Chapter 21: 20. Croc's defeat
'Damn, i can't touch his body, he's like sand version of Suigetsu. These devil fruit user is like a kekkei genkai.'-Jon
He attack by using fist, weapons and throwing paper bombs but it didn't work.
'Wait, if he's like Suigetsu maybe ninjutsu is effective, Karin can catch him with adamantine chains afterall. But my chakra is low. I can't risk not having any chakra left if i want to defeat him. Hmm, what should i do? Ah, that's right, maybe i can cover my hand with chakra to imitate ninjutsu effect, just like medical ninjutsu. Let's try.'-Jon
"Are you done thinking?"-Croc
"How nice of you to wait for me."-Jon
"It's just waiting, even if i do nothing you still can't defeat me."-Crocodile
"Heh, maybe you'll change your mind after this"-Jon
Jon cover his hand with small amount of chakra, he want to test the water first. He flickered and punch Crocodile's abdomen, and it's work. Crocodile got hit on his chest and fall on the ground. He and evryone else are surprised that he got hit by Jon. But Jon's punch aren't that strong, he's still behind Luffy & Zoro in pure physical strength. He need to infuse chakra in his body to match them, but now his chakra is low and he's tired, so his physical power is at the bottom now.
Crocodile stand up and he can avoid Jon's attacks now. He's just unprepared before, he didn't think that Jon can damage him. But he's now prepared and know that Jon is tired, so his move aren't fast enough to hit Crocodile. Crocodile avoid every attacks and after sometime he slam Jon to the ground with his right hand, then he put his left leg on Jon's chest.
"Even tough you can touch me but i can also avoid your attack. I see it before, your fight with Billions and Millions. You're certainly strong, but a big move like that must be using a lot of energy. Don't think you can defeat me without your full power, well, even with your full power you still can't win. KA-KA-KA-KA."-Crocodile
"Damn you, if Luffy's here he will kick your ass."-Jon wriggling around, pfft.
"KA-KA-KA-KA, let me tell you something interesting. Your captain is dead."-Crocodile
"What?"-Jon & Vivi
~Sometime ago with Luffy~
Luffy meet Crocodile after he follow the hook. Crocodile said he will entertain Luffy for 3 minutes. They start fighting but Luffy's attack can't touch him at all, Crocodile's body always turn to sand when Luffy attack him. Eventually 3 minutes passed without Luffy giving damage to Crocodile. Then Crocodile stab Luffy in abdomen and Luffy 'died'.
~Back to Jon~
Jon is shock, he just think that Crocodile is run, leaving Luffy somewhere. But he say Luffy is dead, he don't believe it, and he want to attack the Croc again. Just then Jon see something fly on the sky. With his sharingan he can see far away and can see the thing, no the one that flying on a big bird, and he smirk.
"Heh, there's no way someone like you can kill Luffy. He is the one that will be the Pirate King. A pirate that bow to the world like you is no match for him."-Jon
"Huh? Wha-"-Crocodile can't finished his talk when,
"CRO-CO-DILE"-Luffy
That's right, Jon saw Luffy come riding a big bird and carrying a barrel of water. Luffy shout and punch Crocodile on the face, making him roll away, so Jon can stand up again.
"Take you long enough, Luffy. He said that you're dead"-Jon
"Ooh, Jon, long time no see. Well, i almost dead, hahahaha"-Luffy laugh and pat Jon's shoulder
"It's only 2 days Luffy, and don't laugh when you're almost dead. Well whatever, can you defeat him?"-Jon
"Of course"-Luffy
"Then i'll leave it to you Captain."-Jon
Jon walk to Vivi and free her from the bind, then he sit while lean back to the wall, seemingly not bothered to save the King at all. He's also ignore the woman, Ms. All Sunday, a.k.a Nico Robin and just sit watching Luffy and Crocodile fight.
"Are you okay Vivi?"-Jon
"Yeah, thanks Jon"-Vivi
"Your welcome, let's sit and watch the show."-Jon
"Umm, Jon, my father..."-Vivi
"Hmm? He's grown up, he should take care of himself."-Jon
Vivi and King Cobra sweatdrop hearing this, Robin just giggling, thinking that maybe this crew is all like this.
"Mugiwara, i see you're still alive, how can you hit me? You can't touch me at all before."-Crocodile
"I cover my fist with water, your sand is weak to water, that's why you stole the rain, now i will beat you."-Luffy
Luffy attack Crocodile again but he can avoid it.
"Hoo, a clever solution. But it's useless if i can avoid your attack."-Crocodile
'Clever? There's no way Luffy came up with that one, it must be that bird man.'-Jon
Jon thought that while looking at the big bird that already change into a man, but he's already beaten up by Robin when trying to free the king and being tied up together. Jon just sigh at him and watch the fight again. Luffy can't land his attacks as Croc avoid them. Then Croc touch Luffy's right hand and suddenly it dried up. Jon surprised seeing this, the Croc can absorb water from a body, he's relief Croc didn't use it earlier on him, but he's worried about Luffy's condition. He can't think of a solution for something like that.
Then Luffy take a gulp of water from the barrel and his hand instantly healed. Jon see this and stunned, it's just too irrational and unscientific, but it happen in front of his eyes so he just let it be, not like he will know the answer right away. Luffy then gulp all the water from barrel and became,
"Mizu Luffy"-Luffy
Luffy's stomach bloated up being filled with water. But there're leaks of water, seemingly from his wounds. Luffy scream and Robin giggling harder than before. Luffy also amost throw up the water but gulping it down again.
