why did you save me?
"I am a Marine. As long as I live, I will keep hunting you down."
Luffy, who was vomiting water out of his stomach like a fountain, turned around with a matter-of-fact expression upon hearing this:
"Because if I don't save you, you'll die."
There was no grand reasoning, nor any calculation.
Simply because... I didn't want to see him die in front of me.
Smoker was stunned.
He looked into Luffy's clear eyes and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he took a deep breath, put away his weapon, and turned his back.
"...Get out of here."
Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, spoke curtly:
"This time... I'll pretend I didn't see you."
"But Straw Hat, and Guren... next time we meet, I will personally arrest you! I'll stake my justice on it!"
Luffy grinned: "Hehe, let's talk about it next time!"
Everyone got up to leave.
Victor stopped as he passed Smoker.
He reached out and gently patted the naval captain's soaking wet shoulder, saying with a smile:
"Don't rush to arrest us, Colonel."
Instead of chasing after pirates, let's go and see the truth about this country first.
Victor pointed meaningfully to the city outside the window:
"Sometimes, the 'justice' that we see with our eyes... may not be real."
After saying that, Viktor instantly caught up with the group.
...
They rushed out of the Rain Banquet Casino.
A giant, long-legged house crab had been waiting for a long time—it was "Eyelashes," a friend that Chopper had rescued earlier.
"Where are we going? To Arubana?" Nami asked.
Luffy stood on the crab's back, gazing at the distant palace with eyes burning with an unprecedented rage and fighting spirit.
No, he's there.
"Crocodile... I'm going to send you flying!Chapter 109 The Giant's Teachings! Luffy's Awakened "Black Bullet"
The scorching sun beats down on the earth in the vast desert.
A giant migratory crab, with its six long legs, is speeding towards Arubana, kicking up clouds of yellow sand.
The Straw Hat crew were lying on the crab's back, looking anxious.
"call out--!!"
Just then, a golden, cold light suddenly shot out from the billowing sand and dust on the side.
It was a huge golden iron hook, filled with terrifying killing intent, which hooked directly onto one of the moving crab's hind legs.
The immense pulling force caused the running crab to stumble and nearly tip over.
Immediately afterwards, with a flick of the golden hook, it went straight for Princess Vivi on the crab's back.
"Hahaha! I told you, you can't escape!"
A whirlwind swept across the desert, accompanied by a hoarse laugh.
"Leave the princess here; everyone else can get out."
At the critical moment.
"Dream on!!"
A red figure leaped off the crab's back.
Luffy spun in the air and kicked away the deadly golden hook with his right foot.
"Bang!"
Luffy landed steadily on the scorching sand, blocking Crocodile and the Moving Crab.
He adjusted his straw hat, didn't turn around, but shouted loudly:
"Everyone, get out of here!! I'll take this guy down!!"
"Luffy!!" Vivi and Nami cried out in panic. How could they possibly leave Luffy alone to face the terrifying Crocodile?
"Stop! We need to help him!" Vivi tried to stop the moving crab.
Keep running!
A strong hand pressed firmly on Weiwei's shoulder.
Victor stood on the crab's back, his black eyes coldly fixed on what was behind him, and issued an irrefutable command to the moving crab:
"Full speed ahead!! Don't look back!!"
The migrating crab sensed that terrifying aura and dared not disobey, so it could only tearfully continue its frantic run.
"But Luffy…" Vivi was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.
"He is the captain."
Viktor's voice, though calm, carried an undeniable trust:
"Since he said he would hand it over to him, then we should trust him. If even he loses... then we'll just be throwing our lives away."
"Trust him, that idiot... is actually very strong."
...
In the heart of the desert, the wind and sand howled.
Luffy is alone, facing Crocodile, who is known as "Sand Crocodile".
"You ignorant brat."
Crocodile reattached his golden hook, his body gradually turning into sand, his eyes filled with contempt.
"Rubber, rubber—machine gun!!!"
Without a word, Luffy unleashed a barrage of punches, creating countless afterimages as he hurtled towards Crocodile like a storm.
However.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
All the fists passed through Crocodile's body without any resistance, only scattering puffs of yellow sand.
The sand swirled in the air before quickly coalescing back into Crocodile's humanoid form.
"it's useless."
Crocodile sneered, not even bothering to dodge:
"In the first half of the Grand Line, Logia-type Devil Fruits were synonymous with invincibility."
"No matter how fast or heavy your punch is, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit a solid object."
"You... don't even have the right to touch me."
Faced with this ghost-like enemy who was untouchable and toying with him at will, Luffy stopped attacking and gasped for breath.
In the past, he might have felt despair.
But at this moment, under the pressure of life and death.
Suddenly, the image of that starry night in the small garden flashed through his mind.
The giants' majestic voices seemed to echo in my ears.
'Sense the aura...' Dongli said.
'Transform your will into armor...to attack that "invisible" entity...' Brogy raised his giant axe.
"Hey! Straw Hat Boy! Don't use brute force, use your willpower to catch it!"
"call..."
Luffy took a deep breath and, amidst the clamor of the battlefield, slowly closed his eyes.
