I Can Copy Any Talent in One Piece

"Sandification—"

The power of the Sand-Sand Fruit activated. The vault door beneath Noil's palm crumbled as if eroded by windblown sand, leaving a gaping hole.

Noil sneered.

Come on. Who uses doors these days?

After breaking open the vault, Noil called the chubby manager over again.

When the manager arrived, his round face went blank.

Where's the door?

Where's the vault door?

Noil ignored his expression, beckoned him closer, and whispered in his ear.

The more the manager heard, the more stunned he looked. "Boss! What... what are you doing?"

"Cut the crap!" Noil grabbed his collar, putting on a vicious look. "Do as I say!"

"Yes..."

Deeply reluctant, the manager ordered his staff into the vault.

Noil headed out to the spacious casino floor.

He took a glass of red wine from a waiter, cleared his throat, and called out, "Everyone, quiet down!"

Crocodile's standing as a Shichibukai still carried weight here. The guests stopped what they were doing and looked at him curiously.

Noil swirled his wine with theatrical flair. "You're all loyal customers, and I'm grateful for your support..."

The guests looked puzzled. Why was he suddenly being so polite?

"You come here to gamble because it's fun."

"Money isn't much use anyway. It only gets in the way of enjoying yourselves."

As Noil rambled on, the guests grew even more confused.

What was he getting at?

Noil smiled and thrust a fist into the air.

"So, as the owner, I've made a decision!"

"I'm giving you money to play with!"

"Today, everything's on me—Crocodile!"

The entire casino erupted.

"What a generous boss!"

"That's a Shichibukai for you! What a great guy!"

"He's right! Let's have some fun!"

The high-society guests, who had been acting like perfect gentlemen, instantly turned into shameless flatterers, cheering Noil on.

Noil could afford to sound generous when he was spending someone else's money. He didn't feel a pang.

At his signal, the staff carried bags of valuables out of the vault and handed them around.

Once the guests saw that fortune up for grabs, they turned into thugs, scrambling for money with red-rimmed eyes.

If they were getting free money, why keep pretending to be respectable? They'd have to be idiots!

Noil watched the crowd fight over the Beli with satisfaction. Now this is lively!

Just then, the front doors burst open under a tremendous impact.

The real Crocodile had finally rushed back from miles away.

The sight that greeted him nearly blinded him.

Why were his guests behaving like animals?

Didn't they usually put on the airs of successful people?

Then Crocodile's gaze shifted, and he spotted the face so handsome it woke him up every morning!

Noil!

He had taken Crocodile's appearance and was handing out Crocodile's money?

Rage erupted inside Crocodile like a volcano. He wanted to kill someone.

He wanted to kill Noil!

Red Packets Rain on Rainbase

Noil, who had been enjoying himself, saw Crocodile charge through the doors. Damn it.

How did he get back so fast?

The guests saw another familiar face at the entrance and even stopped grabbing money.

The chubby manager's jaw dropped as he stared at his two "bosses."

He was completely lost...

The two Crocodiles looked almost identical, but the manager soon noticed something wrong.

The boss who had just arrived wore the Golden Hook. The more handsome one didn't!

Crocodile was so furious he laughed. He fixed Noil with a wolfish stare. "What is the meaning of this?"

Noil chuckled. "Just winning a few people over for you."

Winning people over, my ass! In a few years, I'll take over the country through this casino. I don't need your help!

A vein bulged on Crocodile's forehead. Unable to contain his fury any longer, he roared, "Die!"

Sand whipped through the hall, forming a blade of grit that tore through the casino and left it in ruins.

Still wearing Crocodile's face, Noil's eyes flashed. With a casual motion, he used the very same move.

The two currents of sand slammed together, and the lavish Rain Dinners casino paid the price.

The force of the clash ripped away a huge section of the roof.

Exposed beneath the sunlight stood two Crocodiles, both wielding the same power.

Crocodile stared at the impostor in disbelief. "How can you use my power?"

"No, not just mine! Mr. 2's, too, and that Logia ability they reported before!"

As though he had stumbled onto a great secret, Crocodile said incredulously, "You can't have that many Devil Fruit powers!"

