With a deafening roar, half of his body was blown to dust, leaving only his two legs standing upright on the ground.
Moria fared even worse. His bulky frame rolled desperately to one side, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.
Yet, the shockwave of the explosion still engulfed him. With a thunderous crash, he was sent flying backward, coughing up blood mid-air.
"Damn it! This attack locks onto and tracks its target!" Moria roared, "Doppelman!"
In an instant, while still soaring through the air, he swapped places with his shadow in the distance. But the trajectory of the light orb shifted instantly, continuing its pursuit.
"Heheh..." A soft chuckle echoed. From within the ranks of the desert army, the figure of Azir, the Emperor of the Sands, stepped forward once more.
"Within the range of the Sun Disc, there is nowhere for you to hide." Holding a golden scepter, he spoke with an air of absolute authority, "I am Azir, the Desert Emperor. You have trespassed upon my domain uninvited, and you shall be punished. My army, annihilate them!"
As his words fell, hundreds of Sand Soldiers behind him moved as one. Like clones, they raised their halberds in unison and charged toward the two intruders.
These soldiers were immortal. Even if destroyed, they could reform in moments. And every one of them was under the absolute command of the Emperor, moving with the precision of his own limbs.
"Damn it! Who is this guy? I've never seen him before! Just how many monsters are hiding in this Dreamland?!" Crocodile's face darkened.
As a Logia user, he could regenerate even if struck by the golden orbs from the Sun Disc. But seeing the army of sand warriors approaching, he couldn't help but frown.
"These soldiers are made of sand... Is he also a Logia user like me? The one trapped in the black box earlier..."
He glanced at the wreckage in the distance, where the man who had just been killed had already turned into a pile of yellow sand.
"Damn it! There can't be two identical Devil Fruits in this world! He's not a user of the Suna Suna no Mi! In fact, he might not even be a Devil Fruit user at all!"
Crocodile's heart sank, but there was no time to dwell on it. "Forget that fool Moria, I'm getting out of here first!"
With that thought, he crouched down and slammed his palm against the ground.
"Desert Girasole!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The earth shook violently. Centered on Crocodile, the ground cracked open, ice and snow melted instantly, and every trace of moisture was sucked dry.
This was a massive-scale Logia attack, turning the entire surrounding area into desert at an alarming speed.
Crocodile himself began to sink rapidly into the sand.
"Hahaha... Dreamland! This was just a greeting! I'll be back for the auction in two months!" By the time his laughter faded, half his body had already vanished beneath the earth.
"Foolish attempt to imitate the master." Vladimir raised an eyebrow, pointing his scepter forward.
"You may wield the power of sand, but I am the Emperor. Our levels are not the same... Quicksand!"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A violent wind howled as the ground turned into sand and surged backward, engulfing Crocodile in a swirling vortex.
---
"Our levels are not the same! Quicksand!"
Vladimir pointed his scepter forward once more. Immediately, the desert floor erupted, sending massive waves of sand roaring toward the center where Crocodile stood.
At the same time, the hundreds of Sand Soldiers disintegrated into powder, merging with the storm to surround him completely.
The entire ground transformed into a gigantic whirlpool of quicksand, with Crocodile trapped right in the middle. Half his body was already submerged, yet he could sink no further.
"What?!" Crocodile stared in shock. "This sand... it won't obey me!"
Not only did it refuse his command, but a large portion had also formed an invisible cage beneath the earth, blocking his escape.
"Impossible! I am a Logia user! I control the elements themselves! What kind of power is this?!" He glared at the Desert Emperor in the distance, his voice hoarse with disbelief.
"Heheh..." Vladimir smiled calmly. "As I said, our levels are different. This sand is the manifestation of my own magic power. Of course you cannot control it."
In truth, Crocodile already knew the answer. Much of this sand was not part of nature itself—it belonged to someone else. And that master was standing right in front of him.
Unlike Logia users who merely manipulate existing elements, Azir's sand was an extension of his own will. It could never be dominated by the Suna Suna no Mi.
"Damn it... I've never heard of such an ability!" Crocodile's face turned pale. He realized he was trapped.
The quicksand held him fast, neither allowing him to sink deeper nor rise up, completely immobilizing him.
"Soldiers!"
Vladimir gave a soft command. Instantly, figures began to rise from the surface of the whirlpool—Sand Soldiers, their halberds raised high, charging straight at Crocodile.
"Hmph, useless! I am a Logia!" Crocodile snarled, struggling against the sucking force of the sand.
"Is that so? Do not be so arrogant just because you are a Logia user." Vladimir's voice remained calm as he thrust his scepter forward sharply.
And as he moved, the dozen Sand Soldiers within the vortex struck in perfect unison.
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