In the vast expanse of Abasta's desert, Cudius and Crocodile were locked in a fierce csh.

  There was no denying it, Crocodile's power in the desert was formidable, amplified by the surrounding sands that pyed directly into his abilities. It made him a fearsome oppo.

  On a small sand du a safe distania and the others watched the battle unfold. Tesoro and Stel had stayed behind on the ship, with Tesoro deep in his studies and Stel choosing to keep him pany. Likewise, Koa and Ace had remained on the vessel, engrossed in their own games.

  Mero and Lenny, the two mermaid sisters, had insisted on seeing the desert despite knowing the swelteri would be a challenge for them. They cimed that they might never have another ce to witness a desert again. Now, having fulfilled that curiosity, they regretted it. Both sisters were sprawled out in a rge gss tank filled with water on the sand boat, looking as though they were on the verge of being boiled alive uhe scorg sun.

  Hancock looked over at the mermaids, shaking her head with a touch of exasperation. "I told you it would be unbearably hot. Now, the water tank is practically steaming," she said, a trace of in her voice.

  "Please, Hancock, I have one final wish: send me back to the ship," Mero whimpered, extending a hand out of the water feebly.

  Nia chuckled at the sight and reassured them, "Hold on just a little longer. Once His Highness finishes up, we'll head to town. The oases in Abasta's towns are quite refreshing."

  Enel, who had been standing by holding his golden staff, g the struggling mermaids and sighed. A small current of electricity crackled at his fiips, and in moments, his golden staff morphed into a thin parasol. He pced it over the water tank to shield them from the sun.

  Mero perked up slightly. "Enel, you really are a good guy. I've decided tive you for electrog me ier the other day," she said with a pyful smirk.

  A look of embarrassment crossed Enel's face. "That was an act," he muttered.

  He paused, then added, "We're leaving Abasta after this, and it will be some time before we return to Mariejois. His Highness might visit Fish-Man Isnd soon. If so, you'll finally be free. This could be the st time we see each other."

  "What do you mean 'the st time'?" Lenny chimed in.

  "Exactly! When you ehe New World, be sure to stop by Fish-Man Isnd. We'll wele you properly," Mero added, her voice more lively now.

  Enel smiled, the ers of his mouth lifting in rare cheer. "I'll hold you to that," he said, geouched.

  Oher side, Marigold poioward the battle in awe. "Sister, look! His Highness Cudius is so powerful!"

  Hancock followed her gaze, watg Cudius face off against Crocodile. She nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's even strohan the Empress."

  In the distance, Cudius wielded his demon bde, Shindō, with expert precision. "One-Sword Style—Frost Flower Burial!" he called out as a frosty ssh cut through the air toward Crocodile.

  With a swift movement of his arm, Crocodile ahe desert to rise. A wall of sand appeared in an instant, blog the icy attack. The wall froze on tact, its surface glistening with frost, but Crocodile shattered it effortlessly, sending the now-loose sand surging toward Cudius.

  "Desert Spada!" Crocodile shouted, his arm slig through the air as a deadly sand bde hurtled toward Cudius.

  "Your power is truly troublesome in this enviro," Cudius said as he dissolved into an invisible gust of wind, letting the attack pass harmlessly through him.

  Crocodile's eyes narrowed. "Your power is bizarre as ever. Just what kind of Devil Fruit is this so-called 'Nitrogen Fruit'?"

  It wasn't the first time Cudius's abilities left someone baffled. His power was strange and uable, even to those who fought him.

  "It's just sothing too plicated," Cudius replied nontly, unwilling to go into detail.

  Before Crocodile could question him further, Cudius posed his owion. "O thing—my frost teique hasn't been affeg you much, has it?"

  Crocodile's eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity. "It has an effect, but not enough to be a . Why do you ask?"

  Cudius's lips curled into a smile. "Just making sure. I've been wanting to try out a new move, a bit of a trump card, if you will."

  Crocodile raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead and show me."

  "Are you sure? I might actually defeat you with this one," Cudius said, smirking.

  Crocodile scoffed, his patience waning. "In the desert, I won't lose. And even if I do, I'll accept it."

  "Well then, as you wish," Cudius whispered, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

  His heartbeat quied, a signal Crocodile reized as Cudius activating his unique power. The shift was subtle at first, but soon Crocodile felt an inexplicable tension. Cudius's skin began to flush red, as though he were holding his breath or straining under intense pressure. From his seven orifices, wisps of white vapan to seep out, c him in a shroud of smoke.

  Crocodile noticed the sah Cudius's feet crystallizing with frost. The air felt different, almost thinner, as if it had bee lighter. Crocodile's brows furrowed in fusion.

  In the moment, Cudius pressed his hands together at his chest and spoke, "Uranus—Death of Winter."

  A transparent liquid spread rapidly from under Cudius's feet, rippling out like a small tide that ed the desert around him. Crocodile's instincts kicked in, auro sand, lifting himself into the air. From above, he could see the liquid envelop the ground below.

  He felt relieved for a moment, believing he had escaped the attack. But then, the liquid began to evaporate rapidly, turning into thick white mist that rose around him. The sand below was now covered in a yer of frost, an impossible sight in the heart of the desert.

  "Was that it? Impressive, but too slow. Easy to dodge," Crocodile thought, a hint of smugness seeping into his mind. He was ready to ter when an odd sensation washed over him. His head felt light, and his vision wavered as if he were intoxicated.

  "What's going on?" Crocodile's thoughts turned sluggish as Cudius's voice reached his ears.

  "The true power of this move lies in its most subtle effect. Ever heard of 'nitrogen narcosis'?" Cudius said, stepping forward with a grin.

  Crocodile's eyes widened in sudden realization, but it was too te. His sciousness slipped away, and he fell from the sky, nding unceremoniously in the frost-covered sand below.

  ***

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