Watching Koza's relentless assault, the man sneered, "What a fool!"
With a few swift movements, he vanished into the crowd.
This was Mr. 1, Daz Bonez, Crocodile's subordinate and a user of the Supa Supa no Mi. He could transform any part of his body into blades—a power he'd just used to devastating effect.
Daz Bonez found a secluded spot and contacted Crocodile via Den Den Mushi. "Mission accomplished!"
This was precisely Crocodile's plan: to push Koza to his limits, then appear himself, capitalizing on his superior reputation to seize the throne.
However, he had grossly overestimated Koza's capabilities. Even after the Tsumegeri Guard's elimination, Koza's rebel forces remained remarkably weak.
Primarily refugees from other regions, they lacked proper training and were physically debilitated by years of drought, severely hindering their combat effectiveness.
Compared to the professionally trained royal guards, they were hopelessly outmatched.
News of the Tsumegeri Guard's demise reached Pell. He immediately deployed other elite guards as replacements.
Despite this, the rebels and the royal army were locked in a stalemate. The sheer number of rebels, however, presented a significant challenge.
As time passed, exhaustion began to take its toll on both sides.
Koza, recognizing this, decided to call a temporary retreat, planning to resume the battle the following day.
Following Koza's retreat, a despondent Cobra returned to the inner palace. Pell, after assessing the damage, approached Cobra.
"Your Majesty, without reinforcements, we cannot hold out much longer!"
Cobra looked at Pell, deeply concerned. "What happened? The royal army shouldn't be this weak."
"A mysterious individual appeared. Incredibly strong, they swiftly eliminated our guards, decimating our elite unit."
"It must be Crocodile!" Rage consumed him.
He knew Crocodile was perceived as a hero by the common people, making it nearly impossible to expose him.
He imagined that revealing the truth would only incite even greater unrest. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt
"If only I could reveal Crocodile's true nature…" he murmured in the palace.
As he spoke, sand surged from the palace walls, coalescing into a figure: Crocodile.
Pell's eyes narrowed, instantly adopting a defensive stance in front of Cobra. Cobra stood, confronting Crocodile.
"Crocodile! How did you get in here?!"
"How did I get in? I'm a Logia-type, the Suna Suna no Mi user. The palace guards couldn't possibly detect me."
Crocodile smirked. "I expected Koza to push forward and seize the palace. Instead, he retreated at night!
I even had someone help him eliminate most of your elite unit. That fool disappointed me."
"What are your intentions?" Pell asked, his eyes fixed on Crocodile, ready to attack at a moment's notice.
But Pell was no match for Crocodile's superior power.
"Do you think you can defeat me?"
Crocodile's body turned to sand, filling the palace with dust. His poisoned hook shot towards Pell.
"It's coated in deadly poison; instant death upon contact. Pray you don't get hit," Crocodile said, his smile unconcerned.
Cobra yelled, "Pell, watch out!"
The difference in their strength was insurmountable. Crocodile's poisoned hook was closing in on Pell.
At the last moment, Pell's Devil Fruit ability activated; his wings beat furiously, creating a gust of wind that deflected the hook, narrowly missing him.
He grabbed Cobra and fled Crocodile's range.
"Not bad speed, but so what? I'm just toying with you."
Crocodile retracted his hook and created a sandstorm in his palm.
A violent sandstorm erupted, engulfing Pell and Cobra in an instant. Pell, lacking Observation Haki, was effectively blinded.
In the next moment, Crocodile launched his poisoned hook again, striking Pell directly in the chest. The poison spread rapidly through his body.
"Puchi!" Pell coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, unconscious or possibly dead…
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