Cough! Cough!

A middle-aged man coughed out blood. He raised his head and looked at the eyes of the young woman with a cowboy hat, asking.

“Why are you attacking me?”

The young woman was none other than Robin. She simply stared at him and said.

“Take me to the place where you have kept Poneglyph otherwise your daughter will die.”

Although Robin knew that she had no means to kill Vivi, she didn’t hesitate to threaten the man in front of her.

“You….. what did you do her?” Cobra panicked. The fear of losing his daughter emerged in his eyes.

“We still haven’t done anything to her but if you don’t do what I said, our leader won’t hesitate to kill her. Now, you only have two choices. Choose your daughter or a stone.”

Robin narrowed her eyes with killing intent and spoke.

“Robin, it seems like you are having some difficulties here.”

A voice rang from behind that startled Robin and terrified Cobra.

“Y-y-y-you are Crocodile. Are you the one behind all the rebels?” Cobra looked at him with shuttering tone as he asked. Although he wasn’t sure about it, he didn’t want it to be true.

After all, Alabasta already treats Crocodile as a hero. To some extent, Crocodile’s fame has even surpassed his.

“Cobra, I don’t have time to waste here. Tell me where you hid the Poneglyph or I will kill your daughter.”

Although Crocodile didn’t have her in his hands, he was sure to kill her. After all, he didn’t believe a group of newcomers can stop him.

On the other hand, Cobra was completely terrified. It wasn’t because he fears that Crocodile will kill him. He was afraid that his daughter will die too.

He gritted his teeth and said.

“Don’t touch my daughter. I will take you to the place where poneglyph is.”

“Good choice!”

Crocodile grinned as he looked at Robin. She released Cobra from her clutches and let him move.

Cobra with no choice in his hand walked toward the Tomb of Kings.

“Gator, you bastard! Stop”

Suddenly, a roar came from behind. This roar startled everyone and the veins in Crocodile’s head popped out.

“You go with him and decipher the Poneglyph. I will return after killing this kid.”

Right now, he didn’t want Cobra to know that he didn’t have his daughter in his hand.

“Yes, Boss”

Robin nodded, but there was a hint of surprise in her eyes. She didn’t expect Luffy to chase after Crocodile so far and find him as well.

Crocodile turned his head at Luffy and made a cruel smile.

“This time, I am going to kill you, boyyyy.”

Suddenly, the smile on his face froze.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He saw Luffy running towards him with his stomach big as a water tank. For a moment, the excitement that was inside his heart made Crocodile feel betrayed.

The veins in his forehead started popping out. He was angry. He was truly angry at this moment. But, as Luffy started running toward him, he found the red steam coming out of Luffy.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Luffy disappeared in front of him, and this surprised Crocodile. Before he could find him, Luffy appeared above him, threw a water bomb from his mouth, and clenched his fist.

Splash!

[Jet Pistol]

Bang!

The moment water fell on him, Crocodile reacted. Unfortunately, his speed couldn’t match Luffy’s speed. A powerful punch smashed him on the ground.

“Sorry but this time, I can not lose.”

Luffy had seriousness on his face. He truly can’t lose, not at this moment at least.

After all, losing against him means he wouldn’t be able to live up to Liam’s trust and that’s enough for him to give it his all.

“Bastard, don’t think you can win me. You are just a measly newcomer.”

“Desert Spada”

Crocodile coughed out blood and slowly stood up from the ground. Luffy had already landed on the ground so he quickly launches an attack. A sword made out of desert moves toward Luffy.

But in Luffy’s eyes, this move was too slow. Before even it could reach him, Luffy once again disappears in front of Crocodile and suddenly appears above him once more.

Splash!

[Jet Pistol]

Bang!

Although Luffy was fast, this time Crocodile managed to dodge and his fist only struck the ground. But, at the same time, Crocodile’s body was also wet.

Luffy took this as an opportunity and rushed behind him.

[Jet Whip]

Bang!

This time, his attack actually landed on Crocodile. His kick struck Crocodile’s waist and threw him away. But, it didn’t end there.

Luffy instantly appeared in front of him.

“Desert la Spada”

Crocodile gritted his teeth, took a few steps back while bearing the pain of the attack, and immediately released his sand. Although he didn’t know why Luffy foolishly appeared so close, he didn’t care. He just wanted to attack Luffy.

And, massive four blades made out of sand appeared in front of him, moving toward’s Luffy. It was so close that it was impossible to dodge. But, at this moment, a fist pierced through those four sand blades.

[Compressed Jet Pistol]

Bang!

This time, his attack tore apart Crocodile’s strongest attack and managed to release a powerful impact that made Crocodile fly.

Whoosh!

Luffy once again disappeared and suddenly appeared above Crocodile. He coughed out all of the water at once and then pulled both of his hands.

While being soaked in water, Crocodile couldn’t move at all. Seeing him preparing for his attack, Crocodile gritted his teeth and gather all of the sand that he could control into his palm.

It changed into a tornado as he threw it toward Luffy at an extreme speed. Luffy unfazed by this attack still stretches his hands and when they reached their limits, he pulls them.

“Sables Pesada”

[Jet Bazooka]

Bang!

His jet bazooka pierced through the sandstorm and rushed toward Crocodile. It slams so hard on the crocodile that Crocodile falls into the ground with broken bones.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Luffy who was caught in a sandstorm screams out loud. His body swirls around the sandstorm and suddenly two arms stretch out of the sandstorm and catch a building top far away.

But before he could reach that point, Luffy finds his eyes slowly closing.

‘Damn! I lost too much energy. Did that gator finally fall? If not….’

Bam!

While he was thinking, he falls into the sand, and without any energy to stand, he decides to sleep for a while.

On the other hand, Crocodile who had suffered quite a lot from the previous attack slowly stands up. Seeing that Luffy wasn’t around, he gritted his teeth.

“That bastard. Why does a newcomer who had just gone out into the sea develop his devil fruit to such height? Not to mention, an ordinary devil fruit like this.”

“And, it seems like that bitch finally betrayed me. Or, is it that guy who found out my weakness before even the battle started?”

Crocodile had a lot of doubts in his mind. But right now, he just wanted to get to the Tomb of Kings and finally find the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton.

But with broken bones and bloody skin, he barely could walk. If it wasn’t for his immense endurance, he wouldn’t even be able to move.

He eventually reaches the Tomb of Kings. After seeing his condition, Robin was truly surprised. She didn’t expect Luffy to be so strong that he would push Crocodile to such injuries.

At the same time, she was also thankful. After all, she didn’t plan to tell him the location of the pluton.

Crocodile quickly asks her about the location of Pluton but because she only tells him the history, he finally decides to kill her.

It didn’t surprise Robin. She was more than ready to attack him and she does attack him but her surprise attack doesn’t work at all.

“It seems like you are the one who told them about my weakness. But that doesn’t matter. I never trusted you from the beginning.”

Crocodile finally decides to land a deadly blow on her. But, at this moment, a shadow suddenly appears next to him and smashes his stomach.

[Water Tempest]

It was a kick, wrapped with water.

Bang!

And, it managed to strike him so hard that Crocodile flew away and landed several meters on the ground.

“Cough! Cough!”

The injuries that he was trying to hide once again appeared as he violently coughed out blood.

“It seems like my captain truly injured you to such an existent. But, it is remarkable indeed. A man who was once said to be Bullet’s Equal was heavily injured by my captain who just arrived in the sea for a few months.”

“No wonder, you wanted the Ancient Weapon so bad. You never believed that you could win against those people with your strength. If so, even if I tell you the location of Pluton.”

“You can never get it from the territory of that man.”