One Piece: I Became a Legend by Seeing Proficiency

Dongze had to admit he was playing it safe. Now that he was in Alabasta, a Logia Devil Fruit user he could actually beat made the perfect target.

He had a theory about his newly awakened Erosion Sword Intent. If he remembered right, Crocodile had a move called Erosion Cycle!

If he used Crocodile to "slightly" exploit a bug, he might max out Erosion Sword Intent's proficiency in one go. Then even Aokiji would be crying for mercy. (And don't say it was impossible. A half-dead Whitebeard had beaten Blackbeard until he called him "Dad"! Now that was something.)

As for Sword Intent, it had shown earth-shattering power the moment it awakened. Judging by how proficiency had worked before, once it took shape at 200,000 proficiency, its power would be beyond imagination.

But unlocking Sword Intent was too difficult. If a sudden impulse had not led him to gaze across the vast desert at the setting sun over a long river, he might never have unlocked even one. It was nothing like sword techniques, which he could activate by getting the form roughly right.

Sword Intent was also closely tied to his spirit. It was not something he could spend freely, especially when there was no easy way to measure a person's mental reserves or judge their limits.

Back at the Alabasta royal palace, he had grown unusually sleepy. At first, he thought it was because he had been contemplating Sword Intent. Looking back now, it was probably caused by the sword stroke he had unleashed on impulse.

That strike had been far more powerful than one coated in Armament Haki, and its effects had proved hard to erase.

He had heard that the trench he cut still showed no sign of filling in. In a desert swept by endless sand, that was almost unbelievable.

Windblown sand could swallow and bury anything. Yet that trench remained, and Sword Intent had to be the reason.

If he had to raise its proficiency one swing at a time, he would be in trouble. What was the point if he could only manage three moves before running out of strength?

For now, he could only hope that raising its proficiency would reduce the cost of using Sword Intent while increasing his spiritual strength.

Otherwise, he might have to leave it unused despite unlocking it.

Fortunately, he had a promising target right in front of him: Crocodile, the Sand-Sand Fruit user. From what he had learned about raising proficiency, the fastest methods were attacking, as if grinding monsters for experience, and getting beaten up, as he had during his sparring matches with Koshiro.

His Armament Haki should be strong enough by now. If he focused purely on defense, Crocodile probably could not break through it quickly. He could take a few beatings and rapidly raise his Erosion Sword Intent's proficiency, turning it into a trump card.

But just then, Dongze's expression changed and dark lines seemed to crowd his forehead. A message had appeared on his panel: "Malicious bug exploitation detected. Emergency fix applied!"

"What the hell is this?"

"I object! Isn't that a normal way to train? I'm not even allowed to get hit?"

His protest got no response from the Golden Finger. In the end, Dongze cursed it aloud. What was wrong with wanting a beating if he felt like it?

Did that even sound like something a person would say?

He sounded rather like a certain Strongest Creature in the pirate world. All I want is to die. Why can't I even manage something that simple?

Dongze sighed softly. If he wanted to improve quickly now, he would have to keep sailing.

There were not many powerful people in the East Blue, and as he grew stronger, they had less and less to offer him.

"Looks like I'll have to go to the New World after all."

"Mr. Dongze, are we still going to see Crocodile?"

Robin had heard him muttering and thought they might be giving up on Crocodile, so she asked.

Dongze answered firmly, "Yes. Of course we are."

He could no longer exploit the bug, but he was determined to get everything he could out of Crocodile on this visit.

And so Dongze and Robin's trip to Rainbase became a nightmare Crocodile would never willingly speak of again.

As a certain someone put it, "Sorry! I can't exploit the bug anymore, so I'm afraid I won't let go until I've wrung everything out of you!"

The two rested in Alubarna for a couple of days before setting out for Rainbase. Along the way, they avoided drawing the attention of the soldiers and Baroque Works.

Three days later, they reached Rainbase, a miracle in the desert.

"Hey! Who goes there?"

"Stop! This is private property. No outsiders allowed!"

Dressed in desert clothes that covered them from head to toe, Dongze and Robin had arrived at Rainbase's largest casino, Crocodile's lair.

Following the route he remembered, Dongze led Robin straight toward the VIP area, only to be stopped by two guards.

Dongze did not slow down. He opened his eyes a little wider, and a burst of Conqueror's Haki knocked both guards unconscious.

As a way to clear out small fry, it earned full marks from him.

Since awakening Sword Intent, he had also grown more adept at using Conqueror's Haki.

Dongze activated Observation Haki and led Robin through a maze of turns until they reached Crocodile's office.

The place was lavishly decorated. Crocodile clearly knew how to enjoy himself.

Seven or eight Banana Crocodiles lived in an enormous tank nearby, swimming about at their leisure.

"Dongze, Crocodile doesn't seem to be here."

Robin glanced around the room without spotting anyone and spoke up.

"That's fine. This is his lair. He'll be back. We can wait."

Dongze narrowed his eyes as he recalled what would happen here. If Crocodile intended to carry out that scheme, he was probably already making preparations. And Dongze was right: Crocodile had not yet put his plan into action. He was still building up his base and cultivating his image as a hero.

Then he's probably out killing pirates right now, Dongze thought.

After all, before his true colors were exposed, Crocodile had been hailed as a hero of Alabasta. That reputation could not have been built in a day or two.

Robin found an empty seat at one side of the long conference table and sat close to Dongze. They waited in silence.

