Chapter 50: Gear Second!
Meanwhile, on Polka Street in the Royal Capital, strange shrill cries and angry curses echoed continuously through the deserted street.
"Behold my Okama Kenpo: Exploding Swan Arabesque!"
"Why are swan heads attached to your feet!? You damn pervert!"
Thwack!
Thwack!
"Well? Kicks powerful enough to rival a rifle shot! This is the charm of an Okama!"
Bon Kurei, clad in a blue-striped ball skirt (?) and a pink cape, boasted, his mocking expression appearing even more exaggerated on his heavily made-up face.
He had removed the swan decorations from his back and attached them to his feet. Combining the swan's flexible neck with its steel-like pointed beak focused all the destructive power onto a single point.
Although Sanji thought the explanation was nonsense, looking at the smooth, round holes punched into the wall, still smoking slightly, he couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed.
"You've got a few tricks up your sleeve, huh."
The two had been fighting for quite a while now, and his opponent was proving trickier than he had imagined.
Sanji's expression turned serious. He ground out his cigarette butt under his black leather shoe, then charged towards Bon Kurei.
"But if you think that's enough to take my life, you're about a hundred years too early!"
Sanji lunged forward with a whip kick. When his opponent parried with the exact same move, Sanji used the momentum to twist his body, instantly transitioning into a spinning flying kick.
Bon Kurei crossed his arms, barely managing to block the blow. Unexpectedly, Sanji hooked his foot, using Bon Kurei's arms as a leverage point to propel himself upwards, lifting his other leg. The black leather shoe arrived before Bon Kurei's eyes in an instant.
"Collier Coup!"
Wham!
Wham!
The sole of the shoe imprinted itself on Bon Kurei's face, squeezing the flesh of his cheek to one side. The next moment, he was sent flying sideways, slamming heavily against a wall and sliding down like soft mud.
"Cough cough!"
Crouching on the ground, Bon Kurei wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes fixed intently on the pursuing Sanji, he quickly stood up, executing ballet steps to leap high into the sky.
Tucking his legs with the swan heads attached, he gathered power, then rapidly unleashed a flurry of kicks towards Sanji.
The sharp swan beaks rained down like a storm of bullets.
"Bombardier!"
"Brochette!"
Sanji supported himself on his hands, spinning his body continuously, his two black-trousered legs repeatedly kicking out at the swan heads, retracting, and kicking again.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of dull, rapid, heavy impacts echoed as the two fighters' legs blurred into afterimages, clashing fiercely in mid-air.
Soon, with a cracking sound, fissures began to appear on the swan heads on Bon Kurei's feet. Unable to withstand the barrage any longer, they shattered.
The bent swan necks exploded into countless fragments, scattering through the air. In Bon Kurei's astonished eyes, a black leather shoe filled his vision.
"Poêle à Frire: Spectre!"
Amidst Sanji's roar, a fierce whip kick struck Bon Kurei's face, smashing him to the ground, only for him to bounce back up slightly.
Sanji then leaped into the air, his legs becoming blurs as they struck various parts of Bon Kurei's body, sinking deep into his flesh like two wooden mallets furiously pounding minced meat.
"Gigot!"
"Cuisseau!"
"Quasi..."
This storm-like assault completely overwhelmed Bon Kurei. With each successive impact sending him retreating rapidly, his arms, torso, and thighs quickly became congested with blood, turning black and blue.
"And finally... Mouton Shot!"
With a final roar, the airborne Sanji twisted his body, placing his hands on the ground head-down, bent his black-clad legs, and unleashed the full power of his body in a tremendous upward kick, viciously striking his opponent's rear end.
"Wait! Wait! Not there!"
Bon Kurei shrieked in panic. Seeing the black legs aiming squarely for his buttocks, the exaggerated makeup on his face couldn't help but twist together.
"Honey's butt!"
Leaving behind a shrill wail, Bon Kurei shot off like an arrow loosed from its bowstring, transforming into a twinkling cross-shaped star in the sky in the blink of an eye.
Click!
A cluster of flame leaped from the lighter held before the black suit, slowly igniting the cigarette in Sanji's mouth.
"Damn pervert. Okama... how could they possibly compare to real women."
He turned his head, gazing towards the magnificent building in the distance, dusted himself off, and started running towards the Royal Palace.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Tomb beneath the palace's west wing...
