Second Wind

31

Crocodile suddenly started laughing. "If you think you can save this country by dodging all day, by all means try," he said. Smoker looked over at Crocodile, curiosity piqued.

"Save this country? What are you talking about, pirate?" Crocodile shot him an annoyed glare.

"Stay out of it, marine scum." Smoker's eyes narrowed.

"He was planning to overthrow this country during the chaos of the rebellion," Luffy stated. "He's the leader of an underground organization called Baroque Works. He goes by the name Mr. 0."

Smoker's eyes widened in realization at the sound of the code name. It took him a moment to think things through. "So that's what's going on here," he said quietly.

Crocodile growled in agitation. Suddenly, he removed the golden casing on his hooked hand and revealed the poisoned metal underneath. "You escort the princess here. You take down my agents time and again. You take out the rebel army, foiling my plans one after another, and now you've gotten the marines involved. It's time I treat you like the nuisance you really are, Strawhat Luffy." A crazed grin manifested on the man's face. "But for all of your efforts, you will not succeed. This country will not be saved! And do you know why?"

"Is it because you hid a bomb in the clock tower?" Luffy asked.

Robin watched as for the first time since she had met him, Sir Crocodile's eyes widened in shock.

"What...? When...? How...?"

"Your agent told me," Luffy said, grinning.

Crocodile stared dumbly before he realized what Luffy was implying, and his face morphed into a menacing scowl. He stood there for a moment, shaking with rage, as he tried to regain his composure. Meanwhile, Smoker turned back to Luffy.

"What bomb? What are you talking about, Strawhat?"

"There's a bomb set to go off at 4 pm in the clock tower. If we don't stop it, Alubarna will be engulfed in a blast big enough to level the city."

Smoker's eyes widened slightly, while Tashigi gasped. Luffy thought for a moment. "Actually, this is perfect. Would you guys mind stopping the bombing while I beat this guy up?" he asked pointing at the warlord.

Tashigi looked at Smoker uncertainly. Strictly speaking, protocol demanded that they stay out of the affairs of the warlords unless ordered otherwise. But if they waited for proof in this situation, there was no telling what could happen. If Strawhat was telling the truth, a lot of people would pay the price for their negligence.

"We're leaving Tashigi," Smoker said, seemingly coming to the same conclusion. Tashigi nodded quickly and followed the marine captain, but they were quickly cut off by Crocodile in his logia form.

"Did you think I'd just let you go?" he asked in a low tone as he aimed his poisonous hook at Tashigi. Knowing that Smoker would be intangible, he was hoping this would throw the smoke man off. His plan was foiled, however, when Smoker blocked the hook with his seastone jutte. Crocodile responded by grabbing the jutte by its shaft, which was made of normal stone. The weapon suddenly dissolved into sand, causing Smoker to grunt in shock. Crocodile swiped at him this time, but he dissolved into smoke. As Crocodile raised his hook again, the smoke homed in on him, but he too fell back into his logia form. Tashigi had her sword up at the ready to block the hook, but she was unable to anticipate the path of the disembodied arm.

"Gomu gomu no...Desert Eagle!" Luffy's blackened hand impacted with Crocodile's face, sending him skidding across the ground until he finally righted himself, looking disheveled and livid but no worse for the wear. "Your opponent is me!" Luffy shouted as he appeared right in front of the sand man again. His fist, which was pointed at his opponent, was still blackened, but now they could see it had a red tinge to it, and it appeared to be...steaming?