Deep within the clouds, a thousand meters above the Altar of Burial.
Three figures stood on a colossal cannonball, floating in the sky.
Sot, sensing the situation within the ruins, glanced at Carol.
"Not making a move?"
Carol remained calm, watching below.
"There's still time."
Even if Crocodile's attack was only a centimeter away from Robin's head, Carol, possessing the instantaneous movement Devil Fruit, could appear in an instant and take her away.
Now, Carol's gaze was fixed on the intruder.
"What an unexpected gain."
He watched the snow cloud charging towards the entrance of the ruins.
The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo...
To willingly deliver himself like this, it would be a shame not to deal with him...
----------
Inside the ruins.
Hum—
Crocodile's left hook, a golden hook, was imbued with Armament Haki.
It was about to strike Robin's head.
Suddenly, a roar echoed from afar:
"Blizzard Dragon King!!!"
Rumble—
A deafening roar and violent tremors shook the ruins.
In an instant, endless snow filled the entire underground palace. Within the blizzard's torrent, Cobra was protected inside a snow dome.
Crocodile and Robin were completely submerged by the blizzard.
Amidst the chaos.
Sabo solidified his form, his right hand forming a dragon claw, imbued with Armament Haki, it clashed with Crocodile's golden hook. His left hand struck at Crocodile's arm joint.
Boom—！！！！
Crocodile's expression turned grim as he stared at the sudden appearance of this individual. His body turned into sand and wind, the accumulated snow rapidly being absorbed and dissipated.
His gaze shifted slightly to his right hand, feeling a slight numbness. Robin, whom he had been holding, had vanished.
He looked up at Robin, now protected behind Sabo.
"No wonder you dared to betray me."
"So you found a better master..."
The snow in the hall was absorbed by the sand in mere moments. This was a desert, Crocodile's domain.
Sabo on the other side looked grave. The blizzard he created was absorbed so quickly...
Crocodile's voice was indifferent as he looked at the two.
"State your name."
"Kid..."
Sabo remained unfazed by Crocodile's icy tone, without turning his head, he said:
"Robin-san, you go first."
"I'll hold him off."
He said to Robin behind him.
Seeing that Sabo was ignoring him, Crocodile's expression darkened.
Boom—
A torrent of yellow sand surged into the ruins from the entrance, and then the entrance collapsed and sealed.
Crocodile's expression was impassive.
"You refuse to cooperate, you'll both stay here."
A small sand whirlwind appeared in his right hand, which he flung towards them. It rapidly grew in size, as if intending to crush them.
Sabo's heart sank slightly, but he remained calm. His arms transformed into wind and snow.
"Then try me."
Two long dragons made of snowflakes shot out from his arms, crossing paths and charging towards the sand whirlwind.
Boom—
Sand and snowflakes collided, expanding and exploding.
The underground ruins were almost shaken to collapse.
Crocodile, with an expressionless face, controlled the sand, rapidly absorbing and dissipating the snowflakes, while simultaneously mobilizing his ability to draw the sand from outside the ruins.
It continuously converged on the roof of the ruins, pressing down heavily.
The goal was to prevent anyone but him from leaving...
This was a desert, and Crocodile could leverage the natural advantage.
Sabo could only create snow with his own stamina, and the hot environment had a suppressing effect on his abilities.
After one collision, he was at a disadvantage.
However, Sabo quickly deduced something:
"Afraid of water, are we..."
As if detonating himself, his body instantly exploded, transforming into a blizzard that sprayed outwards.
However, the temperature of this snow was not high. In this hot environment, as it erupted, a large portion of it turned into snowmelt, pressing down on the sand.
It briefly obstructed the movement of the sand.
Snowflakes suddenly surged from the ground around Robin and Cobra, enclosing them and moving them together.
Sabo's right arm transformed into rapidly swirling snowflakes, aimed at the ruin's passage.
"Blizzard Dragon King!!!"
A massive snow dragon, formed from compressed snowflakes, holding two snowballs in its mouth, charged towards the collapsed passage.
Crocodile snorted coldly and beckoned towards that spot with his hook.
Boom—
The ruins trembled.
From the ceiling above the passage, dense sand spikes suddenly emerged, impaling the giant snow dragon on the steps of the passage.
A guillotine made of sand descended upon the dragon's head, severing it.
Robin and Cobra rolled out of the snowballs, and the nearby sand, like flexible ropes, coiled around them.
Sabo's figure suddenly disappeared.
Using his ability, he directly transferred into the snowballs where Robin and Cobra had rolled out, and took shape.
A Dragon Claw Fist was unleashed from a distance.
The flying sand ropes seemed to be shattered by something, exploding and dissipating with a roar.
Robin, having been saved, did not relax. Instead, her pupils constricted.
"Behind you!!!"
Behind Sabo, Crocodile, whose body was half transformed into sand and wind, appeared without anyone knowing.
His left hand, the golden hook, was imbued with black Armament Haki, and a poisonous purple light stabbed towards Sabo's body.
Boom—
A loud noise erupted from the ruins' entrance.
Crack!
Crack!
Two distinct crisp bone-cracking sounds.
