King of Worlds' (One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, and many other worlds)

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground exploded and collapsed as massive clouds of sand and dust surged skyward. Under Crocodile's control, the storm gathered strength, forming an ever-growing sandstorm that darkened the skies.

In an instant, a thick curtain of yellow-brown sand stretched across the void, blotting out everything. Whatever it touched along the way was reduced to nothing but sand, 

A horrifying sight to behold.

In the blink of an eye, a massive sandstorm a full kilometer wide had formed right in front of Qin Yi and his group.

Wang Ye's eyes trembled. This scene, like a natural disaster, sent chills down his spine. The other five were no different. Though they were talented and had started learning to use Chakra, witnessing something of this scale still left them stunned.

"Your Majesty!" Their voices shook, betraying their fear.

The Shichibukai, Crocodile, a Logia Fruit user, now going berserk, could unleash a scene of such overwhelming force that they couldn't help but feel terrified.

"A Logia Fruit… truly a magnificent thing." Qin Yi, however, was calmly reflecting to himself.

Among all types of Devil Fruits, Logia Fruits undoubtedly have the highest starting potential. Once consumed, and as the user's own strength improves, their control over the powers becomes increasingly terrifying. At a certain level, depending on the fruit's nature, they could even create disasters akin to acts of God.

At this very moment, the sandstorm before them was indeed formidable.

But in Qin Yi's eyes? Not top-tier.

It only spanned a kilometer. Compare that to experts like Whitebeard, Aokiji, or Akainu, each of whom could reshape an entire island or sea with a single attack.

No wonder Crocodile was just a Shichibukai, and ranked near the bottom at that.

Fwooooosh!!

The billowing sandstorm charged forward like a raging army, roaring toward Qin Yi, and in the blink of an eye, it was upon him.

At that very moment, Qin Yi's pupils suddenly changed, 

Rinnegan.

In an instant, ripple-like patterns appeared in his eyes.

Then his right hand formed a hand seal.

Just as the seal completed, Crocodile noticed that the sand in front of him was suddenly covered in fine black lines. His eyes narrowed.

"What is this?!"

As that question flashed through his mind, A figure distorted into view right before Crocodile, and his pupils contracted violently.

"Impossible!!"

That young man, Qin Yi, had somehow bypassed the entire sandstorm and appeared directly in front of him.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Strangling Technique!"

Qin Yi's hands flew through hand seals. Behind him, a massive, snarling blue water dragon let out a deafening roar and dove downward.

Crocodile was so close he had no time to dodge, he was slammed by the water dragon and sent flying!

The thousand-meter-wide sandstorm he was controlling immediately halted in midair and lost cohesion, raining down in sheets of sand.

Crocodile, though quick to react, was still blasted backward, crashing through several buildings and trees. His body gouged a trench hundreds of meters long into the ground before finally skidding to a halt.

He staggered to his feet, stunned and covered in bruises.

The moment he stood up, he coughed out a mouthful of blood.

The impact from the water dragon had been brutal. Against water, he couldn't elementalize, so the attack hit him with full force. Several ribs were already broken.

His whole body was drenched, and in that soaked state, he couldn't drive the water out.

"Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull)!"

At that moment, Qin Yi, standing a full kilometer away, raised his right arm.

Vwoooom!

A powerful gravitational pull surged outward. Crocodile's expression changed drastically as he felt his body dragged forward uncontrollably toward Qin Yi.

Three seconds later, 

Qin Yi caught him by the throat.

Despite being taller than Qin Yi, Crocodile was now being dragged across the ground, half his body scraping along the dirt. That brutal trip had only added to his injuries.

Shichibukai, Sand Crocodile."

Qin Yi's voice carried a hint of cold laughter and unconcealed disdain.

"Do you know what happens to those who are both arrogant and ignorant of their own limits?"

He slowly raised his other hand and aimed it directly at Crocodile's face. Crocodile's pupils shrank, and his body trembled slightly.

A pitch-black dot suddenly formed in the center of Qin Yi's palm, rapidly expanding to the size of a baseball. From the surface of the black orb, a sharp spike extended outward like a metallic black blade, pointing straight at Crocodile's forehead.

"Who the hell are you?! I've never heard of your name anywhere in this world!" Crocodile growled through gritted teeth, panting heavily.

Inside, he was in shock.

He was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, wielder of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit). As a member of the Shichibukai, his position alone symbolized his strength. He might not be top-tier like the Yonko, but he was no weakling either.

Yet this man in front of him, so strange and overwhelmingly powerful, had defeated him in an instant. And the most terrifying part?

He had never even heard of this man before!

"Just because someone is unknown… doesn't mean they're weak. Crocodile, your worldview still has a long way to go." Qin Yi spoke casually, his tone like a teacher lecturing a misguided student.

Crocodile clenched his teeth, anger bubbling inside him.

"What exactly do you want?!"

"What do I want?" Qin Yi blinked, as if pondering it. After a moment, he smiled. "I just want this country. You're simply a stepping stone in my way, so I need to kick you aside."

As he finished speaking, the black spike in his hand slowly pressed forward until it touched Crocodile's forehead. His voice dropped, icy and menacing:

"Now then, one last time. Submit, or die."

Crocodile shuddered all over. The cold and stabbing pain at his brow filled his heart with conflicting emotions, panic, dread, and humiliation.

"...Submit." He trembled. His voice was filled with bitterness and reluctance.

Qin Yi smiled, then casually flung Crocodile aside.

Now free from his grasp, Crocodile, seriously injured, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Get some rest. Then come to the Royal Palace of Alabasta... and kneel before me."

These indifferent words rang in Crocodile's ears, making him close his eyes in shame.

In that moment of threat, he had genuinely considered choosing death.

But those two simple words, "I submit", he just couldn't bring himself to say them easily.

To live... meant there was still a chance.

To die... meant everything ended.

He had lived for decades, built a reputation as a formidable warlord, and he understood that truth perfectly.

Crippled by his injuries, he lay unmoving. After a while, he vaguely felt someone lifting him up. When he opened his eyes, he saw soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms, soldiers of Qin's Nation.

"Don't move. We're treating your injuries." One of the medics barked seriously as he noticed Crocodile awaken.

Crocodile narrowed his eyes, but in the end, chose not to resist.

He knew now that ythe oung man was the leader of these soldiers. As he watched the medics apply quick battlefield treatment and leap effortlessly between rooftops, shock surfaced again in his heart.

"These soldiers… each of them possesses strange and powerful abilities!"

Awe and curiosity rose within him. Each one of these soldiers wielded powers that, to him, were comparable to Devil Fruit abilities.

"Who... are they really?"

(End of Chapter)

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