Who told him to become the Pirate King!

Chapter 154 Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; Crocodile, please try again! (3rd update, 10,000 words, please subscribe!)

Edward Weebull's physical abilities were indeed extremely strong.

However, Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit is precisely what counters this kind of physically strong but simple-minded "physical opponent".

Edward Weevil's body was completely drained of moisture by the sand, leaving him as withered as a wisp of straw, seemingly blown away by a gust of wind, and utterly incapacitated.

In a sense.

The Sand-Sand Fruit does indeed possess the special effect of "one-hit kill".

After all, not everyone has mastered the special ability of "sit-ups." Even after being completely drained of water several times, they can still get up again and throw themselves into a new battle full of energy...

Crocodile defeated Edward Weevil.

Buckingham Stussy, who tried to escape, was caught and brought back by the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The battle is completely over.

Crocodile then deactivated his Sand-Sand Fruit ability, no longer allowing "Erosion Reincarnation" to spread its influence unchecked.

Even so, this area on Golden Island was still turned into a desert!

Logia-type Devil Fruits are just that powerful and special.

When a Logia-type Devil Fruit is developed to a certain extent, its power, when released, is very likely to cause irreversible changes to the surrounding natural environment, thus having a permanent impact on the surrounding natural environment.

For example, the Magma-Magma Fruit or the Ice-Ice Fruit, these two Logia-type Devil Fruits, can permanently alter the climate of an island...

Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit has not yet been developed to the point where it can permanently change the surrounding environment, but the "Erosion Reincarnation" he just released did indeed cause irreversible changes to the surrounding environment.

With Crocodile deactivating the Sand-Sand Fruit's power, Storm no longer maintained that small area of ​​clay ground.

"Old Sha."

Storm walked over to Crocodile's side and looked curiously at Edward Weevil, who was lying motionless beside him.

"Can your [Sand-Sand Fruit] help people lose weight?"

Crocodile was still basking in the joy of defeating "Whitebeard".

Although Edward Weevil is not Edward Newgate, the difference in their abilities is like heaven and earth.

But who made Edward Weebull grow that iconic crescent-shaped beard?

Crocodile defeated Edward Weevil.

Round down to the nearest whole number.

He's the one who defeated the young Whitebeard!

However, when Storm's question reached Crocodile's ears, he was taken aback.

"...What?"

"lose weight."

Storm looked at Edward Weevil, who was as shriveled as a zombie, and gestured roughly.

"If I were to throw cold water on Edward Weebull now, would he revert to his old ways?"

"Or perhaps, will he become a little 'thinner'?"

Storm knew that there was a person on the high seas whose ability could cause a "weight loss" effect.

Coincidentally, the opponent was also a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, and could also extract water from the enemy's body.

【Nature Type: Forest Fruit】

Crocodile was somewhat speechless at Strom's inexplicable question.

After a long pause, he uttered two words in a very cold tone.

"boring."

As soon as he finished speaking, Crocodile strode directly toward Buckingham Stussy and his mother.

At that moment, a heavy, black cross-shaped greatsword blocked his path.

Crocodile stopped in his tracks, frowning as he looked at the "former" world's greatest swordsman beside him.

"Hawkeye?"

"I don't care how you deal with that woman."

Hawkeye Mihawk said calmly, while retracting his [Black Blade Night].

"But don't kill that young white-bearded man yet; I'm somewhat interested in him."

Hawkeye Mihawk originally wanted to challenge Edward Weevil.

But Crocodile's sudden outburst caught him off guard.

Furthermore, the fact that he, Crocodile, and White Dragon ganged up on Edward Weevil together... was really going too far.

Therefore, Hawkeye Mihawk has temporarily withdrawn from this sparring match.

However, at present.

Edward Weevil has been defeated by the Sand Crocodile.

Hawkeye Mihawk also wanted to test the true level of "Whitebeard III," who seemed to have inherited Whitebeard's power from his youth.

"I'm equally interested in him, Old Sha."

Storm then continued.

"This person is mine."

Edward Weevil III, the Whitebeard.

In the mouths of Storm, Hawkeye Mihawk, and Crocodile, he was like a piece of pork waiting to be slaughtered.

However, none of the people present had any objections.

The only old woman who had a complaint hasn't come to her senses yet...

After being interrupted by Mihawk and Storm, Crocodile's idea dissipated considerably.

"Fine, you can have both of them!"

Crocodile, ignoring Buckingham Stussy and Edward Weevil, spoke calmly.

"I have no interest in such a weak enemy."

"lie."

Storm sneered, directly exposing Crocodile's lie.

"Old Sha, if you weren't interested in Buckingham Stussy, would you have gotten so worked up fighting him just now?"

"White Dragon...you bastard!"

Crocodile's deliberately maintained calm expression instantly crumbled, several veins bulged on his forehead, and his right arm turned to sand, with strands of yellow sand flowing down from his body.

"Do you want to fight?"

"I won't take advantage of you."

Storm wouldn't mind testing Crocodile's mettle.

However, the other side had just gone through a battle.

