"What kind of result are you hoping for, Lord Scotch?"
"That depends on your skills. The Beasts Pirates don't need trash. If you're too weak, then no matter how much Lord Queen values your ability, don't even think about climbing higher. That's advice from a senior."
In the end, Queen handed Hawkins over to Scotch. Due to his unique physique, Scotch was one of the rare high-ranking officers aligned with Queen.
This was determined by his physical traits; when injured, he almost never went to a hospital but was instead sent to Queen for major repairs.
So, while Hawkins was still undergoing his trial period, Queen had already assigned him to Scotch.
But Scotch spoke in a peculiar manner. He would often, intentionally or not, direct the number 18 on his shoulder toward others. His outfit was also unique, the hanging part of his cape just happened to cover 1, revealing only the 8.
As a former NO.8 and now NO.18, he still fondly remembers those glorious single-digit days. But as the new generation grew up, he could no longer compete with those emerging new generations, leaving him only this way to reminisce about his past.
Queen had actually hinted to Scotch that he didn't need to be too strict, when it was about time, he could just let Hawkins pass. After all, what Queen needed was a crisis forecaster, not a powerful officer.
But this wasn't something Scotch would ever tell Hawkins directly.
Listening to Scotch's words, Hawkins said nothing. He simply pulled out his tarot cards and began divination. At the same time, his Straw-Straw Fruit power activated, and he started searching among Drake's subordinates for a host body to transfer damage to.
That was another purpose of his divination. He rarely used his own people as substitutes. When circumstances allowed, his straw substitutes would always parasitize the bodies of enemy underlings.
Scotch didn't rush him. Instead, he was communicating with the Magnemite hovering above. As users from the same evolutionary line, he shared a higher level of friendship with the Magnemite.
Drake had attacked a power plant, which also served as the Magnemite's dining hall.
Feeding on electricity, the Magnemite lived and worked at this power plant. They usually were in charge of inspecting the electric circuits and could detect the plant's energy output, which is why Drake's attack had drawn them out.
"No need to worry. Someone will deal with him. You guys scout the area around the island to check for any other enemies."
Scotch dispersed the Magnemite in the sky. Meanwhile, his fire-control system had already locked onto Drake. He didn't know how Queen would deal with Hawkins if he lost, but taking care of Drake was his job.
"An Ancient Zoan… Maybe Lord Kaido will be interested. But since he damaged the outer wall of the power plant, let's have him do some mining first."
Watching Drake enter his Human-Beast form, Scotch was already planning his next steps. No matter who won or lost, it wouldn't affect him much either way.
But for Drake and Hawkins, the meaning of this battle was entirely different.
Drake needed to prove his strength. Hawkins needed to pass the trial. So from the very start, they both went all out.
"Your death star is flickering. My win rate is 87.6%. Today, your luck is terrible. Card Draw."
This was the advanced development of Hawkins's ability - Card Draw. With the help of his Devil Fruit ability, he could use the random card-drawing mechanism to affect the psyche, strength, and conditions of both allies and enemies in his range.
Through this, Hawkins could draw cards far exceeding his normal capabilities. Of course, he also had to bear the high-risk price, like accidentally drawing a negative buff.
"And as for me, I'm very lucky. Upright Chariot."
Hawkins's battles are all about gambling on luck. If he fails a card draw, his combat strength plummets. Conversely, buff-type cards provide him with a very noticeable power boost.
A mysterious force surged from the card, and Hawkins's body swelled several sizes under its influence.
"Demon Conquering Phase."
Hawkins's body was wrapped in straw, and under the effect of the Upright Chariot, he instantly transformed into a muscular straw-man. Compared to his normal appearance, he now looked far more fearsome and terrifying.
As Hawkins waved his hand, ten massive nails fiercely smashed down on Drake.
Boom!
Although Drake, in his Human-Allosaurus form, dodged Hawkins's attack, the sharp massive nails still slammed into the ground. This was a winter island blanketed in year-round snow, the earth was already frozen solid by the bitter cold, and extremely hard by nature.
Under Hawkins's attack, shattered debris exploded outward like blades, slicing into Drake.
"You're not good at close combat, are you?! X Calibur!"
Drake, having dodged Hawkins's attack, crossed his sword and axe and slashed toward him. Though Hawkins's attack had been powerful, in Drake's eyes, it was just wild flailing relying on brute strength, full of openings.
At this moment, Hawkins was wide open, and Drake's attack nearly cut him in two.
Yes, Drake had been going for the kill from the start. In his mind, pirates didn't care about such things, and if killing the opponent was the only solution, then so be it.
What he didn't know was that if his plan had succeeded, Queen might've had a complete breakdown and come looking to kill him within a few days.
But he didn't succeed. A shattered straw-man crawled out of Hawkins's body. In exchange, one of Drake's subordinates who was knocked out from electricity, had his chest blown apart.
"Your attacks are useless against me. But how many of my attacks can your body endure?"
Hawkins swung both hands toward Drake, but Drake dodged, resulting in Hawkins's sharp nails piercing through his own hands.
"You b*stard."
Hawkins's ability was far more troublesome than Drake's. During the earlier part of the fight, his Devil Fruit power had already parasitized Drake.
So the injuries to his hands were transferred to Drake. At this moment, several bloody holes suddenly appeared in Drake's hands, and the intense pain nearly made him drop his weapons.
For youngsters not well-versed in Haki, Hawkins's Devil Fruit ability was even more unbeatable. With just the physical prowess of Allosaurus, Drake was no match for him.
Seeing his hands injured, Drake simply transformed into a massive Allosaurus and lunged to bite Hawkins. But this time, Hawkins didn't block with his body, instead, he returned to his normal form and threw a nail at Drake using an equipment.
"Seastone?!"
The nail was tiny, but when it struck Drake's shoulder, his whole body froze. A wave of powerlessness spread instantly throughout his body from the shoulder.
"It's a favor from the lord - a high-purity Seastone nail. Looks like it works well. Oh, and I forgot to mention, since just a moment ago, my win rate has reached 98%."
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