With a dull, sickening "thud," Perona didn't even have time to scream before her eyes rolled back and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"Perona...!" Moria cried out in shock and rage.
But it was too late.
Lancelot swung his arm without hesitation, hurling Perona's limp body away like a sandbag, sending her flying toward the Going Merry docked at the island's edge.
On the other side, Vivi and Igaram, who had been closely monitoring the situation, reacted instantly.
They dashed forward and, with some effort, managed to catch the thrown Perona securely, preventing her from crashing into the deck.
At that moment, the look in both Vivi's and Igaram's eyes toward Lancelot underwent a dramatic, profound change.
After all, they had just witnessed Lancelot's immense power—he had, in a matter of minutes, completely suppressed Moria, one of the renowned Shichibukai, and had clearly gained the upper hand.
What did this mean? Didn't it indicate that Lancelot truly possessed the strength to rival Crocodile, another, even more dangerous member of the Shichibukai?
If Lancelot could really defeat Crocodile... then did their kingdom, Alabasta, finally have a real glimmer of hope for salvation?
As these thoughts surfaced, Vivi and Igaram, having just recovered from their shock, exchanged a glance.
In that moment, without a single word needing to be spoken, they could clearly sense the wild, desperate excitement and joy stirring deep within each other's hearts.
"I'LL KILL YOU..." Moria's eyes blazed with a furious, crimson light as he watched his beloved, long-time subordinate Perona being tossed aside so effortlessly.
He instantly descended into a near-insane state of rage.
"Kage Yari (Shadow Spear)!" With a furious roar, Moria swung both hands violently.
His own shadow, Doppelman, instantly condensed from its bat-like form into an extremely sharp, long spear, which then shot toward Lancelot with overwhelming, piercing force.
Analyzing this technique from its original context, its offensive power could be described as extraordinarily formidable.
Lancelot knew that even the offspring of the giant Oars, who were larger than giants themselves, would struggle to withstand it and could be easily pierced through.
However, Lancelot was far from being as fragile and vulnerable as Oars's descendants.
Just as Lancelot prepared to draw a sword and counterattack, a sudden, new, and intense sense of danger flooded his heart like a tidal wave, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
His Observation Haki screamed at him.
Without the slightest hesitation, he abandoned his attack on Moria.
He pushed off powerfully with both legs, propelling himself into the air with Geppo like an arrow released from its bow.
Then, he rapidly took several more steps in mid-air, each step precisely landing on empty space, successfully coming to a halt suspended in the air, several meters above the ground.
BOOM!
A tremendous sound echoed as, in the next moment, a tall and imposing figure appeared exactly where Lancelot had just been standing.
A swirling vortex of sand erupted at his feet, and a massive, golden hook was embedded in the ground where Lancelot's chest had been.
This man sported a slicked-back hairstyle, his dark hair neatly combed backward.
His broad, cruel face featured a long, jagged scar running from his left eye corner all the way to the right corner of his mouth, giving him a ferocious, predatory appearance.
His right ear bore an exaggerated, golden earring that glimmered faintly under the eerie moonlight.
He held a thick, lit cigar between his teeth, smoke curling upward.
His attire was particularly distinctive: his left hand was, of course, the gleaming golden hook that radiated a cold light.
He wore a large, black fur coat that swayed gently in the breeze, resembling a black eagle ready to take flight.
Beneath the fur coat, he wore a long-sleeved, garish orange plaid shirt, creating an impression that was both wild and elegantly composed.
His overall appearance was majestic and overwhelmingly imposing, perfectly embodying the image of an Italian Mafia boss.
"Holy shit..."
Lancelot's pupils contracted to pinpoints, even trembling as if experiencing an earthquake.
Because he immediately recognized the newcomer.
It was Crocodile, who, just like Moria, was one of the Shichibukai!
'Why would this guy appear here?' Lancelot was utterly shocked and completely bewildered.
If Lancelot was shocked, then Vivi and Igaram, back on the ship, were scared out of their wits.
"C...C...C...CROCODILE!!!" the two finally exclaimed in absolute, unadulterated terror.
Before they could react properly, they were pulled aside by Lina and Zoro respectively, who had just finished dealing with the last of the zombie generals.
Lina directly ordered, "You two, take Nami and the unconscious Gin. Get back to the ship, find the doctor, and lock yourselves in. Zoro and I will go help Lancelot."
Nami, Vivi, and Igaram exchanged panicked glances, then looked at the unconscious Gin, then turned their terrified gaze toward the two Shichibukai.
Finally, they all nodded in unison, their faces pale.
Because they knew, with absolute certainty, that if they stayed here, they would only become burdens.
Meanwhile, Crocodile cast a sideways glance at the huffing, injured Moria, his expression tinged with pure disdain and contempt.
"You're a fellow Shichibukai, Moria," he rasped, his voice like dry sand.
"A great pirate who once, supposedly, rivaled Kaido. How did you end up so disgraced, beaten half to death at the hands of a Marine?"
Moria glared back at Crocodile, furious. "Crocodile, stop spouting nonsense! If you have the guts, go take down that kid yourself!"
"Tch..." Crocodile raised his golden hook, giving it a light, dismissive wave.
"I came here precisely to deal with that brat."
As he spoke, his cold gaze returned to Lancelot, who was still hovering in the air.
His eyes turned icy, a murderous intent so palpable it seemed to materialize, bursting forth from his pupils.
If this were a rookie fresh out to sea, facing such a gaze would have frozen them in terror long ago.
"Whoosh..."
Lina and Zoro, having ensured the others were retreating, rushed over.
But they wisely chose to confront the injured Moria instead, flanking him. Earlier, when they had decided to face Crocodile, Lancelot had already briefed them about him.
Mentioning Crocodile naturally led to discussing Logia abilities.
Since neither of them had yet awakened Armament Haki, they knew that facing a Logia user like Crocodile would be no different from suicide.
It was far better to intercept the weakened Moria and share some of the pressure for Lancelot.
"Huh?" Crocodile was momentarily distracted by Zoro and Lina's movements, his gaze shifting toward them.
"Whoosh..."
At that precise moment, Lancelot, still in mid-air, saw his opening.
He swung his leg, unleashing a terrifying Rankyaku.
This time, Lancelot held nothing back, striking with his absolute full, Vice Admiral-level force.
The resulting Rankyaku slash was in no way inferior to a genuine flying slash from a master swordsman.
Where it passed, the air itself was cleaved, emitting a sharp, tearing sound as it shot toward Crocodile.
Boom!
The attack struck Crocodile directly, splitting him—and the ground beneath him—cleanly in two.
It demonstrated the sheer power of the blow.
Yet, Crocodile, now severed in half at the waist, showed no sign of pain.
His sandy lower body dissolved and reformed instantly, connecting back to his upper half.
Smirking up at Lancelot, he taunted.
"Attacks like that are useless against me... Now, die!"
Crocodile's lower body transformed completely into swirling sand, and he soared into the air, charging straight at Lancelot.