One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

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

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At first, the sight of the poisonous golden hook made Luffy's face turn serious.

As a rubber man, Luffy is afraid of sharp objects and poison.

Luckily, he had accidentally developed Second Gear at that moment, and with Crocodile, who isn't fast, he was able to dodge.

Since the heavy rain hadn't stopped, the venom on Crocodile's poison hook was quickly washed away. However, the hook had been soaked in poison for many years, and even after the rain, it still had a faint purple color.

If someone thought the venom had been washed away and relaxed their guard, they could easily be caught off-guard. Even if the poison didn't react strongly, it would still have some effect.

In a battle between strong opponents, victory or defeat often comes down to a single moment, a small mistake.

When Crocodile's poisonous hook swung toward him, Luffy disappeared instantly, leaving behind only the steam slowly fading away.

As soon as Luffy vanished, Crocodile blocked with his right arm, and Luffy's foot was deflected and bounced back. Crocodile quickly turned and attacked again with his poison hook.

Bang!

Luffy, still young, wrapped both hands around the golden ball on the hook's back and stubbornly resisted Crocodile's attack.

Unsurprised by the block, Crocodile's right fist, coated with Armament Haki, slammed into Luffy fiercely.

This time, Luffy didn't stop it. The punch hit him in the chest, and he cried out in pain, spitting blood as he flew backward.

Luffy stood up from the wreckage, grinning through the pain.

That punch had really hurt, and he had also been forced out of Second Gear.

Seeing Crocodile charging at him from forty or fifty meters away, Luffy quickly thought about how to re-enter Second Gear.

Arthur had helped him before, but now that he was out of Second Gear, Luffy didn't expect anyone to help him. While awkwardly avoiding Crocodile's attack, Luffy thought to himself:

I felt something heavy on my body when I was in Second Gear...

Was it because I was under pressure for a while to enter that state?

No, that's not it. The pressure was only on my upper body, not my legs. But my legs did swell up, and the blood was pumping faster...

So, is it because the blood was accelerating like a pump? Maybe I should try that again!

In less than three minutes, Luffy quickly figured out the key factor that allowed him to enter Second Gear.

Though he seems carefree and foolish, Luffy is actually very sharp when it comes to fighting, with strong imagination and awareness.

Even though he's weak now, Luffy has already shown the potential to become one of the world's greatest warriors.

Once again, Luffy avoided Crocodile's attack and ran a bit further.

Before Crocodile could reach him, Luffy squatted halfway down, hands on his knees. "If I'm right, this should work."

Muttering to himself, Luffy pressed down hard, and his ankle instantly swelled up like a balloon.

When Luffy released the pressure, his ankle bounced back to its original shape, just like a compressed ball returning to normal.

Sneer~

As his ankle returned to its normal shape, Luffy felt his heart race, and the familiar sensation returned. Steam poured out, and his whole body became hot and red.

"It's working! Second Gear!"

Luffy cheered happily and looked at Crocodile, who was already closing in. "Second Gear—JET Seal!"

Bang!

Caught off guard, Crocodile, who isn't fast, tried to react, but Luffy's palms slammed into his chest before he could move.

"Wow~"

Crocodile spat blood, his chest caving in like a palm print. He was sent flying, stunned by how quickly Luffy had figured out the technique on his own.

He had thought that without Arthur stepping in, this kid wouldn't be able to use the move so fast.

"Rubber Eraser—JET Pistol!"

As Crocodile flew backward in mid-air before landing, Luffy's figure blurred, leaving only an afterimage behind. He appeared right in front of Crocodile, still suspended in the air.

"Rubber Eraser... JET Rocket Launcher!"

Boom~

Crocodile's face changed drastically, but while in mid-air, he couldn't turn into sand to avoid the attack. Luffy's powerful hit struck him hard.

Crocodile crashed through several houses and finally slammed into a wall, coming to a stop.

"Damn it, this bastard has gotten so strong!" Crocodile's expression was dark.

For the first time, he realized he had relied too much on his fruit powers and external factors. Soaked by the rain, he couldn't use his Sand-Sand Fruit, and what was worse, his energy was running low.

Crocodile emerged from the rubble and looked at Luffy, who was gasping for air from a distance but not pursuing him. "This move won't last much longer. It's obviously an overloaded state. As long as I keep fighting, he'll wear himself out eventually."

Quickly analyzing Luffy's Second Gear weaknesses, Crocodile decided to change his strategy.

Crocodile's counterattack was just a little faster than Luffy's, and the two suddenly reached a stalemate.

Despite the huge movements and powerful attacks, much of it was just destructive terrain, not effective damage.

But Crocodile wasn't comfortable. In Second Gear, Luffy's strength and attacks had increased dramatically.

Soaked in rain and unable to turn to sand, Crocodile had to be extra cautious. He had to maintain his Armament Haki at all times to avoid getting hit too hard.

Though Crocodile's stamina was lower, Luffy's resilience and tenacity from years of training outmatched his own.

The two were locked in a battle of endurance.

