"Cough, cough..."
The bespectacled merchant coughed violently a few times before finally being able to speak, trembling as he said:
"Lord Hanafuda! You've misunderstood! It's not that the royal family is slow to arrive, it's just that the territory of this country is simply too vast!"
His merchant caravan had traveled far and wide, visiting many places. Across the entire world, the sheer size of Alabasta's territory was among the largest.
From the capital, Alubarna, to the mouth of the Sandora River, even riding the fastest running duck day and night, it would still take a full day at the very least!
Not to mention, the time it took for the message to be relayed multiple times and for the royal family to react also added to the delay.
"Oh, I see!"
Hanafuda suddenly realized, clicking his tongue as he twirled his scythe in his palm. "It's all because I spent too many years in the New World. I almost forgot that there's such a large country in Paradise."
He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the distant horizon where yellow sand filled the sky, a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"...Since the distance is so great, it's understandable that the royal family would take longer to arrive."
"Yes, Lord Hanafuda." The bespectacled merchant had just breathed a sigh of relief when Hanafuda suddenly leaned forward, the tip of his scythe pressing against the merchant's throat:
"But I don't have the patience to wait that long!!!"
"M-My lord..." The merchant trembled all over. "You've already waited almost a full day. The remaining time won't be long. I estimate it'll take at most three... no, two more hours for them to arrive!"
Hanafuda turned his head to look toward the end of the river. The heat waves of the desert distorted the distant scenery, and there was still no sign of the royal guards.
Another two or three hours?
"Tsk, looks like I'll have to spice things up."
Hanafuda licked his lips and suddenly called out, "Jack!"
"Here!"
The burly, blond young man immediately straightened his posture, revealing a height that exceeded eight meters.
"Go, pick a few merchants, slit their bellies open to bleed them out, and hang them on the mast. For every ten minutes I have to wait longer, throw another merchant up there."
Hanafuda grinned widely. "Since they think the distance is too great, let the scent of blood carry far and wide. Let's see if we can smoke out those royal turtles hiding in their shells!"
Bleed them out?
Jack scratched his head. He had only ever bled chickens and ducks before, but he had never done this to a human.
He felt a bit conflicted, but since it was Lord Hanafuda's order...
In the end, he pulled out his weapon from behind his back—a massive scythe, similar to Hanafuda's—and strode toward the tied-up merchants.
The merchants immediately panicked, struggling desperately, but the ropes were too tight, and their efforts were futile.
"Lord Hanafuda!"
One of them cried out in despair, "This will kill so many people! We've done nothing to offend you. Why must you do this?"
"That's right! What exactly has the royal family done to you that warrants such cruel methods?"
The royal family?
Hanafuda sneered, about to say something when a graceful and slender figure hurried over from behind, holding a Den Den Mushi in both hands:
"Lord Hanafuda, a call! It's from the Alabasta royal family!"
"Oh?"
Hanafuda raised an eyebrow, taking the Den Den Mushi. The ferocity on his face softened slightly, replaced by a hint of amusement.
"Hello?" he drawled lazily, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Finally decided to contact me, King Cobra?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi before a deep, serious voice responded:
"Mr. Hanafuda, this is Igaram, the captain of the Royal Guard of Alabasta."
Hanafuda's smile instantly turned cold.
"A mere captain of the guard dares to speak to me?"
He sneered, "What about that old man Cobra? Is he too ashamed to even talk to me himself?"
"His Majesty has been seriously ill recently and is temporarily unable to attend to matters."
Igaram's voice remained calm, but there was a faint tension in it. "However, as a gesture of goodwill, a reception team led by our kingdom's only princess, Vivi, is already heading at full speed toward the river mouth!"
"They will arrive within two hours at most. Regarding your sudden arrival in our country and the blockade of the Sandora River, although the royal family is unaware of the reason, we sincerely hope to make every effort to reach a reconciliation with you."
"Reconciliation?"
