511-515

Chapter 511: Preparing to Thrash Baroque Works 

The whole point was to wait until all the main forces of Baroque Works had gathered right here. 

However, Kazama hadn't expected that after waiting for so long, deliberately stalling for a good while... 

...Baroque Works had only sent these few small-fry grunts to fight him. 

This immediately got Kazama pretty annoyed. 

So, Kazama grabbed the Inu Inu no Mi user. 

"I gotta say, you Baroque Works people really underestimate others, don't you? Do you have any clue about my, Kazama's, strength? How dare you send three no-names like yourselves to fight me! This is absolutely intolerable!" 

"This... uh..." 

Hearing Kazama's words, the Inu Inu no Mi user was instantly scared into a stuttering mess. 

You wouldn't know it from his usual arrogant and bossy demeanor, but in reality, he was a classic coward—all bark and no bite, preying on the weak and terrified of the strong. 

So, having now witnessed firsthand just how incredibly powerful Kazama was, he was already drenched in a cold sweat from sheer terror. 

Therefore, hearing Kazama's fury directed at his organization, Baroque Works, this Inu Inu no Mi user's eyes darted about as an idea quickly sparked in his mind. 

He hurriedly plastered an obsequious smile on his face and said to Kazama, "Hey there, uh, young brother! There's something you might not realize. Your reputation hasn't quite reached the ears of our Baroque Works boss, see? So, he has no idea how strong you really are. That's why he only sent the three of us to deal with you. If you're serious about wanting to take down all of Baroque Works in one clean sweep, well, I'm willing to be your advance man, your pawn, and lure every last one of them right here!" 

"Oh, really now?" Kazama raised an eyebrow. 

He had absolutely not expected this Inu Inu no Mi user to suddenly offer to switch sides and work for him. 

"Heh, heh! Of course!" the Inu Inu no Mi user chuckled, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "Like the old saying goes, 'Man strives for higher ground, water flows to lower ground.' Even though I was your enemy just a moment ago, Big Bro Kazama, now that I've seen how unbelievably skilled and downright awesome you are, I'm more than willing to follow your lead, whatever you say!" 

"Me too! I'm willing!" 

Just then, the Mogura Mogura no Mi user (the Mole-Mole Fruit user) also zipped over to stand before Kazama. 

"Even though we were your enemies before," she chimed in, "after that epic battle—felt like three thousand rounds, easy!—we can totally see that you're a genuinely good person!" 

"That's right!" the first agent quickly agreed. "Think about it! Anyone else would have probably just killed us off ages ago, especially since we lost. But not only did you spare us, you didn't even keep yelling at us or anything! So, we're all ready to submit to you. We're willing to be your scouts, your pawns, anything! We'll bring that whole pack of bastards and sons of bitches from Baroque Works right to you!" 

"Alright," Kazama said after a moment. "If that's what you're offering, I'll take you up on it." 

Truth be told, Kazama had no idea if these two were genuinely surrendering to him or just trying to save their own skins. 

But Kazama's ultimate goal was to dismantle Baroque Works completely, root and stem. 

So, naturally, Kazama agreed to their proposal. 

Seeing Kazama willing to accept his allegiance, the Inu Inu no Mi user immediately nodded, a look of immense relief on his face. 

Then, in a flash, the two agents were off, heading towards the known rendezvous points for Baroque Works. 

Their mission: to use every silver-tongued trick they knew to persuade the boss of Baroque Works, along with all of its top Officer Agents, to come right to Kazama. 

All so that Kazama could deal with them in one decisive blow. 

Meanwhile, the boss of Baroque Works himself had absolutely no clue about Kazama's true power. 

He had simply assumed that the three high-ranking agents he'd dispatched earlier... 

Chapter 512: The Suna Suna no Mi User Appears! 

He figured he could have easily diced that Kazama into a million pieces, ground his bones to dust, scattered his ashes to the wind. 

But what he didn't count on was his bunch of special agents turning out to be totally useless trash in front of this Kazama guy. 

So, just as the boss of Baroque Works (Barokku Wākusu) was feasting and drinking at their secret base... 

Lo and behold, those three agents he'd sent out stumbled back, all beaten up and looking like they’d been through a warzone. 

This, as you can imagine, made the Baroque Works boss fly into a rage, absolutely furious. 

Without a second thought, the Baroque Works boss sent them flying with a single strike. 

Then he pointed right at their noses and started yelling, "You damn good-for-nothings! You guys are Akuma no Mi (悪魔の実 - Devil Fruit) users, for crying out loud! Ordinary folks shouldn't even be able to touch you!" 

