This is the 45th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Merciless Mortal Combat!
In three years, not a drop of rain has fallen in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, the Land of Oasis. The land is at the brink of war. With nowhere else to turn, the people are turning on each other. Luffy and the others found themselves trapped inside Rain Dinners casino, but thanks to Sanji's brave actions, they were able to make their escape. Marine Captain Smoker having been saved by Luffy and company, allowed them to flee unharmed. Will Alabasta fall? Or will it find true peace? Moment by moment, the sands of the hourglass of fate run down towards the final hour.
Alabasta, Rainbase
After the Straw Hat pirates flee out of Rainbase to get to Alubarna, because of Smoker letting them go, the Marines are pursuing after them. Smoker placed his jitte on his back and letting the Marines passed him which one of them went to his Captain and spoke since he's not following his fellow soldiers.
"Captain, aren't you coming?"
"You go. I'm tired." Smoker ordered, not in a mood of chasing the Straw Hats.
"You're tired?"
"Listen." Smoker ordered again as the Marine salutes. "There's no point pursuing them now. Have the men call off the chase."
Smoker then turns around, walk towards the railing and leaned against it with a hand placed against it.
"I want everyone assembled here and contact Headquarters. Tell them to mobilize every military vessel in the vicinity and root them here. I want Alabasta surrounded." Smoker informed him.
"You're calling for reinforcements, sir?! But sir, if I may point out, our superiors may not be willing to move that many ships against such a small number of pirates!"
"And since when do I care what the superiors might think?!" Smoker demands with a scowl when he turns to him, causing the Marine to flinch.
"Sorry, sir! I'll get right on it!"
And with that, the Marine tried to catch up with his fellow men while try to inform them of Smoker's orders.
While outside of Rainbase, Chopper, Ivan, Shanise, Anna, and the camel were riding on a giant crab, making their way to Rainbase to get their crew. Chopper was able to get the scent of the perfume Nami was wearing which Sanji asked her to spray a perfume on her, but didn't tell her because of him acting like a lovesick puppy.
"Hurry!" Chopper shouts, sniffing the air. "Yeah, this way. The scent of Nami's perfume is getting stronger and stronger."
"If that's the case, then our crew are heading our direction." Ivan states when the camel agrees.
While inside of Rainbase, Luffy and his group kept running to the outskirts while the Marines kept chasing after them.
"Hey! Please tell me you guys aren't planning to run all the way to Alubarna!" Usopp complains.
"What choice do we have?!" Ventus remarked. "Chopper and the others have got a ride for us to get to Alubarna much quicker!"
"Oh yeah! We've got Eyelash!" Nami states. "Just where the hell is that stupid camel anyway?!"
"Close, I hope." Luffy said simply. "Doesn't this town have a stable? Let's get some horses!"
"It won't work, Luffy!" Ace points out. "The Marines might beat us to it, and it'll be heavily guarded."
"He's right." Vivi agrees. "The whole town is crawling with Marines!"
"Then Ventus!" Luffy called out, earned his attention. "Turn into a dragon! Give us a ride!"
"It'll take more than a day to give you guys a lift! And I won't be at full strength in a fight!" Ventus points out.
"Not to worry, look ahead!" Sanji said with a smirk.
"Hey guys, hop on!" Chopper shouts, waving at his friends.
Though, Ventus and Nami are skeptical about riding a crab since Sanji came up with an idea about finding a ride to get to Alubarna fast before the war begins. Usopp couldn't help but yell at the giant crab with fright. Luffy however, is drooling over his mouth when he looked at the giant crab, thinking its food.
"A CRAB!?" Usopp yelled with panic.
"Chopper!" Nami called him with a smile.
"That's a Moving Crab!" Vivi exclaims.
"Yummy!" Luffy muttered, causing Ventus to whack him in the back of his head since he always thought of his stomach.
