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The Strongest Frost Loli (177)
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 17:22:59 +0000 UTCChapter 177 - Sandy Escape
Under a cloudless sky, sandstorms obscured the horizon. Luffy was scanning the swirling sands, he locked eyes with Lycoris. They stared at each other for a moment, then Luffy, taking in her unusual attire, spoke.
“What’s with the getup? Are you lost?”
“No. And who are you?”
She had anticipated his arrival. He had been yelling Crocodile’s name. It was unlikely he was simply a passerby. While her gaze remained fixed on him, her Observation Haki tracked Crocodile’s movements. Feigning nonchalance, she humored him.
“I’m Luffy. A pirate.”
“So? I’m not interested.”
“You asked!” Luffy exclaimed, indignant.
While he was distracted, Crocodile emerged from the sandstorm behind Lycoris with his golden hook aimed at her heart. However, She effortlessly dodged by spinning and retaliating with a swift kick.
Crocodile’s wet body was mostly dry now. He evaded Lycoris’ kick by transforming into sand and with a click of his tongue, he disappeared back into the sandstorm once again.
“He’s troublesome.”
She couldn't afford to linger. She had other tasks to attend to. She considered simply engulfing the entire area in a tsunami of dissolving liquid, but the arrival of two figures gave her pause. Two minks. She hadn't met them, but she had been briefed on their presence. Pedro and Zepo.
“Luffy! Don’t run off on your own! He’s a Warlord! You can’t underestimate him!”
“He’s such a handful…”
“Oh, you’re here too?”
“One after another…” She couldn’t unleash her full power with Robin’s escorts present. They were, technically, allies.
“What do you want?” she asked them.
“We’re here to kick Crocodile’s ass!” Luffy declared.
“…Seriously?”
Luffy’s Haki, or lack thereof, was underwhelming. She couldn’t fathom how he planned to defeat Crocodile. She glanced at Pedro and Zepo. They didn't recognize her, but the emblem embroidered on the back of her hoodie identified her as a Twilight member. They were likely allies.
“We’re here for the same reason.”
Pedro drew his sword and stood back-to-back with Zepo. Their words, though muffled by the sandstorm, would reach Crocodile. She could almost picture his frustration at their betrayal.
“So, Nico Robin agrees with this, does she?” Crocodile’s voice emerged from the sandstorm.
“Yes. We’re on the same side. We’re parting ways with you, here and now,” Pedro replied.
“You’ve got guts. I’ll turn all of you, including that little girl, into desert dust!”
With veins bulging on his forehead, Crocodile sneaked into the sandstorm and launched a surprise attack on Pedro.
Pedro, however, was ready. He parried Crocodile’s hook with his Haki-infused blade and retaliated with a swift slash. Crocodile effortlessly dodged while swinging his right arm in a wide arc.
“Barchan!”
A crescent-shaped dune of sand erupted from the ground. Pedro rolled across the sand, narrowly avoided the attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Zepo punched Crocodile in the stomach. Crocodile stumbled and contorted as he regained his footing. When Zepo lunged for another attack, Crocodile pressed his hand to the ground.
“Damn it…! Desert Girasole!”
The sand beneath Zepo’s feet gave way, pulling him downwards. It was quicksand, a deadly trap capable of ensnaring even powerful opponents.
“Zepo! Luffy, help him!”
“Got it!”
Luffy stretched his arm and grabbed Zepo’s hand before pulling him free with Pedro’s assistance. Crocodile wouldn't miss such an opportunity, but… there was another opponent he couldn't ignore.
“Don’t forget about me.”
“You little brat!”
Lycoris had deliberately attacked at a speed he could react to. Her Haki and her ability were dangerous. He couldn’t afford to underestimate her.
He blocked her kick with his hook, the impact sent him sliding backwards across the sand. By the time he regained his footing, Zepo had been rescued. He was surrounded, and he knew it. He dodged Luffy’s reckless punches by transforming his body into sand, and retreated.
“You’re like a swarm of flies… How irritating.”
“He’s strong… Can we take him, Zepo?”
“This is nothing, partner. What about you, Luffy?”
“I’m not done yet!”
“I have more important matters to attend to. I don’t have time for you.”
He had clashed with Twilight before, against Junshi. His companions had faced Zen, the mink. He knew their strengths, their resilience. They weren’t easy opponents. Moreover, Lycoris, Twilight’s assassin, was present. Despite the unfavorable odds, Crocodile wasn't ready to give up.
(I anticipated Nico Robin’s betrayal. The location of Pluton should be recorded on a Poneglyph, but… Cobra might know. I can’t retreat yet.)
Acquiring Pluton could change everything. Reaching Alubarna was his priority. He couldn't afford to waste time here.
“You think I’ll let you escape?”
