One Piece Chapter 201: Nico Robin

This is a full-color version of the previous title page. The text "Chapter 201 'Nico Robin'" is absent, but the artwork is identical. Luffy wears a yellow shirt and red shorts. Zoro has a green haramaki and orange coat. Nami wears a purple top and gold skirt. Sanji has a white fur coat and blue striped pants. Usopp wears a brown outfit. Chopper has his pink hat. The background text "YOU! GOT TO BE FREE" and "ONE PIECE" is colored yellow.

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The story resumes with a close-up of Luffy and Crocodile glaring intensely at each other. Luffy's face is bruised and determined, while Crocodile grits his teeth in anger, blood dripping from his mouth. In the next panel, Crocodile slams his hand onto the ground with a massive "DOOOM!!" sound effect. The impact creates a powerful shockwave that shatters the stone floor. Luffy, whose belly is heavily inflated with water, is blown backward by the force of the blast, his arms flailing as debris flies through the air.

The shockwave from Crocodile's attack continues to tear up the ground, sending large chunks of stone flying into the air. Luffy bounces away like a balloon, landing with a "BOING!" in the distance. Crocodile, sweating and looking frustrated, mutters, "I can't believe it...!" Luffy, still inflated, smirks and says, "How's that, Croc?" Meanwhile, Nico Robin is holding a knife to the neck of King Cobra. Cobra cries out, "AGHH!" as Robin threatens him. She tells him, "Now's not the time to be impressed, Mr. Cobra."

King Cobra, sweating and bleeding, asks Robin, "JUST WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO... BY SEEING THAT THING!?" Robin calmly replies, "Where the poneglyph is located. Come. You'll be showing me the way." Cobra glares at her. Robin continues, "All you need to do is show me where it is. Don't waste my time with useless questions." In the background, Crocodile struggles to his feet with a "GAHH!" as rocks crumble around him. Robin glances over and says, "Fufufu. Even your luck can only take you this far... Your time's almost up." Luffy stands nearby, watching them silently.

Crocodile, his back turned and his coat billowing, says ominously, "THAT IS, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BECOME A MUMMY TOO... I AM OFFICIALLY BEYOND PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW...!" He then commands, "NICO ROBIN. GET GOING NOW." Robin smiles slightly and replies, "As you wish..." King Cobra looks shocked, muttering, "Nico Robin...!?" Crocodile places his right hand flat on the ground. He declares, "ALL THE ROCKS ON THIS WORLD'S SURFACE... CAN BE WITHERED AWAY." He then calls out to Luffy, "LISTEN UP, STRAW HAT." Luffy watches as Crocodile's hand begins to affect the environment.

Crocodile's hand begins to drain the moisture from the ground. A close-up shows the grass rapidly withering and turning to dust with a "SHUUUU..." sound. Luffy looks down in confusion. Crocodile, grinning wickedly, announces his technique: "GROUND SECCO!" The effect spreads instantly, cracking and drying up the stone floor and surrounding structures. Luffy yells "WHAT!?" as the ground beneath him begins to crumble and break apart violently.

The ground completely gives way beneath Luffy. He screams "AHHH! AA-" as he plummets into a deep fissure that has opened up in the dried earth. He yells, "I'M FALLING!" but manages to catch himself by stretching his arms to grip the edges of the chasm. Hanging precariously, he says, "WHOA, TALK ABOUT CLOSE!" Pulling himself up slightly, he takes aim at Crocodile and spits three large spheres of water from his inflated mouth, shouting, "TAKE THIS... WATER WATER PISTOL!"

Crocodile simply raises his right hand, fingers spread wide. He catches the water spheres effortlessly. He taunts, "Did you really think you nullified my powers, Water Luffy?" Luffy's eyes bug out in shock as he realizes what happened: "Gah!? He sucked it up with his hand!" Crocodile explains, "This right hand of mine has no limit to what it can dry up... Trees... Rocks... And even the very soil! Is desiccation! The true power behind my sand abilities,...Watch. You made a big mistake if you did."

The desiccation effect intensifies, spreading rapidly across the palace grounds. Buildings, walls, and statues begin to crumble and disintegrate into sand. Luffy watches in horror as the destruction unfolds. Crocodile's voice booms, "EVERYTHING ON EARTH RETURNS TO SAND!" The massive structures around them collapse into dust. Luffy, sweating and panicked, observes, "The rocks... Even the statue's turning to sand...!"

The decay continues to spread outward from Crocodile, turning everything into a barren wasteland. Luffy realizes the danger: "The entire surface is... Dying!?" Crocodile reiterates, "EVERYTHING TOUCHED BY MY HAND... WILL DRY UP..." Luffy suddenly yelps, "AGH! My sandals!" as the soles of his shoes begin to disintegrate. Crocodile then unleashes an even more powerful wave of destruction, shouting, "GROUND DEATH!" A massive vortex of sand and decaying matter erupts around him, consuming the area.

