Combination Technique: Haki Resistance

Thud, thud, thud!

Crocodile, who flew out like a skipping stone, seemed to have given up resisting. Luffy, remembering Roman's warning not to give Crocodile a chance to recover from his verbal attacks, pounced and continued the pursuit! The two reached the edge of the plaza almost simultaneously, but:

"That's enough,"

With a cold voice, Crocodile nimbly rose to his feet with a backflip. With a snap, Luffy's fist was caught in Crocodile's right hand as he flipped up! And as expected:

"As expected, this is why I can't drain you dry."

On the surface of Luffy's body and fists, there are also layers of Roman's 'Vivre Card'!

"What, you're using someone else's strength to 'duel'? Aren't you ashamed?"

Faced with Crocodile's provocation, whose slicked-back hair was all messed up, Luffy simply looked at him seriously, his eyes not flinching at all.

"Borrowing the strength of our companions is of course no problem."

"The word 'companion' exists precisely for the purpose of supporting each other on our journey!"

Bang!

With his other hand, he clashed with the opponent's Golden Hook, and both retreated simultaneously. Luffy was now noticeably stronger than usual, thanks to Roman and their Combination Technique.

Paper Dance - Rubber Knight Luffy!

"So, why are you, a pirate, meddling in other people's business?"

Crocodile spread his hands, looking utterly speechless.

"What do you think you are? — Navy personnel with justice written on their backs? Or 'heroes' who uphold justice? Or perhaps...?"

"No!"

Luffy clenched his fist, "Because Vivi is our comrade!"

??

"Hey, do you know what you're saying? You're willing to risk your lives for someone you've only just met—what did that princess promise you? I can give you ten times that..."

"Because you made Vivi cry!"

???

"This······"

Crocodile was trying to launch a verbal attack, finally experienced the same pain as Roman: the other party was not on the same wavelength at all, so what was the point of talking?

"Anyone who makes my partner weep will never forgive me!"

However, Luffy's serious expression and determined gaze left Crocodile speechless, because his Observation Haki clearly sensed the boy opposite him—

Whether it's the body or the soul, it's all about being true to oneself!

"Friend, friend!"

The Crocodile, gritting its teeth, slowly lowered its body, revealing an attack posture.

"One or two of you harbor such pointless fantasies. What do you think the Grand Line is? How cruel do you think the world of pirates is—"

"The Grand Line is a place full of adventure, and the world of pirates is our adventure experience!"

Luffy's words interrupted Crocodile's anger, bringing smiles to the faces of the Straw Hat crew, who were all slightly injured, and Vivi.

"Well said, Captain!"

"Luffy!"

"Beat that damn crocodile to a pulp!"

"Hmph, that guy~~"

"Hahaha,"

Roman, sitting in his wheelchair, rubbed his cheek. He had already deactivated his armored form and was now focused on covering Luffy with the paper. The reason he dared to be so audacious was, of course, because:

"Nicole Robin!?"

A tall, sophisticated woman in a white trench coat stood beside Roman, looking as if she were one of their own—not the top executive of Baroque Works, codenamed Miss. All Sunday.

"Sorry, boss."

"No, or rather, Mr. Crocodile."

"I regret to inform you that I have decided to resign—just now."

"You?!"

"Alright, Mr. Crocodile, stop with the pretense." Roman waved his hand dismissively. "You'll kill Nico Robin the moment you achieve your goal anyway, so you've never truly trusted her. Or rather, you've never trusted anyone! On the other hand—"

Roman raised his chin, his gaze fixed on Luffy, who was confronting Crocodile.

"This is my captain,"

"Compared to the magnanimity of my captain, Mr. Crocodile, forgive my bluntness—"

"You're like a dog."

It wasn't an insult, but rather the best description of Crocodile's current expression: his ferocious face was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, like a homeless stray dog wandering in the wind and rain, giving the same look to the lamplight.

Court death--

Whoosh!

A figure flashed, and the black coat rapidly magnified in Roman's pupils, causing Nico Robin beside him to instinctively cross her arms in preparation for activating her ability. However,

Whoosh!

A figure in a red vest and with short black hair stepped in front of Roman! With a sharp clang, a fist wrapped in layers of white paper forcefully blocked Crocodile's golden scimitar.

"You--"

"What do you intend to do to my companions?"

"Rubber Boy!"

Baroque Works has been completely wiped out, and the Straw Hat crew is also riddled with wounds. Now, only the duel between the two captains remains! Their victory or defeat will not only determine the fate of the two 'ships,' but also the future of millions of people in the kingdom of Alabasta.

Rumble,

As Crocodile and Luffy tumble and fight each other, buildings collapse and plazas crack with every move they make!

