"Marines?" Crocodile exclaimed in surprise.
He remembered that the Marines stationed in Alabasta should have been drawn into the civil war by his design. Where had this force come from?
Moreover, the leader, Hyaku... he didn't even seem to have a military rank.
"Since you've appeared here, it means you're simply unlucky." Crocodile quickly regained his composure.
It was just a Marine force of several dozen people, without any high-ranking officers present. He naturally didn't take them seriously.
"Princess Vivi, we belong to Marines Branch #188. We received the latest intelligence and rushed here to provide support. My name is Hyaku Shiro."
Unexpectedly, Hyaku completely ignored Crocodile. He turned to Vivi with a smile and explained.
"Marines Branch #188? Hyaku Shiro?" Hearing his words, Vivi was utterly confused.
Not only had she never heard of this branch, but Crocodile's betrayal and seizure of power had just happened — how could the Marines know about it so quickly?
"You must leave quickly! Spread this news to the rebel army!" Vivi called out, pushing aside her questions about Hyaku's background.
Since Crocodile's takeover had been executed in secret, revealing his orchestration to the rebel army would surely end the civil war.
Then he would face the combined might of Alabasta's forces!
"Guahahahahaha... None of you will leave here alive today!" Crocodile's laughter boomed through the hall.
Whoosh!
He raised his sand-elementalized right hand, summoning a powerful gust that crashed into the palace hall's massive doors.
Boom!
The sand wind slammed the enormous doors shut.
"Crocodile is a Logia Akuma no Mi user, all of you step back! Protect Princess Vivi!" Hyaku commanded his Marine soldiers.
"Yes!"
Having witnessed his strength earlier, none of the Marines questioned his order.
The Marine soldiers quickly escorted Vivi to the doorway's edge, with some attempting to force the huge doors open.
"Hmph!"
Crocodile wouldn't simply let them escape with Vivi.
With a cold snort, his lower body transformed into sand, becoming weightless as he pursued the group, the sand supporting his movement.
"Your opponent is me." At this moment, Hyaku stepped forward, blocking his path.
His right hand had already gripped the hilt of his Beginner's Tachi.
"You ignorant fool!" Crocodile's lips curled into a disdainful smile as his form accelerated toward the obstacle in his path.
Whoosh!
As Crocodile approached, Hyaku's grip on the Tachi's hilt tightened. In one fluid motion, he raised the heavy sword high above his head with a single hand. Like a mountain-splitting force, he slashed downward at the advancing Crocodile!
Seeing this, Crocodile's smile only widened, showing no intention to dodge.
He raised his left hand, bringing his scorpion poison hook to bear — a deadly weapon with its golden tip coated in lethal venom.
A mere scratch from the hook would be enough to instantly incapacitate any opponent!
Crocodile's strategy was clear: as a Sand Human, he could transform his body into elements, making him immune to physical attacks. He would let Hyaku's strike pass harmlessly through his elementalized form, then counter with a devastating blow!
Whoosh...
In the blink of an eye, the two fighters clashed.
Puff!
Everything happened as Crocodile had foreseen. When Hyaku's Tachi made contact, a muffled sound echoed through the air.
The blade met only elementalized sand, dispersing harmless particles in its wake.
"Die for your foolishness!" Crocodile laughed coldly, his golden hook slicing through the air toward Hyaku.
He could already envision the young Marine falling to his golden hook, helpless and at his mercy.
Crocodile smugly lifted his head to observe his opponent.
However, he saw only Hyaku's calm, composed expression. Something about this demeanor stirred an unexpected unease in his heart.
✣ Busōshoku no Haki: Matou ⭄ Armament Haki: Imbuement! ✣
At this moment, Hyaku spoke silently in his heart.
Hum!
A strange energy surged from within his body.
The energy flowed instantly to his right hand, then through his palm and onto the Tachi's blade. In a flash, the sword turned a deep black.
Hyaku tightened his grip on the Tachi and pressed downward.
Rip!
An astonishing sight unfolded. Crocodile's sand-elementalized body suddenly lost its power. As Hyaku's Tachi descended, it cut straight through to his physical form.
The blade slashed Crocodile's chest from top to bottom with a tearing sound.
His golden hook halted mid-attack as the real damage registered, and he staggered backward.
"Aah!" Crocodile cried out in pain, clutching the large sword wound on his chest.
He stared at Hyaku in disbelief.
From their position at a distance, Vivi and the Marine soldiers watched with looks of astonishment on their faces.
No one could believe that Crocodile was wounded in a single exchange!
A Shichibukai with a bounty of ฿81,000,000 — a wielder of a powerful Logia Akuma no Mi — had been struck!
"Commander Hyaku... is truly formidable!"
The Marine soldiers silently marveled at their commander's strength.
Vivi clutched her dress, her eyes gleaming with newfound hope.
The scene shifted back to Hyaku.
Drip-Drip-Drip—
With an elegant flick of his blade after the strike, he cast the fresh blood onto the ground.
"Haki! Armament Haki! You possess Armament Haki?!" Crocodile exclaimed, his composure returning as he noticed the Tachi's unusual appearance.
His extensive knowledge revealed the truth at once — the blade was coated with Busōshoku no Haki, the very power that counters Logia Akuma no Mi users!
✣✣✣
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