Pirates: Your emperor has returned!

The next second, something unexpected happened.

A massive sandstorm swept across the dock, filling the surrounding area with sand and gravel, instantly reducing visibility to less than half a meter!

"what happened?"

"Who? Who is it?"

"Wow!"

After a brief moment of panic, there came a series of screams.

After a few breaths, the sandstorm gradually dissipated.

The residents were astonished to find that the sharp blades that had been held to their necks were now on the ground.

The pirates wielding sharp blades had long since dried up, becoming desiccated corpses.

Crocodile appeared behind Hokka and the bearded man, the sand-covered scimitar on his elbow gradually dissipating.

He had a cigar in his mouth and looked back at Hoka.

"Hey, merman."

The sand returned to Crocodile's body.

He frowned and tapped his cigarette ash.

"That guy, I specially saved it for you."

[Chapter 17. The Fist of Angry]

pier.

Thanks to the intervention of Hokka and Crocodile, the chaotic situation came to an abrupt end.

Hokka managed to subdue the bearded captain, while Crocodile was even more swift and decisive, using his gravel scimitar to hack the remaining slave traders on the shore to shreds.

The sharp blade at the elbow slowly dissipated.

Crocodile raised his chin and gestured to Hokka:

"That guy, I specially saved it for you."

After saying this, Crocodile ignored the grateful looks from the residents and, as always, turned and left.

This is typical of him as a national hero.

Although Rowan's appearance disrupted Crocodile's plans to some extent, he always liked to have multiple options.

I should still be a national hero.

……

On the other side, Hokka looked at Crocodile's retreating figure and nodded.

Thank you.

As for the bearded man, he was already ashen-faced.

With no hostages in hand, his life was entirely in the hands of the fishman before him, who could snap his neck with the slightest effort.

In desperation, the bearded man remembered his last lifeline.

He shouted at his warship, "You bunch of good-for-nothings, come save me!"

But it was too late.

Hoka had already clenched his other fist so tightly that it cracked!

A rage filled his chest, fueled by the resentment of years of enslavement.

At this moment, that emotion finally found an outlet!

"This punch is for my compatriots, and for all kind-hearted people."

"You scum..."

The fist, brimming with anger, was raised and then swung out with all its might!

"Go to the bottom of the sea and repent!"

boom!

A heavy punch landed on the bearded man's face.

With a single strike, the bearded man was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing straight into the sea in the distance.

With a "plop".

Glug glug glug...

A few bubbles rose to the surface of the sea, and then there was no more movement.

Seeing that even their captain was beyond saving, the remaining pirates on the warship dared not entertain any further thoughts.

After all, the man who killed all their companions on the shore in an instant was none other than Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!

They knew Crocodile was active in this country, but they never expected to run into him here.

Why would the Seven Warlords of the Sea happen to be in this small town?

No, that's no longer important.

They were just ordinary slave traders and could never be a match for a Devil Fruit user.

In any case, if you want to survive, you have to run!

The remaining pirates immediately set sail and left the port.

To their slight relief, it was just a small dock, and there were no fast boats that could catch up with them.

However, in their haste, they overlooked two things.

First, what they were hunting was a group of fish-men.

The fish-men are children of the sea, and no fast ship can match their full swimming speed.

Hoka called to Vol and the other fishmen who were still in good physical condition, and they planned to launch a pursuit.

He knew very well that he absolutely could not let these slave traders escape, otherwise the residents of Yaruja would be in endless trouble!

Meanwhile, Hoka also set his sights on the large ship.

Once we capture this ship, we can abandon that conspicuous, dilapidated sailing ship and escape all the way to leave the Grand Line.

But just as Hoka and the others were about to take action, they suddenly noticed a thin layer of sand floating in front of them.

He turned his gaze to Crocodile, only to find the latter smoking a cigar and making no move.

Crocodile looked up and pointed to the other side.

Hoka then turned his head and saw the source of the surging sand not far away.

It was that strange man who had won in Al-Arazama before!

That was precisely the "second thing" that the slave traders overlooked.

Hoka blinked, looking somewhat puzzled.

Come to think of it, I don't even know that man's name.

What is he going to do?

Hoka watched as Rowan slowly stepped forward, the sand gathering faster and faster, forming several visible "lines" in the air.

Rowan patted Hokka on the shoulder, gesturing for him to step back.

Then, he raised his right hand.

The speed at which the gravel gathered increased further, and a gravel spear gradually took shape in Rowan's hands.

After a few breaths, the slave trader's ship gradually sailed away, and the spear, which was about three meters long, finally took shape.

Seeing this, Crocodile raised an eyebrow, somewhat disdainfully.

Are you planning to pursue with a spear?

An exaggerated approach, too much effort!

But what happened next made Crocodile's expression turn serious.

The spear had clearly taken shape, but the sand continued to gather.

They remained attached to the spear, but the spear's specifications remained unchanged.

A dark, metallic sheen gradually adhered to it.

After a brief observation, Crocodile suddenly realized what Rowan had done—

He is "compressing".

Using Armament Haki, he compressed sand several times the size of the spear together!

Its effect, of course, is undoubtedly to enhance its power.

But to what extent can it be enhanced...?

Crocodile tried to sense it, and then involuntarily shivered.

He sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from the tip of that spear!

Any one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea possesses the power to destroy an island.

Crocodile was certain that the sand spear in Rowan's hand, compressed to its limit, possessed almost the same level of destructive power!

The accumulation of sand and gravel finally stopped.

Rowan held a long black spear in his hand.

Calm and silent, like an ordinary spear.

But anyone who has cultivated domineering aura would be shocked by this scene!

Because that is almost the limit that Armament Haki can compress, it is hard to imagine how much enormous energy is hidden within it.

Gravel—Black Gun!

He aimed at the slave traders' warships, stepped forward with one foot, and pulled his body back as if to throw.