The lightning surged wildly inside the bubble.
In an instant, the entire bubble turned crimson as the lightning spread across its surface like living veins.
For several breaths, the lightning and the bubble remained locked in a stalemate.
Then a faint crack appeared.
Crack.
The crimson lightning intensified, spreading violently through the bubble's structure. More cracks began to form across its surface.
Crack.
Snap.
The fractures multiplied rapidly, crawling across the bubble like a spiderweb.
Soon the entire surface was covered with spreading lines of damage.
Pop.
The bubble could no longer withstand the pressure and burst apart.
The moment it shattered, the crimson lightning that had been trapped inside erupted outward in every direction.
At the same time, an overwhelming aura exploded from within.
The invisible force swept across the battlefield like a storm.
Eight Legged Rampage stood closest to the source, so he immediately recognized the terrifying pressure.
His eyes widened in shock.
"Conqueror's Haki..."
His expression became grim.
Not only was his shell famous for its durability, even the bubbles he created were considered some of the toughest restraints in the world.
However, the bubble cage had one fatal weakness.
It could not withstand Conqueror's Haki.
He had believed that trapping Crocodile inside would allow him to capture him easily.
He never expected that Crocodile actually possessed Conqueror's Haki.
As the terrifying aura spread across the battlefield, countless people felt it and reacted with shock.
"I didn't expect Crocodile to have Conqueror's Haki!"
"First Rolan, then Kuro, Hancock, and now Crocodile. How many people here actually have Conqueror's Haki?"
"Anyone with Conqueror's Haki has the potential to become a king. I can't believe all these people are willing to serve under Kuro!"
One pirate immediately shouted back.
"Are you blind? Captain Rolan has already surpassed everyone in this world. There is nothing shameful about serving under him!"
Not far away, Ivankov clashed with Bartholomew Kuma before briefly glancing toward Crocodile.
"Crocodile boy..."
He muttered quietly.
"Back then you were still..."
Ivankov paused before continuing.
"You should thank me now."
Nearby, Whitebeard also looked toward Crocodile.
His eyes carried a deep and thoughtful expression.
"Crocodile..."
Far across the battlefield, Kizaru stared at the scene with a shocked look.
"How terrifying... the Ion Tempest Pirates."
Even Renn felt slightly stunned.
Every member of the Ion Tempest crew possessed incredible strength.
From the current situation, each of them seemed to possess power not inferior to an Admiral.
For such a group to gather into one pirate crew was almost unbelievable.
Not far away, Enel clenched his teeth as he watched.
"This showing off was quite successful, you stinking sand Crocodile..."
Ever since joining the ship, he had secretly been competing with Crocodile.
But every time, Crocodile somehow managed to stay one step ahead.
Enel snorted.
"Hehehe. Next time, this God will definitely surpass you."
Meanwhile, Eight Legged Rampage's face twisted with rage.
"Former Shichibukai Crocodile, I hereby declare your death sentence!"
He raised his body high.
"Eight Sword Style, Frenzied Slash!"
As his voice fell, all eight of his massive legs swung violently.
Countless slashes tore through the air and rushed toward Crocodile.
Crocodile's lips curled slightly.
"A trivial trick."
His body instantly dissolved into a storm of yellow sand.
In the next moment, he reappeared behind Eight Legged Rampage.
Crocodile extended his right hand and pressed his palm onto the ground.
"Erosion Cycle."
The power of his Devil Fruit immediately spread through the earth.
The ground began to crumble piece by piece.
Solid stone quickly turned into loose sand.
Within seconds, the surrounding terrain had transformed into a desert stretching hundreds of meters.
Eight Legged Rampage turned his head and glared at him.
"Ant!"
Before he could move, Crocodile spoke again.
"Quicksand, Vortex."
The desert suddenly began to shift.
Massive whirlpools of sand appeared across the ground.
The powerful suction pulled everything toward their centers.
Eight Legged Rampage rapidly moved his eight legs to stabilize himself.
Even so, the shifting sand made it difficult for him to maintain balance.
