The crisp sound of bone cracking echoed.
Crocodile spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying.
"Ugh..."
He tumbled an unknown distance on the ground before stopping.
He pushed himself up with one hand.
He looked at Barrett in the distance:
"Cough... cough..."
"Haki again..."
"Damn it..."
He seemed to recall something.
Crocodile, already gloomy, became even more resentful.
Then he took a deep breath, endured the sharp pain, and turned his entire body into sand, merging with his surroundings.
The sandstorm intensified.
It began to surround Barrett in the center.
---
Sabaody Archipelago, outside the giant red tree on island 27.
As soldiers arrived and lined up behind Sakazuki.
Because of the Marines' arrival.
The fleeing crowd gradually grew bolder and began to watch.
Sakazuki's Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, blasting outwards.
His indifferent voice rang out:
"Clear the area."
*Crack*
A crisp sound of saluting echoed:
"Yes!!!!!"
Nearly a thousand Marine soldiers behind Sakazuki shouted in unison.
They then split into two teams and moved to the sides.
Forming a surrounding posture, each soldier maintaining a significant distance, they encircled the giant red tree on island 27.
Once the encirclement was complete, Sakazuki signaled Carol to guard the perimeter.
He then led Enel towards the swirling sandstorm.
Carol drew his sword, Sakura Jū.
Sakura Jū flashed, and two arcs of sword energy shot out from his position.
They carved deep furrows in the ground, encircling the area of the giant red tree.
This immediately deterred those with some strength, making them hesitant to pry further.
Carol chuckled lightly.
*Swish*
He sheathed his sword.
---
At the center of the sandstorm.
Crocodile summoned layers of sand waves, nearly a hundred meters high, to engulf Barrett.
Barrett stood grinning, watching the approaching sand waves, not moving at all.
Crocodile materialized at the crest of the sand waves:
"Seeking death!"
"Desert Cycle!!!"
His gloomy voice boomed, and layer upon layer of sand waves crashed down on Barrett.
The sand waves from all sides surged towards Barrett, colliding, merging, and converging.
A colossal sand tornado, reaching the heavens, formed.
Countless fine sand particles, at extreme speeds, abraded Barrett's skin.
Barrett finally showed a hint of emotion.
Because these billions of fine sand particles could actually consume a sliver of his Haki.
And inflict a tiny amount of damage to his skin.
Barrett's grin grew more ferocious.
This was truly... truly... wonderful!
On the warships, apart from Sakazuki, there was practically no one left who could harm him.
But Sakazuki couldn't act as a sparring partner all day.
Therefore, Barrett's progress had reached a bottleneck, forcing him to rely on Haki refinement.
But now, he finally felt the sensation of his body being injured.
This feeling... for Barrett, who had charged and blasted through battlefields, was simply exquisite...
"Not enough! Not enough! Not enough!!!"
"Push harder!!!"
His blood-red eyes seemed to pierce through the layers of sand waves, and his voice, accompanied by Conqueror's Haki, directly struck Crocodile.
Crocodile, at the peak of the sand waves, suddenly wore a displeased expression.
It wasn't just due to the sudden blast of Conqueror's Haki, but also the condescending words.
"Hehehehehe..."
"I'll grant your wish then."
"Erosion Cycle!!!"
Crocodile, with a gloomy face, laughed in rage and sent an endless torrent of sand waves towards Barrett.
In the area where Barrett stood, the sandstorm formed a wildly rotating, colossal sandball.
The sandball, hundreds of meters high, continued to shrink.
It squeezed and compressed towards Barrett at the center.
At the heart of the sandstorm.
The sound of hard compression and condensation incessantly rang out.
The sand, imbued with abilities, continuously eroded Barrett's body.
Barrett voluntarily deactivated his Ghostly Qi mode.
His skin was instantly corroded and damaged.
The moisture in his body was drawn out, and his physique slightly shrank.
After dozens of breaths.
His entire body had shrunk to one-third of its original size.
Enduring the immense pressure and weight.
Barrett flexed his limbs, feeling the searing pain all around.
"Almost there."
"Hoo—"
He exhaled lightly and instantly entered Ghostly Qi mode.
He raised his fist, blue energy coursing through his arm.
Outside.
Crocodile, on top of the sand waves, suddenly felt a flicker of premonition.
The giant sandball, after shrinking to a hundred meters, could no longer be compressed.
Although he could clearly sense moisture being absorbed, it wasn't much.
He pondered a countermeasure.
*Boom*
The enormous sandball was directly blown apart.