"And this Kazama guy, I've heard about him. He's just a regular dude! Now you're telling me he wiped the floor with you? This is just... I can't even! It's absolutely unbearable!" 

Now, the Inu Inu no Mi (イヌイヌの実 - Dog Dog Fruit) user and the others had originally planned to just pretend to switch sides to Kazama. Their real goal was to spill the beans to the Baroque Works boss about Kazama's situation so he could prepare. 

But they never would've guessed that their current boss would be this arrogant and tyrannical. 

Kazama, their supposed enemy, hadn't even laid a hand on them without a word. 

Yet this boss they'd risked their necks to supposedly serve was treating them so cruelly. 

So, the three of them just looked at each other, and right then and there, they genuinely decided to switch sides and betray him. 

Quickly putting on an act, the three of them, with fake smiles plastered on their faces, said to the Baroque Works boss, "Boss, you're absolutely right. The three of us are definitely pathetic. But the only reason we look so pathetic is because Kazama is just too damn strong!" 

"Yeah, no doubt! If it were some ordinary guy, the three of us, even if it meant going down with him, we would've torn him limb from limb, scattered his ashes, the whole deal! But this Kazama guy, he's seriously on another level, unbelievably tough!" 

"He really is! Kazama's incredibly strong. Originally, the three of us were dead set on taking him down with us, we even had explosives strapped to ourselves! But we never imagined that little punk Kazama would be that powerful. Not only did he beat us, he even humiliated us!" 

"He even said that you, the boss of Baroque Works, are just a coward, a real 'scaredy-cat' (- suōtóu wūguī, lit. 'head-shrinking turtle')! Said you only dare to hide out here and wouldn't dare to come out and face him!" 

"What?! That infuriating little...!" 

The Baroque Works boss was, to put it mildly, a simple-minded guy, all brawn and no brains. 

So, hearing those three say this, he didn't even suspect it was a trick. 

In an instant, he started cursing Kazama out. 

"You little brat Kazama! My Baroque Works has never bothered you! But now you dare to mess with our plans, and even call me a coward?! Fine! If that's how you want it, I'll show you what I'm really made of!" 

As the Baroque Works boss was saying this... 

He immediately gathered his underlings and headed straight for Whiskey Peak . 

And by this time, the three Inu Inu no Mi users who had defected to Kazama... 

Had already beaten the Baroque Works boss there, arriving at Kazama's location a step ahead. 

Chapter 513: I Am a Shichibukai 

And Kazama also learned the secret of the Baroque Works' boss from the three of them. 

This Baroque Works boss's real name was Crocodile, and he was the user of the Suna Suna no Mi. 

Meaning, this Sir Crocodile could use the power of sand as his means of attack. 

"Heh, isn't that exactly like Gaara of the Sand Waterfall's moves from the Naruto world?" 

After hearing what the three said, Kazama immediately grinned and nodded. 

"Hey, uh, little brother Kazama, what were you just saying about a Naruto world? And Gaara of the Sand Waterfall? What's that all about?" 

"Yeah, how come we've never heard of it?" 

You gotta remember, these guys were from the world of One Piece, so of course, they wouldn't know anything about a "Naruto world." 

And when Kazama heard their questions... 

He knew he wouldn't be able to explain it to them clearly in just a short while. 

Besides, even if he did explain it, it wouldn't be much help in his current fight against this Sir Crocodile. 

So, Kazama just grinned and nodded at them, then said again, "I'll tell you guys about it later. Right now, your top priority is to get as far away from here as possible!" 

"What? How can we do that?" 

At this moment, the three Inu Inu no Mi users were originally planning to stay and help Kazama. 

To take on their Baroque Works boss, Sir Crocodile, together. 

Because they all knew their boss was incredibly strong, seriously powerful. 

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible for him to recruit so many Akuma no Mi users. 

But now, hearing that Kazama actually wanted to fight that Crocodile guy all by himself... 

They immediately shook their heads like crazy. 

"Look, little brother Kazama, we all know you're super strong, really incredible, but why do you want to fight Sir Crocodile alone now?" 

"Yeah, Sir Crocodile's strength is nothing to scoff at! Besides, he's got a ton of goons under him. If you're gonna fight them all now, I think there's a nine out of ten chance you'll get beaten!" 

"Heheh, I'd say you guys are seriously underestimating me!" 

Seeing that the three of them didn't seem to believe in his strength, Kazama burst out laughing. 

