I have the Flame-Flame Fruit, I'm invincible!

All the hard work and effort put into Alabasta over the years has gone down the drain.

This infuriated Old Sha.

Ten years, oh ten years, how many decades does one have in a lifetime? He was a hero of Alabasta for ten years, and now all of that is gone in an instant.

But it's okay, once he recovers from his injuries, that's a different story.

Old Sha is preparing for a strategic retreat.

This is not over.

"So, Crocodile, are you trying to run away?"

"Hmph, a simple provocation, but it won't work." Old Sha sneered, his figure gradually disappearing.

He stared intently at Dick and the others, determined to remember them all.

Next time, next time he'll kill them all.

"You can't run away."

Blazing Divine Flame, speed doubled.

Life returns, granting the ability to manipulate all the power of the physical body.

The "Instant Movement" skill, a modification to the "Shave" technique, can increase movement speed by another 50%.

The combination of these three factors resulted in Dick's incredible speed.

In a flash, Dick, arriving late but arriving first, struck Old Sha hard in his astonished gaze.

Tear.

"Cough cough," Old Sha coughed up blood; this was the second time he had been injured since the start of the war.

But each injury dealt him a severe blow.

“Not simple, not simple at all,” Old Sha gritted his teeth. “No wonder you dared to come to my door, you really have something up your sleeve.”

"The ultimate technique of the Six Powers, Life Return, and the improvement on Shave... You're from the Navy?"

"No, I am not, and I am not a government official."

Old Sha gave Dick a deep look.

The other party is hiding a big secret.

"Alright, let me see what this guy who wants to challenge me is really made of."

Dick silently stepped back, revealing the group of children behind him.

"What do you mean?" Old Sha frowned.

"Your opponents are them. I won't make a move as long as you don't try to run away."

Old Sha was stunned. He looked at Dick, then at the young faces of Guina and the others.

I realized it all at once.

Whetstone.

I am the whetstone.

"Goo-ha-ha, goo-ha-ha," Old Sha laughed maniacally. His laughter was fueled by boundless rage.

"Arrogant, truly arrogant."

Starting and stopping is foolish, it's utterly foolish.

At least, both Cobra and Nico Robin looked at Dick as if he were an idiot.

“It’s not arrogance, because you’re no longer at your peak, Crocodile,” Dick said slowly.

"I don't know what happened to you, but you should know that you are no longer the Crocodile you once were, no longer the hero who challenged Whitebeard, and no longer the monster who swept across the seas with unstoppable momentum."

"You are not worthy to fight me now."

Sand Crocodile: ( o｀ω′)ノ

He clenched his fists tightly, the intense humiliation making him want to argue back.

But harsh reality told him that Dick was right.

If it were during his peak years—no, let alone his peak years, even a few years ago—he could easily defeat these kids in front of him.

Unlike now, they can actually hurt him.

Just as Dick said, his strength is declining.

His excessive pursuit of Hades caused Crocodile to neglect his own training; moreover, his lack of self-confidence caused his domineering aura to gradually diminish.

While a plan measured in years may seem flawless and perfect, it is often a sign of a lack of confidence.

The crocodile began to doubt its own strength.

They believed that they couldn't reach the top based on their own abilities.

He fell into depravity.

"Guhahaha, guhahaha," Old Sha covered his face and began to laugh, gradually becoming frantic, and finally calming down.

His domineering aura began to resurface, and his momentum surged even higher.

"I must thank you; it was you who helped me find myself again, but,"

"If you want to defeat me, then show me your strength."

Desert Sword.

A gentle wave.

Old Sha's attack was as powerful as the full-force attack he had just delivered.

Although it's still far from his peak, he's completely different from before.

“You all step back!” Dick yelled.

One person unleashed a life-giving flame, which enveloped the group and prevented them from being killed.

The battle that follows is beyond the reach of others.

"Alright, I'll see just how strong Crocodile really is."

You won't be disappointed.

Shasha and Shaoshao.

A clash between two natural systems.

They directly demonstrated to everyone the scene of a natural disaster.

With a casual movement from either side, a sand tornado and a fire dragon will collide.

100 meters, 300 meters, 500 meters...

The weaker you are, the further away you should be from the center of the battle. The sheer scale of the fighting forced Kobra to retreat 2 kilometers to avoid being affected by the aftershocks.

Logically speaking, Logia-type combatants should fight each other because since both are elemental, their elemental attacks are completely ineffective; they can only compete in terms of Haki and physical skills.

However, this truth took an unexpected turn when it was presented to Dick.

The desert sword clashed with the fire dragon. The flames not only easily melted the sand, but when they reached Old Sand, they actually made him feel dangerous.

he got hurt.

Elementization is invalid.

"What kind of flames are these?" Old Sha stared in shock at the flames engulfing his body.

It cannot be extinguished. It can only be dispelled with overwhelming power.

"Samadhi True Fire."

Samadhi Fire, a legendary flame from mythology.

It consists of three parts.

Fire in wood, fire in the air, fire in stone; some say it refers to the three fires of essence, energy, and spirit.

Domineering aura, on the other hand, is the power of will.

A similar force renders elementalization completely ineffective.

"Samadhi True Fire, what a fine name, a magical flame. It can break through elementalization, excellent, excellent," Old Sha praised.

"But I will not admit defeat."

Sandstorms have started again.

In terms of strength, domineering presence, physical skills, and speed, Crocodile was completely outmatched.

With the addition of the Samadhi True Fire, which can directly attack elementalized forms, Old Sha completely lost his advantage.

With a deafening roar, the two finally stopped after their final collision, which burned the desert within a 2-kilometer radius into a massive crater filled with lava.

Old Sha silently took out a cigar from his pocket and held it to the flame on his body, ready to light it.

"Here you go." Dick flicked his finger, sparks flying and cigar smoke billowing around him.