The scene shifts to the exterior of the palace, where the effects of Crocodile's power can be seen crumbling the architecture. In a corridor, Tashigi confronts Nico Robin, who is still holding King Cobra hostage. Tashigi demands, "I've been informed of what's happening in this country by the Royal Guards! Just who do you think you're holding hostage!?" Robin coldly replies, "Clear the way. I'm in a hurry." Tashigi refuses: "Absolutely not!" Robin sighs, "If you won't clear the way... Like I care who I'm holding hostage... I really do despise you government dogs."

Tashigi draws her sword, her face set with determination. "I don't have the slightest intention of giving into your demands! So be it. I'll just have to kill you!" Behind her, a squad of Marines stands ready with their rifles. Suddenly, a Marine runs up, shouting urgently, "AT 4:30 PM, THE PALACE SQUARE IS SET TO BE FIRED UPON! YOU HAVE TO STOP IT SOMEHOW!" Tashigi is shocked, but quickly orders her men, "MARINES, STOP! PAY NO HEED TO ME! MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE LIVES OF A MILLION CITIZENS ARE AT STAKE! That's only 7 minutes from now..." Robin looks slightly surprised, saying, "WHAT!?"

Robin glares at Tashigi and says, "I told you not to get in my way...!" The Marines prepare to fire, shouting, "AIM!" Tashigi tries to intervene, "WAIT! This woman is-...I-then I'll save you and stop the bombing!" Before they can act, Robin crosses her arms and uses her Devil Fruit power: "TREINTA FLEUR! (Thirty Flowers)". Multiple arms sprout from the bodies of the Marines. The Marines scream in pain as the sprouted hands grab them, bending them backward and choking them. "GAHH! STRANGLE! UGH!" Tashigi watches in shock, uttering, "Wha-"

The Marines collapse to the ground, defeated by Robin's power. One of the conscious Marines yells to Tashigi, "Sgt. Major Tashigi! T-this woman is... NICO ROBIN! There's no doubt about it! A DEVIL FRUIT USER!?" Robin looks annoyed and says, "I told you I'm in a hurry. Don't make me any angrier." The Marine continues, "She caused a huge uproar in the world when a bounty was first placed on her head! I still remember the newspaper article on her 20 years ago! Cpt. Smoker ordered me to look up her bounty poster!" A flashback panel shows a wanted poster for a young Nico Robin with a bounty of 79,000,000 Berries. The Marine explains, "An 8-year old girl was apparently the perpetrator of a case in which 6 marine warships were sunk. Judging her to be a danger of the highest priority, The World Government placed an astounding 79 million beli on her head...! But she has since hidden all traces of herself..."

Robin loses her patience and yells, "QUIT YOUR ANNOYING CHATTER! ARE YOU GOING TO CLEAR THE WAY OR DO YOU ALL WANT TO DIE!? WHICH IS IT!?" Tashigi, sweating but resolute, orders her subordinate, "Sergeant! Take the troops to the palace square! Your mission is to stop the bombing!" The Marine hesitates, "But Sgt. Major...!" Tashigi screams, "NOW!" The Marine complies, "YES, SIR!" Tashigi then points her sword directly at Robin and demands, "NOW LET GO OF THAT MAN!" A panel shows a clock tower, indicating the time is ticking closer to the bombing.

Robin effortlessly disarms Tashigi. Using her Devil Fruit powers, arms sprout on Tashigi's body, grabbing her sword arm and forcing it away. Robin says coldly, "I told you to stop getting in my way..." Tashigi is left defenseless and shocked. Meanwhile, the Marines are seen running frantically towards the palace square to stop the impending bombing, their footsteps echoing loudly. Tashigi looks on in frustration and despair.

The scene returns to Luffy, who is pulling himself up from the edge of the fissure. He pants, "That was way too close...! That guy's right hand is really something..." He looks around at the devastated landscape. "It's a literal desert now! The entire lawn's dried up... Where'd he go...?" Suddenly, Crocodile appears right behind him, his hook raised. Crocodile says, "YOU'VE MADE ME WASTE, TOO MUCH UNNECESSARY ENERGY..."

Crocodile swiftly grabs Luffy by the throat with his right hand. Luffy struggles and tries to spit water at Crocodile's face, but only a small amount comes out with a "PFFT!" and misses. Crocodile smirks and says, "YOU MISSED..." As Crocodile's hand drains the moisture from Luffy's body, Luffy's face begins to shrivel and dry up. He gasps, "CRO... CO..." Crocodile stands triumphantly on the edge of the wall, holding the desiccated Luffy in the air. He declares, "LOOKS LIKE, YOU LOST AGAIN, STRAW HAT LUFFY..."

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