The compressed sand, struck by immense force, became uncontrollable and surged outwards like waves.
At the instant the sandball was destroyed, a blue blur shot out.
Crocodile was startled:
"Wh...?"
Then, a large blue hand grabbed his face and smashed him into the ground.
*Boom!*
The ground instantly caved in, forming a crater several meters wide.
Barrett pinned Crocodile to the ground.
He lifted the man by his head.
Looking at the stone tablet in the distance marking the lawless zone.
He charged directly towards the tablet, using Crocodile as a shield.
With a ferocious grin, he shattered the tablet.
He shook Crocodile in his hand, confirming he wasn't dead.
Then he walked towards Sakazuki.
Crocodile, after being shaken, regained a sliver of consciousness.
He laboriously mobilized his ability.
Several meter-high sand waves gathered on both sides, crashing towards the two of them.
Barrett drew his left hand to his abdomen and swung.
Several afterimages flashed, and the air in front of him exploded with white shockwaves.
Fist winds, like air cannons, blasted towards the sand waves on either side.
*Bang bang bang bang...*
Striking the sand waves, a series of explosions dissipated the condensed sand.
Then Barrett looked at the Crocodile in his hand.
He grabbed one of his shoulders.
*Crack*
The bone instantly snapped.
At the same time, he kicked at his leg.
*Crack*
Crocodile's lower leg was directly kicked and broken.
Barrett's cruel voice rang out:
"Behave."
The intense pain instantly sobered Crocodile.
But the hand on his face prevented him from making a sound.
His flushed face was covered in cold sweat.
He forced himself to calm down.
After being dragged by Barrett for a short distance.
Crocodile's right hand suddenly turned into a sand blade and stabbed towards Barrett's throat.
Simultaneously, the ground had somehow turned into sand.
Several sand spears pierced various parts of Barrett's body.
Barrett let out a cold snort and instantly activated his Ghostly Qi mode.
His muscles bulged, and the sand blade and spears struck Barrett, making sounds like swords colliding, but unable to penetrate his body at all.
Crocodile suddenly transformed his blade into a palm and pressed it directly against a wound that Barrett had acquired from his recent body refinement.
All his abilities converged in his right hand, creating a powerful suction that drew out a significant amount of moisture from Barrett's body.
However, it proved ineffective.
Barrett let out a cold laugh, and a blue afterimage flashed.
*Crack... Crack...*
Two more crisp sounds.
Crocodile's limbs were completely torn off.
Moments later.
Barrett dragged the Crocodile, resembling a drowned dog, to Sakazuki, who was sitting amidst the ruins.
With a thud, he was thrown to the ground.
Only then did Crocodile have the chance to gasp for breath:
"Cough... cough..."
"Marines..."
He struggled to lift his head, his bloodshot eyes blurring as he vaguely saw the figure sitting in front of him wearing a Marine uniform.
Sakazuki picked up a cigar that had been flung from Crocodile's person, smiled, a cigar, ah...
He put it in his mouth, his fingertips turned to magma, and lit the cigar, taking a deep puff:
"Hoo—"
The white smoke he exhaled directly covered Crocodile's face:
"Recognize me."
The sudden rush of smoke irritated Crocodile, causing him to cough:
"Cough cough... cough cough..."
"Damn it..."
His dazed consciousness cleared slightly. He looked up, his pupils contracting sharply:
"Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral."
"Sakazuki!"
Sakazuki chuckled:
"Since you recognize me, there's no need for further explanation."
"You've heard of my methods."
"I didn't kill you for a reason."
"I've come to find you this time to offer you an opportunity to be a dog for the Marines."
"It's also a chance for you to make a comeback."
"If you can seize it, you might even be able to get revenge on Helme Nock in the future."
Crocodile certainly knew the infamous Sakazuki, but he couldn't help but mock:
"Hehehehehe..."
"Give me a chance?"
"Be a dog for the Marines?"
"What a colossal joke."
"Shouldn't I be thanking you?"
Sakazuki, with the cigar in his mouth, let out a soft scoff.
White smoke enveloped his face, obscuring his features.
He lifted his black leather shoe.
*Bang*
He directly stomped Crocodile's raised head into the ground.
"You should thank the Government."
He lifted his foot again.
*Bang*
"Thank the Marines."
He lifted it once more.
*Bang*
"For giving you this opportunity."
Then he ground his foot down.
"And most of all, thank me."
"For not killing you."
"Understand?"
As his words fell, Sakazuki's Conqueror's Haki, exceeding that of an Admiral's, accompanied by killing intent, pressed down on Crocodile.
*Boom*