The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the busy street, mixed with the chatter of voices.
The stall owners turned their heads, their laughter fading as they saw a group approaching.
It was Drake's crew.
Drake walked at the front, his imposing figure drawing immediate attention. Burgess followed, arms crossed, his grin wide and eager. Lafitte twirled his cane with elegance, while Law's cold gaze swept the street, Kikoku resting on his shoulder.
Behind them, Reiju walked gracefully, Hana adjusting her hair with a faint smile, Baccarat's crimson locks catching the sunlight, Betty puffing calmly on her cigarette, and Perona floating above with her ghosts trailing playfully.
Pato sat proudly on Bepo's shoulder, the two animals drawing curious stares from the townsfolk.
The lively street fell into a hush. The sight of such a formidable group together was overwhelming.
Hawkins raised his eyes from the cards for the first time, his expression unreadable. His gaze lingered on Drake, who had just stepped forward, calm and composed, Shinku Hazama strapped to his back.
The cards in Hawkins' hands trembled slightly. He had seen countless fortunes, countless fates—but the aura surrounding Drake was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
"Interesting…" Hawkins murmured under his breath, his voice low but sharp enough for those nearby to hear.
Burgess laughed loudly, breaking the silence. "Wiiiihahaha! So this is Carlette Town, huh? Looks lively enough. Captain, are we here to fight or to shop?"
Drake ignored him, his eyes scanning the stalls. "Stay focused. This place may look ordinary, but the New World begins with small steps. Don't underestimate anyone."
Reiju's gaze fell on Hawkins' stall. She tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "A divination stall… how curious."
Perona floated closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Horohorohoro… I want to see if this fortune‑teller can predict Drake's future!"
The crew gathered around Hawkins' stall, the air thick with tension. The townsfolk whispered nervously, watching the confrontation unfold.
Hawkins shuffled his cards slowly, his cold eyes fixed on Drake. "Your fate… is not something ordinary cards can reveal."
The street fell silent
"Is he?" Hana looked at the man in front of her, frowned, shook her head, and said: "The eyebrows, eyes, and nose are very strange… how should I put it? This person seems to exude an aura of melancholy, a gloomy feeling that makes me quite uncomfortable."
Betty took a drag on her cigarette, calm as ever. "Appearance doesn't matter. Strength does."
Flying in the air, Perona frowned and said directly: "He's so strange and exudes a gloomy aura. This princess doesn't like him."
Reiju patted her chin and began to analyze. "His appearance looks like that of a fortune-teller. Could it be that his Devil Fruit allows him to predict the future? If that's the case, he would be very powerful."
Burgess shrugged, a little depressed. "There's no hope at all. This guy doesn't look strong at first glance."
Lafitte straightened his top hat and said softly: "To be selected by Miss Baccarat, this person's strength will not be bad."
Law frowned and said coldly: "I feel very uncomfortable being around this person."
Hearing the group comment on him, Hawkins stopped shuffling the cards, slowly raised his head, and looked at the new customers.
The first man, dressed entirely in black, sported a calm look, exuding a unique temperament. The others—men and women alike—seemed very powerful. The black‑clothed man spoke, his face expressionless, his tone calm.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the captain of the Drake Pirates, Drake. Passing here by chance, I saw you and I think you have decent strength. I feel you are qualified to join my crew."
Drake looked at Hawkins and said lightly: "Since you are so good at predicting fortune, predict your own."
The others remained silent, watching Hawkins intently. Hawkins ignored them, lowered his head, and began to shuffle the cards quickly.
"Battle: The defeat rate is 100%," Hawkins murmured, pulling out a card.
He set it aside and drew again. "Escape chance: 0% success rate."
It amused the crew to see Hawkins predict his fortune in this way.
Hana looked at him curiously and said with a slight smile: "It seems this is his supposed fortune‑telling, and it does look quite accurate."
"Is this magic? It looks really fun, Horohorohoro…" Perona's face was full of curiosity—she always liked seeing new things.
Betty blew out smoke and said lightly: "In front of Drake, he has no choice. His fate is already doomed."
Reiju glanced at Baccarat, blinked, and smiled. "He seems quite calm. His strength should be high."
