Smoker and Crocodile faced each other. He knew he had to fight Crocodile alone; the Marines weren't sending a backup squad.
He exhaled a stream of smoke. His eyes stayed calm—he was already familiar with his body, and his stance showed he was ready.
Crocodile didn't move. Sand shifted around his boots. His golden hook lifted slightly, but he waited.
Then, in an instant, they both struck.
Smoker's body turned into smoke as he rushed forward, fist raised. Crocodile's hook slashed, cutting straight through Smoker's chest.
Both attacks connected, but neither worked. Smoker's body had become smoke. Crocodile didn't flinch either as the strike passed through him.
Smoker reformed a second later and swung his fist toward Crocodile's head, but Crocodile's body had already broken into sand and pulled apart. The punch went right through him.
They backed off and moved again.
This time, Smoker attacked from below. He feinted a punch and tried to wrap Crocodile in smoke from behind, but the sand shifted and slipped through his grasp.
Crocodile swung his hook and aimed for Smoker's shoulder, but once again, the hook passed through empty smoke.
Blow after blow. Punch after slash. Nothing landed. Neither of them could hit the other.
After a few more exchanges, they stopped again.
Crocodile brushed sand from his coat. His grin returned.
"You're a Logia?" he said. "I can understand why you were so confident earlier. But you see it now, don't you?"
He tilted his head slightly. "This is pointless. Neither of us can touch the other."
His hands clenched. "This is a fight of stamina. It's about who can outlast the other."
"But you're doomed to fail," he added. "You're fighting me—the user of the Sand Fruit—in the desert. I can keep going for days. You can't."
"You're wasting your time, Captain Smoker."
Smoker didn't respond. Instead, his hand moved behind his back, and he pulled something out.
Crocodile's smile faded. His eyes widened.
Smoker had drawn a long jitte. Its body was a dull grey.
"Seastone," Crocodile gritted through clenched teeth. "You have a seastone weapon."
Crocodile backed away, but Smoker stepped forward, holding the jitte low.
"That's right," Smoker said. "I got a seastone weapon. Not so untouchable now, are you, Sir Crocodile?"
Crocodile's jaw tightened as he raised his hook. Sand gathered at his feet again.
The fight had changed. Smoker could touch him now.
Meanwhile, behind Rain Dinners—
Robin stood up slowly, wiping blood from her cheek. Her breathing was uneven, but her eyes stayed fixed on her enemies.
Tashigi was supposed to be away from the battlefield, but she seemed determined to fight. Even with a broken hand, she came back.
Miss Valentine floated above, looking surprised that Robin was still standing. Gem stood farther back, arms folded.
Robin narrowed her eyes. She saw an opening and moved.
She sent a line of arms rising towards Mikita. One of the arms caught her foot and pulled her down.
Mikita screamed and dropped down. The impact of her fall shook the ground.
Gem immediately launched a booger bomb. Robin ducked and clapped her hands.
Two large arms grew from the ground and slammed him against the wall.
Tashigi tried to slash with her sword, but Robin was already in front of her.
Robin's eyes shifted down to her foot.
"For a swordswoman, your stance is awfully clumsy," she said.
In one quick move, arms burst from the ground.
They caught Tashigi's legs and pinned them down, another hand grabbed her working arm and twisted.
Tashigi let out a loud cry and dropped again. She gritted her teeth and fought not to lose consciousness.
Robin stepped closer.
"You should've run, Marine girl."
Then, something suddenly slammed into her chest.
Robin lost her balance and rolled backward, spitting blood from her mouth.
She looked up in shock.
Karoo the supersonic duck, Princess Vivi's pet, stood in front of her. His body was shaking, but he stood before Tashigi, flapping his wings protectively.
Robin began to get up again, but Mikita landed a heavy kick to her back. Robin stumbled from the blow. Gem came in and threw another explosive attack.
Robin barely had time to block, with arms growing from the ground. Even then, it was clear—she was surrounded.
Mikita hovered above with narrowed eyes.
"She's still standing? After all that?"
Gem snorted, watching Robin closely.
"She's Baroque work's top female agent, Miss All Sunday," he said. "She outranked both of us. Don't underestimate her."
Robin grunted and straightened herself. Her lip seemed to be bleeding.
She stared at the group without speaking. This was a four on one.
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
The seastone jitte clashed against Crocodile's hook. Sparks flew.
The jitte struck again, and Crocodile barely blocked it with the curved part of his hook. His arm shook with effort.
Sand gathered under his feet, but it didn't spread like before. The jitte was too close. If it touched him, it would disrupt his powers.
Smoker swung again. Crocodile leaned back and brought his hook up. The two weapons locked for a moment.
Suddenly, Crocodile's hand moved quickly into his coat.
Smoker immediately stopped and backed away cautiously.
But Crocodile didn't pull out a weapon, he took out a Den Den Mushi. With the den den mushi in his hand, Crocodile suddenly relaxed and laughed at Smoker.
"Did I scare you? Well, you should be scared. I made a call while you were swinging that stick around," he said.
Smoker frowned. "Who did you call?"
Crocodile didn't bother responding. He just looked behind Smoker.
Smoker turned around.
Far out on the desert, he saw many human shadows. Dozens of them. They moved together, closing in fast.
Crocodile put the Den Den Mushi away.
"Say hello to my backup."
Smoker's grip on the jitte tightened. His eyes shifted from Crocodile to the figures in the distance, then back again.