The Moving Crab stopped in front of them with a goofy grin on its face. Luffy is only pirate who thought of it was so cool.
"Awesome! I can't believe my eyes! I bet it's delicious!" Luffy exclaims.
"All aboard!" Chopper told them.
"We get to ride it?!" Luffy exclaims excitedly, stretched his arms out, grabbed its eye and launched next to it.
"Is it just me or does its face look kinda shady?" Nami questions skeptically.
"Who cares? At least we have a ride." Sanji states as he, Nami, Zoro, Vivi, and Usopp climb up the crab.
Ventus used his wings to fly up onto the crab while Ace used his Devil fruit power to fly up and landed on the crab.
"Say hello, he's Eyelash's friend." Chopper explains when the crab lift its pincher up as they walk towards the top of its head. "Eyelash has lots of friends in this area because it's his hometown. He was born and raised here. He's nice, but kind of pervy."
"Gee, I wonder why?" Ventus asks sarcastically. "Almost like somebody we know."
"What's that, Ventus?!" Sanji growled with a glare, turns to the young Dragoon. "I hope you're not talking about me!"
"I don't know, I think he got you spot on." Zoro replied with a smirk. "You're always looking at the girls like a lovesick idiot."
"What's that, you third-rate swordsman?!"
"You heard me, you perverted cook! I guess it's true what they say about perverts acting like idiots!"
"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DEAD!?"
And with that, Sanji and Zoro began to fight each other for absolutely no reason at all. Luffy just laughed at the fight since it escalates further. Nami and Anna sighed as they decided to break up the fight by bashing their heads very hard, leaving them a several bumps on their heads.
"But still, I can't believe you found one!" Vivi exclaims surprisingly. "Moving Crabs are always submerged under the sands! So, it's nearly impossible to spot on!"
"Judging by its size, I'd say this guy is pretty fast." Zoro guessed, rubbing his sore head.
"No doubt, and it'll get us to Alubarna faster." Ventus adds.
"Okay, time to move out! Hang on everyone, here we go!" Chopper told them, whipped the reigns.
And with that, the Moving Crab scuttled over to Alubarna.
Just then, Ventus caught Crocodile's scent that was coming from the golden hook and Vivi is about to get caught. Ventus pushed her out of the way and got caught in her stead.
"Ventus!" Vivi called him.
Ventus turned to them and saw his crew looking at him in fear.
"Chopper! Stop the crab!" Zoro ordered.
"No! Keep going! Get Vivi to Alubarna!" Ventus shouts, tried to convince them, but the Moving Crab stops.
Luffy then stretched out his arms to grab on to the golden hook. When his whole body went to it, he got the young Dragoon out and threw him back to the others.
"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro called.
"That damn idiot!" Sanji muttered.
"Damn it, Luffy!" Ace adds.
"Luffy, no!" Vivi shouts.
"What are you doing?!" Ventus yelled.
"You guys go on ahead! Don't worry about me!" Luffy told them, pulled away.
Realizing what he was doing, even though Luffy doesn't even know about Crocodile's weakness, besides the sea prism stone, and physical attack won't effect on the Warlord of the Sea, either. Luffy then crashed against the ground head-first.
"Make sure you deliver Vivi home! Safe and sound! You have to promise me!" Luffy shouts with an order, smiled.
They're now beginning to understand why Luffy is staying behind which it got their faces paled as a sheet of paper, except Ventus, Zoro, Ace, and Anna, but they noticed both Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday are at the outskirts. Luffy is going to fight against Crocodile which they knew their Captain won't stand a chance against him because of the Sand-Sand fruit.
"Good luck you guys." Luffy finished his sentence.
"Dammit! You better come back alive, you jackass!" Ventus muttered, turns to Chopper. "Chopper! Get this crab moving to Alubarna! Now!"
"Right, okay! Let's go, crab!" Chopper said, whipping the reigns again as the Moving Crab scuttled to Alubarna.
