บท 18: Douglas Bullet
Six months later -
Crocodile was sailing near Arabasta, having received an interesting report about the possibility of an Ancient Weapon's existence on the island. His primary role as the Sand Pillar was to collect Devil Fruits, either to sell or trade them for valuable items such as weapons, chemicals, machinery, or soldiers.
Zudo, his second-in-command, entered the cabin with a report from the scouts.
Zudo: "Commander, we've received a report of utmost importance. In the city of Mock Town, near Arabasta, our scouts found a Devil Fruit, seemingly a coveted Paramecia type. Since they are currently being pursued by Demon Bullet..."
Upon hearing this, Crocodile frowned in disgust. He had a previous encounter with Demon Bullet a few years ago, and while it ended in a draw, he was left with a strong desire to exterminate him.
Crocodile: "Change course; we have the Log Pose set directly to Arabasta. We'll head straight to Mock Town." Taking a drag from his cigar, Crocodile gave direct orders to the crew.
"Yes, sir!"
-Near Mock Town, outskirts of Jaya-
Explosions and cries of death echoed through the forest. A tall man with red skin and a sinister gaze was chasing a pirate crew that possessed the Fruit he was seeking. Naturally, this person was the Demon Douglas Bullet.
After Roger's death, just like the Golden Lion Shiki, Bullet had surprised everyone; both of them had admired Roger. Filled with frustration, Bullet roamed the Grand Line, destroying islands in his path and sowing chaos. Due to his formidable physique and Haki level, he had earned a hefty bounty of 600,000,000 Berries. During Roger's era, he was one of the strongest fighters on Oro Jackson.
Bullet: "Kahahaha, you love running, ¿Don't you? If you give me the Fruit, I might consider killing you quickly. Kahahaha."
Pirate: "¿Why are we so unlucky? We finally found a Devil Fruit, and now this maniac is chasing us!"
Pirate: "¿What do we do, Captain Roke?" The pirate shouted to the front of the formation, where their captain held a small chest.
Roke: "Tsk, who would've thought we'd encounter that guy in the first half of the Grand Line... this Fruit might be important to him."
Every second, a dozen pirates were dying from Bullet's powerful blows. In the blink of an eye, he appeared above Roke and delivered a devastating blow. His fist crushed Roke completely, leaving only bones and flesh scattered everywhere.
*Boom*
The impact left a small crater that extended into cracks on the ground. Walking slowly towards the chest, he was about to grab it when he detected an attack and narrowly avoided it.
A sand sword grazed his cheek, leaving a trickle of blood. A sand platform picked up the chest and placed it in Zudo's hands, who quickly retreated to the coast.
Bullet: "Tch, it's you again... on that occasion, you managed to snatch that Fruit from me too. Seems like you're making good use of it."
Crocodile: "Kuahahaha, don't spew nonsense, Bullet; it's time to settle this once and for all."
Numerous Haki-infused sand spears and swords attacked Bullet, but he blocked and endured them all. Nearly intact, Bullet mocked Crocoboy.
Bullet: "Kahahaha, you've improved a bit, Croco-boy." He quickly lunged at the sand crocodile.
Crocodile: "Sand Coffin!"
A massive amount of sand surrounded Bullet, imprisoning and crushing him. Seizing the opportunity, Crocodile also launched a crescent-shaped attack that struck Bullet squarely.
His Observation Haki warned him of an attack from behind, but he couldn't react in time and was slammed into the forest with a powerful blow from the demon.
Leaving destruction in his wake, Bullet attacked Crocodile again with a powerful punch to the face and a Lariat that buried Crocodile in the ground.
The entire ground began to dry up, and an enormous sand hand emerged, striking Bullet against a small hill.
*Heavy Breathing*
Panting heavily, the Sand Pillar emerged from the pit, turning into sand to attack Bullet again, who, on the other hand, emerged entirely covered in Armament Haki.
"Sabers!" A massive sand tornado was summoned, devastating everything in its path and striking Bullet directly. Crocodile covered himself in sand, forming a giant sand figure to fight more effectively.
*Cough*
*Cough*
Coughing up blood, Bullet had many bruises on his body and several cutting wounds, but no fatal blows. He quickly attacked the sand giant. Both Haki-infused fists collided, creating a loud shockwave on the island. The shockwave destroyed most of the forest.
Bullet was sent flying, crashing into some houses before landing in Mock Town. On the other side, the sand giant moved swiftly and struck Bullet on the ground.
*Crack*
*Crack*
Suddenly, a strong pressure emanated from Bullet, cracking the ground, shattering the windows of the buildings, and forcing Crocodile to retreat.
Crocodile: "Conqueror's Haki!?"
Sweating profusely, Crocodile couldn't move. Taking advantage of Crocodile's momentary confusion, Bullet emerged with numerous wounds on his body and struck with all his strength, shattering the sand giant and causing Crocodile to crash into a ship on the coast.
Bullet: "Uff... Uff, what just... happened? You... will die here!"
Resuming the battle, Bullet jumped toward the ship with the intention of throwing Crocodile into the water. Crocodile, however, formed a sand platform that quickly lifted him, avoiding the attack.
Crocodile: "Desert Sunflower!" A large amount of sand once again struck Bullet, shattering the ship completely.
Growling, Bullet jumped with all his might and managed to punch Crocodile, making him fall to the ground in the city.
Bullet also dropped, preparing a kick towards Crocodile.
*Boom*
A powerful explosion once again resonated on the island, destroying the square and leaving a crater almost 100 meters in diameter.
When the earth and sand disappeared, a dome of sand appeared in the middle of the crater, pierced by the kick of Bullet, who is currently unconscious.
The dome collapsed and Crocodile emerged bleeding profusely. The Haki-infused kick had partially pierced his shoulder. If the attack had hit home, he would probably have died.
While lighting a cigarette, Crocodile took out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Lexter.
Crocodile: "That's it."
Lexter: "Hehehehahaha... Perfect."
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