Outside the city of Rainbase, in the vast desert—
Gigantic sand whirlwinds raged wildly, carrying razor-sharp grains of sand within their furious winds. Like monstrous blenders, they shredded everything caught inside into fragments.
"Let's see how long you can keep that elemental form going!"
Crocodile, the Sand Crocodile, bit down on his cigar, his eyes burning with murderous intent as he glared at Enel, the man wielding the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. His Sand-Sand Fruit ability couldn't match lightning, and his mastery of Haki couldn't compare to Enel's either. But this was Alabasta—the kingdom of the desert, his territory. Here, he was the king, fighting on home ground with an advantage bordering on invincibility.
"You're pretty slippery for a crocodile!"
Even Enel had to admit this was troublesome. In this endless desert, Crocodile was far more difficult to deal with than Gecko Moria had been. Enel struggled to land attacks on his true body. On Skypiea, where thunderclouds reigned supreme, Enel would have had the overwhelming advantage—able to take down even a God's Knight in a head-to-head fight. But here, the desert bent to Crocodile's will.
The dense storm of wind and sand lashed at Enel's body like endless bullets, sparking bursts of electricity every time they tore through his elemental form. He had been forced to maintain his elemental state constantly just to endure this environment—something that drained stamina quickly. Luckily, thanks to Kuma's brutal training, his physical endurance had grown immensely. After all, mastering Armament Haki required a body tempered beyond limits.
Bolts of lightning speared downward in an attempt to disperse the towering sandstorms. Yet for every one scattered, Crocodile casually conjured another with a flick of his hand. He might not match Enel in raw stamina, but within his desert domain, his abilities demanded far less energy to maintain.
Still, the moment Crocodile saw Moria and Kuma watching from the distance, his confidence faltered. He knew then that this battle wasn't his to win. For once, the man who prided himself on working alone realized the value of powerful subordinates.
"Damn it! If I had already found Pluton, the Ancient Weapon, you'd all be dead!"
Crocodile's fury spilled into the storm. He had been only steps away from overthrowing Cobra's rule, ready to claim Alabasta as his own and seize information about Pluton. Now, at the crucial moment, the Souta Kiryuu Pirates had appeared to shatter everything. Ten years of planning—ruined.
Reluctantly, he made the choice to retreat. He'd summon the Navy and World Government to drive Souta Kiryuu and his crew away. No pirate, no matter how bold, could linger long against such forces. That was Crocodile's only hope of continuing his dream for Alabasta.
What he didn't know was that Nico Robin, his trusted vice president, was already preparing to hand Baroque Works over to Souta Kiryuu—offering the empire he built piece by piece to a new master. His arrogance had blinded him. Soon, he would stand truly alone, and his decade-long ambitions would crumble to dust.
···
"Fighting a Sand-Sand user in the desert really is a pain… guess I'll have to call in a little help from the Ark Maxim."
Enel abandoned the desert battlefield in a flash of lightning, reappearing aboard the Ark Maxim. He activated the thundercloud generator, and thick plumes of smoke began to rise. The scorching bright desert skies darkened, black thunderheads swirling into existence.
Normally, the arid air of the desert lacked the moisture needed to form storms. But this was Rainbase—Crocodile's lair. Here, he had used Dance Powder again and again to manipulate rainfall, leaving behind an unusual amount of water vapor in the skies. It was why Rainbase had become one of Alabasta's rare oases, a prosperous city that lured nobles and merchants alike. The booming business of the Rain Dinners casino was proof enough of the wealth it attracted—especially during the kingdom's long, drought-stricken years.
"An island-destroying technique? Like the one that crushed Enies Lobby and erased half of the Sorbet Kingdom?"
Crocodile's face turned grim as he looked up at the gathering thunderclouds. His will to continue fighting dissolved instantly. Enel alone was already a nightmare—add Kuma, Moria, and Souta Kiryuu watching from the sidelines, and victory was impossible.
"Enel! Souta Kiryuu Pirates! You bastards better remember this!"
Snarling, Crocodile emerged from a raging sandstorm, shouting his curse to the heavens before retreating into the desert. If nothing else, he hoped to drag the battle away from Rainbase. The last thing he could afford was Enel wiping his Rain Dinners casino off the map in one careless blast.
"Heheheh! Crocodile, you're not getting away!"
Moria split into a swarm of shrieking black bats, chasing after him gleefully. Pulling down another Warlord would soothe his wounded pride.
"Kuma! Hurry up and stop him!"
Jewelry Bonney, perched on Kuma's massive shoulder, shouted frantically. She knew Enel well enough—of course he'd let their prey slip away. If Crocodile escaped, what would they even put on tomorrow's headlines?
With a shimmer of air, Kuma vanished, reappearing in Crocodile's path in the blink of an eye.
"Ursus Shock!"
Without hesitation, Kuma unleashed a devastating compressed air blast at Crocodile, who was mid-flight in his sand form.
"Damn it!!"
Crocodile's pupils shrank as the blinding flash exploded around him. His body tore apart into a massive cloud of sand, scattering across the battlefield.
···
When he reformed, blood was already dripping from the corner of his mouth. Not even elementalization could fully protect him. The explosion had been laced with Armament Haki and raw destructive force, injuring his true body beneath the sand.
This tyrant was terrifying—ten times stronger than Gecko Moria.
"Eat this, bastard!"
"Distorted Future—Ogre's Fist!"
Bonney leapt from Kuma's shoulder, her right arm morphing into a gigantic fist as she swung it down onto Crocodile.
"Tch! I'm not some weakling you can toy with!"
Crocodile snarled, slashing upward with his poisoned golden hook to meet her strike head-on.
CLANG! The collision thundered through the desert, shockwaves ripping the air as their attacks locked in a dead heat. Crocodile's eyes narrowed—this girl's strength was monstrous. Her oversized fist carried the weight of a giant's blow.
His gaze darkened. He aimed to pierce her fist with his poisoned hook, banking on venom to turn the tide.
CLINK! Another metallic crack rang out—but the hook couldn't pierce her fist.
"I'm wearing a memory-metal battle suit, bastard! Your rusty hook can't touch me! Now die!"
The wind-dial boosters on Bonney's boots roared to life, propelling her forward with explosive speed. Her empowered strike slammed into Crocodile, hurling him across the desert.