SPOP Chapter 126 Powerhouses Live, Weaklings Die

As Crocodile spoke, everyone followed his gaze, and only then did they notice another group disembarking from a ship on the other side of the shore.

The leader of this group had an exaggerated physique, standing a full fifty centimeters taller than Crocodile, reaching a shocking height of three meters. He wore a pink feather coat, cropped pants, had blonde hair, and wore sunglasses. His expression was arrogant and dismissive, as if the whole world was beneath his notice.

When he saw the cold killing intent in Crocodile's eyes, the clear hostility, the man simply smiled.

"Fuffufuffuf..."

That distinct and chilling laugh came from his mouth, causing even the crew behind Crocodile to involuntarily take a fearful step back.

Last night, this group had silently slaughtered more than a dozen of Crocodile's men, each death was not only gruesome but eerily bizarre.

Seeing his men falter even before the battle began, Crocodile frowned once more.

He was growing increasingly dissatisfied with his subordinates.

In this vast sea, weak companions, or subordinates, only meant one thing: they would be abandoned, or they would die.

Crocodile slowly raised his right hand, eyes frosty. The humiliation these people had brought upon them last night... would be washed away today!

"Buzz!"

The air trembled inexplicably, and the ground before him suddenly shuddered. Grains of sand began to float into the air. In the blink of an eye, the man in the feather coat's expression changed.

A massive cloud of sand rose into the void, overwhelming the sky as it rushed toward their group.

To the eye, it looked like a sand curtain nearly fifty meters wide, crashing forward through the air like an unstoppable wave.

"This guy...!"

The man in the pink coat narrowed his eyes beneath his sunglasses, his right hand trembling ever so slightly in an erratic rhythm.

At that very moment, a pirate standing behind Crocodile suddenly looked terrified, his hand moved against his will, drawing a blade and violently slashing toward Crocodile's back.

"Slash!"

The blade swept across Crocodile's back, and large amounts of sand scattered from the wound.

Crocodile's eyes grew even colder. The sandstorm in his control paused momentarily, and in that split second, the opposing group had already leapt away, dodging the attack.

"Sààà..."

The sandstorm crashed down onto the ground and quickly settled.

"Why so angry, Crocodile?" the man in the feather coat said with an exaggerated grin, arms open wide.

"Isn't this how the sea works?"

"Powerhouses live, weaklings die!"

"That's the eternal truth this world has always followed. Isn't it?"

Crocodile's slashed body quickly reformed, his eyes burning with even greater killing intent.

This arrogant man in front of him had completely ignited the fire in his heart, even more than those two other people had. That lofty attitude, looking down on everyone, struck a nerve deep in his heart.

"Just lost a few crew members, is that really worth getting this mad over?" the man mocked.

"If you want to vent your anger, then go ahead, my men, if you have the ability, are yours to kill!"

He said this loudly, and the crew behind him all smiled as well, completely unfazed.

They seemed to know with certainty that the enemy couldn't possibly defeat them, they were full of confidence.

"How amusing..."

With killing intent flashing in his eyes, Crocodile slowly bent his waist, pressing both hands to the ground.

"But you seem to have forgotten... whose home turf this is!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the ground shook violently, and dust billowed into the air.

Quicksand began to rise, and in the span of a breath, it engulfed the crewmember behind him who had been controlled, forcing his movements to halt.

Then, vast amounts of sand surged from the ground, and in mere moments, an endless sandstorm filled everyone's vision.

"Dry and split! Weathering!"

A strange, mysterious force radiated from between Crocodile's hands, instantly sweeping across several hundred meters, rushing toward the man in the pink feather coat.

Most of those with quick reflexes backed away immediately, but a few who didn't understand what was happening stood there blankly, and in the next instant, they were engulfed by the strange power.

"Kā-cā!"

A total of five people were caught. In just a blink, their bodies were completely enveloped by the force. It was as if all the moisture in their bodies had been evaporated by intense heat. Within just three breaths, their bodies were reduced to mummies, a horrifying way to die, and the speed of death was so fast, they didn't even have time to scream.

"Change into sand!"

With a low growl, the five mummified corpses shattered into pieces, disintegrating into a sky full of sand particles, which were then absorbed into the massive quicksand swirling around.

"Wēng wēng wēng..."

Nanohana Harbor, a place once known for its scenic beauty and gentle breezes, was now suddenly engulfed in yellow sand, swept up by a raging sand duststorm.

The sandstorm was vast, carried by powerful winds, sweeping across hundreds of meters and making it nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from nearby.

From an alley not far from the scene, a large group of guards, armed and clearly on edge, came running.

The moment they saw the scene before them, they immediately shouted out in warning:

"Everyone stand down! This is Alabasta, not some lawless land for you arrogant pirates to wreak havoc! Otherwise, get the hell out of here!"

The guard captain at the front drew his sword and bellowed the command loudly.

Just as he shouted, the man in the pink feather coat's fingers trembled subtly.

At that same moment, all of Crocodile's pirates behind him suddenly turned, expressions changing, and drew their weapons, pointing them at Crocodile.

"Damn it!"

Crocodile's face turned grim. His powers were formidable, but the opponent's abilities were absurdly strange, able to control his subordinates against their will.

"Crocodile, your powers are strong, but so are mine. It's just a few useless lackeys who died, was that really worth getting so worked up over?"

The man in the pink feather coat stood atop a nearby building, eyes locked on Crocodile.

At the same time, he remained highly cautious of Crocodile. Logia Devil Fruits naturally possess an overwhelming advantage. The power of elementalization, without the presence of Haki, is essentially invincible if one is careful.

Especially here, on the ground, this was clearly Crocodile's domain.

"You're full of crap."

Crocodile's face turned cold, and he slammed his hand against the ground once again.

"BOOM!"

Another wave of sand exploded forth, the air now even thicker with yellow dust.

"Stop immediately! If you continue, we won't be polite anymore!"

The guard captain shouted furiously. Behind him, all the soldiers drew their weapons.

Casting a cold glance at the kingdom's guards, Crocodile spoke icily to the man in the pink coat:

"Release my men, and I'll let you go this time, Doflamingo."

"Fuffuffuffuffuffuf…"

Doflamingo laughed coldly, flicking his fingers.

The pirates under his control regained their freedom, but their eyes now stared at Doflamingo with visible fear.

The Golden Age of Pirates had arrived, pirates from all over the world were flocking to the Grand Line.

And this, this was the first true clash of powerhouses: Crocodile vs. Doflamingo!

(End of Chapter)

You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon, and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395