Why would a Saint Seiya become a pirate?

Meanwhile, Kouza officially amassed rebel forces to attack the capital.

Meanwhile, the National Protection Team, led by the resurrected Jaka, prepared to launch a counterattack.

The civil war in Alabasta is about to begin.

Vivi didn't tolerate such a talkative villain.

With a determined look in her eyes, she reached out and summoned Athena's staff, then thrust it at Crocodile without hesitation.

Crocodile reacted quickly, immediately transforming into his elemental form to evade.

But he was still a step too slow; his face was scratched by the staff, leaving a bloody mark.

"You reckless brat!"

Crocodile roared furiously, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Just as Crocodile was about to retaliate, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a large face in front of him that showed off its big white teeth.

It turned out to be Luffy. He used his Cosmo power to kick open the door of the Seastone cage.

"Crocodile, your death is nigh!"

Luffy roared and charged at Crocodile like an enraged lion.

Crocodile snorted and fearlessly went to meet him.

The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging blows and neither giving an inch.

With the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy's body can stretch and contract like a spring, and every attack he makes carries great power.

Crocodile, on the other hand, uses the Sand-Sand Fruit's power to manipulate the surrounding sand, forming strong defensive barriers.

What annoyed Crocodile was that Luffy was covered in a layer of energy, so he couldn't use sand to absorb the moisture off him.

This is very uncomfortable.

During the battle, Luffy accidentally stepped on a banana crocodile in the pool.

This kick inadvertently released Mr. 3 from inside the banana crocodile's belly.

"Hey, who disturbed my sweet dream?" Mr. 3 rubbed his sleepy eyes and said with a blank look.

While the group was chatting and joking, Crocodile took the opportunity to activate the mechanism and leave the Rain Party.

"Want to run? It's not that easy!"

Seeing this, Smoker took the lead, using his elemental powers to leave with his subordinates.

Faced with this predicament, the Straw Hat crew members panicked and became flustered.

In the end, it was Mr. 3's ability to melt the devil candle that unlocked the door, allowing everyone to escape safely.

Having finally escaped the "Rain Banquet," Luffy and his crew dared not delay and immediately headed to Albana to stop the rebel army.

However, to their utter surprise, Crocodile was already waiting in front of them, blocking their way.

Luffy decides to stay behind alone to fight Crocodile and finish the battle that is not yet over.

……

Chapter 29 Crocodile's Poisonous Mist, Luffy's First Defeat.

"Burn, my little universe!"

"Withered tree, withered tree falls, Pegasus? Meteor Fist!"

Luffy donned the Pegasus Cloth, let out a roar, and shot forward like an arrow.

His fists transformed into afterimages, sweeping towards Crocodile with a whistling sound.

Each punch contained immense power, as if it could tear the air apart.

"Desert Sword."

Crocodile snorted coldly, and his arm instantly transformed into a sharp sand blade, gleaming with a chilling light.

He brandished his sand blade, meeting Luffy's attack head-on. The sand blade collided with Luffy's fist.

It emitted a series of ear-piercing metallic scraping sounds, and sparks flew everywhere.

Crocodile was filled with displeasure.

The straw hat kid on the other side clearly doesn't have Haki, but my sand can't do anything to him.

The straw-hatted boy somehow acquired a set of light armor, which made him unaffected by the desert and allowed him to move freely.

Fortunately, the desert is his home turf, so the Straw Hat Pirates can't really do anything about him, the user of the Sand-Sand Fruit.

Luffy's rubber powers allow his body to stretch and contract like a spring.

He kept changing his attack methods, leaving Crocodile somewhat overwhelmed.

In a moment, it will stretch out its arm and launch an attack from a distance.

They quickly closed in again, engaging in close combat with powerful punches.

Crocodile, using the Sand-Sand Fruit's power, manipulated the surrounding sand to form sturdy defensive barriers while searching for Luffy's weaknesses.

The battle entered a white-hot stage, with both sides fighting back and forth and neither side giving in.

The sand and stones in the desert were stirred up by their battle, filling the air and obscuring their figures.

Luffy's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and a hint of excitement and triumph shone in his eyes.

He felt he had the upper hand, and victory seemed to be just around the corner.

"Hmph, Crocodile, is that all you've got?"

Luffy attacked while loudly taunting him.

"Today I will defeat you here and end this farce!"

Crocodile's face grew increasingly grim, and he was secretly furious.

The straw-hat kid's arrogance made him want to grind him to dust immediately.

"Straw Hat Boy, don't get too cocky, the real battle has only just begun!"

"Seabuckthorn python!"

He roared and swung his hands violently.

As if summoned, the surrounding sand quickly gathered together, forming a giant sand serpent that lunged at Luffy.

Upon seeing this, Luffy's eyes flashed with excitement. Instead of dodging, he charged towards the sand python.

He shouted, leaped high into the air, flipped in mid-air, and then slammed a punch into the sand python's head.

The sand python's body was twisted and deformed by the punch, but it quickly returned to its original shape and continued to attack Luffy.

"Interesting, quite interesting."

Luffy's lips curled up into a slight smile.

"However, this is not enough!"

"Withered wood, withered wood falls, long whip!"

He launched another attack, stretching out his arm like a flexible whip, lashing it repeatedly at the sand python.

The sand python writhed and struggled under Luffy's attacks, but it could not shake off his entanglement.

Crocodile grew increasingly anxious as he watched this scene unfold.

He knew that if things continued like this, he might find himself in trouble.

So he decided to change tactics, and he started waving his hands rapidly.

"Sand spikes!"

Under his control, the sand formed countless tiny sand spikes, which shot towards Luffy like a torrential rain.

Luffy sensed the danger and quickly curled up, using his Cosmo to protect himself from the sand spikes.

The sand spikes struck Luffy, making a clanging sound, but did not cause any real damage.

"Haha, your attacks are useless against me!"

Luffy laughed triumphantly and seized the opportunity to launch another attack, charging towards Crocodile.

"Silly!"

Seeing this, Crocodile quickly manipulated the sand to form a solid sand wall in front of him, blocking Luffy's attack.

Luffy's fist slammed into the sand wall with a loud bang, and cracks appeared in the sand wall.

But Crocodile quickly manipulated the sand to repair the sand wall, keeping it sturdy at all times.

"Crocodile, is all you do is hide behind this wall?"

"If you've got the guts, come out and fight me head-on!"

Crocodile was furious, but he knew that Luffy's attack was indeed very powerful.

If you go out rashly, you're likely to suffer losses.

Therefore, he decided to adopt a delaying tactic and wait for Luffy to reveal a weakness.

Time ticked by, and the two sides reached a stalemate.

Luffy's attacks were fierce, but he was unable to break through Crocodile's defenses.

Crocodile, however, dared not attack rashly; he was waiting for the best opportunity.

As the battle continued, Luffy's stamina gradually depleted, and his attacks became increasingly slow.

But he didn't realize this; he remained confident that he could definitely knock Crocodile away.

Crocodile keenly sensed Luffy's change, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.

He knew the time was ripe.

So, taking advantage of a lull in Luffy's attack, he secretly activated the mechanism on his prosthetic limb and poured the liquid inside into the desert.

"Hahaha, Luffy, your death is nigh!"

Crocodile laughed triumphantly.