Pirate: This Marine has two Rinnegan.

Putting everything else aside, these three abilities alone allowed Rocks to thrive in the absence of Chika. Coupled with the decline of the Four Emperors' crews, he naturally became the only emperor among pirates.

But now that Chiga is back, it means his good days are over.

......

Alabasta,

Crocodile led a group of Baroque Works members to stand outside the country's borders, their gazes fixed solemnly on the group of people opposite them.

The leader was a tall man wearing a black overcoat, and the people behind him carried a skull and crossbones pirate flag with a huge skull on it.

Crocodile took a deep drag on his cigar and said in a deep voice,

"Rocks Pirates' Vice-Captain, Forest Aramu."

Aramaki grinned, waved to Crocodile, and said,

"You must be Crocodile. I didn't realize you were so loyal. But you don't think you and the few useless guys behind you can stop me, do you?"

Aramaki's tone was clearly disdainful, and Crocodile's forehead bulged with veins, but he still held back.

He knew that the person in front of him truly had the ability to do so. He had heard of Aramu's power; he was someone who could go toe-to-toe with a Marine Admiral.

All Crocodile can do now is stall until the Navy's reinforcements arrive. Until then, he will avoid taking any action if possible.

inside the city,

Kobra stood on the balcony, anxiously looking out towards the city gate.

"Thump thump!"

A series of hurried footsteps sounded from behind Kobra; it was his daughter, Vivi.

Vivi had grown into a graceful young woman. She ran to Cobra's side and, before she could even catch her breath, she called out,

"Dad! I've already contacted the Navy Headquarters. Robin answered the phone and told me that Lord Chiga is back!"

In recent years, Vivi has often accompanied Cobra to headquarters to attend meetings. Because of their "connection" in Alabasta, she has become acquainted with Robin over time.

Upon hearing that Chiga had returned, Cobra's face immediately lit up with ecstasy. In the world of One Piece, the name Chiga symbolizes absolute power, and for Cobra, nothing was more reassuring than hearing that Chiga had come back.

Before he could even feel happy for a moment, a loud bang suddenly came from outside.

The father and daughter quickly leaned onto the windowsill and peered out of the city gate.

Upon seeing the scene outside the city gate, the two were completely stunned.

Countless enormous trees emerged from the sand and transformed into fists that slammed into the city wall.

Huang Mu still made his move, and without any warning.

Crocodile's expression changed, his arm instantly turned to sand, and he let out a low growl.

"Desert Diamond Sword!"

Swish!

A broad blade of sand swept towards the oncoming sea of ​​trees, cleaving numerous trees in two. However, this did not halt the surging tide of trees; they were endless, and Crocodile's attack had little effect.

Left with no other option, Crocodile had to unleash Sandstorm, creating a massive sandstorm.

Logically speaking, "sand" should restrain "tree" because sand fruits can absorb the water of life. However, the trees created by the barren pasture have extremely strong vitality and can withstand the invasion of sand and move forward.

Crocodile gritted his teeth as he focused intently on fending off the sea of ​​trees. Suddenly, a vine appeared silently behind him, transforming into a sharp thorn with a dark gleam at its tip.

Dalez's pupils contracted, and he shouted,

"Oh no! Boss!"

puff!

The sound of flesh being pierced rang out, and Crocodile shuddered. He slowly turned his head, and what came into view was Darez, who was pierced by tree thorns.

"Dalez!"

Chapter 387 The Death of the Wild Shepherd

A cruel smile appeared on Huang Mu's face. He clenched his fist, and the wooden spikes embedded in Dalez's body began to writhe, greedily absorbing nutrients from the flesh.

Dalez's body withered away at a visible rate, and he let out a painful groan.

Hearing Dalez's groans, Crocodile felt as if his heart was being torn apart. Among all his subordinates, Dalez was the most loyal to him. He always diligently completed the various tasks assigned to him without ever complaining.

Wildwood reveled in the pleasure of absorbing nutrients, and scoffed,

"He's a good subordinate, but he's a bit overconfident."

These words brought Crocodile's anger to its peak. He silently placed the lifeless Darez on the ground, then turned around abruptly, glaring at Aramu with bloodshot eyes.

"I'm going to kill you!!!"

Crocodile transformed into a sandstorm and charged out. Aramaki smiled disdainfully and waved his hand, causing a large number of black vines to surge from the ground, forming a black curtain that rushed towards the sandstorm.

Before long, Crocodile was wrapped up and fell from the sky, rolling to Aramu's feet.

