A World-Changing Blow

"Luo Wen!"

Crocodile's face twisted as his sinister eyes fixed fiercely on Luo Wen, the rage in them nearly bursting forth.

His blood roiled through his entire body, every inch of him filled with fury.

Rage!

Utter, absolute rage!

The power he had built over so many years had all been destroyed by the bastard before him, leaving him utterly alone.

The Pluton he had plotted for over many years, the Seven Warlords title he had worked so hard to obtain—all of it had been buried at Luo Wen's hands.

A newcomer who had only just entered the Grand Line had destroyed everything he had, and still looked down on him like this!

The fury and humiliation in Crocodile's heart erupted like a volcano.

"Die!"

Crocodile roared in fury and slammed his right hand onto the ground.

"Erosion Reincarnation!"

The power of the Sand-Sand Fruit was driven to its absolute limit!

The next moment.

The underground water veins deep beneath the desert, along with every trace of moisture in the air, were completely drained by Crocodile's right hand.

The already lifeless desert now became utterly dead and silent.

"Boom!"

Sand carrying the aura of death shot into the sky.

The sand blotted out the sun, staining the entire sky a desolate yellow and turning their battlefield into a barren wasteland!

The earth cracked apart. Rocks, vegetation, animals, and every living thing were eroded by the sandstorm, rapidly turning into sand.

"How about now?"

Crocodile said smugly.

His voice came from the endless sandstorm. Clearly, he had already transformed into sand and merged with the dust.

He wanted to see fear on Luo Wen's face, but unfortunately, there was none.

"Not bad. Feels like taking a bath."

Amid the violently surging sandstorm, Luo Wen spoke calmly.

With Armament Haki covering his entire body, the sand was temporarily unable to erode him.

"Still talking tough? How long can your Haki last?"

Crocodile was not discouraged and remained extremely confident.

If Haki alone could withstand his strongest move, he would not have become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Under Erosion Reincarnation, countless Haki experts had been worn down until their strength was exhausted, eventually turning to sand and dying.

In Crocodile's eyes, specializing in Devil Fruit powers was not necessarily inferior to those Haki experts.

"Probably ten days or so."

Luo Wen said blandly.

His endurance was B+, just like his strength. Even compared to the Four Emperors, he was only one tier behind.

This level of consumption was nothing to him.

"Stop boasting and quietly wait for death!"

Crocodile sneered disdainfully.

He only thought Luo Wen was putting on a brave front.

Even pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million in the New World could only last a dozen minutes or so against this move.

Crocodile did not believe Luo Wen's claim of lasting more than ten days at all.

"Though I'd like to broaden your horizons, I have no interest in wasting time with you."

Luo Wen wanted to end this quickly. Dragging things out like this was too boring.

The only trouble was that his Observation Haki was not yet strong enough to precisely locate Crocodile within the sandstorm.

But if he could not pinpoint him, then he would simply strike everything within range!

"Next, you'll die beneath my strongest move."

"Watch closely, Crocodile!"

Luo Wen flashed a brilliant smile and raised the greatsword in his hand.

"Noble Phantasm: Nine Lives!"

The immense power within him and the magical energy in his body continuously gathered upon the greatsword, blowing away the sand and dust around Luo Wen.

In myth, Heracles had used a bow to kill all nine heads of the Hydra at once.

The Noble Phantasm, Nine Lives, was an extension of that technique.

The Noble Phantasm itself was not limited to any weapon. It could be performed with a bow, blade, spear, axe, or shield.

Once unleashed, it simultaneously released nine strongest attacks, possessing the immense power to reshape the terrain.

"What!?"

Crocodile stared in Luo Wen's direction, his face filled with shock.

Even in his elemental state, that powerful surge of energy made his heart tremble with fear.

The next moment, carrying a heaven-destroying aura, a massive slash burst from the greatsword, coated in a thin layer of Armament Haki.

The slash split into nine, attacking every direction without distinction.

Above, below, and everywhere between heaven and earth!

Everything visible within a thousand-meter radius was covered by the slashes.

The yellow sand that had previously blotted out the sun completely scattered in an instant beneath the overwhelming slashes.

Instinctively, the sand that Crocodile had transformed into flew into the distance.

He wanted to widen the distance and evade the attack.

"Heh. Futile."

Sensing Crocodile fleeing through Observation Haki, Luo Wen revealed a cold sneer.

This was the technique that had slain the nine-headed serpent. Its attack range was city-level—how could it possibly be evaded so easily?

Under Crocodile's horrified gaze, a slash engulfed him.

"How is this possible!?"

Crocodile cried out.

He was already a full thousand meters away from Luo Wen, yet he still could not escape. The attack's power had not even weakened.

That irresistible might left him unable to see any possibility of victory.

Crocodile, in his elemental state, could not withstand the Armament Haki-coated slash.

The next moment, his elemental body was forced back into human form.

Crocodile was covered in wounds. Even his internal organs, muscles, and bones had suffered severe damage. He lay on the ground, vomiting blood.

The power of Nine Lives slowly faded away.

But the battlefield between Crocodile and Luo Wen had already been completely transformed.

The flat desert had become a basin. The loose sand had melted under immense pressure, then cooled into crystal-like glass.

The crystal basin glittering beneath the sunlight told the world just how powerful the battle that had taken place here had been.

Luo Wen walked to Crocodile's side and silently looked down at him.

At this moment, Crocodile was severely injured and barely breathing, having completely lost his earlier imposing presence.

Crocodile looked at Luo Wen, his face full of disbelief.

If not for his powerful physique and his elemental state nullifying most attacks, he should already have been dead.

He had never seen such destructive power, such terrifying swordsmanship, before.

Not even when he had challenged Whitebeard many years ago.

When faced with the world-shattering power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Crocodile had not felt such terror.

Impossible to evade, impossible to resist—the absolute strongest strike!

The force he had painstakingly built had been shattered, his years of plans reduced to nothing, and even his final source of strength had dimmed before Luo Wen.

Desolation, defeat, and all manner of bitter emotions surged into his heart before gradually fading away.

"Guhahaha, what an incredible newcomer!"

Crocodile said with all the strength he had left, his feelings complicated.

To possess such terrifying strength immediately upon entering the Grand Line—was this sea about to welcome another emperor?

Crocodile recalled the Whitebeard he had once challenged. The position of the world's strongest man now had a new challenger.

"Luo Wen, before I challenge you again, don't let anyone else defeat you!"

Crocodile looked at Luo Wen and spoke firmly.

He was Crocodile. He would definitely return.

"Oh, talk after you get out of Impel Down."

Luo Wen said blandly, not taking Crocodile's words to heart.

Before him, one defeat was a lifetime of defeat.

No one could keep up with the speed of his growth.