Ben looked at Hawkins. He hadn't expected to run into a Supernova in a place like this. He knew Sabaody Archipelago wasn't far off. He thought they did not have the full details of their journeys through the Grand Line; it could make some sense that they could have come here.
"Who are you?" Saphir asked as she held her spear.
Perona tilted her head. "You look familiar, I've seen that gloomy face in the newspapers," she remarked.
"He is Basil Hawkins," Ben answered. "A captain with a bounty of 249,000,000 Beli," he added.
Hawkins didn't flinch. His pale eyes remained fixed on his cards. "And you are Ben, the 'Demon King.' 310,000,000 Beli," he replied in his monotonous tone.
"His bounty is high," Raki noted.
"True, but Alvida and Ben still have a higher bounty," Saphir added confidently.
Mikita shook her head slightly. "Strength isn't always dictated by a bounty level," Mikita remarked.
"A wise observation," Hawkins said as he picked up a card from the table. "Bounties are merely a reflection of how much the Government fears a man's potential for chaos. However, you are dangerous," he added as he looked directly at Ben.
"Are you here for the Life Gem?" Ben asked as he looked at him.
"Our cards pick our fate," Hawkins murmured as he flipped another card. "They show variables that not even the cards can fully account for. Your presence," he added.
"What are you even talking about?" Raki asked as she looked at the cards.
Hawkins ignored her and picked up a new card and placed it on the table. "The card of Doom is revealed," he remarked. "If we seek the same goal, a confrontation is inevitable. One of us will meet an unfortunate end," he added.
"Are you threatening us?" Mikita asked as her eyes narrowed. She thought she would not let this happen.
Hawkins stood up slowly, the chains and straw-like textures of his outfit rustled. He picked up one final card. "A fallen one shall rise," he said cryptically. Then, he tucked his deck away. "I have no desire for this Life Gem. It is not my path today," he added.
He began to walk toward the exit.
Ben and the girls took a step back. He looked around and ensured there was no hair or anything.
Hawkins passed Ben's group without a glance. "I hope our paths never cross again, Demon King. The cards show a dark shadow trailing behind your light," he remarked.
The group watched in silence as he disappeared into the mist of the small forest.
"He was strange," Saphir said as he finally let out a breath.
"Very weird," Perona agreed. "And not the fun kind of weird," she added. "Should I send a ghost after him?" Perona asked.
"No, there is no need," Ben responded. "Let's keep moving," Ben added. "He is strong and has a devil fruit which allows him to turn into a strawman," Ben remarked.
"He sounds troublesome," Raki said. "I have a feeling we will have to face him," she added.
"I don't doubt that but not now," Ben responded. "Let's keep moving," he added.
"Where do you think it is?" Saphir asked.
"Let me check," Perona said as she raised her hand. With a soft pop, she summoned a pale, grinning Hollow. The spirit drifted through the air and phased effortlessly through the floorboards. "I can see exactly what my hollow sees," she added.
"That is useful," Saphir remarked.
"If there will be anything there then it will be hidden below us," Ben noted.
Perona's expression sharpened. "I'm moving it downstairs, I see a basement. There's a hidden hatch," she said. She paused as the Hollow drifted deeper. "Wait... there's a massive open chamber down here. In the center, there's a pedestal with a silver item on top," she added. Her eyes snapped back to focus. "It's down there," she remarked.
Ben, Mikita, Saphir, Raki, and Perona shared a determined nod. They moved to the basement in the house and pulled back a rotting rug to reveal the hatch. "So it was here," Saphir said.
"In plain sight," Raki added.
They descended down the stone steps. The air grew cold and heavy as they reached the bottom and pushed open a set of heavy, rusted double doors.
The chamber beyond was vast and lit by an eerie, blue glow. As they stepped onto the stone floor, two massive statues on either side of the pedestal suddenly cracked. The stone casing shattered and fell away, revealing two towering, armored figures.
The first figure was a behemoth with a powerful, bulky upper body. His muscular arms were a vibrant, fiery red, encased in ornate golden armor.Its head was a tall, smooth golden pyramid with no visible face. His lower body was entirely disconnected and consisted of a floating golden bowl with a glowing blue crystal suspended in the air beneath it. "Red General," Red General he remarked.
