66. Spike's Class Begins!

"Garp, you bastard, what's so funny?" Sengoku snatched Garp's collar, his voice dripping with anger.

The stronger the foe's prowess, the graver the peril for the Marines!

And now, this fresh crew of pirates has stepped into the spotlight.

In under three months, they managed to take down one of the Shichibukai!

Furthermore, there were whispers beforehand.

The cat known as Tom stands on equal footing with the world's top swordsman, Hawkeye!

Sengoku couldn't shake off a twinge of regret.

Had he acted with more decisiveness then, he might have quelled the flames before Al and the rest ventured into the Grand Line!

Yet, it's not the moment for such reflections. The clash between Tom and Crocodile is far from settled.

In this respect, Sengoku and the Marine officers all pray for Crocodile to take him down!

These fellows mustn't be permitted to further their ascent!

Garp clung to his hopeful demeanor, though witnessing Spike's might couldn't help but instill a sense of crisis.

Yet, he believes that as long as Al remains at the helm, their spirits can endure any upheaval.

Even if they overturn the world!

For Garp, all he can do is keep up his positive outlook and laugh it away.

Near the Arabasta coastline.

Spike, after elegantly sipping his coffee, adopted a wise demeanor and spoke slowly.

"Captain Al, where's that fellow Tom?"

"I haven't spotted him since I tossed him out. I wanted to have a chat with him about topics like relativity."

Observing the wisdom gleaming in Spike's eyes, Al reached out and deftly smoothed a blue wig over Spike's head, replacing the black hair that adorned it.

After scanning the surroundings, Al finally spoke up, "Tom is engaged in combat with Crocodile."

At the mention of Tom, Spike's eyes immediately sparkled with interest. However, he quickly reverted to a serious expression and remarked solemnly, "That young Tom, always preoccupied with thoughts of battle and destruction."

As he spoke, Spike gracefully sipped his coffee, letting out a light sigh before adding, "Can't it appreciate the finer things in life, like I do?"

Al was left speechless, pondering to himself, "Before you consumed Popeye's spinach, you seemed to prefer violent aesthetics over Tom, didn't you?"

Just as Al was contemplating how to broach the subject with Spike, unexpectedly, Spike interjected, "Captain Al, to ensure Tom's happiness and well-being, I've resolved to assist Tom in dealing with its adversaries, and then to instruct Tom... um..."

Spike paused, resting his chin in thought for a moment before declaring solemnly, "Never mind, Captain Al. I refuse to go against my conscience any further."

"I want to join the fight too!" Spike declared.

Observing Spike's unwavering determination, Al promptly declined without hesitation, elucidating, "The duel between men is incredibly sacred. You'd best remain here patiently until Tom concludes the battle."

Upon hearing Al's words, Spike retreated to the side with a sullen expression, extracting a wooden stick from behind and tracing circles in the sand.

Witnessing Spike's demeanor, Nami and Carina couldn't help but feel curious. What had happened to Spike?

While it had been widely acknowledged that both Spike and Tom possessed the ability to speak human language, they seldom exercised it. 

Combined with Spike's sudden shift in demeanor, it presented a stark contrast to his previous adorable yet fierce appearance.

Just as Nami and Carina were about to inquire of Al what had occurred, they witnessed Spike spinning around in a circle. As he did so, he transformed into a figure clad in a white shirt, swapping his sunglasses for round-frame glasses.

Without missing a beat, Spike casually waved his hand, conjuring a ruler seemingly out of thin air.

Nami and Carina exchanged glances, assuming Spike had been upset and preparing to offer him comfort.

However, to their surprise, Spike produced a blackboard from behind, beckoned Carina and Nami over, and commenced explaining the theory of cosmic relativity to them.

Initially intrigued, Nami and Carina soon found themselves growing increasingly perplexed as they listened. Even Robin was taken aback by Spike's unexpected lecture.

Meanwhile, Vivi, having lost interest early on, found herself growing drowsy, her eyelids drooping as she idly fished from the sidelines.

Al let out a yawn and made his way to the distant sand dunes. Instead of listening to Spike drone on about the theory of relativity, he found it far more exhilarating to watch the duel between Tom and Crocodile.

He observed as Tom yawned, effortlessly dodging yet another of Crocodile's potentially fatal strikes. It was evident that Tom was growing somewhat bored with the ongoing battle.

No matter how many times Tom managed to disassemble Crocodile's head with a slap, it always regenerated in a matter of moments.

This type of confrontation was initially novel to Tom's eyes.

After a prolonged bout, Tom began to feel somewhat fatigued.

"Hey, you... um..." Tom paused, pondering for a moment.

Suddenly, recalling the taunts Crocodile had hurled at him earlier, Tom placed his hands on his hips and continued, "Had your fill of fun yet, you sand scoundrel?"

