"Cough, cough..."
The merchant with the gold-rimmed glasses coughed violently a few times before finally being able to speak, trembling as he said, "Lord Hanafuda! You've misunderstood. It's not that the royal family is too slow in arriving; it's just that this country's territory is simply too vast!"
His caravan had traveled far and wide, visiting many places. Looking at the entire world, Alabasta's land area was among the largest.
From the capital Alubana to the mouth of the Sandora River, even riding the fastest running duck, traveling day and night, it would take at least a whole day!
Moreover, the several transmissions of information and the royal family's reaction would also take time.
"Oh, I see!"
Hanafuda suddenly realized, clicking his tongue as he twirled his scythe in his palm. "It's all my fault for spending too much time in the New World these past few years; I almost forgot that there was such a large country in Paradise."
He narrowed his eyes, looking at the distant horizon where yellow sand filled the sky, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"...Since the distance is so far, it's understandable that the royal family is slow to arrive."
"Yes, Lord Hanafuda." The merchant with the gold-rimmed glasses had just breathed a sigh of relief when Hanafuda suddenly leaned down, the tip of her scythe pressed against his throat:
"But I don't have the patience to wait that long!!!"
"--My lord..." The merchant trembled, "You've been waiting for almost a whole day, the remaining time won't be long, I estimate at most three... no, two hours, and they'll be here!"
Hanafuda turned to look at the end of the river, the desert heat distorting the distant scenery, still without a trace of the royal guard.
Two or three more hours?
"Tsk, looks like I'll have to add some spice."
Hanafuda licked her lips and suddenly said, "Jack!"
"Here!"
The blond, muscular young man immediately straightened his back, revealing a height exceeding eight meters.
"Go, pick a few merchants, slit their bellies and bleed them, hang them on the mast. For every ten minutes I have to wait, throw another merchant up."
Hanafuda grinned. "Since they think the road is too far, let the smell of blood travel further, see if we can scare those cowardly royals out sooner!"
Bleeding?
Jack scratched his head. He'd only ever bled chickens and ducks before, never humans.
He hesitated, but since it was Hanafuda's order… he finally pulled out a weapon from behind his back, similar to Hanafuda's, a huge scythe, and strode towards the bound merchants.
The merchants were terrified and struggled desperately, but the ropes were too tight, it was useless.
"Lord Hanafuda!"
Someone cried out in grief and indignation, "Many people will die like this! We haven't offended you, why do you have to do this!"
"Yes! What did the royal family do to offend you that they need such ruthless methods?"
The royal family?
Hanafuda sneered, about to say something, when a beautiful, slender figure hurried up from behind, offering a Den Den Mushi with both hands:
"Lord Hanafuda, a phone call, it's from the Alabasta Royal Family!"
"Hmm?"
Hanafuda raised an eyebrow, took the Den Den Mushi, the ferocity on his face slightly fading, replaced by a playful smile.
"Hello?" he spoke lazily, his tone tinged with mockery, "Finally decided to contact me? King Cobra?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, then a deep, serious voice came through:
"Mr. Hanafuda, this is Ikaram, captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard."
Hanafuda's smile immediately turned cold.
"A mere captain of the guards dares to speak to me?"
He scoffed. "What, is that old man Cobra feeling guilty? He doesn't even have the courage to speak to me personally?"
"His Majesty the King is currently seriously ill and unable to leave."
Icarum's voice remained calm, but a hint of tension could be heard. "However, to show our sincerity, a reception team led by our only princess, Her Highness Vivi, is already heading at full speed towards the river mouth!"
"They will arrive within two hours at most. Regarding your sudden arrival in our country and the blocking of the Sandora River, although the royal family does not know the reason, we hope to do our utmost to reach a reconciliation with you."
"A reconciliation?"
Hanafuda laughed as if he had heard a joke.
The next moment, his smile vanished, the tip of his scythe lightly tapping the deck. He said expressionlessly,
"Fine, hand over the two Devil Fruits Crocodile owes me, and I'll leave immediately, without interfering with your kingdom's business with these caravans."
"Devil Fruits?"
Icarum was taken aback, his voice clearly tinged with surprise when he spoke again:
"We don't have any Devil Fruits... From what you're saying, you had an unfinished deal with Lord Crocodile, which wasn't completed because of his unexpected death? But why are you asking us for them?"
"Why?"
Hanafuda's forehead veins bulged as he roared,
"Stop playing dumb! Everyone on this sea knows how close Crocodile and your Alabasta royal family are, they're practically inseparable!"
"Moreover!"
Hanafuda angrily added, "From the very beginning, Crocodile used your royal family's name to buy weapons from me! That guy doesn't even have any subordinates; what does he need so many weapons and equipment for? Isn't it obvious he's procuring them for your royal guard?"
"These past few months, I've delivered all the weapons on time, but what's the result? What's the result?"
"The result? The two Zoan-type Devil Fruits you promised me in exchange haven't been delivered yet! Crocodile is dead! If I don't come to your royal family to collect my debt, who else can I go to? Huh? Who! Answer me!!"
Silence fell again on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Ikaram seemed to want to say something, but the receiver was snatched away: "...It's alright, Ikaram, let me talk to him myself!"
"Hello?"
A young girl's voice came from the receiver:
"I am Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom. Hello, Lord Hanafuda. Regarding what you just mentioned, I think there's some misunderstanding."
Hanafuda narrowed her eyes.
Princess Vivi?
