Tomioka's figure was like a waterfall descending from the sky, his icy killing intent merging with the rushing water.
His nichirin blade was tightly wrapped in a deep blue current, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it ruthlessly slashed down towards Crocodile's head!
In that instant, Crocodile's muscles tensed instinctively. Unlike his composure when facing Luffy, he felt a completely different kind of threat coming from above his head.
"What?!"
With a shout, he almost instinctively, relying on years of combat experience, hastily raised his golden hook to block.
"Clang—!"
Tomioka's long-prepared slash, imbued with immense power, rendered Crocodile's hurried parry ineffective.
He felt the tremendous force pressing down like a true waterfall impact; his arm went numb, and the golden hook was violently knocked aside!
Without the slightest pause, Tomioka twisted his wrist, changing the blade's movement from a vertical chop to a horizontal cut, his actions as fluid as water flowing into a channel.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash." A deep blue arc swept towards Crocodile's waist.
Crocodile saw it and immediately began to turn into sand.
However, the moment the blade touched the sand, it didn't pass through like an ordinary attack, nor was it completely blocked.
Tomioka clearly felt the blade cutting into quicksand, a distinct resistance pushing back.
With his waist and horse united, the blade tip sliced across, leaving a clear wound on Crocodile's waist. Though not deep, it had begun to bleed.
"Ugh...!"
Crocodile grunted, his form immediately scattering into a cloud of sand, retreating several meters before re-coalescing. He looked down, incredulously touching the wound on his waist.
The warm, liquid sensation filled him with immense rage; his eyes, like a scorpion's, were fixated on Tomioka.
"Damn it..."
He growled in a low voice, filled with confusion, anger, and killing intent.
"A Devil Fruit user? What exactly is this... water? Why can he cut me?"
He couldn't understand. The blade was clearly not wrapped in real water, nor did it contain Armament Haki, yet why was it able to cut his physical body?
"Tomioka! You're here!"
Luffy, seeing Tomioka, immediately shouted happily. Seeing his companion here, his previous confusion about not being able to hit the sand vanished.
Tomioka's gaze remained fixed on Crocodile. He tilted his head slightly and said to Luffy:
"Yes, be careful, Luffy."
"Oh!" Luffy nodded vigorously. Then, Tomioka remembered a crucial detail and shouted a reminder: "Luffy, his weakness is water."
"Water?"
Luffy paused, then fumbled in his large robe, pulling out a small wooden bucket. "Wow! Good thing I still have some left from Uncle Toto! It's coming in handy!"
He proudly shook the bucket.
Watching Luffy pull out the bucket, Tomioka felt a strange sense of relief. Luffy always seemed reliable in these situations.
"Hey... Ms. All Sunday," Crocodile's gloomy voice rang out, calling to Robin nearby, "Let's finish them together. Stop watching the show."
Robin's gaze shifted between Tomioka and Crocodile. She didn't understand how Tomioka had appeared so quickly; he was supposed to come later, after she had completely turned against Crocodile. But now, she had no time to think.
Ultimately, she still nodded slightly: "Understood."
Luffy ignored Robin. In his intuition, the biggest villain was always Crocodile.
He immediately took a deep breath, then sucked a large mouthful of water from the bucket into his mouth, and then spat it all out onto both of his arms with a 'poof'.
"Water Rubberman!"
His wet arms reflected the light in the sun. Then, he roared again and charged at Crocodile: "Gum-Gum... Gatling!"
Countless wet fists once again enveloped Crocodile.
"Six Fleur."
Robin's cool voice sounded, and the familiar move reappeared. Six arms instantly sprouted on Luffy's body, attempting to subdue him with the joint lock technique she used on Pell.
Two arms wrapped around his head, pulling it sharply backward. However, the joint lock had no real effect on Luffy, it just... "Eh?! Damn it, I can't see!"
Luffy exclaimed, his vision forcibly redirected. All the punches that were aimed at Crocodile slammed into the wall of the nearby palace, sending debris flying.
"Desert Spada!"
Then, Crocodile seized this opportunity. His arm instantly turned to sand and grew enormous.
It formed a sharp sand blade, capable of cleaving the earth, and with a piercing whoosh, it slashed directly at Luffy, who was still standing stunned due to his obstructed vision!
Danger!
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
He transformed into a straight blue line of water, cutting between the two with the fastest thrusting speed. The tip of his nichirin blade met the giant sand blade head-on!
Boom!
The moment the blade tip collided with the sand blade, Tomioka felt a massive, mountain-splitting force surge towards him!
This power far surpassed any opponent he had encountered on this sea. Using the gentleness of Water Breathing, he began to divide this terrifying force, splitting the torrent in two.
The ground behind him couldn't withstand the dispersed force and exploded, leaving two deep, long gouges!
Such immense power... Is this the true strength of a Shichibukai?
"Why?"
In the gap of their clash, Tomioka's gaze once again fell on Robin, and he couldn't help but voice the doubt in his heart. He didn't understand why this woman, who had once given them information, was still stubbornly standing with Baroque Works.
Robin didn't speak, only met his gaze silently for a moment, her eyes complex and unreadable.
It was Crocodile who, upon hearing the question, quickly grew grim. He looked at Robin with deep suspicion: "Why? Ms. All Sunday, what are you doing... Do you know him?"
"What 'why'?"
Robin regained her indifferent demeanor, her tone without the slightest ripple, "I don't know him at all."
But Crocodile was never one to easily trust others. In his heart, there was only absolute control and profit.
He stared intensely at Robin, his voice icy: "Nico Robin... Don't play any tricks with me..."
"Nico Robin?"
Cobra, pinned to the wall, repeated the name in disbelief, staring blankly at Robin, "That... 'Demon Child'...?"
Robin's lips pressed together more tightly. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, a look of being stung.
She didn't like that title.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Crocodile seemed pleased with the effect. He laughed wildly, "Yes, that's right! The last scholar of Ohara, the woman known as the Demon Child, is right here!"
Cobra was still muttering, beginning to recall that world-shattering past:
"A bounty of 79 million Berries at only eight years old... The World Government's bounty that absolutely must be dealt with..."
"8 years old! 79 million!!! So amazing!!!"