Chapter 336: Sandification
In Ian’s memory, the Revolutionary Army had always regarded Nico Robin, the last survivor of Ohara, as the beacon of revolution. They had been searching for her whereabouts, wanting to protect the only person who could read the ancient script.
However, perhaps because the Revolutionary Army’s intelligence network wasn’t well-established in the beginning, they failed to find Robin. Later, as Robin grew up, not only did her appearance change, but she also went into hiding, concealing her identity and lurking behind the scenes of underworld bosses, using them to shield herself. Now, she had even taken refuge under Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, making it even harder for the Revolutionary Army to locate her.
Ian was the exception. Although Baroque Works operated in secrecy, to Ian, it was as transparent as glass, so he found Robin right away.
And by the strangest coincidence, Ian’s current identity happened to be a Revolutionary Army officer…
Perfect timing—Sabo was probably still in Alabasta. Maybe he could even arrange for Robin to meet Sabo, a key Revolutionary Army figure, ahead of schedule…
There was no doubt that Robin was a dangerous woman. Her danger wasn’t just due to being hunted by the World Government but also because of her personality. Having dealt with the underworld for years, she was skilled in assassination and behind-the-scenes scheming. When faced with danger, she wouldn’t hesitate to betray her boss. Even someone like Ian or Crocodile, both at the level of the Seven Warlords, could have their conflict provoked by her in an instant—showing just how treacherous her mind could be.
Still, Ian understood that she did it mostly to protect herself.
After hearing Ian’s words, Robin sneered and said, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“Of course I do!” Ian replied with a smile. “Sticking with Crocodile might let you see the Poneglyph in Alabasta, but judging by how you just interpreted that Poneglyph for me, you’ll probably piss him off!”
At this, Robin’s heart skipped a beat: “D-Did he catch me lying?”
Yes, the more beautiful a woman, the better she lies, and Robin was no exception. In fact, the content of the Poneglyph rubbing Ian had brought—Robin had memorized it but gave him a different answer.
History was subtly replaying itself here, but with a difference: when Robin lied to Crocodile, he wanted to kill her, but when she lied to Ian, he wouldn’t lay a hand on her.
“Nico Robin! What are you doing!?” Crocodile, seeing Robin not coming over but instead whispering with Ian, raised his voice, his face growing darker.
Hearing his shout, Ian turned and said to Crocodile, “I told you, I’m taking this woman with me!”
“Kid! Do you want to die!?” Crocodile’s forehead bulged with angry veins. “Don’t you have anything better to do in the New World? Traveling all this way just to provoke me on my turf!?”
“Hmph, Sand Crocodile!” Ian sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know what your Baroque Works is plotting in Alabasta. What do you think will happen if I tell the Alabasta royal family about your intentions? Can you still carry on?”
Crocodile burst out laughing. “Kid, go ahead and tell them! Don’t forget, I’m a Warlord of the Sea. In this country, I’m a hero. Do you think they’ll believe you?”
“Is that so?” Ian said leisurely, wagging his finger. “Don’t be so sure! What if I have them check the harbor for Dance Powder? What then?”
“You!?” Crocodile froze, then erupted in fury.
Damn bastard! Where did he get such sharp intelligence? He’s uncovered Baroque Works’ goals and operations completely!?
“You can’t be left alive!” Crocodile, a decisive man, made up his mind on the spot.
Then, he struck at Ian!
“Desert Spada!” Crocodile’s right hand suddenly turned into countless grains of sand, forming a sand blade. The blade, like a crescent-shaped slash, cut through tables and chairs along the way, splitting the tavern floor as it flew toward Ian.
As Crocodile attacked, Ian’s right thumb pushed the Thousand Cherry Blossoms out of its sheath. Facing Crocodile’s strike, Ian swung his blade, unleashing a massive arc of sword energy.
The sand blade and sword energy collided, sending a violent shockwave in all directions. With a loud crack, all the furniture in the tavern shattered into countless fragments under the pressure.
Robin pressed her hat tightly against the explosive blast, retreating a good distance.
This clash ended in a draw—Crocodile hadn’t hit Ian, and Ian hadn’t hit Crocodile either.
“Hmph!” Seeing his attack fail, Crocodile’s entire body began to sandify, turning into wisps of sand-like wind that spread throughout the tavern.
When he reappeared, he was above Ian, his pirate hook aiming at an angle toward the back of Ian’s neck.
But Ian ducked quickly, dodging the hook, and as he looked up, he swung the Thousand Cherry Blossoms upward, aiming at Crocodile’s empty wrist.
Crocodile didn’t mind being cut—his body was just sand at that moment—but a glance revealed something unusual about Ian’s blade. With a thought, he quickly controlled his sandified wrist to avoid the strike.
Perhaps someone else would have struggled to dodge, but Crocodile, a Logia Devil Fruit user, had a fluid body. The sand in his arm twisted in an S-shape, successfully evading the attack.
After dodging, Crocodile’s body reformed a short distance away from Ian. Eyeing the hardened black of Armament Haki on Ian’s blade, he said grimly, “Damn it, Haki again!”
Ian wasn’t surprised that Crocodile knew about Haki—the man had once challenged Whitebeard, so he couldn’t be ignorant of it.
However, Ian noticed something odd in Crocodile’s tone and asked, “You don’t know it?”
“…” Crocodile didn’t answer, just gripped his pirate hook with his left hand and sneered, “I don’t need that stuff!”
This was an indirect admission that he didn’t know Haki. Ian found it strange—shouldn’t a Warlord of the Sea master Haki?
But thinking about it, it made sense. Ian had returned from the New World, where many knew Haki, but Rayleigh had once said that while Haki was an innate power, many people didn’t know how to develop or use it.
Noticing Ian’s confusion, Crocodile chuckled darkly. “I may not know Haki, but I told you—I don’t need it! I’m a Logia Devil Fruit user. Even if you can use Haki, do you really think you can do anything to me?”
As he spoke, the ground beneath Crocodile’s feet began to sandify.
This sandification quickly spread across the entire tavern floor, with countless grains of sand swirling in the air. Not just the floor—even the shattered tables and chairs turned to dust.
Then came the walls. To Ian’s astonishment, in just a few breaths, the entire tavern they were in turned into a cloud of sand and completely vanished.
It was an indescribable scene—one moment, a perfectly intact building; the next, it was nothing but swirling sand in the air. It felt like a violent demolition…
When the tavern disappeared, Ian, Crocodile, and Nico Robin were exposed to public view. Though it was a secluded street, there were still passersby, and the sudden disappearance of a building was an eye-catching spectacle.
“W-What happened?! Where’s the tavern?”
“Who are those three people over there?”
“Ah! That person… it’s Lord Crocodile!”
“What’s going on? Who’s that guy with the sword? A pirate?”