Battle Against Crocodile!

"Don't be surprised, Miss Robin. The Navy is divided into many factions. The justice I uphold is Burning Justice that consumes all evil, and I would never aid evil!"

Ivan emphasized the word "everything," which convinced Robin that Ivan wasn't the rigid type of navy officer.

Faced with Ivan's invitation, Robin did not give an immediate answer, but cautiously said, "Rear Admiral Ivan is different from ordinary marines. It's too early to talk about this now. Let's wait until you've met my boss."

Since the destruction of Ohara, her life no longer belongs to her alone, but also carries the last wishes of the many scholars who died tragically in Ohara.

Therefore, she must live on and continue to decipher the Poneglyph until she unlocks the Void Century in history!

Ivan knew this too, so he didn't try to persuade them further, and soon the group arrived at the VIP area.

Over the years in the Rainbase, Crocodile has poured a great deal of effort into Rain Dinners, making it the most famous casino in Alabasta.

The decorations on the first floor were already far more extravagant than those of an ordinary casino, especially in the VIP area, giving Ivan the illusion of being back on the Gran Tesoro.

The VIP area had very few guests, mostly nobles from different regions, and also included a small number of wealthy merchants.

Ivan even saw a king wearing a golden crown in the central area.

Robin didn't stop there. He pushed open the door to a private room and led the group inside.

Upon entering the private room, a tall man with a cigar in his mouth and a slicked-back hairstyle appeared before Ivan and his companions.

At the same time, this tall, slicked-back-haired man exerted a strong sense of pressure on the others, except for Ivan.

This person is Crocodile Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai!

Ivan casually pulled out a chair, sat down opposite Crocodile, and picked up a plate of senbei to eat. "Crocodile, what did you call me over here for?"

Crocodile took a deep drag on his cigar, his cold eyes, piercing through the smoke and filled with chilling killing intent, locking onto Ivan.

"Rear Admiral Ivan, having won tens of millions of Beli, should get out of here. Otherwise, some greedy individuals will not only fail to obtain the Beli, but will also lose their lives at the Rain Dinners!"

Ivan nodded in deep agreement. "That's right. Some people are content with just a little power. If they crave too much, they might not even be able to save their lives. Don't you think so, Crocodile?"

Crocodile's pupils suddenly contracted. After learning that Princess Vivi was traveling with Ivan, he had a bad feeling, and he never expected that his premonition would come true!

It's clear that Ivan knew about his plan, but did the Navy's higher-ups know, and what was their attitude?

If the naval leadership intervenes, his plan to usurp the country will have no chance of succeeding!

Even if the Navy's top brass knew about it, Crocodile would not abandon his plan.

His main objective was not the weakened Alabasta, but the Ancient Weapon Pluton, buried in the desert!

With Pluton, he can take revenge on Whitebeard and greatly expand his power. Who knows, he might even become the new Pirate King in the future!

How could Crocodile possibly resist such temptation?

His eyes lowered slightly, his killing intent boiling within him, no longer concealed, he stated it directly:

"Rear Admiral Ivan, if I were you, I would scramble away from Alabasta immediately. The waters here are too deep for a Rear Admiral general like you to get involved in!"

If you have any improper thoughts, you might end up dying here!

"To die here?" Ivan scoffed. "Who can kill me? You're just a Crocodile without claws and teeth. I'm not a weakling of the Shichibukai!"

"Arrogant brat, how dare you compare me to trash like Hanafuda?!"

"Shut up! Now, as Rear Admiral, I suspect you of usurping the throne. Surrender obediently, or I won't hesitate to smash your already limited brain out!"

"Heh heh heh, the Navy?" Crocodile sneered disdainfully. He abruptly stood up, his killing intent no longer concealed. "Kid, let me tell you what the most important thing on the sea is: power! Desert Sunflower..."

Boom!

Just as Crocodile was about to make his move, a huge hand suddenly filled his entire field of vision, followed by a terrifying force pressing down on his face, forcing him to smash through the wall of the Rain Dinners, transforming him into a shooting star and rushing out of the Rainbase!

Soon, an even louder crash than before rang out. On the desert outside the Rainbase, countless grains of sand were squeezed by the immense force, shooting into the sky and transforming into a Himawari blooming in the desert!

However, this wasn't Crocodile's technique; it was Ivan's doing!

Standing beside the breach in the wall, Robin gasped in surprise, gazing at the magnificent Desert Sunflower in the distance, muttering to herself, "How can this guy be so strong? Isn't he just a Rear Admiral?"

Nami placed her hands on her hips, making her already slender waist appear even thinner.

"That's Ivan! He never lets us down! Miss Robin, although I don't know why Ivan recruited you, you should agree. After all, Ivan is such a trustworthy guy!"

Robin seemed to be deep in thought; at that moment, she was truly tempted by Ivan's invitation!

In the distant desert, Crocodile transformed his body into a cloud of yellow sand, escaping from Ivan's grasp.

At this moment, blood seeped from his forehead, staining one of his eyes red.

Blood continued to seep from the wound on his forehead, the crimson blood obscuring one eye, a horrifying sight.

He raised his hand to touch his bloodied cheek, and when he caught a glimpse of the glaring crimson on his fingertips, his knuckles clenched white, and he growled in a hateful voice, "Damn it, it's Armament Haki!"

Ivan, hands in his pockets, leaped out of the desert crater, standing low in the air, his deep eyes looking down at Crocodile: "Well, Crocodile, do I now have the right to stop your plans?"

"Damn brat, don't get cocky!" The Crocodile was instantly enraged. "In the desert, I am the invincible Crocodile, Sables!"

Crocodile raised his palm, and a rapidly spinning desert tornado quickly formed.

Immediately afterwards, he threw out a desert tornado that swept towards Ivan, each gust of wind feeling like a sharp blade cutting through everything.

Faced with this attack, Ivan drew his Yubashiri sword, the blade instantly covered in water. "One Sword Style: Azure - Water Breathing - Land Form - Twisting Whirlpool!"

The water swirled rapidly, creating a massive tornado in the arid desert.

The water tornado collided with the desert tornado, and the two continuously canceled each other out. The sand and gravel in the desert tornado gradually became wet and lost momentum, falling to the ground.

In the end, the water tornado undoubtedly gained the upper hand and easily defeated the desert tornado!

Even the well-traveled Crocodile had never seen anything like it before. He exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible? It's swordsmanship that manipulates water!"

PS: Crocodile