The hot desert wind blew across the broken stones of the city gates. The fight was finally over. The elite agents of Baroque Works were completely defeated. But the cost was incredibly high.
Kai lay flat on his back on the cracked sandstone ground. His chest moved up and down in short, hard gasps. He felt like his entire body was made of heavy lead. Every single muscle burned with a terrible, sharp pain. He had pushed his new elemental powers far past their absolute limit. Fighting the deadly Mr. 1 with three different elements at the same time had drained every drop of his energy.
"Kai..." a weak, buzzing voice came from his left wrist.
The sleek orange-and-black Power Watch was no longer glowing brightly. The screen was very dim, and a tiny bit of white smoke drifted up from the metal edges.
"Bot," Kai whispered. His throat was as dry as the desert sand. "Did we win?"
"We won the battle here," Bot's robotic voice replied. He sounded very tired and very worried. "But your energy core is completely empty. You have zero power left, Kai. If you try to change forms right now, your heart might stop. You must rest."
Kai closed his eyes. He did not care about the pain. He smiled a tiny, weak smile. He had done his job. He had stopped the bad guys from blocking the gate. Now, his friends could get inside the city.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of heavy boots walking on the sand made Kai open his eyes again. He turned his head slowly.
Zoro walked out of the thick dust. The green-haired swordsman looked terrible. His clothes were ripped, and he was covered in dark red blood. But he walked tall. He expertly flipped his three sharp swords and slid them back into their sheaths with a loud click. He had beaten Mr. 2 Bon Clay.
Zoro looked down at Kai. He did not smile, but his visible eye was full of deep respect. "You did good, kid," Zoro grunted.
"I'm not... a kid," Kai breathed out, trying to laugh, but it just turned into a heavy cough.
From the other side of the courtyard, more footsteps approached. Nami stumbled forward. She was using her blue Clima-Tact like a walking stick. She was covered in white dust from the crushed stone tower, but she was alive. She had beaten the terrifying spike-woman using only her brain and a party toy.
"Is everyone okay?" Nami asked. She was panting hard.
"We are alive!" a loud, crying voice shouted.
Usopp limped over the broken rocks. He looked like he had been hit by a train. His nose was bent funny, his goggles were broken, and his clothes were torn to rags. Next to him was Chopper in his small, cute reindeer form. Chopper was crying too, holding a small medical bag in his furry hooves.
"I will fix everyone!" Chopper sobbed, running over to Kai and opening his bag. "Just hold on!"
"We do not have time to sit around," Zoro said. His voice was cold and hard. He looked past the broken city gates. He looked toward the center of the massive capital city.
The sound was horrifying. It sounded like the end of the world. Huge cannons went BOOM. Guns fired into the air. Hundreds of thousands of men were screaming, yelling, and crying. The Rebel Army and the Royal Guards were crashing into each other in the city plaza. The war was happening right now.
"Vivi is up there all alone," Zoro said. He reached down and tied his dark green bandana tightly around his left arm. "We are not done fighting. We have to go to the palace."
"But Zoro!" Chopper cried. "Everyone is hurt so badly! Kai cannot even stand up!"
"I can walk," Kai lied. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit up. The pain was blinding, but he ignored it. He looked at his friends. "Luffy told me to keep you guys safe. I am not staying behind."
Nami wiped the sweat from her forehead. She looked at the towering palace in the distance. "Sanji is already up there with Vivi. We have to hurry. We have to finish this."
High above the bloody fighting in the streets, the Royal Palace was quiet. It was a terrible, scary kind of quiet.
Inside the biggest room of the palace, the floor was covered in soft, expensive red carpets. Beautiful glass windows looked out over the entire city. But right now, this beautiful room felt like a dark prison.
Sir Crocodile sat in a massive, comfortable chair. He wore his thick, heavy fur coat. He took a long drag from his cigar and blew a thick cloud of white smoke into the air. He looked completely relaxed. He looked like a man who had already won the game.
On the floor in front of him was King Cobra. Vivi's father was a good, kind man. But right now, he looked broken. Heavy iron chains were wrapped tightly around his wrists and ankles. His face was bruised, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"Listen to that sound, Cobra," Crocodile said. He smiled a slow, evil smile. He pointed his shining golden hook toward the window. "Your country is burning to the ground."