Hanafuda burst into laughter as if he had heard a joke.
The next moment, his smile vanished, and the tip of his scythe tapped lightly on the deck as he spoke expressionlessly:
"Fine. Hand over the two Devil Fruits that Crocodile owes me, and I'll leave immediately, without interfering with your kingdom's business or these merchant ships."
"Devil Fruits?"
Igaram was taken aback, and his voice clearly carried surprise when he spoke again:
"We don't have any Devil Fruits in our possession... From what you're saying, it seems you had an unfinished transaction with Sir Crocodile, which was left unresolved due to his unexpected death? But why come to us for it?"
"Why?"
Hanafuda's veins bulged on his forehead as he roared:
"Stop playing dumb! Everyone on the seas knows how close Crocodile was with your Alabasta royal family—close enough to share the same pants!"
"Moreover!"
Hanafuda shouted angrily, "From the very beginning, when Crocodile came to me to buy weapons, he used your royal family's name! That guy didn't even have any subordinates—what would he need so many weapons for? Isn't it obvious he was procuring them for your royal guard?"
"For the past few months, I've delivered the weapons on time every single time. And what happened? What happened?"
"The two Zoan-type Devil Fruits promised to me as payment were never delivered! And now Crocodile is dead. Who else should I come to for my debt if not your royal family? Huh? Who! Answer me!!"
There was silence again on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Igaram seemed to want to say something, but the receiver was abruptly snatched away: "...It's alright, Igaram, let me handle this myself."
"Hello?"
A young girl's voice came through the receiver:
"I am Princess Vivi of the Kingdom of Alabasta. Greetings, Mr. Hanafuda. Regarding the matter you just mentioned, I believe there must be some misunderstanding."
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes.
Princess Vivi, huh?
She seemed to be just a little girl, about the same age as his own daughter, Ulti.
What could a kid that age possibly know?
He felt disdain but still spoke coldly: "Oh? Little girl, why don't you tell me, what kind of misunderstanding could there be?"
"First of all, the royal family has never commissioned Crocodile to purchase any weapons. Secondly, the so-called Devil Fruit transaction he made with you was completely unknown to the royal family."
Princess Vivi's voice, though youthful, carried an undeniable firmness.
"On both counts, I can swear on the 800-year reputation of the Nefertari family on behalf of my father—there is absolutely no truth to it!"
"In fact, we should thank you for inadvertently revealing information that has raised our suspicions about Crocodile's true motives for his long-term activities in Alabasta. The royal family has already arranged for an investigation, and once we have results, we will notify you at the earliest opportunity—"
"Too much nonsense!"
Hanafuda impatiently scratched his ear. "What's all this about truth and motives? I don't care about that stuff! All I want to know is, those two Zoan-type Devil Fruits... no, after wasting so much of my time, it should be three now!"
"Three fruits, or substitutes with Zoan-type abilities—just tell me, can your royal family deliver or not?"
With a sudden swing of his scythe, a massive shockwave erupted.
Boom!
A merchant ship not far away was instantly sliced in half, exploding into pieces. The merchants and sailors aboard fell into the water, screaming in panic.
"Hear that delightful screaming? Your Highness, the little princess who thinks she's so capable?"
Hanafuda grinned.
"My patience is limited. Whether you can make it to the river mouth in time or not, as long as you haven't gathered the Devil Fruits I want, from now on, I'll destroy one ship every ten minutes until the royal family hands over what I'm owed!"
Snap! Without waiting for Vivi's response, Hanafuda expressionlessly hung up the call.
He turned to Jack, who was staring in shock, and frowned.
"What are you standing around for? My earlier orders still stand—get to work!"
Jack snapped out of his daze.
"Yes, Boss Hanafuda!"
Just as Jack reached out to grab the first unlucky victim—
Whoosh!
A vine made of smoke suddenly extended rapidly, wrapping around Jack's wrist and yanking him hard.
