From inside the hole, Drake crawled out, spat a mouthful of blood, fixed his gaze on Hawkins, and shouted:
"Survival rates are determined by ourselves, not by you!"
"Exactly!"
Killer spun his scythe, clearly imbued with Haki, and shattered all the attacking straw points.
Gee!!
A piercing sound like someone plucking strings arose, accompanied by a series of explosions, causing the straw net enveloping Apoo to blow apart.
"Spin Disc: Blast!"
Boom!!
Hawkins's body and the long sword hovering in the air exploded as well, the massive shockwave causing him to sway slightly, and the sword dangling with straw ceased its motion.
"Still trying to struggle?"
Hawkins gripped the sword, swung it sideways, and the straw contracted, transforming back into a long sword.
"Perhaps you can surrender, and I'll personally tell the Captain that surrendering early or late makes little difference for you, because... Kaido is bound to lose."
The prediction was rarely wrong, no, should say never wrong; it was only a matter of probability.
But this time, the prediction of the outcome showed Kaido's fate was defeat, and the victor was their Captain.
"Hahaha! Come off it!"
Killer gave a strange laugh and charged again, his spinning scythe attacking aggressively.
Hawkins shook his head, sidestepped with a flash, and held his long sword horizontally, catching the two scythes. Then, his body bent to the left, lifting a leg high across like a descending iron whip, hitting Killer's neck heavily.
"Tekkai: Heavy Whip!"
Bam!
The heavy kick forced Killer to kneel on the ground, his head knocking against the floor, cracking his hard mask.
Bam!
Before Killer could react, Hawkins kicked again, hitting Killer's chin and sending him flying, sliding a distance along the ground.
He retracted his leg and spoke calmly: "Underestimating me like any ordinary Ability User will cause you to suffer. My Body Techniques aren't as weak as you imagined."
"Tekkai?"
Drake's pupils shrank, "You know Six Styles?"
There were Pirates on the seas who used 'Soru' and 'Moon Step'; after all, these are extremely useful techniques. Once the physique reaches a certain level, mastering these techniques allows usage, but knowing Tekkai...
This technique was exclusive to the Navy, and if anyone else used it, it meant they've systematically learned the Six Styles.
What is going on?
Drake knew the Disaster Pirates had many infiltrators, but which spy would divulge the Six Styles? Isn't that exposure?
Who taught him?
Hawkins smirked slightly, "Not exactly proficient, but capable. The Six Styles are indeed useful, not exclusive to your Navy."
"I'm not Navy, stop speaking nonsense." Drake denied it again.
Hawkins chuckled lightly without saying anything, just a faint shadow appearing in his eyes.
The Six Styles, it naturally gets learned under certain conditions.
And what constitutes these conditions?
Of course, it's the growth of physiques under Sage's training.
Leading Hawkins, who maintained elegance all along, having to start refining his physique under Sage's tutelage, gradually learning it.
Yet it's somewhat arduous...
He still remembers sometimes Sage would jokingly ask him.
"Hawkins, predict, can you keep your elegance today?"
"Old Haw, predict, guess which side of your face I hit today."
"Hey, guess if your left leg gets broken today."
That blatant oppression and threats, sometimes, are enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Training?
How is that not just getting beat?
Among the high-ranking officers present, who hasn't been beaten by Sage?
Even Lily, when training with Sage, sometimes got injured; if it weren't for Hogback, the renowned doctor, their recovery would have taken longer.
But that's combat for you, if you want to fight, first learn to take hits, especially for those skilled in Body Techniques.
Pain can also train the will.
Long-term body pounding, Tekkai gets learned effortlessly.
Swordsman?
Swordsmen aren't any different.
Without a good physique, how can one swing a sword effectively? Others continue fighting after being slashed, yet you collapse after one hit, what kind of swordsman is that?
Whether frail exist on the seas, Hawkins doesn't know, but in the Disaster Pirates, none are frail; even Renedia now tentatively engages in some training, and Las, two years younger, due to being a boy and possessing a highly resilient racial trait of the Demon Race, engages in relentless training day and night.
Surviving training means, even without these substitutions, Hawkins isn't the kind easily struck down.
"Hunting Ground!"
Upon getting the answer, Drake dove in again. Hawkins glanced over, pressing with his sword, but suddenly, the diving Dragon Man vanished into a shadow, appearing from Hawkins's side, sword and axe crossed in attack.
"Rice Straw Hand-Prepared Blade."
Clang!
As the long sword swung out, Hawkins's calm voice turned it into agile straw, swinging sideways, catching the intersection of sword and axe, swiftly extending upwards, its tip thrusting at Drake's head.
The latter quickly retreated, flipping on the spot, the axe in his left hand cutting the straw, creating sparks while sending it sideways, simultaneously striking the top with his slender sword, stopping the straw.
"Rankyaku!"
"Rankyaku!"
The sound echoed simultaneously.
Both Drake and Hawkins kicked, and the slash burst at the center between them.
"You still claim you aren't Navy?"
Hawkins said: "Soru isn't surprising, but Rankyaku, on the seas, besides us, only the World Government and Navy possess it."
"That sort of thing..."
Drake grinned against the advancing straw and suddenly said: "Isn't what you should be focusing on now!"
"Blast!"
Bang!
An explosion occurred on Hawkins's face, causing a Pirate's head to blast, leaving a charred patch.
During the enveloping smoke, Killer burst forth beside Drake, jumping fiercely, swinging two rotating scythes, producing large shadows that hit Hawkins as they cut downwards.
"Giant Scythe Spin: Sonic Cutting! Hahaha!"
Slash slash slash!
Whether it was supersonic, nobody knew, but the spinning speed was indeed swift, quickly fragmenting the Pirate bodies outside the hole, lying in the corridor, instantly killing a bunch.
"Yohoo!"
Apoo clenched his fists, revealing teeth akin to piano keys, "Realize the severity now!"
His long hands emitted a sound like a flute, quickly exploding on Hawkins, powerfully drumming his chest.
Bang!
Hawkins's grip on the long sword also exploded, the impact forcing him to loosen, letting the sword fall.
Clang!
Taking advantage, Drake quickly flicked away the straw sword, rapidly advancing, weapons imbued with Haki, fiercely slashing.
"149 lives in your arsenal, but you can't evade our attack. You're losing..."
Thud!
Before he finished, a javelin-like straw covered with Haki pierced his chest.
Phew!
More straw shot from the smoke, quickly piercing Drake's shoulders, elbows, wrists, thighs, knees, and shins, ferociously pinning him to the ground.
Thud thud!!
Killer in midair, and Apoo enjoying the battle afar, all struck by straw shooting from the smoke, pierced through their limbs like Drake.
Apoo got pinned to the floor, while straw carried Killer charging towards the wall, fixing him there.
Bang!
His body hit the wall, followed by more jet-black straw that pierced his mask, revealing a face with a bizarre smile.
"Demon-Subduing Aspect."
Within the smoke, Hawkins's body suddenly grew immense, a sudden rhythm blew away the smoke, revealing the horrifying straw form.
"109 lives, not bad."
The straw figure condensed a large amount of straw, linking to those individuals.
"Worthy of starting the dance..."
Hawkins extended the straw hand with coffin nails, slowly saying: "Willow Dance."