King Cobra coughed. He looked at the Warlord with eyes full of pure hatred. "Crocodile... you are a monster. My people will find out the truth. They will know you lied to them."
Crocodile threw his head back and laughed. It was a cold, cruel sound that echoed loudly in the large room.
"The truth?" Crocodile sneered. "The truth does not matter in this world. Only power matters. My plan worked perfectly. Your armies are destroying each other right now. When the fighting is over, the city will be ruined. The survivors will be terrified. And then, I will step outside. I will pretend to save them. They will beg me to be their new King."
From the dark shadows near the back of the room, Nico Robin stepped forward. She wore a long purple coat. Her face was calm, and she did not smile. She held a thick book in her hands.
"Mr. 0," Robin said quietly. "The Rebel Army has pushed into the plaza. The Royal Guards are losing. The war will end soon."
"Perfect," Crocodile said. He stood up from his chair. He was a very tall, scary man. He walked slowly over to the chained King. He looked down at Cobra with greedy eyes.
"Now, Cobra," Crocodile growled. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper. He placed the sharp, deadly point of his golden hook right under the King's chin. "The game is over. Tell me what I want to know. Tell me where the ancient weapon is hidden. Tell me the location of Pluton."
King Cobra's eyes went wide with sheer horror. Pluton was not just a weapon. It was an ancient, legendary warship. A single shot from Pluton could blow up an entire island. It was a secret that could destroy the whole world.
"I will never tell you," King Cobra said. He clamped his mouth shut. "I would rather die."
"You are very stubborn," Crocodile sighed. He lifted his golden hook high into the air. The metal caught the light. "But I have ways to make you talk. Straw Hat Luffy thought he was stubborn too. He thought he could stop me. And now, he is dead. He is buried under the hot desert sand forever. No one is coming to save you."
"FATHER!"
A loud, desperate scream echoed through the large wooden doors.
The doors burst open. Princess Vivi ran into the room. Her clothes were dirty, and she was panting heavily. Tears streamed down her face. She had run all the way from the plaza, past the fighting, past the fake guards, just to get here.
"Vivi!" King Cobra yelled. "Run away! It is a trap!"
Crocodile turned around. He looked at the blue-haired princess. He did not look angry. He just looked amused.
"Ah, Princess Vivi," Crocodile smiled. "Welcome home. I am so glad you could join us. You are just in time to watch your father die."
"Stop it!" Vivi screamed. She pulled out her weapons. They were sharp, spinning rings attached to wires. Her hands were shaking violently, but she pointed them right at the Warlord. "I will not let you take my country!"
"You are a foolish little girl," Crocodile laughed. His lower body began to turn into swirling, hissing yellow sand. "You cannot hurt me. You cannot save anyone. This country is already mine."
Crocodile raised his golden hook. He lunged forward with terrifying speed, aiming right for Vivi's heart.
Vivi closed her eyes. She braced herself for the pain.
But the pain never came.
High up in the bright blue sky, far above the massive dust cloud of the war, a giant bird flew faster than the wind.
It was Pell, the brave Guardian Spirit of Alabasta. He had used his Devil Fruit to turn into a massive brown falcon. His huge wings beat hard against the air, pushing him straight toward the towering royal palace.
He was not alone.
Sitting on the giant bird's back was a teenage boy.
He wore a red vest. The vest was torn to pieces, and it was stained with dark, dried blood. A massive, terrible wound was healing on his chest. On his head, a simple straw hat blocked the bright desert sun.
Luffy was alive.
Just a short time ago, Pell had found Luffy dying in the desert. Crocodile had stabbed him and left him for dead. But thanks to Pell pouring gallons of fresh water into his mouth, and Luffy eating a massive piece of meat in one bite, the rubber boy had survived. His strange, strong body had healed just enough. He had refused to give up. He had demanded that Pell fly him back to the fight.
Now, as they flew over the city, Luffy looked down.
He saw the tiny, ant-like people fighting in the plaza. He saw the smoke. He saw the fire. He heard the sad, terrible screams of the innocent people hurting each other because of a bad man's lies.
