The Dagger Revealed, an Enemy Within Seven Steps
"Ahhh~~"
"I don't want to die..."
"Charge!"
"Mother--"
A chaotic cacophony of howls erupted among the pirates; in truth, they probably didn't even know what they were shouting. The unconscious cries were merely an attempt to vent their fear of death.
Faced with a formidable enemy, some shrink back in fear, some charge recklessly, some lose their composure, and some proceed according to plan. But:
Regardless, they all charged towards Crocodile!
It wasn't that they were particularly brave, but rather that they were truly 'out of control'. The armor that once made them invincible had now become a cage imprisoning them, and their lives were no longer in their own hands!
"Extremely boring."
Puff puff puff
Crocodile stood with his arms crossed in the center of the battlefield, exuding the calm and collected demeanor of a seasoned leader! He completely ignored these moths-to-a-flame insects, for the numerous sand blades swirling around him were enough to form an impenetrable defensive line! However:
Puff,
A pirate clad in bizarre armor charged headlong into the Sables. Although his white 'armor' offered incredible defense, Crocodile's rapidly spinning sand blades were tireless cutting machines! Brilliant sparks and ear-piercing friction sounds immediately erupted between them.
That's interesting...
Crocodile merely glanced at it, and a sand blade suddenly accelerated! It transformed into a hazy yellow blur, coiling around the pirate's waist with a low buzzing sound, and amidst the loud metallic scraping and countless sparks, cruelly cleaved the pirate in two at the waist!
However, just as the pirate wearing the strange armor was cut in half at the waist, with a not-so-loud 'splash', a large pool of blood engulfed the pirate and Sand Blade, mixing the murder weapon that had just killed the pirate with the pirate's corpse!
Um?
Crocodile raised his bald eyebrows. The high bulges on the backs of these 'armored pirates' were actually huge buckets of water! As one pirate after another was killed, water mixed with blood exploded and splashed everywhere, actually breaking through Crocodile's 'Sables Defense Line'.
"Charge! Charge! We can win! He has a weakness!"
The tall, burly pirate leader roared, brandishing his 'weapon': the already cold Baroque Works captain pointed at Crocodile!
"Roar roar roar~~"
"Kill them!"
What people fear most is despair, but once hope arises—even if that hope is extremely slim—humanity will unleash astonishing fighting power!
After witnessing other pirates carving a bloody path with their own bodies, the pirates, who had been in despair, had their hopes rekindled and continued their charge towards Crocodile while uttering all sorts of meaningless shouts.
Many clever pirates grabbed buckets, jugs, ladles, and other pre-prepared items and threw them all at the center of the battlefield! As the sand blades sliced through the air, the splashed water instantly turned the flying sand into a muddy mess that fell to the ground!
"That's it, that's it—"
Several pirates clad in white armor charged through the tattered sand blade defenses, their weapons soaked with water, and charged towards Crocodile, their eyes filled with the excitement of impending victory! But:
"It's useless,"
At the edge of the battlefield, Robin, who was calmly watching the show with her arms crossed, shook her head.
If the Shichibukai could be defeated so easily, wouldn't every Marine have a water gun?
Facing pirates wielding weapons and splattering water from all sides, Crocodile calmly extended his right hand, and a golden scimitar appeared in his palm.
——Desert Treasure Saber -Condensation
"Die!"
"Even the Shichibukai are nothing special—"
Your head is mine now!
Despite the ravages and weapons so close at hand, Crocodile's gaze seemed not to have left the 'Desert Treasure Saber' in his hand. But in an instant, the reflection of the sunlight on the scimitar in his hand flickered, as if the blade had trembled slightly, but it would have been completely invisible to the naked eye if not for the reflection.
The next instant, the pirates rushing towards them from all sides seemed to be suddenly paused, all frozen in mid-air! Then, a red line suddenly appeared on their necks, rapidly thickening... and then, blood splattered out!
Puff puff puff,
Several pirate heads flew into the air, their faces still frozen in ecstasy, but their eyes were filled with only bewilderment! They died inexplicably, as if they had been bewitched by some kind of sorcery.
There is no sorcery involved.
In the blink of an eye, Crocodile had already slashed out in a circle with his 'Desert Treasure Saber' and then quickly returned to his original position. Because the speed was so fast, it looked as if he had not moved at all.
Terrifying!
This·····
This isn't the "hand-to-hand combat noob" you were promised!
With just one strike, the remaining pirates were terrified and their morale plummeted! But it didn't matter, since from the beginning, no one had expected them to have any 'morale'.
Facing Crocodile, who effortlessly annihilated a group of pirates, the remaining few pirates, 'fearless', launched a charge, their steps resolute and their spirits defiant! However:
"Aaaaaahhhhhh~~~"
"Stop, stop!"
"Let me go, let me go..."
"Boss!!"
The sight of someone crying and wailing, with tears and snot streaming down their face, has absolutely nothing to do with 'heroism'.
Of course, to Crocodile, no matter how his opponent performs, they are nothing but ants, not even worthy of his attention or a single word.
