I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

Crocodile's mind stirred, and an idea emerged.

He suddenly spoke during a brief moment of dodging:

“Sieg, we are both injured, and there is a vice admiral waiting for us.”

"Why don't we stop here for now, take care of that vice admiral first, and then continue the fight?"

"How can we let those mere hyenas from the navy watch a battle between tigers?"

Sieg paused slightly, but then resolutely refused:

"Sand Crocodile, are you going to team up with me again?"

"I've heard that phrase very well."

Crocodile's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile.

Are you doubting my sincerity?

“Last time was last time, and the situation is different this time.”

"If you doubt me, I can tell you the real reason why I set a trap for you."

Upon hearing this, Sieg stopped in his tracks, his curiosity and vigilance rising simultaneously.

Sig was indeed very curious about Crocodile's intense hatred and ruthlessness.

In order to deal with him, they actually prepared a sandstorm powerful enough to destroy the city.

You should know that if this matter is exposed and Crocodile fails to deal with Higuma, he may lose his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Given Crocodile's cunning, it's somewhat unreasonable for him to target Sieg like this unless there's some deep-seated hatred between them.

What's alarming is that Crocodile, a ruthless man of few words, has suddenly started babbling on and on, which is rather strange.

They're probably just stalling for time!

Sieg glanced at the injury on his waist and made a judgment.

Buying time? Crocodile is injured, so time is more in his favor.

Driven by his curiosity, Sieg decided to play along, his movements becoming more deliberate, and asked in return:

"Your real reason? Isn't it for Another Piece and the secret of the Celestial Dragons' national treasure?"

Crocodile chuckled coldly, but his expression turned serious.

"That's only one of the reasons."

"The real reason I'm targeting you is because of something you said back in Loguetown."

At this point, Crocodile's smile turned even colder, his tone as chilling as winter.

“At that time, you mentioned a person with a very big face.”

Sieg's eyes widened slightly, and he was shocked.

Chapter 225 Tragic Hero

On this battlefield on the edge of the city, the two men faced off again, both already wounded.

Because of Crocodile's previous attack, "Erosion Reincarnation," everyone was worried about being affected and avoided the battlefield.

The close combat between Sieg and the other man was quick, and because they were at a great distance, no one could see the truth clearly.

They only saw that the sand crocodile was injured, but the wound was only on its arm.

Sieg's injury was in his lower abdomen, and the bleeding was extremely heavy, clearly indicating a serious injury.

This scene clearly shows that Sieg suffered a significant loss at Crocodile's hands.

"Was Sig seriously injured? Was he injured by Crocodile?"

"But isn't Sieg the great swordsman who cleaved through a sandstorm with a single strike? He clearly had the upper hand against Crocodile just now..."

Kobra and the others watched from afar as Sieg and his companion faced off.

They couldn't hear the conversation between the two sides, nor did they know the specifics of the situation; they just felt a pang of anxiety.

"It must be because of the sword strike that cleaved the storm; his power was almost exhausted, which is why he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position..."

"Cobra murmured."

At this moment, in their minds, Sieg was a tragic hero.

He bravely took action to protect the city and the girl, but was nearly exhausted as a result, his strength plummeted, and he was severely injured by Crocodile.

"Your Majesty, how about I go and assist Sig?"

Bell volunteered, and with a flick of his arms, he once again transformed into wings and took to the air.

But just as he took flight, King Cobra firmly stopped him:

"It's no use, Bell. Didn't you see Crocodile's attack on that girl just now?"

"This battle of Sig is not something we can intervene in. If we do, we will only drag Sig down!"

Cobra couldn't stop Bell in time, but on the other side, in the casino's cage, Fujitora and the others couldn't sit still.

Fujitora's Observation Haki is extremely sharp; he noticed from a great distance that Sieg had deliberately cut himself.

Fujitora didn't understand why Sig was doing this, but it was clear that Sig had reached a dead end and had to resort to self-harm to continue fighting.

His injuries were shocking, with massive bleeding; it was not impossible that his life was in danger.

“I absolutely cannot stand by and watch such a person perish here.”

Fujitora's tone was resolute as he swung his sword again.

The sea stone metal strips on the prison chair beneath him were now covered with cracks of all sizes.

Observation Haki is not the same as having superhuman vision and hearing. No matter how strong Fujitora's Observation Haki is, it is not enough to hear two people's conversation clearly from a great distance and to see into their thoughts.

Otherwise... he would definitely swallow back what he just said.

As Crocodile finished speaking.

Sig's underage mind was severely traumatized.

Is this the real reason? His tentative remark back then actually provoked Crocodile's murderous intent.

As is widely known, Ivankov possesses a great secret about Crocodile.

When they were in Impel Down, Ivankov used this secret to threaten Crocodile, which immediately made the ruthless man's expression change drastically, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

That was one of the most rare instances of Crocodile losing his composure since his debut.

But what exactly this great secret is, Sieg doesn't know.

"This time, being too clever for one's own good has really backfired."

Sieg smiled bitterly to himself.

Crocodile attacked him for two reasons: one, the Celestial Dragons' national treasure; and two, the secret Ivankov possessed... He knew nothing about either of these!

It was all just Sieg talking nonsense, which led him to provoke a formidable enemy like Crocodile!

However, now is not the time for regrets.

Sig looked at Crocodile, who stood solemnly before him, his gaze incredibly complex.

Is Crocodile really going to say... he used to be a woman?

Sig was momentarily stunned.

When this huge secret came crashing down on him, even with his deadpan acting skills, his expression became somewhat unnatural.

"Ivankov? For this secret, you're willing to risk destroying the city and losing your Shichibukai title to become my enemy?"

"Sig tentatively asked."

Sig's slight unease, however, caught Crocodile's eye and made him freeze.

"Wait, Ivankov didn't reveal this secret to you?"

Crocodile's eyes widened, his voice filled with barely concealed anger.

Sig remained silent.

Crocodile's fist clenched tightly on his remaining right arm, veins bulging, and his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

He took such a huge risk to become enemies with Sieg, just because... he misunderstood?

Sieg didn't know the specifics of this secret, and that he wasn't being blackmailed back in Loguetown.

Crocodile's expression became extremely complex, and he pondered for a long time before finally regaining his composure.

"Hmph. I've come to terms with it now."

Crocodile snorted coldly and said indifferently:

"Do you want to know? To show my sincerity, I can tell you this secret."

"As long as we stop fighting first and take care of that vice admiral."

As he spoke, Crocodile's gaze lingered, intentionally or unintentionally, on Sieg's wounds and sword.

As the delay continued, the blood on Sieg's sword continued to drip onto the ground and gradually dried.

Sieg pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"My secret..." Crocodile's eyes flickered before he spoke:

"Back when I was a fledgling pirate, I was defeated by Ivankov."

"Later, when I entered the New World and challenged Whitebeard but was defeated, I survived thanks to Ivankov's help."

Crocodile's gaze was somewhat profound:

"The few defeats I've ever suffered in my pirate career were all related to Ivankov; in fact, I survived only because of him."

"That's my secret."

"Crocodall said in a deep voice."

And Sieg's reaction was...