"Hey, hold on!" Usopp argued. "Wait, Ventus! That's-"
"I don't want to hear it, Usopp!" Ventus interrupts, grabbing his collar. "We're running out of time! Would you rather if we lose one of our own?! Or would you rather have Vivi see her people die in the pointless war by Crocodile's hand?!"
"He's right, we don't have time for second thoughts right now!" Shanise adds with a scowl. "If we stay here, then all of the people of Alabasta will die and all that work we've done will be all for nothing!"
"Either way, Luffy may not stand a chance against Crocodile, but it'll be enough to buy us some time to get to Alubarna." Ace states, tipped his hat. "I mean, he is fighting against one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the leader of the Baroque Works."
"We've gotta go back!" Vivi yelled when both Nami and Anna restrained her.
"It's alright, Vivi, he'll be fine. You have to trust me on this, okay?" Nami assures her with a serious glare. "I certainly feel sorry for the other guy, Luffy shows no mercy to his prey. And there's not a single person he's gone after that was able to walk away."
"Crocodile will fail, Luffy will win. It's that simple." Zoro points out with a scowl. "The moment that the rebel army started running, this lands final hour will set. Once the royal army and the rebel army meet, this country, the kingdom of Alabasta will be gone forever."
"He's right, and if you truly are the one and only hope for preventing that tragedy, then you must survive not matter what." Anna adds, agreeing to Zoro. "So, from this moment forward, what happens to Luffy or any of us for that matter isn't the least bit important!"
It got Vivi shocked of Anna's statement because Luffy made up his decision and there's no turning back since time is not on their side. And they don't have time to get Luffy because the war in the capital city of Alabasta between the royals and the rebels is about to begin.
"Vivi, this is a fight that you and you alone started." Sanji points out. "You're the one who bravely left this land years ago and made the decision to stand up against a corrupt and evil organization. However, don't make the mistake if thinking you're alone anymore."
Vivi knew that Sanji, Zoro, and Anna were right because it'll be the time for her to get to Alubarna and not to get Luffy. Even though, it was hard for her to leave Luffy behind since he'll be facing Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday alone at the outskirts of Rainbase.
"Yeah, that's right. Don't worry, because...because Captain Usopp is going to protect you!" Usopp states with white eyes and shark-like teeth, but his legs were trembling.
'Yeah right.' Ventus, Anna, Ivan, and Shanise thought with a sweat drop as Vivi stood up.
"LUFFY!" Vivi yelled his name. "LISTEN! WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU! WE'LL BE IN ALUBARNA!"
"YEAH!" Luffy yelled back excitedly.
After the Straw Hat pirates continued their way to Alubarna, leaving Luffy behind, Crocodile was very furious for the rubber Captain letting them get away. Ms. All-Sunday however, is amused of their efforts.
"You could say Princess Vivi slipped through our fingers." Ms. All-Sunday informed him.
"No matter, the agents are still scheduled to gather in Alubarna." Crocodile told her, turns to his partner. "Contact them at once."
Ms. All-Sunday complies as she was about to contact the Baroque Works when Crocodile turned his head to Luffy.
"Straw Hat, I'd say you've taken this nonsense a little too far." Crocodile states when Luffy pulls himself up and turns to him.
"'Nonsense'? Vivi doesn't see that way." Luffy told him, pulling the sash out of his head. "You see, unlike most people, she genuinely cares about other people. I guess deep down, she's an optimist. Even if it's not too realistic. Take this provoke for example, she believes nobody needs to die."
"'Nobody needs to die'?" Crocodile mockingly repeats with a smirk. "The problem with idealistic fools like Princess Vivi, is they take a stand without any comprehension of what is truly involved in a real fight. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yep." Luffy answered simply, pulls himself up while dusting his sand. "But that doesn't change the fact that as long as you're around, Vivi's gonna fight until she either wins or dies trying. So I figure, I take you down right here!"
