## One Piece Chapter 178: Grand-Line Level - Chapter: 178 - Pages: 0-18 - Characters: Nico Robin, Bananagator, Crocodile, Luffy, Toto, Smoker, Tashigi, Vivi, Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Hasami ### Summary Page 0: The title page displays "Chapter 178 'Grand-Line Level'". Nico Robin is depicted walking along a wooden path over water, wearing a black tank top, a long patterned skirt, and sunglasses resting on her head. She carries a round bag with a skull design and the word "DOSKOI" on it. Beside her, a large spotted Bananagator stands upright, holding a rose in its mouth. In the background, a lighthouse sits on a small island. Page 1: In a wide shot of the desert city of Rainbase, the large casino building stands prominently under the sun with a low rumble echoing, "GOOOOOO". Sand trickles steadily through an hourglass, "SARA SARA...". Out in the vast desert dunes, Crocodile stands tall, his back to the viewer, facing a distant Luffy. Crocodile declares, "Why don't we put an end to these games, Straw-Hat Luffy... I've been fighting you seriously!" A dramatic "DODON!!" sound effect emphasizes his words. Page 2: Luffy stands with his fists raised, looking frustrated as he thinks, "Dammit... I can't hit him at all... He keeps turning into sand...." Crocodile smirks confidently, sand shifting around his form with a soft "SARA..." as he tells Luffy, "You and I... Are pirates in completely different leagues...!" With a swift downward motion of his arm, Crocodile unleashes a devastating attack, shouting, "DESERT SPADA! (Desert Sword)". A massive, sharp blade of sand erupts from the ground, tearing a deep trench through the desert floor with a loud "ZAA!!" and rushing directly toward a shocked Luffy. Page 3: Luffy gasps "!? " as he watches a rock get cleanly sliced in half with a "SPLIT" by the approaching attack. He leaps desperately out of the way, yelling "AGHH!" as the massive Desert Spada attack cleaves through the space he just occupied with a deafening "ZUBAA!!", sending up clouds of dust. Crocodile smiles menacingly, remarking, "Nicely spotted... Had you been hit by that attack, you'd be saying a lot more than 'ouch'..." Luffy lands on the sand, his eyes wide and face dripping with sweat as he realizes the lethal danger of the attack. Page 4: A massive, deep canyon has been carved into the desert floor by Crocodile's attack, echoing with a loud "BAAAN!!". Luffy stands near the edge, looking down in disbelief and exclaiming, "WHAT THE...? THE DESERT SPLIT OPEN!" Crocodile looks on seriously, sand swirling around his hand as he explains, "Devil fruit powers can be extremely strong in battle, Depending on how you use it and how long you've trained with it. Unlike those fools who're satisfied merely by having a devil fruit power, I've honed my powers to perfection...!" Crocodile then crouches and touches the sand with his right hand, declaring, "I'll make you soon regret ever going up against me! DESERT GIRASOLE! (Desert Sunflower)". The ground beneath Luffy begins to crack and shift ominously. Page 5: The desert suddenly collapses inward, forming a massive, bowl-shaped sinkhole of quicksand with a loud "BOKON!!". Luffy is caught right in the center of the shifting sands. He looks around in panic, yelling, "W-WHAT'S GOING ON!?" The sand rumbles violently with a "GOGOGO..." as Luffy begins to slide down toward the center of the pit, crying out, "AGH! GAHHH!" He struggles against the pull, realizing, "THE SAND IS... SUCKING ME IN!" Page 6: Crocodile stands calmly at the edge of the massive pit, looking down at Luffy. He asks, "Have you ever heard of a quicksand? It's quite a convenient desert grave, requiring no casket." He explains further, "The sand is being sucked into the groundwater below, which I can sense with my powers...!" Below, Luffy struggles as he sinks deeper, yelling "AGH! AGH!" with a sinking "ZUBU... ZUBUBU..." sound. Crocodile smirks confidently, stating, "There's not a single person in this world who can best me in a desert battle." Refusing to give up, Luffy runs frantically up the shifting slope of the quicksand, panting "HUFF HUFF!" and shouting, "I'M NOT... GONNA BE BURIED BY SOME STUPID SAND!" His feet crunch against the sand, "SAKU SAKU SAKU!!". With a powerful leap, Luffy launches himself out of the pit, stretching his arms far back as he yells, "YOU LITTLE... GOMU GOMU-", leaving an explosion of sand in his wake. Page 7: Luffy flies through the air towards Crocodile, his arms stretched far back as he unleashes his attack, yelling "BAZOOKA!". Crocodile stands completely still as Luffy's hands pass harmlessly through his body, which turns to sand upon impact. Unfazed, Luffy grits his teeth and declares, "If I can't hit you... Then I'll catch you instead!" He quickly stretches his fingers out, weaving them together to form a large net shape. Shouting "GOMU GOMU NET!", he throws the rubbery net over Crocodile, attempting to trap him. Page 8: Crocodile effortlessly evades the net by...