"Huh?"
At that moment, Killer sensed something amiss with X Drake, who was locked in combat with him.
X Drake's gaze seemed unfocused on the battle, occasionally flickering behind Killer as if something there had captured his attention.
A sense of foreboding surged in Killer.
In a life-or-death battle, a distraction meant seeking death.
Unless… behind him, a stronger presence was emerging.
Because he sensed that powerful aura, X Drake had to divert part of his attention.
In the blink of an eye, just as Killer realized something was wrong, X Drake erupted with even more power without warning.
This force surged forward, crashing toward Killer.
Caught off guard, Killer felt a massive impact slam into him, throwing him backward.
After stumbling back seven or eight meters, Killer's right foot stomped down hard.
With a dull sound, the solid ground beneath his foot caved into a crater.
Using the impact force, Killer managed to steady himself.
However, even though he had regained his footing, he understood that X Drake held a slight advantage in raw strength.
Though this advantage wasn't particularly significant—after all, while he had been thrown back, X Drake clearly hadn't come out unscathed either.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
X Drake used the recoil force, his leg muscles tensing before releasing. With a push of his feet, he shot backward.
In an instant, X Drake landed steadily more than twenty meters away from his original position.
Yet X Drake merely gazed behind him, as if trying to pierce through the darkness.
Then, without hesitation, he turned around and sprinted away, not once looking back.
"Fleeing" described his actions perfectly.
"Not good!"
Killer's heart jolted, a chill rising from his spine. His face paled, drained of color.
If his earlier perception of danger had been speculative, that suspicion was now confirmed.
Behind him stood a presence so strong that even the fearless X Drake chose to flee.
If someone like X Drake would flee in the face of such an enemy, what about himself?
Killer didn't dare to dwell on the thought further; the idea made his heart race.
He instinctively turned his head, wanting to witness what kind of being could possess such power.
His legs bent slightly as they prepared to exert force.
It was an instinctive survival response. But just as his head turned, before he could clearly see the situation, a shadowy figure appeared beside him.
The speed of the movement made it nearly impossible to track. His legs had already exerted force, and he was leaping into the air.
Yet, a slender hand landed on his shoulder with unnatural ease.
In that instant, Killer felt an immense force—like a mountain crushing an egg—surge through him, pinning him firmly in place.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't move an inch. Time seemed to freeze, and the surrounding air grew heavy, making it hard to breathe.
"Hiss..."
Right then, he widened his eyes, straining to see who had arrived.
He saw a figure wearing a well-tailored suit that accentuated his upright posture.
Draped over his shoulders was the distinctive "Justice" cloak of a Vice Admiral, fluttering in the wind.
However, when Killer's gaze shifted to the rank insignia on the cloak, a chill shot up his spine.
"Admiral Candidate?" Killer screamed inwardly.
He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
It was as if time had frozen, and everything around him fell into silence.
Finally, his eyes focused on the newcomer's face.
His pupils contracted, and his body stiffened on the spot.
Within the Navy system, there were three famously formidable Admiral Candidates: Tokikake, Momousagi, and Lancelot the Golden Dragon.
Although Tokikake and Momousagi were veteran Admiral Candidates, in terms of sheer power, Lancelot the Golden Dragon was the strongest.
After all, he was capable of fighting evenly with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors who ruled the seas.
If one had to encounter any of these three, no one would want to face Lancelot.
Yes, the newcomer was indeed Lancelot.
At that moment, Lancelot pinned Killer down with one hand and spoke in an unquestionable tone.
"Being a pirate has no future. Why not join me? I can't promise the highest positions, but a Rear Admiral is guaranteed. In the future, becoming a Vice Admiral in the main fleet is a certainty. Isn't that much better than being a pirate?"
"Ah?"
Killer froze, never expecting the other to extend an invitation.
But he quickly realized—this guy in front of him had a habit of recruiting pirates under his command.
Yet he felt no joy at all, because this guy only had two ways of dealing with pirates.
Either recruit them, or kill them outright.
There was no third option.
...
Not far away, a figure stood quietly, toying with a deck of Tarot cards.
Lancelot had noticed him long ago and cast a glance in his direction.
He saw a man with flowing golden hair, a slender build, six distinctive vertical lines on his forehead, armor on his left arm, and a black cross tattoo on his Adam's apple.
He wore black trousers paired with an open-collared white shirt with frills.
His eyebrows were straight lines, and his eyes, mouth, and nose all conveyed a melancholic and intimidating appearance.
He was Hawkins, one of the Supernovas who landed on the Sabaody Archipelago, with a bounty of 249 million Berries at the time, ranking third among the Supernovas, only behind Kid and Luffy.
His epithet was "Magician," yet he was a fortune-teller obsessed with divination, making all decisions based on the results of his readings.
He had a calm and reserved personality, remaining composed in any situation, giving off an impression of strategic mastery.
His voice was deep and powerful.
At the moment, he was using divination to determine his next course of action.
His Paramecia-type Straw-Straw Fruit allowed him to fight using straw dolls.
The Ability User can transfer damage to others through the voodoo dolls to negate attacks.
The Ability User themselves can transform into a giant straw doll and can also manifest a giant straw entity by wielding a weapon.
They can also influence the situation and power levels of both allies and enemies by drawing Tarot cards, but must bear high risks as a consequence.
"Interesting!"
Seeing this, to be honest, he had always been curious about one thing. What was the connection between this guy's ability and divination?
To some extent, this was also a form of future prediction ability, quite remarkable.
"Soru..."
The next second, both Lancelot and Killer vanished from their spots.
Basil Hawkins' pupils contracted sharply in the distance, yet he still didn't flee.
No, he didn't even move a muscle.
In the next instant, Lancelot appeared before Basil Hawkins, holding Killer by the scruff.
Seeing Basil Hawkins standing there completely motionless, Lancelot grew even more intrigued.
"X Drake runs at the sight of me, but you... remain perfectly still. Do you believe I won't lay a hand on you? Or have you resigned yourself to fate and given up resisting?"
Hawkins, however, widened his eyes in awe.
To carry Killer while moving with such swiftness was truly awe-inspiring!
As for Killer, who was being carried by Lancelot, he felt utterly wretched.
In that split second, Lancelot had shifted his grip from the shoulder to the back of his neck, hoisting him up without giving him any chance to resist.
Just as a tense and delicate atmosphere enveloped the two, Hawkins was the first to break the silence and react.
His eyes flickered briefly, as if he had instantly grasped some crucial information, but then he refocused his attention on the neatly arranged Tarot cards before him.
Hawkins spoke in his characteristically steadfast tone, "From the very moment I first laid eyes on you, I began calculating all possible scenarios."
Hearing this, Lancelot raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face as he pressed,
"Oh? Then how exactly did you deduce that I wouldn't strike you down?"
At this point, the previously silent Basil Hawkins gently shook his head.
"Not exactly. Although my calculations show an 87% probability of my survival, there remains a 13% chance of death. Therefore, the outcome isn't entirely certain. Whether I live or die ultimately hinges on every choice I make from here on out!"
However, in the midst of their conversation, a sudden, icy glint sharply reflected into Basil Hawkins' eyes.
Instinctively, he swiftly glanced toward the source of the light.
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