You Wouldn't Want the World Government to Know What You've Done

You wouldn't want the World Government to know what you've done, would you?

Clang.

The sound of a wineglass shattering.

It echoed through the luxurious office.

"A whole port city. What an appetite. It seems CP9 really is coming after me."

Crocodile's face darkened, and a bloodthirsty red gleam flashed in his gloomy eyes.

He could not remember how long it had been since someone had threatened him like this.

His expression shifted darkly as the cigar between his lips burned rapidly.

"Guhahahaha, interesting. Truly interesting. Someone actually dared to extort me. Then let me see what the World Government is trying to pull."

A violent wind suddenly swept through the office, sending the curtains flying and throwing the windows wide open.

When Crocodile vanished from the office at the top of Rain Country's casino, the papers left on the desk bore conspicuous words such as Dance Powder.

In the great desert beyond Nanohana.

Roy idly drank coconut juice as he watched the distant sky.

As for this extortion, Roy believed he had it in the bag.

For no other reason than that Roy knew Crocodile would never give up on Pluton.

After all, this desert crocodile was a typical ambitious schemer. Before his conspiracy was complete, Roy believed he would have enough patience.

The only thing Roy needed to be wary of now was that Crocodile would never simply accept being extorted.

Therefore, according to Roy's guess, Crocodile would definitely launch probing attacks during the negotiations.

If Crocodile's probing was successfully dealt with by Roy, then this extortion would be a sure thing.

And if he failed to handle the probing, then with the information in his hands, it might not be fatal, but Crocodile would definitely teach him a lesson.

After all, he was the man granted the title of Shichibukai by the World Government.

And such a ruthless hero had pride unique to himself.

Roy thought over the possible situations that might arise when he met Crocodile next.

He looked toward the distant horizon and felt the scorching heat in the sky.

He glanced at the sea of clouds floating tens of thousands of meters above.

"Forget whatever Shichibukai he is. Today, Nanohana is mine."

Although the desert was Crocodile's home ground, Roy was a man who could control the sea of clouds and make it rain.

The Sand-Sand Fruit's power was indeed formidable, but it still had one distinct weakness: water.

And in that regard, Roy could be considered Crocodile's Devil Fruit ability's natural enemy.

Just as Roy finished the last sip of coconut juice in his hand.

"Oh, he's here? That was fast!"

He stepped out from the shade cast by the parasol.

Crocodile flew toward him, staring at the man who had dared to extort him.

Without any unnecessary words, he gathered a small tornado of sand in his palm from far away.

He aimed at Roy and threw it forward.

"Sandstorm."

The small sand tornado rapidly took shape and grew in the desert. Once it became a massive storm, it charged straight at Roy.

"Starting off by sending your ultimate move?

Worthy of a Shichibukai! Is this him testing whether I have what it takes to extort him?"

Roy watched the devastation caused by the sand tornado.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Roy used Geppo to rapidly flee into the sky.

And as Roy dodged the tornado, a bluish-green crescent suddenly flew toward the desert where Crocodile stood.

Bang!

Crocodile's golden hook, coated in Armament Haki, smashed Roy's Flying Slash away with a casual swing.

"You're the one who wrote me that extortion letter?"

Crocodile frowned deeply as he looked at Roy, who still held a blade in his hand.

"Of course."

"Nice to meet you for the first time, Mr. Crocodile."

Boom!

"Desert Sword."

Another sneak attack without warning.

A lightning-fast blade of sand shot straight toward Roy, the man Crocodile found deeply unpleasant.

"Shave!"

Watching the crocodile fight without honor, Roy stepped forward and flashed away, dodging the attack aimed directly at his vital point.

But Crocodile had clearly been prepared for Roy's evasion.

"Heavy Sandstorm."

The instant Roy moved, Crocodile directly hurled an even larger and fiercer sandstorm along Roy's path.

And just as Crocodile was about to make his next move.

A blue-white Flying Slash shot skyward from within the gray-yellow sandstorm as it flew toward Crocodile.

Behind it came countless blue-white crescents, sweeping in like a deluge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sand dune where Crocodile had been standing was instantly flattened.

As Crocodile's body was cut into pieces.

The raging sandstorm subsided.

Whoosh!

The lingering wind of the sandstorm blew up behind Roy.

Clang!

Roy's Armament Haki-coated sword collided with Crocodile's golden hook.

Clearly, for a Logia Devil Fruit user, ordinary Flying Slashes like those just now had little effect.

The combination of the Echo Map and Observation Haki allowed Roy to precisely grasp everything within the area around him.

He flipped the blade in his hand, slammed it down hard, then followed through with a downward slash.

His Armament Haki-coated blade slashed toward Crocodile's armpit.

At the same time, Crocodile's golden hook went straight for Roy's neck.

But Roy, who had attacked first, was clearly a step faster.

Clang!

Roy's blade slashed directly at Crocodile's armpit, which was coated in Armament Haki.

Meanwhile, Crocodile's hook pierced straight through Roy's neck.

Slash!

With neither of their attacks succeeding, the two immediately pulled apart in the next instant.

"Elementalization? A Logia Devil Fruit user?"

Crocodile stared at Roy's neck as it reconnected, his furrowed brow instantly darkening.

"Can we talk properly now, Crocodile?

If you still want to attack.

Then I advise you to stop those boring tests of yours.

I believe you wouldn't want the World Government to know about the things you've done, would you?"

Roy openly threatened Crocodile as he looked at him from not far away.

"Oh, you don't want the World Government to know?

Guhahahaha, interesting. Truly interesting.

Aren't you CP9 the World Government's lapdogs?

You actually want to make a deal with me. It seems you aren't that pure after all!"

Roy's words made Crocodile stop attacking.

Clearly, the World Government's lackeys were actually willing to betray the World Government's interests to make a deal with a Shichibukai.

While Crocodile found it amusing, he also grew somewhat suspicious.

After all, CP9's image was deeply ingrained in people's minds. With them pulling something like this today, Crocodile feared there might be a trap behind it.

Roy merely smiled faintly at the mocking laughter.

"Mr. Crocodile, you know this.

We in CP9 are human too, and humans have desires.

This is merely private business, so my demands are not excessive."

"Also, Mr. Crocodile, you've been in Alabasta for so many years. If you say you have no scheme, I absolutely won't believe it.

So, Mr. Crocodile, one port city in exchange for allowing your plan to continue.

As for my terms, I don't think you have the right to refuse."

Roy smiled as he watched Crocodile's expression grow increasingly grim.

Roy was determined to have Crocodile in his grasp today. Even if the Celestial Dragons came, it would make no difference.