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Last night, facing this guy with a bounty of 110 million, Crocodile would be lying if he said he wasn't wary! Whether it was that wild power or that fierce and overbearing imposing manner, this big guy was like a savage, ominous beast that made one's heart tremble.
But now, seeing him again, Crocodile just wanted to laugh. He felt like he was about to avenge a great grudge.
His right hand trembled slightly. The ground beneath his feet rumbled, and sand grains floated up like flowing water, swirling like a thick python coiling around him.
"Crocodile!"
From a distant camel cart, Jason jumped down. His tall figure landed steadily as he shouted loudly.
"Jason." A smile appeared in Crocodile's eyes.
"Lucky to run into you again here. What a surprise."
"Honestly, I get annoyed just seeing your face!"
Jason strode forward toward Crocodile.
"The captain said your power reaches its peak on land, and in this desert, it would be pushed to the limit."
"I'm curious, just how strong are you really?"
"Like last night, punching you into bits was way too boring!"
There was clear mockery in his words. Power surged from Jason's body. With a few leaps, he left several deep craters in the desert and soared into the air, landing a hundred meters in front of Crocodile.
"I'll make you realize how foolish your arrogance really is!"
Hearing the clear disdain in Jason's voice, Crocodile narrowed his pupils slightly and said calmly:
"Then come."
In the next moment, he swung his arm.
"Sandstorm!"
Weng weng weng,
The sand quivered. The sand current swirling around him like a giant python opened its mouth and let out a roar, almost like a beast's howl, then lunged forward. After three zhang (10 meters), the sand python exploded with a thunderous crash into a storm of flying sand, whistling through the air. Along its path, the sand on the ground seemed drawn by some force, humming as it lifted skyward.
In the blink of an eye, a rotating sandstorm spanning dozens of meters appeared, spinning like a tornado as it rushed forward.
"So it was you who caused that sandstorm!"
Jason's eyes sharpened, and he shouted.
"Sandstorm?"
Crocodile was briefly stunned, then recalled and replied indifferently:
"While testing my powers earlier, I did indeed create a sandstorm."
On the camel cart, when Trens heard Crocodile personally admit it, his face instantly turned furious.
During that sandstorm, they had run into bandits. Even with his superb spear skills, after a tough battle, he'd heavily injured the enemy, but that inexplicable sandstorm caused chaos. Some companions were separated, others ambushed and killed, and some were buried under the sands, never to be found again.
"I'll kill you!"
With a low growl, Trens's face turned red with fury. The long spear in his hands crackled with tension.
Safety off. Bullet chambered. Eyes locked on the target, everything aligned.
In just two breaths, Trens's eyes narrowed into slits, sharp like a hawk's.
In that instant, his entire demeanor changed. The lovestruck romantic was gone, replaced by a calm, experienced, and deadly hunter.
Far away in the desert, Crocodile's expression suddenly tightened. A chill ran down his spine, like a venomous snake had him in its sights.
"Aim for the center of the brow. One shot, kill him!"
Though his heart blazed with rage, Trens remained eerily calm.
His eyes grew brighter. The fierce man in the distance, as savage as a desert beast, seemed to be drawn closer and closer. Within three breaths, he could even make out the sweat on Crocodile's face.
When the barrel of the gun aligned with Crocodile's brow, matching the precise line in Trens's mind,
His right hand pulled the trigger.
"Distance: 928 meters. Wind speed: negligible. Air resistance: negligible. Wind direction: northwest."
"Adjust barrel up by 0.3 degrees. Aim southeast."
"This shot, hit probability..."
"100 percent!"
In the split second as these data flashed through his mind, Trens's eyes gleamed with brilliance. Without the slightest hesitation, his right hand slammed down.
"Die!"
He roared inwardly.
A thin trail of smoke drifted upward. A gunshot rang out clearly through the desert.
"Bang!"
The muzzle flash was gone in a blink, and then, a stream of blazing light tore through the air. Carrying overwhelming force and fury, it roared straight toward Crocodile.
The air began to tremble slightly. The bullet tore through the void, struck some of the rising grains of sand, and those faint impacts subtly shifted its path. Then came a soft breeze, the friction of air resistance, and the bullet's angle gradually adjusted mid-flight.
After crossing 928 meters, reaching its target, the shot unleashed a brutal, domineering, and merciless flare of light.
"Boom!"
Like a meteor, the bullet exploded into Crocodile's forehead under his stunned and disbelieving gaze, his face going pale in an instant.
"Crack!"
A terrifying force erupted. Crocodile's forehead burst open. Then his eyeballs, his nose, his mouth, finally, with a thunderous sound, his entire skull exploded, scattering into floating sand particles across the sky.
One shot, headshot!
Without control, the sandstorm in the air collapsed instantly and scattered.
Jason, who had been striding forward, widened his eyes. He saw clearly: after the gunshot, Crocodile's head exploded. A chill ran down his spine.
That shot came so suddenly, like from the void. Yet the aim was perfectly precise, it was terrifying!
The shooter, Trens, slowly returned to his senses. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Such a powerful guy... at most, I can only shoot him three times!"
"Thank goodness... it's over!"
Seeing the now-headless Crocodile in the distance, Trens's tense expression finally eased.
His secret shooting technique was powerful, but each shot placed immense strain on his body, especially on his mental energy.
Three seconds later, countless grains of sand began to swirl and reform. A new head grew on Crocodile's neck.
Only this time, his fully restored face was deathly pale and terrifying. His gaze was fierce and twisted, sweeping directly toward Trens, now slumped weakly on the camel cart.
That predator's stare, like a crocodile eyeing prey, made Trens go limp with fear.
"He... he's not dead!"
"How is this possible? Is he a monster?!"
Just then, a hand pressed gently on his shoulder. The cart's curtain was lifted, and a figure appeared beside Trens.
"Don't be afraid. Relax."
A calm voice sounded, inexplicably soothing Trens's panic.
"Rojen?!"
When Crocodile saw the new face appear in the cart, one he recognized very well, his entire body trembled again. This time, his eyes filled with deep wariness.
(End of Chapter)