"Mummy?" Trens spoke with a trembling voice, clearly afraid.
It was broad daylight, how could a mummy appear in the middle of a desert?
"This is Crocodile's doing." Jason's eyes narrowed sharply as he stated this with certainty.
Having once witnessed the opponent's abilities, he recognized the strange effect instantly. Anything Crocodile touches instantly weathers, dries, and cracks apart. The method of turning humans into mummies, only that guy could do it.
The uncle driving the camel cart didn't seem afraid. He glanced around and found no other people nearby.
The camel cart creaked forward slowly. As they got closer, everyone could see the "mummy" more clearly.
Fear etched on their faces, a desperate longing for life, the dried and shriveled features of these people were twisted into grotesque expressions.
"They're pirates. These guys were pirates too." Rojen spoke up at this point, confirming the identities of the dead.
"Let's move on. Crocodile shouldn't be far now." The uncle took a deep puff from his cigarette and exhaled slowly.
"Since none of you are afraid, I won't be a coward either. Let's go see what kind of guy this is, someone who can control sandstorms and turn humans into mummies."
The sound of camel bells quickened, leaving a trail of footprints across the desert behind them.
Gradually, the camel cart disappeared from view, and the footprints were slowly buried by blowing sand.
Not far ahead in the desert, a group of men wrapped tightly from head to toe rode silently on camels.
A man in the back cast furtive glances at the tall figure leading the way, fear occasionally flashing in his eyes.
"I've never seen the captain this powerful before!"
"That's practically the power of a god!"
The crew was terrified, awestruck by the overwhelming strength of the man before them.
The entire group was silent, no one dared to speak, afraid of disturbing the man up front who seemed like a god among men.
White smoke curled from his mouth. The man in the lead, riding his camel, wore an indifferent expression. He moved through the dry, sun-scorched desert as if he were walking through his own backyard, utterly unaffected.
While the others were drenched in sweat and constantly reaching for water, his face remained dry, and he even seemed refreshed, comfortable.
"This... this is my domain." The man's eyes gleamed sharply. Ever since arriving in this desert, he'd felt it. Here, his power was limitless. He could control every single grain of sand underfoot as easily as moving his own body.
All along the way, he'd wielded his power like a god, casually waving his hand to summon sandstorms that churned endlessly, lasting a long time without fading.
He had found a sensation completely different from life on the sea, a sense of supremacy that allowed him to look down on any enemy with ease.
"If I ever grow tired of sailing, claiming a piece of land here might be a good idea. This place lets me use my power to its fullest." Crocodile thought silently to himself.
At the same time, as he continued walking through the desert, Crocodile was gaining a deeper understanding of his Devil Fruit powers, making his control over sand even more refined.
"Captain! Captain! Two camel carts are approaching from behind!"
Suddenly, a crew member shouted from the rear.
Crocodile brought his camel to a halt, his face expressionless.
"Go borrow some water from them."
He personally didn't need the supplies, but his subordinates didn't share that luxury.
Although Crocodile was cold and ruthless, there was still some trace of humanity in him. When Doflamingo had threatened him, or during his battle with Rojen, he had always kept his crew in mind. That's one of the reasons why, despite his cold exterior, he still had loyal followers. Beyond his overwhelming power, Crocodile possessed a natural charisma as a leader.
A ruthless regiment, ruled by force, but with just enough warmth to hold it together.
Naturally, the crew followed their captain's orders. One of them rode his camel swiftly toward the approaching carts.
Before long, the pirates had surrounded the camel carts.
"Hand over some water."
They barked impatiently, flashing their blades and swords.
The middle-aged driver's face turned pale with fear. He wanted to hide but realized there was nowhere to go.
"I'll fight them!" Trens, the hot-headed youngster, recalled how his companions had all been killed by a casual sandstorm. Fury exploded in his chest. Without thinking, he grabbed a gun and was ready to charge out.
"Hey! You trying to die? That gun was something you picked up, you don't even know if it's jammed with sand. Got some guts, don't you?" Jason grabbed his arm with a single powerful pull, and Trens collapsed into the cart like a sack of potatoes.
"Leave it to me, you damn chuuni."
Only someone that age would act so recklessly in a moment of heat. But Jason couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration.
Whatever the reason, to risk one's life for companions, to forget fear for the sake of others, was something worth respecting.
Pulling aside the cart curtain, Jason's towering figure immediately appeared before the startled pirates.
Their expressions froze for a second, and then turned into utter terror.
"It's him!"
"Armor-Crusher Jason, Oh my god!"
Screams burst out among the pirates. One skinny guy even lost his balance and fell off his camel in fright.
"You've got the nerve to rob us too? Where's your captain?"
Jason's face turned icy as he shouted.
"O-Our captain is right over there…"
The pirates stammered in fear.
That night when Jason had gone berserk on the ship, they'd seen it all with their own eyes. They weren't even in the same weight class. If he hit you in the head, it might just blow your skull apart!
Following the direction of their trembling fingers, Jason spotted a tall figure riding a camel, white smoke curling around his mouth, that ugly bastard.
The man exuded a cold, defiant, and dangerous aura, like a crocodile lurking in a still lake, ready to strike at any moment.
"Crocodile." Jason's eyes narrowed. Then, he grinned. "We meet again."
At that exact moment, Crocodile's eyes happened to drift in their direction, and they widened slightly as he saw Jason's familiar face.
"You again, Jason…"
But a moment later, realizing where they were, Crocodile also smiled.
"Didn't expect this… to run into you again."
"This really is quite an interesting turn of events!"
(End of chapter)
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