"I, Kazama, am a man of unyielding integrity! As a man, I never lie, so you guys don't need to worry at all!" 

"Heh, I don't care if you're a man or not. All I know is, once I make my move, I can turn you into dog food!" 

Just as Kazama was trying to persuade the three, as well as Luffy, Zoro, and the others, to leave quickly so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire... 

Sir Crocodile had already arrived with a bunch of his subordinates. 

And when this Sir Crocodile saw that the one who had beaten his men black and blue was just a kid... 

It made him sneer even more arrogantly. 

So, Sir Crocodile immediately started yelling at the three Inu Inu no Mi users. 

"You three good-for-nothings! Don't tell me you actually got beaten by this little brat? Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?!" 

At this point, Sir Crocodile didn't yet know that these three subordinates of his had already switched their allegiance to Kazama. 

And right then, the three Inu Inu no Mi users, because they had long since had enough of Sir Crocodile's constant abuse and unfair treatment... 

Chapter 514: Giving a Royal Shichibukai a Thrashing! 

So, seeing this "Shaldark"—or rather, Crocodile—acting all high and mighty in front of them again... 

Those three, in a heartbeat, started cursing out Sir Crocodile. 

"Listen here, you damn bastard! Don't you think just because you've got that Suna Suna no Mi ( - Sand-Sand Fruit) power, you can act all tough in front of us!" 

"Yeah, that's right! We've been sick of following you for ages! We're with our big bro Kazama now!" 

"What? You actually dare to betray me?!" 

Sir Crocodile never, ever imagined that these three underlings, who were always so obedient and meek before him, would actually betray him in an instant. This, of course, sent him into a towering rage. 

But before Sir Crocodile could even finish his yelling, Kazama stepped right in front of the three. 

He then shot a cold smirk at Sir Crocodile and said, "Well, well? These three have pledged their loyalty to me. You got a problem with that?" 

"What?! This is outrageous!" 

Now, Sir Crocodile hadn't really paid Kazama any mind before. 

But he never expected Kazama to actually dare to recruit his underlings right in front of his face. 

This was a blatant, in-your-face provocation! 

So, Sir Crocodile, without missing a beat, launched an attack at Kazama. 

"Let me tell you, you little punk! You were offered a path to heaven but refused, and now you come barging into hell's gates! You were offered a toast and spat it back, so you'll have to drink the punishment instead! Since it's come to this, don't blame me for being ruthless!" 

As Sir Crocodile spoke, he waved his hands, and a sandstorm shot directly towards Kazama and the others. 

"Kazama, little bro, you gotta be careful with this Sir Crocodile! His sand attacks are seriously no joke, incredibly powerful!" 

"Oh! You think they're more impressive than my sand techniques?" 

"What?!" 

Hearing that Kazama could also use sand techniques, everyone was completely stunned. 

Meanwhile, Sir Crocodile, lost in his fury, didn't even register what Kazama had just said. 

But what he didn't expect was that just as his sandstorm was about to hit Kazama... 

A giant, monstrous hand made of sand suddenly appeared in front of Kazama. 

Then, in a flash, it crushed the entire sandstorm into nothingness. 

"What? How is that even possible?!" 

Seeing Kazama also wielding sand, and his sand ability even more powerful, more impressive than his own sandstorm... 

Sir Crocodile was instantly terrified, his heart pounding with shock. 

Because in all his decades roaming the pirate world... 

He had never, ever seen anyone who could possess the exact same ability as him. 

"You little brat! Don't tell me you've also eaten a Suna Suna no Mi?! Impossible! There's only supposed to be one of each Akuma no Mi (悪魔の実 - Devil Fruit) in the world!" 

Sir Crocodile muttered, utterly bewildered. 

But Kazama just chuckled again and said to him, "Sir Crocodile, now's not the time to be confused. Hesitate for a second, and you might just find yourself beaten black and blue by me!" 

"You infuriate me!" 

Sir Crocodile had been trying to question Kazama. 

But he never expected Kazama to completely ignore him and even dare to humiliate him. 

This made Sir Crocodile even more shaken. 

Then, Sir Crocodile immediately unleashed the power of his Suna Suna no Mi once more. 

This time, an even bigger, more badass sandstorm, way more massive than before, surged towards Kazama and the others. 

This sandstorm was so powerful it even ripped up several houses. 

Its destructive force was hundreds of times greater than the previous one. 

Yet, when Kazama saw it, he just laughed dismissively. 

"Sir Crocodile, I was originally thinking of absorbing your ability for my own use. But your sand technique is just too pathetic, so I can't even be bothered to absorb it. So now, let me show you my power!" 