Baccarat nodded gently. "This is the first time I've seen a fortune-teller. I don't know these kinds of people. However, if Drake manages to invite him, he definitely won't be too weak to show his strength."
Burgess, always simple and direct, grew uncomfortable. "If he's strong, why can't he be decisive and stop predicting his fortune?"
Doc Q smirked, coaxing Burgess. "Then if you don't agree, why don't you confront him?"
Lafitte twirled his cane politely. "Doc Q, don't cause trouble among the crew. It's too dangerous for you to do so."
"I don't think Burgess is a match for him anyway," Law said coldly. "This man is strange. To remain so calm shows he trusts his strength."
At that moment, Hawkins's firm voice sounded again. "The evasion rate is 0%. Chance to join: success rate 100%."
After reading his fortune, Hawkins put the cards away and said calmly: "I have predicted the future, Captain."
Hana stroked her hair and said casually: "It was obvious he would give such a result. Anything else would mean failure."
"Another newcomer has joined. The crew is stronger now," Betty said lightly, exhaling smoke.
Reiju looked at Drake's back and smiled sweetly. "This is a good thing. The probability of success for Drake's plan is increasing."
"Come on," Drake said simply. He turned around without another word to Hawkins, and the crew followed him back to the ship.
As they left, the stall owners began to argue among themselves.
"Who are these people? Why are they all so strange?"
"Who else could they be? Ferocious pirates!"
"Hawkins, that kid joined the pirates? Is he crazy?"
"Whatever. It doesn't matter if he's gone. He was uncomfortable to see anyway."
"Haha, but those female pirates were really beautiful!"
"Those pirates looked strong. With your small body, you'd be crushed."
"Ha ha ha…"
Drake didn't say anything more to Hawkins, leaving the explanations to Lafitte before heading off to train.
For the girls, Hawkins exuded an aura of melancholy. Hana and the others didn't like him much, and their impression of him was not good.
So, one by one, they didn't bother trying to talk to him and simply followed Drake.
"Welcome to the Drake Pirates. I am Deputy Captain Lafitte." Lafitte's voice was soft, almost melodic, before he added with calm precision: "Next, I will explain the rules of the crew…"
Hawkins listened silently, then nodded, his tone cold and detached. "It's a good rule. If you don't have the strength, then you should remain quiet."
Burgess burst into laughter, his booming voice echoing across the deck. "So you're going to participate in the battle for the division captain's position? I've been waiting for this day for a long time! How about it, Hawkins—do you want to fight?"
Doc Q chuckled, his frail body trembling with amusement. "I've also been waiting. I look forward to being captain of the first division."
But Hawkins, his expression unchanged, his aura heavy with melancholy, replied evenly: "The number of members is too small. Let's wait until we enter the Grand Line. Then we'll fight."
Burgess's grin vanished. His face twisted in anger as he cursed. "Dammit! You don't want to fight? Aren't you a man?"
He spat the words, then turned away in frustration. "Forget it. I won't ask again. I'll just ask Pato to create a copy of me—at least my copy would want to fight me!" With that, Burgess stormed off angrily.
Doc Q smirked, his voice low and mocking. "What a pity. I wanted to see the crew members fight."
Lafitte twirled his staff gracefully, his smile polite but sharp. "Like you, Law will not participate in the division captain battle for now. This is good. When there are more crew members, the deputy captain battle and division captain battle will be held together."
His tone shifted, becoming solemn. He planted his cane firmly before him, his pale face unusually serious. "As for the battle for the captain… nothing more needs to be said. In the Black Sun Pirates, the captain can only be Drake. There is no doubt about it."
With Drake's overwhelming strength, Lafitte had long accepted that no one could challenge him. His respect was absolute. Anyone foolish enough to try would not live long.
Law's cold voice cut through the air as he turned to leave. "The battle for captain… whoever participates will be slaughtered." Without another word, he walked away to begin training.
Hawkins nodded slowly, his voice quiet but firm. "Battle for the captain's position… failure rate: 100%. This is the first time I have encountered such a situation."
Lafitte's smile returned, polite and composed. "This only proves how strong Captain Drake truly is."
He raised his staff slightly, his tone calm once more. "Now, let me tell you about the future route of our voyage… and the goals that await us."