"Pfft… cough, cough!"
Luffy collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from his mouth, his fists trembling, and his stomach torn and bruised.
Across from him stood Crocodile, equally battered. His coat was soaked, hair matted to his skull, and sand clung to him alongside the deep indentations of Luffy's relentless blows.
"Straw Hat…"
Crocodile gritted his teeth and clutched his side.
"You've actually pushed me this far? Heh. But the water in your stomach's all gone. You can't hurt me anymore!"
His eyes narrowed in disbelief.
Is this why that monster Shirogai values him so much?
In just a single day, this brat had improved. His technique was still sloppy and raw, but the tenacity… if this kept up, Straw Hat might actually surpass him.
Then again, with Shirogai involved, it all made sense.
"You said Shirogai used the Sand-Sand Fruit to train you?"
Luffy, bloodied but unbroken, stood shakily, glaring with fiery resolve.
"That's right! Shirogai's special training last night got me used to fighting sand! And his Sand-Sand Fruit is way stronger than yours!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Crocodile snarled. "I've mastered this Devil Fruit to its peak! There's no way his ability could surpass mine!"
Luffy wiped blood from his lips, his voice steady.
"That's the truth. When you hit me, I can still hold on. But when he hits me… it tears through. His sand fists spin like drills… it hurts like hell."
Crocodile's sneer faltered.
"…Rotating fists?"
He turned his gaze to his own hand.
Then his right fist morphed into sand, spinning rapidly, the grains grinding against each other, gathering coarse, sharp grit.
Scrrraaaaatch…
He slammed it into a nearby stone pillar.
A perfect fist-shaped hole was drilled into it.
"…So that's it."
The force was raw, not from brute strength, but from rotational velocity. Not only did it increase lethality, it made breaking through defenses much easier.
And for someone who could endlessly generate sand…
The wear-and-tear was meaningless.
More sharp grains could always be created.
"This really is… something else."
Crocodile raised his sand-covered fist, which now spun like a grinder.
"Heh heh heh… Thanks, Straw Hat. I've just upgraded my melee game."
"Wha—! Oh no!"
Luffy paled, realizing his mistake.
"You tricked me!"
Crocodile sneered.
"I didn't trick you, idiot. You gave it away on your own."
He lunged forward, fist spinning.
"Just die!"
But Luffy refused to fall.
Once again, like an unkillable force of nature, he charged forward.
"Gum-Gum Blood Bullet!"
His fists flew, striking Crocodile square in the chest.
"I made a promise with Shirogai! I won't lose to you again! And I made a promise with Vivi too—I'll definitely take you down!"
Crocodile raised his own fist in reply.
"Promises mean nothing!"
Wham!
Fist met fist.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Luffy's hand was ripped raw, skin shredded by the rotating sand.
Crocodile's attack had worked. But his sand fist slowed, bogged down by Luffy's blood.
Even his shoulder was stained red.
Gritting through the pain, Luffy clenched Crocodile's hand with his bleeding left.
"It hurts… but I'm not letting go!"
Crocodile's eyes widened.
"Sandification—!"
He tried to disperse into sand… but nothing happened.
His body, soaked in Luffy's blood, was locked in place.
"…Damn it!"
Luffy raised his right leg, fury burning in his gaze.
"You can't ditch your blood-soaked arm this time, Sand Man!"
With explosive force, Luffy's leg slammed down on Crocodile's shoulder.
"Gum-Gum Battle Axe!"
CRASH!
Elsewhere…
"Where the hell is the bomb?!"
Vivi had passed on the urgent message. A powerful bomb was hidden somewhere in Alubarna.
The Straw Hat Pirates split up, searching the city's alleys and ruins.
Zoro, battered and bruised, stood beneath the city wall, eyes lost in the maze-like streets.
"Where's the bomb? Where am I? Where the hell is this?"
As he turned a corner, Zoro collided head-on with Tashigi, who led a squad of Marines through the streets.
"Tch. Of all the people to run into…"
Zoro rested his hand on the hilts of his swords.
She looked just like Kuina. And every time he saw her, hesitation set in.
To make things worse, she was determined to take Wado Ichimonji from him.
On the other side, Tashigi's eyes narrowed.
"Roronoa Zoro!"
Her hand went instinctively to her sword—Shigure.
Should I take him in now?
But then Shirogai's voice echoed in her mind.
"Marine lady, which matters more—saving lives or catching pirates?
If Smoker were here, would he go after a pirate… or stop a bomb that could kill hundreds of thousands?"
Then came Smoker's parting words:
"Follow the justice you believe in."
Tashigi took a breath.
Shirogai's irritating grin flashed in her mind again.
"Rescue the king… or the common people. What's your justice?"
She let go of her sword.
Zoro blinked.
Tashigi, ignoring him, walked past calmly.
As she passed, she whispered:
"We got intel—the bomb's likely in the royal palace."
Zoro lit up.
"Got it! I'm heading there now!"
With that, he bolted off at full speed.
Tashigi turned to look back… just in time to watch him sprint right out the city gate.
"…Huh?"
Is that guy… an idiot?!
The royal palace isn't even outside the city!!!