"Such a foolish boy." Crocodile said with a smirk, chuckled. "Despite what the idealist cry about, there's one constant truth. On the rough battlefields of life, you either kill or die. That's why I'm more than happy to shoot a bullet through every bleeding heart I meet."
"Yeah, which proves you're the bigger fool here." Luffy remarked with a smirk, cracked his knuckles.
Crocodile didn't like that remark which it got his veins popped out of his head, growled in anger and crushed the cigar with his mouth. Ms. All-Sunday chuckled a bit, amused of Luffy's remark.
"You think something's funny?!" Crocodile growled, turns to her. "Perhaps you like to die as well, Nico Robin."
"If you want to try, go right ahead." Nico Robin mocks with a smirk, walked away. "And didn't you promised not to call me by that name?"
"Where are you going?" Crocodile demands.
"I'm heading to Alubarna. See you there." Nico Robin informed him as she leaves Rainbase, leaving Crocodile and Luffy alone.
"Damn woman, I'll never figure her out." Crocodile cursed as he pulled something out of his cloak, threw an hourglass next to Luffy. "I've got three minutes to spare. After that, I'm certain your time would've run out as well."
Just as Luffy look at the hourglass while Crocodile readied his golden hook, the rubber captain looked back at the Warlord of the Sea.
"Your three minutes are counting down." Crocodile told him. "I don't have any more time to waste to the likes of you. It's your move, kid."
"With pleasure. Gum-Gum: Pistol" Luffy then launched his arm back and delivers a straight punch, but it didn't work when Crocodile formed into sand, vanished.
Luffy couldn't help but groaned when Crocodile reappears as he swung his golden hook, causing the rubber Captain to duck his head back and getting into a handstand position.
"And Gum-Gum: Stamp" Luffy stretched his leg out and about to hit Crocodile with his foot, but it didn't work either because he turns into sand and vanished once more.
Luffy growled in frustration as his leg stretched back in its place, causing him to lose his balance and fell against the ground, losing his straw hat, his canteen, and the jacket. Crocodile turns back into his form with a smirk on his face.
"By now, it should be quite obvious, but I'll warn you, you cannot defeat me." Crocodile states. "This is exercise of utility."
"Gum-Gum: Gatling" Luffy then stretched his fists forward, unleashing a flurry of punches which it has no effect on Crocodile.
Luffy pants heavily from all those attacks while Crocodile chuckled with amusement.
"Listen to my warning and take heed, if you continue this senseless attack, you will ever accomplish nothing." Crocodile warned him, but Luffy charged after him. "And wasted what little time you have left."
"Gum-Gum: Bazooka" Luffy stretched both of his arms back and delivers a double palm strike, causing Crocodile to scowl with annoyance and felt impatient.
"Gum-Gum: Battle Axe" Luffy stretches one leg high into the air, brings down a high-gravity stomp when Crocodile turns to sand and disappears.
Just as the dust clears, Luffy pants heavily with an exhaustion as he then stomps the ground.
"Good. Riddance. You. Lousy. Old. Sandgator!" Luffy grunts when Crocodile turns into his original form.
"You're wasting your time, boy." Crocodile warned him with a smirk.
"You bastard!" Luffy growled, turns to him.
"No matter how hard you fight against the truth, there's no way a rubber freak like you could even hope to rival me." Crocodile points out, turns to Luffy when he charges after him. "You'll-"
"I'm sorry, my interrupted you. Now, what was that?" Luffy mockingly questions with a scowl, after punched him in the face and readied his fighting stance.
That got Crocodile very angry of Luffy's mockery, but the hourglass is showing that he has less than three minutes.
"I've had my fill of your pathetic fun and games." Crocodile told him, readied his golden hook. "Let's end this now."
"'Fun and games'?! Trust me, I'm dead serious! Jerk!" Luffy retorted. "Dammit, he's right though! He's got an answer for all of my attacks. What do I do now?!"
