บท 75: Chapter 75: The Might of Nature, The Horn of Counterattack.
"Another fool bound by emotions."
A mere fist couldn't hurt Crocodile at all. He didn't even need to use 'Observation Haki', it didn't matter if he stood there and let Luffy hit him.
"Kuhahaha, meeting others and being willing to die for them."
Whether it's the Straw Hat kid in front of him or that guy named 'Roman'...
"I've seen many fools like you!"
"So..."
Luffy, flexing his fists, retorted.
"You're not a fool?"
!
"Run, quickly, leave this to—"
Thud,
"You?"
"Sorry, Captain... we just want to live..."
In an instant, memories he had sworn to forget surged into Crocodile's mind, making his face darken! Who wasn't a 'fool' in their youth?
"Hehehe..."
The intellectual beauty Robin chuckled beside him, making Crocodile even more furious!
"Do you want to die too, Nico Robin!"
"If you want to kill me,"
Robin, wearing a white cowboy hat, waved her hand nonchalantly.
"Go ahead."
!
After saying that, Robin turned and spread her arms.
"Also, didn't we agree not to use that name? Boss."
"Miss All Sunday, where are you going?"
Facing Crocodile's question, Robin didn't look back.
"Alubarna, I'm leaving first."
Seeing Nico Robin leave so decisively, Crocodile shook his head. —You can never control someone who isn't afraid of death and has nothing to lose.
"This woman, really..."
But now wasn't the time to think about that. As Crocodile spread his palm, the swirling sand gathered, compressed, and transformed in his hand, then:
Splat,
A sand hourglass was created and thrown at Luffy's feet.
The fine sand in the hourglass flowed continuously, representing the passage of time.
"I'll give you three minutes."
Crocodile flicked the ash from his cigar with his middle finger and pointed at the hourglass at Luffy's feet with his index finger.
"When the time is up, I won't be here."
"Any objections?"
Facing Crocodile's confident and commanding words, Luffy stretched his arms.
"No."
"Gomu Gomu no—"
With a big stride, Luffy launched the first attack.
"Pistol!"
His fist flashed, accompanied by a wild whooshing sound, aiming at Crocodile! But such a straightforward attack was easily dodged by Crocodile with a slight tilt of his head.
At the same time, he charged at Luffy, his body turning into sand mid-charge! In the next instant, he appeared in front of Luffy, his large golden hook sweeping mercilessly at Luffy's waist.
"Whoa!"
Luffy bent backward sharply, narrowly avoiding Crocodile's attack, making the Seven Warlords of the Sea exclaim in surprise.
Not bad, he has also grasped the basics of 'Observation Haki'.
"Gomu Gomu no—"
Dodging Crocodile's 'Desert Spada', Luffy rolled backward and kicked up!
"Whip!"
Thud,
This mid-air spinning kick instantly created a huge hole in Crocodile's back as he passed by! But the flying sand clearly indicated:
"Let me be clear, Straw Hat boy."
"Attacks like that will never..."
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud,
Countless fist shadows fell on Crocodile like cannonballs, the terrifying speed of dozens of punches per second instantly turning the tall Crocodile into a sieve! But:
"It's useless, no matter how many times you try..."
"Rocket Cannon!"
Before Crocodile could finish his sentence, Luffy's fists had already slammed into his chest, causing it to explode, yellow sand scattering everywhere!
And on his back, a basin-sized hole accompanied by explosive force spread out, instantly splitting him in two!
"Useless—"
"Gomu Gomu no Axe!"
A leg suddenly stretched skyward and then came crashing down with the force to split mountains, instantly smashing Crocodile into pieces! Then:
Thud, thud, thud!
"I stomp, stomp, stomp!"
"Did I crush you, you sand crocodile—"
"I told you," behind Luffy, who was stomping on the yellow sand, Crocodile's figure silently reformed. Not only was he unharmed, but even the cigar in his mouth was exactly the same as before the fight.
Logia types can naturally elementalize their clothes, weapons, and even cigarettes...
"You, a low-level rubber fruit user, can never win, ugh—"
Thud!
However, Luffy had already turned back with a lightning-fast punch, preventing Crocodile from finishing a single sentence since the fight began.
"'Win-ugh'? What are you trying to say?"
Facing Luffy's confused expression, veins popped on Crocodile's forehead, feeling his blood pressure rise for the first time in a long while!
"Die!"
He finally gave up on talking and went all out!
——————
"1003"
"1004"
Zoro, holding the hilt of his sword with one hand, continued his weightlifting exercise with a camel perched on the scabbard.
"Hey, you guys..."
"Don't mind them, Nami."
Sanji, lighting another cigarette, waved his hand.
"They just need to distract themselves, idiots! This time we're facing a 'Seven Warlords of the Sea'-level opponent..."
"Hey, you jerk, just say what you want to say!"
Facing Zoro's grim expression, Sanji calmly stated the fact.
"Alright, I'll say it: you're afraid Luffy will lose, right?"
"...I, afraid?"
"You curly-browed jerk!"
"You moss-headed idiot!"
Thud, thud,
"Alright, enough already. This is not the time for infighting."
Nami knocked the two overly tense idiots to the ground with a punch each, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. — The pile of cigarette butts next to Sanji showed he wasn't as calm as he appeared.
"E-everyone, d-don't worry."
Vivi 'smiled' to reassure everyone, "L-Luffy promised to meet us in Alubarna."
Hey, hey, looking at the sweaty and stammering Vivi, the others couldn't help but think.
You're the most nervous one, aren't you?
"Speaking of which, Roman."
Sanji, lighting another cigarette, looked at Roman lying nearby and casually asked.
"Do you think... Luffy can win?"
—Silence.
