Chapter 119.2: Competition Card, First Battle: Gaara vs Sand Crocodile!

[Hiashi Hyuga: A Devil Fruit user, and a Logia-type at that. Taijutsu users are at a disadvantage against Logia users. This Crocodile would counter our Hyuga clan's taijutsu experts. We'll need outside help for this battle!]

[Temari: His abilities are quite similar to Gaara's. They both control sand!]

[Tsunade: Why not have Gaara step in? His strength is formidable.]

[Neji Hyuga: If Ye Tian could step in, we'd be even more certain of victory!]

[Garaga: My master wouldn't bother dealing with such small fry. That would just lower his status. So, don't count on my master stepping in!]

[Gaara: Let me do it!]

Sunagakure.

Kankuro's face changed when he saw Gaara volunteering. "Gaara, you're the Fifth Kazekage now. What if you encounter danger?"

"I trust my strength. Also, defeating opponents comes with rewards. This is an opportunity. Kankuro, you know very well how weak Sunagakure is. If we don't take risks, how can we strengthen the village?" Gaara said seriously.

He added, "If I truly can't win, I will surrender!"

"Alright, Gaara. Just be careful!" Kankuro replied.

The Hyuga Clan.

Hiashi Hyuga and the other elders, after discussing it, agreed to let the Fifth Kazekage Gaara participate.

Gaara's strength was indeed great, and he could control sand.

While water-style ninjas were more effective against Devil Fruit users, those with average strength wouldn't be of much help.

Thus, since Gaara was willing to fight, they were more than happy to let him.

"Then let's invite Gaara to fight!" Hiashi Hyuga decided.

Golden List Livestream.

[Hiashi Hyuga: I invite Gaara to be our first fighter!]

In an instant, Gaara saw the invitation option. Once he clicked it, he would be transported to the arena.

Without hesitation, he clicked.

Buzz!!!!

Gaara's figure was instantly swallowed into the arena.

"Kazekage-sama, please be safe!" The many shinobi of Sunagakure prayed.

Arena.

Gaara appeared in the arena.

In the audience, the Fourth Kazekage, seeing his son entering the fight, couldn't help but feel worried.

Crocodile and Gaara stood in the center of the arena as a barrier of light surrounded them.

They couldn't leave unless the battle ended, or one of them surrendered.

Next, the arena's terrain changed into a desert landscape, a setting perfect for the fight between the two.

"A desert terrain, this is too perfect for me!" Crocodile exclaimed excitedly.

Gaara knew Crocodile could control sand, making the desert terrain advantageous for both of them in the battle.

The fight began!

Crocodile's arm morphed into a giant sand blade and slashed toward Gaara.

"Desert Spada!"

This move sliced through the desert, a terrifying attack aimed directly at Gaara.

At this moment, Gaara did not immediately use his Star Sand; instead, he manipulated the surrounding sand to form a Sand Shield.

Boom!

The Desert Spada struck the Sand Shield, slicing it open, but losing its momentum afterward.

"What a strong defense! And this kid can also control sand—is this a power similar to the Sand-Sand Fruit?" Crocodile muttered gravely.

At that moment, Gaara launched a counterattack—he wasn't one to just defend passively.

"Sand Binding Coffin!"

Under Gaara's control, dense sand surged toward Crocodile from all directions.

Crocodile wasn't very fast, so he couldn't avoid the Sand Binding Coffin.

In an instant, Crocodile was bound by the sand.

Immediately, Gaara used another technique—Prison Sand Burial!

The sand began to crush inwards, attempting to pulverize Crocodile.

However, Crocodile's body turned to sand. Though crushed into pieces, he reformed himself, emerging from the sand once again with a fully restored body.

"Kid, that was a good move, but it's useless against someone with the Sand-Sand Fruit. My body can turn into sand, so you can't kill me!" Crocodile sneered.

"Desert Diamond Spadas!"

Four massive Desert Diamond Spadas shot out from Crocodile's hands, slashing toward Gaara.

These sabers were sharper and faster than the Desert Spada.

Gaara's Sand Shield was easily shattered, but at that moment, Gaara activated his strongest defense—the Shield of Shukaku.

This move, combined with the Star Sand from his gourd, created an impenetrable defense.

The four Desert Diamond Spadas crashed into the Shield of Shukaku, shattering on impact without even scratching the defense.

"This defense…" Crocodile was utterly shocked. How could he break through this?

In the Golden List Livestream.

Numerous shinobi were discussing the battle.

[Hashirama Senju: This guy named Crocodile seems pretty average. Gaara should be able to win, right?]

[Temari: Gaara will definitely win, but it's hard to kill him. Devil Fruit users are notoriously difficult to kill!]

[Kisame Hoshigaki: Is this guy that weak? If I had known, I would have stepped in. My abilities seem to counter his, after all!]

[Hidan: Looks like these so-called powerful beings from another world aren't that strong. I might as well step in next!]

[Kakuzu: The final say still lies with Hiashi Hyuga. The Hyuga family might not let you go up there!]

As time passed, Gaara and Crocodile continued to fight.

Crocodile's body was shattered time and time again, but Gaara still couldn't finish him off. Meanwhile, all of Crocodile's attacks were blocked by Gaara's Shield of Shukaku.

"If this continues, my chakra will run out. But Crocodile's power comes from the Devil Fruit, and his stamina is very strong. He'll be able to last much longer! So, I need to seal him!" Gaara thought to himself.

Thus, he immediately performed the Great Sand Mausoleum Seal.

Buzz!

Countless particles of Star Sand, mixed with ordinary sand, surrounded Crocodile and gradually enveloped him, forming a pyramid that sealed him inside.

Since this was a sealing technique, not even Crocodile could break free.

Time slowly passed, and after about five minutes, Crocodile was still unable to escape the seal. The arena automatically judged him to have lost the ability to resist and declared his defeat.

"Crocodile has been defeated. His Sand-Sand Fruit ability will be stripped and bestowed upon Gaara!"

Buzz!

Crocodile was transported out of the seal by the arena, and the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit was stripped from him, transforming into a beam of light that entered Gaara's body.

"No!" Crocodile cried in despair.

Without the Sand-Sand Fruit, he was nothing!

What use was being a Warlord of the Sea, what happened to his ambitions? All of it was now meaningless!

However, the arena was powered by the Golden List, a force far beyond the Pirate World. Crocodile had no means to resist.

After being stripped of his power, Crocodile was immediately transported out of the arena.

Seeing Crocodile's miserable state, countless people in the Pirate World were stunned.

That was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, yet he was so easily defeated and even had his Devil Fruit power stripped away.

This was too tragic!

Crocodile's defeat didn't affect the remaining twelve contestants, who merely thought that Crocodile had been too weak.

Soon, the second fighter from the Pirate World was chosen.

The second to appear was Enel!

This god from the Sky Island!

A brief introduction of Enel appeared in the livestream chat.