Eventually, Luffy couldn't hold on any longer. His body, heated from Second Gear, started cooling down, and he exited the form.

With his exit from Second Gear, Luffy grew weaker and more exhausted. But his resilience kept him from collapsing.

Meanwhile, in the palace, Arthur looked up at the dark sky.

The rain had weakened significantly in the past half hour. "This can't go on. Luffy won't be able to keep going much longer. If the rain stops and Crocodile regains his fruit powers, Luffy will be in serious trouble."

Arthur observed the two combatants, both in bad shape. After a moment of thought, he decided to intervene once more.

He silently activated the electromagnetic field and whispered something.

On the battlefield, Luffy suddenly paused, his expression changing, and then he calmed down, frowning as if deep in thought.

Across from him, Crocodile, also out of breath, frowned, wondering if Luffy still had the strength to use Second Gear.

Having been famous for many years, Crocodile knew that this kind of resilience was rare, even in the New World where powerful people gather.

From his experience, Crocodile could tell that if Luffy made it to the New World, he would not only survive but could become a strong force.

Crocodile didn't worry about gold medalists, but he was certain that silver medalists would have a hard time escaping this kid.

Both sides took the time to rest and adjust their positions. Crocodile glanced at the sky, a rare smile on his face.

Ten minutes ago, he noticed the rain had started to lighten. It wouldn't be long before it stopped.

With the heat in Alabasta, once the rain stopped, the ground would dry up quickly, and Crocodile would regain the full power of his Sand-Sand Fruit.

At that point, he'd be nearly invincible!

A flash of realization crossed Luffy's eyes as he remembered the sound he'd just heard in his mind. Though he had never heard it before, he knew it came from Arthur, who was sitting on the suspended throne in the palace.

"Blow air into the bones… is this really possible?"

Luffy considered this new technique. "No matter what, I'll try it! I'm a rubber man, so it should work!"

With his decision made, Luffy moved again.

He knew that he had been able to keep up with Crocodile only because of the rain. Without it, he wouldn't be able to hit Crocodile as effectively.

As the rain began to subside, Luffy grew anxious.

Luffy, skilled in combat, chose not to use the move he had just named "Third Gear" in his mind, despite his excitement. He understood that Second Gear placed a heavy burden on his body, so Third Gear would likely come with even greater consequences.

Since he didn't know the exact strain or aftereffects of Third Gear, and his stamina was already running low, he decided to reserve it for a critical moment.

Full of energy, Luffy charged at Crocodile again. The battle resumed.

As time passed, the rain gradually stopped, and the thick dark clouds began to disperse. Beams of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining down on Arabasta. The temperature rose, and the weather quickly returned to its usual heat.

With Crocodile's clothes drying from the intense battle, Luffy knew it was time to use his last move. The outcome needed to be decided now. Crocodile was exhausted too, but if Luffy didn't act soon, Crocodile would be able to use his Sand-Sand Fruit abilities again, and Luffy would lose.

"Crocodile!" Luffy yelled. "This is my last resort! I must hit you!"

Crocodile raised an eyebrow, sneering. "Luffy, the straw-hat boy, try it if you can! Your time is running out. Hum, hum, hum~"

"Third Gear! Bone Balloon!" Luffy shouted.

He paused his attack, took a deep breath, and his chest inflated like a balloon.

Huh~

Biting his thumb, Luffy blew air into it, and soon, he felt the changes he had hoped for.

His right arm started to grow rapidly, inflating like a giant balloon. "It's working! It's really working!"

"Here it comes! Rubber Eraser... Giant Tomahawk!"

Luffy controlled the air inside his right leg, making it grow too. He then smashed the enormous right leg into the sky and brought it down hard toward Crocodile.

"What? Damn, he can make an attack like this!" Crocodile, who was almost able to restore his elemental form, noticed that only his legs and arms could turn to sand, but the rest of his body remained solid due to the rainwater.

With a sneer, Crocodile decided to localize his elementalization. "Heavy Sharan!"

A violent sand tornado shot out from Crocodile, attempting to stop the giant leg. It clashed with the massive tomahawk, but after resisting for only a moment, the giant weapon cleaved through the tornado and continued toward Crocodile.

Crocodile tried to become elemental in his lower body, aiming to escape the attack's range, but the to mihawk's reach was too wide. Before he could move, the giant leg crashed into him, sending him flying.

"Uhpuff"

Crocodile was slammed hard, his internal organs shaken, and he coughed up blood, dazed from the hit.

Luffy, too, was exhausted from the move. He collapsed, reverting to his regular form and hitting the ground.

The aftermath of the impact had destroyed part of a nearby house, and a concrete block with exposed steel bars fell toward Crocodile.

Though Crocodile hadn't lost consciousness, his body was too weak to move from the pain. The heavy block landed on him, and the steel bars pierced through his chest.

A legendary figure, once a powerful Shichibukai, had come to his end in such an unexpected way.

Meanwhile, no one noticed Arthur in the palace, wearing a triumphant smile. Nor did anyone see the futuristic ring he always carried quietly disappear from his hand.