He was horrified to discover that this wooden dragon was actually wrapped in a layer of Armament Haki, which clung to it like black flames, dramatically increasing its offensive power.
Crocodile was instantly sent flying, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it! You bastard."
Though knocked back, Crocodile only grew more enraged.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to endure the pain of his injuries, and pushed the powers of the Sand-Sand Fruit to their absolute limit.
With his movements, the surrounding desert seemed to be manipulated by an invisible force, countless grains of sand converging wildly.
"Desert King Kong Blade!"
Crocodile roared as he thrust his hands forward, and a massive blade, formed from compressed sand, materialized out of thin air.
This blade was incredibly huge, each grain of sand compressed to its utmost limit, its hardness rivaling that of diamond.
The wooden dragon sensed the threat and charged at Crocodile with a roar, its massive body causing violent tremors through the desert as surrounding trees also surged forward.
The Desert King Kong Blade shot up, swinging fiercely towards the dragon's head.
Seeing this, the wooden dragon opened its jaws wide, but Crocodile's attack was unstoppable; the Desert King Kong Blade struck the dragon's head directly.
With a deafening crack, a deep gash was carved into the dragon's head, sending splinters flying.
Yet the wooden dragon did not fall. Its regenerative abilities kicked in once more, the fissure beginning to heal rapidly.
Seeing this, Crocodile unleashed several sharp slashes of blade energy, leaving deep wounds across the dragon's body.
The wooden dragon roared in pain, its movements growing sluggish.
Seizing the opportunity, Crocodile gathered the power of the desert once more, conjuring a violent sandstorm.
The sandstorm engulfed the wooden dragon, the whirling grains continuously cutting into its body.
Finally, under Crocodile's relentless assault, the wooden dragon began to show signs of collapse.
Countless cracks appeared across its form, and the green glow faded.
With one feeble roar, the wooden dragon crashed to the ground, shattering into countless splinters and fragments that scattered across the desert.
Having dealt with the wooden dragon, a satisfied smile appeared on Crocodile's face.
He panted heavily, raising his head to look at Hashirama Senju in the distance, his mind racing with thoughts.
In his estimation, the wooden dragon he had just taken down was most likely Hashirama Senju's ultimate technique.
After all, the battle with the wooden dragon had been heart-stopping, and he had pushed himself to the limit to defeat it.
He felt that eliminating such a powerful wooden dragon would surely deal a considerable blow to Hashirama Senju.
The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and Crocodile burst into laughter once more.
"I am the king of the desert…" Crocodile shouted in his hoarse voice, a hint of pride in his tone.
However, his laughter was abruptly cut short, as if strangled by an invisible hand.
There stood Hashirama Senju in the distance, a carefree smile on his face. The smile was as radiant as the warm spring sun, but it sent a chill down Crocodile's spine.
Hashirama Senju clapped his hands together with ease, and in an instant, three wooden dragons, even more massive in stature, burst forth from the ground with a howl.
They radiated a dense green chakra light, their roars shaking the earth.
These three wooden dragons, ferocious and imposing, charged towards Crocodile with claws bared.
"What the XXXX"
Crocodile cursed inwardly, his smug expression instantly replaced by shock and fury.
His eyes widened as he stared at the three wooden dragons, despair filling his heart.
He had never imagined that Hashirama Senju could so effortlessly summon three more wooden dragons.
In his eyes, Hashirama Senju, with a simple clap of his hands, seemed to possess an inexhaustible well of power, conjuring whatever he desired as if such powerful techniques required no expenditure of stamina.
In an instant, Crocodile was surrounded by the three wooden dragons.
He looked around at the colossal serpentine bodies, understanding that while the desert's home-field advantage might prevent his outright defeat, his movements were now completely restricted.
"So this is the strength of the Fifth Emperor of the Sea, Hashirama Senju?"
The few CP9 members stood in the distance, their expressions grave as they watched.
Their faces were etched with shock and apprehension, their eyes reflecting a reverence for Hashirama Senju's overwhelming power.
Crocodile, fighting in the desert, was no weakling even among the Warlords of the Sea, yet he was being suppressed so effortlessly by Hashirama Senju. The disparity in strength was simply despairing.
"Hmm? You've all been staring at me. Is there something you need?"
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Hashirama Senju turned his head to look at the CP9 members, a curious expression on his face as he asked. His voice was not loud, but it reached each of them clearly.
Spandam's face immediately went pale, and his body began to tremble slightly.
He frantically waved his hands, forcing a smile that looked worse than tears, and stammered, "We're just ordinary people passing by."
As he spoke, he silently prayed that Hashirama Senju wouldn't grow suspicious, terrified of drawing the attention of such a powerful figure and inviting disaster upon himself and his companions.
Rob Lucci, typically calm, composed, and formidable among CP9, also remained uncharacteristically silent.
His lips pressed together, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
He knew all too well that the gap in power was simply immense; before a powerhouse like this, any words seemed utterly futile.
"Damn it, wasn't Admiral Kizaru supposed to come from the Navy?"
Spandam was frantic, silently repeating the thought, hoping Kizaru would arrive soon.
He knew that if this continued, their group was finished, and his own life would likely end here.
Just as the CP9 members were consumed by despair, everyone on the battlefield seemed to sense an unusual fluctuation.
They all looked up towards the distant horizon.
There, at the far edge of the sky, an enormous light trail had appeared abruptly. It was dazzlingly bright, carrying an aura of mystery and power.
The light trail extended with unimaginable speed, and in the next instant, a figure materialized in the sky above everyone's heads.
It was the Marine Admiral, Roy, clad in his iconic coat of justice, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.
"He's finally here." The moment Spandam saw Roy, his taut nerves snapped, and his legs gave way, sending him collapsing to the ground.
A look of relief washed over his face, feeling as if he finally had a chance to survive.
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