A few rays of sunlight streamed through the hole smashed in the ceiling, illuminating the ancient, mysterious murals, lighting up the dim underground chamber.
Luffy gritted his teeth, eyes fixed on the continuously surging sand crocodiles, dodging and weaving, his fists swinging so fast they seemed to smoke.
In contrast, the Blue and Red Ogres seemed effortless. Their greatswords slashed, thrusted, and parried; their shields and swords moved as if weightless. A casual blow shattered any approaching crocodile.
But Crocodile's attacks came one after another; as soon as one technique was neutralized, another relentlessly assaulted them.
Reiner hadn't initially ordered them to go all out, planning to rely on their Zoan endurance enhancements to wage a war of attrition against Sand Crocodile.
This approach seemed safer initially. However, looking at the current situation, the opponent showed no signs of running out of stamina. Reiner couldn't help but frown.
If this continued, his own stamina might not outlast Crocodile's. Using Haki drained the Blue and Red Ogres (and thus, him) quickly, plus he needed to reserve energy for a potential Hakoku.
Making up his mind, Reiner sent a command with a thought. The Blue and Red Ogres bent their legs, crouching low, then pushed off the ground forcefully. With a bang, the ground beneath them instantly cracked like a spiderweb as the two launched themselves forward.
They threw their round shields forward, smashing apart incoming attacks into loose sand, then flew left and right towards Crocodile, activating Armament Haki. A bright, pitch-black sheen covered their greatswords.
"So fast!"
Crocodile was instantly alarmed. He raised his hand, but the sand wall he summoned hadn't fully risen before the two leaped over it, reaching him in a flash.
Seeing the two greatswords, one slashing, one thrusting, about to hit, Crocodile immediately turned his body into its elemental form. Sand dispersed outwards, creating openings where the blades were about to strike.
Simultaneously, he raised his hands, launching small sandstorms towards the Blue and Red Ogres.
"Mini-Sables!"
He knows they use Armament Haki, meaning his elemental form can't block directly, but he can still dodge.
However, the Blue and Red Ogres weren't just proficient in Armament Haki; their Observation Haki had already anticipated Sand Crocodile's move.
Ignoring the incoming attacks, letting the mini-sandstorms hit and cut at their bodies, they twisted their wrists, changed the direction of their greatswords, and slashed hard into Crocodile's elemental form.
Schlick! Schlick!
Bang! Crocodile was sent flying backward, tumbling several times after hitting the ground hard. Two deep gashes were now clearly visible on his body.
"Cough cough!"
Sand Crocodile gritted his teeth, pushed himself into a crouch, and spat out some blood. He glared ferociously ahead. Taking advantage of his opponents being momentarily stalled by the Sables... he thrust his hand upwards!
"Desert Espada!" A giant sand blade erupted from the sand beneath the Blue and Red Ogres, slashing towards their waists.
It actually cut deep wounds into them!
Isn't that the move that cut Akainu during the Summit War!? Are we really going to lose?
Reiner watched, heart pounding. He immediately began activating his ability, repairing the wounds slashed across the Blue and Red Ogres' waists.
"I'm gonna use that move, Reiner!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the battlefield. Reiner reacted, whipping his head around. He saw Luffy already crouched low, legs spread, one hand on his knee, the other fist pressed against the ground.
"Wait, Luffy! Gear Second is too risky—"
"Don't say it, Reiner!"
Luffy yelled, interrupting Reiner. Maintaining his Gear Second stance, he stared intently at Crocodile ahead, his eyes filled with determination.
"This Crocodile is strong! Even you aren't sure you can win, right!?"
"If we lose, then everything is lost!"
Currently, Gear Second had side effects. Using it would lead to complete exhaustion, leaving him unable to fight back. Frequent use could even shorten his lifespan.
"I understand."
Hearing this, Reiner stopped protesting. He truly wasn't confident. Even his currently strongest undead duo had taken damage from the opponent.
Crocodile's strength completely surpassed his imagination. In the original story, Luffy lost twice before barely managing to win. They didn't have that many chances this time.
(Author's Note: The One Piece power scaling system is hard to put into words; the gap between early and late stages is too large.) (In this book, Crocodile's strength two years ago is set to be somewhat stronger than a top Vice Admiral, otherwise the Warlord title seems too weak.) (But his 1.9 billion bounty version definitely won't be used; otherwise, fighting him head-on would be impossible.)
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