Hearing these submissive words, Hyaku finally withdrew his hand.
"Hehe... how exactly would you like to cooperate?" Foxy asked with a fawning smile, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
"You're probably here to participate in that Dead End Race, right?" Hyaku asked.
"Yes! After all, that's... I understand, you're after the 300 million Berries prize money and the Devil Fruit reward, right?" Foxy began to speak, then suddenly seemed to guess Hyaku's intentions.
"Devil Fruit reward?" Hyaku looked confused.
"You don't know? Besides the 300 million Berries prize money, this competition will also award a rare Devil Fruit as an additional prize." Seeing his puzzled expression, Foxy hurriedly explained.
Hearing this, Hyaku suddenly understood.
No wonder the news had reached the branch. The first-place reward was truly tempting.
Everyone knows that while Devil Fruits have fatal drawbacks, those with good luck can obtain powers that completely change their fortunes. This undoubtedly had enormous appeal.
"Here's the deal: I need to borrow your ship and your men. After we succeed, we'll split it fifty-fifty. What do you think?" Hyaku proposed after a moment's thought, "Of course, since my identity is special, try not to mention me if possible. I'll help you from the shadows."
Having the Foxy Pirates around would obviously make a good shield.
"F-fifty-fifty?!" Foxy exclaimed in surprise.
Almost without further consideration, he nodded repeatedly.
"No problem, no problem! Whatever you say!"
With Hyaku as an ace up his sleeve, Foxy instantly felt his chances of winning had greatly increased! At first, he thought this guy would propose an 80-20 split, or even 90-10. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a relatively fair 50-50.
Naturally, Foxy had no reason to refuse.
"Then it's decided. If anyone asks, tell them I'm one of your crew members. Also, I have two subordinates." Hyaku continued.
After speaking, he clapped his hands. Coby and Helmeppo immediately emerged.
"Welcome, welcome! So there are two more of you!"
Comically, Foxy treated these two newcomers as if they were powerful warriors like Hyaku. He greeted them with an eager smile and excessive hospitality.
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The next day.
Hyaku and his two companions boarded the Foxy Pirates' ship and set sail for Hannabal.
During their journey, Hyaku noticed several small vessels functioning as "checkpoints". Only confirmed pirate crews were allowed to pass without trouble.
This observation made him privately grateful for his earlier decision. Had he not disguised himself, all pirates would have fled before Hyaku and his team could even reach the island.
Thus, Hyaku's group arrived safely at Hannabal.
"Mr. Hyaku, feel free to explore the island after we dock. The competition begins tomorrow, and there's a banquet tonight." After landing, Foxy explained with newfound respect.
His form of address had also changed to "Mr. Hyaku".
"Mm." Hyaku responded with a simple nod.
Shortly after, everyone disembarked.
Hyaku and his two companions split from the main group to survey the area. They needed to identify all participating pirate crews and familiarize themselves with the terrain to better plan their future actions.
"This place is really lively." Coby remarked.
After parting with the Foxy Pirates, the trio arrived at the island's central area. The once quiet island was now packed with people.
As they say, where there are people, there are business opportunities. Several shopkeepers had seized the chance to set up stalls here.
Looking around, apart from the shopkeepers, almost everyone was a pirate. The atmosphere was bustling with activity.
"The pirates gathered here seem more numerous than in previous years." Hyaku observed with a nod.
The Marines had always monitored the annual Dead End Race, but this year was different. With the Devil Fruit reward added, it had attracted far more pirates.
Hannabal was quite large. By the time the trio had thoroughly explored it and gained a general sense of the island's layout, sunset had already arrived.
Along the way, Hyaku gathered information about the competition format from local shopkeepers.
The Dead End Race was simple — it had no explicit rules. All participating pirate crews merely needed to sail along the designated route. The first to reach the finish line would be crowned the winner.
During the race, there were no restrictions on methods pirates could use to obstruct others. This rule had led to the annihilation of many pirate crews in previous years. Any means were acceptable as long as they led to victory.
Hyaku also learned about the specific racing route:
First, participants would depart from the northern shore. Then they would circle around the track set around Hannabal, enter the ascending sea current surrounding the island, and finally reach the finish point at the island's high ground.
To increase spectacle this year, the organizers had added extra challenges to block pirate crews with insufficient strength.
After gathering this information, they returned to the island's central area.
Earlier in the day, Foxy had reminded him that a banquet would be held here tonight. While entertaining the various pirate crews, they would introduce this year's favorites.
Soon, Hyaku reunited with the Foxy Pirates. With Captain Foxy's bounty at a mere ฿24,000,000, they were relegated to the most remote corner of the venue.
Hyaku didn't mind; this arrangement actually better suited his need to remain inconspicuous.
"Mr. Hyaku, I've obtained the list of participating pirate crews as you requested." Foxy said, handing him a document after they were seated.
The list contained all the crews competing in the race.
Hyaku quickly scanned through it, recognizing several notable names.
Shuraiya Bascùd, the "Pirate Executioner".
Bobby and Pogo, the Duo of Giants.
Bigalo, the "Hanged Man", bounty of ฿14,900,000.
Willy, an Orca Fish-man, bounty of ฿20,000,000.
All were infamous pirates — with the exception of Shuraiya.
Finally, Hyaku's gaze settled on the most prominent entry at the top of the list.
Gasparde!
Just as the 188th Branch had reported, he was indeed participating in this Dead End Race.
"Welcome everyone to Hannabal! The annual Dead End Race begins tomorrow!"
At that moment, a host stepped out into the center of the venue.
Whoosh!
Under his guidance, the atmosphere instantly became electric.
"Now, let me introduce the favorites for this competition! First is someone with natural advantages, the Orca Fish-man Willy!"
As the host made this announcement, the spotlight swung to one of the tables at the front.
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