Crocodile had just tried to use his sand transformation ability to erode the barrier, but found that he couldn't do anything about the barrier, which made his face look a little solemn for the first time.
And at this time, there was still a dull pain in the shoulder that had just been shot by seastone, making his face even colder. Thankfully the bullet came out from the other side, or he would be done for.
But still, is he really going to be defeated by a newcomer today?
No, he will never allow this to happen!
He began to look at the newcomer Daddy Basire seriously and officially regarded him as his opponent.
Crocodile's aura began to change a little.
In fact, in the original work, the young and vigorous Crocodile was able to fight to a draw with the 19-year-old Douglas Bullet at the age of 20.
For this reason, Crocodile's fame soared. He was offered a bounty of 81 million beris and was invited by the World government to become a Shichibukai.
He is also the earliest member to join this government organization among the current Shichibukai. Even before the execution of Pirate King Roger, he was already a Shichibukai.
At that time, Doflamingo, Gekko Moria, and Mihawk were just newcomers, and they probably had never even been to the New World.
In the same year that he became a Shichibukai, the extremely arrogant Crocodile entered the New World to challenge Whitebeard, but was instantly defeated by Whitebeard and lost one of his hands.
This made him lose his ambition to be strong for a while, and he slowly began to covet external power like the Ancient Weapons.
For this reason, he did not hesitate to spend more than ten or twenty years investigating the news and whereabouts of the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
He even became a national hero in Alabasta and slowly planned how to get Pluton whereabouts information, because the Nefertari family is the descendant of one of the 20 kings and has received the focus of the World government.
Therefore, he did not dare to usurp the country blatantly.
He also used the "Dance Powder" incident to instigate Alabasta's civil war little by little, planning to eventually kill the original king as a hero and obtain Pluton's information.
After Crocodile was defeated by Straw Hat Luffy, he awakened the heart of a true strong man again.
He was really 'touched' by Straw Hat Luffy's willpower to get up repeatedly, and decided to help during the summit war, join the protagonist's camp, and then increase his strength again.
So after the Impel Down escape and the Summit War, this Sand Crocodile became a powerful man again, and his bounty completely exceeded all the cadres of the Yonkō.
Even powerful people such as Katakuri, Marco, and King, had lower bounties than Crocodile.
···
Basire also felt the change in Crocodile's momentum. Is this a change in will and courage?
He didn't expect that he had such a catalytic effect!
"If you had this awareness and attitude from the beginning, maybe I would continue my journey of experience and not mess with you for the time being. But now, one of us has to fall here!"
Basire will not avoid fighting just because of Crocodile's change in momentum, not to mention that he now has all the advantageous land and people.
In short, in this decisive battle, he has the advantage!
"I was young and energetic like you back then, but your fighting wisdom is indeed better than mine."
Crocodile stood up straight again, the cigar in his mouth still not extinguished. He took a deep breath of smoke, then placed the golden poison hook in front of his chest and got into a fighting posture.
"Old guys and losers like to reminisce about the past. What kind of guy are you?"
Basire crossed his fingers, and the spherical barrier cage turned into a square cage, turning into a space 10 meters long, wide and 5 meters high.
Moreover, Basire, who is 2.56 meters tall now, and Crocodile, who is 2.53 meters tall, cannot move much at all while standing in this small and airtight space.
Then every following move will be a fatal close range attack.
"It seems you are very confident in your physical skills."
Crocodile also knew how limited standing in a small space was for him, a Logia user, and the person facing him was a strong close range fighter good at using Armament Haki.
"Originally, I could have trapped you to death, but I want to challenge you to a duel. Show your courage, that same courage you showed when you challenged Whitebeard!"
Basire threw away his cloak, revealing his knotted muscles. The black auspicious cloud scale tattoo on his body turned scarlet, and the seven-star pattern on his right arm also glowed with a strange green light.
"Is this a fair duel?"
Crocodile smiled contemptuously, touched his shoulder that was still bleeding, and looked at the unsolvable barrier cage. This didn't look like a fair duel at all.
"What? You still want me to release you from the cage? You have lived so long that you can't see reality clearly!"
"If I lived for decades like you, I could blow you to pieces with one hand!"
Basire clenched his fists and rushed forward. Regardless of the difference in age, it was impossible for a duel to be fair.
Moreover, he originally wanted Crocodile, the Shichibukai, to be his whetstone.
The sound of multiple intensive fist collisions resounded, but Crocodile's golden poisonous hook still did not deform. After all, this is a special alloy that can collide with the supreme grade sword, Yoru.
boom~!
"Your Haki can actually attack the interior directly?!!"
Crocodile felt a sharp pain in his severed hand, but the golden hook he had spent a lot of money to order was not broken.
This golden poison hook is a hard weapon customized by a certain scientist. He also purchased Devil Fruit weapons from the World Government, and also purchased a large number of seastone products from Doflamingo.
"Didn't you fight the Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet? How come you don't know anything?!!"
The five fingers of Basire's seven-star arm spread out angrily, and with a violent swing, five strange sword energies struck Crocodile at close range, splitting him into several pieces.
However, Crocodile transformed into elemental sand and occupied this barrier cage, turning this small space into a space full of yellow sand.
"It's useless!"
'Barrier Cage: Shrinking Coffin!'
Barrier blades appeared in Basire's hands, and with Armament Haki attached, he began to attack indiscriminately, splitting all the yellow sand.
Moreover, the cage barrier actually shrank again, and Crocodile appeared again as a puff of blood splattered out.
At this moment, his face was getting more and more ugly, and he couldn't think of a way to defeat Basire.
The sealing power, defense power, and attack power were all so powerful that he could not attack Basire's body at all. Even if there was deadly poison in his golden hook, he would not be able to touch Basire.
"Crocodile, you who have stayed at the Paradise of the Grand Line all year round have been abandoned by the times!"
Basire shouted angrily at Crocodile with an expressionless face, and continued to strike with the black blade in his hand.
This guy has been nesting in Alabasta for more than ten years, wasting his prime time from his twenties to forties on Pluton, which is nothing. He is almost useless.
Kaido of the Beasts only came out to play solo at the age of 21 after the collapse of the Rocks Pirates, while Crocodile was already a member of the Shichibukai at the age of 20.
Kaido has become a Yonkō, while Crocodile is still a Shichibukai, and could even be taken out by newcomers like Straw Hat Luffy who are just starting out and don't know how to use Haki.
"Kid! Shut up!!"
Crocodile angrily raised his golden hook and rushed towards him in anger.
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