“I’m not so rusty that a little girl, inexperienced in desert combat, can keep up with me.”
He had paused momentarily to observe her, trying to anticipate her next move. Luffy, seizing the opportunity, lunged, his arm stretching towards Crocodile’s face.
“Gumu-Gumu no… Gatling!”
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
His punches passed harmlessly through Crocodile’s sand body. Crocodile grinned and lifted his right arm.
“Desert Grande Espada… Ground Secco!”
BOOM!
Massive sand blades erupted from the ground, surrounding Luffy, Pedro, and Zepo.
Lycoris, anticipating the attack, leaped into the air. She watched as Crocodile’s hook pierced Luffy’s stomach and a cruel smile spread across her face. She formed a spike of dissolving liquid on her knee, ready to impale both Luffy and Crocodile. It would be a swift end.
“Wait!” Pedro’s desperate cry alerted Crocodile. He instantly released Luffy and disappeared into another sandstorm.
“…He runs away, after all that boasting.”
She could pursue him, but she didn't have time for a chase across the desert. She adjusted her sunglasses and approached Luffy, who lay bleeding on the sand. Zepo frantically attempted to staunch the flow of blood. The wound was deep.
“Aren’t you going to pursue him?”
“Luffy’s our nakama too. We can’t abandon him. Aren’t you going after him?”
“I could, but… he’s not my priority right now.”
She had two primary objectives. Protect Cobra. Capture Mr. 2, or at least acquire his Devil Fruit. The rest was left to her discretion. Crocodile’s life, or death, wasn’t a concern. If she could capture or kill him, she would, but… it wasn't a priority.
“I have more pressing matters to attend to.”
“More pressing than Crocodile…?”
“The Yonko commanders are heading for Alabasta. They should be engaging them offshore, but they’ll land soon.”
Junshi couldn't leave Cobra’s side. While capturing or killing Crocodile here would have been ideal, he had escaped. Junshi would have to deal with him later. They needed to focus on the Yonko commanders. If they weren't stopped, Alabasta would be destroyed. While a desert landscape minimized collateral damage, it was still their responsibility to protect the kingdom.
“The rebel army is marching on Alubarna. This country is on the brink of collapse. We have to stop Crocodile!” Pedro argued.
“So? That’s not my problem.”
Intervening in the civil war was too late. Even ignoring the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates wouldn't save the kingdom. They could only address one threat at a time. Twilight’s priority was the enemy pirate crews. Cobra would have to deal with the rebellion himself. With Junshi protecting him, he should be safe. She saw no reason to hesitate. They had been working for Baroque Works, willingly participating in a plan to destabilize the kingdom. Their current hesitation was baffling.
“Let’s go. You don’t want your straw hat friend to die, do you?”
“…”
The Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates were after Robin. If they had to fight, having allies was preferable. It was the logical choice. Moreover, they lacked the medical supplies to treat Luffy's wound. They had no choice but to comply.
“…Sorry, Luffy.”
With a sigh, Pedro turned to follow Lycoris. Zepo hesitated for a moment, then followed.
***
“Absolutely not. Avoid engaging the rebel army at all costs.”
“But! If they attack Alubarna, we’ll have to fight!”
“A kingdom is its people. A throne built on the corpses of its citizens is worthless.”
Cobra, sitting on his throne in Alubarna’s palace, flatly refused Chaka’s suggestion to counterattack the approaching rebel army. Junshi stood silently beside him. The atmosphere in the palace was tense.
“There are over a million soldiers! We can’t possibly contain them!”
“Even so.”
Cobra was already aware of the morning’s events. Someone, impersonating him, had attacked Nanohana. While Junshi had eliminated the two agents who had attempted to kidnap him the previous night, if he had been captured, the royal army would have believed he was responsible for the attack on Nanohana. It was a well-executed plan, one that even Chaka and Pell had failed to anticipate.
“Fighting them will only play into Crocodile’s hands. While we should evacuate Alubarna’s citizens as a precaution… we cannot engage the rebel army.”
“…Understood.” Chaka reluctantly agreed.
Cobra leaned back on his throne, sighing wearily.
“I apologize. To be protected, and yet… so helpless…”
“Don’t blame yourself. Crocodile has been planning this for years. Uncovering and countering his plan at this stage is a difficult task.”
“But if we fail, the citizens will suffer. We have to find a way…”
The angry rebels, the grieving citizens… they were all his people. He had to find a way to resolve this peacefully. He knew how difficult it would be. But as king, it was his responsibility.
“The rebel army will reach the palace soon… Junshi, I have a favor to ask.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
With no attendants present, Cobra glanced around, ensuring their privacy before beckoning Junshi closer. He whispered his request, and Junshi’s face contorted in disbelief.
