Sandstorm Crocodile, Love and Hate Entwined

"I already said, I am Roman."

Even Roman was momentarily stumped by the situation before him. How could he prove that 'himself' was 'himself'... What a philosophical dilemma!

Especially if the 'clones' created by the Red Earl can perfectly replicate the target's abilities, thoughts, and memories, then only:

"Armed and Covered!"

His entire body gleamed with a metallic sheen, and Roman tapped his 'steel' body.

"Isn't this considered evidence?"

However, Nami still didn't put down "The Thief's Intent" in her hand, "Your information is completely inaccurate. 'Arlong' used Armament Haki during the battle just now."

?

"That must be the Red Earl imbuing the 'clone' with his domineering Haki, making him essentially the same as my 'White Knight.' However—"

There is one thing that is definitely unique to Roman and useless to the Red Earl:

Roman's Observation Haki with 'X-ray vision'!

Stare,

"What kind of underwear are you wearing today—"

?!

A twisting waist and Haki punch, all executed in one fluid motion!

Bang!

"Very good, impressive Armament Haki."

Roman nodded calmly. Although he was caught off guard by Nami's Haki punch, he felt more relieved than hurt.

Wouldn't this allow both sides to prove they are the 'real deal'? As expected of Nami, she came up with a 'win-win' solution so quickly.

Looking up at the sky, this time the white doves Roman released weren't destroyed by the Red Earl. Perhaps he disdained to destroy them? In any case, in the doves' eyes, the island, which should have been normal, was now a patchwork of diverse terrains and buildings, and the closest to 'Arlong Park' was:

"Since others have prepared the 'stage,' wouldn't it be incredibly ungrateful of us not to 'dance' a little?"

?!

"Then let's go."

Seeing Nami close the book, Roman picked her up, pushed off with his feet, and leaped away into the distance with a thud! As they left, 'Arlong Park' returned to being farmland outside the town amidst ripples in the water.

As Roman carried Nami through the Luffy, they quickly crossed the farmland beneath their feet and entered a...

The sand dunes undulate, in the arid and barren desert!

It looks as jarring as a wrong game texture.

"Could this be...?"

"That's right, it's Vivi's country," Roman looked up ahead. After the white doves were not intercepted, he could see the city in the desert and the figure standing on the top of the kingdom in the distance.

Hahaha~~

With a confident and cruel laugh, the man in the black coat opened his arms to welcome Roman and Nami, who were flying at high speed.

"Long time no see, 'White Knight' Roman."

"Hey, Crocodile ~~"

"... Look at this familiar place under your feet. Our relationship isn't 'friendly' enough to warrant greeting each other with nicknames, is it?"

"Alright, looks like you're the 'boss' of this level?"

"That's right, defeating me is your only option!"

Roman released Nami and stepped forward alone, while Nami simultaneously activated her ' Float-Float Fruit ability and levitated in the air. Clearly, Roman was preparing to face Crocodile alone.

"This time, there won't be any 'Dance Powder' bringing rain."

In response to Crocodile's words, Roman stretched out his palm, and a longsword 'spit' out from his hand.

"Now, I don't need any external help to defeat you."

"Hahaha, let's enjoy our rematch!"

Facing Roman, who was enveloped in an aura of Haki, Crocodile slammed his right hand onto the palace beneath his feet. Knowing Roman's strength very well, he chose to go all out from the start.

"The Corrosive Cycle!"

An earthy yellow light burst forth from his right hand, and in the next instant, the brownish-yellow light spread throughout the entire palace.

In the light that swept across the sky like a sandstorm, the earth, plants, buildings... were all tinged with a yellowish-brown. In this domineering and cold light, the world was filled with indescribable indifference and aridity! Everything seemed to have gone through thousands of years in an instant, rapidly decaying and turning into yellow sand.

"Momo - 50x Shockwave Sword!"

A massive sword beam, like a falling meteor, crashed down upon the collapsing palace! The current Roman is far beyond the Straw Hat crew of yesteryear, who needed 'artificial rain,' psychological manipulation, a war of attrition, and desperate bursts of power—even in a direct confrontation.

Pfft!!!

"Golden Coffin!"

However, this sword strike did not instantly kill Crocodile. On the ruins of the palace, which had been completely corroded, a huge golden 'coffin' rose from the ground! Although it was almost cleaved in two by Roman's sword, it did indeed block the attack!

The coffin, towering like a skyscraper, gleams with metallic light, and its desert-style carvings appear even more magnificent in the sunlight.

"This is a powerful defense formed by gathering 'metal' from the desert. Even that old guy's ' Tremor-Tremor Ability could never break through it in one blow! Or rather, my sand itself is effective against the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, after all:"

"Sand has no fixed shape—"

A massive amount of yellow sand suddenly erupted from the 'Golden Coffin' that Roman had cleaved open, transforming into a giant golden sword that stabbed at Roman... no, it should be said that it crashed into him at high speed! Its sheer size alone could cause powerful damage, and the hundreds of millions of grains of sand on the giant sword were all moving at high speed like countless chainsaws.

"Golden Great Sword!!"

"Momo - 10x Haki Compression Sword!"

Facing quicksand, the 'Tremor-Tremor Ability' was indeed somewhat restrained. Roman simply covered his longsword with double Haki and swung it down in a single strike, within the limits of his body's tolerance.