"Don't play around Mugiwara."-Croc has a tickmark
"I always serious"-Luffy
"".....""-everyone
They can't believe that he is serious with what he's doing now. Croc seem angry and rush forward, but Luffy spit water to him, make him soaked up. Luffy punch him in guts and because he is soaked up, Luffy's punch can touch his body. Croc fly and crash to a small building behind him. But then start to laugh like a villain he is, he crouch and touch the ground. He absorb all the moisture in the ground and make it dried up, the ground start to crack. Luffy spit some water ball but Crocodile can absorb every one of it, and he continue to drying the ground.
"Ground Death"-Croc
The ground dried up faster and suddenly the place collapsed because it start to turn to sand, so they all fall underground. Jon protect Vivi and ignore the King again. But he's surprised seeing the King being saved by Nico Robin. Luffy, Jon, Vivi and Pell fall and burried under the rubble. But Nico Robin and King Cobra have flee before the ground collapsed.
Robin forced the King to bring her toward somewhere that have something in it. They arrived there and sometime later Crocodile also arrived. They arrived in a very big underground room with a lot of carving and there's also a big square stone with words engraving using unknown language in the center of the big room.
"Poneglyph"-Robin
Nico Robin walk to the poneglyph and start to read it.
"You can read it?"-King Cobra
"Yes, i study the language from child"-Robin
"How is it Ms. All Sunday? Is there information about Pluto?"-Croc
"No, it's just history of Alabasta."-Robin
"Is that so?....Then i think i will kill you here"-Croc
"Wha.."-Robin
"We have a deal four years ago Nico Robin, i will bring you to poneglyph and you will give me the information. I bring you here but you decide to not give me my information. I have another way you know, because i never trust anyone."-Croc
Robin try to attack him by throwing a tube filled with water and stab him but Croc avoid it. He appeared behind Robin and stab her with his hook. Suddenly Luffy, Jon & Vivi come. They arrive after Vivi show them the way. Jon believe Luffy will win but he still come to help if he need it, he also give Luffy some water left in his inventory. They arrive and surprised to see Croc stabbing Robin. Luffy then punch him, making him fly to the wall. Jon suddenly have one thought right now.
'What is this? A disney princess movie? A prince save the princess that almost being killed by her evil father?'-Jon
Luffy and Croc fight again and they're seemingly equal for now. But then Luffy have run out of water, so he's at disadvantage now. Croc hold him on his neck, Luffy can't free himself and Croc start to absorb water in Luffy's body, he became a dried up mummy. Jon move fast to help him with his remaining chakra even if he will be pass out because of chakra depletion. He can't let Luffy die. He move to their side and,
"Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu"-Jon
Jon make the water bullet with all his chakra to make it big enough. With a dry environment, he can only make enough to cover both Luffy and Crocodile. Luffy's back to normal, and Crocodile get soaked up. Croc take his hand off from Luffy because he got attacked and back away a bit.
"Beat him! Luffy."-Jon pass out
"Leave it to me."-Luffy cracking his finger
"DAMN BRAT"-Croc
Just then Luffy punch Croc's face and he's flying to the wall again. Luffy start his barrage of punches and kicks. Then Croc jump and send a sand blade but Luffy punch trough it and hit Croc. Now that Luffy's become more serious and know how to deal witb Croc, he dominate the fight. Luffy use his 'Gattling Gun' toward Croc. Croc got hits multiple times to the ceiling, and,
*BAM BAM BAM*
*CREAK CREAK*
*BOOOM*
After numerous hits, Croc fly trough the ceiling to the battlefield on Alubarna and pass out.
Luffy vs Crocodile: Luffy's win
~~~
Seeing Crocodile fall among them, the remaining agents that's only a dozen or so feel despair. They're already lose but seeing Crocodile unconscious make them to finally give up. The army cheering, they know they have won. The Marines that have come after Jon go to the castle, capture Crocodile and his goons. With the defeat and capture of Crocodile and Baroque Works agent, the War of Alabasta has finally finished.
Alabasta Kingdom & Strawhat Pirate vs Baroque Works: Alabasta & Pirate's win
~~~
In the underground after Luffy's win, King Cobra ask Robin that survived about the poneglyph and she explain it to him. Vivi check Jon's condition, and relief that he's fine, only tired. Luffy has a dark circle around his eyes, e's getting poisoned by Croc's hook, but he can hold his ground now, the poison effect hasn't been spread, but he need immediate treatment before it become worse, so Robin give Cobra the antidote she prepared before and tell him to give it to Luffy. She want to stay there even tough the room will collapsed soon, she want to die here. She said she doesn't have any reason to live anymore after learning the poneglyph and being betrayed again, she's also injured and can't run from marine, but Luffy just take and put her on his shoulder.
"Yosh, let's get out."-Luffy said with serious but haggard expression
"Wait, leave me here. I don't have any reason to live anymore."-Robin
"Why should i do what you ask?"-Luffy
Then Luffy bring Cobra and Robin out, while Vivi bring Jon, she is certainly strong for a princess, well she was a bounty hunter. Then they come out and Luffy collapsed immediatedly outside. Just then, the underground room collapsed too. The soldiers come after they see Crocodile being blasted, the the crew also come. They knew it's Luffy, so they come here. The King already odered his soldiers to save and hide Robin before, so the crew didn't know about her. The Marines start to come, so King Cobra suggested them to go to castle. After arriving in castle, they all collapsed.