RED

Luffy descends into the crumbling chamber, dodging collapsing pillars to confront Crocodile once more. The Warlord, baffled the boy refuses to stay down, asks why he keeps fighting only to be killed. Luffy answers that Crocodile has to return the country, and when the pirate scoffs that he has not yet taken it, Luffy counters that if that were true Vivi would be far happier. He then charges and drives a fist straight into Crocodile's face, a blow that should be impossible now that the boy has no water left.

As Luffy kicks and punches him again, Crocodile finally grasps the trick: the blood smeared across Luffy's body works just as well as water, letting the rubber pirate touch his sand form. Recognizing an opponent he can no longer dismiss, Crocodile lifts the cap off his golden hook to bare a poisoned blade beneath, and the two square off for their decisive third clash amid the falling rubble. Above ground, Vivi confirms the bomb sits in the clock tower as Usopp scrawls a note for the others and uses his ear-splitting Usopp Noise to scatter pursuing Baroque Works agents.

Key reveals include the bomb's clock-tower location, the start of the third Luffy-Crocodile fight, the poison hook hidden beneath the gold one, and confirmation that Luffy's blood substitutes for water. Tashigi and the Marines openly begin helping the crew, redirecting Zoro north toward the tower and pledging to protect Vivi and Usopp. The cover continues Hatchan's Sea-Floor Stroll, where the takoyaki map leads Hatchan to a monstrous beast.