"What the hell just happened?! Hammer, what did that dagger of yours do to him?!"
Lance stared in utter shock at the stunning woman before him, completely thrown off.
Hammer wasn't doing much better. He had only wanted to test his blade; he never imagined something would happen.
'Holy crap... that's Crocodile?'
'She's too gorgeous...'
"She's stunning..." Even Shirley, a woman herself, was practically in awe.
She's got full-on dominant lady vibes now.
'What happened to the trench coat and slicked-back hair of Crocodile? Why does he no, she now looks like a glamorous crime boss lady from a Hong Kong film?'
"Do you remember that odd-colored mineral in the warehouse?"
"That dagger was forged using that stone. And during forging, it was somehow imbued with a power called mutation. I thought it would turn people into monsters at most."
"How was I supposed to know it would change someone's gender?!"
Everyone, including the Marines, Crocodile, and his own crew, was completely dumbfounded.
The once-proud and fearsome Crocodile had been struck once by Hammer, and just like that, he transformed into... Her.
"YOU DAMN MARINES! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Her rage came out in a shrill soprano; her voice was so high-pitched. It pierced through everyone's eardrums.
"Uh... Old Croc-no, wait, Little Croc-"
"Nope, that's not right either. Lady Crocodile.. Yeah, that works."
"Lady Crocodile, look, I swear I didn't mean to!"
Hammer had no idea how to face Ke Luoke Da'er.
"I'LL KILL YOU! COWARDS, UNLOCK THESE HANDCUFFS!"
Her fury painted her cheeks FLUSH, making the nearby Marines gulp nervously.
"Lanc, unlock her handcuffs! Wait, no, DON'T unlock-"
"Lance, are you stupid?!"
Before anyone could stop him, the clueless Lance, acting on instinct from Hammer's first shout, pulled out the key and unlocked the Seastone cuffs on Crocodile.
"Wait… why did I just unlock her?"
Freed from the Seastone's suppression, Crocodile exploded with power.
Boom, total mayhem. Her slender hands pressed against the ground, summoning a terrifying storm of sand, sucking up every drop of moisture around.
Even nearby coconut trees were drained.
"Damn it! Everyone retreat! Forget the pirates, save yourselves!"
"Lance! Shirley! Get the hose from the ship, prep for water spray!"
"Chest-Shattering Hammer!"
To cover his soldiers' retreat, Hammer used his powers to shatter the ground beneath them, halting Ground Death's spread.
"You turned me into this, I'LL KILL YOU! AND EVERYONE WHO SAW ME !"
"DIE!! I'LL TURN YOU ALL INTO MUMMIES!!"
Crocodile unleashed the full horror of the Sand-Sand Fruit.
Its core power is desiccation. It could drain moisture from anything, organics, rocks, or soil, turning them into dust.
Even her own pirate crew wasn't spared.
"Boss! We're your crew!"
Chased down by the Ground Death, her subordinates no longer admired her stunning beauty; they just ran for their lives.
"You saw what you shouldn't have. That's enough reason to DIE."
A sandstorm engulfed all her pirates. When it cleared, they were all mummified corpses.
This is the true power of a Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit.
"Damn... she didn't even spare her own men?"
"Lady Crocodile, you're terrifying!"
Hammer's teasing voice cut through the chaos, fueling her rage.
"MY NAME IS SIR CROCODILE! NOT LADY CROCODILE!"
"DIE, MARINES! DESERT SPADA!!"
A giant blade of sand shot toward Hammer.
"Hold on! Let me explain"
Hammer didn't fight back. He knew he was in the wrong.
He simply tanked the hit using Tekkai.
After all, this was Crocodile, a candidate for the Warlords of the Sea. Hammer never liked him, but still...
Now that he had accidentally gender-swapped the guy, what could he do?!
"I WON'T LISTEN! I'LL GRIND YOU TO DUST!"
Failing the first hit, she followed up with a deadlier move, turning her hands into four massive sand blades with fan-shaped edges. Even thick stone walls couldn't withstand them.
This time, Hammer didn't dare go easy.
He swung his hammer, neutralizing the attack.
"Lance! Shirley! Are you done over there?! Hurry up!"
Without the Seastone suppression, Crocodile was going all out, and Hammer couldn't use Armament Haki to beat her up without feeling even guiltier.
Shirley ran over with a hose and spray nozzle.
"Hammering of the Soul!"
Another strike attack landed, stunning Crocodile just long enough for Hammer to turn the valve and blast her with water.
This was the Sand-Sand Fruit's weakness: water and liquid. It prevented her from turning into sand or elementalizing.
Even worse for her, the hose was connected straight to the ocean.
Saltwater was sprayed all over her.
"DAMN YOU, MARINES!!"
The instant seawater touched her, Crocodile lost all strength and powers. She was furious... but utterly helpless.
Soaked from head to toe, her drenched clothes clung to her body.
Now Hammer was even more flustered.
"Shirley! Handcuffs! Quick!"
"I can't... I'm out of strength..."
Lance sighed, snatching the cuffs and charging at the drenched Crocodile.
"You're a Devil Fruit user too, idiot! Why'd you touch the Seastone?!"
The cuffs clicked shut on her wrists. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Crocodile passed out. Lance gave Hammer a helpless look.
Hammer still held his fist out; it was his Face Hammer that knocked her out. Just enough force to make her faint.
"Bring Lady Crocodile aboard. We're leaving!"
Thus ended the battle, with Crocodile transformed into a woman, and he being all wiped out.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu