Chapter 107: One vs. Two
In the distance, Robin and Vivi stood side by side, gazing at the battlefield from afar.
"I hope nothing goes wrong."
Vivi spoke with worry and unease in her voice.
This battle held enormous stakes, both for the nation and for Rhodes himself. Vivi couldn't bear the thought of anything going awry.
"It'll be fine. We've already secured our advantage in this battle."
Robin said calmly. "A battle of this magnitude won't be decided instantly."
"If Rhodes can't handle them, we'll step forward, reveal our identities, and get that Vice Admiral to stand down."
This was why the ever-cautious Robin had positioned herself at the edge of the battlefield.
"I see..."
Vivi breathed a sigh of relief, but she still watched the battlefield with nervous anticipation.
Whatever Rhodes's reasons for coming here, this battle was ultimately being fought for Alabasta's sake.
On the battlefield...
Rustle...
Sand continued to spread from Crocodile's feet. The desert ground gradually turned to fine dust under his power.
His eyes were cold and indifferent, as if he were looking at a dead man. As he walked forward, a thin layer of dust spread across the earth beneath him.
"This will be your grave!"
Before he could finish speaking, Crocodile's eyes flashed coldly. He suddenly lunged forward, his right arm transforming into sand, swinging ferociously toward Rhodes.
"Sables!"
With the swing of his arm, a crescent-shaped sand blade suddenly materialized and swept toward Rhodes.
This sand blade carried a strange and deadly aura. It wouldn't simply cut through flesh—it would drain the moisture from any living thing it touched.
Rhodes's response to this attack was straightforward.
He clenched his fingers into a fist, gathering lightning that flashed brighter than the sun itself, then thrust forward.
Thunder Fist!
Rhodes's punch slammed into the crescent sand blade, instantly shattering it with violent force. Simultaneously, the power of thunder raged outward, ruthlessly destroying the sand blade's moisture-absorbing ability.
"As expected of someone renowned across the seas—you do possess some skill."
Crocodile wasn't surprised to see his attack blocked. Rhodes had managed to slay Diamante and defeat the legendary Black Dragon, so his strength was undoubtedly formidable.
He extended his right hand and slammed it into the ground.
"Erosion... Reincarnation!"
BOOM!
He unleashed the full power of the Logia-type Suna Suna no Mi, and countless intersecting cracks instantly appeared across the desert ground. Wherever his right hand touched, they spread like a plague.
These cracks shattered the earth, absorbing all its moisture and ultimately transforming everything into dry dust.
In an instant, the desert earth within a radius of dozens of meters was converted to dust, swarming toward Rhodes.
Swoosh!
At the same time, Momonga attacked from the side.
With incredible speed, he appeared behind Rhodes in an instant, his sword suddenly erupting with startling azure light as he slashed downward.
"Ittoryu... Iai!"
Seeing Momonga finally strike, Crocodile steeled his resolve. He exerted all his might to manipulate the sand, attacking Rhodes from multiple directions and leaving him no room to evade.
At this level of combat, even without prior cooperation, their vast battle experience allowed them to instantly find their rhythm.
The elite swordsman Momonga led the assault while Crocodile used his sand to restrict Rhodes's movements.
Seeing this coordinated attack, Rhodes chuckled softly. With his left hand, he manipulated lightning to block the sand, and with his right, he drew his sword.
A silver-white sword beam suddenly appeared, instantly meeting the incoming strike.
CLANG!
The silver and cyan sword beams collided.
Like a thunderous explosion, the immense residual force surged in all directions, tearing the earth apart and sending sand and dust flying everywhere.
When the dust settled, Rhodes and Momonga stood with their swords locked together, wrestling against each other. The occasional friction sent shockwaves of sword energy reverberating outward, continuing to tear apart the ground.
"Huh?"
Momonga was secretly amazed. He had never expected Rhodes to possess such prowess at such a young age.
No wonder Vice Admiral Momousagi, always so proud and self-important, had taken an interest in him.
"Still not quite enough..."
Rhodes gripped his sword with both hands and unleashed his full force, but Momonga's blade remained as steady as a rock—he couldn't budge it even slightly.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Rhodes frowned, his Kenbunshoku Haki sensing something amiss. He stamped his foot, using the momentum to leap backward without hesitation.
Swish!
The next moment, a sand blade suddenly pierced up from the earth with lightning speed, but it struck only empty air.
"Kenbunshoku Haki?"
Crocodile slowly rose from his position nearby, his tone icy, his eyes tinged with resentment.
Crocodile understood the power of Haki and had tried diligently to cultivate it, but had never successfully mastered it. This was one reason he had pinned his hopes and future on Ancient Weapons.
"Sand is such a nuisance."
Rhodes glanced at Crocodile from a distance, his eyes flickering with annoyance.
But before he could make a move, Momonga charged in again, slashing with his sword.
Swoosh!
A shimmer of azure light emerged from the blade, arcing through the air as it slashed toward Rhodes.
Rhodes leaped into the air, dodging Momonga's attack. He then used Geppo, stepping through the air as if it were solid ground. Instantly, he became a blur, charging toward Crocodile with his sword gathering thunder as he slashed downward with tremendous force.
"Hmph!"
Crocodile snorted, unfazed. His arm suddenly transformed into an enormous blade of sand, slashing upward toward the sky.
BANG!
The lightning-infused sword energy collided with the massive sand blade, instantly filling the sky with dust and thunder, obscuring heaven and earth.
While the dust could block the thunder, it couldn't withstand Rhodes's sword energy, which could easily cleave steel and rend the earth!
A silver-white sword slash tore through the sand barrier with devastating force, cutting through the sky with lightning speed as it descended toward Crocodile.
"Damn it!"
Crocodile's strength lay in his Devil Fruit ability, but his physical techniques and Haki were lacking. Facing the lightning-fast sword energy, he had no time to dodge and could only desperately swing his golden hook while maintaining his elemental form.
Clang!
The remaining sword energy still possessed the power to cut through steel. Though the golden hook was made of rare metal, it wasn't coated in Busoshoku Haki, making it impossible to fully resist.
However, this bought enough time for Crocodile to fully elementalize and disperse into the air, avoiding the final impact.
"Not only his Kenbunshoku Haki, but even his Busoshoku Haki is this strong?"
Still shaken, Crocodile looked at Rhodes with deep shock and disbelief.
Is this kid really only seventeen years old?
Even if he'd been training since birth, this level of mastery shouldn't be possible!
Swordsmanship, Busoshoku Haki, Kenbunshoku Haki, and that unnatural lightning power...
It's absolutely incredible!
Crocodile had also been a supernova in his day. After becoming a Shichibukai and terrorizing the seas, he had encountered countless rising stars, but he had never seen a monster as versatile as Rhodes—and one who had mastered everything to such a degree.
(End of Chapter)
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