516-520

Chapter 516: Taking Down Sir Crocodile 

As Kazama spoke, he faced Crocodile's "Desert Sunflower" head-on. 

"Heh heh, I say, you little punk, did you get your head kicked by a donkey or something?" 

At this point, Crocodile originally thought Kazama would be scared of his Desert Sunflower ability and try to run away. 

But he never expected that Kazama would actually dare to charge straight at his Desert Sunflower. 

This was clearly a death wish! So, Sir Crocodile immediately sneered at Kazama again. 

However, what Sir Crocodile didn't anticipate was this: 

Just when he thought his Desert Sunflower would tear Kazama to shreds... 

His Desert Sunflower was actually absorbed by Kazama, completely and utterly. 

This scared Sir Crocodile so badly that he stumbled back several steps, breaking out in a cold sweat. 

"Ding! Successfully absorbed Desert Sunflower. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Desert Ocean Jutsu!" 

"Heh heh!" 

Feeling that he had absorbed Crocodile's technique and, as a result, gained a power-up, Kazama was overjoyed. 

Although Kazama had previously disdained absorbing Crocodile's moves... 

Later, when Kazama saw that Crocodile had clearly unleashed his trump card, he figured, why not absorb it? It’d be a waste otherwise. 

Besides, now that he had absorbed it, he could use it to intimidate Sir Crocodile. 

And just as Kazama had predicted: 

Once Kazama activated his "Incineration Art System" and absorbed Crocodile's Desert Sunflower, Crocodile was so scared he collapsed to the ground. 

At this moment, Kazama sneered at Crocodile and said, "I'm telling you, Crocodile, even though your Desert Sunflower is kind of impressive, kind of strong, in front of me, Kazama, it's still trash! So now, I, Kazama, will let you witness my Desert Ocean Jutsu!" 

"What?!" 

Hearing that Kazama wasn't only not killed by his Desert Sunflower, but had even unleashed a technique more incredible, more powerful than his own Desert Sunflower... 

At this moment, even Crocodile, one of the Ōka Shichibukai, was utterly shocked. 

But Sir Crocodile knew this wasn't the time to be shocked. 

Because Kazama's Desert Ocean Jutsu was already, in a flash, rushing towards him. 

Crocodile had wanted to escape quickly. 

But he never expected that the attack range of Kazama's Desert Ocean Jutsu was too vast. 

So, in an instant, it had completely surrounded Crocodile. 

Then, it directly knocked Crocodile to the ground. 

And then, it once again submerged Crocodile in that massive desert ocean. 

When Luffy and the others saw Kazama defeat Crocodile again, they were ecstatic. 

They quickly rushed to Kazama's side. 

"I'm telling ya, Big Bro Kazama, you're just too awesome!" 

"Yeah! You know, this Sir Crocodile is one of the famous Ōka Shichibukai! Not only did you beat him, but you beat him twice! You're just too incredible, too amazing! You're a role model for so, so many of us!" 

"Heh heh, I say, everyone, you don't have to praise me like that right now!" 

Chapter 517: Sir Crocodile Revived 

"Oh? And why can't we give you props for that?" "It's pretty simple, really. Because I haven't actually, for real, taken Crocodile down yet!" "What?! How's that even possible?" The moment Kazama said that, Luffy and the others just looked at each other, totally confused. They'd all seen it with their own eyes – Kazama had definitely defeated Sir Crocodile. So why was Kazama now saying he hadn't really finished Sir Crocodile off? 

You see, Kazama had already activated his Rinnegan, so he could tell that Crocodile, still caught inside Kazama's 'Desert Ocean' technique, was constantly sucking up the moisture from all that sand. And if that desert of his lost all its water, it'd become super fragile. The moment it got weak enough, Sir Crocodile would be able to bust out completely free, and basically, come back to life. 