Even Roman, who had confidence in Luffy, gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly with both hands, his palms damp with a mixture of sweat and rain. He had to unleash the full power of 'White Knight' to cover Luffy without hindering his attack, which required precise 'Observation Haki'.

Luffy's close-combat skills are definitely among the best in the One Piece world —after all, he was trained by Garp.

In addition, Roman's Vivre Card is immune to Crocodile's most terrifying 'water absorption' ability. The super high defense brought by the layers of paper that are stacked without regard to consumption has given 'Knight Luffy' the ability to fight on equal footing with his opponent.

Nami's artificial rain, created with her Dance Powder, can last for half an hour, and there's still half the time left. As long as the rain continues, Crocodile's Suna Suna no Mi will be continuously suppressed.

The time is right for me!

This is the palace of Nefertari, the royal family of Alabasta, a building entirely constructed of solid stone. The entire city has been heavily watered to maintain humidity, and with the added rain, the surrounding environment bears no trace of desert.

The terrain is in my favor!

A series of 'obstructions' and 'provocations' had already significantly weakened Crocodile's condition. Furthermore, even those around him who weren't directly involved in the battle exuded killing intent and hostility, which further distracted Crocodile's Observation Haki, allowing Luffy, draped in paper, to focus entirely on his abilities...

The person is with me!

Favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships—if even these cannot lead to victory, then there is truly no other way. Therefore:

"Luffy, punch that crocodile away!!"

"Luffy for it!"

"Captain,"

"Kill him!"

"Young man... please—"

All sorts of encouragement transformed into inexplicable mental fluctuations, entangling Luffy! On the other hand, Crocodile's side was left with only impotent rage.

Do you think you can defeat me like this?

Despite Roman's relentless entanglement of paper, Luffy's fists and feet dared to clash head-on with the opponent's Golden Hook sword! Even when attacks occasionally tore through the paper and landed on Luffy, his resilient physique allowed him to withstand them completely.

So even though he was covered in blood, Luffy with increasing ferocity! Crocodile, on the other hand, was already restless, especially with the men around him threatening him and cheering him on, which made him even more agitated.

Hmph, to be able to push me to this extent...

Don't underestimate my experience navigating the ocean!

The moment Crocodile's Desert Treasure Saber clashed with Luffy's fists again, a flash of light appeared! He used the same trick again, the immense suction power of the sword suddenly pulling Luffy's unsuspecting fists away, then his other hand's Golden Hook slammed down on Luffy's head! To ensure the power of this strike—

"Armament Haki - Entangling!"

After a long battle, Crocodile finally unleashed his trump card! If Observation Haki could be mastered by gifted individuals without instruction in the in the Grand Line, then Armament Haki was a top secret among top secrets!

Armament Haki can enhance an individual's defensive capabilities, acting like an invisible armor; it can also be transformed into offensive power, allowing Devil Fruit user and even touch the physical form of Logia Devil Fruit user.

Simply put, besides being used for offense and defense, Armament Haki also has the effect of countering the abilities of 'Devil Fruit'!

"Die, Rubber Boy!"

Even if you're covered in that kid's paper, even if you have the Devil Fruit ability, it will all be pierced by my Armament Haki—

Bang!

The giant Golden Hook slammed into Luffy's forehead, and in an instant, the entire battlefield fell silent! Everyone stared intently at Luffy, who had been hit on the forehead by Crocodile, their eyes filled with concern, with only the sound of raindrops pattering down.

··········

"Luffy..."

"Don't worry--"

When Vivi instinctively reached out, Roman waved to stop her, but he didn't notice that his voice was trembling.

He was pulled out of his Elementalization by the opponent's Armament Haki...

"Whee···"

????

On the plaza where only raindrops fell, Luffy's voice suddenly rang out! If everyone else was merely surprised and relieved, Crocodile, facing Luffy, was filled with shock, terror, fear, and dread...

He raised his head, ignoring the blood on his forehead, Luffy simply grinned.

"Your weak attacks are far inferior to my grandfather's punches!"

????

Hahahaha~~~~~

Roman was the first to react, covering his forehead and bursting into laughter.

I didn't mean anything by it; I just found my earlier "worry" ridiculous. —If we're talking about who in the Straw Hat crew has the highest resistance to Haki, it's undoubtedly Luffy, who's constantly getting beaten up by top-tier Armament Haki Luffy!

Crocodile, your Armament Haki is nothing compared to Luffy's grandfather, Garp. You're not even worthy of carrying his shoes.

"You?!"

But Crocodile was unaware of this. In his mind, the other party was mocking him for being inferior even to an old man—

This is intolerable!

Garp: To put it politely... your Haki is a pile of shit.