"A Copy-Copy Fruit?!"

"How can an ability like that exist?"

Noil pursed his lips. That name again.

Ace had come up with the same name before. Was there really a Devil Fruit like that?

Convinced he had uncovered the truth, Crocodile said grimly, "Don't think that ability means you can beat me."

"An impostor will always be an impostor!"

The Sand-Sand Fruit's power surged again. This time, the fight spilled outdoors, where countless townspeople watched.

They just couldn't understand why two Crocodiles were fighting.

In the desert, the Sand-Sand Fruit's advantage was magnified beyond measure. Both fighters seemed unstoppable.

Two sandstorms collided again and again. Their enormous, swirling mass made a terrifying sight against the desert.

Before long, Noil began to lose ground.

When it came to the Sand-Sand Fruit alone, Noil's copied talent—Demon Possession: Sand-Sand—was merely an incomplete version of the Devil Fruit.

Unless he killed Crocodile, he couldn't obtain the complete talent.

In mastery and potential alike, Noil was no match for Crocodile, who had honed his power for years.

But Noil had copied more than one Devil Fruit.

Seeing that the Sand-Sand Fruit wasn't enough, Noil switched powers. Fire suddenly blazed across the battlefield that had been filled with yellow sand.

Noil used Amaterasu Flame as armor and Flame-Flame Fruit power as his spear. The searing heat and destructive force tore a hole through the encircling sand.

Fire and sand clashed wildly, and the intense heat forced Crocodile back.

The ordinary flames were manageable. The problem was the black fire burning around Noil.

Its ferocity gave Crocodile the feeling that even a touch would kill him.

Propelled by flame, Noil closed the gap between them.

As Noil came within striking distance, Crocodile hurried to counterattack. His hand became a stream of sand and slashed forward. "Desert Spada!"

Wreathed in flames, Noil swiftly switched powers again.

He activated the Bear-Bear Fruit, which he hadn't used in ages. A thick bear paw extended, coated in black Armament Haki.

The black-flamed, Haki-coated paw easily tore through Desert Spada and swung straight for Crocodile's head.

Armament Haki?!

Shaken, Crocodile hurriedly dispersed his body into sand, slipping out of Noil's reach.

Imitation, flames, a bear, mysterious black fire, and Crocodile's own sand—Crocodile was stunned by how many powers the kid possessed!

"What a terrifying Devil Fruit." Crocodile pulled himself back together.

Even through his fury, he couldn't help admitting it.

"But!" Confidence returned to Crocodile's face. "This is the desert. My territory."

Sand surged up from the desert, forming a dark mass that seemed to blanket even the sky above Rainbase.

Noil stared at what Crocodile had done, dumbfounded. Wasn't his mastery of that fruit a little excessive?

The fact that Luffy beat this guy is insane!

Crocodile swept his hand forward. The apocalyptic sea of yellow sand converged on a single point and hurtled toward Noil.

Noil didn't dare take it head-on. He hastily turned into sand and fled.

Smoke and sand billowed from the enormous impact. Several buildings in Rainbase were swallowed and crushed.

A moment later, sand shifted nearby, and Noil's form gathered again.

Noil looked at Crocodile's grim face and taunted him. "The Sand-Sand Fruit alone won't work. I have the same power as you!"

Crocodile gritted his teeth in frustration.

He wasn't skilled in Haki. Like Smoker, he had focused on developing his Devil Fruit power.

Against an opponent who had the same ability as him and stronger Haki besides,

more than half his ways of landing a blow were useless.

Crocodile steadied himself and prepared to charge again, but Noil had no interest in continuing.

He had already achieved several of his goals.

He had given Crocodile a hard time. That had gone splendidly.

He had also obtained the two Devil Fruit powers he wanted most in Alabasta.

Once he made off with a few bags of Crocodile's money, this trip would be a complete success!

His last little goal was to coax Robin aboard his ship.

While Crocodile was distracted, Noil turned and dashed back into the casino.

Crocodile faltered at the feint. Before he could figure out what Noil was doing, Noil flew back out as a swirl of sand.