With a cold laugh, the land for a hundred li in front of Kazama instantly turned into a desert. 

Then, from this desert, hundreds of giant hands made of sand erupted. 

In the blink of an eye, they swatted the oncoming sandstorm into nothingness once again. 

And then, those hundreds of giant sand hands, with undiminished power, shot towards Sir Crocodile in the back. 

Instantly, they trapped Sir Crocodile, pinning him to the spot. 

Before Sir Crocodile could even react, Kazama once again used that famous move, "Sabaku Kyu" ( - Sand Coffin). 

And just like that, he crushed Sir Crocodile into smithereens. 

"What?! How is that possible?!" 

At this point, it wasn't just Luffy and the others who couldn't believe it; even Sir Crocodile's own underlings were utterly floored. 

They knew their boss's strength was incredible, truly top-tier. 

And he was one of the Ōka Shichibukai (- Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea)! 

But they never, ever imagined that this so-called Shichibukai... 

Would actually be so easily taken down by this nobody, Kazama. 

This completely shattered their worldview. 

And just as these underlings, terrified of Kazama's power, were about to flee... 

Suddenly, a strange sight occurred. 

Chapter 515: Madly Absorbing Abilities 

Whoa, so the Sabaku Kyū (Sand Coffin) that had Sir Crocodile all tied up? It actually shattered into pieces in just one go! That totally threw Kazama for a loop. You gotta know, Kazama’s version of Sabaku Kyū was seriously powerful, top-tier stuff. Even when you compared him to Gaara, the original user of the Sabaku Kyū, Kazama was still a step ahead. I mean, Kazama could tap into the power of Ichibi no Shukaku (One-Tailed Shukaku), after all. So, all of Kazama's Saton (Sand Release) abilities were actually drawn from Ichibi no Shukaku. 

But Kazama never saw it coming – even after hitting him with ultimate killing moves like Sabaku Sōsō (Desert Imperial Funeral) and Sabaku Kyū, he still couldn't take down Sir Crocodile. Kazama just couldn't believe his eyes, you know? 

And right then, after Crocodile showed himself again, he shot Kazama a nasty smirk. "Hey, you little pipsqueak! You seriously think your garbage Saton techniques could ever take me out? Let me clue you in: I'm one of the bona fide Ōka Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea)! I'm up there with the likes of the Yonko (Four Emperors), you hear me? A little scrub like you trying to beat me? Get real, that’s never gonna happen!" 

While Crocodile was still talking, he went ahead and whipped out an even scarier move, his Sabaku Rō (Desert Prison)! But get this, Crocodile’s Sabaku Rō wasn’t even aimed at Kazama. Nope, he went after his own guys who were trying to bail on him! The second he unleashed that Sabaku Rō, it completely surrounded those poor suckers trying to run. It sucked every last drop of moisture from their bodies. One minute they were alive and kicking, and the next, bam! Instant mummies. You could say Sir Crocodile's move was downright horrifying. 

Then Sir Crocodile immediately started yelling at the men he’d just offed: "You worthless bastards! You were my crew, and you still dared to betray me?! This is what happens when you cross me, hahaha!" Kazama had initially pegged Sir Crocodile as just some brutal kaizoku (pirate). But he never figured this Crocodile would be so ruthless, not even sparing his own men. These guys were clearly his subordinates, yet he struck them down without a hint of mercy. Besides, it's only natural for people to feel fear; you could almost understand why they tried to run. 

Naturally, this got Kazama all riled up. So, he pointed right at Sir Crocodile’s face and yelled, "I'm telling you, Crocodile! I really can't stomach the kind of guy you are! You're just too damn cruel!" "Ah, save your damn speeches for someone else!" Before Kazama could even get his sentence out, Crocodile charged straight for him. 

"Sabaku Girasole (Desert Sunflower)!" With that, Crocodile started manipulating the underground water currents. This made the ground above swell into sand dunes, and he launched these powerful streams of quicksand right at Kazama! "Heh heh, little pipsqueak, let me tell ya, as a user of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit), I've got a whole arsenal of badass abilities! So don't go thinking that just 'cause you got lucky and beat me once, you can do it again and again! This Sabaku Girasole of mine? They call it 'the desert coffin that leaves no need for a tombstone'! Anyone who gets caught by this is finished by me in a single blow!" 

"Oh, is that so? Well then, I guess I'll just have to see for myself how 'badass' and 'powerful' this Sabaku Girasole of yours really is!"