Crocodile and Sabo's chests caved in, their ribs almost entirely shattered. They tumbled down into the main hall, crashing onto a giant Poneglyph.
The impact made them unable to suppress their agony, and blood gushed from their mouths.
A blue phantom, like an illusion, vanished.
The sudden turn of events stunned Robin and Cobra.
The sand on the ground suddenly writhed, transforming into sand ropes, gently ensnaring Robin. Sot's figure appeared.
"Don't move, madam."
Robin turned her head, her heart sinking.
Marine Admiral candidate, 'Purple Lion' Sot...
After speaking to Robin, Sot turned his attention to Cobra.
"Hmm..."
"Are you alright, old gentleman?"
Cobra snapped back to his senses, shaking his head with a wry smile. The events of the past few minutes had been more thrilling than his entire life.
But there was nothing he could do. Nailed to the palace by Crocodile and brought here, he had already lost too much blood. The recent ordeal had cleared his mind slightly.
Now, dizziness returned, and he knew he was dying...
Cobra looked at the Marine uniform on Sot, took a deep breath, and mustered his strength.
"Marine-san, could you go to the Alabastan Royal Palace and save my daughter?"
"She is still young and shouldn't die..."
Sot spoke.
"Then you can rest assured."
"The person beside you rescued her when they left."
"The leader who attacked the palace seems to know your daughter and she is not in mortal danger."
A faint smile appeared on Cobra's face.
"That boy, Kohza..."
His worries eased, his eyes began to fade.
"Tha...nk...you..."
Cobra, the last king of Alabastan, leaned against the wall and finally breathed his last.
Sot reached out and gently closed his eyes, placing him respectfully.
Then, he used his ability to control the sand and led Robin towards the hall below.
Robin took a deep breath and found she couldn't break free. She stopped struggling, deciding to see what the Marines intended.
Inside the hall, at the Poneglyph.
Barrett held one person by the neck in each hand, lifting them up indifferently.
The look in his eyes, as if they were already dead, filled Crocodile with immeasurable dread. This guy...
The nightmare of several years ago flashed before his eyes. Now, he couldn't even react. In an instant, he was severely injured and on the verge of death.
Damn it!
Why were the Marines involved!
Crocodile's pupils shrunk to their smallest point, cold sweat pouring down his forehead as he frantically searched for a way to escape.
Sabo, whose neck was also held, was also frantically thinking.
Fleet Admiral, Barrett...
A position second only to Sakazuki.
According to the Revolutionary Army's intelligence, his combat power was unfathomable; he could fight Yonko single-handedly...
In his current state, escape was almost impossible...
Damn it... What should I do...
Barrett paid no mind to their inner turmoil, applying slight pressure with his hands.
"Behave."
His hands, imbued with powerful Armament Haki, made them acutely aware that with a single movement, they could be decapitated. They dared not move rashly...
In front of the Poneglyph.
Carol had teleported there at some unknown time.
He looked at the Poneglyph with a strange expression, sighing with emotion.
"I never expected Pluton to be there."
"Truly..."
His gaze fell upon Crocodile, and he shook his head.
Planning for over twenty years, only to end up with such a seemingly unsolvable outcome...
Crocodile, his neck held, heard the news of Pluton and struggled violently, turning his head towards the direction of the voice.
Seeing Crocodile's expression, Barrett's lips curved into a slight smile.
He loosened his grip slightly, allowing Crocodile to turn.
Crocodile's eyes were bloodshot, blood trickling from his lips, and he croaked:
"Where.... is.... it...."
Carol shook his head and said softly.
"You will not obtain it."
Crocodile now had no other thoughts; he only wanted to know about Pluton, his desire having become an almost fanatical obsession...
"Where!!!"
"Where!!!"
He roared like a wild beast.
Carol looked at Crocodile's face and said calmly.
"This Poneglyph does indeed record the location of Pluton."
"However, its burial place."
"Will ensure you can never obtain it..."
He sighed with a touch of pity in his voice.
"Pluton is buried deep within the magma beneath the land of Wano."
"And Wano belongs to whom..."
"You should know, shouldn't you?"
Crocodile's frenzy abruptly stopped, his eyes filled with disbelief...
As if mocked by fate, defeated by a Yonko, the Pluton he had sought for twenty years was hidden beneath the territory of another Yonko...
What despair this was...
Crocodile's will completely collapsed.
"Impossible..."
"Impossible..."
"Impossible!!!!!"
He struggled violently, attempting to mobilize his ability, causing the surrounding sand to riot.
Watching the frantic Crocodile, Carol shook his head.
*Hiss—*
The Devil Fruit Recycler in his hand pierced Crocodile's heart.
Crack!
Barrett also exerted force, crushing Crocodile's neck.
The fruit within the Devil Fruit Recycler rapidly took shape.
Seeing the fruit formed, Barrett casually tossed Crocodile's body, filled with lingering unwillingness, aside.
At the entrance.
Robin, brought down by Sot, was also incredulous.
Someone else could read the Poneglyph?!!!
How was this possible!!!
Seeing the stunned Robin, Carol spoke, but not in his usual voice...
Instead, it was...
The voice of the long-dead 'Rokar'.
"Long time no see."
"Robin..."