That mysterious feeling flows through the body; it is the potential that lies dormant deep within the human body.
He no longer simply uses brute force to throw punches.
Instead, he channeled all his anger towards Crocodile, his determination to protect his comrades, and his indomitable will into his right fist.
Buzz—
In that instant, Luffy suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning!
"I don't care if you're a god or sand!!"
Luffy's right arm suddenly stretched backward, his muscles taut to the limit:
"Anyway, the person I'm going to beat to a pulp is you!!!"
"Rubber, rubber—"
Luffy threw another punch.
This time, there was no water on the fist.
But at the moment of high-speed friction with the air, a faint, barely perceptible black aura was faintly entwined—that was the rudimentary form of Armament Haki!
"pistol!!!!"
Crocodile, standing still, intended to transform into his elemental form and ignore the attack, just as he had done before.
But just as the fist was about to hit him, his instincts as a strong person suddenly went into overdrive!
A strong sense of crisis made his hair stand on end!
"What?!"
But he underestimated his opponent, and it was too late for him to dodge.
"Bang!!!!"
A dull thud was heard.
That was a real, physical collision between bodies!
This punch landed squarely on Crocodile's arrogant face!
"Ugh!!"
Crocodile was sent flying into the air, like a rag doll, rolling several times on the sand before coming to a stop.
He covered his face, staring in shock at the glaring crimson stain on his glove.
"Blood?!..."
Crocodile's pupils dilated in shock as he stared incredulously at the little brat in the straw hat:
"Could it be... an aura of dominance?!"
"How is this possible?! How could a mere brat in this paradise stage... possibly possess the power of this new world?!"
"Hit!!"
Seeing this, Luffy's confidence soared.
He pressed his advantage, though his "domineering aura" was sometimes effective and sometimes not.
But with his beast-like keen intuition, he accurately caught Crocodile's physical form with several consecutive punches.
"Bang! Bang!"
Crocodile was actually suppressed for a time and had to retreat several steps.
However, the humiliation of being injured by a newcomer completely enraged the infamous Crocodile.
"Excellent…Straw Hat Boy."
Crocodile steadied himself, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes turned extremely terrifying—they held true killing intent.
"Since you're courting death... then I'll bestow upon you a desolate despair!!"
"Desert Treasure Sword!!"
boom!!
He suddenly waved his hand, and a huge sand blade slashed out along the ground, instantly cutting off Luffy's attack.
Its momentum did not diminish, and it even cut a bottomless crack in the earth.
Immediately afterwards.
"Whoosh!"
Crocodile used his Sand Transformation to appear in front of Luffy like a ghost.
His right hand shot out and grabbed Luffy's fist as it swung at him.
"Erosion of Reincarnation!!"
The terrifying power of the Sand-Sand Fruit is activated.
"Aaaaaaah!!"
Luffy let out a piercing scream.
All the moisture in his once plump, rubbery right arm was frantically drained the moment it was grabbed.
In just one second, the arm turned into a withered, shriveled mummy, like a piece of dead wood that had been dried up for thousands of years.
The excruciating pain and sudden dehydration caused Luffy to black out and lose consciousness.
"Hmph, in the end he's just a monkey who can only swing his fists randomly."
Crocodile showed no mercy.
"Click".
The outer shell of the golden hook on his left hand popped open, revealing a sharp scorpion venom hook inside that gleamed with purple light.
"Go to hell! You arrogant brat!"
"Pfft!!!!"
Without any hesitation.
The poisoned golden hook mercilessly pierced Luffy's chest, lifting him high into the air, blood dripping down the hook onto the scorching yellow sand.
"Cough..." Luffy coughed up blood and lowered his head completely.
"This is what happens when you challenge me."
Crocodile tossed it aside like trash.
"thump."
The dying Luffy was thrown into a huge quicksand vortex nearby, and his body slowly sank with the quicksand.
"The gap in strength... is an insurmountable chasm."
Crocodile didn't even glance at the sinking figure. His body transformed into a violent sandstorm and roared towards Albana.
The desert returned to silence.
Only that quicksand vortex continued to relentlessly devour the young pirate.
It looked like Luffy's head was about to be completely buried by the yellow sand.
Just then.
"Do you want to live, D clan?"
On the edge of the desert, the figure of a woman dressed in denim appears.
Robin looked at Luffy, who was on the verge of death.
She recalled Victor's words at Whiskey Peak: "Survivor of Ohara."
"Thirty rounds of flowers, grab them."
Countless pale arms suddenly bloomed from the quicksand like flowers, connecting with each other to form a long rope.
Just a second before the quicksand completely engulfed Luffy, that hand gripped Luffy's withered arm tightly, pulling him back from the brink of death.Chapter 110 Super Karoo Duck Team! The Ultimate Deception of Shadow Clone Technique
Outside Arubana, the scorching heat distorted the air.
On the distant horizon, two massive sandstorms are rapidly approaching.
That wasn't natural weather; it was the imminent final battle between hundreds of thousands of troops representing the King's army and the rebel army, about to unfold before this ancient city.
And on the only road leading to the city.
"This road is blocked."
The remaining senior agents of Baroque Works lined up and blocked the way.
