August vs Crocodile(end)

While August stood off to the side, revelling in his newfound power, Crocodile sensed something was wrong. The dust settled shortly, and Crocodile noticed that his opponent who should be at death's door was more powerful than before.

'What's going on in his body?' Crocodile looked at the glowing red veins and the bright glow that surrounded August's body. He pieced together that this was the source or an effect of his newfound power, but he had no idea what this power contained, just that it was…stronger.

August gazed at Crocodile, detecting his cautious nature. He began to move, but stopped his advance as his body screamed in pain...this was the side effect of breaking his body limit's. Since his body wasn't powerful enough to contain the newfound power, it would be in significant pain and every movement would be extraneous.

August stood still for a moment, acclimating to the sharp stings of pain that sparked across his entire body.

He created a knife of glass, drawing a small amount of blood on his fists before healing them. The blood that coated Crocodile's body was now dried up, so he needed fresh blood to damage him again.

*SHING*

August wasted no time with a monologue or speech about his new power and disappeared from his position, leaving trails of clouds and dust in its wake.

August would win if he could defeat Crocodile before his body gave out, while Crocodile would win if he could outlast August's new form. It was quite literally a battle against time!

August emerged in front of Crocodile, and Crocodile could barely follow the attack with his eyes as the fist that sounded like an engine shattered his nose.

*BOOM*

The impact of the blow jolted Crocodile's head back and contorted his elementalised body at a strange angle.

"Sables: PESA–"

August struck Crocodile's sandstorm, taking no less than a second to disperse it. Using his other hand, August showed no mercy and hit him with another strike.

The light seemed to temporarily fade from Crocodile's eyes, but they quickly regained their color just in time…just in time for another punch.

His jaw was twisted, leaving it to rest at a horrifying angle. August gritted his teeth through the pain, pulling his arm back again.

Anxiety, fear and doubt boiled in Crocodile's stomach as he saw August's fist. It was the first time in a long time he had felt fear.

Just as the strike was about to land, Crocodile, who seemed to be close to unconsciousness, pushed his power to the limits. Sand formed from all atoms and spaces across his body, shielding him like a mother would her newborn. His power was pushed to the limits, and the large amounts of sand created in such a short amount of time wrapped around his body like armour.

Crocodile realised he couldn't win in a head on fight or escape, so he would focus solely on defense and wait for his opponent to tire himself out. This new power surely had a time limit.

The force of August's punch let out a defending roar, but August felt something was wrong. Instead of hitting bones, he felt like he hit…sand.

Looking towards Crocodile who was covered in a set of armour, August figured out the problem. He watched with bated breath as the imprint around the sand armour rapidly reformed back to normal as if it wasn't damaged before.

August looked at Crocodile who was covered in a set of titanic armour. He watched as the fist imprint around the sand reformed back to normal and looked like it wasn't damaged before.

August was currently running on fumes. His stamina was nearly depleted and his body was aching all over from the side effects of his recent power.

He moved towards Crocodile, trying to tune out the immense pain he got just from moving. The adrenaline that pumped through his energized veins helped slightly, but the pain was too much.

'I'm nearing my limit.' He slammed his fist into Crocodile again, but the sand armour stopped him from doing any lasting damage.

August released if he wanted to win, then he needed to overwhelm Crocodile with an assault of punches that even his armour couldn't heal. He would punch with a speed that even his armour couldn't heal.

So August raised his fist, and did the thing he was best at…punching.

August got into a stance and began rushing Crocodile with an assault of jabs that resembled straight punches. These blows were strong but fast, each of these carrying enough weight to put dent's into the armour.

With each blow sand scattered everywhere, but it was reformed by Crocodile almost instantly. August pushed even further, risking permanent injury to his body as he sped up the amount of punches.

August's jabs sped up, and Crocodile, who was confident, started showing signs of nervousness. He tried to create more and more sand, but the strikes which were seemingly useless before slowly made their way through Crocodile's defense when combined in a flurry of devastating strikes.

A second later, August pushed through the final remains of the thick armour, and Crocodile found himself looking at one of his worst fears…August's fist.

*SLAM*

The fist slammed full force in Crocodile's face, sending him flying back as the sand armour dispersed into the air.