At that exact moment, Crocodile appeared directly in front of him.
In Crocodile's hand was a long spear made entirely from compressed sand.
Without hesitation, Crocodile thrust the spear forward.
The spear stabbed directly toward Eight Legged Rampage's mouthparts.
Clang.
A sharp metallic sound echoed as sparks burst into the air.
The spear tip collided with the crab's hardened shell and stopped.
For a brief moment, neither side moved.
The attack could not pierce through.
Eight Legged Rampage burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! My defense is the strongest in the world!"
"How could a tiny ant like you break it?"
He remained confident in the durability of his shell.
However, Crocodile only smiled faintly.
The spear in his hand suddenly began to spin.
Faster.
And faster.
The spinning motion intensified until the spear tip started grinding into the shell.
Little by little, it began to pierce through.
Eight Legged Rampage's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How is this possible..."
Blood suddenly sprayed from his mouth.
"Pfft!"
His expression filled with shock.
His shell was incredibly hard, but the area near his mouthparts was his only weak point.
Even so, breaking through it should have been extremely difficult.
Yet Crocodile had done exactly that.
"How could an ant break my defense..."
His voice slowly faded.
Darkness swallowed his vision as his massive body began to collapse.
Crocodile quietly muttered to himself.
"No matter how hard something is, it can't compare to emery."
He withdrew the spear and no longer paid any attention to the fallen enemy.
Instead, he turned and calmly began walking toward Rolan.
Just then, a flash of lightning suddenly appeared beside him.
"Hehehe, you stinking sand Crocodile."
Enel's voice carried obvious pride.
"You were much slower at dealing with your opponent than this God."
Crocodile ignored him completely and kept walking.
Seeing no response, Enel assumed Crocodile had admitted defeat.
His grin widened.
"If you know you've lost, then run away."
He laughed loudly.
"Call this God big brother and I will protect you from now on."
Crocodile finally stopped walking.
His expression darkened as he turned his head.
"Big brother your ass, you exhibitionist."
His voice was filled with irritation.
"Do you want to fight?"
Enel simply shrugged smugly.
"Hehehe, either way, you lost this round."
With that, his body transformed into lightning and shot forward toward Rolan.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, another confrontation had begun.
The white clothed man standing in front of Nami slowly scanned her body with greedy eyes.
His expression was filled with lust.
"So you are White Fist Nami."
He licked his lips.
"You look pretty good."
Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Nami immediately felt goosebumps spread across her skin.
"Eww. Uncle, you're disgusting."
The man grinned shamelessly.
"Hahaha. I'm very hard. Want to try?"
He even attempted what he believed was a charming smile.
His name was Miyamoto Shagin, a user of the Hard Hard Fruit.
Nami rolled her eyes in disgust.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to come outside and scare people when you're this ugly?"
The man's expression instantly darkened.
"Damn it! You filthy woman! Don't take my kindness for granted!"
His anger erupted.
In Mary Geoise, many noble ladies admired him.
They often invited him for various private matters.
Because of that, he believed himself to be the most charming man in Mary Geoise.
Yet this pirate woman dared to insult him.
The humiliation made his blood boil.
Nami had already lost patience.
She raised her hand and clenched her fingers toward him.
Dark clouds instantly gathered above Miyamoto Shagin's head.
"Lightning Rain."
The moment she spoke, a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm crashed down from the cloud.
Boom.
The lightning struck the top of Miyamoto Shagin's head directly.
Another bolt followed.
Then another.
Lightning continued to pour down relentlessly.
Within seconds, Miyamoto Shagin's entire body was swallowed by raging electricity.
The ground trembled under the repeated explosions.
Some bolts struck the ground nearby, leaving blackened scorch marks across the battlefield.
Suddenly, a fierce shout echoed from within the lightning.
"Haa!"
The lightning suddenly split apart.
The bolts scattered to both sides as a figure slowly walked forward from the center of the storm.
Miyamoto Shagin emerged completely unharmed.
A twisted grin spread across his face.
"Still a little firecracker."
His eyes gleamed with interest.
"I like it."
===
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