#146 - Chapter 146: Showdown in the Desert
The sunlight was like blood, the yellow sand like rain.
This desolate land was dyed with a unique color.
Against this bleak backdrop, two figures took opposing stances in the desert.
"Have you noticed?"
Crocodile's voice was deep and powerful, his gaze sharp, piercing through the surrounding dust.
"A group of flies has come to this area..."
Crocodile's words revealed a hint of subtle irony, his eyes cold as he regarded his opponent and the uninvited guests as mere dust.
With that, Crocodile gathered sand in his fist, wielding the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit, his every movement filled with unpredictable danger.
He leaned forward slightly, a presence like the calm before a sandstorm forming around him, making the air around Jin almost solidify.
Jin, not to be outdone, brandished the longsword in his hand, drawing trajectories in the sand like a swimming dragon.
When Crocodile's sand attack came howling, he waved his hand lightly, as if brushing away dust, shattering the rapidly approaching sand.
"Of course, I noticed."
Jin's words carried a hint of composure, he didn't take the opponent seriously at all.
"Your attack just now was aimed at those people, right?"
"Your personality needs a little discipline."
Crocodile laughed heartily, "Discipline me?"
"With that sword energy you just used to block my attack."
"I can't feel any threat at all!!"
Crocodile's words seemed to dismiss Jin, but implicitly revealed his recognition of Jin's strength.
If he hadn't tested him just now, he wouldn't have seen the sweeping sword energy tearing the desert apart.
......
On the desert, before Cobra.
He saw the white cloak swaying in the wind, with the word 'Justice' casually fluttering on it.
Cobra's eyes stared intently at this figure, even under the cover of the scorching sun and sand, he recognized that solemn back.
"Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Jin."
He breathed out a long breath, forcibly calming the churning waves in his chest.
His chest rose and fell violently like a sail in a sandstorm, containing the tranquil power before the storm.
His blood was boiling, every drop burning with the desire to fight and the feeling of respect.
If he didn't have to maintain the composure of a nation's ruler, Cobra would have shouted at the top of his lungs at this moment, turning the surging emotions in his heart into sound waves, so that the entire desert could hear his excitement.
But as a king, he chose temporary silence, burying this emotion deep in his heart.
This Marine in front of him was someone he admired.
After today's events, he became even more firm in his heart.
Jin was so damn handsome!
If his strength allowed it, he really wanted to follow behind the other party and fight alongside him.
As for how the two powerhouses in the sky would clash amidst the trials of blades and sand, Cobra's heart was also full of excitement and anticipation.
However......
Looking at the surrounding sand rising into the air, already brewing into a sandstorm-like scene, Cobra couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Being in this kind of scene, even for those of them who had experienced many sandstorms, they felt a little apprehensive.
......
Yellow sand filled the sky, like churning angry waves, stirring up gusts of wind and sand on the barren desert.
The scorching sun baked the battlefield.
Jin looked at the man opposite him, the sand swirling around them, causing him to rub his nose uncomfortably.
"What? Feeling the pressure?"
Jin's voice cut through the flying sand, but sounded somewhat mocking to the other party's ears.
Crocodile's voice, though calm, revealed a hint of caution, as if echoing from the depths of the desert.
"Don't overestimate your own strength."
Subsequently, Crocodile's words became even sharper.
"I just want to make a quick decision!"
As soon as the words fell, his body was like a phantom in the sand, moving quickly and deadly, although his words were contemptuous, his actions were not to be underestimated.
Crocodile was a "Royal Shichibukai" conferred under the delicate balance between pirates and the navy.
Not only was his reputation loud enough, but he also possessed the strength to match his reputation.
In this sea of sand that he dominated, he possessed unmatched power.
In this endless sea of sand, the hot wind carried sand grains that flew through the air like stinging needles, each grain carrying violent power.
"Sables!"
Crocodile's body erupted with inexplicable energy, entangling the power of the desert and transforming it into a sandstorm, launching a fierce offensive against Jin.
Faced with the overwhelming sandstorm, Jin remained unmoved.
At the last moment, he raised his sword and drew a clear arc in the air with the blade.
He split the sandstorm in half with a single slash.
"Boom!!"
The sand fell from the sky to the ground, forming a small sand dune on the ground.
Then, Jin waved his hand back, the sharp blade drew a perfect trajectory, bringing with it a wave of sword energy.
This sword energy pierced through the sand and went straight for Crocodile.
The sand was cut open by this fierce slash, revealing cracks that reached the sky.
The light passed through those cracks, illuminating the rapidly advancing slash, making it not only carry the power of destruction, but also a kind of power, as if it wanted to cut open this desert as well.
In the face of this huge slash, Crocodile demonstrated his true power as the King of the Desert.
"Desert Precious Sword!"
With his earth-shattering roar, he opened his palms, gathered the surrounding sand, and wove them together tightly.
Under his will, these flying sand grains instantly transformed, forming a sand giant sword that was sharper and more powerful than the substance.
This giant sword made of sand, with the sky full of sand and dust gathered for it, absorbed the majestic power contained in the desert.
Under Crocodile's control, the sand sword rushed straight towards the slash launched by Jin with a rolling momentum.
The two forces converged in the air in the center of the sand sea, bursting out an astonishing shock wave at the moment of encounter.
"Rumble!!"
The desert was shaken by this huge force, and the entire earth was constantly trembling because of this collision.
The desert was stimulated by the power of this collision, setting off an even more violent wind and sand, forming a sandstorm that even sight could not penetrate.
The air was filled with the sound of sand colliding.
Under this huge force, Jin's slash and Crocodile's sand sword collided, entangled, and finally perished together in the air.
Crocodile observed the surroundings, wanting to find Jin's figure.
The next moment.
Jin's figure crossed the long distance between the two.
Appearing in front of Crocodile in an instant.
Holding the sword in one hand, he slashed down fiercely.
...
