Paula took a deep breath and pushed open the door to her room.
Fine beads of cold sweat had already formed on her palms, and the back of her clothes was soaked through. She walked to the table and picked up the Den Den Mushi lying quietly there. Her finger hovered over the buttons for two seconds before she dialed a familiar number.
A clamor came from the other end.
The civilians' cheers, applause, and shouts of praise mingled into a lively sea of sound.
For someone fashioning himself into Alabasta's Hero, seeking to seize the kingdom and then find the legendary Pluton, a performance like today's defeat of the pirates was necessary.
Every kill, every drop of blood, added another brick to his image as a "Hero."
His assistant leaned closer and lowered his voice:
"Boss, Doublefinger has an urgent message. She needs to speak with you."
Out of view, Crocodile stood on a battlefield in shambles.
He casually tossed the dried-out pirate corpse off his hook. It struck the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust. The corpse was shriveled as kindling, every bit of moisture drained by his power.
He raised his empty right hand, and a small, spinning sand tornado appeared in his palm.
At first, the tornado was only the size of a fist, but it spun rapidly in his hand, growing larger and faster. The whirling grains of sand were like countless tiny garrote blades, gleaming dangerously in the sunlight.
"Strangling Wind."
He tossed it lightly.
The sand tornado flew from his hand and plunged straight into the pirates still struggling nearby.
The sand spun, cut, and tore like a meat grinder. Blood sprayed, and screams rose everywhere. The impact scattered the pirates' bodies, severed limbs strewing the ground. Blood seeped into the sand