Luffy did not smile his usual goofy smile. His face was completely dark. His eyes burned with a furious, unyielding fire.
"Straw Hat..." Pell called out over the rushing wind. The giant bird sounded very worried. "Are you sure about this? Crocodile is a Warlord of the Sea. He is a monster. He almost killed you."
Luffy did not answer the bird.
Instead, Luffy cracked his knuckles. The sound was sharp and loud. He reached behind his back. He was carrying a massive, heavy wooden barrel. The barrel was filled to the very top with fresh, cool water.
Luffy knew the secret now. He knew how to beat the invincible sand man. If Crocodile got wet, his sand stuck together. It made him solid. It made him weak to punches.
"Pell," Luffy said. His voice was low, hard, and totally serious. "Fly higher. Go right over the biggest room in the palace."
Pell nodded his bird head. He folded his giant wings and shot higher into the clouds. Then, he went into a steep, blindingly fast dive. He aimed straight for the beautiful glass roof of the royal palace.
"I told him," Luffy whispered to the wind. He grabbed the heavy water barrel tightly. A fierce, bloody grin spread across his face. "I told him I was gonna kick his ass."
Inside the palace room, Crocodile was just inches away from Vivi. His golden hook was swinging down to strike her.
Suddenly, the entire world exploded.
BOOM!
The massive, beautiful glass roof of the palace shattered into a million tiny pieces. Heavy blocks of white stone, cracked wooden beams, and glittering glass rained down into the luxurious room like a meteor shower. A huge cloud of thick white dust exploded outward, covering the red carpets.
Crocodile stopped moving. He pulled his golden hook back and stepped away from Vivi. He covered his face to block the falling rocks.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Crocodile roared. His eye twitched with immense, furious anger. Someone had just destroyed his perfect moment.
Nico Robin took a step back into the shadows. Her dark eyes went wide with genuine surprise as she looked up at the massive hole in the ceiling. King Cobra gasped. Vivi fell to her knees, looking up at the sky.
The thick white dust slowly began to clear.
In the very center of the ruined room, a single figure slowly stood up.
He brushed the dust off his torn, bloody red vest. He adjusted the straw hat on his head. He carried a massive wooden barrel of water on his back.
"CROCODILE!" Luffy roared. His voice was so loud it shook the remaining glass in the windows. It was a voice full of pure, absolute power.
Sir Crocodile froze completely. The expensive cigar slipped from his lips and fell to the floor. His jaw dropped in pure, unadulterated shock. He stared at the rubber boy. He could not believe what his eyes were seeing.
"You..." Crocodile stammered. His confident, arrogant face broke into a mask of pure confusion. "That is impossible. I stabbed you through the chest. I dropped you into quicksand. You are dead!"
Luffy raised his head. His dark eyes locked onto the Warlord. He reached behind his back and unscrewed the top of his heavy water barrel. He dipped both of his fists deep into the cool liquid. He pulled his hands out. They were dripping wet. Water splashed onto the red carpet.
"I told you," Luffy grinned. It was a brave, fearless smile. "I'm the guy who is going to be the Pirate King."
"You insolent, stupid brat!" Crocodile roared. His face twisted in pure, demonic anger. He was furious that this boy would not just die.
The Warlord's lower body instantly dissolved into a swirling, loud tornado of coarse yellow sand. He launched himself directly at Luffy with terrifying speed. He swung his golden hook, aiming right for Luffy's head.
Luffy did not dodge. He did not run away.
"Gum-Gum..." Luffy yelled. He pulled his wet right arm far back. His rubber shoulder stretched and twisted, storing up a massive amount of kinetic energy. The water dripped heavily from his knuckles. He aimed right for the center of the Warlord's sand body.
"Pistol!"
Luffy's wet fist snapped forward. It moved faster than a bullet. It broke the sound barrier with a terrifying CRACK.
The wet fist hit Crocodile squarely in the face.
Because the fist was covered in water, it did not pass through the sand. It hit solid flesh. The impact was absolutely devastating. Crocodile's eyes rolled back in his head. Blood flew from his mouth.
