Boom!!
Kairos' fist slammed into the yellow sand.
The impact alone shattered the outer wall of Alubarna.
Stone exploded outward.
Dust and debris rose into the air like a collapsing mountain.
And within the storm of yellow sand—
two figures stood facing one another.
Kairos.
And Sir Crocodile.
The man Kairos had been searching for throughout all of Alabasta had finally appeared.
Far away, within the royal army's formation, countless soldiers stared blankly at the ruined wall.
"…He didn't attack us?"
A soldier muttered unconsciously.
Only now did everyone realize something.
Kairos' target had never been the royal army.
From beginning to end—
he had charged straight toward the capital itself.
Relief spread through the army immediately.
Many soldiers quietly loosened their grips on their weapons.
Fighting Kairos?
Just imagining it made their scalps go numb.
But Cobra's expression only grew heavier.
Why would Kairos suddenly attack the royal city?
And why had Crocodile appeared there?
Through the drifting sandstorm, Cobra could vaguely make out two figures standing opposite each other.
One wore black.
One held a golden hook.
"…Crocodile."
Cobra's eyes narrowed slowly.
A bad feeling rose in his chest.
⸻
Inside the sandstorm—
Crocodile stood atop swirling yellow sand with one hand tucked casually into his pocket.
His fur-lined coat fluttered violently in the wind.
The cigar between his teeth glowed faintly.
Smoke drifted slowly into the air.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on Kairos the entire time.
"So it really was you."
Crocodile's deep voice sounded through the storm.
"When I returned to Nanohana, all I found was a room full of half-dead subordinates."
"And now you suddenly appear in Alubarna…"
A dangerous smile slowly spread across Crocodile's face.
"Kairos."
"You've got guts."
Kairos stood calmly opposite him.
The black trench coat fluttered behind him like a dark banner.
Sandai Kitetsu trembled softly at his waist.
Battle intent rose steadily around him.
"I've been looking for you for a long time, Crocodile."
Kairos' voice remained calm.
But his eyes—
were sharp.
Like drawn blades.
Crocodile narrowed his gaze slightly.
"You attacked Baroque Works because you were searching for me?"
"Mm."
Kairos nodded once.
Simple.
Direct.
Crocodile exhaled a cloud of smoke slowly.
Then he laughed.
Low.
Dangerous.
"Heh…"
"So you came all the way here just to fight me?"
Kairos looked straight into Crocodile's eyes.
"Yes."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
The desert wind grew violent.
Countless grains of sand began swirling around Crocodile's body like a living storm.
The ground beneath Kairos' feet suddenly softened.
Then—
Boom!!
The desert exploded upward.
Huge waves of sand rose like monstrous jaws trying to swallow Kairos whole.
The storm spread across several hundred meters instantly.
Even nearby buildings began collapsing beneath the pressure.
But Kairos did not move.
Not even half a step.
Black Armament Haki spread silently across Sandai Kitetsu.
Clang.
The blade left its sheath.
A single black slash tore through the storm.
Boom!!
The enormous wall of sand split apart instantly.
The entire sandstorm was cut cleanly in half.
Far away, Cobra's expression changed immediately.
"A sword strike… split the storm?"
Even the surrounding soldiers stared in disbelief.
Then—
through the divided sandstorm—
they finally saw Crocodile clearly.
"The Warlord Crocodile?!"
"He's fighting Kairos?!"
Shock spread instantly through the army.
One was a pirate who had shaken the entire world.
The other was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Why were these two fighting in Alabasta's royal capital?
At that moment—
high above Alubarna—
Kairos and Crocodile moved simultaneously.
Boom!!
The air exploded.
Crocodile's body transformed into sand instantly, rushing forward like a desert tsunami.
Kairos stepped into the sky itself.
Qi surged beneath his feet.
His black trench coat whipped wildly behind him.
Then—
clang clang clang clang clang!!
Thousands of metallic collisions erupted overhead.
The sound was so dense it resembled an entire battlefield of swords clashing together.
Countless black blade-lights tore through the sky.
The pressure alone shredded nearby clouds apart.
"Is that… swordsmanship?"
A soldier muttered numbly.
No one could even see the exchange clearly anymore.
All they could see—
were endless flashes of steel.
And within the center of those countless blade-lights—
Kairos' eyes slowly turned crimson.
The Heroic Spirit EMIYA card—
had activated.
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