In the plaza before Alubarna's palace—
Mr. 2, Bon Clay, spun wildly like a deranged top.
The exaggerated swan costume on his back carved ridiculous white streaks through the sandstorm.
He shouted strange slogans, his legs whipping through the air like twin lashes, trying to tear his opponent apart with his unpredictable okama-style combat.
Yet—
Sanji simply stood there.
He didn't even remove the cigarette from his lips.
One hand in his pocket, he tilted his head slightly—
Eyes filled with pure disgust.
"I mean… if that swan outfit were on Nami-swan or Vivi-chan…"
"That would be art."
He exhaled smoke calmly.
At the very instant Bon Clay's kick almost brushed his hair—
Sanji's body swayed lightly, like a drifting leaf, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"But on a guy like you…"
"It's an assault on my eyes."
"OH HO! You dodged my 'Great Impact'?!"
Bon Clay shrieked, his legs blurring into afterimages.
"Then try this! Swan Dance—Rapid Spin Kicks!"
Deep within Sanji's pupils—
A faint glimmer flashed.
Under his observation haki—
Everything slowed.
The wind.
The sand.
And the flaws in Bon Clay's flashy kicks—
All magnified.
Sanji didn't waste a single extra movement.
At the exact moment Bon Clay shifted his center of gravity—
His right leg shot out like a venomous dragon.
Piercing straight through the pink afterimages—
And landing precisely on Bon Clay's chest.
"Don't dance like that in a country full of ladies."
"Flambage Shot."
BOOM—!!
A dull explosion echoed.
Bones creaked violently.
Bon Clay's spinning body—
Stopped instantly.
As if hit by a speeding train.
He couldn't even scream.
His body flew like a rag doll—
Crashing deep into the ruins.
The swan decorations snapped—
And went still.
Sanji flicked the dust off his pants, expression bored.
"That didn't even count as a warm-up."
From atop the clock tower—
Crocodile saw everything.
The scar across his face twitched violently.
His grip tightened around his golden hook.
That calm, superior aura—
Cracked.
"Miss Doublefinger… Mr. 1… and now even Bon Clay…"
His voice turned hoarse, laced with disbelief.
"This level of strength… even in the second half of the Grand Line, they wouldn't be nobodies…"
"And these are supposed to be rookies from the East Blue?!"
His worldview—
Was being shattered.
To him—
The East Blue was the weakest sea.
A bounty over ten million was already impressive.
But these people?
That staff-wielding man—Ronan.
His raw physical power was absurd.
That green-haired swordsman—Zoro.
He cut steel like it was nothing.
And that blond man—Sanji—
Even Crocodile felt threatened by that kick.
"These aren't rookies…"
A ridiculous thought surfaced in his mind.
"Where the hell did these monsters come from?"
"Are they some kind of overpowered beasts coming back here just to bully the weak?!"
His hand trembled slightly.
Below—
The rebels had dropped their weapons.
The royal army stood frozen.
In front of millions—
The authority of Baroque Works was crumbling.
Luffy stood atop the palace.
Looking at Crocodile.
No rage.
Only calm clarity.
"My crew won't lose."
His voice echoed across the palace.
"Now it's your turn, Crocodile."
"Give them an answer."
"To these people… to Vivi… to that old man you killed."
"An answer?"
Crocodile laughed in fury, taking a deep drag of his cigar.
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
"Just because you beat a few useless agents…"
"You think you can challenge a Warlord of the Sea?!"
"Let me show you… true despair against a Logia user!"
"Desert Spada!"
His arm transformed into sand—
Expanding into a massive crescent blade.
Dozens of meters long—
It sliced through the air toward Luffy.
Carrying the power to drain life itself.
Luffy didn't move.
He simply watched.
In his perception—
Every fluctuation of Crocodile's power was clear.
SWOOSH—
Luffy's body blurred.
He twisted midair with impossible agility.
The massive sand blade—
Passed right by his chest.
Shattering pillars behind him—
But failing to touch even a hair.
Crocodile's pupils shrank.
"That movement… observation haki?! Impossible!"
"How could a rookie—?!"
"Not done yet!"
"Desert Greatsword!!"
Enraged, Crocodile formed a gigantic sand blade—
Capable of splitting the earth itself—
And brought it crashing down.
This time—
Luffy didn't dodge.
He inhaled deeply.
His internal energy surged like a roaring river.
His right fist—
Turned pitch black.
"Armament… Haki!"
The ground beneath him collapsed from the force.
His hardened fist—
Met the descending sand blade head-on.
"Gomu Gomu no—Bullet!!"
BOOOOOOM—!!!
Power clashed with power.
In Crocodile's horrified gaze—
His invincible sand blade—
Collapsed instantly upon contact.
No resistance.
No struggle.
Under the overwhelming force of Haki and Luffy's monstrous strength—
The blade shattered—
Into useless grains of sand.
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