As expected, the battle ended with Luffy being trapped in the quicksand, helpless against Crocodile's overwhelming power.
The Warlord of the Sea turned away, heading back toward Rainbase, the stronghold of his Baroque Works organization. But halfway there, he suddenly halted.
"Who's there?"
His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) flared up, signaling danger.
Ahead, a Marine youth in a justice cape approached, three swords hanging from his waist.
"Sand Crocodile, Crocodile," Carl remarked casually, his golden eyes glinting. "As expected of a Shichibukai… Another Logia user."
First, he had encountered Portgas D. Ace, and now, Crocodile, a wielder of the Sand-Sand Fruit (Suna Suna no Mi).
Among the three Devil Fruit types, Logia were undoubtedly the rarest and most powerful. From his memory, only a dozen or so Logia users existed, three of whom served as the Marine Admirals.
Crocodile frowned. "Another one?" His patience was wearing thin. "Forget it. Who the hell are you?"
"As you can see, I'm a Marine. Ensign, East Blue Branch 148, Solomon Carl," Carl replied, smiling.
Crocodile's eye twitched. "Hah? Do you take me for an idiot?!"
A Marine strong enough to set off his Observation Haki's danger signals… was an Ensign from East Blue? That was beyond ridiculous!
"I'm telling the truth," Carl shrugged. "If you don't believe me, that's your problem."
"Wait…" Crocodile narrowed his eyes, recalling something.
"Could it be… the Marine who injured Mihawk in East Blue a while ago—that's you?!"
As the mastermind behind Baroque Works, Crocodile had access to intelligence reports. He had heard of a mysterious Marine defeating Dracule Mihawk, but he hadn't taken it seriously.
After all, Mihawk was the world's greatest swordsman. Even among the Shichibukai, he was in a different league.
But now, seeing Carl in front of him, he started to reconsider.
"Has that news spread so far?" Carl clenched his jaw. "That bastard Mihawk…"
Why did Mihawk have to go and tell people?! Weren't top swordsmen supposed to be reserved and quiet?
Crocodile scowled. "So, are you here to stop me?"
Carl smirked. "Stop you? Why would I do that?"
Crocodile's eyes narrowed. "Don't you know—" He stopped mid-sentence.
Wait… Does this Marine not even realize what he's planning?
Although Carl might not know about Pluton, his coup in Alabasta had already been exposed.
"Wait…" Crocodile's expression darkened. "This isn't about Pluton, is it?"
Carl gave a faint smile. "I don't really care about that."
Crocodile's pupils shrank. "You know?!"
His first thought was betrayal—had Nico Robin told the Marines?!
"Easy guess," Carl said casually. "Besides, you're not the only one looking for an Ancient Weapon."
Crocodile clenched his teeth. He immediately thought of the World Government.
He had planned to leave this Marine alone, but now that Carl knew about Pluton… he had to die.
Without hesitation, Crocodile moved his hand slightly—
Desert Spada!
A razor-sharp sand blade silently slithered along the ground toward Carl's feet, unseen and lethal.
Crocodile smirked. Got him.
But—
"You know," Carl's voice came from behind him. "Sneak attacks are a bad habit."
Crocodile's pupils shrunk in shock.
In an instant—
Slash!
Carl's Shodai Kitetsu carved through Crocodile's waist, bisecting him.
"…Tch!" Crocodile's body turned into sand, reforming a few meters away.
"Damn it…! His speed… I couldn't see him move at all!"
Before he could fully recover—
Slash!
A second cut sliced through his body.
Once again, his Logia intangibility saved him, turning him into sand before reassembling himself.
Carl clicked his tongue. "Logia users sure are annoying."
Crocodile let out a mocking laugh. "Hahaha! It's useless! My Sand-Sand Fruit makes me invulnerable to slashes!"
"You sure about that?" Carl's expression remained calm. "You might be useful for an experiment."
"Experiment?" Crocodile scowled.
Carl sheathed his sword, his body tensing.
"Enough!" Crocodile pressed his hand to the ground.
"Desert Spada!"
A massive sand blade erupted from the ground, slicing toward Carl.
But—
Carl didn't even dodge.
Instead, a layer of black, lightning-like energy covered his body.
CLANG!
The sand blade shattered upon impact.
Crocodile's eyes widened. "What?!"
Carl casually dusted off his shoulder. "You really don't know much about Haki, do you?"
Crocodile clenched his teeth. "You… that's Armament Haki?!"
As a Shichibukai, Crocodile was well aware of Haki, even if he had never mastered it himself.
But the level of Haki Carl displayed was absurd.
Carl shrugged. "You think I just sat around for ten years doing nothing?"
Garp had leveled eight mountains with his fists.
Carl? He had flattened eight hundred. His Haki training had long surpassed ordinary Marines.
"Tch… so what?" Crocodile glared. "I remember you, Solomon Carl. But let's see how you handle—"
"Ground Death!"
The sand beneath them shook violently, turning into quicksand.
Carl observed the shifting terrain. "Absorbing moisture? Not bad."
Crocodile had fully mastered the desiccation properties of his Sand-Sand Fruit.
But—
"It won't work on me."
BOOM!
Carl exploded forward, covered in black lightning.
He slashed—
SFX: SWOOSH!
Crocodile instinctively reformed his body, dodging at the last second.
He reappeared—
And froze in shock.
A terrifying bloodlust surged around him.
It wasn't just killing intent—
It felt like a blood-drenched battlefield, thousands of corpses whispering in his ears.
"What… is this?"
Carl remained calm, his hand resting on his second blade, Kokuto Yoru.
"Kyokujitsujin… Ittoryu: Issen (Supreme Divine Sword: Instant Slash)."
In a flash, Carl appeared behind Crocodile.
Crocodile frowned. "What did you do?"
Carl slowly sheathed his sword. Click.
Without warning—
SFX: SLASH!
A thin line of blood appeared across Crocodile's chest.
"Ugh—!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Carl smirked. "I didn't even use Haki. You should be fine, right?"
Crocodile's eyes widened in disbelief.
Then—
He collapsed.
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