The blade fell fast and heavy.
By the time Bai Yu reappeared, he was already right in front of Crocodile, mid-slash.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, his sword collided with Crocodile's iconic golden hook in a burst of sparks.
Boom!
The moment their weapons clashed, a violent shockwave burst outward. The ground beneath Crocodile's feet split wide open from the sheer force.
Crocodile grunted, teeth clenched, as his body involuntarily bent under the pressure.
His narrowed eyes locked onto Bai Yu with fierce intensity.
Suddenly, a sinister glint flashed in Crocodile's gaze.
Without drawing attention, his free hand subtly brushed the sand beneath him.
Shuh—shasha...
The sand behind Bai Yu stirred quietly, undetected.
In moments, it coiled upward, forming into a massive, razor-sharp sand blade—dense and deadly.
Fwoosh!
Like a silent predator, the giant sand sword lunged for Bai Yu's back, its path hidden perfectly in his blind spot.
This was no ordinary technique—it was Crocodile's evolved Desert Sword, a lethal extension of the Suna Suna no Mi.
More than just a physical threat, the blade carried the deadly effect of dehydrating anything it pierced, capable of sucking the moisture from a victim's body in an instant.
Fwoosh—!
The sand sword accelerated sharply, aiming directly for the center of Bai Yu's spine.
"Hmm?"
Bai Yu's instincts screamed.
Even without seeing it, something felt wrong.
"Kenbunshoku Haki!" (Observation Haki)
Instantly, an invisible aura pulsed from Bai Yu's body, rippling out in all directions.
His Kenbunshoku Haki surged—casting a sixth sense that painted a mental image of the battlefield.
In that flash of insight, Bai Yu saw it—the sand sword speeding toward him from behind.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Shing—!
The blade struck.
But at the final moment, Bai Yu's body twisted sharply, shifting to the side with impossible agility.
Rip!
The sand sword missed its mark—barely grazing the edge of Bai Yu's shirt before dissolving into a collapsing cloud of sand.
Shashasha...
The failed strike disintegrated, falling harmlessly to the earth.
Crocodile's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had adjusted the angle perfectly—no one should've been able to dodge it.
"How the hell did he—?!"
It was as if Bai Yu had eyes on the back of his head.
Crocodile's thoughts churned with disbelief.
"Get lost."
Bai Yu's voice cut through the tension, cold and dismissive.
In the same breath, Bai Yu pivoted low, one hand bracing against the ground as he spun into a fierce kick.
Wham!
His right foot crashed into Crocodile's chest like a cannon.
Dark energy wrapped around the strike—Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) flared black over his leg.
Boom!
Crocodile's body jolted violently, launched skyward like a ragdoll by the empowered blow.
"Geppō!" (Moonwalk)
Without missing a beat, Bai Yu pressed off the ground and shot into the sky, chasing his airborne enemy.
He stepped midair—Geppō launching him upward in a blur.
Catching up with Crocodile mid-flight, Bai Yu rotated his body in a semi-spin.
His hips snapped, arms swinging in perfect sync as he brought his blade down in a vicious, horizontal slash.
Shshsh—!
Still dazed, Crocodile barely reacted in time. Clenching his jaw, he raised a hand toward the incoming strike.
With a flick of his palm, his Suna Suna no Mi activated again.
A surge of sand gushed forth, condensing into a thick shield between him and Bai Yu.
Clang!
The Taidao crashed into the sand barrier with a deafening impact.
But Bai Yu's slash carried monstrous weight—augmented by his rotation and Busoshoku Haki.
CRACK—!
The shield split down the middle, collapsing into sand.
Fwoosh!
With a swift midair step, Bai Yu vanished again.
When he reappeared—it was right behind Crocodile.
His blade rose once more.
SHLNK!
This time, Crocodile was too slow.
The edge of the blade, coated in Haki, tore across his back in a brutal arc.
Blood exploded from the wound.
Crocodile let out a guttural grunt, his body falling like a stone.
He crashed into the ground with bone-shaking force, dragging up chunks of rubble and a rising cloud of dust.
Boom!
A crater split open where he landed, smoke rising like a battlefield veil.
The marines watching from the ground burst into a cheer.
"Commander Bai Yu took him down!"
"He actually did it!"
Cheers and disbelief echoed across the square.
Princess Vivi, tears welling in her eyes, clasped her hands to her mouth.
"He... really beat Crocodile."
She stood frozen in awe.
Bai Yu, meanwhile, landed gracefully back on solid ground.
He didn't celebrate.
His eyes remained fixed on the smoke cloud where Crocodile had fallen.
His expression was still and cautious.
Whoosh...
The wind picked up, slowly pushing the dust aside.
And then—a figure rose.
Crocodile!
Battered, bleeding, and breathless—but alive.
His face was twisted in rage, body trembling with fury.
Blood dripped from the gash on his back, staining his already torn cloak.
But with the power of his Devil Fruit, he had somehow sealed the wound—partially, at least.
Panting heavily, Crocodile raised his head.
"You... must die!"
He snarled through clenched teeth.
Then, with both eyes burning with hatred, he slammed his right palm into the ground.
CRACK!
The earth responded—ominous rumbling surged out from the impact.
And once more, the desert answered its king.