"Die, Die, Die, Die!!!" Crocodile's cries filled the air as he descended into a frenzy.

Observing Crocodile's madness, Tom raised his hands in a gesture of helplessness and casually lobbed a strawberry pie at him.

Seizing the opportunity created by Crocodile's momentary distraction, Tom made a split-second decision to flee.

But as Crocodile caught on to Tom's intentions, his fury only intensified. Was this wily cat truly planning to escape after pulling such tricks on him?

"Are you mocking me?!"

Desert Girasole (Desert Sunflower)

Crocodile crouched halfway, his right hand pressed against the sand.

Boom—

A deafening explosion echoed through the air.

As Crocodile rose to his feet, he beheld a massive quicksand pit materializing beneath Tom's feet, stretching nearly 100 meters away!

Witnessing the sudden appearance of the massive quicksand pit, Tom's heart nearly leapt out of his chest in fear.

However, upon reconsideration, Tom realized he was already deceased and had become a soul—could this phenomenon truly harm him?

Clearly, it was impossible!

With this realization, a smirk began to spread across Tom's face.

Just as Tom was on the brink of plummeting into the quicksand, he coolly produced a skateboard from behind.

Immediately thereafter, to the astonishment of onlookers, Tom began surfing within the confines of the quicksand pit.

"Yahoo~"

Tom appeared to have spotted a hidden camera, deliberately turning towards it with a flourish, arching his hands and adopting an arrogant pose.

Witnessing this spectacle, Crocodile was consumed with rage, his teeth grinding against each other and his veins bulging. He wished nothing more than to pulverize this infuriating cat into oblivion!!!

In the conference room of the Marine headquarters, Sengoku's expression darkened considerably upon witnessing the scene.

Akainu slammed his fist onto the table, his voice booming, "Is this guy trying to provoke us?!"

As if confirming Akainu's suspicions, Tom intentionally turned his back to the hidden camera and smacked his own rear.

His demeanor seemed to taunt, "Come on, take your shot, you fool!"

Upon witnessing this audacious display, Akainu turned a furious shade of blue. If Sengoku hadn't been present, he would have undoubtedly overturned the table in a fit of rage.

"That damn cat, I'll make sure he pays!"

Akainu's thunderous roar reverberated through the lowest floors of the Marine Headquarters, startling even the sailors who were engaged in cleaning duties.

In the ensuing chaos, many sea soldiers lost their balance as they were caught off guard by the sudden outburst. Their feet skidded across the floor, propelled by the momentum of their mops, until they collided with the wall, one after another, sending a ripple of commotion through the ranks of sailors.

Curious whispers filled the air as everyone speculated about the reason behind Admiral Akainu's intense fury, leading to a flurry of exaggerated conjectures.

Unaware of the extent of the ripple effect caused by his actions, Akainu was consumed by a single relentless objective.

That objective? To apprehend the cat known as Tom and incarcerate him in Impel Down—or perhaps even execute him outright!

Meanwhile, in Arabasta, Tom suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, prompting a sneeze before he resumed his playful antics once more.

Observing Tom's series of mischievous maneuvers, Al accessed the system page, intrigued by what lay ahead.

[Received 9999 EP from Crocodile]

[.....]

As Al glanced at the remarkably stable EP displayed on the system page, a smile crept across his face. He couldn't help but marvel at Crocodile's remarkable resilience.

However, in the very next moment...

Just as Tom executed a difficult 720-degree backflip, poised to continue his performance...

An enraged Crocodile slammed his hands onto the ground and bellowed, "Go to hell!"

In the blink of an eye, a towering sand wall, formed by countless grains swept up from the battlefield, encased the entire bunker in its embrace.

As Crocodile's command echoed, the sandy barrier swiftly descended, engulfing Tom beneath its golden waves.

"Aww~Aww~"

Tom's piercing cry pierced through the air the instant the sand wall made contact with the ground.

"Hahahaha, this is the consequence of crossing swords with me!" Crocodile's triumphant laughter boomed, echoing across the landscape.

As Crocodile revelled in his apparent victory, his laughter reverberating wildly through the air, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

In the next instant...

Before Crocodile could fully savor the satisfaction of triumph, the enchanting voice of Tom resounded once more.

The smile on Crocodile face vanished in an instant.

Like a mechanical automaton, he stiffly turned around to confront Tom, who stood behind him, clutching his chest and feigning discomfort.

Suddenly, a roar erupted from Crocodile as if he had seen a ghost.

"No! Why aren't you dead yet?!"

As Tom realized he had been discovered, he swiftly produced a piece of pumpkin pie from behind, taking a bite before hurling it at Crocodile's head.

Snap—

"You...!"

Before Crocodile could utter another word, Tom lobbed another piece of cream cake at him.

Then, in a move even Tom himself didn't recognize, he retrieved a steaming hot oil pan from behind.

