Crocodile leaped and landed not far in front of Ron. With a wave of his hands, he commanded a desert storm to sweep towards Ron. "Sables: Pesado!"
"Only this level of strength!" Ron shook his head, jumped in the air, and kicked out, relying solely on his physical prowess, his kick dispersed the approaching desert storm. The sand scattered, avoiding Ron's body.
"Doesn't this affect you either?" Crocodile got serious, his eyes fixed on Ron. He then crouched, pressing his hands on the desert ground, and shouted, "Ground Death! Barjan!"
The ground collapsed instantly, water draining away, while the sand formed a large blade, slashing toward Ron. "Desert Spada! Meet your end!"
"Ding!"
Ron lightly jumped to solid ground, extending his hand to catch Crocodile's sand blade effortlessly. With a clench of his hands, the sandblade shattered into pieces.
Crocodile's figure was thrown back, the force of the shattered sandblade causing him to fly back.
"Impossible!" Not far away, members of the Baroque Works cried out in horror. "The leader has used most of his strength, but that guy seems relaxed. Isn't he using his full strength?"
"Could it be?" Bon Kurei (Mr. 2) questioned with disbelief. "Is he so strong that even the boss can't force him to use his full strength?"
"Perhaps... It's possible!" Mr. 1 spoke with a serious tone. "After all, he's rumored to be on par with Hawkeye Mihawk, the world's former greatest swordsman. He hasn't even drawn his sword yet!"
"Terrifying, isn't it?" The others were stunned.
On the other side, Nami, Vivi, and the others cheered as they witnessed the battle.
"Go, Captain Ron!" Nami shouted joyfully. "It's best if Ron wins, although we're confident in him. Seeing is believing, and it's clear our captain is the stronger one!"
"Ron is truly the strongest!" Kaya chimed in.
"Brother Ron must be the strongest!" Apis, with a mature demeanor, declared confidently. "We'll win this battle!"
"This guy..." Mikita observed the battle with shock. "Even Mr. 0 can't defeat him? Am I really going to be held captive by him forever? But... Staying in this pirate crew doesn't seem so bad. I might even have a chance to acquire his extraordinary abilities. That settles it!"
"I don't believe you can be this strong!" Crocodile roared angrily. He leaped into the air and exclaimed, "Desert la Spada!, DIE!!!!"
The wind and sand howled as a colossal sand blade, gleaming with a golden hue, materialized in Crocodile's hand. It descended upon Ron with frightening force. Ordinary individuals wouldn't stand a chance against such a ferocious attack.
Ron, however, didn't even consider dodging. Instead, he raised his hand.
"BOOOMM!!!"
The sandblade exploded upon contact with Ron's hand. Crocodile was sent flying violently by the force of the explosion, unable to withstand the tremendous impact.
"If you don't have any stronger tricks, then it's time to end this!" Ron lost interest in prolonging the battle. He approached Crocodile with cold determination, ready to finish him off. There was no point in dragging it out.
The disparity between Ron's current strength and that of the Seven Shichibukai's was too vast. Moreover, Crocodile's strength was merely a fraction of the power held by the Seven Warlords. Ron hadn't even drawn his sword yet, and using his Haki would be akin to bullying Crocodile.
Ron calmly advanced towards the fallen Crocodile, intending to end the fight swiftly. He reached out with his sword in hand, the blade glinting in the sun, poised to strike Crocodile down with a single blow.
Just as Ron's sword was about to connect with Crocodile's neck, the wounded pirate suddenly opened his eyes and grinned evilly. "You've been deceived! This time, you're truly finished! Witness my ultimate technique: Desert Grande Espada!"
A terrifying sand sword, nearly a hundred meters in length, erupted from the ground where Crocodile and Ron stood, piercing the sky.
Onlookers gasped in shock, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.