The second figure was its twin in design, but its muscular arms were a deep, mossy green. He had golden armor. He had a pyramid head and his lower body floated as a golden vessel over a pulsing crystal. "Green General," Green General he remarked.
"These two," Mikita noted.
"Why are they even here?" Raki asked.
Ben thought she was right. These two were the Generals guarding the Evil Guardian. He thought they were created by magic.
The Red General's rune-covered chest flared with light. "Fireball Pearl Surprise," it bellowed. A shimmering, pearl-like energy shield materialised over its hands, and a barrage of massive fireballs erupted from the center. It went towards the group like falling meteors.
Simultaneously, the Green General's massive arms shifted. The metal twisted and reshaped into heavy, locomotive-like cylinders. "Rocketman," Green General roared. Its disconnected lower body ignited with blue flames, and it charged forward.
"Let's take them down," Ben shouted. He instantly changed into his Hybrid Form. His muscles swelled, and dark wings unfurled from his back. "Demon Fist," he added as he channeled a surge of raw energy into his fist and swung. He met the charging Green General head-on. The collision created a violent shockwave that cracked the stone floor beneath them and sent a cloud of dust into the air.
Saphir, Mikita, and Raki dove in opposite directions to dodge the incoming fireballs, while Perona floated backward.
"Storm Leg," Raki cried out. She whipped her leg through the air with incredible speed and launched a razor-sharp blade of compressed wind. The projectile sliced through the air and clashed against the Red General's pearl shield with a shower of sparks.
"Gravity Stomp," Mikita soared above the Red General. Her weight skyrocketed to ten thousand kilograms in an instant. She became a living boulder and dropped like a comet. Her foot connected squarely with the Red General's armored shoulder. The immense pressure sent a seismic tremor through the chamber and caused the ground to ripple and crack.
"Blue Tempest Thrust," Saphir followed up as she lunged. The tip of her weapon pierced through the Red General armour. The combined force of the three girls pushed the massive Red General back.
Perona raised her hand. "Negative Hollow," Perona said as two whimpering ghosts streaked from her palms. They dived straight through the Green General's chest. The ghosts passed through the metal but the General didn't stop. It didn't drop to its knees or feel a spark of sadness.
"It did nothing," Perona remarked as she looked stunned.
"They are not living souls like people," Ben said.
"Axe Hand," the Green General droned as its right hand morphed into a gargantuan, serrated axe blade. It swung the weapon in a horizontal arc and aimed to cleave Ben in two.
"Demon's Inferno Fist," Ben said as his energy ignited into swirling black flames. He punched directly into the edge of the descending axe. The black fire roared and with a deafening crack. The giant metal blade shattered into a thousand shards.
Ben didn't give it a chance to recover. "Demon Inferno Barrage," Ben added as dark, flaming projectiles materialised around his wings like miniature missiles. He launched them in a swarm. They slammed into the Green General and they erupted in a sequence of black, oily explosions that wreathed the Green General in thick smoke and searing heat.
"Then, I'll just blow them up!" Perona snapped. "Quadruple Negative Attack," she added as she sent four ghosts swarming around the Green General's head. "Ghost Rap," she remarked as with a sharp snap of her fingers, the hollows latched onto the armor and detonated simultaneously. A massive explosion rocked the room, creating a dense black cloud.
Ben's other hand formed a jagged spear of pure energy. "Demon Abyssal Lance," he said as he hurled the projectile. The lance pierced through the smoke, through the golden armor, and straight through the blue crystal heart of the Green General.
As the smoke began to clear, they saw Green General remained standing. His golden armor was torn, blackened, and ruined. Sparks of blue energy flickered from the cracks in its chest.
"Time to end this," Ben growled, his wings flared wide. He gathered a massive amount of swirling dark energy between his hands and shaped it into a jagged, heavy projectile. "Demon Abyssal Big Missile," he said as Ben took aim at the center of the General's chest and fired. The black missile streaked through the air like a comet of shadows. Upon impact, it triggered a violent detonation that buckled the General's remaining armor and sent shockwaves rippling through the basement walls.
