Chapter 169

Van Augur tapped his shoulder with his gun, expressionless. "Of all the opponents I've faced, this is the strongest."

"I'm sure I'll learn a lot from this battle."

"This is my destiny!"

Bartolomeo touched his nose ring and said impatiently, "Why all the talk? Just fight, hehe~~"

Kuro adjusted her glasses, maintaining a calm and rational demeanor, and said something.

"This battle will allow me to gain valuable experience and become even stronger."

"The Division Commander Challenge will begin in a few days. We must seize this opportunity to make a breakthrough no matter what."

Lafitte twirled his cane, smiled slightly, and said in a gentle and refined manner, "Crocodile is a Sand-Sand Devil Fruit User; fighting in the desert would be extremely advantageous for him."

"But that's alright, these are all external factors and cannot fundamentally determine the outcome of a battle."

Nami landed on the desert and looked around. She saw the Whale Ship docked on the shore, surrounded on three sides by uninhabited desert, stretching as far as the eye could see, like a pale golden ocean.

She blinked her beautiful eyes, a look of amazement on her fair and delicate face, and murmured, "This is truly the first time I've ever seen such a vast desert."

Nojiko nodded, brushed her blue hair aside, smiled gently, and said something.

"It's a pity the sun is too strong and the air temperature is too high, otherwise walking in the desert would be really interesting."

Kaya looked around, frowned her pretty eyebrows, and looked puzzled. "The book says there are plants in the desert."

"I've looked for so long, but I haven't found any green plants. There doesn't seem to be any sign of life."

Makino remained as Gentle as ever, smiling sweetly as she said, "For ordinary people, the desert is a very dangerous place."

"It's very easy to get lost in a place like this. Once you lose your way, you really can't get out of the desert, which is terrifying."

Alvida, carrying a large iron bar, looked somewhat helpless. "This desert is just too vast. If only we had a means of transportation, it would be perfect."

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The Honey Queen, with a white veil draped over her head, blinked her beautiful eyes and said with a smile, "Anyway, take precautions, or your skin will get tanned."

"With such a blazing sun, if we don't find some shade, we'll all turn into black people after we get out of the desert."

Desaya shrugged and casually remarked, "With such a blazing sun and such heat, it's really quite annoying."

Carmen looked around, frowned slightly, and said, "I think we should think of a solution and see what's the best course of action."

"It doesn't matter much for the men since they're not afraid of getting tanned. But it's different for us. If this continues, we'll all get tanned."

Princess Vivi wore long sleeves and a headscarf, covering herself up completely to avoid the harmful effects of the sun.

A sweet and charming smile appeared on her stunningly beautiful face as she reassured everyone, "Don't worry, everyone. As long as we take proper precautions, everything will be fine."

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"It's important to note that if you feel thirsty, remember to drink water promptly; don't delay."

"It's really hot here, and if you don't drink enough water, you could easily get heatstroke. Everyone please be careful."

Robin smoothed her long, glossy black hair and sighed, "Speaking of which, Crocodile's Devil Fruit Ability is truly powerful."

"It can turn oases into deserts, cities into ruins, and even alter the weather."

"It's been so long since it rained; it's all Crocodile's doing. His Sand-Sand Fruit has directly changed the entire Alabasta Kingdom."

Reiju looked at Robin, her delicate eyebrows arching, and smiled gently, saying, "It never used to rain, but today will definitely be different."

"Crocodile will be killed today. Without his control, the Alabasta Kingdom will surely be showered with happiness."

Baccarat smoothed her Deep Red hair and said gracefully, "When we return here next time, the desert will have become an oasis, and the ruins will have become a bustling city."

"The Alabasta Kingdom will surely flourish and become the richest nation in the First Half of the Grand Line."

"After all, this is where our branch is located, so rapid development is inevitable."

Just then, a rustling sound came from the desert ahead. At the same time, the ground Tremor, and sand kept falling.

It felt as if something terrifying was about to emerge from underground...

(Just to clarify, the fight with Crocodile is a major plot point, so this chapter serves as a setup and transition. Crocodile will appear in the next chapter, and the battle will begin (￣￣).) 10.

Chapter 169

"What big thing is about to emerge from the desert? What could it be?" Carina's beautiful eyes sparkled, and a hint of surprise appeared on her pretty face.

Perona, holding an umbrella, floated through the air, grinning as she said, "As soon as we got off the ship, we encountered some interesting animals. It was so much fun! Hahahaha..."

Nami blinked her big eyes, looking curious, and said something.

"What kind of animals might be beneath the desert? Perhaps lizards?"

Princess Vivi looked at them, her delicate eyebrows arching, and smiled gently, saying, "Beneath the desert, there exist all sorts of animals."

"The more common ones include sand scorpions, lizards, centipedes..."

"When walking in the desert, besides the fear of getting lost, the biggest fear is encountering these terrifying animals."

Robin nodded slightly, her eyes gleaming with wisdom, and said with intellectual elegance, "Being able to survive in such a harsh environment naturally requires considerable strength."

"Moreover, they are very resilient and are a difficult and dangerous species to deal with."

Just then, a loud bang came from ahead, and yellow sand flew into the sky, falling in all directions. Smoke and dust filled the air, and a black figure could be vaguely seen.

Swish swish...

The enormous black scorpion clamped its two massive pincers together, producing a crisp cracking sound. Under the sunlight, the pincers gleamed with a chilling, sharp light.

A pair of cold eyes stared intently at the humans before them, regarding them as prey.

In truth, it was the overlord of this area and had never encountered danger, so it didn't know what fear was.

With a whoosh, the giant scorpion slithered forward, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand, and charged toward Chris and the others with Inazuma.

It came on fiercely, its two giant pincers already open, looking as if it would crush everyone to death.

