Swish…
Hawkins's rapier, infused with his full strength, pierced Simon Sandi's hardened skin and pushed into his body.
But the next moment, Hawkins's eyes narrowed — the tip of his blade, barely a few centimeters in, refused to go any further.
"Hiss… you little brat, you really did a great job!"
Simon Sandi grimaced from the pain, yet tensed his muscles, locking the blade in place so Hawkins could neither push forward nor withdraw.
With a mocking sneer, he seized Hawkins by the shoulders and slammed his forehead into him!
Bang!
The impact sent Hawkins hurtling backward, smashing through the wall of a building in a cloud of dust and splinters.
Simon Sandi advanced, each heavy step thudding against the ground like a tank's treads.
Hawkins, returning to his original form, wiped the blood from his mouth and nose. His gaze remained steady.
"Your luck ends here as well," Hawkins intoned. "Your chances of leaving this island alive… are one percent."
"Hmph, that all you've got to say, kid?"
Simon Sandi's lip curled. Luck? He didn't believe in such nonsense.
Hawkins pushed himself upright, resting his rapier on the ground. With his free hand, he wiped a smear of Simon Sandi's blood from the blade's tip, then slipped the crimson stain onto a small straw doll pulled from his coat.
The moment the blood soaked in, the scarecrow's limbs twitched to life.
"From this instant," Hawkins said coldly, "your fate is sealed."
"Dream on, brat!"
Simon Sandi's expression twisted into a snarl. The steel spikes protruding from his back suddenly extended further, and he yanked two free — one in each hand — before lunging forward.
Hawkins closed his eyes, arms spread, making no move to dodge.
Simon Sandi's grin widened. He drove both spikes through Hawkins's forearms with a shhk, pinning him to the ground.
He didn't aim for a killing blow. No — anyone who dared speak his name had to suffer first.
But then, a sharp pain tore through Simon Sandi's own arms. He glanced down to see two gaping wounds appear in his biceps, blood gushing out.
"Gah! What the hell—?!"
He staggered back, clutching his arms, bewilderment flooding his mind.
Hawkins rose slowly, his forearms uninjured, brushing the dust from his coat.
"What's the point of fighting a battle you can't win?" he asked evenly. "From the moment you were targeted by that being, your end was inevitable. Surrender… and perhaps you'll keep your life. Resist, and there is only one outcome."
"That being… you mean Doflamingo?"
Simon Sandi's eyes narrowed to icy slits.
Hawkins was about to reply when a cold shiver crawled down his spine. His gaze flicked, almost involuntarily, toward a shadowed rooftop.
There stood Yuno — masked, black-and-white kimono flowing in the wind, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. That gaze alone made Hawkins feel as though he were standing in the first circle of Hell.
Suppressing the unease, Hawkins said calmly, "Even as the Porcupine Fruit user, you're not entirely foolish."
A fan of tarot cards appeared in his hand. With a flick, he set them hovering in the air. A subtle, unseen force began twisting the tides of battle — bolstering his allies, sapping the enemy's resolve.
It was this uncanny talent that had made Basil Hawkins's "Divination Club" one of the two dominant factions on the island.
Simon Sandi's teeth chattered. "Great, great! Brilliant Doflamingo, brilliant Donquixote Family! We of the Deep Current have taken note!"
He turned and shouted, "Cisar, relay this to headquarters! Tell them Doflamingo plans to seize all our power in the North Sea! Warn them about the Donquixote Family!"
Cisar, the bearded man, froze for a moment at the words. His expression shifted, and he quickly pulled out a Den Den Mushi (transponder snail). "This is the North Sea branch! The situation has changed—we've been ambushed! The enemy is the Donquixote Family! They intend to—"
Before he could finish, a bolt of white lightning split the sky, blasting his head apart!
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
Looking up toward the source of the lightning, they saw a mysterious figure in a black-and-white mask rising into the air.
It was, of course, Yuno.
He had been observing the situation from the very start.
Now that Simon Sandi's men had played their part—sending the false intelligence as planned—Yuno no longer needed to stay in the shadows.
He had struck at the perfect moment, silencing the bearded man who had already transmitted the crucial message.
Leaving things incomplete often leads to far greater chaos…
And, as Yuno had foreseen, the message spread up the chain until, over ten days later, it reached Deep Current headquarters in the New World—shocking their leadership, then sending them into a rage.
What followed was an upheaval that rippled through the entire underworld.
…
Yuno's sudden appearance unsettled Simon Sandi's men.
Upon seeing the black-and-white mask, Simon Sandi ground his teeth. "Black-and-white mask… you're the bounty hunter who took the Devil Fruit from Barofia! So you are with the Donquixote Family. Was this all your plan?"
After landing, Yuno walked toward him slowly. At the accusation, he laughed. "A plan? I suppose you could call it that."
Indeed, it was a plan—but one aimed at two different factions.
Upon seeing Yuno, Basil Hawkins's expression hardened. He lowered his head respectfully. "Sir."
Yuno gave him a brief glance, then smiled. "Not bad, that Devil Fruit ability of yours. Even those with Observation Haki were fooled by it."
Haki again… what is that, exactly?
Hearing the term for the second time, Hawkins felt a flicker of doubt—but suppressed it. "Excuse me, sir," he replied quietly. "You chose this moment to appear… do you think you can win for sure?"
Simon Sandi stood with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, glaring at Yuno with naked killing intent.
The next instant, he suddenly moved—charging straight at Hawkins.
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