Chapter 52 Luffy's Furious Battle with Hawkins Saves ChopperThe legendary winter island without cherry blossoms—the Cherry Blossom Kingdom—has finally arrived.
"Halt! Who are you?!"
As soon as the Going Merry docked, a large group of militiamen, wrapped in thick furs and wielding old-fashioned firearms, warily surrounded them, their dark gun barrels pointed at them.
"Don't be nervous, we're on the same side."
Luffy stood up with a smile, pointing his thumb back to the justice cloak behind him. "I am Rear Admiral Monkey D. Luffy of the Marine Headquarters."
Hearing the name of the Marines, the surrounding militiamen relaxed slightly, their faces lighting up with joy: "Really the Marines? Are you here to help us catch pirates?"
"That's right," Luffy nodded matter-of-factly, "and on the way here, we brought you a big gift."
"A big gift?" The villagers exchanged bewildered glances. "We're from a poor, remote village..."
Luffy snapped his fingers, and Usopp, understanding immediately, raised his slingshot and fired a lead bullet at the clown Jess, who was still pretending to be dead on the sea.
"Ouch!"
Jace cried out in pain, frantically typing on the keyboard.
The massive White Iron King, accompanied by a roar, slowly rose from the water, revealing its true form.
"This...this is!!"
The villagers on the shore were stunned, their eyes blazing with rage. "It's that bastard Wapol's ship!!"
They would recognize that tyrant who abandoned his country and fled alone, even if he were reduced to ashes.
"You traitors, you dare to come back?"
"Get out! You're not welcome here!"
The villagers' angry roars rose and fell, they wanted nothing more than to rush up and tear the people on the ship apart.
Luffy raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down: "Calm down, everyone, this is our spoils. I think you're all eager to see what happens to them."
"Spoils?"
"Wapol was captured?"
The villagers froze, staring at Luffy in disbelief.
Luffy casually tossed Wapol's frozen corpse onto the snow with a thud.
"My God! It really is Wapol!"
"He's dead! That tyrant is finally dead!"
"Great!! Heaven has eyes!"
After confirming the corpse's identity, cheers erupted instantly, many people moved to tears.
Sanji looked at Jess, who was being brought down bound hand and foot, and asked curiously, "How come your king is in such a sorry state? He doesn't even have a decent bodyguard."
Soon, the remnants of the White Iron Pirates were escorted ashore by the villagers, awaiting the judgment of the people.
Everyone cast tearful glances of gratitude at Luffy and his crew.
Luffy smiled slightly, concealing his accomplishment. This was the right way to do things; the Marines at sea should be the embodiment of justice.
If Luffy hadn't acted quickly and killed the virus-causing insect that was about to bite Nami, they would have had to kneel before the villagers begging for medical help, just like in the original story—how humiliating!
Embraced by the militiamen, the group headed towards the island.
Everyone's face was filled with genuine smiles, the relief that came after the oppression had dissipated.
"Hey, Luffy? Isn't our destination Alabasta?"
Nami, pulling her coat tighter around herself, asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Aren't we short of a doctor on our ship? This island is a legendary medical powerhouse; we can just pick up a miracle doctor on the way back."
Luffy explained to Nami in a low voice, "Don't worry, I've already chosen someone; it'll be done soon."
Just then, a huge polar bear, leaning on a trekking pole, suddenly emerged from the snow ahead.
"Oh my god! A bear! Play dead!"
Usopp screamed, his eyes rolling back as he lay sprawled on the snow, lifeless.
The guard captain, Dalton, quickly explained, "It's a hiking bear; it won't hurt you. Just a bow will do."
With that, Dalton bowed slightly to the polar bear.
The bear, surprisingly, returned the bow and slowly walked past.
The group arrived at the village entrance, where they saw goats dressed in clothes everywhere on the road, and even long-haired hippos leisurely strolling around.
"You've all worked hard. Leave a few men to guard the prisoners, the rest of you can disperse and rest!"
Dalton loudly ordered the militia.
"How can that be? Mr. Dalton, the Marines have helped us so much, we must have a grand welcome party!" the villagers exclaimed enthusiastically.
Luffy smiled and waved his hand in refusal: "I appreciate the kindness, but we're in a hurry and have to leave soon."
"Oh? So soon?"
"That's a real shame, we haven't properly entertained our benefactors yet."
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic villagers, Dalton pointed to several strangely shaped peaks resembling chimneys in the distance and said, "That's Drum Peak over there. The 'witch' doctor you're looking for lives in the castle atop the highest peak."
