The climate of Alabasta was nothing short of brutal. A vast majority of the land was an unforgiving sea of sand, endless deserts stretching beyond the horizon. Only a handful of oasis towns dotted the parched land, barely sustaining the millions who called this kingdom home.
After the initial flash of rage and surprise, Crocodile's voice rang out cool and composed. He looked at Jin with a gaze as cold as desert stone.
"You must've received news about your fleet being attacked, haven't you? What a shame." He gave a shallow chuckle. "The sea's full of scum these days… filthy pirates lurking at every turn. But I'll make you a reluctant offer. If you're willing to cooperate and get out of Alabasta, I'll buy your cargo. And I'll even guarantee the safety of your fleet—under the name of a Warlord of the Sea. How's that for a deal?"
Crocodile laid his conditions on the table. In his view, Jin had just learned that some of his ships were destroyed. That rage, that sudden outburst— It was exactly what Crocodile had been waiting for.
His true goal lay beneath the surface of Alabasta—the ancient weapon Pluton. And for that, he couldn't afford any public disturbances. He absolutely couldn't risk drawing the attention of the World Government. One wrong move and the entire operation would be ruined.
But letting someone like Jin stick around was dangerous all the same. More than that—Crocodile couldn't stomach the thought of another predator biting into his feast. So he chose to burn the ships—to send a message. To force Jin to retreat on his own.
"Attack?"
Under the silver moonlight, wind and sand danced across the desert. Jin stood tall on the back of a massive crocodile, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"You're talking about Baroque Works' Mr.1?" he said lightly. "And those little firebugs who couldn't even find their way in the dark?"
Crocodile's expression froze. His pupils contracted. His face grew noticeably darker.
Mr.1… was defeated?! Impossible.
Based on his intelligence, Jin had no powerful subordinates under his command. He was supposed to be a lone wolf, operating in the shadows. Mr.1, with his razor-sharp abilities, should've handled him easily.
Crocodile wasn't a fool. After Hanafuda was defeated, he had done his homework. He had investigated Jin carefully—Which was why he had gone straight to threats. But now, clearly, he had underestimated his target. His face turned grim, his mind spinning.
Robin stood silently nearby. In fact, she was quietly inching toward the shadows, muttering inwardly: You don't see me, you don't see me, I'm not here... Start fighting already, please!
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Jin turned and cast her a glance. Robin stiffened slightly, then pretended to relax as if she hadn't been moving at all.
"Crocodile," Jin said, his voice still calm, "I'll give you a choice, too. Join me. Or... wait here to be beaten to death."
His tone was even, without a hint of mockery. But the words hit like thunder. Alabasta was his now. Anyone who got in his way—would die.
"Guhahahaha…" Crocodile suddenly laughed aloud, his thick fur coat billowing with the swirling desert winds.
"It's been a long time since someone dared to speak to me like that," he sneered. "You've got guts, brat. I'll give you that. But you're also damn arrogant!"
His laughter faded slowly. A cold gleam lit up in the depths of his eyes. It was a deadly calm, twisted with rising fury and murderous contempt.
"Sure, you defeated that big lizard Hanafuda," he said, stepping forward with crushing pressure. "But I'm not in the same league as him."
With that, Crocodile lunged. A fierce, domineering charge filled with unrestrained confidence. As one of the Seven Warlords, he had never been defied. Never been questioned. Now, neither side was willing to back down. Which meant… There was only one way to settle this. Fight.
Buzz! Crocodile leapt into the air, swinging his golden hook in a wide arc. The force behind it was staggering.
Clang!
Jin raised his leg and blocked the blow with his shin. He didn't budge an inch. He stood there calmly and said,
"Actually… if you hadn't come looking for me, I would've come for you. Mr.0."
Crocodile's eyes widened in shock. "You… how do you know that name? Mr.1 betrayed me?!"
Back in his youth, Crocodile had been a rising star, not unlike Luffy and the others. At twenty, he fought Douglas Bullet, the former Roger Pirate. Their clash ended in a draw. He challenged Whitebeard shortly after Roger's death—and was soundly defeated.
After that, he accepted an invitation to become one of the Seven Warlords, all to further one goal—To find the ancient weapon, Pluton. For many years, he kept a low profile. To accelerate his plans, he founded the Baroque Works organization—A front company that spread across the first half of the Grand Line, handling everything from assassination to intelligence gathering.
Only a few people knew his true identity.
Now, hearing the codename "Mr.0" spill from this stranger's lips—it chilled him.
With a surge of force, Jin kicked Crocodile off, bent his knees, and sprang off the giant crocodile's back.
Boom!
He rocketed forward, fist drawn back with coiled power.
"So fast!" Crocodile's eyes widened mid-air. His vision tunneled as Jin closed the gap in an instant. Too fast to react. His body instinctively dissolved into sand—the powers of the Sand-Sand Fruit.
But from the very start, he had underestimated Jin. In the instant his body dispersed, the punch had already landed.
Bang!
"What?!" The moment the first strike hit, Crocodile's face turned ashen. He could feel it. Pain. His chest caved in from the blow. Ribs cracked, the sharp sound of breaking bone echoing through the air.
Blood gushed from his mouth. He flew backward, crashing into a sand wall.
Boom!
Robin's eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at the two men, stunned.
How…?
Crocodile's Logia powers allowed him to become sand—Physical attacks, even lethal ones, meant nothing. She had seen it firsthand. Her former crew… Herself… None of them had been able to lay a finger on him. Blades, bullets, swords—it was all useless.
Yet now… Crocodile had just been blown away?!
Crocodile peeled himself from the sand-covered rubble, face contorted in rage. Gritting his teeth, he growled: "Haki, huh?"
Haki? Robin's mind jolted. What was that? Could it counter Logia-type abilities?
"You think just because you've awakened Haki, you can beat me?" Crocodile sneered. "Guhahahaha!"
He flung his hand forward—"Desert Spada!"
Shrrrkk!
The ground in front of him split open in a straight line, a massive crevasse roaring toward Jin.
But Jin didn't even dodge.
"Tempest Kick!"
Shing!
A slicing shockwave burst from his leg, colliding with Crocodile's technique mid-air—The two attacks exploded violently.
At the same time, a small sandstorm burst to life at Crocodile's chest. Dust and debris surged around him.
"Sables!"
A miniature tornado exploded outward, hurling wind and sand in all directions. In seconds, Jin was enveloped in a swirling maelstrom—Sight vanished. Sound disappeared. The storm swallowed everything.
Crocodile's form dispersed once more, vanishing into the wind. Raging gusts shrieked across the desert.
Facing a Logia-type Devil Fruit user for the first time, Jin didn't move. He didn't act recklessly. He simply stood still, watching calmly from within the storm.
"Sand Croc," he said, voice steady, "If you know Haki… then you already know. This fight is over. Surrender while you can."
In the silent, suffocating chaos—Crocodile's upper body materialized behind him. His lower half remained sand, fused with the storm. He brought his golden hook down in a savage arc.
"Crescent Sand Dune!"
Shhhk!
A blade of sand curved like a crescent moon slashed toward Jin—A single touch would drain all the moisture from his body. A death sentence.
"I told you…" "…that won't work."
Jin spun, his leg sweeping out. Coated in Armament Haki, his kick carried bone-crushing force. Invisible wind screamed off his strike.
The sand in the air was shredded apart. Stones lifted from the ground, then cracked and exploded.
Crocodile's heart raced. For a moment, he thought of Whitebeard—That monstrous strength, that impossible force.
No way. This was impossible. The power behind that kick… It was overwhelming.
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