Mr. 1, who exudes an aura of steel; Miss Doublefinger, with her alluring figure but dangerous eyes; Mr. 2, a transvestite; and the bizarre Mr. 4 pair.
Behind them stood hundreds of elders armed with sophisticated weapons, densely blocking all the entrances.
"We have to be quick..."
Vivi watched the army about to engage in battle, her forehead covered in sweat, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.
"We must enter the city before the war begins and go to the palace to stop the king's army!"
"But... there are too many enemies, we simply can't break through!"
The moment she shows her face, she will be instantly killed by this group of top assassins.
Just when despair was at its peak.
"quack!!"
A familiar call rang out from the desert horizon to the side.
Everyone turned to look and saw dust billowing everywhere as a group of incredibly fast-moving figures rushed towards them.
That's Vivi's mount, Karoo Duck, and behind it follows a whole flock of ducks wearing goggles and capes!
"It's Karoo! And its'Super Karoo Duck Army'!!"
Vivi exclaimed in surprise, "That's Arubana's fastest legion!"
"Gagaga!!"
The flock of ducks rushed towards the group like a whirlwind, then came to an abrupt halt, each duck stopping precisely in front of a person, indicating that everyone should get on.
"Alright! Everyone, ride one!"
Zoro flipped onto the duck, drew three swords, and said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Since you're blocking my way, I'll force my way through!"
"etc."
Victor reached out and stopped the group that was about to charge forward.
Riding on the back of a duck named "Cowboy," he calmly analyzed the situation, looking at the watchful agents in the distance:
"The agents' only target is Vivi. If we charge together, Vivi will still be the target of their fire."
"If we don't muddy the waters, no one can get past us."
Victor's lips curled slightly, and he instantly communicated with the system through his thoughts.
[Ding! 500 Ninja Points consumed to exchange for the Ninjutsu: Transformation Jutsu.]
Combined with the previously acquired shadow clones, a top-notch fraud show is about to unfold.
"Watch closely, this is ninja tactic."
Viktor stood on the duck's back, his hands quickly forming a "Ren" hand seal, instantly distributing his chakra evenly.
"Ninja Art: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a burst of white smoke, the original one Victor instantly turned into seven!
Each one has a physical form, and each one exudes the same aura.
"Wow, amazing!! So many Victors!!" Chopper and Usopp exclaimed.
But that's not all.
The six clones of Viktor simultaneously formed hand seals again and glanced at the real Vivi.
"Transformation Technique!!"
"Bang!!!"
A larger plume of smoke spread across the desert.
The moment the smoke cleared, the agents of Baroque Works were completely dumbfounded.
On the backs of those ducks, there appeared seven identical Princess Vivis!
Whether it's the long blue hair, the dancer's outfit, or the expression on her face, everything is exactly the same!
"Everyone! Each of you follow one 'Vivi'! Split up and break through!!" Victor shouted.
Although the Straw Hat crew was surprised, they reacted quickly, each of them immediately escorting one of "Vivi" and riding ducks in seven different directions in a frenzied charge.
"Charge!!!"
Seeing this scene, Mr. 2 von Clay's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his jaw dropped to the ground:
"Huh?!?!?!"
He clutched his head and screamed:
"How can there be so many little Vivis?! Which one is the real one?!"
"Could this also be my Imitation Fruit ability?! Did that red-eyed guy steal my job?!"
Even the usually calm Mr. 1 turned ashen-faced, with veins bulging on his forehead.
"Is it a hallucination?...No."
He clenched his fist as he watched the figures casting shadows in the sunlight and kicking up dust as they ran.
"Everyone has a physical body... Just what kind of monster is this guy?"
"Never mind all that! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!!"
Miss Doublefinger screamed, "Everyone chase one! We absolutely cannot let the real princess run into the palace!"
Forced into a corner, the agents had no choice but to disperse their forces to pursue the enemy.
Mr. 1's eyes turned cold as he locked onto the green-haired swordsman escorting "Vivi," and charged forward with his arms transforming into blades: "Pirate hunter...you are my prey."
Mr. 2 then spun around and charged towards Sanji: "Hey, you with the curly eyebrows! Come dance with me!"
Miss Doublefinger, in her high heels, caught up with Nami and Clay at incredible speed.
Meanwhile, the clumsy Mr. 4 duo roared as they chased after Usopp and Chopper.
The battlefield was instantly divided.
In the chaotic dust storm.
Viktor, the "real body" who had been ignored by the agents during the chaos, was now standing still, riding a duck.
He looked at his scattered companions and the agents who had been lured away, then deactivated his transformation, his eyes turning incredibly cold.
"Very good, the battle situation has been divided."
"Those guys are strong, but Zoro and Sanji aren't pushovers either."
Victor turned the duck's head to look at the magnificent palace towering in the center of Arubana.
At the main gate of the palace, a nauseating smell of sand and dust was gathering.
"Next... I need to deal with that 'big problem'."
"drive!!"
Victor patted the duck's rear end.
"quack!!"
Like an arrow released from a bow, the duck carried the black figure, avoiding all the battlefields and heading straight for the main gate of the palace—
That was Crocodile's ultimate destination.