August tried to move and push his body one last time to finally finish Crocodile once and for all, but no matter how hard he tried his body refused to move.

The glow that surrounded his body dispersed and August was left kneeling on the ground. He tried to move his body again, but it was met with impossible odds. He was finished...

Crocodile groggily got up, expecting to meet his end from another fist in his face, but to his immediate shock, there was no punch. He looked up, and seeing August kneeling on the ground... powerless. It gave him a feeling of euphoria he had never experienced before. He had won against this jumpstart brat, and he couldn't be happier.

"In exchange for such a good time, I'll give you a quick death. Death by a thousand cuts!"

Crocodile's eyes lit up with glee as he created a powerful sandstorm, holding it in his palm like it was something to be worshipped.

"Sables!"

The sandstorm, which August had grown accustomed to hating slowly made its way towards him. He tried to move his body, activate his devil fruit powers…nothing. He was truly spent, and he had lost.

Time slowed down for him, giving him time to think about everything. His time as a slave…His time with the Revolutionary army. With the Revolutionary Army he truly felt like he belonged, and he was given a home he never had experienced in his past life.

He only hoped he could thank them in the afterlife.

He closed his eyes, ready to accept death…

"!"

His eyes opened widely with a spark of red in them. What was he thinking!? Why would he give up so easily!? He still had stuff to do, and he wouldn't go into the afterlife without accomplishing them!

He still needed to save Nico Robin, overthrow the World Government and the World Nobles, and to go back home! He wouldn't give up, ever!

Just as the sandstorm was about to hit August and end his life, a massive burst of pressure left his body, completely dispersing the powerful sandstorm.

The massive shockwave shook the environment to it's core and spread for miles on end, reaching Crocodile who looked on with shock and horror, seeing the opponent who was on death's door display the quality of a king.

"I WON'T LOSE!" August screamed while the huge wave of pressure kept coming out of him, pouring through the environment.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STAY DEAD!" Crocodile growled.

The imposing wave of pressure stopped, and August found himself running towards Crocodile with his newfound burst of energy. Crocodile let out a snarl and tried to create another sandstorm, but August's fist had already reached him.

**

August kneeled over Crocodile, using the remaining remnants of his energy to finish Crocodile once and for all.

"JUST. DIE. ALREADY." August screamed, punching Crocodile with increasing intensity. By now his face was smashed to a pulp and unrecognisable, but Crocodile still retained a sadistic grin.

Blood spurted out of Crocodile's mouth as he tried to breath. He looked at August, smiling at him.

"If I'm going to die, I'm taking you with me."

The ground below Crocodile collapsed, forming a sinkhole which August and Crocodile started to fall down.

August widened his eyes in shock at the attack, 'A suicide attack!'

August tried to move his way to the surface, but Crocodile sabotaged his effort and wrapped both of his lanky but strong arms around August. August struggled, trying to escape his grasp, but all of that energy and strength from before had been depleted.

Despite his predicament, August desperately struggled even more, trying to worm his way out of Crocodile's grasp, but Crocodile's arms tightened its grip around August.

Seeing the pointless struggle, Crocodile sadistically grinned, showing off his broken teeth.

"Since you're struggling, it looks like I'll have to end this party early." Crocodile mocked, and he tightened his grip around August as portions of his skin began turning grey.

August grimaced internally, and thinking of a plan quickly he called on the last embers of his Shatter energy. The area behind Crocodile cracked and shattered, and the glass quickly condensed and formed a knife made of glass.

*SHINK*

Telekinetically controlling it, the knife sunk its way into Crocodile's neck. With a scream, August ripped the knife out of Crocodile's neck, spraying blood everywhere.

With his body now back to normal, August could focus on his escape. He threw Crocodile's lifeless body out of his hold, all the way down to the quicksand. It was a fitting death for someone like him.

"Shatterbird!" August gripped the legs of the bird he created, where it slowly flew to the surface.

He listened to the slow methodical sounds of the wings flapping, forcing his brain to stay awake. August soon dispersed the bird as he arrived on the surface. He looked back at the gaping pit where Crocodile met his demise and wordlessly crawled away from it.

Now that Crocodile had met his end, August was free to rest and he did exactly that, dropping to the floor unconscious. Even unconscious, August allowed a small smile to adorn his face.