Ch74- Encouragement
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--xLOVEx--
Coby turned to Vivi, both knew what was coming next. "Let’s get you somewhere safe." They made their way to the panic room, a secure location deep within the palace. Once they arrived, Coby ensured the room was secure before facing Vivi.
"Stay here," Coby instructed. "I’ll take care of Crocodile and come back for you."
Vivi, despite her concern, nodded. But before he could leave, she grabbed his arm, pulling him into a tight embrace. Her lips brushed against his cheek in a soft kiss. "Please be careful, Coby," she whispered, her voice laced with worry. "Come back to me."
Coby grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Can you give me something to come back for?"
Vivi blushed, her pout adding to the tension as she glanced away. "Coby... it is not the time."
Coby, however, wasn’t about to let her slip into worry. He gently held her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Come on, Vivi. I can waste a minute or two for you."
Her eyes flicked back to him, with surprise and something else. She hesitated but then leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a quick, shy kiss. It was brief, but enough to make her cheeks burn a deeper shade of red.
Coby grinned, leaning in just a bit closer. "See? That wasn’t so hard."
Vivi rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. "Just come back safe, okay?"
"I will," Coby promised, his tone light. He let her go and turned to leave the panic room. No more time to waste.
Coby moved swiftly through the palace, sticking to the shadows as he navigated the winding corridors. He avoided the palace guards and Baroque Works agents with ease, relying on his speed and agility. His goal was clear: reach the Tomb of the Kings where the Poneglyph was hidden. If his timing was right, Crocodile and Robin would already have taken Cobra there.
As he approached the entrance to the tomb, he could hear faint voices echoing through the narrow passageways. Coby slowed his pace, listening carefully as he moved closer to the source of the sound. The stone walls amplified the voices, making it easier to pick out what was being said.
Crocodile's deep voice carried through the chamber, dripping with arrogance. "Tell me! Tell me where the Pluton is, Miss All-Sunday."
Cobra's voice was strained, filled with pain and defiance. "You won't get away with this, Crocodile. The people of Alabasta won't let you."
Coby crept closer, his steps silent as he finally reached the entrance to the tomb. Peering inside, he saw Cobra, bound and kneeling on the floor, his face bruised and bloodied. Crocodile stood over him, the smug look on his face.
As Robin read the Poneglyph aloud, she spun a fabricated tale of ancient history. Her words were smooth, but the truth was far from what Crocodile sought.
Crocodile’s patience thinned with every word, his brow furrowing as he realized she was bullshitting him. His hand twitched near his hook. "You bitch," he hissed.
Robin sensed the shift in his tone, her instincts was sharp as always. Without missing a beat, she swiftly reached into her coat and pulled out a small knife and a vial of water. As if she practiced it hundreds times, she uncorked the vial and wet the blade, preparing for the inevitable battle.
But Crocodile was faster.
Before she could react, he appeared behind her. His hook gleamed as it plunged into her back, the metal tearing through flesh and muscle. Robin gasped, the knife slipping from her fingers as blood dripped onto the stone floor.
"Fuck, I was late," Coby muttered under his breath as he charged forward, his fists and foot soaked with water.
Crocodile turned just in time to see Coby barreling towards him, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the water dripping from Coby’s limbs. The Shichibukai didn’t hesitate; he swung his sand-covered arm at Coby, attempting to disintegrate him with a single swipe.
But Coby was faster. He ducked under the attack, sliding across the stone floor and aiming a powerful kick at Crocodile’s torso. His foot connected with a wet thud, the water making contact and forcing Crocodile to solidify. Crocodile grunted, staggering back from the impact, his eyes flashing with rage.
Coby's foot connected with Crocodile's torso, forcing the Shichibukai back a few steps. Coby didn’t waste any time. With a swift motion, he activated Super Heavy Stealth Foot Punch. His weight dropped to 1 kilogram as he closed the distance with blinding speed, then surged to 10,000 kilograms just before impact. His fist collided with Crocodile's stomach, sending a shockwave through the room as the blow landed with devastating force.
Crocodile grunted, his sand form struggling to maintain its cohesion under the immense weight of the punch. He staggered but quickly recovered, his eyes narrowing as he raised his hook for a counterattack. Sand swirled around his arm, forming a massive blade aimed directly at Coby.
Coby dodged to the side, using Stealth Foot to avoid the sand blade. He didn’t stop moving, darting around Crocodile with quick, unpredictable motions. His hands began to detach, the Bara Bara Detach Hand technique in action, as he prepared for his next move.
