Once he breaks free from the Sand Binding Prison, he can hide in the entire desert.
Whether to fight or retreat at that time will be entirely up to him.
" Uchiha Xin, you underestimate the Logia!"
"This sand dune can't hold me!"
Crocodile suddenly exerted his power.
Bang!
His body exploded completely, turning into a large cloud of yellow sand that rushed in all directions.
Vivi instinctively took a step back.
The expressions of the civilians hiding behind the ruins in the distance also changed.
" The Crocodile is out!"
"That cage couldn't hold Logia after all!"
"Run!"
The group turned to leave.
Uchiha Xin, however, did not move.
He watched the yellow sand gushing out of the Sand Binding Prison, showing no surprise whatsoever.
Armament Haki?
"I don't need that kind of thing to deal with you."
Uchiha Xin raised his right hand.
His eyes turned a deep blue.
The power of the pupil descended.
Several jet-black Truth-Seeking Orb appeared around Crocodile.
The Truth-Seeking Orb transformed as soon as it appeared.
The black substance extended to both sides, transforming into thick railings that blocked Crocodile's entire escape route.
There wasn't a single gap left in any direction.
Crocodile, transformed into yellow sand, crashed against the black railing.
Buzz!
There was no explosion.
There was no impact.
All the yellow sand that touched the railing was forcibly suppressed by a force.
The sand grains, which were originally scattered and impacting each other, quickly lost control and began to gather towards the center one by one.
Crocodile wanted to maintain his elemental form, but discovered that the Sand-Sand Fruit seemed to be sealed by some kind of force.
No matter how he urged it, his body would no longer obey.
" Tensei: Yin-Yang Cage."
Uchiha Xin his five fingers together.
The pitch-black jade cage for Truth-Seeking Orb then contracted.
The yellow sand scattered by Crocodile was all pressed back into the prison.
Legs.
Waist and abdomen.
Chest.
Skull.
His true form was forcibly brought out.
Bang!
Crocodile slammed heavily inside the cage.
He immediately rolled over and got up, pressing his right hand against the black railing, trying to activate his elemental transformation again.
There was no response.
His hands were still made of flesh and blood.
It cannot even decompose a single grain of sand.
What happened?
Crocodile's expression changed.
He took half a step back and activated the fruit's power once more.
Desertification!
There was no response from within the body.
The Sand-Sand Fruit did not disappear.
He could still feel that power.
However, whenever he attempts to transform into an elemental form, the black power within the cage presses down directly on his body, forcibly sealing off his Devil Fruit ability.
"That's impossible!"
Crocodile raised his Golden Hook and slammed it down on the railing in front of him.
clang!
The Golden Hook struck the Truth-Seeking Orb.
The enormous recoil force traveled back up my arm.
Crocodile's hand was split open, his Golden Hook was thrown backward, and his entire left arm lost sensation.
There were no marks left on the cage.
He wouldn't stop.
" Desert Spada!"
The right arm cannot be sanded.
The move couldn't be executed at all.
Crocodile could only swing his Golden Hook, bombarding the cage again and again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of the impact echoed throughout the square.
After more than ten uses, cracks appeared on the surface of the Golden Hook.
Crocodile's palms were covered in blood.
The pitch-black cage remained completely undamaged.
The civilians in the distance stopped and turned to watch this scene.
" Crocodile is imprisoned?"
"He can't even turn sand into reality!"
"What exactly is that black cage?"
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
They once regarded Crocodile as a hero of Alabasta and had witnessed him use the Sand-Sand Fruit to eliminate pirates.
In their understanding, Logia Fruit users are simply impossible to imprison.
But Crocodile before us is no different from an ordinary person.
Vivi stared at the figure in the cell, her breathing gradually becoming steady.
She watched as the mastermind behind the destruction of Alabasta went from being a powerful Shichibukai to an inescapable prisoner.
"It can even seal away elemental forms of Logia..."
Vivi looked at Uchiha Xin.
Just how many more tricks does this man possess?
Crocodile ceased its bombardment.
He glanced down at the cracked Golden Hook, then at the undamaged cage.
Continuing the attack is pointless.
He can't get out.
This fact made his heart sink little by little.
But he did not beg for mercy.
Crocodile bit his cigar again, forcing himself to calm down.
" Uchiha Xin."
"You are indeed stronger than I expected."
"But you dare not kill me."
Uchiha Xin stood outside the cage, looking at him calmly.
"Oh?"
Crocodile, seeing that he did not act immediately, believed that he had seized an opportunity.
"Moonlight Moria died at your hands."
"Even Hawk Eyes was defeated by you, and Black Blade Yoru has fallen into your hands."
"You have already attacked two of the Shichibukai in succession."
"If I die, you will utterly shatter the dignity of the Seven Warlords of the Sea system."
Crocodile raised his head, his voice regaining its composure.
" The World Government might tolerate the death of a Shichibukai, and can temporarily tolerate Hawk Eyes's defeat."
"But they would never stand by and watch you kill the third Shichibukai."
"If you kill me today, you will become a target that the Marine Headquarters must eliminate tomorrow."
"What arrives will not be Vice Admiral, nor will it be an ordinary fleet."
" The Marine Admiral, the Buster Call, and even Sengoku himself will all join forces to eliminate you."
He regained some confidence as he spoke.
You are very strong.
But this ocean is not a place where one person can roam freely.
"You can't afford to go to war with the entire Marine Headquarters."
Vivi's fingers grew cold as she listened.
She knew Crocodile wasn't talking nonsense.
The Shichibukai are an important force for the World Government in maintaining the balance of the seas.
Uchiha Xin has killed Shichibukai in succession; the Navy will certainly not stand idly by.
Once the Admiral arrives in person, things will completely spiral out of control.
Seeing Vivi's reaction, Crocodile immediately changed the subject.
"However, we don't need to go that far."
" Uchiha Xin, what you need is profit, not a worthless dead man."
"Let me go."
"The remaining intelligence network of Baroque Works, the wealth of Alabasta, and the power of this kingdom—all can be given to you."
He turned his gaze to Vivi.
"Including this princess."
"If you're willing to join forces, I can help you take control of Alabasta."
"Then the entire kingdom will be yours."
" Vivi will belong to you too."
Vivi's body trembled.
With a single sentence, Crocodile used her and the entire Alabasta as bargaining chips.
What frightened her even more was that Uchiha Xin had previously proposed a deal to her.
If Uchiha Xin were truly coveting the kingdom's power, she would have no right to resist.
Uchiha Xin turned to look at Vivi.
What are you afraid of?
Vivi looked up.
Uchiha Xin spoke calmly.
I have no interest in Alabasta.
"It's just a kingdom; it's not worth my trouble managing."
"As for you, now that we've made a deal, I naturally won't hand you over to anyone else."