One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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In the city of Arabasta, buildings were collapsing one after another as two figures clashed fiercely.

After Luffy soaked himself with water, Crocodile was caught off guard and took a few hits from Luffy. However, once Crocodile recovered, Luffy struggled to gain the upper hand.

Even so, whether it was luck or Luffy's strong willpower, he managed to avoid serious injuries. The two fighters went back and forth, exchanging blows, as if testing each other's limits.

At this point, Luffy had almost no advantage left. The large barrel he had been carrying was destroyed, and although some water spilled from it, the scorching heat of Alabasta caused it to evaporate quickly.

Without Armament Haki and relying only on water, Luffy found it hard to land a meaningful hit. Crocodile used his Sand-Sand Fruit powers to turn his body into sand, dodging most of Luffy's attacks.

Watching the intense battle from the palace, Arthur frowned.

The main reason Arthur didn't step in to fight Crocodile himself was that he wanted Luffy to grow stronger. Right now, Luffy was far too weak in Arthur's eyes.

At the same time, Arthur planned to use this opportunity to let Crocodile fall in battle naturally, so he could quietly take the Sand-Sand Fruit's power for himself.

After some thought, Arthur decided to give Luffy a little help to deal with Crocodile's elemental abilities.

When no one was looking, Arthur took out a few special weather spheres from his ring and sent them into the sky. While he didn't fully understand the science behind weather changes, he had asked Nami for advice earlier. With a collection of weather orbs, Arthur followed her instructions to create the desired weather.

Crocodile, while battling Luffy, kept an eye on Arthur. This divided his attention, making it easier for Luffy to land some hits. Crocodile, however, was intentionally holding back to hide the full extent of his strength.

As Luffy continued to struggle, Crocodile suddenly noticed a shadow overhead. Looking up, his expression darkened. "Rain…?"

Realizing that the rain would ruin his advantage, Crocodile increased the speed of his attacks.

Even so, Luffy's strong instincts allowed him to dodge Crocodile's strikes. Crocodile's lack of speed made his attacks ineffective, despite his efforts.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sky grew darker.

Under the massive storm clouds that now covered Arabasta, flashes of lightning lit up the sky before fading. Then, heavy rain poured down, cooling the scorching heat instantly.

The downpour had a calming effect on the King's Army and the rebels, slowing their movements as the cool rain helped clear their minds.

Near the palace, in the middle of Luffy and Crocodile's battlefield, both fighters were drenched. Luffy looked thrilled, while Crocodile's face turned even darker. His gloomy expression seemed to match the storm.

The rain completely stripped Crocodile of his advantage. Because of the Sand-Sand Fruit's weakness to water, he couldn't use his powers to turn into sand or control it effectively.

"Damn it… This Straw Hat kid is unbelievably lucky," Crocodile muttered as he spat out his rain-soaked cigar.

Annoyed, he removed his heavy fur-lined coat, which was now waterlogged and clinging to his body, and tossed it aside. The wet coat made him uncomfortable and restricted his movements even further.

"Eh heh heh heh! This rain came at just the right time," Luffy said, panting heavily. The cool air from the downpour soothed the burning sensation in his lungs.

He shook the rain off his head and adjusted his straw hat to shield himself from the falling water. Through the curtain of rain dripping from the brim, his serious eyes locked onto Crocodile.

"Crocodile! Without your ability to turn into sand, you've lost your advantage. I'm definitely going to beat you!"

"Hah! Straw Hat Luffy, you're just a naïve rookie," Crocodile sneered.

"I've survived the harsh reality of the pirate world, a world you clearly don't understand. You think a pirate like you, who plays at being a hero, could ever challenge me? Without my sand, I'm still far beyond your level."

Crocodile's tone was full of disdain. From the beginning, he never considered Luffy a real threat.

Luffy, however, wasn't fazed. "I don't care what you're saying. I'm going to be the Pirate King! And today, no matter what, I'm going to take you down!" He pressed his straw hat firmly onto his head, his expression resolute. "For Vivi, for her country, and for everyone you've made suffer—I'll put everything on the line to defeat you!"

Crocodile scoffed under his breath. "Idiot," he muttered. To him, causing chaos and destruction was simply what pirates did. Explaining that to someone like Luffy felt pointless.

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!" Luffy shouted, launching a flurry of punches without waiting for Crocodile's response.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Arthur, watching from above, narrowed his eyes. He noticed something unusual about Crocodile—his arms were coated in a faint, dark sheen. It was Armament Haki!

Though the coating wasn't very strong, it was more than enough to make things difficult for Luffy.

Luffy's expression shifted as pain shot through his fists. "What's going on? Why does it hurt? I'm made of rubber!" he exclaimed, clutching his aching hands.

"Hah! Straw Hat Luffy, you know nothing about true strength!" Crocodile's eyes glinted briefly before his expression turned cold again. He cast a quick glance toward the palace.

