Possessing Observation Haki, Simon Sandi had long sensed the nature of some of Basil Hawkins's abilities.
Hawkins could transfer his own injuries to scarecrows—or to other people entirely. The scarecrows acted as the medium.
Furthermore, even after Hawkins had taken a blow himself, he still managed to stab Simon Sandi. That made Simon suspect the prerequisite for this ability might be blood—the enemy's blood.
Every time Hawkins struck, scarecrows would fall from his body. Simon was certain those scarecrows were what absorbed the damage… or perhaps the person represented by each scarecrow had suffered it instead.
His own injury was most likely caused by the scarecrow representing him taking his own attack.
Thinking this through, Simon—no fool—realized he had to deal with Hawkins first. More importantly, he had to retrieve his own scarecrow from Hawkins's possession; otherwise, he would remain completely vulnerable.
Simon's sudden movement caught Hawkins off guard, and before the man could react, he was captured.
"Hah! Kid, did you think I couldn't move just because you pierced my arm? You underestimate the recovery powers of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user!"
Simon Sandi smashed his head into Hawkins's face. But thanks to the Scarecrow-Scarecrow Fruit, the damage was reflected straight back at him.
He staggered slightly, feeling a wave of dizziness—but his Zoan durability kept him on his feet.
Narrowing his eyes, he swept Hawkins with his Observation Haki, finally spotting a scarecrow tucked inside the man's inner pocket.
Snatching it out, Simon tore it apart in his grip, scattering straw into the air.
A cruel grin spread across his face. With one hand still holding Hawkins, his other fist slammed into the pirate's stomach, sending Hawkins coughing up blood.
This time, the injury didn't bounce back to him.
Seeing that, Simon laughed heartily.
"What other tricks do you have now?"
Blood dripping from his lips, Hawkins kept his usual calm, unshaken demeanor. He looked Simon in the eye and said evenly,
"From the moment the master appeared, I could no longer predict your chances of survival…"
Simon's glare snapped toward Yuno. Knocking Hawkins aside with another punch, he sneered at Yuno.
"So, you've been giving him confidence? A bounty hunter, Quincy? No… a member of the Donquixote Family! Clever schemes, but you never imagined the endurance of a Zoan user, did you?"
To Simon, everything that had happened was a result of the Donquixote Family's plotting—especially Hawkins's attack. But in his mind, their schemes had failed. They hadn't counted on him breaking free from Hawkins's power.
"You seem confident too… thinking you had a guaranteed victory?" Yuno replied with a faint smile, echoing Simon's own words.
Simon sneered back. "Still struggling? Prepare to die! Or do you think Diamante can save you?"
His voice turned sharp. "Diamante! Come out here! You think you can take us with just these small fry? You're dreaming!"
Still, Simon didn't relax. There could very well be another Diamante hidden somewhere on the island, waiting for the right moment.
"I wouldn't worry about him showing up," Yuno said evenly, scanning the area.
As Hawkins was knocked away again, the strange aura he carried began to dissipate, and the Divination Club members were forced back under pressure.
Simon's men were battle-hardened pirates from the Grand Line—these local island thugs didn't stand a chance against them. The fight was practically one-sided.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Simon demanded coldly, fixing his eyes on Yuno.
Yuno rolled his shoulders, his gaze sharpening. "Exactly what I said."
With a sharp crack, Yuno launched himself forward, his foot slamming into the ground like a lightning bolt exploding into motion—blindingly fast, yet packed with raw, explosive power.
In the blink of an eye, Yuno appeared beside Simon Sandi, his fist swirling with white lightning as he unleashed a powerful punch.
Simon Sandi was startled by Yuno's speed, though not incapable of reacting. He quickly raised his hands to shield himself.
With a bang, Simon Sandi staggered back several steps, but he was unharmed.
His face darkened. Lightning power?
Another Devil Fruit user!
He had long heard that most of the Donquixote Family's top officers possessed abilities, but he had dismissed it as mere rumor. He hadn't expected it to be true.
No… that's not right. None of the Donquixote officers have lightning powers. Could he be a new recruit?
Simon Sandi studied Yuno closely, the strange feeling he had sensed earlier now even stronger.
At this point, it was clear the two sides were at odds—there was no other possibility. But then… why hadn't Diamante appeared to finish him off?
If they intended to seize control of the North Blue Sea, shouldn't they have struck before the information was passed on? That way, the matter could be buried completely. Without proof, even if the Deep Current suspected the Donquixote Family, they wouldn't dare launch a direct attack.
Why wait until after the message was sent to show up?
Could it be… they aren't Donquixote at all?
A sudden realization struck him—they might just be pretending to be from the Donquixote Family, trying to provoke a war between the two factions!
Simon Sandi's expression shifted again and again before he finally asked, his voice tinged with horror, "You're not from the Donquixote Family?"
"Hey…" Yuno chuckled, surprised that such a rugged man could be so perceptive.
But he didn't deny it. Instead, he said calmly, "No wonder you're entrusted with running an entire sea. You really are quite capable."
Hearing this, Simon Sandi's face turned grim. He and his men had been set up.
Suddenly, he recalled Yuno's earlier words—
Calculated?
So that was what Yuno had meant from the start.
"Damn it!"
Simon Sandi felt like he had been toyed with like a fool. Worse still—he had just sent false information back to headquarters.
When this reached them, the consequences would be unpredictable. A mere conflict would be the best-case scenario—this could trigger a massive reshuffle in the underworld itself.
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