But Crocodile wasn’t going to go down easily. His Logia powers made him nearly untouchable, and his strength was no joke. As Coby darted around, using his Bara Bara Detach Hand, Crocodile quickly regained his composure. The Shichibukai smirked as he summoned a massive wave of sand.
"Desert Grande Espada!" Crocodile’s voice boomed through the chamber as a gigantic sand blade erupted from the floor, slicing towards Coby with brutal force.
Coby reacted fast, detaching his hands and launching them at Crocodile while dodging the sand blade with a quick roll. His hands zoomed toward Crocodile, knives in each, spinning wildly with his Shark Dicer technique. The spinning knives slashed through the air, aiming straight for Crocodile.
Crocodile swiftly dispersed into sand, the knives passing harmlessly through his dissipated form. He reformed a few feet away, eyes narrowed. "You think those cheap tricks will work on me, brat?"
Coby didn’t respond. Instead, he immediately shifted tactics, switching to his Storm Barrage. Using Stealth Foot, he closed in on Crocodile with near-invisible speed. His detached hands shot out in multiple directions, each armed with knives, and started a relentless attack from all angles.
Crocodile's eyes flicked left and right as he tried to keep track of the hands. He raised his arm, swirling sand forming into a barrier to block the incoming strikes. "You’re persistent, I’ll give you that," he sneered, his sand swirling to deflect the barrage of attacks.
But Coby wasn’t done. He launched a barrage of Uchimizu water darts at Crocodile, droplets of water cutting through the sand and forcing Crocodile to solidify again. The sand barrier faltered as the water darted through, hitting Crocodile’s arm and making him curse under his breath.
Coby saw the opening. He lunged forward, reducing his weight with Ms. Valentine’s 1 Kilogram Form to enhance his speed. He zipped behind Crocodile and quickly increased his weight to 10,000 kilograms with Super Heavy Stealth Foot Punch, delivering a powerful punch to Crocodile’s back.
The impact sent Crocodile flying into a stone pillar, shattering it on contact. Crocodile grunted in pain but quickly regained his footing. Sand swirled around him, repairing his damaged form as he glared at Coby.
"You little shit," Crocodile growled, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He raised both hands, the sand around him rising and forming into a massive storm. "You want to play rough? Fine, let’s see how you handle this. Sables! Desert Girasole!"
The ground beneath Coby's feet suddenly crumbled as sand vortexes pulled him downward. The desert trap expanded rapidly, threatening to swallow him whole.
Coby reacted quickly, using Stealth Foot to leap out of the collapsing ground and avoid being buried alive. As he landed on solid ground again, he saw Crocodile forming another attack, this time a massive sand tsunami heading straight for him.
Coby smirked. "Let's see how you like this!" He launched his Super Heavy Rocket Pistol, detaching his hand and reducing its weight to 1 kilogram. The hand rocketed forward at incredible speed, heading straight for Crocodile. Just before impact, Coby shifted the weight to 10,000 kilograms, the fist smashing into the sand tsunami with tremendous force.
The impact shattered the sand wave, dispersing it into harmless grains. Crocodile’s eyes widened in shock as the massive force from Coby’s punch sent ripples through his sand form, forcing him to momentarily lose control.
Coby didn’t let up. He reattached his hand and immediately followed up with Super Heavy Sniper Pistol, this time targeting Crocodile’s core. His hand stretched out with Gomu Gomu no Pistol, detached at the peak of extension, and shot toward Crocodile like a high-speed bullet. The hand’s weight shifted to 10,000 kilograms just before impact, slamming into Crocodile’s midsection with devastating force.
Crocodile staggered back, coughing up sand as the blow knocked the wind out of him. He glared at Coby, his composure finally cracking. "You’re more trouble than you’re worth, brat!"
Coby stayed on the offensive, knowing he couldn’t give Crocodile a chance to recover. He launched himself forward with Tooth on Dart, propelling himself like a torpedo straight at Crocodile. His speed was unmatched, and Crocodile barely had time to react before Coby was upon him, knives drawn.
Crocodile tried to disperse into sand again, but Coby anticipated the move. He unleashed a flurry of Uchimizu water darts, each one piercing through Crocodile’s sand form and forcing him to solidify. Coby closed the distance, his knives slashing at Crocodile’s exposed body with brutal precision.