Crocodile hadn't used Armament Haki earlier because he'd been hiding his true capabilities. Since becoming a Shichibukai after returning from the New World, he had focused heavily on developing his Sand-Sand Fruit powers. The desert terrain of Alabasta gave him such a massive advantage that he'd neglected his Haki training.

In his mind, the desert was his ultimate battlefield, akin to the power of a Devil Fruit Awakening. He believed it was nearly impossible for anyone to defeat him here.

But years ago, Arthur had given him a humiliating defeat. That loss, combined with the news of Arthur defeating Kaido, had left a mark on Crocodile's pride. While he still relied on his Devil Fruit, it had pushed him to reconsider the importance of Haki.

Unfortunately, his progress with Haki was slow, as he rarely faced opponents strong enough to challenge him in this region of the Grand Line.

"Damn it," Luffy muttered, frowning as he looked at his reddened fists. He didn't understand how Crocodile could hurt him the same way his Grandpa Garp used to. Still, he knew this fight had just become even tougher.

From his seat above the palace, Arthur observed the situation. "Armament Haki… Luffy has no chance now. This isn't helping him grow stronger."

Deciding to intervene, Arthur activated his powers.

Hum!

"What the—?!" Luffy's eyes widened as he suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his upper body, growing stronger with each passing second.

"Huh?" Crocodile also frowned, sensing something unusual. His eyes darted to the palace, where Arthur sat on a floating throne.

"What did you do, Lightning Boy?!" Crocodile demanded, glaring at Arthur.

Arthur chuckled. "I thought the fight was getting too one-sided. Just giving the kid a little push."

"What do you mean?" Crocodile growled, but his expression changed as he turned back toward Luffy.

Sssshhh—

Steam wafted off Luffy's body, his skin glowing red as he stared at his hands in confusion. "What…what is this?"

Crocodile, noticing the change, frowned deeply. "What's going on now?" he muttered, unsure of what he was witnessing. Still, he decided to strike before Luffy could get a handle on it.

Whoosh!

Crocodile lunged forward with his golden hook raised, its sharp edge glinting like a scorpion's deadly tail. The attack came down fiercely, aiming straight for Luffy.

But in an instant, Luffy dodged with blinding speed, moving several meters away in the blink of an eye.

"What?!" Crocodile's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the empty space where Luffy had just stood. He quickly turned his gaze to the side, spotting Luffy standing far off.

Luffy, equally surprised, glanced around. "Huh? How did I get here so fast?" he muttered, marveling at his sudden burst of speed.

Although he didn't fully grasp the change, Luffy's natural fighting instincts quickly took over. With a grin, he shouted, "Thanks, Arthur!"

High above, Arthur's face darkened. "You're welcome, you little brat… Wait, no, you're not!"

Luffy ignored the reaction, slamming his right fist into his left palm with newfound determination. "Alright, I'll call this… Second Gear!"

Bang bang bang!

In his Second Gear state, Luffy's speed surged to new heights, catching Crocodile completely off guard. Even the experienced pirate couldn't keep up with Luffy's attacks at first.

But Crocodile was no ordinary foe. A veteran of the New World and a former pirate with an 80-million bounty from over a decade ago, he quickly adapted to Luffy's newfound speed.

Luffy, however, was learning just as fast. With his increased speed and strength, he began creating new techniques, including his Jet moves, which allowed him to deliver powerful, rapid strikes. To Crocodile, it looked as if Luffy's punches were striking from thin air.

Despite using Armament Haki to defend himself, Crocodile struggled to block Luffy's relentless attacks. His inability to cover large areas with his Haki left him vulnerable, forcing him to endure more hits than he'd anticipated.

Still, Luffy wasn't without his own problems. His rapid punches, though powerful, strained his body. Blood dripped from his trembling fists as he panted heavily, his exhaustion evident.

"Damn it…" Luffy muttered, clenching his fists through the pain.

Crocodile, equally out of breath, glared at him with frustration. Luffy's speed had been an unexpected challenge, and his inability to use his sand powers in the rain had put him at a disadvantage.

But Crocodile's frustration wasn't just directed at Luffy. His gaze shot toward Arthur, seated high on his floating throne. Deep down, Crocodile seethed with hatred.

"Hiding my strength clearly isn't working. That blasted Arthur meddling in this fight has thrown everything off," he thought bitterly.

Crocodile had planned to conserve his energy, defeat Luffy, and then feign weakness if Arthur decided to intervene. His goal had been to wait for the perfect moment to strike Arthur down with a sneak attack using his Haki.

But now, stuck in this stalemate, that plan was falling apart.

Gritting his teeth, Crocodile reached for his golden hook and gripped it tightly.

Click—

With a sharp pull, the golden hook revealed its true form—a smaller, sinister hook made of metal, riddled with tiny holes. Purple venom oozed from its surface, dripping menacingly to the ground.

"I didn't want to use this, but you've left me no choice," Crocodile growled, his tone filled with malice.