"What an arrogant scorpion! He completely disregards us, clatter clatter clatter..."

Brogy, carrying his giant axe, laughed heartily, displaying great generosity.

Dorry nodded and said with a smile, "It has never encountered any rivals here, so it's understandable that it's a bit arrogant."

Burgess raised his arms and burst into laughter, "Didn't you just say you didn't have any transportation? This big guy is perfect! Hahahaha~~"

"Taming such a beast is no easy task; only the Captain can do it." Gin looked at Chris's retreating figure with an expression of admiration.

Holding the Demonic Sword Kikoku, Luo said with his usual aloofness, "This giant scorpion must be the overlord of this area."

"Even if we could kill it, we couldn't tame it, that's beyond doubt."

Hawkins, still looking like a dead man, said in a low voice, "From the moment it appeared, it was destined to be a means of transporting people."

Kuro habitually adjusted his glasses, his expression utterly rational. "It's been a long time since we've seen the Captain make a move; this is a rare opportunity."

Upon seeing the enormous scorpion, the women's eyes lit up, and they all Headliner, their pretty faces showing curiosity.

"What a huge scorpion! It looks quite fierce."

Honey Queen's beautiful eyes widened as she looked up and down at the enormous creature, marveling at it.

Belo Betty, carrying the large flag, took a drag of her cigarette and said calmly, "Very good. Once Chris tames it, we won't have to walk anymore."

Nami clapped her hands, her eyebrows curving upwards, and said happily, "If I could sit on this scorpion, it would save so much trouble, haha~~"

Alvida nodded gently, smiling sweetly, "That's right, so Chris has to tame it."

At that moment, Chris put his hands in his pockets and took a step forward.

Without uttering a word, he sharpened his gaze, unleashing Conqueror's Haki, and charged towards the giant scorpion.

With a hiss, the giant scorpion stopped abruptly, sweating profusely and looking terrified.

Completely intimidated by Chris's imposing presence, they were terrified!

"You've come at the right time; could you give me a ride with some people?"

Chris kept his hands in his pockets, calmly looking at the giant scorpion, and said something understated.

The giant scorpion shook its head up and down, then pressed its massive body against the ground, appearing very submissive and daring not to resist in the slightest.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a well-behaved pet.

"I was knocked unconscious by this at Whiskey Peak."

Igaram shook his head, saying with a sigh, "The ability to defeat enemies without lifting a finger is truly terrifying."

Karoo nodded repeatedly, then croaked in agreement.

Dorry looked at the giant scorpion and burst into laughter, "Conqueror's Haki, it really is the most suitable for taming animals, yayah yayah..."

Brogy laughed and said, "If they don't have that ability, then the Captain should be replaced, clack clack clack~~"

"That Haki again, it makes me so envious, damn it!" Burgess shrugged, looking quite annoyed.

Doc Q coughed and agreed, "It can not only scare away opponents, but also make enemies submit. No wonder it's a skill that only one in a million possesses."

Luo, carrying the Demonic Sword Kikoku, remained as aloof as ever. "Although it's not the first time I've seen it, it's always surprising."

The others didn't say much, just nodded, all expressing their envy of Chris and wishing they had such powerful abilities.

"I knew it, Chris wouldn't let us down, hehe~~"

Carina looked at the giant scorpion, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her pretty face. She said happily, "Great, it's really great!"

Alvida's eyebrows curved into crescent shapes, her smile captivating and sweet. "I knew it would succeed, and it did."

"With this free transportation, we won't have to travel such a long distance."

Desaya waved his hand and said with a smile, "Alright, stop dawdling, everyone hurry up and go."

Nami blinked her big eyes and said cheerfully, "Now I don't have to worry about getting a tan! That's fantastic news, haha~~"

Robin glanced at Chris's retreating figure, smoothed her long, dark hair, and praised him.

"As expected of Chris, he always manages to do things that ordinary people can't. He's really amazing."

Princess Vivi nodded emphatically, her stunningly beautiful face filled with admiration, and said, "Chris is the person I admire most, without a doubt."

Then, the women chatted and laughed as they all stood on the giant scorpion. They no longer needed to walk, and smiles bloomed on their pretty faces as they were extremely happy.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Inside an office, high-ranking officials, all at the level of generals, were holding a meeting.

Just then, Brannew, holding Den Den Mushi, quickly walked over and said respectfully.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Onigumo Vice Admiral calling. Please answer the call."

The generals stopped their discussion and all looked at the Den Den Mushi, eager to know the latest developments.

Without the slightest hesitation, Sengoku said in a deep voice, "Onigumo, I'm in a meeting right now. Report directly to me if anything comes up."

Onigumo was a decisive man; without hesitation, he quickly said, "Fleet Admiral, I have already seen the Alabasta Kingdom about to land on this Island."

"Next, I will find Chris quickly and stop his crazy behavior."

Hearing his words, Sakazuki's face hardened, and he said with utmost seriousness, "Onigumo, for the sake of Absolute Justice, you must take down Chris."

"That damned Pirate must be punished to the fullest extent of the law!"

Borsalino leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, tilted his head, and said something sarcastic.

"Oh dear..."

"Chris, such a promising newcomer, is going to die young so soon, it's terrifying!"

Doberman looked at the Den Den Mushi with a solemn expression and said, "Onigumo, I'll be waiting for your good news at Headquarters. You must complete the mission perfectly and uphold justice to the end."

The other Hawk Faction generals, their faces grim, nodded in unison and said the same thing.

Justice will prevail!

His tone was forceful and resonant, leaving a powerful and impactful impression.

The imposing presence of these Iron-Blooded soldiers was unmistakable, brimming with righteous indignation; they were clearly a force of Iron-Blooded, and their combat prowess was undoubtedly formidable...