Simultaneously, Tom swapped his angelic halo for devilish horns and grasped a trident.

Without hesitation, he swiftly impaled Crocodile with the trident, plunging him into the scalding oil pan before Crocodile could even react.

In Tom's mind, the soul of a villain belonged in hell, immersed in the searing depths of an oil pan, to be utterly eradicated.

The moment Crocodile made contact with the oil pan, he unleashed a wail of agony.

As Tom cackled with malevolence, Crocodile found himself ensnared by the trident, unable to break free.

Witnessing the horrifying scene of Crocodile being plunged into the frying pan, a shiver ran down the spines of all the officers within the Marine headquarters.

The intensity of the pain was palpable even through the screen.

Even Al couldn't suppress a shudder upon witnessing the gruesome spectacle.

"Despicable!"

Crocodile roared in fury, delivering a powerful blow that shattered the oil pan into pieces.

The searing oil flowed to Tom's feet, causing him unbearable pain as he clutched his feet and dashed frantically.

But after a brief sprint, Tom was startled to realize that what he had in his grasp was actually Crocodile foot?!

Pursing his lips, Tom shot Crocodile a fierce glare, flicked Crocodile foot away, then swiftly hugged his own feet and let out a piercing scream.

Just then!

Crocodile gaze turned icy, and he swiftly grabbed Tom by the neck with his right hand, hoisting him up.

With the sharp golden hook raised high, Crocodile prepared to deliver a fatal blow to Tom.

Before Tom could even muster a response, Crocodile violently swung his golden hook, aiming it directly at Tom's heart.

As the sand bore witness, the path paved with gold,

And the shadow pierced by the hook,

The Marine Vice Admirals stationed at the Marine Headquarters couldn't contain their excitement, erupting into bursts of applause.

Some of them even embraced each other, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

Just as everyone believed Tom's demise was certain, the events that unfolded in the next instant sent them spiraling into disbelief and fear.

As the golden hook appeared to pierce through Tom's body,

Suddenly, it was Crocodile who found himself kicked by Tom, sent hurtling through the air and skimming across the sand for hundreds of meters before coming to a halt.

Witnessing this astonishing turn of events, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, their jaws dropping to the ground in shock.

Staring in disbelief at the unfolding spectacle before them,

"Isn't that guy supposed to be dead? Why..."

"Why is his chest pierced through, yet the cat is still alive!"

Just as confusion began to mount among them,

In the midst of their bewilderment, Akainu's expression darkened, his teeth grinding with frustration as he muttered, "Crocodile did indeed pierce through the cat's body."

"But..."

Akainu hesitated, then proceeded to cut a hole in his own stomach, vividly demonstrating it to everyone present.

However, some quickly refuted this explanation.

"Sakazuki Admiral, isn't this ability exclusive to users of Logia-type Devil Fruits?"

"Could it be that this cat named Tom is also a Logia Fruit user?"

Confronted with these inquiries, Akainu merely snorted coldly, offering no response.

In Akainu's view, the questions posed by these individuals could only come from the minds of fools.

Observing from the sidelines, Sengoku's frown deepened at the sight.

The ability to summon various objects from one's back, to split one's body, and to transform into an element... Sengoku mulled over the possibilities, running through all the known Devil Fruits in his mind, but found no match.

For a fleeting moment, even Sengoku entertained the notion: Could Tom have consumed a Devil Fruit not documented in the illustrated book?

"Damn it, what sort of monstrosity is this fellow!" Sengoku muttered under his breath, watching Tom pull out an array of gadgets from behind to confront Crocodile. A slight headache crept over him at the sight.

Unbeknownst to Tom, his actions, which he considered normal, cast an indelible shadow in the hearts of the Marine executives, leaving them riddled with unanswerable doubts.

At that moment, Tom kicked up the sand, poised for action.

Staring down at his own feet, Tom was momentarily stunned before shaking off the surprise.

It dawned on him—before this moment, he hadn't landed a single blow on Lao Sha!

With a metaphorical light bulb flickering above his head, Tom seemed to have unearthed Crocodile weakness.

To test his theory, Tom retrieved a baseball bat, a mace, a tennis racket, and an array of other props from behind. For the next five minutes, he launched a relentless assault on Crocodile.

For the sake of comparison, Tom conducted a comprehensive test, dipping various items in water, oil, cake, and leaving some items untouched.

Ultimately, he discovered that as long as these three substances coated the objects, they could inflict significant damage on Crocodile!

Concluding the test, Tom flashed a thumbs-up as if he had stumbled upon a groundbreaking revelation. Then, he directed his attention to the unconscious Crocodile.

"Hey hey~" With a mischievous grin, Tom produced a fire hydrant from behind, aiming the nozzle at Crocodile and emitting an evil laugh!

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