Crocodile raised his hand sharply, and the swirling sands that had scattered earlier gathered once more, forming into a massive storm aimed straight at Kaito.
"You think I'm as pathetic as Luffy?" Kaito's lips curved into a faint, cold smirk. With a swift motion, he kicked Luffy's unconscious body out of the battlefield's range, then disappeared without a sound.
The instant Kaito vanished, the torrent of sand collapsed, crashing into the ground and splitting the earth with jagged cracks. In mere seconds, the once-flat terrain turned into a chaotic wasteland.
Crocodile's eyes darted from side to side, scanning for his opponent. "What speed… I can't even sense him," he muttered, the arrogant disdain fading from his face. His expression turned grim. "He's fast enough to be dangerous."
"I'm right here," came a calm voice from behind him.
Crocodile spun around instantly—only to meet a dark afterimage. Before he could react, pain exploded through his abdomen. His body stiffened, the force of the blow knocking the air from his lungs.
He looked down with disbelief. Kaito's leg was coated in a deep, metallic black sheen that shimmered faintly in the sun.
"Wha—Armament Haki!" Crocodile choked out, clutching his stomach.
"That's right," Kaito replied flatly.
Then his leg twisted sharply, the air rippling from the force. The impact erupted like a thunderclap, launching Crocodile's body through the air like a falling meteor.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Walls and debris shattered as Crocodile's body tore through everything in its path. Dust filled the air, followed by a violent crash as he slammed into the side of a concrete villa. The wall caved inward, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the impact.
"Pfft—!" Crocodile coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth, mixed with bits of flesh. His body trembled as he staggered forward, half-collapsing to the ground.
"You…" he rasped, pointing weakly at Kaito. Before he could speak further, another surge of blood gushed from his lips, draining what little color remained in his face.
From a nearby rooftop, King Cobra, Vivi, and the royal guards stared at the battle in stunned silence. For a long moment, none of them could even breathe.
"Is… that really Crocodile?" Igaram whispered.
"The same Crocodile who held Alabasta hostage for years?" Bell muttered, eyes wide.
Then the silence broke.
"He's flying!"
"He coughed blood… twice!"
"We're saved! Alabasta is saved!"
Their voices rose in joyous disbelief. For the first time in years, hope flooded their hearts.
Across the city, countless citizens and rebels alike had gathered on rooftops or near den-den mushi broadcast screens. Everyone watched the same scene—the fall of the man who had ruled their desert through fear. When Luffy fell earlier, despair spread like wildfire. But when Kaito appeared and struck Crocodile down, faith returned to their eyes.
The fate of Alabasta now rested on the shoulders of one man: Kaito.
Amidst the broken buildings, Crocodile pushed himself upright, his breath ragged and his face pale. His arrogance was gone, replaced by disbelief.
"Who… who the hell are you?" he demanded. "With power like that, there's no way your bounty is only a hundred million!"
He gritted his teeth, the memory of the New World flashing through his mind. He had seen monsters there—users of Armament Haki who could shatter Logia bodies like glass. Against them, his Sand-Sand Fruit was nothing but a fragile defense.
He had fled the New World, vowing to grow stronger and find Pluton to reclaim his pride. But now, standing before this stranger, he realized the bitter truth: Kaito was one of those monsters.
"Is that your last line?" Kaito said quietly, his tone unreadable.
"You really think you can finish me that easily?!" Crocodile roared, rage overtaking his fear. His body began to dissolve into sand, golden grains swirling violently around him. "Desert Greatsword!"
The ground trembled as he drew the surrounding sand into a massive, gleaming weapon. The blade towered over him, shimmering in the sunset, grains of sand spiraling like molten light along its edge.
Then, in an instant, Crocodile blurred forward, his sand form streaking toward Kaito with terrifying speed. His voice echoed through the air, filled with fury. "Go to hell!"
From a distance, Nami gasped. "Kaito! Be careful!"
The others watched tensely, their hearts pounding. Even those who once disliked him—Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp—couldn't hide their concern. Right now, Kaito was the only one standing between Alabasta and ruin.
The desert sword came crashing down, glowing like molten gold, its destructive force cutting through the air.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out, sharp and clear. A dark-blue energy barrier shimmered into existence around Kaito, surrounding his body like a protective sphere. The sand sword struck the barrier again and again, but it didn't so much as crack.
Crocodile's smirk vanished. He slashed wildly, but the barrier held firm, radiating steady blue light. His attacks broke apart, scattering harmlessly into dust.
"…Impossible," he whispered, his face twisting. He gave Kaito one last glare, then turned and bolted, his body breaking into sand as he tried to flee.
But Kaito only sighed. "Running from me? That's a mistake."
He raised one hand calmly. His voice was soft, but it carried the weight of absolute command.
"Universal Pull."
Whrrr—!
The air itself roared. A violent gravitational force burst outward from Kaito's palm, tearing through the battlefield. The pull was immense, dragging everything—sand, rubble, and even the collapsing buildings—toward him in a swirling vortex.
Crocodile was caught instantly, his body twisting helplessly as he was yanked backward through the air.
His eyes widened in sheer terror. "Wha—?! He's a Devil Fruit user?!"
______
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