"I'll give you some time to rest."

"I don't need that kind of thing!"

Crocodile snorted coldly, abandoning Buckingham Stussy and Edward Weevil, and transformed into a whirlwind of sand, rushing towards Storm's location.

"Die, White Dragon!"

"Tsk!"

Storm clicked his tongue, and two red lights flashed in his eyes. His Observation Haki directly revealed Crocodile's battle intentions.

"Let me see how much you've improved!"

Crocodile's right arm transformed into a massive, heavy sand blade. Dark Armament Haki mixed into the sand, "forging" the brownish-yellow sand blade into a huge "black blade."

"The Desert Diamond Sword!"

laugh--

Enraged, Crocodile swung his Desert Diamond Blade, seemingly about to sever the white dragon's head in one blow.

"Wow, not bad, that's definitely 'domineering'!"

Storm's eyes lit up. He slowly raised his left hand, his left fist stained black with thick Armament Haki, to block the Desert Diamond Blade that was slashing towards him.

clang--

Storm's fist clashed with Crocodile's Desert Diamond Blade.

The seemingly enormous and incomparably powerful Desert Vajra Sword suddenly trembled violently.

In contrast, Storm's fist remained firmly clamped there, completely unmoved.

"But it's still too weak!"

No sooner said than done.

Storm swung his right fist forward, and that jet-black iron fist, which was also wrapped in Armament Haki at some point, slammed heavily into Crocodile's abdomen with lightning speed.

boom!

Storm's iron fist slammed solidly into Crocodile's stomach.

The latter's eyes bulged out, and his body involuntarily curled up as memories flashed through his mind.

In his childhood, he witnessed firsthand the destruction of the country by the Celestial Dragons and pirates in God Valley...

In his youth, he became famous as a pirate, and fought to a standstill with Douglas Barrett, the son of a demon...

He ventures into a new world, challenging the world's strongest man, Whitebeard, only to suffer a humiliating defeat...

Shattered dreams and demoralized, he accepts an invitation from the World Government to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, hoping to use external forces to exact revenge once more...

Fragments of memories flashed through Crocodile's mind like a revolving lantern.

The last thought that crossed his mind was—

"That bastard Bailong... his punches were so heavy..."

Crocodile, you're dead.

The sand crocodile, who was just moments ago so aggressive, wanting to sever the white dragon's head.

He was punched in the abdomen by Bai Long and collapsed limply to the ground.

Before Storm's eyes, a brand new seven-star trophy leaped out of the void.

[All-Star Trophy: Crocodile]

[Tournament Rating: ★★★★★★★]

"Old Sha has already reached seven stars? That's a bit unexpected..."

Storm originally thought that Crocodile's current strength level was only six-star, just like when he first met him.

After all, Crocodile's power level hadn't changed much after the brief exchange; he had only awakened—or rather, "recovered"—Armament Haki.

There has been progress, but not much.

Storm hadn't expected that with just this small improvement, Crocodile's strength level would advance from six-star to seven-star...

Regardless, this benefited Storm.

"White Dragon".

Mihawk frowned involuntarily as he looked at Crocodile, who had been knocked down by Storm's punch.

"Don't you have a good relationship with Crocodile?"

"Aren't you hurting him too much by doing this?"

"What's so strange about that, Number Two?"

Storm put away his fist, glanced at Hawkeye, and casually gave an example.

"If you had the chance to defeat Shanks, would you hesitate?"

"Won't!"

Mihawk said decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"However, the redhead no longer has his left hand. A swordsman has lost even his dominant hand..."

"I've lost interest in that man."

In the past.

Mihawk often seeks out Shanks for sparring matches. The two are evenly matched and both find enjoyment in the battle.

But until six years ago.

Shanks lost an arm in the East Blue...

Mihawk never sought out Shanks to spar again.

Because Shanks lost his left hand, the left hand he used to eat, drink, and wield a knife!

For a swordsman, losing his dominant hand would have a tremendous impact on his strength.

According to Mihawk.

Without his left hand, Shanks is no longer the redhead he once was, the one who garnered his attention.

So at this moment.

That's why Mihawk said he "had no interest in that man."

however.

"Really? I don't believe it."

Storm pursed his lips, then asked a question.

"Number Two, do you think 'One-Handed Red Hair' is more powerful, or 'Two-Handed Red Hair'?"

Mihawk answered without hesitation.

"With both hands, of course!"

"So here's the question."

Storm continued to ask.

Why is "Red-Haired with Two Hands" not one of the Four Emperors, while "Red-Haired with One Hand" is?

Six years after losing his left hand, Shanks rose to the top in the New World, becoming the fourth Pirate Emperor in the eyes of the world.

This is something everyone in the ocean knows.

"..."

Mihawk fell silent; he suddenly realized he couldn't answer the question.

Because that's reality.

With red hair on both hands, he should be stronger, but he is not the Pirate Emperor.

One-handed red-haired man, who should have been weaker, yet became the Pirate Emperor.

Mihawk fell into deep thought.

There must be something fishy about this!

(End of this chapter)