"Hey, you can't be distracted during a fight! You'll get killed!"
Natsu looked down at the archer he had just ambushed, flashing a bright smile that revealed his white teeth.
"Bang!"
Immediately after, under the archer's terrified gaze, Natsu delivered a powerful punch that sent him crashing into the ground, rendering him unconscious.
On the other side, despite the attackers being numerous, their weak abilities meant they were quickly taken care of by Kumo and Gin, leaving only a few left.
Just as victory seemed certain, a few figures emerged from the shadows, and Natsu's eyes lit up.
"Crocodile?"
Indeed, the person who appeared was none other than one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Sand Crocodile. At this time, Nico Robin had not yet joined, and Baroque Works was still quite informal. It appeared they were witnessing the origins of Baroque Works.
Beside Crocodile were only Mr. 1 Daz Bonez and Mr. 3 Galdino; the others were not present.
"Hmm, you know me?!"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes, a hint of irritation on his face.
"Of course, you're one of the Seven Warlords. As a pirate with professional skills, I try to keep up with some basic knowledge."
Natsu stepped forward, tossing aside one of the pirates, and stood face to face with Crocodile, the atmosphere suddenly feeling tense.
"Then, kid, since you know this is my territory, do you dare to injure my men? You're asking for death!"
Crocodile's anger was palpable. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him in such a manner.
"Ask for death? Hahaha, Sand Crocodile, you seem overly confident."
Natsu smirked dismissively. Although the Logia-type Devil Fruit ability was formidable, he believed that the strength of Haki was the true measure of whether someone could become a top-tier fighter. In this respect, Crocodile fell short.
"Hmph, arrogant brat!"
The battle was about to commence: Natsu against Crocodile, Kumo facing the future 'First Mate' Mr. 3, and Akin in combat with Mr. 1. As for Karina and Buck, they were left to deal with the remaining stragglers, as they were currently too weak.
"Sandstorm!"
Crocodile's expression darkened as a small desert tornado appeared in his hand. With a swift motion, it transformed into a massive whirlwind, barreling toward Natsu.
"Xun Character - Storm!"
As the desert storm approached, a mysterious Eight Trigrams appeared beneath Natsu. He raised his hand, and a gigantic tornado materialized before him, clashing with Crocodile's storm, instantly altering the environment. The sky filled with yellow sand particles that rained down like bullets.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Crocodile's face finally showed a trace of seriousness. Natsu's ability to summon storms effortlessly made Crocodile instinctively think he had eaten a Devil Fruit.
A battle between Logia-type users was typically hard to conclude in victory unless...
In that fleeting moment of distraction, Natsu moved like a flash of lightning, reappearing right in front of Crocodile. His arm, infused with Haki, slammed into Crocodile's chest with a forceful blow, sending him flying like a cannonball, crashing through five or six houses along the way.
"Cough cough~"
As dust filled the air, a coughing sound emerged, followed by the sound of falling debris. Crocodile slowly walked out, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and hostility.
"Haki?!"
The ability to touch his elementalized body and inflict real damage could only be achieved through Haki. This wasn't fair; this kid looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old—how could he master Haki so skillfully?
Crocodile thought back to his own life, realizing he had been through many struggles just to survive.
"Hey, kid, what's your name?"
He had known that they were in the first half of the Grand Line, where the number of Haki users was scarce, and Haki training wasn't something simple.
"Me? My name is Monkey D. Natsu, pleased to meet you!"
Natsu smiled lightly, then his figure flickered again, his Haki-covered arm striking down once more.
"Desert Blade!"
Seeing Natsu's attack coming again, Crocodile elementalized and retreated, transforming his arm into a massive desert blade that shot out, forming a dense web of attacks.
"The universe's mysteries, the root of all energy. I have perfected my skills through countless eons, and now I prove my might!"
As the desert blades approached, Natsu did not attempt to dodge; instead, he parted his lips and recited a golden mantra, a golden light bursting from within him, enveloping his entire body and forming a protective shield.
"Cling cling clang~"
The desert blades struck the golden barrier with a crisp, metallic sound, reminiscent of clashing swords.
"Ha ha ha! You arrogant brat!"
Crocodile's dark expression finally lifted, and he laughed with pride at seeing all his attacks land.
But sadly, it was all for nothing!
As the sandy debris dispersed in the wind, Natsu appeared unscathed before Crocodile, causing his laughter to abruptly cease.
"Requiem of Erosion!"
Seeing Natsu emerge without a scratch, Crocodile felt shaken. He remembered his past challenges against peak-level fighters and how he had failed due to Haki control—a painful reminder of his life. He couldn't accept it. Why did some people seem destined for greatness while he struggled despite his hard work?
Extreme rage flooded his mind as the ground he touched began to crack. Everything within his range began to lose moisture, turning even stones into sand, while the surrounding buildings started to crumble into dust, transforming the area into a wasteland.
"Kun Character - Earth River Chariot!"
At that moment, a dragon made of stones emerged from the ground. Natsu leaped onto its head, evading Crocodile's attacks.
"Now it's my turn!"
"Armament Haki!"
"Qian Character - Illusionary Chaos!"
"Kan Character - Water Bullets!"
Natsu dashed toward Crocodile again, using the illusion technique to create multiple clones and attack from various directions.
"Boom!"
His Haki-infused fist successfully struck Crocodile's body once more, followed by a barrage of water droplets fired from his palm. Thanks to the Haki, these high-speed water droplets pierced through Crocodile's body like bullets.
Under the dual assault, numerous blood holes appeared on Crocodile's body, with blood dripping and staining the ground red around him. His unsteady form looked like it could collapse at any moment. He never imagined he would be defeated by a mere child. As he neared unconsciousness, he recalled Natsu's self-introduction: Monkey D. Natsu. Surely, he must be the grandson of that old man.
"Indeed, a fortune that kills and burns! Look at this, over eighty million Berries just in my grasp."