Huang Mu stepped on him and continued to mock him.

"Looks like you, the boss, aren't all that great after all. But there's one thing I don't understand: is it really worth it for a pirate like you to go to such lengths for a country?"

"You bastard! The king will not let you get away with this!"

"King? You mean the king inside? Is he very strong?"

"No! The king I'm talking about is the former Marshal Zilin. He's the one who ordered me to guard this place. When he returns, you'll suffer a terrible death!"

Huang Mu was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"You mean...Uchiha Chika?"

"Yes!"

Bang!

Aramaki kicked Crocodile in the face, cursing angrily.

"Don't mention that name to me; he's the one who destroyed my faith!"

His faith referred to the former World Government, and he was a fervent supporter of the Celestial Dragons, all of which were destroyed by Chiga.

Still not satisfied after kicking him, Huang Mu gasped for breath and said angrily,

"And Akainu, he's a complete traitor! I admired him so much before! He deserves to die just like that Uchiha Chika!"

Crocodile coughed up a mouthful of blood, looked at Aramu with the eyes of someone looking at a lunatic, and said,

"You think you can challenge the King? You're nothing but a clown! Your end will be absolutely miserable, I can't wait! Hahahaha!"

Huang Mu's face was ashen, and he said through gritted teeth,

"You like to be stubborn, huh? Fine, I'll see how long you can keep up this act. Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily!"

As he spoke, he created a wooden spike and walked step by step toward Crocodile, whom he had kicked away.

The remaining Baroque Works members could no longer contain themselves. R.2 took the lead and charged forward, and even the usually timid R.3 mustered his courage and followed R.2 towards Aramaki.

However, the henchmen that Aramaki brought were not to be trifled with either. They stopped the people from Baroque Works, and a melee broke out between the two sides.

Aramaki had already reached Crocodile's side. He stuck out his tongue and licked the wooden splinter in his hand, laughing as he spoke.

"Now, you'd better enjoy yourself."

He raised the wooden spike in his hand, ready to stab it down, but Crocodile was really tough. He didn't even close his eyes and just stared straight into Aramaki's eyes.

"do not want!"

Vivi shouted from inside the city. Cobra, standing to the side, looked grave. Crocodile's performance today was truly moving, but unfortunately, the opponent's strength was simply too great!

Just as everyone was in despair, two beams of golden light descended from the sky, a scream rang out, and an arm holding a wooden splinter spun out.

Huang Mu reached out to cover the broken part of his arm, but as soon as his palm touched it, black smoke hissed out. If he hadn't pulled back quickly, his remaining hand would have been destroyed.

The sudden scene caused both sides fighting nearby to stop, staring blankly at Huang Mu, who had lost an arm, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Huang Mu trembled all over in pain, large beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. He thought to himself...

"A laser? Is that Admiral Kizaru? No way! How could his attack possibly hurt me, a fellow Logia-type user?!"

Although Crocodile on the ground didn't understand what was going on, there was one thing he knew: Aramu had suffered a great loss.

He immediately seized the opportunity to mock,

"What happened? How come you've lost an arm in such a short time? Keep going!"

Aramaki suppressed the urge to kill Crocodile and searched his surroundings, trying to find the person who attacked him.

A detached voice sounded from behind him.

"Are you looking for me?"

"Nani!?"

Huang Mu's hair stood on end. He turned around abruptly, but before he could even see the person's face clearly, two more golden lights burst forth, and his legs disappeared from his knees, his entire body plunging directly into the sand.

As he knelt, Crocodile on the ground saw a face he would never forget. His eyes widened, and he said in a trembling voice,

"Your Majesty...you're back?"

Huang Mu was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, but when he heard "King," his body trembled.

He had just been talking about how much pain he was in, but when the person actually stood in front of him, he didn't even dare to lift his head.

Only now did he realize how vast the gap was; from beginning to end, he didn't even have a chance to fight back before being reduced to a human stump.

Chiga didn't even glance at Aramaki. He simply snapped his fingers, and the black vines binding Crocodile instantly decayed.

Crocodile got up from the ground, but before he could even express his gratitude, a voice from not far away made him freeze in place again.

"Boss!"

He turned his head stiffly, staring incredulously at Dalez, who was jumping around there. Not only him, but everyone else was dumbfounded at the sight.

A few people witnessed what had just happened to Dalez. A gray vortex appeared out of thin air and enveloped Dalez. A moment later, he stood up from the ground, and his wounds disappeared without a trace.