"We may both be pirates, but you fall grossly short on skill." Crocodile states when his hand turns into sand. "Desert Spada"
Crocodile then demonstrates his Devil fruit power by then the sand into a fast-moving blade as he stabs the ground, extending it along the ground like a torpedo. Luffy was able to quickly dodge just in time, but the ground is split.
"Nice reflexes, boy." Crocodile praises him, impressed. "A full-on hit from that attack would've killed you."
Luffy then turns to the ground, shocked that it split.
"What the?! That's one deep hole!?" Luffy exclaims with his face pale, along with his shark-like teeth and his budged eyes.
"You may have Devil fruit powers, but you lack discipline and training." Crocodile states, as his right hand turns into sand. "With that, your skills could be as formidable as any, but you're not there yet, like so many fools you waste time obsessing over your abilities. Gimmicks get you only so far in a fight without any of your skillsets to back them up. Desert Girasole"
Crocodile then creates a sand blade with his right hand, stabs it into the ground. Luffy was confused as to why it didn't work, but failed to realize that it turns into quicksand and he's starting to sink.
"What in the?! What's going on?!" Luffy shouts with panic, starts to run. "The sand! It's sinking! What is this?! Whis this stuff?!"
Luffy tried to get out of the quicksand, but he only made it worse by sinking even faster.
"What's wrong? Never heard of quicksand?" Crocodile mockingly questions with an amused smirk. "It makes for a convenient desert burial, when you need to get rid of someone in a hurry. The sand is drawn down into an underground water waves and I have the fortune of being able to detect exactly where they are. That advantage alone is enough to make me unbeatable when fighting in the desert."
Though, Luffy didn't care because he still wanted to beat Crocodile and try to get out of the quicksand.
"If you think I'm gonna let myself be buried alive in this sandtrap, you've got another thing coming!?" Luffy yelled, almost out of the quicksand. "You bastard! Gum-Gum: Bazooka"
Luffy then stretches his arms back and delivers a double palm strike, flying in the air. Crocodile was unamused of his antics, but Luffy still has tricks under his sleeves as he entwines his fingers.
"If I can't slug you, then maybe I can catch you instead! Gum-Gum: Finger Net" Luffy then turns his fingers into a net, but Crocodile swiped him aside with his sand and tossed him against the ground.
"Haven't you learned anything, moron?" Crocodile taunts. "Predictable."
"Shut up! Gum-Gum: Battle Axe" Luffy tries it again when he stretched his leg high in the air, deliver a heavy stomp when Crocodile turns to sand again.
"This is really getting old." Crocodile points out, grabs Luffy with his sand and pulls him.
"Let me go! I'm warning you!?" Luffy shouts with panic.
"Desert Cutlass" Crocodile then swings his right arm forward while leaving a crescent shaped trail of sand.
Just as Luffy crashed against the ground with a grunt, he noticed his arm is all shriveled up.
"My...MY ARM!?" Luffy yelled with his face pale. "WHAT DID YOU DO?! IT'S ALL SHRIVELED UP...LIKE A MUMMY! YOU TURNED MY ARM INTO A MUMMY!"
"Stop whining! This is the price you pay, the sand has absorbed all of the moisture on your arm." Crocodile explains with a smirk. "You're lucky, all I decided to attack was your arm. I can do this all day long until you're a pile of dust."
Luffy then pulled himself up with a pant.
"You...gotta be kidding me!" Luffy grunts, realized he still had a small canteen filled with water as he rushed towards it. "That's it! Water!"
Crocodile then wondered what the rubber Captain is up to, watching Luffy drink up the water and his arm is now back to the way it was.
"All in vain." Crocodile taunts.
"You're wrong, sandy!" Luffy retorts with a smirk. "You see, that old guy in Yuba gave me this barrel of water! He's been all night digging it up just for me!"