Crocodile grunted in pain as Coby’s blades cut deep into his flesh. The Shichibukai snarled, his anger boiling over. "Enough of this!" he roared, unleashing a massive Sables attack. A powerful sandstorm erupted from his body, whipping through the chamber and tearing apart everything in its path.
Coby braced himself against the storm, using his weight manipulation to anchor himself to the ground. The sandstorm raged around him, but he stood firm, his eyes locked on Crocodile.
As the storm began to die down, Crocodile lunged forward, his hook aimed directly at Coby's heart. Coby reacted instantly, raising his arm and blocking the attack with his own jitte. The two weapons clashed with a loud clang, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the chamber.
Coby pushed back against Crocodile, put on a show in front of his father-in-law. "You’re not taking this kingdom!" he spat, his voice filled with defiance.
Crocodile’s sneer widened. "You think you can stop me, kid? I’m a Warlord of the Sea. You’re just a small fry!"
Coby smirked, his grip on the jitte tightening. "I’ve heard that before. But you’re about to find out that underestimating me was your biggest mistake."
With a swift motion, Coby twisted his jitte, breaking Crocodile's fake hand and sending his hook flying across the chamber. Crocodile’s eyes widened in shock as his weapon clattered to the ground.
Coby didn’t give him a chance to recover. He unleashed a final barrage of Uchimizu water darts, each one hitting Crocodile with pinpoint accuracy. The Shichibukai stumbled back, his body shaking as the water sapped his strength.
Coby raised his fist, aiming to deliver the final blow. "This is for Alabasta!" he shouted, launching forward with Super Heavy Stealth Foot Punch. His weight shifted, speed ramped up, and his fist hurtled towards Crocodile.
But just before it landed, Crocodile's body dissolved into sand. A hidden knife shot out from the base of his shattered hook, slick with poison. Coby's momentum carried him forward uncontrollably. Acting fast, he threw out his hand using Gomu Gomu Pistol towards a nearby pillar. His arm stretched, wrapping around it to yank himself away, but the knife still grazed his side.
"Fuck you!" Coby hissed, feeling the poison start to seep in. He didn’t have time to nurse the wound; Crocodile wasn’t giving up that easily. "It’s time to end this!"
Crocodile reformed a few feet away, his sand swirling dangerously. "You think you can take me down, brat? I’m not going to fall to a lowlife like you!"
Coby didn’t respond with words. Instead, he shifted his focus, unleashing a Bara Bara Storm Barrage. His hands detached, each holding a knife, spinning rapidly as they flew towards Crocodile from multiple angles. Coby dashed forward, his feet moving with Stealth Foot as he closed the distance, adding to the relentless assault.
Crocodile raised a wall of sand to block the knives, but Coby’s speed was too much. The blades sliced through the sand barrier, forcing Crocodile to solidify again to avoid further damage. Coby took advantage of the opening, slamming into Crocodile’s side with a swift Uchimizu strike, sending droplets of water cutting through Crocodile’s form.
"Annoying little—" Crocodile spat, forming a sandstorm around them. The wind picked up, whipping sand in every direction. The storm roared, threatening to swallow Coby whole. But he wasn’t backing down.
With his hand still attached to the pillar, Coby used the momentum to slingshot himself through the storm. He shot towards Crocodile with a Super Heavy Rocket Pistol, his fist detached and hurtling at full speed.
Seeing an opportunity, Coby launched a Shark Dicer. He detached his hands again, knives in each, and spun rapidly towards Crocodile. The combination of his speed and the slicing knives tore through the air, aiming directly for Crocodile’s vulnerable spots.
Crocodile’s eyes widened in shock as Coby’s knives found their mark. He staggered back, sand leaking from the cuts. "Damn you!" Crocodile snarled, but before he could retaliate, Coby was already in motion again.
Coby shifted gears, deciding to mix it up with Super Heavy Sniper Pistol. Stretching his left arm with Gomu Gomu no Pistol, he detached his hand at the peak of extension. The detached hand shot towards Crocodile like a bullet, the weight shifting to 10,000 kilograms just before impact. Finally, as Crocodile faltered as blow connected with Crocodile’s chest, jaw, head, everywhere really. The impact sent him sprawling to the ground. Crocodile lay there, defeated.
Coby stood over him, panting, blood dripping from the wound on his side. He clutched his injured area but didn’t let himself collapse. Not yet.
"It’s over," Coby muttered, his voice rough. He didn’t wait for Crocodile to respond. Instead, he turned and started to walk away, knowing the Shichibukai was finished.
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