44

Over a dozen Baroque Works assassins took several steps back, afraid of being caught by their boss's sand. They knew well the terrifying power of the Sand-Sand Fruit.

In an instant, they could imagine Nami's tragic death at the feet of their boss, turning into a horrifying dry corpse.

Crocodile, who had been enjoying the verbal battle with Nami, had already lost his amusement. He wouldn't tolerate anyone challenging him—whether a man or a woman, he wouldn't hesitate to kill.

"You sharp-tongued little brat, just a mere newbie, and you're boasting as if you're some kind of god! If he dares show up in front of me, I'll kill him in a second! Let him become nothing but dust in the desert!"

"But you... will go to hell first, together with your so-called friend, so you'll have company on the way!"

Boom!

Crocodile activated his Sandsand Fruit ability, raising his hand to gather the surrounding sand into a tidal wave that surged toward Nami and Vivi.

King Nefertari Cobra desperately rushed toward his daughter, but the sand was too fast. In the blink of an eye, it was only about three meters away from them, ready to engulf them.

"Vivi!"

The king screamed in agony, calling his daughter's name.

Nami grabbed Vivi, preparing to shield her with her own body, calling out loudly.

"Tony!"

"Hehehe, that guy has no idea what's happening now, how could he possibly come to save you! Just die quietly!"

Crocodile sneered at Nami's cries for help and pressed down his hand. The sand rushed toward Vivi even faster.

Boom! Just at this critical moment, Tony burst out from behind Crocodile, like a battle god. Hearing Nami's desperate cry, Tony's face twisted with fury, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning.

Armament Haki!

Tony decisively used the most effective technique against natural-type Devil Fruit users, coating his arm in an impenetrable layer of black armor.

At this moment, Crocodile was still eagerly imagining how Nami and Vivi's deaths would unfold.

"Tony!"

Boom!

Tony targeted Crocodile's right cheek from behind and landed a powerful punch, sending Crocodile flying.

Crocodile shot through the air like a cannonball, crashing into the palace wall. His face was nearly deformed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Fragments of stone flew everywhere.

Silence... the entire scene fell silent.

The Baroque Works members couldn't believe their eyes—had their boss actually been hit?

But Crocodile was a natural-type Devil Fruit user! How could he be knocked down by a physical attack?

They turned to look at Tony.

There stood a man like the "Grim Reaper," his presence far more terrifying than that of their boss.

Only then did they realize—today they had encountered a real tough guy...

The strongest rookie, the Flame Controller, Tony, with a bounty of 300 million!

"Damn it!"

Crocodile crawled up from the rubble, clutching his swollen cheek, his expression twisted in a grimace. Clearly, he had taken a significant blow. Though he hadn't seen the face of the person behind him, he knew exactly who it was—just by the feeling, he could tell who had arrived.

"A Haki user... so he finally showed up? Tony!"

As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile knew exactly what Haki was. He could use it too, but compared to Tony, he was still far from being on the same level.

Crocodile wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared viciously at Tony.

"Kuahaha, little brat, so we meet at last!"

Mr. 1 (Daz Bonez)'s words echoed deeply in Crocodile's mind. He would never forgive this rookie for underestimating him.

But Tony ignored Crocodile and instead walked over to Nami's side. He gently stroked both Nami and Vivi's heads, comforting them with a soft tone, "You must've been scared, but it's okay now. You both were very brave, protecting each other... leave the rest to me!"

Nami fought back tears, biting her lip and nodding. In truth, she was terrified beyond measure, and if it weren't for Vivi being by her side, she might have fainted from the fear. Her intense will to protect her comrades kept her going, and she had held on until Tony arrived.

Vivi also felt for the first time Tony's tenderness. Her heart began to warm, and she saw Nami as a true comrade, someone she would risk her life for.

Tony stood up, his rage burning as he turned toward the assassins from Baroque Works.

"You made my navigator cry. Do you understand how serious that is?"

Tony suddenly surged with power, his sharp gaze turning upward. In an instant, a fierce blaze erupted from his body, his killing intent fully exposed.

The five assassins standing to his side immediately felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

"Fire Fist!"

Boom!

A massive burst of flame shot out, the scorching heat surging toward them. Before they could even react, the fire engulfed them. The intense pain from the burns caused them to scream in agony, running in all directions to find water, but there was no hope. Within seconds, they collapsed to the ground, motionless, as the flames continued to consume them.

Tony felt no mercy for these people. Anyone who dared to harm his friends was unforgivable.

~----------------------------------------------------------

T/N:

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