The Warlord was launched backward by the pure force of the punch. He flew across the room, crashing violently through a thick stone pillar and tumbling across the ruined carpet.
Luffy stood tall in the center of the room. Water dripped from his hands. He cracked his knuckles again.
Crocodile, the terrifying Warlord of the Sea, lay on the expensive red carpet. He was covered in broken glass and crushed white stone. For a long, silent moment, he did not move.
Then, he slowly lifted his hand and touched his face. His fingers came away wet. He looked down. It was dark, red blood.
Luffy's wet, water-soaked fist had not passed through the sand. Because the water made Crocodile's sand stick together and become solid, the heavy punch had hit the Warlord with full, devastating force.
"You..." Crocodile whispered. His voice was shaking. It was not shaking with fear. It was shaking with pure, unadulterated, demonic rage.
Crocodile slowly stood up. His expensive fur coat was ruined. His slicked-back hair was messy. The jagged scar across his face twisted into a look of absolute murder. He glared at the teenage boy standing in the center of the room.
Luffy stood tall. The torn, blood-stained red vest hung loosely on his shoulders. The massive, bloody hole in his chest was slowly healing, thanks to his strange rubber body and the massive amount of meat and water he had swallowed in the desert. He gripped the heavy wooden barrel of water on his back. He did not look scared. He looked ready to finish the fight.
"I am going to kill you," Crocodile roared. "I am going to turn you into a dried-up husk, Straw Hat!"
Crocodile's lower body instantly dissolved into a swirling, hissing tornado of yellow sand. He shot forward like a fired cannonball. He swung his massive golden hook, aiming right to cut Luffy's head off.
Luffy ducked under the heavy gold hook. The sharp metal cut a deep gash into a solid stone pillar behind him.
"Gum-Gum..." Luffy yelled. He dipped his hands into his water barrel again. His fists dripped with cool liquid. He stretched both of his arms far back, twisting them like tight rubber bands. "Gatling!"
A blinding blur of wet rubber fists shot forward. It looked like a wall of high-speed bullets.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Because Luffy's fists were completely soaked in water, every single punch hit solid flesh. Crocodile grunted in pain as the heavy blows struck his chest, arms, and face. The Warlord was pushed backward, his boots skidding across the ruined carpet.
"Curse you!" Crocodile yelled. He slammed his right hand directly onto the stone floor of the palace.
"Ground Death!"
The effect was instantaneous and terrifying. The Warlord's Devil Fruit power did not just dry out living things. It dried out everything. The moisture inside the thick stone floor was violently sucked away. The heavy rocks instantly turned into dry, crumbling sand.
The floor beneath Luffy's feet completely vanished.
"Whoa!" Luffy yelled, his arms flailing wildly as he fell down into the darkness.
Crocodile jumped down after him. King Cobra, still wrapped in heavy iron chains, and Nico Robin, in her long purple coat, also fell through the collapsing floor.
They all tumbled down into the deep, dark underground levels of the royal palace. They landed heavily in a massive, ancient stone tomb. Hidden deep in the shadows of this tomb was a giant, square stone covered in strange writing. It was the Poneglyph.
Luffy crashed into the dirt floor. His water barrel smashed against a rock, spilling half of his precious water into the dry dust.
"My water!" Luffy panicked, scooping up the remaining liquid into his mouth. He swallowed it quickly, his belly blowing up like a massive water balloon.
Crocodile landed smoothly in the underground tomb. He looked at the rubber boy with cold, dead eyes.
"You think a little water makes you my equal?" Crocodile sneered. He reached over with his right hand and grabbed the top of his massive golden hook. With a sharp click, he pulled the golden cover completely off.
Underneath the gold cover was a terrifying weapon. It was a sharp, wicked hook covered in a glowing, dark purple liquid.
"This is deadly scorpion poison," Crocodile said. His voice was an icy whisper. "One tiny scratch, and your heart will stop beating in minutes. The game is over, Pirate."
Luffy wiped his mouth. His belly sloshed with water. He pulled his straw hat down tightly over his eyes.
"I don't care about poison," Luffy said firmly. "I'm still gonna kick your ass."