An ancient secret?
Ryoma's fingers, propping up his chin, rhythmically and gently tapped his cheek.
The grim chill emanating from the ice throne swirled around him, forming a visible circle of faint white mist that made his entire presence seem increasingly unfathomable.
He looked down at Crocodile, who was held in a wretched state by ice spikes. Those deep eyes of his didn't show even the slightest ripple of emotion.
"A secret sufficient to challenge the World Government?" Ryoma repeated the phrase, as if savoring its absurdity.
Crocodile gasped for air, his voice becoming hoarse and urgent. "That's right! An ancient weapon! Possessing immense power! Power enough to shake the entire world order!"
The flames of ambition reignited in Crocodile's eyes as he tried to tempt the man before him with a vision of ruling the seas together.
"Once we have it, neither Marine Headquarters nor the World Government will be a threat anymore. Join forces with me, and we can rule this ocean."
However, the response to his grand speech was a sneer full of ridicule.
"Oh? What you're trying to talk about wouldn't happen to be the information recorded on the Alabasta Kingdom's poneglyph regarding the ancient weapon Pluton, would it?"
Ryoma's casual remark caused all of Crocodile's impassioned words to get stuck firmly in his throat. His sinister eyes suddenly bulged as he stared fixedly at the lazy man on the throne, a look of horror surfacing on his face that far outweighed his physical trauma.
How is this possible?
How can this be!
This was top-secret intelligence he had spent years of effort and infiltration to obtain. It was the ultimate trump card he had prepared for his comeback after his crushing defeat in the New World.
Why... why would this man know?
And looking at his nonchalant attitude, it was as if he were discussing a common piece of news found anywhere on the street.
At this moment, Crocodile felt that the schemes he took pride in and the ambition he had hidden for years were stripped bare before this man, ridiculously naked.
Ryoma looked at Crocodile's horrified expression with a heart completely unmoved.
Subverting Alabasta, searching for the ancient weapon Pluton.
Ryoma didn't even bother to expose the plan the other was preparing, such as using Dance Powder to create a drought in Alabasta and inciting a rebellion to steal the kingdom's throne.
Crocodile is actually quite naive.
Ryoma laughed inwardly.
This guy probably thinks that just by finding the poneglyph, he can get Pluton and then run rampant to challenge the world.
In the eyes of truly top-tier powerhouses, the so-called Pluton that can destroy an island with one shot is far less reliable than the strength one masters personally.
Moreover, Ryoma knew very well that the blueprints for Pluton were currently in Water 7, kept by Tom's second apprentice, the future Straw Hat crew shipwright, Franky.
The actual hull of the battleship Pluton was buried deep underground in Wano in the New World, which had already been occupied by Kaido of the Beasts.
Even if Crocodile learned Pluton's location through Alabasta's poneglyph, with his strength, would he have the ability to dig things up in Kaido's territory?
It was simply a pipe dream.
Ryoma slowly stood up, and the ice throne behind him turned into a shower of ice shards, dissipating into the air.
He slowly approached Crocodile once more. The sound of his approaching footsteps made Crocodile's heart involuntarily tighten.
One step.
Two steps.
Until Ryoma's toes were less than a step away from Crocodile.
"Ground Death!"
The corners of Crocodile's lips suddenly split into a hideously savage grin. With a low shout, while still suspended in mid-air by the ice spikes, countless fine cracks appeared across his entire sand-transformed body.
In the next instant, his body exploded. Countless grains of sand, entwined with pitch-black Armament Haki, turned into a destructive storm, shooting toward the close-range Ryoma.
This was his final trump card—a suicidal attack where he completely detonated himself, concentrating all his power into a single point.
This sudden turn of events was indeed somewhat beyond Ryoma's expectations. In his haste, he raised his arm, and a thick ice wall along with Armament Haki instantly condensed in front of him.
Boom!
The dense sandstorm slammed into the ice wall, letting out a deafening explosion.
The terrifying impact instantly shattered the ice wall, and with unabated momentum, it struck Ryoma, pushing him back more than ten meters and plowing two deep furrows into the ground.
The violent dust slowly cleared, and Ryoma's figure gradually became clear within it. He appeared almost unharmed, with only a few tears in his clothing.
"Pfft."
Ryoma spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked saliva and flexed his arm, which felt a bit numb from the shock.
"I didn't expect you to have such a trick left up your sleeve."
Crocodile's body reformed after the explosion, but he was already extremely withered, his presence as weak as a flickering candle in the wind.
He spat out another large mouthful of blood mixed with sand, the corners of his bloody lips pulling into a self-deprecating, bitter smile.
"Even like this... I still can't do anything to you?"
His voice was so faint it was almost inaudible.
"Truly... a monster..."
Ryoma didn't give him any more chances to speak. For a hero like this, he had to ensure his death was thorough.
Immediately, the ice spikes that were holding Crocodile up suddenly sprouted countless even sharper spikes in all directions, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki.
Schlick...
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out in rapid succession.
The already listless Crocodile was instantly skewered by the suddenly growing ice spikes, his body becoming riddled with holes.
The last glimmer of light in his eyes faded completely, and he lost all signs of life.
Gurgling blood flowed down the ice spikes, instantly staining that crystal-clear blue-white area red.
Ryoma quietly watched the mangled body skewered by ice, and once he confirmed Crocodile's life force had completely vanished, he gave a casual wave.
Crash!
The ice spike cage imprisoning Crocodile's corpse shattered upon command, turning into countless shimmering ice crystals that dissipated into the air.
The corpse, losing its support, fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust, and fell silent forever.
"Ancient weapons... truly a pathetic obsession."
Ryoma whispered to himself, not even bothering to spare another glance at the corpse.
For someone who knew the future course of events, Crocodile's ambition was destined for failure from the start.
Whether he appeared or not, this man would eventually be defeated by that Straw Hat kid, becoming a stepping stone on the other's path of growth. He had merely moved the process forward a bit.
At this moment, the bounty hunters in the distance who were lucky enough to survive the sandstorm were all frozen in place, their bodies shaking like leaves in the wind.
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed their saliva with difficulty, the sound particularly jarring in the silent environment.
"Dead... he's dead?"
A bounty hunter spoke with a tremble, his teeth chattering so violently he couldn't even finish a complete sentence.
"Even a Warlord of the Sea... has..."
Another person stopped halfway through his sentence, unable to go on. He stared with wide, terrified eyes as a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
That was a Warlord of the Sea!
One of the three major powers recognized by the World Government, alongside the Admirals and the Four Emperors, meant to suppress this ocean—a legendary figure that struck fear into the hearts of countless pirates.
But now, this legend had been taken down right before their eyes by a man in a nearly overwhelming manner, cleanly and efficiently.
This fact was so shocking that their brains stopped functioning, leaving only primal fear to grow wildly.
At this moment, they didn't even dare to entertain the thought of running away. Because they knew clearly that in front of such a monster, any attempt to flee would be a futile struggle and might even draw his attention, leading to a devastating blow.