"Tear it apart—"

Sparks suddenly exploded in the sky! Those were the sparks from Roman's longsword slicing through Crocodile's Golden Admiral and rubbing against the rapidly moving sand. At the same time, Roman himself was covered in Armament Haki, ignoring the dense bullet-like flying yellow sand and the high-temperature sparks, and slashed downwards all the way!

With a single, sweeping strike from above, the towering sands were cleaved in two: the Golden Great Sword, the Golden Coffin, and then Crocodile hiding behind it.

Pfft!

Crocodile was also cleaved in two by Roman's sword without any resistance, but:

"It's useless,"

What was exposed inside Crocodile's body, split in two, was not flesh and blood, but only yellow sand! In the next instant, the split Crocodile transformed into two golden sand spears that stabbed at Roman's face.

"Golden Rain of Spears!"

Tsk,

With a flick of his longsword, perfect circles appeared before Roman, repelling the sand spear. Then:

With a leap backward, two pure white wings sprouted from Roman's back, and he hovered in the air. He looked at the spot where he had just stood—a dense thicket of sand spears rising from the ground like a thorny forest!

"Hey Crocodile, isn't this a bit too sleazy of you?"

"Hahaha, you actually want me to fight you in close combat without any 'Haki'?"

"And don't forget how you treated me back then—"

Although the 'clone' lacks any Haki without being granted it by the Red Earl, Crocodile can still evade Roman's attacks by freely roaming the desert, and Logia, once developed, possess earth-shattering power. For example:

The sun was blazing overhead, but a beam of golden light shot up into the sky, like a rainbow piercing the sun, or a vast, boundless expanse, completely obscuring the sunlight. The entire sky was shrouded in a yellowish haze, and the blazing sun itself became a ring of flickering, fading light.

"Giant Golden Sandstorm!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the entire battlefield was engulfed by a rolling sandstorm! A deafening roar filled the sky, and the surrounding deserts seemed to be swallowed up by this soaring golden tornado, sweeping in and turning into a sky full of sand.

The sky and the earth seemed to merge, like the end of the world!

"I said, Crocodile..."

Roman couldn't help but complain. Although he knew that Crocodile at full power was definitely extraordinary, but:

"Have you been at odds with Tesoro lately? All your skill names have 'Gold' in them. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're the one with the 'Gold-Gold Fruit' ability."

"········"

"If it were someone else, they might really have failed here..."

Is Crocodile strong?

Without a doubt, he is strong. During the Marineford War, Crocodile went to 'test' every single one of the prominent and powerful figures from both the Navy and the pirates. His reputation as a pirate who can go toe-to-toe with anyone is not just for show.

Moreover, unlike when Whitebeard crushed his spirits and he wanted to rely on the Ancient Weapon 'Pluton', this Crocodile in front of him is at his 'peak', a formidable figure capable of fighting Bullet to a standstill.

Although they've lost their Haki, relying on the Suna Suna no Mi's advantage in desert terrain and employing this "shameless" magic-based tactic, the only member of the Straw Hat crew who dares to claim certain victory is Luffy.

"It has to be me!"

In the massive sandstorm tornado, as vast as a winding dragon, the swirling yellow sand could slice through flesh and bone, and destroy metal! But Roman, Armament Haki, remained unmoved. As his Armament Haki swept across the area, Crocodile, hidden in the sand, felt a chill run down his spine. His instinct to be targeted prevented him from reacting in time, before a figure crackling with lightning suddenly charged toward him.

At the same time, Roman assumed a 'sword-drawing' pose in mid-air:

"Momo - Fifty Times Electromagnetic Sword!"

Danger!!

Even without Observation Haki, Crocodile's own experience was still frantically reminding him, causing him to subconsciously raise his hands:

"Gold····"

Zzzzz—

A blinding white light suddenly shone brightly, mercilessly piercing through the massive tornado sandstorm!

The direction the light pointed was Crocodile in the desert. Along this path, all the yellow sand melted, solidified, and crystallized instantly under the high temperature, turning into a colorful 'passage'.

Crocodile's half-summoned 'Golden Coffin' was mercilessly pierced, sending shattered sand and metal fragments flying everywhere! Like a plank attempting to block a cannonball.

"What a beautiful attack..."

Without the protection of Armament Haki, even the strongest Devil Fruit user is just a 'glass cannon'.

The sandstorm stopped, and the sun shone brightly on the earth again. Crocodile, whose chest had been pierced by Roman's sword, wiped the empty hole in his chest.

"Ever since that old guy died..."

"No matter how hard I fight... no matter how hard I fight..."

"My heart is just barren..."

Thud~~

Amidst the exploding smoke, only a single leaf drifted slowly down.

"Incredible,"

"We actually managed to defeat such an opponent."

Nami, who had been watching from a distance, flew back and surveyed the battlefield in disbelief. If Crocodile hadn't been so arrogant and overconfident, this would have been the starting strength...

"People are motivated to move forward because they have goals to strive for."

As for Crocodile... ever since he was defeated by Whitebeard, he had long forgotten his former dreams. As for what his true feelings for Whitebeard were, perhaps even he himself was unsure.

"Let's go, let's head to the next area."

Apart from Crocodile, there's no one here. The Straw Hat crew members are fighting enemies in all other areas. To reunite the entire crew, we need to search all the areas.