"Erosion of Reincarnation!"
Crocodile slammed his palm against the palace floor.
In an instant, the power of his Suna Suna no Mi Devil Fruit surged forth.
Ka ka ka—!
An invisible wave of energy radiated outward in a perfect circle from his hand.
Anything caught within the radius began to lose moisture rapidly.
The very ground began to crack and crumble, the moisture evaporating into nothingness.
Walls, columns, furnishings—
All of them dried up as if turned into brittle paper.
Even the stones, already dry, disintegrated into loose sand under the influence of Crocodile's power.
Boom!
Under the overwhelming power of the Sand-Sand Fruit, the surrounding structures began to collapse into dust and sand.
And the desertification zone was still expanding!
Seeing this, Bai Yu's eyes narrowed sharply.
He understood now—this was Crocodile's ultimate technique, pushing the Suna Suna no Mi to its limit.
Everything the wave touched was reduced to lifeless sand.
A deadly tide.
Boom!
The palace ground groaned under the spreading desertification, massive patches crumbling into sand beneath their feet.
The entire palace was sinking—slowly but surely.
If left unchecked, it would collapse entirely within minutes.
Reacting quickly, Bai Yu gripped his Tachi sword tightly and whirled around, slashing behind him in a flash.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A colossal shockwave of sword energy erupted from the blade, speeding straight toward the sealed palace gate where the navy soldiers were still struggling.
Boom!
The slash avoided the marines precisely and crashed into the gate.
In a single instant, a deep gash was carved through the massive doors.
"Get out—now!" Bai Yu barked.
"Yes, Commander!"
"Be careful yourself!"
Understanding Bai Yu's intent, the soldiers didn't hesitate. They grabbed Princess Vivi and dashed out through the newly formed opening.
Everyone knew staying would only burden Bai Yu further.
Once the last soldier escaped, Bai Yu turned back—
Facing Crocodile, who stood in the eye of the expanding sandstorm, calmly spreading destruction.
The creeping sand had already reached Bai Yu's feet.
"Geppō!"
With a light tap of his foot, Bai Yu shot into the air, using Moonwalk to avoid the spreading sand.
Hum—!
Suspended mid-air, Bai Yu's presence grew colder.
Sword intent surged violently from his body, forming a glowing turquoise aura.
"Azure Dragon's Aura—Ultimate!"
With his will as the center, the unleashed sword intent compressed into his Tachi.
The entire blade shimmered in vivid turquoise, glowing with terrifying power.
Energy condensed—deadly and precise.
"In this world," Bai Yu murmured, "there is nothing I cannot cut."
"Azure Dragon · Pole · Jade Cut!"
As the final syllables fell, Bai Yu gripped the sword with both hands.
A breath of stillness.
Then—
Boom!
Bai Yu vanished, reappearing mid-charge as a turquoise streak of light blazing toward Crocodile at an inhuman speed.
Roar—!
A deep, ethereal dragon's roar echoed with his movement, as if the spirit of the Azure Dragon surged with him.
In a flash, Bai Yu was before Crocodile.
No warning.
Just a blade descending.
Slash!
Bai Yu's entire form transformed into a crystalline Azure Dragon, piercing clean through Crocodile.
Then, silence.
Bai Yu reappeared behind Crocodile, still holding his blade in a drawn pose.
Bang—! Pfft!
The golden hook Crocodile wore shattered into fragments.
A deep sword wound split open across his chest, blood bursting like a fountain.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The blood splattered onto the sand-covered floor, staining it crimson.
"Such… a fast sword…"
Crocodile's voice was faint.
Then—
Plop!
He collapsed forward, completely unconscious.
With Crocodile's defeat, the desertification halted instantly.
The palace fell into an eerie silence.
Huff—
Bai Yu exhaled, flinging the blood off his blade in a swift motion before sheathing it.
He scanned the wreckage. No other enemy remained.
With one hand, he hoisted the unconscious Crocodile over his shoulder and walked toward the exit.
—Meanwhile, outside the palace—
Princess Vivi and the navy had retreated a hundred meters from the gate, anxiously awaiting the outcome.
"Do you think he's alright?" Vivi asked, trembling. Her fingernails nearly pierced her palms.
"He'll be fine," the navy sergeant said resolutely. "We trust him."
Bai Yu's achievements along their journey had already earned him the loyalty of all.
To the marines, Bai Yu wasn't just a commander—he was their invincible War God.
If even Bai Yu fell, they knew there'd be no hope.
"Look!"
"Someone's coming!"
One sharp-eyed marine spotted movement near the broken gate.
A figure emerged.
"It's Crocodile!"
"What?! Where's Commander Bai Yu?!"
Everyone froze.
It was unmistakably Crocodile—but something was off.
His feet dangled above the ground—like a lifeless puppet.
The soldiers stared closer.
Then—
Another figure appeared, carrying Crocodile effortlessly in one hand.
"It's him!"
"Commander Bai Yu!"
"He won!"
The marines exploded into cheers.
Some wept.
Some clapped.
All of them celebrated.
Their commander had once again triumphed.
Unscathed.
Unmatched.
Unbreakable.