Seeing the golem falter, Perona floated higher. "You need a bigger blast. Special Hollow," said as she summoned a massive, bloated version of her spirits. The giant Hollow surged forward and latched onto the Green General's head and bit down hard with its ghostly jaws. "Divine Wind Rap," Perona added as she snapped her fingers. The Special Hollow detonated with a thunderous roar. The combined force of Ben's abyssal energy and Perona's massive explosion was too much to bear. The Green General finally buckled, its mechanical core and shattered as it disintegrated into a pile of twisted scrap metal.
While Ben and Perona finished off the Green General, Raki, Mikita, and Saphir focused their combined might on the remaining General.
The Red General raised its arm. The golden plating shifted and mechanical parts clicked into place. "Burn Bazooka," it said. A heavy cannon materialised from its forearm and launched a high-velocity incendiary shell directly at Raki.
Raki jumped out of the way just as the floor where she had stood erupted in flames. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out an Axe Dial. She clicked a button and released its stored energy. An X-shaped blast of compressed air roared toward the Red General and slammed into its chest. It left a jagged, silver dent in the armor.
"Blue Crescent Slash," Saphir shouted. She spun her spear in a wide, shimmering arc. The strike was swift and razor-sharp. The blade whistled through the air as it sliced across the General's midsection and carved a deep groove into the metal.
Mikita launched herself forward. "Meteor Fist," she cried as she swung her arm. She dramatically increased the weight of her fist to several tons. Her hand connected with the General's shoulder. There was a massive shockwave which rippled through the entire basement. The golden armor shattered
"Iron Body," Raki called out as she hardened her frame to the density of steel. She lunged forward and slammed her reinforced arm into the General's chest with enough force to send the massive construct staggering back.
Mikita smiled. She thought Raki had learnt this recently.
Saphir saw the opening. "Blue Vortex Drill," she said as she gripped her spear with both hands and twisted her entire body. She drove the weapon forward in a violent, spiraling motion. The spearhead slammed into the Red General's abdomen and pierced through the armor.
The Red General let out a final, metallic groan before its internal energy surged and failed. In a brilliant flash of light and flying sparks, the guardian disintegrated and left nothing but broken shards of gold in the room.
"That was easier than last time," Saphir remarked.
"We have been training everyday," Mikita commented.
Ben and Perona approached Raki, Saphir and Mikita. "Are you all okay?" Ben asked.
"Are you all okay?" he asked, his voice warm.
"We are," Saphir responded as she leaned slightly on her spear as she caught her breath.
Ben didn't wait for another word. He stepped forward and pulled Saphir into a firm, grounding hug. She let out a small hum of surprise before melting into it, "Ben," Saphir said.
"I am making sure you are okay," Ben said as he stroked her back.
He pulled back, and turned to Mikita.
"Great work with that stomp, Mikita," he said as he drew her into a tight embrace as well. He felt her large chest pressing against him.
Mikita laughed as she squeezed him back. "You weren't so bad yourself, Ben," she remarked.
Finally, he reached for Raki. He pulled her into a warm hug.
"We have a mission," Raki said as she pushed him back. She had a smile on his face. She thought idiot.
Perona blushed and drifted over with her arms wide.
Ben saw her red. He opened his arms and caught the floating girl in a big hug. "You were amazing, Perona," Ben whispered.
Perona thought this was warm. "Raki is right, we have a mission," Perona quickly snapped back and pulled back. Her heat fluttered.
Ben smiled. He thought they were all lovely. "Okay," Ben said. He walked towards the white jewel and picked it up.
"Should you not check for traps?" Mikita asked.
"I think we already faced the trap," Ben responded as he held the jewel.
"It is pretty," Saphir remarked.
"You can hold it," Ben said as he gave Saphir the white jewel.
"Thank you Ben," Saphir said with a smile on her face.
"Lets leave," Ben said. They all nodded and headed outside.
"Stop," a man shouted.