Boom—!
He was flung violently across the deck, crashing into the wooden railing, which shattered instantly.
Dust filled the air as Jack's massive body tumbled awkwardly along the edge of the deck, barely managing to steady himself before falling into the sea.
"Who's there!"
Jack scrambled to his feet, furiously scanning his surroundings. "Who! Which bastard has the guts to ambush me!"
"..."
Hanafuda, however, narrowed his eyes as if sensing something. He turned and looked toward the river mouth.
As he took in the scene before him, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Kinda similar to that Navy guy, Aokiji. What kind of ability is this?"
—On the wide expanse of the Sandora River, a crystalline frost path had formed, seemingly out of nowhere.
Amidst the swirling cold air, seven figures strode across the ice, approaching steadily.
The merchant ships, which had been fleeing in panic, now couldn't help but stop and turn to watch.
"The Captain's orders—I'm just following them. Got a problem with that?"
A low voice rang out, coming from the white-haired figure on the far right. He held a cigar between his teeth, tilting his head slightly as he met Jack's furious gaze with indifference.
On his left, the crew members stood in a row.
Red-Leg Zeff crossed his arms, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's;
Robin, with her black hair, lowered her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips;
Kuina rested one hand on Wado Ichimonji, her eyes as sharp as blades.
Two young girls stood on either side of the center, one with blue hair exuding an icy chill, the other with orange hair crowned with blazing flames.
At the very center, a black-haired young man walked forward slowly.
Xiano had his hands in his pockets, his expression calm. The massive Pirate ship blocking the river, imposing like a mountain, seemed nonexistent to him.
As the merchants on the surrounding ships caught sight of his face, a wave of murmurs erupted.
"Hey, you've got to be kidding, those guys are…"
"That's right! It's them!"
"Why are they here too… Let's go, hurry!"
"If we get caught up in a clash of this level, we're done for!"
Amidst the panicked whispers around them.
Xiano slightly raised his head, his gaze passing over Jack, directly landing on Hanafuda:
"Hey, that Warlord of the Sea."
"After all that nonsense you've been spouting, threatening merchant ships, threatening the royal family, it's such a hassle. Seems like… there's a much simpler path right in front of you."
"A simpler path?"
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, twirling his scythe in his palm, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
"Kid, why don't you tell me, what path is that?"
Xiano stepped forward on the ice, his crew following closely behind, their presence growing more and more formidable.
"Simple."
He lifted his head, his dark eyes locking onto Hanafuda, and grinned:
"—Just come straight to me, isn't that easier?"
"…?"
Hanafuda's expression froze for a moment, then he burst into laughter, "Hahahaha! Come to you? A brat who hasn't even grown hair yet? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
He swung his scythe violently, the blade pointing directly at Xiano!
"Who are you anyway? What does Crocodile's debt to me have to do with you?!!!"
As soon as these words were spoken.
The entire massive Pirate ship fell into dead silence, with only the sound of the sea breeze passing by.
Xiano and his crew on the ice all froze in place.
All the officers and crew members of the Hanafuda Pirate crew were petrified, standing rigidly in place.
Only Jack, holding his scythe, stood there dumbfounded.
—Didn't Boss Hanafuda deliver that threat quite impressively and standardly? Why is everyone reacting like this?
"Uh, Boss Hanafuda, you don't recognize him…"
The curvaceous female officer who had previously brought the Den Den Mushi swallowed hard, cautiously leaning closer to Hanafuda's ear and whispering:
"That… the newspaper I gave you last time, did you just toss it without reading it carefully?"
"Newspaper?"
Hanafuda frowned, "What do you mean? You've been with me for so long, don't you know I'm illiterate? Since when could I understand that crap!"
"But you can at least understand the wanted posters, right…"
The female officer broke into a cold sweat, "The ones that were included in the special edition of the World Economic Journal last month…"
"I'm face-blind too!"
Hanafuda twirled his scythe impatiently and said, "I won't remember even if I look. Damn it, stop beating around the bush! If you have something to say, say it directly!"
"Yes..."
The female officer shuddered, stealing a glance at the black-haired boy on the ice, and whispered in a low voice:
"Boss, this guy is Xiano, the one who killed Crocodile. He's a super rookie with a bounty of 540 million Berries..."
Huh?
Hanafuda's expression froze instantly.
The spinning motion of the scythe in his palm also came to an abrupt halt.
"..."
Hanafuda's pupils constricted as he stared intently at the black-haired boy on the ice. "Xiano... So you're the captain of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates, the Blade Swordsman Xiano?"
"Let me correct you, it's the Falling Stars Adventure Crew."
Xiano sighed, rubbing his temples. "Illiterate and face-blind... Do I really have to fight someone like you? It feels like bullying an idiot..."
"Stop talking nonsense!!!"
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Hanafuda's forehead, but he quickly regained his arrogant demeanor and sneered:
"Heh, a brat who just entered the Grand Line, killed Crocodile, and now you think you're strong enough to challenge all the Warlords of the Sea?"
"I'm Hanafuda! A man with a bounty of 500 million five years ago, not like that clown Crocodile who lost his fighting spirit and just played hero in the desert!"
He tightened his grip on the scythe, his gaze gradually turning cold and menacing:
"However, you were right about one thing earlier. Crocodile couldn't deliver the order because you killed him. This mess should indeed be settled with you!"
"Now that you've shown up, are you planning to give me three Zoan fruits, or should I chop off your arms and a leg to vent my anger as compensation?"
"What if I refuse both?" Xiano asked with a smile.
"You're really arrogant, brat..."
Hanafuda grinned ferociously. "It seems you're dead set on challenging me. Fine, let me show you my true power!!!"
Whoosh!
He stomped his heel and lunged forward, swinging his scythe down from above, aiming to slash the black-haired boy on the ice with full force—
"Challenge?"
Xiano slightly tilted his head, looking at the massive scythe descending with terrifying wind pressure, a mocking smile slowly forming on his lips.
Snap.
Only when the scythe was about to pierce his face did he finally act. To Hanafuda's astonishment, Xiano effortlessly caught the blade of the scythe with just his left hand.
"I think you've misunderstood something..."
The sharp edge of the scythe was now just an inch away from Xiano's forehead, but it couldn't advance any further—his slender yet powerful hand held the blade firmly, without even using Armament Haki.
How can this guy be so strong?
Hanafuda's pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly noticed that Xiano's free right hand had already clenched into a fist.
Boom!
In the next instant, a fist wrapped in Armament Haki slammed into Hanafuda's abdomen, and a terrifying shockwave exploded like ripples!
Hanafuda's eyes bulged instantly, and blood gushed from his mouth!
"Ugh!!!"
His body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through the sails of several merchant ships before finally smashing into the desert on the right bank of the river, sending up a cloud of dust.
Xiano's calm voice echoed at that moment:
"——Clearly, you're the challenger here."
The entire estuary of the Sandora River fell into a deathly silence.
Jack and the other Pirate officers stood frozen like wooden statues, while the civilians on the merchant ships gaped in disbelief at the scene before them.
——One of the esteemed Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, Hanafuda, a former Pirate with a bounty as high as 500 million Berries, had just been sent flying with a single punch?!
"Ara, is he dead?"
Robin seemed completely unfazed by this, turning her head and asking with a smile.
"Not quite."
Smoker responded, his Cigar clenched between his teeth. "The Captain's punch might have been too much for most to handle, but this guy, after all, was once a top executive of the Beasts Pirates, on brotherly terms with Kaido. He's the type with thick skin and resilience. He won't be defeated so easily."
As if to underscore the accuracy of his words.
The next moment.
Boom——!!!
The entire desert on the right side of the riverbank suddenly began to tremble violently, as if an ancient beast was stirring from its slumber.
"Hey!"
"What's going on? What's happening? What is this commotion?"
On the merchant ship closest to the riverbank, the sailors widened their eyes in terror.
Before their eyes, the once calm sandy ground now resembled a boiling cauldron of oil, with yellow sand churning and surging like waves!
"ROAR!!!"
A deafening roar suddenly tore through the scorching air, creating visible ripples in the atmosphere!
A colossal creature burst forth from the sand, the resulting sandstorm instantly obscuring half the sky.
—It was none other than a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex, over twenty meters in length.
Its body was covered in pitch-black scales, and with a single sweep of its thick tail, it severed several nearby poplar trees at their trunks. Its gaping maw revealed sharp, gleaming white teeth.
Turning its head, the T-Rex's eyes filled with savage ferocity as it spotted the black-haired youth on the riverbank:
"You little brat… you've really pissed me off. Get over here!!!"
"No wonder this guy's nickname is the Lizard King," Smoker frowned. "So it's the Ancient Zoan Tyrannosaurus Rex Fruit. That's an incredibly rare find…"
Back at the Naval Headquarters, he had encountered a guy named Drake who possessed a similar Devil Fruit ability, though it was only the Ancient Zoan Allosaurus. Even so, Drake's strength had firmly surpassed his own, and he had already risen to the position of Rear Admiral at the Naval Headquarters.
But compared to the Tyrannosaurus Rex… the Allosaurus was clearly nothing.
"It does look pretty intimidating."
Xiano also looked up with interest at the massive T-Rex. The sheer scale of its transformation had almost made him think he'd been transported to an Ultraman set.
"Maybe we should just ignore this guy," Nojiko said with a grin. "The ice I created is pretty shallow. If he charges over, he'll probably just fall into the sea. Sure, this form is scary, but on the coast, he's no threat to us."
Indeed.
The Snow-Snow Fruit that her brother had brought back had been refused by Kuina, who stubbornly insisted on becoming the world's greatest pure Master Swordsman. Zeff had also declined, saying that a chef at sea couldn't be a landlubber, and that if he wanted to eat a Devil Fruit, he would have done so in his youth. Agin and Mochi had also dismissed it outright…
So in the end, it was Nojiko who had eaten it.
She had grown quite fond of the flashy effects the fruit allowed her to create and had been diligently studying its capabilities over the past few days.
By now, she had mostly adapted to it and had even combined it with her martial arts, developing several powerful techniques.
"We should still deal with him," Xiano said with a smirk. "It's been a while since I've encountered such a thick-skinned opponent. It's rare to find a suitable punching bag—how could I pass up the chance to stretch my muscles?"
Oh, right. There was another thick-skinned guy around.
He glanced at Jack, who was still standing dazed on the massive black pirate ship.
This guy seemed like a rookie, a far cry from the fearless disaster who had once charged headfirst into a ship full of high-ranking Marines. He probably wasn't worth worrying about.
"Leave the officers of the Hanafuda Pirates to you guys," Xiano said. "Get Agin down here to help too, and try not to involve the merchant ships nearby."
"Don't worry, Captain," Kuina nodded, glancing back. "As for those merchant ships, they've already wisely retreated far away."
"Good. Then I can focus on having some fun with this Warlord of the Sea."
Xiano's gaze shifted, landing on the giant Tyrannosaurus rex.
"Hey, kid, why aren't you coming over yet!"
The Tyrannosaurus stared at him intently, baring its teeth in a sinister grin. "Could it be that you're trembling in fear after witnessing the strength of your Hanafuda master!"
"People from the Beast Pirates really aren't the sharpest tools in the shed."
Xiano sighed.
He slightly twisted his neck, immediately producing a series of crackling sounds like popping beans.
Crack!
In the next moment, the ice surface suddenly shattered, and the figure of the black-haired youth vanished from the spot in an instant!
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