Luffy even remembered Toto gave him the small barrel of water since he extracts the moisture out of the sand a while ago.
"He's not scared and neither am I!" Luffy states, stands up. "I'm not about to give in to the sand without a fight!"
Luffy then charges after Crocodile which he's really getting bored and annoyed.
"This is getting ridiculous." Crocodile muttered.
"Gum-Gum: Munch Munch" Luffy then stretches his mouth wide open, bites Crocodile which it didn't work and he finally had enough.
"ENOUGH! THIS ENDS NOW!" Crocodile yelled furiously, got out of his mouth.
Luffy then crashed into the ground with a grunt, coughing the air out as Crocodile turns back into his original form with a furious glare.
"Vermin! It is time to die, both you and the cursed land of Yuba." Crocodile growled, earned his attention. "Your three minutes are up. Like I said it before the start, I don't have time to fool around with you any longer. Now, Sables"
Crocodile then summons a massive sandstorm and sends it to Yuba. Luffy then screams in panic, blocking the sand by covering his face.
"Ah, the sand is so soothing and dry." Crocodile said calmly.
The people of Rainbase noticed the sandstorm as they take shelter to get away from the sandstorm, but they noticed that it's heading for Yuba. Both Tashigi and Smoker noticed the sandstorm, but the Marine Captain knew it was Crocodile's work for conjuring a sandstorm and the reason why it's heading to Yuba in the first place.
The Straw Hat pirates noticed the sandstorm is heading for Yuba when Vivi looked at it.
"Vivi, what's wrong?" Usopp questions.
"I have a pretty good idea why." Ventus states. "The sandstorm is Crocodile's work, he's the one who send it towards Yuba! He had the same scent when we got there in Yuba in the first place and why the place got hit."
They now realize that Ventus is right, Crocodile is the one who send the sandstorm to Yuba years ago. Nami and the others are getting worried that Luffy would lose the fight.
While at the battle, Crocodile spoke.
"Listen carefully, can you hear it move? In this land, the prevailing winds always blow from north to south." Crocodile explains with a smirk. "And so, if this infantile sandstorm of mine were to say, 'catch one of these winds', it will blow exponentially until they become a monster. And following its trajectory south, where do you think it would strike?"
"Tell me!" Luffy demands.
"To Yuba." Crocodile answered with a sneer.
It got Luffy widen his eyes when Crocodile answered, now finally realize it was him who send the sandstorm to strike Yuba number of times.
"No, not there!" Luffy yelled with anger, rushed after him. "Dammit! Why the hell were you doing this?! Stop it!?"
"Look, it's started. It's heading south." Crocodile told him, turns to the sandstorm.
"That nice old man has nothing to do with this, you hear me?!" Luffy yelled again, rush towards the sandstorm. "Stop it or I swear, I'll kill you! You bastard! You leave that old man alone!"
Until, the sandstorm pushed Luffy away with the amount of wind as he crashed against the ground, leaving Crocodile chuckled with amusement.
"You cannot alter fate. That sandstorm is going to pick up strength and eventually, it will become strong enough that even I can't stop it." Crocodile points out.
"I don't believe you! Liar!" Luffy shouts in anger.
"Yuba is finished." Crocodile states when Luffy grabs his collar.
"If you end this now, I will-"
Before Luffy could finish his sentence, Crocodile impaled him in the center of the chest with his golden hook. The sandstorm now head its way to Yuba.
"Did you really think you were my equal?" Crocodile questions, lifts him up when the blood drips down to the ground. "There have been any number rookies like you who've challenged me and you've all shared a common trait, the fatal ineptitude. And in the end, the only thing you are truly qualified for is death."
And when that fight is over, the first time in his life, Luffy lost the fight against Crocodile.
That's 45th chapter.
It's alright, nobody panic! Luffy isn't dead, not by a long shot! It'll take more than that to kill him! And don't worry, he'll be there in Alubarna in the future chapters!