11

Crocodile, a man who once ventured into the New World, had tasted failure there. The overwhelming power of the New World far exceeded what he had imagined, forcing him to retreat back to the first half of the Grand Line.

Yet, he never gave up his ambition. In his quest for power, he turned his attention toward the legendary ancient weapons—said to possess immense strength, enough to conquer the entire sea.

Upon discovering that the Kingdom of Alabasta housed one of these ancient weapons, Crocodile meticulously devised a plan to seize it.

Now, with his strategy nearing completion, he was on the verge of obtaining the weapon that would elevate him to unparalleled power.

He wasn't about to let Ryō, no matter his bounty, stand in his way.

Even with Ryō's bounty set at a staggering 5 billion berries, Crocodile had no intention of surrendering his claim on Alabasta.

"The Kingdom of Alabasta is mine... and so are the ancient weapons!" Crocodile snarled, his resolve solidified.

"Now, die!"

Fully aware of Ryō's strength, Crocodile didn't hold back. He immediately launched his most powerful attack.

"Desert Spada!" Crocodile's hands quickly turned into sand, expanding rapidly.

Within moments, his hands formed a massive sand blade, which shot toward Ryō, aiming to strike him from all angles.

Crocodile's Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit) allowed him to manipulate sand, and here in Alabasta's desert terrain, his powers were at their peak.

But as the sand blades closed in, Ryō stood his ground, unmoved and unconcerned. A look of disdain crossed his face as he spoke, "You dare attack a god? Then face divine judgment."

With those words, Ryō raised his hand and uttered, "Shinra Tensei."

A powerful wave of repulsion burst from his body, effortlessly shattering the incoming sand blades.

The repulsion force surged toward Crocodile, demolishing everything in its path.

Crocodile's eyes widened in shock. "What... this power...!"

Before he could react, the repulsion force hit him full on, sending his body flying.

However, his reflexes kicked in, and he quickly transformed into sand, dispersing himself into the wind to avoid fatal damage.

The sand scattered across the battlefield before converging a short distance away, reforming into Crocodile's physical body.

Panting, Crocodile stood, his face contorted in rage. "Damn you..." he hissed through clenched teeth. His pride had been wounded, but he wasn't done yet.

"Ground Death!" Crocodile slammed his hands onto the ground, causing everything he touched to dry up and crumble into dust.

The buildings, rocks, and even the trees around them instantly disintegrated, turning into sand, which surged forward in a massive wave, aiming to consume Ryō.

Ryō, however, remained calm. "You still don't understand the power you're facing..." he muttered.

With a simple hand gesture, the Preta Path stepped forward, one of the six bodies Ryō controlled.

The moment the wave of sand approached, the Preta raised its hand, activating its ability: Fūjutsu Kyūin.

Instantly, the attacking sand was absorbed, neutralized before it could do any damage.

Crocodile's eyes widened in disbelief. "What!? My sand... it's... gone?" he stammered.

His natural Devil Fruit abilities had never been countered like this before.

"What is this power...?"

Ryō smirked. "It's the power of a god. Nothing you do will have any effect."

With Crocodile's attacks rendered useless, Ryō commanded his other Pain bodies to strike.

The Asura Path moved first, launching a barrage of Five-Finger Missiles toward Crocodile.

At the same time, the Animal Path summoned a giant Desert Scorpion, a monstrous creature that joined the assault.

Crocodile found himself overwhelmed. He attempted to dodge and counterattack, but the combined might of all six Pains was too much for him.

The Human Path struck him with devastating force, while the Deva Path launched another blast of Shinra Tensei, further pummeling him into submission.

As the battle raged on, Crocodile's body accumulated more and more damage.

His once confident stance was now reduced to staggering, his entire body shaking with the effort to stay upright.

His attacks had no effect, and his body was barely holding together under the relentless barrage.

"How... how is this possible...?" Crocodile muttered, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Even when I fought Whitebeard... I didn't feel this powerless..."

His voice cracked with desperation. Never before had he faced such a complete and utter defeat.

He was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, feared and respected across the Grand Line.

Yet here he was, being crushed as though he were nothing but an amateur pirate.

For the first time in a long while, Crocodile felt fear. He hadn't even managed to land a single blow on Ryō, who commanded these six bodies with ease.

It was as though Crocodile was fighting a force beyond his comprehension.

From a distance, Nico Robin watched the battle with wide eyes. She had been with Crocodile long enough to know the extent of his power. He was a man who had earned the title of Warlord with his incredible strength. Yet now, he was being utterly humiliated.

"This... this can't be real..." Robin whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

She had never imagined Crocodile could be defeated so easily, and by someone with such overwhelming power.

The other members of the Baroque Works organization had also gathered, watching the scene unfold in shock. Their leader, the man they had all feared and revered, was being destroyed by Ryō's power.

"He's... he's unstoppable..." one of them murmured, unable to tear their eyes away from the brutal spectacle.

Back in the battlefield, Ryō stood over Crocodile's broken form, the Deva Path raising its hand one final time. "This is the power of a god. Anyone who dares defy me will be judged."

With those words, the Deva Path unleashed a final, devastating Chibaku Tensei. The ground cracked as the gravitational pull lifted Crocodile's body into the air, slamming him with immense force.

Crocodile, already gravely injured, had no chance to resist. His body collapsed onto the ground, defeated and broken.

Lying there, Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had been completely overpowered. He groaned in pain, unable to move. His defeat was absolute.

"This... this is impossible..." Crocodile muttered weakly, barely conscious.