Kazama actually had a clear shot to rip Sir Crocodile to shreds. But he decided against it. Kazama figured, since this Crocodile guy was acting so high and mighty, strutting around like he owned the place... ...why not use this chance to absorb all of his techniques first? Make them his own, then deal with him. That was the real reason Kazama hadn't completely wiped the floor with Sir Crocodile just yet. 

Now, Sir Crocodile, he had no clue what Kazama was really planning. He was still under the impression that Kazama just wasn't capable of finishing him off. So, the moment he was "revived," Sir Crocodile, bold as brass and right in front of everybody, went straight for Kazama again. 

"Alright, you little pipsqueak, I'll give you this – you're seriously tough, way tougher than I thought! But actually killing me? Yeah, that’s still a bit out of your league!" "Barján!" With Sir Crocodile's furious shout, his arm instantly morphed into a massive, crescent-shaped blade of sand. He brought it slashing down right at the top of Kazama's head! 

"I'm telling you, pipsqueak, the second my sand even touches you, I'll drain every last drop of moisture from your body! And once I've got your water, it doesn't matter how freaking strong or amazing you think you are, you'll end up as nothing but a dried-up mummy!" "Oh? Is that a fact? Well then, I'm kinda curious to see this 'mummy' transformation myself." 

"Why you little...! You damn pipsqueak, you actually dare to be this cocky with me?! Fine! Today, I'm gonna show you what real terror feels like!" Just as Sir Crocodile was sure he was about to land the killing blow on Kazama... ...he was completely floored to see Kazama charge straight at his Barján attack again! "Don't tell me this brat is...!" Seeing Kazama pull that stunt, Sir Crocodile thought, Oh, this ain't good. He was worried Kazama was about to pull the same stunt as before and absorb his Barján as well. 

And you know how it goes – speak of the devil, and he appears. The very thing Sir Crocodile was dreading, actually happened. In a blink of an eye, Kazama just sucked Sir Crocodile’s entire Barján right into his own body! "Ding! Successfully absorbed Crescent Dune! Congratulations, Host, you have acquired: Full Moon Dune!" 

"What?! How can that be?!" Seeing Kazama actually do exactly what he’d suspected – absorbing his attack whole, just like that... ...Sir Crocodile was absolutely floored, completely speechless. I mean, ever since Crocodile ate that Suna Suna no Mi, pretty much everyone he'd ever fought was nothing but garbage to him. 

Chapter 518: Acquiring Three Skills in a Row 

No one was qualified to act tough in front of him. 

But he never expected that now he was the one getting beaten senseless by this unknown Kazama, completely unable to fight back. 

And just as Sir Crocodile was reeling from the shock... 

Kazama had already unleashed "Crescent-Shaped Sand Dune." 

Then, in an instant, he charged straight at Sir Crocodile again. 

Luckily, Sir Crocodile reacted quickly this time, hastily crystallizing his body. 

Only then did he avoid being cut down by Kazama. 

After that, Sir Crocodile, seething with anger, let out a long howl to the sky, as if he had gone mad. 

He recklessly threw all of his techniques at Kazama. 

"Desert Spada!" 

At that moment, both of Crocodile's arms transformed into giant swords made of sand. 

Then, in another flash, he slashed towards Kazama again. 

And as Sir Crocodile attacked, a purple bolt of lightning appeared in front of him, its power truly earth-shattering. 

Unfortunately for him, it was still easily absorbed by Kazama. 

"Ding! Successfully absorbed Desert Spada. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Surface Erosion Jutsu!" 

"Sir Crocodile, I told you already, your techniques are like child's play to me!" 

Then, Kazama immediately unleashed this "Surface Erosion." 

At this point, all sorts of things above the ground were utterly destroyed by Kazama's jutsu. 

And Sir Crocodile was forced to quickly flee Kazama's attack range. 

His escaping figure was a truly pathetic sight. 

"This is infuriating! How dare you, you little punk, use my own moves against me!" 

"Heh heh! This is what you call 'giving someone a taste of their own medicine'!" 

"Taste your own mother's medicine!" 