"Thanks." Luffy looked up at the towering peaks, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"Hey, Zoro, Sanji, how about a race? Let's see who gets to the top first."
Zoro's eyes lit up at the mention of a race: "Interesting! First place is definitely mine!"
Sanji spat out his cigarette butt, looking disdainful: "A leg-walking contest? I've never lost to anyone in my life."
"Nami, you and Vivi wait for us here. Usopp, the task of protecting the ladies is yours."
Luffy turned and gave the order.
Usopp instantly straightened his back, patting his chest and guaranteeing: "Don't worry, Captain! I'm a brave warrior of the sea, I've got it covered!"
"Alright... Ready, go!"
Before Luffy finished speaking, he suddenly turned bright red.
"Second Gear - Shave!"
With a loud whoosh, Luffy vanished like a cannonball, leaving only a trail of afterimages.
"Ah!! You cheat!"
Zoro and Sanji yelled angrily and immediately took off after him.
Nami and the others, left behind, watched the retreating figures of the three childish guys and sighed in exasperation, "Have these three really grown up?"
At this moment, Luffy wasn't using any of his flashy, template-based abilities; he was simply honing his physical training.
Ever since obtaining the Rokushiki training manual from Garp, he, Zoro, and Sanji had been training like madmen.
The essence of Rokushiki is physical techniques that push the limits of human potential.
And the physical abilities of the three of them had already reached monstrous levels.
Before, they didn't understand the techniques of generating power and only relied on brute force.
With systematic guidance, his strength has increased by a rocket compared to his level at the same stage in the original story.
Especially Luffy; the rubber properties of his Nika Fruit allow him to withstand incredibly heavy loads.
At this moment, Luffy's legs are like high-frequency vibrating motors, moving so fast on the snow that they are only a blur.
With each step, the snow is blasted into a deep crater by the terrifying impact.
"This freak!"
Zoro and Sanji, watching Luffy almost disappear from sight, twitched their lips in disbelief.
"Whoosh!"
"Get out of the way!"
Sanji kicked away a giant snow rabbit blocking his path—Laban.
"These rabbits are so annoying! They've been going on and on since earlier!"
"Speaking of which, is Luffy's running style really okay?"
Zoro looked at the constantly shaking snow ahead, somewhat worried, "The noise on this snowy mountain is too loud, won't it cause..."
Rumble—
A deep rumble of thunder came from above.
Sanji's face froze: "..."
"You jinx!!"
Suddenly, Luffy leaped into the air above, his footsteps creating a series of explosive sounds.
"Zoro! Avalanche! Run, hahaha!"
Luffy's carefree laughter drifted down from mid-air.
Zoro and Sanji simultaneously gave each other the middle finger: Brrr!
Watching the surging white torrent, the two could only grit their teeth and sprint to higher ground to the side.
To make matters worse, the rabbit Laban they had just kicked away suddenly appeared with a large group of companions blocking their way, each baring its teeth and displaying its ferocious nature.
"Get out of my way! I don't have time to play with you!"
Zoro drew his sword and spun like a top.
"Three-Sword Style: Tornado!"
A powerful tornado erupted from the ground, instantly scattering the rabbits into the air.
Just then, Sanji kicked Zoro hard in the back of the head.
"Ouch!! What are you doing, you perverted cook?!"
"You idiot, green-haired moss! Haven't you made the avalanche bigger already?!"
Sanji pointed at the avalanche, which had become even more violent due to the tornado's vibrations, and roared angrily.
"What?!" Zoro turned around and his face instantly turned green.
What was originally a small landslide had now become a white tsunami.
"Damn it! Why is this weather so cold? My hands and feet are freezing!" Zoro cursed as he ran frantically.
Sanji looked at Zoro, who was still wearing only a thin short-sleeved shirt, and couldn't help but complain, "Are you an idiot? Who told you not to wear clothes?!"
"Hmph, this is training! As long as the heart is still, even raging fire is a gentle breeze, and ice is warm sunshine! Look at Luffy, he's wearing even less than me!"
Zoro pointed at Luffy, who was flying around in the air using Moonwalk, and argued.
If Luffy heard this, he'd definitely roll his eyes: "I have the Sun God Fruit, why would I be afraid of the cold?"
At that moment, Luffy, seemingly walking on air, leaped up the steep cliff in a few bounds, heading straight for the castle at the summit.
