A small sandstorm erupted from Crocodile's palm, surging toward Ron, obliterating the brick and stone ground in its wake.
A massive cyan wind blade collided with the sandstorm, sending gusts of wind scattering in all directions.
Without a sound, Crocodile, who had seemingly transformed into sand, suddenly appeared beside Ron, both hands reaching toward the Devil Fruit in Ron's possession.
But he grabbed nothing.
In the blink of an eye, Ron disappeared from his position and reappeared where Crocodile had been standing just moments ago.
The two had swapped positions in an instant.
Crocodile's expression grew serious.
"Six Powers' Shave?" He fixed his gaze on Ron. "Who are you, kid?"
"My name's Ron, just an ordinary traveler," Ron replied with a smile, then let go of the Devil Fruit in his hand. The Metal Metal Fruit began to sink slowly into the air beside him, like water settling into an empty void. Crocodile narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So you're a Devil Fruit user too."
Ron gave a slight smile but didn't respond.
The ability of the King's Treasure seemed to resemble a Devil Fruit power in this world.
After witnessing Ron's Shave and "Devil Fruit ability," Crocodile became fully alert, taking the seemingly ten-year-old black-haired boy seriously as a true opponent.
"I'll admit, you're strong, but challenging me? Hmph."
Crocodile's cold gaze never left Ron, his hands releasing waves of fine sand, as if they were alive. His black fur coat billowed in the wind as his gold hook glinted coldly with deadly intent. The full force of the Warlord of the Sea, the Desert King, was on display!
Crocodile slammed his palm into the ground.
The earth around him cracked, spreading in a visible pattern for dozens of meters. Even rocks crumbled into fine sand, and the sand that touched anything began to drain the water out of it, expanding outward with a deadly, parching effect.
The ground appeared lifeless, cracked and barren.
Twelve sand serpents made of yellow sand, formed from rocks that had turned to dust, shot from the cracked earth, closing in on Ron from all directions.
Anyone or anything touched by the yellow sand would have its water drained instantly.
Ron knew this danger well. He had intended to use Shave to dodge, but suddenly, the ground beneath his feet collapsed, and yellow sand wrapped around his legs.
With a burst of power, Ron shattered the sand that was trying to drain his moisture with a powerful gust of wind, but the sand was already coming at him from all sides. Even with Shave, he couldn't completely avoid it.
Moreover, with the ground collapsing beneath his feet, Shave, which relied on rapid foot movement to speed up, became impossible to use.
Ron's eyes narrowed slightly, and he reached out into the void.
To Crocodile's surprise, Ron grabbed a long sword that shimmered with light from thin air.
"Water Breathing, Total Concentration, Sixth Form, Whirlpool!"
With a swift motion, Ron swung the sword.
A massive water-blue whirlpool erupted from around him, the whirlpool transforming into an enormous, razor-sharp blade that instantly blocked the yellow sand, while a series of spiral slashes, like flowing water, cut toward Crocodile.
"He's also... a swordsman?"
Crocodile's eyes widened slightly, a sense of unease rising in his heart. When did such a young swordsman appear on the seas?
He didn't have time to dwell on it.
He immediately activated his power.
A massive surge of yellow sand erupted from the cracked ground before him, transforming into a thick, sturdy wall of sand that blocked the spiraling slashes.
As the Yellow Sand Wall disintegrated into fine sand, the black-haired boy had already disappeared from his position.
A flash of danger crossed Crocodile's mind. Without hesitation, he transformed into sand and scattered into flowing sand, spreading out in all directions.
A flash of sharp blue blade light appeared in mid-air.
Under the dim moonlight, it swiftly cut through the air, leaving behind ten beautiful blue arcs of light.
"Water Breathing, Fifth Form, Blessed Rain after the Drought."
Crocodile's sand form was slashed by the soft and gentle blue light, splitting apart into yellow sand that scattered across the ground.
Ron, holding Raikiri, glanced sideways in a certain direction.
Yellow sand began to gather there, coalescing into Crocodile's towering figure. He glanced down at his left arm, which had been cut open, blood dripping from the wound.
Crocodile glared darkly at Ron. "How did you do that?"
Ron looked down at the pristine blade of Raikiri in his hand and then glanced at Crocodile, smiling. "Even if you're a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, if your elemental transformation speed is slow enough, you'll certainly be slashed by an armed haki-infused strike."
As Ron turned to face Crocodile, who was scowling in fury, he added, "Compared to the Rumble Rumble Fruit user I faced before, your elemental transformation speed is really slow, huh?"
Crocodile was furious.
He touched the ground with his right hand, and the earth beneath Ron instantly transformed into sand.
Just as the ground began to collapse and form a sinking, life-devouring sand dune, Ron, sensing the imminent danger, leaped into the air in advance.
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