Before Kazama could finish, Sir Crocodile, as if he'd lost his mind, charged at Kazama once more. 

This time, to completely defeat Kazama, Sir Crocodile immediately unleashed a unique, super wide-range attack from his Logia-type Suna Suna no Mi. 

At this point, even his black hair turned white from the excessive energy consumption. 

Then, everything on the ground—whether trees, sand, or stones—was destroyed by Sir Crocodile's current technique. 

The ground itself seemed to die, becoming utterly terrifying. 

And when Luffy and the others saw how incredibly powerful Sir Crocodile's technique was, they broke out in a cold sweat, completely terrified. 

Because the attack range of Sir Crocodile's current jutsu was too vast, and it was already rushing towards them. 

"Heh heh, I'm telling you, Kazama, you little brat, even if I can't kill you this time, I'll definitely kill your companions!" 

"Then let me tell you, as long as I'm here, you won't be able to harm my nakama in the slightest!" 

"Nonsense! I don't believe you can—" 

Just as Sir Crocodile thought Kazama was bluffing... 

Kazama had already unleashed "Eight Desolations Destruction Flame," causing pairs of wings to sprout from the backs of Luffy, Zoro, and the others. 

This allowed Luffy and the rest to fly up into the sky. 

And though Sir Crocodile's attack was powerful and sharp, it could only target those on the ground and couldn't harm Luffy and the others in the air one bit. 

Just as Sir Crocodile was feeling shocked by this new technique Kazama had unleashed... 

Chapter 519: The Ōka Shichibukai are Trash 

So, that Kazama guy had already taken the chance to absorb that killer move from Sir Crocodile into his own body. 

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for absorbing a super wide-range attack unique to a Logia-type Devil Fruit. As a reward, the Host will continuously acquire three jutsu!" 

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring 'Heavy Crescent Moon Sand Dune,' capable of causing devastating attacks!" 

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring 'Desert Diamond Blade,' which can transform both hands into indestructible sand-style blades, with attack power even greater and more formidable than 'Desert Spada,' capable of tearing anything apart!" 

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring 'Desert Greatsword,' allowing you to charge at enemies in a straight line on the ground at extreme speed, making it impossible to defend against!" 

"This is great! Next, I'll let you witness my abilities: Heavy Crescent Moon Sand Dune, Diamond Blade, Desert Greatsword!" 

Then, in a single exchange, Kazama unleashed all three of these newly acquired techniques straight at Crocodile. 

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!" 

At this moment, Sir Crocodile had completely given up on fighting back. He knew that even if he tried to counterattack now, he'd still end up dead. 

And just like that, in one swift move, Kazama knocked Crocodile unconscious. 

Kazama knew that this Sir Crocodile was a wanted man by the Marines, with a bounty of 81,000,000 Berī. 

Although Kazama wasn't short on money right now, he also knew that, naturally, the more money, the better. 

So, in that same brief moment, Kazama contacted that Smoker fellow who had previously submitted to him. 

And when Smoker saw that Kazama had actually managed to capture one of the Shichibukai, Sir Crocodile himself, he was utterly shocked. 

Kazama then immediately grinned at Smoker and said, "Well? Now that I've caught this Crocodile, he's a pretty big fish, right? His bounty is a whopping 81,000,000 Berī! You can hand him over to Marine Headquarters now, and we'll split the reward money fifty-fifty!" 

"Well, about that... I'm afraid that might be a bit difficult." 

"What? What do you mean by that?" 

Hearing Smoker's words, Kazama was instantly confused. 

"Look, Kazama-aniki, you might not know this, but this Crocodile is one of the Ōka Shichibukai. And this so-called Ōka Shichibukai have, like, a strategic partnership with Marine Headquarters. In other words, no matter how ruthless these Shichibukai are, as long as they don't endanger the Marines, they won't be wanted anymore. So, Sir Crocodile's previous 81,000,000 Berī bounty is already completely void. Now, as an Ōka Shichibukai, not only will he not be wanted by the Marines, but if I were to take him to Marine Headquarters, the Marines would probably see me as the enemy! They might even try to find you through me and, you know, tear you limb from limb, grind your bones to dust!" 

