On the battlefield, the two men stood facing each other from a distance, both bearing wounds.
The Self-Harm Sword only affected Sig himself—when it stabbed Crocodile, it inflicted ordinary injuries.
Sig's wounds looked terrifying, with excessive blood loss, but they were fake.
Crocodile, on the other hand, had only been stabbed in the arm. Due to the sword's limited length and the obstruction of his golden hook, the injury wasn't extremely severe.
However, in Crocodile's eyes, even this cold-blooded schemer was somewhat moved.
There were many ruthless people in the world, but few who were equally ruthless toward themselves.
This added an unreadable depth to the killing intent in Crocodile's gaze.
"The Pirate Mountain Bandit King Sig, protector of civilians and young girls—I thought you were just a joke among pirates."
"But with this level of resolve, you might actually deserve the title."
Crocodile spoke with a frosty expression.
"What does your approval matter to me?"
With the blood-stained Self-Harm Sword in hand and having forced Crocodile back, Sig's confidence surged once more.
He pointed the sword at Crocodile and declared:
"Even if I must carry this entire city on my back, shield Robin with one hand, exhaust my Haki, and suffer grievous wounds—I, Sig, remain invincible in this world!"
As he spoke, Sig swung his sword again, another flash of blade light cutting through the air.
This time, Crocodile's expression shifted slightly. He dodged, shielding his injured left arm behind his body and taking the slash with his torso instead.
Half of his body burst apart into swirling sand before reforming.
The wound on his left arm continued to bleed, preventing him from using his Logia intangibility there, but the rest of his body remained unharmed.
This scene made Sig's heart sink slightly.
His sword still couldn't reach Crocodile's true body.
"The sword is stained with blood, but only close combat is effective?"
"...If I yell 'Aokiji, save me!' now, would he make it in time?"
Sig glanced at the short sword in his hand. Its limited length made close-quarters combat with Crocodile extremely dangerous.
Crocodile's physical combat skills weren't top-tier, but they were still far superior to Sig's.
Fighting him up close would be like dancing on the edge of a blade—one misstep, and death would come swiftly.
But it seemed to be Sig's only option.
The duration of the Tom Card still had some time left, but it wasn't infinite.
He had to end this battle before it ran out.
With this in mind, Sig stepped forward cautiously, sword in hand, his heart filled with unease.
Thump thump thump thump...
The Emperor's Engine roared back to life under the pressure of fear and tension, its oppressive aura surging once more.
Sig's footsteps grew heavier.
He had already suffered enough from underestimating Crocodile—nearly losing everything moments ago.
Now, he couldn't muster the courage to engage in close combat.
"It's time for that move—the forbidden technique!"
Sig took a deep breath and activated the Great Visualization Method in his mind!
For Hawkeye, it was the "Rowing with Yoru" visualization.
For Doflamingo, it was the "Bean-Shaped Eyes" visualization.
Sig immediately recalled a popular fan theory from his past life about Crocodile's true identity.
"Crocodile's real identity is a busty, tsundere woman... who underwent gender reassignment surgery with Ivankov's help in the past..."
Sig repeated this in his mind, the image growing clearer. At the same time, he reached into his pocket and turned off the amplifier to avoid another mishap like last time.
Come to think of it... Sig had seen quite a few fan arts of a female Crocodile in his past life.
That level of wickedness... tsk tsk...
Sig's footsteps quickened slightly as he shook off some of his fear.
His expression was solemn, but a hint of mockery lurked in his eyes as he stared at Crocodile, advancing step by step.
His sword didn't slow either, its flashes of light forcing Crocodile—whose left arm could no longer turn to sand—into an increasingly awkward position.
Crocodile's cold gaze flickered as he observed the gruesome wound on Sig's abdomen.
With every swing of the sword, fresh blood sprayed from the injury, painting a pitiful sight.
"Sig's wounds are far worse than mine. Is he rushing to end the battle?"
A thought crossed Crocodile's mind.
Seizing a gap between Sig's attacks, he suddenly spoke:
"Sig, we're both injured, and there's still a Marine Vice Admiral waiting on the sidelines."
"Why don't we call a truce for now, deal with that Marine first, and then resume our fight?"
"A battle between tigers shouldn't be watched by mere hyenas like the Marines."
Sig's steps faltered for a moment, but he quickly refused:
"Crocodile, teaming up with me again?"
"That line sounds familiar."
Crocodile's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Do you doubt my sincerity?"
"Last time was last time. The situation now is different."
"If you're suspicious, I can tell you the real reason I set this trap for you."
Hearing this, Sig's footsteps halted completely, curiosity and wariness rising simultaneously.
He was deeply curious about why Crocodile held such intense hatred for him.
To go so far as to prepare a sandstorm capable of destroying a city just to deal with him...
If this plan failed and Sig survived, Crocodile could very well lose his status as a Warlord.
Given Crocodile's cunning, such extreme measures didn't make sense unless there was some deep-seated grudge between them.
What made him wary, however, was that Crocodile was usually a man of few words. His sudden verbosity felt unnatural.
He's probably stalling for time!
Sig glanced at the wound on his waist and reached a conclusion.
Stalling? Crocodile's the one who's injured. Time is on my side.
Combined with his curiosity, Sig decided to play along, slowing his movements as he retorted:
"Your real reason? Isn't it just for Another Piece and the secrets of the Celestial Dragons' treasure?"
Crocodile chuckled coldly, but his expression turned grave.
"That's only part of it."
"The real reason I'm targeting you is because of a single sentence you uttered in Loguetown."
His smile grew even icier, his voice dropping to a frigid whisper.
"Back then... you mentioned a man with a very large face."
Sig's eyes widened slightly, his heart jolting in shock.
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