Inside the castle hall, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Kureha and Chopper were watching the group of cloaked, cryptic, uninvited guests with wary expressions.
"If you're here for medical treatment, please line up," Kureha said, having just returned from surgery, still holding a bottle of plum wine.
"Fate led me here, awaiting a turning point."
Hawkins, with his long, blond hair and expressionless face, fiddled with tarot cards, his eyes vacant.
The pirates behind him grinned maliciously, raising their muskets at the old man and the young boy.
Chopper, seeing the hostile intentions, roared and instantly transformed into his heavy infantry form, fiercely blocking Kureha's path.
The pirates, startled by the suddenly enlarged monster, retreated hastily.
Hawkins, however, remained calm, drawing a card and glancing at it: "This round, my chances of losing are 0%."
Before he finished speaking, his longsword instantly transformed into countless sharp straws, stabbing like venomous snakes at the unsuspecting Kureha!
At the same time, a piercing roar echoed from the summit of Drum Peak.
Luffy, leisurely climbing to the top, stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing instantly.
He abruptly looked up towards the castle, his dark pupils transforming into purple Rinnegan.
Boom!
The rocks beneath his feet shattered instantly, and Luffy shot into the sky like an arrow, accompanied by a sonic boom.
In the blink of an eye, Luffy stood in the castle's main hall.
The scene before him made his pupils shrink: 'Hawkins?'
According to the original timeline, this guy shouldn't be here.
In the center of the hall, Chopper, having swallowed three Rumble Balls, had completely gone berserk, transforming into a gigantic monster, wildly swinging its massive claws.
In a corner, Kureha lay in a pool of blood, her life hanging in the balance.
"Is this the butterfly effect?"
Luffy's eyes were icy.
At this moment, Hawkins had transformed into a giant scarecrow, his ten fingers turning into long, black nails. With a casual swing, he left a deep, bone-revealing gash on Chopper's body.
"Straw Blade!"
The straw sword in Hawkins' hand curved strangely, waving around Chopper's defenses like a wave, aiming straight for his heart.
At this critical moment...
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A ferocious fire dragon roared out, instantly reducing the grass sword to ashes!
"Who goes there?"
Hawkins whirled around, meeting Luffy's gaze as he hovered in mid-air, his clothes fluttering.
"You've got some nerve, daring to touch even my appointed ship's doctor?"
Luffy's voice seemed to emanate from the depths of hell, carrying a chilling aura.
"Naval Supernova, Monkey D. Luffy."
Hawkins showed no surprise upon seeing Luffy. "Fate is indeed absolute. You, the variable, have ultimately been drawn here by the threads of destiny."
He muttered incantations like a charlatan, while his crew looked at their captain with fanatical eyes, as if gazing upon a god.
Luffy glanced at the irrational Chopper and the heavily injured Kureha, then slowly landed.
He slammed his hands on the ground: "Summoning Jutsu!"
The white smoke dissipated, and the Six Paths of Pain descended once more.
The Deva Path of Pain walked expressionlessly to Chopper, pressing one hand down.
A terrifying repulsive force erupted instantly, pinning the gigantic Chopper to the floor, rendering him immobile.
"Wake up, that old woman is waiting for you to save her," the Deva Path said coldly.
Meanwhile, the Animal Path had already summoned Cerberus, a giant centipede, and a rhinoceros, completely blocking the hall.
The Asura Path, utterly devoid of martial ethics, unleashed countless launch ports all over its body, raining down miniature missiles upon the Hawkins Pirates like a storm.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Run! It's a bomb rain!"
Explosions erupted one after another, instantly inflicting heavy casualties on Hawkins's crew, leaving a trail of cries of despair.
Luffy raised an eyebrow, watching the disheveled Hawkins dodge: "Didn't your tarot cards tell you to run away with your tail between your legs when you encounter me?"
Hawkins's expression turned grave: "You are someone who shouldn't exist in this world, someone 'outside of fate.'"
Luffy chuckled: "You could even predict that? Too bad, you fool. No matter how much your Devil Fruit ability divines, it can't foresee someone above fate like me."
Luffy didn't bother with further words. With a thought, the Six Paths of Pain charged forward simultaneously.
The Deva Path conjured a black rod in its hand, accelerating with the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei, instantly transforming it into a black lightning bolt that pierced Hawkins's chest.
Hawkins remained calm: "Useless, I'm immortal."
A small straw doll fell from his body, its neck severed.
