"Crocodile is simply testing the limits of the World Government," Souta Kiryuu said coolly. "But perhaps he hasn't realized that the Government might actually be allowing it on purpose. The Nefertari family, one of the original Twenty Kings, isn't nearly as important as Crocodile imagines."
Souta suspected that Im and the Five Elders might even be using Crocodile's hand to wipe out the Nefertari line once and for all—the family that betrayed the Celestial Dragons. Eight hundred years ago, it was Nefertari Lili who spread the Poneglyphs across the world and refused to move into Mary Geoise like the other kings. To Im, that was outright betrayal. Thus, Lili's mysterious disappearance, and the throne passing to her younger brother—the ancestor of King Cobra's current line. Alabasta became a peculiar case among allied nations.
In the original timeline, had Luffy not exposed Crocodile's plot, the World Government might very well have allowed him to become Alabasta's new king. But because he failed, for the Government's dignity and for the allied nations' sake, he had to be stripped of his Warlord title. A defeated Warlord could never retain his seat. Just as Gecko Moria, after his defeat in the Florian Triangle and his poor showing in the Marineford War, was later marked for elimination by the World Government.
···
Above the Rain Dinners casino in Rainbase.
"Boss God, should I just blast it apart right now?" Enel asked eagerly, ready to summon a pillar of thunder. But Capone Bege quickly objected—the casino was far too rich to waste. Destroying it would mean losing mountains of loot.
"Go ahead," Souta said calmly. "But drag that sand lizard out of his den. Most of Baroque Works isn't even in Rainbase right now. Nico Robin, their vice-president, will have to recall them all—and then I can collect their blood. Perhaps I'll replace Crocodile entirely and make myself the new boss of Baroque Works. He hides behind the title 'Mr. 0,' and most of his underlings don't even know who he really is."
"Got it!"
Enel instantly turned into lightning and streaked down, violently blasting apart the casino's grand entrance. Panic spread like wildfire—gamblers shrieked and fled, while the bolder ones snatched up chips and cash from the tables before escaping.
The explosion roused Crocodile from his office, his fury boiling over. But the sight of Enel froze him in place. Enel—the Lightning God. What was he doing here? Was this the Dragon Pirates' move against him? Crocodile's face darkened. Against a Logia user with a ten-billion bounty, he had little chance.
"Yahaha! Warlord of the Sea, let's see if your sand can stand against my lightning!" Enel roared.
"Sixty Million Volts: Thunder Dragon!"
A colossal dragon of lightning streaked forward, illuminating the casino square in blinding arcs.
"So it's just you?" Crocodile snarled.
"Sandstorm!"
A massive whirlwind of sand roared up to clash with the thunder dragon. Crocodile's eyes darted skyward—he needed to know how many of Souta's crew had come. If Souta himself, along with Kuma and Moria, were present, he'd retreat immediately. He wasn't suicidal.
"One is enough to end you!"
Enel flashed forward in a burst of speed, his golden staff turning black with Armament Haki. He swung it down with lethal force. At last, he faced a true Logia opponent—unlike the gas man Caesar or the ash man Karasu, this battle was for real.
"Damn it!"
Crocodile dissolved into sand and slipped away. Lightning was faster, deadlier—and Enel's Armament Haki made him a real threat. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Too slow! Your Armament is weak, and even your Observation Haki is pitiful!" Enel sneered. His Observation was even sharper than his Armament, allowing him to anticipate Crocodile's reformation point. The instant Crocodile reappeared, Enel's blackened staff hammered into his chest.
Boom!
Crocodile crashed into the ground, blood spraying as he fell to one knee, glaring hatefully at his foe.
"Strong in both Haki… how can this be?" Crocodile thought bitterly, shaken by the Lightning God's power.
"It's not that my Haki is strong—it's that yours is weak!" Enel smirked coldly. Compared to Karasu of the Revolutionary Army or the Knights of God, Crocodile's mastery of Haki was pathetic. He wasn't even on par with pirate captains Enel had fought in Sun Country.
"Hmph! Haki isn't invincible. This desert is my domain!" Crocodile roared.
"Erosion Cycle!"
The ground around the plaza turned into sand, linking with the vast desert beyond. Crocodile vanished into the dunes and reappeared at a distance, summoning colossal sandstorms across the battlefield to taunt his opponent.
"Yahaha! Then let's play!" Enel bellowed, charging into the sand's domain without hesitation, not even calling on the Ark Maxim's thundercloud support. Lightning and sand clashed in a cataclysmic storm.
Meanwhile, Souta had already stepped through the ruined gates of Rain Dinners, heading inside in search of Nico Robin, Baroque Works' vice-president. Capone Bege and Lafitte followed, plundering freely, while Kuma and Moria went to watch the battle—ready to cut off Crocodile's escape.
With the Dragon Pirates descending, gamblers stampeded in terror. Informants quickly slipped away to report the news to their factions. But Nico Robin, using her Flower Eyes and Ears, had already sensed their arrival. Alarmed, she darted toward the casino's secret passage, intent on escape.
But a Door-Door portal opened ahead, blocking her path.
"Hello, Nico Robin—the Demon Child of Ohara, vice-president of Baroque Works," Souta greeted, stepping through the portal alongside Bruno of CP9. His smile was calm, his Observation Haki so refined that no secret passage could hide from him. Just as Usopp once used his Haki to scan the King's Plateau and snipe Sugar with a perfect shot, preventing her from turning Luffy and Law into toys.
Robin exhaled softly. She had known this moment would come. Adjusting her expression, she raised her eyes to meet Souta Kiryuu, the infamous Godslayer, face-to-face at last.
...
Hey everyone! Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure!
patreon.com/Rawink00