Although everyone knew that Crocodile was very powerful, extremely powerful, the only one who had actually fought him was Roman. So:
"Luffy is very strong in close combat, stronger than me."
Roman, observing the battlefield through a scouting paper crane, closed his eyes. Luffy's talent was truly terrifying! Facing Crocodile's 'Desert Spada' that could extend for hundreds of meters with one slash, and the 'Desert Girasole' that could instantly bury an entire army, he was able to hold his own.
Relying on the newly learned 'Observation Haki', he managed to dodge everything, which made Roman, the transmigrator, feel ashamed. However:
"Luffy can't win."
"You—"
If it weren't for Roman's serious injuries, Sanji and Zoro would have almost lost their tempers and started throwing punches! But at that moment:
Boom, boom, boom—
In the distance, a sandstorm tornado rose from the horizon, connecting the sky and the earth! With a thunderous roar, it carried the mournful cries of a thousand souls, tearing through the sky, the earth, and everything in its path.
"Hey, hey, hey, you must be joking, right?"
Sanji, not even noticing when his cigarette fell from his mouth, stared at the massive sandstorm tornado in the distance! Like a giant dragon with claws and fangs, it looked down on everything. In the face of such natural power, his proud legs...
Grit, grit, grit!
Zoro, clenching his teeth, gripped his samurai sword tightly, for the first time doubting his path. —Could a mere sword cut through such a natural disaster?
No!
It must be possible!
A sword that can cut through everything, a sword that can cut through the wind, it must exist!!
"Luffy..."
Tears streamed down Vivi's cheeks. Even though she wanted to believe in Luffy, in the face of such a terrifying disaster...
"Chopper, stop!"
Hearing Roman's words from the moving crab they were on, Chopper hurriedly looked around and, seeing that everyone was lost in their own thoughts, tapped the crab to communicate with it, making it slowly stop.
(Chopper can communicate with most animals across species)
"Roman, you..."
"Don't misunderstand," Roman, lying down, waved his hand.
"Crocodile has already left, which means—we don't need to run anymore."
"We... still... need... to... take... Vivi..."
Zoro, speaking almost word by word, clenched his teeth tightly, his muscles bulging with veins!
"Luffy isn't dead."
?????
"What!"
"Really?"
"Explain clearly..."
One sentence made the entire Straw Hat crew, who had been in despair, instinctively rush over, causing Roman to cry out in pain.
My wound!!
If you want me dead, just say so—
Bang! X4
Knocking everyone to the ground: including Vivi, Nami breathed a sigh of relief, then let Chopper check Roman's wound before asking.
"Roman, what do you mean Luffy isn't dead?"
"Well..."
I can only say that the sandstorm tornado disrupted Luffy's mind, greatly diminishing his Observation Haki. Then, relying on his superior Observation Haki, Crocodile easily pierced Luffy's chest and left him for dead in the quicksand. However, not long after:
Robin rescued Luffy with an injured birdman, making Roman sigh at the difference in fate.
Look,
I had to lie dead for a whole day before being rescued. Luffy, on the other hand, immediately had someone to help him, even providing transportation...
Pell the Falcon: Thanks, I'm offended.
"Anyway, just wait a bit."
——————
Soon, a giant eagle carrying Luffy—half man, half eagle—appeared before everyone. In front of him was Roman's paper crane guiding the way, successfully reuniting the two with the Straw Hat crew.
"Princess Vivi!"
"Pell!"
The giant eagle transformed into a warrior in white desert attire, kneeling on one knee before Vivi.
"This paper crane was right, Princess, you are truly safe, it's... it's such a relief."
Pell the Falcon, deputy commander of the Alabasta Kingdom's royal guard, a Zoan-type "Bird-Bird Fruit: Falcon Model" user. He is a staunch supporter of Vivi, almost like family.
While the master and servant reunited, on the other side:
"Doctor! Call a doctor! ...Ahhh, I am the doctor?"
In a flurry of activity, Luffy, with a hole in his chest, received the same treatment as Roman, lying on the moving crab. But at least no one died, which was the greatest fortune!
"Ro... Roman..."
Even though his chest was pierced, the rubbery nature of Luffy's organs, granted by the Gomu Gomu no Mi, allowed him to turn his head and look at his fellow sufferer.
"I need to apologize to you, that Crocodile is too strong! I couldn't even leave a scratch on him,"
"I never listened to you, I'm sorry—"
With these words, the previously jubilant group fell silent. Two of their strongest members had challenged Crocodile, resulting in one with a hole in his stomach and the other with a hole in his chest. Even if they managed to escape now, what about the future?
"Roman, I want to beat that bastard Crocodile!"
As Chopper kept saying 'don't talk, don't talk', Luffy seriously looked at Roman.
"Give me a way to beat him!"
...
"Luffy, you're being too unreasonable. I'm lying here myself..."
"I don't care, I must beat Crocodile! You have to come up with a way!"
"Hey, hey, what do you think I am?"
"Doraemon!" x5
????
"You guys..."
Are you mocking me so much that I have nothing to say? Facing the expectant expressions around him, Roman covered his face with one hand, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.
"Hahahaha~~~"
"Roman, you're crying—"
You're too honest!
"No, it's just... just... just the sand in my eyes."
"But,"
Slowly sitting up, with Nami quickly supporting him, Roman smiled confidently.
"Alright, I'll come up with a way for Luffy."
"A way for you to beat Crocodile!"
Betting on my title as a transmigrator... no, betting on the name of 'companion'!
Just wait, Crocodile.
————————
PS: That's right, now Roman has officially joined the Straw Hat crew, taking the role of strategist. Didn't see that coming, did you? The previous parts were just the prologue~~~
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