Damage transfer.
Meanwhile, a pirate in the corner suddenly collapsed, clutching his chest; a strange, gaping hole appeared in his heart.
Luffy watched this coldly: "Let's see how many lives you have to squander."
Shura Path raised his arm, his fist severing from his wrist and shooting out in flames.
Monster Arm Rocket!
The terrifying impact was enough to shatter rock.
Hawins dodged to the side, his fist slamming heavily into the wall behind him, creating a large hole.
The next second, the fist, guided by chakra, automatically flew back into Shura Path's hand.
"A cyborg?"
Hawins frowned; this level of technology was completely beyond his comprehension.
Shura Path didn't stop; another string of homing missiles fired from the cut on his wrist.
Flames shot into the sky, and Hawkins was blasted back.
Seeing the Six Paths of Pain closing in, Hawkins knew he could no longer hold back.
He tossed his tarot cards into the air, his sharp eyes locking onto one of them.
"Transformation - Scarecrow Card!"
With a roar, countless straws surged from his body, instantly transforming into a gigantic straw golem!
Luffy was somewhat surprised: "You've developed your Devil Fruit to this extent so early?"
"No, rather than developing it, it's more like being parasitized by the fruit. How pathetic."
Hawins ignored this, drawing another card, his face beaming with elation.
"Fate favors me!"
The card flipped over; it was a sword upright.
"Swords One - Upright!"
A purple light flashed, and a giant sword materialized in the straw golem's hand, slashing fiercely towards the Path of Asura with a whistling sound.
Shura Path crossed his arms to block, but the monstrous force was too great, and his puppet body was instantly shattered.
Hawkins smirked: "See that? This is the power of fate! Accept death, Monkey D. Luffy!"
The giant sword, its momentum undiminished, hurtled towards Luffy's head.
Just then, a chubby figure stepped in front of Luffy.
The Preta Path stretched out its hands, and the giant sword formed from Devil Fruit energy began to melt the moment it made contact, being continuously absorbed into the Preta Path's body!
"What?!"
Hawkins's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; this completely defied logic.
Pain, the Deva Path, coldly watched him, slowly raising his palm.
"Shinra Tensei!"
BOOM!!
A terrifying repulsive wave erupted instantly from the Deva Path.
Hawkins's massive straw body was like paper, instantly blasted into countless fragments by this unparalleled force.
This was a divine technique that could even suppress the Nine-Tails' rampage for a moment; how could a mere Supernova possibly withstand it?
To Luffy's surprise, the Preta Path could actually absorb the energy attacks generated by Devil Fruits.
If it could even absorb Haki, then he could basically roam freely in this world from now on.
Hawkins, pale-faced, crawled out of the ruins: "Impossible! How could my straw golem be so easily defeated!"
He drew cards again, refusing to believe it.
"Death Reversed!"
An eerie purple light enveloped the entire area. The scattered straws seemed to come alive, gathering together once more—the straw golem was resurrected!
Hawkins drew two more cards, his hands trembling with excitement.
"Death Upright! The Hierophant Reversed!"
A burst of blood shot into the sky. The resurrected straw golem grew larger, its weapon transforming into a monstrous scythe of death.
Hawkins laughed maniacally: "See? I'm unkillable! This is fate!"
"Oh? You even know the resurrection coin tactic?"
Luffy looked at him mockingly. "But, are you the only one who can resurrect?"
The Hell Path had somehow summoned a gigantic Yama head, its mouth agape. The previously shattered Asura Path emerged perfectly intact, not even a speck of paint missing.
"This...how is this possible?"
Hawkins' smile froze on his face; his composure completely crumbled.
Luffy didn't give him a chance to contemplate life.
The Animal Path commanded the rhinoceros to charge, the Asura Path unleashed its full power, and the Deva Path unleashed a barrage of ninjutsu.
Hawkins frantically swung his scythe, completely overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught.
"Why?! Why didn't the Tarot cards foresee this?!"
Hawkins roared, his straw dolls falling one by one; his number of Stands was rapidly dwindling.
A pillar of fire engulfed him, and one doll fell.
A laser beam pierced through him, and another doll fell.
Hawkins gritted his teeth: "I'm immortal! I've prepared countless Stands like this! You can't kill me!"
"Is that so? Then try this."
Luffy sneered.
Just as Hawkins was struggling to deal with the attacks from the front, the Human Path appeared behind him like a ghost.
A cold hand pressed down on Hawkins' head.