An invisible pressure rippled outward from Renn Hawk. Yet instead of spreading wildly, it moved with frightening precision skipping past every soldier and striking directly toward Crocodile.
"Guhahaha!" The desert warlord bared his teeth, the cigar in his mouth glowing faintly red. "What a coincidence, Marine! Seems fate really enjoys making us enemies! I'll give you one chance turn around and leave now, or "
He never finished the sentence.
A suffocating wave of will crashed down upon him like an avalanche. The ground beneath Crocodile's feet cracked, sand sinking under his weight as his legs trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, sizzling as it hit the hot sand.
He knew this feeling. He had once challenged the strongest man in the world Whitebeard and had felt this same crushing power. This wasn't mere intimidation; it was the aura of a king.
Conqueror's Haki!
But that was impossible!
According to intelligence, this Marine was only a Headquarters Rear Admiral! How could someone of that rank possess the will of a king?!
No… that can't be right!
Crocodile's jaw clenched. His veins bulged as he forced his trembling body upright, refusing to kneel. He would not could not bow before a Marine!
Renn Hawk's boots pressed into the sand with steady, deliberate steps. With each one, the pressure intensified, the invisible storm of Haki tightening its grip.
Crack!
The sound of bones under strain echoed through the desert.
Boom!
Crocodile's knees slammed into the scorching sand, raising a plume of dust.
Renn stopped before him. "Sand Crocodile," he said coldly, his right hand rising slowly. Black Armament Haki spread across his fist like molten steel. "Stay down."
The punch came down like a hammer of judgment.
Thud!
Crocodile's consciousness shattered. He collapsed face-first, half-buried in the golden sand.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
The thousands of Marines behind Hawk remained expressionless, their discipline absolute. To them, this outcome was not surprising. Hawk was their commander, their future his strength was something they believed in without question.
But for the Baroque Works agents, the scene was like a nightmare come to life.
Their boss their invincible, godlike leader had been brought to his knees and knocked unconscious in one blow.
"What… what did we just see?" one agent stammered.
A dry wind swept through, scattering sand across the battlefield. None of them dared to move.
Renn's eyes swept coldly across the trembling crowd. He raised his hand and gave a single order.
"Wipe them all out."
The Marine ranks surged forward like unleashed predators. They didn't rush blindly they moved in precise, lethal formations, slicing through the enemy like a living machine. Every swing, every shot, every movement was perfectly coordinated.
"Hey, mosshead," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette, a smirk curling his lips. "Wanna bet who takes down more?"
Zoro cracked his neck, his hand resting on Wado Ichimonji. "Heh. When they hand out promotions after this, make sure you salute properly, 'Not bad' Major."
He vanished in a blur. "Soru!"
In the next instant, Zoro appeared before Mr. 1. The gleaming white blade howled through the air.
Clang! Sparks exploded as metal met metal. Mr. 1's crossed arms transformed into blades of steel caught the strike head-on.
"You can't cut me, Marine," Mr. 1 sneered. "My body is forged steel. You'll break your sword before you break me."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. A faint shimmer of black covered his blade.
"One-Sword Style Draw Slash Black Lion!"
The slash came too fast to see. A flash of obsidian light cut the air.
Mr. 1's smirk froze. He looked down to find a deep, bleeding line carved across his chest.
"H-how…"
Thud!
The steel-bodied assassin fell lifeless into the sand.
Zoro sheathed his sword without a backward glance. "Tch. No Haki, no skill. Trash."
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Sanji spun through the air, his legs whirling in blazing arcs as he clashed with Mr. 2 Bon Clay.
"Let's dance, darling!" Bon Clay spun like a ballerina, his kicks whipping through the air. "Okama Kenpo Summer Memoir!"
Sanji dodged effortlessly, each motion precise and minimal, his Observation Haki predicting every strike before it landed.
"Disgusting," Sanji muttered, flicking ash from his cigarette.
"Why can't I hit you?!" Bon Clay shouted, frustration rising.
Sanji exhaled slowly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zoro had already finished his opponent and that alone irritated him.
"Time to end this."
His right leg ignited in a whirl of crimson heat.
"Demon Wind Kick Flaming Spiral!"
Sanji spun, his leg slicing the air like a blazing scythe. The heat warped the air itself, and the ground blackened under the pressure.
Slash!
A crescent of fire tore across the battlefield, engulfing Bon Clay. The man screamed as flames consumed him, his body crashing into a distant dune, motionless.
Above, a magnificent falcon circled in the sky. On its back, King Cobra and Princess Vivi watched in stunned silence.
Below them, the battlefield was a massacre.
The Marines fought like a single unstoppable organism efficient, ruthless, and terrifyingly calm. The Baroque Works agents, once arrogant and untouchable, were being slaughtered like cattle.
"Is… this the might of Rear Admiral Hawk's forces?" King Cobra whispered, voice trembling with awe and disbelief.
Vivi covered her mouth, her wide blue eyes filled with horror.
The falcon descended. From above, they saw him the man in the Justice coat, standing atop the fallen Crocodile, unshaken by the chaos around him.
"Marines!" Crocodile roared suddenly, regaining consciousness. "All of you die!!!"
"Sandstorm Coffin Burial!!!"
The desert roared to life.
The battle for Alabasta had only just begun.
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