Barn slowly turned his head. Though he could not see, he still wanted Crocodile to see the mysterious smile on his face.
Crocodile wore a faint smile as well as he looked at Barn, who had taken his seat. Then he spoke.
"What are you doing here, Barn?"
"Oh? So you still remember me, Crocodile."
Barn answered mildly, though he had not answered Crocodile's question.
"How could I forget you? You're one of the people I intend to take revenge on."
The smile on Crocodile's face grew more sinister...
"Oh? So you think you've grown strong enough to challenge me now, Little Crocodile?"
Barn remained unmoved, the faint smile on his face unchanged as he spoke calmly.
Crocodile's expression, however, darkened considerably. Veins bulged across his already ferocious face.
"Don't call me that. Do you want to end up a mummy?"
"If you can manage it."
Barn's reply was as mild as ever.
"Dammit... Desert Spada!"
Apparently, Crocodile had lost his patience for idle chatter. His left hand turned straight into a mass of yellow sand, which slowly solidified as it fell, forming a massive slash that swept straight toward Barn in front of him!
Everyone seated there held their breath, their pupils contracting sharply. They had seemingly never expected this powerful figure, who had only just appeared, to launch such a ferocious attack immediately. Even the force accompanying the slash sent chills down their spines.
Only Miss All Sunday wore an amused smile.
Clang!
"Hiss..."
Of course, Crocodile could not hurt Barn so easily. The Desert Spada he had poured all his strength into was effortlessly neutralized by the First-Generation Onikiri in Barn's hand, drawn at some unknown moment. There was only the clang of clashing metal before it became nothing more than ordinary sand scattered across the floor...