Chapter 277: Hanafuda and the Kuja
Dressrosa · Dark Alley Hut
Night fell, and thick clouds completely swallowed the moonlight.
In a secluded dark alley on the edge of the royal city, an old hut sat submerged in the darkness.
Outside the hut, there was dead silence. Only the occasional sound of bats flapping their wings added a trace of eeriness to the stillness.
Inside the hut, torches burned low, the walls mottled. The dim yellow halos illuminated faces hidden in the shadows, making them look exceptionally twisted.
Over a dozen men in black stood perfectly straight, their figures concealed in the dim light. Not a single one dared to make a sound louder than necessary breathing.
Suddenly—
"CREAK—"
The dilapidated wooden door was slowly pushed open, and a dark shadow with the oppressive weight of a mountain stepped inside.
The air stagnated instantly, the temperature seemingly dropping several degrees.
The firelight illuminated the newcomer's silhouette:
Five meters tall, his back as straight as an iron tower, his steps heavy yet steady.
He wore a wide-brimmed black hat shaped like bat wings, completely concealing the upper half of his face, revealing only a chiseled, hard jawline and a tightly clenched, cold lip line.
His upper body was bare, displaying muscles covered in battle scars. Every scar told a story of life and death from the past.
A black cape hung down to his ankles, swaying lightly in the wind like night wings.
He wore iron-framed arm guards, his fingers tapping against the giant scythe by his side. The tail end of the weapon was connected to a heavy morning star, which dragged across the ground, emitting a nerve-wracking metallic screech.
It was none other than one of the Royal Shichibukai—Hanafuda!
Everyone in the room stood up instantly, bowing their heads in unison: "Lord Hanafuda!"
Hanafuda's gaze didn't shift, as if he didn't even register them in his eyes.
He walked straight to the main seat in the room. With a loud CLANG, the scythe was thrust heavily into the ground, cracking the floorboards into a spiderweb pattern.
He sat down slowly, his back resembling a resting behemoth. His voice rolled through the confined space like thunder:
"The matter I asked you to investigate... is there a result?"
A scrawny intelligence agent stepped forward trembling. Cold sweat beaded thickly on his forehead as he clutched an intelligence scroll, his voice as thin as a mosquito's:
"R-Reporting to Lord Hanafuda... We have confirmed that the legendary user of the Heal-Heal Fruit is the Princess of the Tontatta Tribe—Mansherry!"
Hanafuda slowly raised his head. Two cold glints seemed to flash in the shadows.
The intelligence agent was so nervous he could barely breathe, but he managed to swallow hard and continued his report:
"However... recently, there seems to have been a leak in the underground intelligence channels. Mansherry is now being strictly protected by the Riku Royal Family. The entire royal palace is heavily guarded. Our... our men are driven away the moment they get close..."
Before his voice faded, Hanafuda had slowly raised one hand, his thick fingers clenching the armrest of his chair—
"CRACK—!!!"
The entire armrest shattered in response, wood splinters flying. No one dared to look up.
He stood up slowly, rising from the ground like a mountain, his voice like cold iron striking a bell. "A mere royal family of a small country dares to obstruct what I seek?"
His gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes like frosty blades. "There is nothing I, Hanafuda, want that I cannot get!"
Saying this, he walked slowly toward the torch. His pitch-black trench coat billowed behind him, the shadows seemingly swallowing the entire hut.
His palm fell on the giant scythe as he spoke coldly: "Pass down the order—"
"Tomorrow is Dressrosa's Fireworks Festival. The nobles and royalty will definitely attend."
"When the time comes, take advantage of the chaos—and directly capture the Heal-Heal Fruit user!"
One of the subordinates asked tentatively, "And if we encounter guards blocking us...?"
Hanafuda let out a light hum, deep and chilling. "Kill them."
"But remember—Mansherry must be taken alive."
"I will personally hold the line."
"YES SIR!!!"
The crowd answered in unison. The firelight in the dark room suddenly jumped. Hanafuda turned, his giant scythe dragging a trail of sparks across the ground.
He stepped into the darkness, leaving only one sentence before vanishing: "Dressrosa... it's time to add a bit more commotion."
...
New World Waters · The Perfume Yuda
The night was heavy, the sea like ink. Only the bright moonlight spilled down, paving a silver-white trail across the rippling waves.
The Perfume Yuda was like an elegant giant beast, sailing silently under the pull of two massive sea snakes. The hull cut through the waves, leaving a dreamy white wake.
On the deck, the night wind howled, and the battle flag fluttered.
Shakky stood at the bow, her black hair dancing in the wind. Her gaze was as cold as a blade as she looked out at the distant sea.
"Hancock, you didn't need to come with me."
"I am enough on my own. Too much commotion will make it easier to expose our tracks."
Her voice was low, carrying the veteran worldly wisdom and caution that had never faded.
Behind her, Hancock stood with her arms crossed, her red lips curving up slightly, her expression haughty. "Rayleigh saved my life. How could I just sit back and ignore this?"
"Even if I have to turn the entire New World upside down, I will find the 'Heal-Heal Fruit'."
As soon as she finished speaking, Sandersonia and Marigold immediately stepped forward. "Big Sister is right!"
"If it weren't for you and Rayleigh back then, we would have lost our lives long before we could escape from the Celestial Dragons!"
A flash of tenderness crossed Shakky's eyes, and she nodded imperceptibly, but her tone quickly turned cold again. "Of course I remember that time... but the situation is different now."
She slowly gripped the railing, a heavy name surfacing in her eyes. "I am worried that once the news of my appearance spreads..."
"Roy will definitely notice."
As these words fell, the atmosphere on the deck stagnated abruptly.
The expressions of the three sisters all darkened as they thought of that man who could teleport at will, descend from the sky, and suppress enemies with a wave of his hand—
Roy · Marine Vice Admiral. The "Monster" possessing overwhelming strength and speed.
An existence that even the Yonko didn't dare to provoke easily.
Sandersonia gritted her teeth and whispered, "That guy... is too strong... If he notices us approaching Dressrosa—"
Marigold's pupils shrank, and she said almost inaudibly, "Then we will gain nothing, and might even be completely wiped out..."
However, Hancock suddenly let out a light laugh. Her voice was crisp but carried the demeanor of one who looked down upon the entire world.
She walked forward slowly, an elegant smile curving the corner of her lips. "Hmph... even if he is strong, he is ultimately just a stinking man."
She turned her head, raising her chin haughtily, revealing her signature "looking down so far I'm looking up" posture. Her voice seemed to come from the ninth heaven:
"Before me, he will have absolutely no chance of winning!"
"Because I am too beautiful, whatever I do will be forgiven!"
This overbearing aura of absolute confidence seemed to instantly sweep away the suppression in the air.
Sandersonia and Marigold were infected by their sister's presence, clenching their fists excitedly. "That's right, that's right! Big Sister is invincible!"
"Even if the opponent is Roy, it's absolutely impossible for him to resist Big Sister's charm!"
Shakky was speechless for a moment, only able to look at Hancock's haughty posture, which resembled a descending goddess. She sighed helplessly but with amusement:
"...You, you're still exactly the same."
Her eyes softened a bit, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "But... I suppose you're right."
"The power of the Mero Mero no Mi (Love-Love Fruit), combined with this 'confidence' of yours, truly is reassuring."
The wind blew across the deck. The four of them stood silently at the bow, looking at the distant horizon.
—There, lay Dressrosa.
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