Chapter 222: Chapter 119.2 : Crocodile vs Gaara!
[Senju Hashirama: Who is this fellow? His aura is quite remarkable!]
[Uchiha Madara: Individuals from the Otherworld. Who knows what they're capable of?]
[Tsunade: Hey, the Golden List live broadcast room dropped a hint. Seems like the Challenger card is quite resourceful. Let's gather intel on them; it might give us an edge."]
At this juncture, all eyes turned to the brief introduction of Crocodile.
[Crocodile: Possessor of the Sand-Sand Fruit ability, one of the Logia Devil Fruits, granting control over sand; the body can morph into sand.]
The introduction not only shed light on his abilities but also revealed his lineage.
[Hyuga Hiashi: So he possesses a Devil Fruit power, a Logia type at that. Taijutsu practitioners are at a significant disadvantage against Logia Devil Fruit users. This Crocodile will pose a challenge to our Hyuga clan's Taijutsu experts. We must seek assistance for this battle!]
[Temari: His abilities bear resemblance to Gaara's; both manipulate sand!]
[Tsunade: Why not enlist Gaara's help? His prowess is formidable.]
[Hyuga Neji: If Yasao intervenes, our chances of success will be more assured!]
[Garaga: Why bother our master with dealing with such insignificant foes? Isn't that beneath him? So, let's not anticipate our master's intervention!]
[Gaara: Allow me to handle it!]
Sunagakure.
Upon seeing Gaara's resolve to step into the fray, Kankuro's expression shifted abruptly. "Gaara, you're the Fifth Kazekage now. If you enter the arena and find yourself in peril..."
"I have faith in my abilities. Besides, defeating opponents yields rewards, presenting an opportunity. Kankuro, you understand well that Sunagakure is in dire need of strength. Without taking risks, how can we hope to improve?" Gaara stated solemnly.
He added, "Should I find myself unable to best the opponent, I will concede!"
"Very well, Gaara. But proceed with caution," Kankuro replied.
Hyuga clan.
Observing the resolve of the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, Hyuga Hiashi and the elders swiftly reached a consensus.
Given Gaara's current formidable prowess and mastery over sand, their decision was unanimous.
"Then let us summon Gaara to the battlefield!" Hyuga Hiashi declared.
Golden List Live Room.
[Hyuga Hiashi: I extend an invitation to Gaara as the first opponent!]
Momentarily,
Gaara noticed an invitation option, and with a click, he found himself instantly transported to the arena.
… amidst murmurs of anticipation…
Without a moment's hesitation, he accepted.
*Hum!*
Gaara's form was engulfed by the arena.
"Lord Kazekage, may you remain unscathed!"
Numerous Sunagakure ninja offered prayers.
Within the arena,
Gaara's figure materialized.
In the audience, the Fourth Kazekage watched anxiously as his son took to the field.
Crocodile and Gaara stood facing each other in the arena, the masks they wore casting eerie shadows.
The battle raged on, neither combatant able to leave until one conceded defeat.
Then, the arena's terrain shifted, transforming into a desert landscape, perfectly suited for their duel.
"The desert terrain is most advantageous for me!"
Crocodile exclaimed excitedly.
Gaara understood that Crocodiles had mastery over sand manipulation, making the desert terrain ideal for their confrontation.
And so, the clash commenced!
The colossal sand blade of Crocodile cleaved through the air.
"Desert Sword!"
The attack rent through the desert, its formidable force hurtling towards Gaara.
In response, Gaara eschewed his star sand, opting instead to manipulate the sands around him into a defensive shield.
*Bang!*
The desert blade struck the shield, shattering it, yet Gaara remained unscathed.
"Such formidable defense, and the lad controls sand as well. Is this akin to the Sand-Sand Fruit's abilities?" Crocodile remarked solemnly.
Seizing the moment, Gaara launched his own assault, no longer content with mere defense.
"Sand Spear!"
Under Gaara's command, dense sand surged towards Crocodile from all directions.
Crocodile, with its relatively sluggish movements, failed to evade the ensnaring sand.
In an instant,
Crocodile found itself ensnared by Gaara's sand-binding technique.
Swiftly, Gaara unleashed yet another technique – Sandstorm Requiem!
Instantly, the sands closed in, pulverizing Crocodile into oblivion.
However, Crocodile was transformed into sand directly, despite being crushed into pieces, it still retained its sand form, reconstructing itself back into a complete body.
"Boy, that was a good move, but unfortunately, it's futile against someone with the Sand-Sand Fruit ability like me. My body can turn into sand, rendering you unable to kill me!" sneered Crocodile.
"Desert King Kong Sword!" Four enormous desert diamond blades materialized from the hands of Crocodile and hurled towards Gaara.
The Desert King Kong Sword proved to be stronger, sharper, and faster than the Desert Sword.
Gaara's sand shield was easily shattered, yet in that moment, he employed his ultimate defense – the Shield of the Shukaku.
Combined with the Star Sand within the gourd on his back, it formed an unyielding, terrifying defense.
The four desert diamond blades bombarded the Shukaku Shield, shattering into pieces upon impact, unable to breach its defense.
"This defense…" Crocodile was taken aback. How could it be impenetrable?
In the Golden List live room, numerous ninjas were engaged in conversation.
[Senju Hashirama: This Crocodile guy is just average. Gaara should handle him fine!]
[Temari: Gaara can win, but killing him will be tough. Devil Fruit powers are nearly indestructible!]
[Hoshigaki Kisame: Is this guy really so weak? If I'd known, I could've taken him on. Seems my ability has the upper hand here!]
[Hidan: It looks like this powerhouse from another world isn't all that powerful. I'll have my chance to shine later!]
[Kakuzu: The Hyuga clan might not let you have your turn. Ultimately, the decision lies with Hyuga Hiashi!]
As time passed, Gaara and Crocodile continued their battle.
Crocodile's body was repeatedly shattered, yet it failed to overpower Gaara. Meanwhile, Gaara successfully defended against Crocodile's onslaught.
"I can't keep this up. My chakra will run out, and this Crocodile's ability, derived from the power of Devil Fruit, coupled with his immense physical strength, will prolong the fight indefinitely. I must seal him," Gaara thought.
With determination, Gaara executed the Desert Burial technique.
Hum!
Countless grains of sand, along with celestial sand, enveloped Crocodile, gradually encasing it in a pyramid and sealing it within.
This seal was absolute; even Crocodile couldn't break free.
Time trickled by, about five minutes of anticipation.
Crocodile remained trapped, unable to break the seal. The arena declared him incapable of resistance, thus marking his defeat.
"Crocodile is defeated, stripped of the Sand-Sand Fruit ability, and granted to Gaara!"
Hum!
Crocodile was released from the seal by the arena, and then the Sand-Sand Fruit ability was extracted from his body, manifesting as a beam of light and integrating into Gaara's being.
"No!" exclaimed Crocodile in despair.
Deprived of the Sand-Sand Fruit, he was left with nothing.
His aspirations of ruling the world crumbled to dust.
Yet, within the arena, the power of the Golden List reigned supreme, far surpassing that of the pirate world. Crocodile could do naught but submit.
Stripped of his power, Crocodile was promptly escorted out of the arena.
Witnessing Crocodile's downfall, denizens of the pirate world were left in awe.
Here was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, defeated and divested of the Sand-Sand Fruit power.
It was a pitiful sight.
Despite Crocodile's defeat, the remaining twelve participants remained unaffected, chalking it up to Crocodile's individual shortcomings.
Soon, the second contender from the pirate world was revealed.
It was Enel!
The God from the Sky Island!
A brief introduction about Enel also flashed across the live room.
**********
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