"Your physical attacks are useless against me, got it?" Sand Crocodile growled coldly. "No matter how fast you are or how powerful your strikes might be, they're meaningless. Even if you could defeat the Red-Haired Pirates, you'll never beat me. So, just die already! Desert Saber!"
As he finished speaking, Sand Crocodile transformed his arm into a massive sand blade and swung it forward with immense force.
In the next instant, a streak of purple lightning exploded in a straight line from his arm, cleaving the ground in half like an unstoppable force of nature.
But Renji Kai simply smiled, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "The game hasn't ended—no, it's just getting started."
At that moment, two crisp system notifications echoed in his mind:
Ding! Character Card [Mei Terumi] successfully redeemed. 300,000 Reputation Points have been deducted.
Ding! Character Card [Mei Terumi] successfully activated. Remaining uses: -1.
While everyone was focused on the fight, and even while he was knocked back earlier, Renji had quietly opened the system's shop and began browsing for options. He already knew how to deal with Sand Crocodile's elemental powers.
The trick was simple: Crocodile's body was composed of sand. If his sand body came into contact with water or other liquids, his elemental ability would fail, and physical attacks could then harm him.
That's why Renji chose the perfect counter—Mei Terumi, the Water-Style Kage from the Hidden Mist. Her character card cost a hefty 300,000 Reputation Points, but Renji had points to spare and didn't hesitate to cash in.
The moment he felt the energy of Mei Terumi possess his body, Renji activated her unique Water-Style jutsu with a single thought: Water Style: Water Column Pillar!
As the purple lightning was about to slam into him, Renji opened his mouth and spat out a glowing water orb that looked like a crashing meteor.
BOOOOOM!
The water orb collided head-on with the purple lightning, causing a massive explosion. The shockwave that followed shattered all the windows in the nearby buildings. Both fighters were forced back several steps by the sheer force of the collision.
"What... what kind of jutsu is that?" Sand Crocodile's expression darkened instantly. He had been seconds away from finishing his opponent, only to be stopped cold by a water orb from Renji's mouth.
He knew better than anyone else just how vulnerable he was to water. The moment Renji used a water-based attack, panic began to creep into his chest.
Even Douglas Bullet, watching from the sidelines, looked confused and unsettled. None of Renji's techniques made any sense—there was no pattern to his abilities. Despite living in this world for decades and witnessing countless legendary warriors, he'd never seen someone like Renji, who could summon mysterious powers as if from another universe.
Renji smirked. "You like hiding behind elemental transformation, huh? Well then, I'll drown you in it. Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
With that, he opened his mouth again and exhaled a dense fog that rapidly spread throughout the battlefield. Visibility dropped to nearly zero.
Even more threatening was the moisture the mist carried. As soon as Sand Crocodile touched the fog, he felt his body react strangely—his sand form was becoming unstable.
He wasn't just in a fog now—he was in a trap.
Panicking, he raised his right arm and summoned a massive sandstorm, much larger and faster than before. This was his Heavy Sandstorm, a more destructive version of his earlier move. His plan was to blow away the fog with brute force.
But before he could unleash the storm, a piercing sound came from the mist.
CRASH!
A liquid dragon burst from the dense fog like a mythical beast—Renji's Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!
The water dragon tore through the swirling sandstorm with overwhelming power and slammed directly into Sand Crocodile's chest.
BOOM!
He was sent flying backward like a broken doll. His sandstorm collapsed instantly, scattering harmlessly into the air.
As the mist gradually cleared, everyone could finally see what had happened.
Sand Crocodile, who had appeared invincible only moments ago, was now lying on the ground.
Standing just a few feet away, Renji Kai looked down at him, unscathed and calm, like a true champion.
The entire battlefield fell deathly silent.
During the chaos of the mist, no one had been able to tell what was happening. But now, it was obvious—Renji had completely turned the tide.
Coughing up blood, Sand Crocodile glared at his opponent. The water dragon attack had done real damage, but he wasn't defeated yet. That alone wouldn't be enough to take him down.
Renji, however, wasn't finished.
He stepped forward, ready to deliver the final blow.
But just then, a loud crashing sound erupted behind him.
Everyone's heads turned.
A towering figure dashed forward from the distance—a muscular, bald man dressed like a Shaolin monk, with snake emblems embroidered on the sides of his chest and the kanji for "One" tattooed across his torso.
Renji recognized him immediately.
He was Daz Bonez, codename Mr. 1, one of the elite assassins of Baroque Works.
In Baroque Works, the smaller the number in your codename, the stronger you were.
And Mr. 1... was as deadly as they came.