"Cut!"
As Crocodile uttered a cold word, a desolate aura, like parched earth sweeping across the land, suddenly surged forth in all directions! This aura alone gave one the feeling of skin cracking, moisture evaporating, and the air filling one's chest as if scorching hot sand! Even holding one's breath felt like turning into a dried-up corpse in the next second!
Puff--
A flash of light, and all the pirates on the battlefield—regardless of distance or strength—including the tall, muscular pirate who charged right in front of Crocodile, collapsed to the ground in an instant. Their steel-like 'armor' turned as white as paper, and the water soaking them was utterly useless.
Massive sell-out!
All the pirates were reduced to pieces and collapsed to the ground. If you had to describe it, they were dead but still retained a semblance of human form. After all, the paper armor and water prepared for them weren't entirely useless.
"Yeah, it's good to exercise occasionally."
Crocodile, who caused this horrific scene, waved away his 'Desert Treasure Saber' and flicked the ash from his cigar. Although these guys had a bit of 'cleverness,'...
It's just cleverness—
Puff!
Just as the dust settled and the outcome was decided, the tall, muscular pirate captain's corpse beneath Crocodile's feet suddenly cleaved in two, and a lithe figure lunged out, his Sailor's Knife turning crimson as he slashed towards Crocodile, who was holding a cigar!
The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, its movement as swift as a startled swan!
Before making a move, he shows no sign of danger, but once he does, his killing intent is overwhelming!
The blade, faster than Inazuma, instantly approached Crocodile's skin, its blood enough to congeal the sand! With a soft thud, a head with a slicked-back hairstyle shot into the air.
"Good,"
The calm yet Haki voice of the middle-aged man made the attacker's eyes flash. The next second, the knife in his hand mercilessly cleaved the 'headless corpse' in front of him, Vice Admiral it in two with a ripping sound! But:
Damn it! The Crocodile has prematurely Elementalization—
"Tsk tsk tsk, not bad attack."
With a rustling sound, the flying heads and cleaved bodies turned into yellow sand and reassembled into Crocodile's likeness. At the same time, without a doubt:
Intact and undamaged.
"Are you the mastermind behind this attack?"
Roman, covered in blood, didn't bother to answer Crocodile's words. It was pointless; all he needed to do was defeat him, nothing more!
Speeding—
His entire body transformed into a crimson afterimage, and Roman swung his longsword at Crocodile once more! This time, however, Crocodile seemed tired of this futile effort, so:
Clang!
With a sharp clang, Roman's knife and Crocodile's Golden Hook in his left hand collided violently, and the flying sparks made Crocodile was smoking a cigar, raise an eyebrow.
"An attack method similar to my Sand Blade?"
That's right, Roman's sword always has high-speed rotating 'serrations', and Crocodile's sand blade is also made of high-speed moving sand; in principle, both rely on high-speed friction to cut enemies. However:
"This is a trick I already knew when I was nine. If you only have—"
With a flick of his free right hand, a crescent-shaped sand blade enveloped Roman! The speed, the power, and the timing of the strike were all exquisite, as if they were perfectly natural.
Even disregarding the Devil Fruit, Roman would be the first to disbelieve that Crocodile lacks the strength of a swordsman!
Clang!!
With a resounding clang, Roman raised his shield to block Crocodile's attack. While using a shield might give the impression of a lowly 'grunt,' its defensive capabilities have made it a staple throughout the entire history of humankind's cold weapon development, amply demonstrating its practicality!
That's not all—
Taking advantage of the moment when the two were locked in close combat, Roman thrust his longsword upwards, aiming straight for Crocodile's jaw, while simultaneously using his shield to deflect Crocodile's sand blade. It was a fight to the death!
"Nonsense."
Puff,
Puff,
Two soft sounds rang out simultaneously. Crocodile's jaw was pierced into a cloud of yellow sand, while Roman was cleaved in two by a hook.
Now!!
The instant Crocodile's head was closed up by the yellow sand again, Roman, now split in two, pointed his shield at the Logia Shichibukai. The paper on the shield peeled off rapidly, revealing a picture:
The painting depicts a gaping maw, as large as an Iron Barrel.
"Tuntun - Big Water Spray!"
Puff puff—
The shield opened its massive mouth, and a torrent of seawater immediately sprayed Crocodile's head and face, making this man, who had been unscathed since the start of the war and exuded Haki, taste the feeling of being 'disheveled' for the first time.
How dare you—
Success!
Splash,
The cleaved body turned into sheets of white paper and reassembled itself. Roman transformed his shield into a longsword and charged forward with two swords in hand!
As long as Crocodile is prevented from using his right hand's 'water absorption' ability, then, in the scenario where the opponent's 'Elementalization' is broken while one can still use 'Elementalization':
We can win!
Within seven steps, my sword is faster than your Devil Fruit ability—
P. S.: Please vote for me with monthly tickets, since I didn't follow the others' example of writing 2000 words per chapter! (*^▽^*)