Mr. 2 Bon Clay, the flamboyant and unpredictable Okama, danced around the battlefield, showing off his abilities from the Mane Mane no Mi. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm beautiful!" He grinned, his hands glowing as he prepared to use his face-changing power, capable of mimicking anyone he touched.
Further back, Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas prepared their own attack, with Mr. 4 wielding his oversized baseball bat alongside his explosive dog, Lasso, who had the powers of a gun. Miss Merry Christmas, the mole-woman, dug into the ground, ready to launch a sneak attack with her Mogu Mogu no Mi powers.
Together, they formed a terrifying combination. Each one had their own unique powers, and under normal circumstances, they'd be more than enough to handle a threat like this. But Max wasn't normal.
Max looked at the Baroque agents, already sensing their powers, but showing no interest in fighting them himself. With a simple command, he ordered his undead knights to surround them while he began walking toward the city.
As he left, he turned to Gwen and the others, "You guys can use them as training buddies," he said with a smirk, adding, "My knights will make sure none of you die." With that, Max continued on his way, leaving his companions behind.
Gwen and the others exchanged glances before focusing on the Baroque agents.
Mr. 1 watched Max walk away and sighed in relief. 'He wasn't someone we could handle,' he thought, glancing at the black-armored knights. 'He called them his knights, like his personal guards. They're sturdy... but manageable,' Mr. 1 thought as his hands turned into blades, ready to fight.
Meanwhile, Gwen, Peter, and the others looked at each other. Peter stepped forward and said, "I'll go first," moving toward Mr. 1 with confidence.
Thus, a chaotic battle erupted as Bucky, Yulia, and the undead knights ensured that none of Max's companions were seriously hurt during their fights with the Baroque Works agents.
Meanwhile, Max himself arrived at the palace, where he found King Cobra pinned to the wall, bleeding. The Straw Hats had fought bravely but were defeated—though thankfully, none were killed. Max almost chuckled to himself. "I almost forgot Crocodile was still here," he thought as he turned his attention to the infamous villain.
Standing before him was Crocodile, his hooked hand gleaming in the light, a horizontal slash scarred across his face.
"Hmm, who are you?" Crocodile asked, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Max's power.
Max looked at him coldly, ignoring his question. "Do you have a Haki training method?" he asked bluntly, as if that was the only thing that mattered.
Crocodile sneered, shrugging off the question. "Haki? No, I don't need it," he said with arrogance. But before he could finish, he lashed out with a swift sand-based attack, slicing through the air like a deadly threat.
Max sighed as the sand attack dissolved harmlessly before him. "This is nothing to me," he said in a cold tone. Reaching out, he summoned a pitch-black sword, its blade radiating an ominous darkness.
"Who are you?" Crocodile stepped back, his usual composure slipping as he realized something was wrong.
Max didn't bother answering his question. "I'm here to get Haki method but since you don't have it, Now, die," Max said calmly, his dark sword humming with malevolent energy as he moved to strike Crocodile down.
"Huh? A newbie like you dares to threaten me?!" Crocodile snarled, waving his hand. "Desert Sword!"
A long, torpedo-like blade of sand shot towards Max, its deadly intent clear as it aimed to slice him in half.
Max barely acknowledged the attack, sighing as he raised his hand. "Gravity Well."
Instantly, the sand attack dissipated as a crushing force of gravity pinned Crocodile to the ground, helpless. Max's power now rivaled that of an Admiral, and for someone like Crocodile—who wasn't even at the level of a Vice Admiral—there was nothing he could do.
Crocodile desperately tried to use his Suna Suna no Mi Logia abilities to transform into sand and escape. But the Gravity Well formed a gravitational trap, preventing any movement from those caught in it.
"Damn it... Move, MOVE!" Crocodile struggled, his body trembling as he fought against the overwhelming force. "I can't die here!" His voice was frantic, but it was already too late.
Max's voice echoed coldly. "Night Sword Style: Abyssal Sever."
With a swift, silent movement, Max vanished and reappeared behind Crocodile. In an instant, the feared Shichibukai was cleaved in half, his body falling lifelessly to the ground, unable to regenerate from the blow.
Max turned back to see Nico Robin, Vivi, and the other Straw Hat Pirates staring at him, their expressions a mix of awe and fear. Robin, in particular, gazed at Max with wide eyes, fully comprehending just how effortlessly he had defeated someone they had struggled against.
"Who... is this guy?" Robin thought, her heart racing as she realized that Max was on an entirely different level than anyone she had ever encountered.
Nico Robin's mind raced as memories of her homeland being bombarded by the overwhelming might of Admirals flashed before her eyes. Seeing Max now, his power and presence overlapped with those memories. "He's Admiral-level?!" she thought fearfully, her body frozen in place. She didn't dare move, terrified that Max might turn his attention to her next.
Meanwhile, Max was focused on something else, an unreadable expression on his face as he looked at the screen before him.
[Crocodile is killed. He is now integrated into the Night Army.]
[Choice: Do you wish to keep the Sand-Sand Fruit on him, or extract it for potential use?]
Max smirked. 'Extract the Devil Fruit,' he thought without hesitation. The system confirmed his request, and soon enough, the Sand-Sand Fruit was extracted from Crocodile's body. Max then considered his next move.
'Can I fuse Devil Fruits using UP?' he asked internally.
[Yes, Host. As previously mentioned, UP can be used for anything, including fusing Devil Fruits.]
Max nodded in satisfaction. 'Good. I'll combine the Sand-Sand Fruit with some others. The Gura Gura no Mi, Blade-Blade Fruit, Bomb-Bomb Fruit… and was there any other fruit?. Let's see what kind of monstrosity I can create.' His thoughts swirled as he looked down at the fruits in his possession.
He turned his attention back to the Straw Hats and Vivi, who were still recovering from the shock. With a wave of his hand, Max used Rune Magic to heal their wounds, even the deepest ones. "I'll heal you this time," he said casually, as if healing major injuries was a minor favor.
At that moment, a loud voice interrupted the tension. "I'm here!!" Luffy shouted as he came rushing in, carrying buckets of water with him.
"You're late, stupid captain!" Nami shouted back, glaring at him, frustration evident in her voice.
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead