Amid all the eyes locked on the scene…
"Hehehehe, Shalria, look, it's really lively here."
"Giggle, Darling, you actually chose to come to a restaurant; are you planning something like a candlelight dinner with me?"
A handsome man dressed in white, a beautiful and striking woman holding his arm, strolled into the restaurant with a broad smile, looking directly at the gathered Supernovas.
"The main event has arrived!"
At the sight of the newcomer, the Pirate Supernovas trembled with reaction.
"It's the Arrogant Emperor Shirogai, with a 5 billion Berries bounty from the Marines!"
"Ah hahahaha, I finally waited for you! You made me so anxious waiting!"
Captain Eustass Kid, with a bounty of 315 million Berries, stood and grinned wickedly, glaring at Shirogai with undisguised hostility.
Nearby diners stared in confusion as utensils on their tables began to slightly vibrate:
"Huh, why are the forks and knives shaking like that?"
Killer, wearing his mask, rose and tugged at Kid's sleeve, murmuring low and cautious:
"Kid, don't start a fight here. Be careful not to cause panic, it might draw the Marines."
Kid snorted dismissively.
"Hmph, just Marines, we'll just kill them all!"
He glared at Shirogai with a sinister grin, but he restrained himself, no longer manipulating magnetism to move the nearby metal objects.
"As expected of a pirate with a 5 billion Berries bounty, he truly carries an extraordinary presence…"
In the hall.
A group of well-armed gang pirates dressed in uniform black outfits and holding firearms surrounded a dining table, scanning the crowd for anyone suspicious.
At that table sat a short, stout man in a black pinstripe suit, leisurely cutting into a steak while narrowing his eyes to scrutinize Shirogai.
The Captain of the Fire Tank Pirates, Godfather of the Underworld, Capone Bege — a Pirate Supernova with a bounty of 138 million Berries.
"However, killing him might not be impossible," Bege sneered to himself as he observed Shirogai, accompanied only by Shalria.
If they could strike from the shadows with superior numbers, perhaps they could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
"Boss, should we make our move now?" Bege's trusted subordinate, Vito, licked his lips with a sinister grin.
Bege waved him off, calm and cold.
"Wait a bit longer. It's too soon to act."
He lit a cigar and breathed coolly as he watched the assembled Pirate Supernovas, deadly interest in their eyes.
"Whoever strikes first will reveal their trump cards, so the one who strikes last will take all."
…
"Ah wuwu! Is this guy one of those Celestial Dragons?"
Jewelry Bonney, known among pirates as The Glutton, sat at a table with her long legs crossed, fiercely biting into her meat. She glared at Shirogai and Shalria with obvious disdain.
"Indeed, I smell that disgusting arrogant aura! They must be connected to the Celestial Dragons!"
She shot a glare at Shirogai, then threw the bone she'd gnawed clean onto her plate.
"How long is this place going to take? Are you trying to starve your customers?"
She yelled toward the kitchen.
The restaurant manager, sweating bullets, bowed profusely.
"Please don't rush, esteemed customer, it will be served right away!"
Inside the kitchen, a dozen chefs were scrambling under pressure.
"Almost ready! Almost ready!"
They were exhausted, working to keep up with the voracious appetites of several Gluttons who had descended on their restaurant, eating far more than usual.
…
"Captain Hawkins, the man with a 5 billion Berries bounty has arrived!"
A member of the Hawkins Pirates said excitedly to his captain, who was deeply focused on fortune-telling.
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
A melancholic man with long blond hair, a slender frame, and six distinct black vertical lines on his face slowly shuffled a stack of freshly arranged Straw Man cards.
"Danger level…"
Bang!
Suddenly, a purple Straw Man card that had just been placed in the air detonated violently.
Purple and white paper scraps drifted around him like confetti before settling on his body.
His gloved hand froze mid-air.
"It actually shattered…"
Suppressing the unease in his chest, he picked up another Straw Man card.
"Probability of battle failure… 100%."
He muttered to himself as he picked up the next face-down card.
"Success rate of avoiding battle… 1%."
"Success rate of escaping now… 1%."
"Success rate of defending against attack… 1%."
…
He stopped shuffling and stared downward at the first face-down card.
"Survival death rate…"
Clatter.
He turned over the card and whispered with heavy breathing:
"99%…"
A near-certain death outcome.
The man closed his eyes and shuffled the cards again.
What was the only way to survive?
After a long moment, he opened his eyes, stared at the top card, and slowly revealed it in the air.
…
Then, placing all the remaining cards on the table, he stood up and walked directly toward Shirogai.
"Oh? Is this guy planning to go first?"
A pirate with long braids and long arms watched in surprise, believing this fortune-teller would never be the first to move.
"But let him go first and test their strength!"
Other Pirate Supernovas watched with keen interest as the man approached Shirogai.
"I have to make the first move, or I will die here…"
The golden-haired man ignored the malicious stares from others and fixed his gaze on Shirogai as he advanced.
In the air, the last drawn card hovered:
It was an inverted Death card, depicting a venomous snake coiled behind it, grinning while leaning on a scythe.
"Inverted Death, life blooming from death, placing oneself in a death trap to find life!"
This pirate who relied on fortune in uncertain situations was also a Supernova — the Captain of the Hawkins Pirates, Basil Hawkins, the Magician.
His bounty: 249 million Berries.
"Captain Hawkins, are you going to make your move now?"
Behind him, the Hawkins Pirate Crew watched in stunned silence.
They hadn't expected their usually reserved captain to be the first to strike.
"Arrogant Emperor Shirogai, let's fight!"
Hawkins walked straight toward Shirogai, his voice steady and unnervingly calm as he whispered:
"Demon-Slaying Form!"
At once, his face and body became encased in a layer of withered straw, his stature expanding until he nearly reached the restaurant's ceiling.
In the blink of an eye, Hawkins transformed from a pensive man into a towering straw giant, all of him composed of tightly wound straw with sharp black iron nails at the tips of his fingers, radiating a bizarre and dangerous aura.
"Straw Handle Blade!"
In his straw form, Hawkins drew a blade from his waist. Though in his hand the blade looked like iron, it transformed into straw energy, spreading wildly and menacingly.
"Straw Fierce Slash!"
Hawkins's eyes glowed with crimson intent as he swung the straw blade — a blade capable of cutting steel — directly toward Shirogai's head.
Swish!
The straw blade carved through the air with an eerie howl, aiming straight for Shirogai.
---