"What?! This is infuriating!" 

At this point, Kazama had never imagined that the esteemed Marine Headquarters would actually dare to team up with pirates. 

This instantly sent Kazama into a towering rage, absolutely fuming. 

However, since things had already turned out this way, Kazama could only let it go. 

Then, in a flash, Kazama tossed Sir Crocodile into the sea, leaving him to fend for himself. 

After that, Kazama and his group set sail once more, heading towards the Grand Line. 

Chapter 520: The Kyohei Kaizokudan Shows Up! (Giant Pirate Crew, that is!) 

So, not long after, Kazama and the others spotted an island up ahead. Man, this place was gorgeous, kinda like that island they called Little Garden. 

You know Luffy, always up for an adventure, plus their ship was running low on supplies. So, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and the gang decided to head ashore and stock up on some grub. 

But here’s the kicker, something Kazama and the crew totally didn’t see coming. The moment they set foot on this "Little Garden," they realized the whole island was crawling with massive creatures! We're talking dinosaurs, crocodiles, lizards – you name it, they were everywhere, and they were huge! 

When Nami saw these giant beasts, she totally freaked out for a second. Then, something clicked, and she rushed over to Kazama, saying, "Hey, Kazama-aniki, you guys gotta be super careful! These islands on the Grand Line, they've been cut off for ages, totally isolated. So, each one's developed its own way, you know? Some are really advanced, but others... others haven't changed in thousands of years!" 

She continued, "This Little Garden is one of 'em. If I'm right, this is the legendary 'Island of Ancient Times,' and it's still a place where dinosaurs from way back then live!" 

"What?!" 

Hearing Nami say that, even Kazama, who's usually cool as a cucumber, was pretty surprised. I mean, Kazama had never seen a real, live dinosaur before! So, the second he heard there were actual dinosaurs on this island, he got super pumped. In a flash, he was heading straight for Little Garden, wanting to see these dinos up close with his own eyes. 

Now, Nami was kinda hoping Kazama would realize how dangerous this island was and decide to back off. You know, so he could lead Luffy and the others away from there, quick. But she didn't expect Kazama to be just like Luffy! Zip! He was off to the prehistoric island in an instant. 

This left Nami feeling super awkward and a bit helpless, you know? 

Meanwhile, Nami and Usopp, being the scaredy-cats they are, were too terrified to even think about going onto the island. So, they figured they’d just wait on the ship for Kazama, Luffy, and the others to come back. 

But wouldn't you know it, they hadn't been waiting long when a massive dinosaur came charging right at their ship! Nami and Usopp screamed and scrambled off the ship onto the island, hoping to find Kazama for protection. They figured being near Kazama, with his strength, was way safer than being sitting ducks on the ship. After all, Kazama was strong enough to handle pretty much anything this island could throw at him. 

But after they got onto the island, before they could even find Kazama, they bumped into something even bigger than that dinosaur – a Kyojin! A giant! 

And it seemed like this giant spotted Nami and Usopp too, 'cause he started booming with laughter at them. He was probably just trying to be friendly, you know, show some hospitality. But this giant looked so darn fierce that Nami and Usopp thought he was gonna eat them! So, they turned tail and ran off in another direction as fast as their legs could carry them. 

Seeing Nami and Usopp bolt like that, the giant looked pretty embarrassed. He quickly started chasing after them, probably wanting to explain. But Nami and Usopp had no idea what the giant was trying to say, so naturally, they just ran even faster. 

Too bad for them, this island was packed with monsters. They hadn't even lost the giant yet when a huge lizard blocked their path. 

"This is bad! Looks like this is it for us..." "Kazama-aniki... I guess we won't make it with you to the end of the Grand Line after all!" 

Just when Nami and Usopp were about to give up all hope, a figure suddenly appeared right in front of them.