Before long, Dongze glanced toward the door. A stream of yellow sand drifted in like smoke.

In the blink of an eye, it gathered into human form. Who else could it be but Crocodile?

"Well, well! What an unexpected guest. It's East Thief, the famous Pirate Hunter from the East Blue!"

"What are you doing here?"

The words had barely left his mouth when a crescent-shaped blade of sand swept toward Dongze and Robin.

Only a pirate would greet guests like that. His first move was a killing blow.

Robin's strength had improved by leaps and bounds under Dongze's training. With a light push from her right foot, she shot backward and dodged the attack.

Dongze activated Observation Haki and evaded it with ease.

A flicker of surprise crossed Crocodile's eyes when his attack missed. His bounty might have been only 81 million Beli, but his real strength was no lower than that of pirates worth two or three hundred million. Here in the desert, he was stronger still.

The ease with which they had dodged told him they were no ordinary small fry.

Thinking of his plans, Crocodile gave his peculiar laugh and looked at them. "Join me, both of you. I'll spare your lives."

Fighting Crocodile: Let Me Teach You a Lesson ### "Spoken like a frog in a well. Did Whitebeard beat you so hard he gave you brain damage?"

Dongze opened with a devastating blow.

Crocodile reacted at once. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he made no attempt to hide the murderous look in his eyes.

"What did you say, brat?" he asked in a voice cold as ice.

Dongze's expression did not change. "Did becoming a Shichibukai leave you unable to see beyond the first half of the Grand Line?"

"Or can you no longer tell how badly outmatched you are, Crocodile?"

A cruel smile spread across Crocodile's face.

"A Pirate Hunter from the East Blue kills a few pirates worth twenty million Beli and thinks he's invincible? I'd better teach you what cruelty really means!"

A small tornado of sand formed in Crocodile's hand, his signature move.

"Sandstorm!"

He was ruthless enough to unleash a move like that inside his own lair the moment his blood was up.

"Xiao Yi, make your way there on your own in a little while."

Dongze shook his head. Fighting here did not suit his purpose. He turned to Robin as he spoke.

Then his figure blurred.

"Shave!"

"Armament Haki Reinforcement!"

Crocodile froze when Dongze vanished, and the sandstorm in his hand lost its target.

The next instant, his vision went dark. A powerful hand had seized his head.

"Impossible! I'm a Logia user! I ate the Sand-Sand Fruit!"

Before his shock could fade, rushing air roared past his ears. He felt the wind whip by and heard townspeople nearby. A dreadful realization struck him.

That brat was forcibly dragging him out of the city.

Then a name flashed through his mind: Armament Haki!

Crocodile had guessed right. Dongze had him by the head and was carrying him out of Rainbase at astonishing speed, too fast for anyone at the casino or in the streets to notice.

To ordinary people, a fully mastered Shave looked like teleportation. Without Observation Haki, they could not even catch a glimpse of him.

Moments later, they were outside Rainbase.

Bam!

Dongze hurled Crocodile into the desert. The impact threw up a ring of dust and left a huge round crater beneath him.

"Bastard!"

Sprawled in the sand, Crocodile coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Powerful Armament Haki, monstrous strength, and the Six Powers—what Dongze had shown so far was already enough to shake him.

Damn it! Where did this monster come from?

Fortunately, he had turned to sand at the last moment. Otherwise, that throw alone would have seriously injured him.

He fully transformed into sand. A gust later, he reappeared a short distance from Dongze and glared at him.

"Brat, don't think learning Haki means you can do whatever you want! I was making my way through the New World while you were still learning to walk!"

"Desert Spada!"

At his shout, a blade of sand surged upward and shot toward Dongze with incredible speed.

Crocodile was holding nothing back.

The open desert was his domain. No one was better suited to fighting here, just as a Fish-Man had no equal in the sea.

Dongze had already activated Observation Haki. He seemed to have expected the strike and lightly pushed off the ground.

He was about to dodge to one side.

Crocodile's eyes flashed when he saw Dongze move. "I'm not done yet!"

"Sandstorm!"

A gale swept up the sand and surged toward Dongze like a natural disaster. The attack covered a vast area, and the desert made it all the more terrifying.

Crocodile did not dare let up against Dongze. He fought at full power, nothing like when he had held back so much against Luffy in the original story.

An unusual emotion flickered through Dongze's eyes as he watched the sandstorm approach.

"Armament Haki Reinforcement!"

The sandstorm engulfed him in an instant. His figure vanished amid the swirling dust.

"Desert Grande Spada!"

But as the Sand-Sand Fruit user, Crocodile could sense that Dongze was unharmed. For now, the sandstorm had merely trapped him.

Following that sense, Crocodile unleashed another attack: an advanced version of Desert Spada. At full power, its force was frightening.

A huge golden blade made of sand slowly rose from the desert, then slashed straight into the sandstorm.

It tore through the air with a shrill roar. The strike carried power on the level of an ordinary Great Swordsman.

A deep trench split the ground, stretching all the way to the center of the sandstorm.

Clang!

The jarring sound of metal striking metal rang out. Crocodile froze.

"Damn it!"

An ugly possibility occurred to him. Having once challenged Whitebeard in the New World, he knew how formidable Haki could be. He simply had not expected the brat before him to possess Armament Haki this strong.

When the sand cleared, Dongze stood there coated from head to toe in Armament Haki. Crocodile's expression grew graver still.