She seemed to be just a little girl about the same age as his daughter, Ulti.
What could a kid that age possibly know?
He thought disdainfully, but still spoke coldly, "Oh? Little girl, tell me, what misunderstanding could there be?"
"First of all, the royal family has never commissioned Crocodile to purchase any weapons. Secondly, the royal family was completely unaware of the so-called Devil Fruit deal he made with you."
Princess Vivi's voice, though childish, carried an undeniable firmness.
"I swear on both points, on behalf of my father and the 800-year reputation of the Nefit family, that this is absolutely not true!"
"In fact, we should thank you for the information you inadvertently revealed, which made us suspicious of Crocodile's true motives for his long-term activities in Alabasta. The royal family has already sent people to investigate the truth, and we will inform you as soon as we have the results..."
"Too much nonsense!"
Hanafuda impatiently picked at his ear. "What are you talking about? Truth and motives? I don't care about those things! I just want to know those two Zoan-type Devil Fruits... no, after wasting so much of my time, it should be three now!"
"In short, can your royal family give them to me or not!"
He suddenly swung his scythe, and a huge wave of energy slashed out.
Boom!
A merchant ship not far away was instantly cut in half and exploded, the merchants and sailors falling into the water with cries of panic.
"Did you hear that melodious scream? This self-proclaimed capable little princess?"
Hanafuda grinned.
"My patience is limited. Whether you can get to the river mouth in time or not, as long as you haven't collected all the Devil Fruits I need, from now on, I'll destroy one ship every ten minutes until the royal family hands them over!"
*Snap*, ignoring Vivi's reaction, Hanafuda hung up the phone expressionlessly.
He looked at the dumbfounded Jack and frowned.
"What are you standing there for? My previous orders still apply. Move!"
Jack finally snapped out of his daze.
"Yes, Boss Hanafuda!"
Just as Jack reached out to grab the first unlucky soul..
Whoosh!
A vine made of smoke suddenly extended rapidly, wrapping around Jack's wrist and pulling him violently!
*Boom!*
He was flung away, crashing heavily onto the ship's side, the wooden railing shattering instantly!
Dust billowed as Jack's massive body tumbled several times on the edge of the deck before regaining his balance and avoiding falling into the sea.
"Who is it!"
Jack jumped to his feet, furiously looking around. "Who! Which bastard dares to ambush me like that!"
"..."
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, as if sensing something, and turned to look towards the river mouth.
Upon seeing the scene before him, he raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his expression:
"It looks a bit like that Aokiji from the Navy. What kind of ability is that?"
On the wide Santorini River, a crystal-clear path of frost had somehow formed.
Amidst the swirling chill, seven figures strode across the ice.
The merchant ships, which had been fleeing in terror, couldn't help but stop and look back.
"I'm just following the captain's orders. What, you have a problem with that?"
A deep voice rang out from the white-haired figure on the far right. He had a cigar in his mouth, tilted his head slightly, and met Jack's angry gaze indifferently.
To his left, the crew members stood in a row.
Red-Leg Zeff crossed his arms, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's;
The black-haired Robin had lowered eyes, a faint smile on her lips;
Kuina pressed one hand to her Wado Ichimonji, her eyes as sharp as knives.
Two girls stood on either side of the center: a blue-haired girl exuded an icy aura, and an orange-haired girl had flames burning on her head. In the very center stood a black-haired boy walking slowly.
Shanu had his hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent. The massive pirate ship blocking the river like a mountain, exuding immense pressure, seemed nonexistent to him.
After seeing his face clearly, the surrounding merchant ships erupted in an uproar.
"Hey, are you kidding me? Those guys are..."
"That's right! It's that group!"
"How come they're here too... Let's go, let's go!"
"A clash of this level, if we get caught in it, we're doomed!"
Amidst the panicked whispers around them, Shanu slightly raised his head, his gaze passing over Jack and landing directly on Hanafuda:
"Hey, that Shichibukai."
"Listening to all your nonsense, threatening merchant ships and the royal family, it's very troublesome. It seems... there's an easier path right in front of you."
"An easier path?"
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, twirling his scythe in his palm, a sinister smile spreading across his lips.
"Kid, tell me, what's your plan?"
Shanu stepped forward across the ice, his crew following closely behind, their aura growing increasingly steady and powerful.
"It's simple."
He raised his head, his dark eyes fixed on Hanafuda, grinning:
"Just come find me, isn't that enough?"
"...?"
Hanafuda's expression froze slightly, then he burst into maniacal laughter, "Hahahaha! Find you? A brat who hasn't even grown his first hair? Who do you think you are?!"
He swung his scythe fiercely, the blade pointing directly at Shanu!
"Who are you? Crocodile owes me a debt, what's it to you?!"
These words uttered.
The entire massive pirate ship fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sound of the sea breeze.
Shanu and the others on the ice froze.
The entire Hanafuda Pirates' officers and crew stood frozen in place, as if petrified.
Only Jack stood there, scythe in hand, looking completely bewildered.
Didn't Boss Hanafuda deliver that tough line so coolly and perfectly? Why is everyone reacting like this?
"Uh, Hanafuda-sama, don't you recognize him…"
The slender female cadre who had previously retrieved the Den Den Mushi swallowed hard, cautiously leaning close to Hanafuda's ear and whispering,
"Um… the newspaper I gave you last time, did you throw it away without reading it carefully?"
"Newspaper?"
Hanafuda frowned. "What do you mean? You've been following me for so long, don't you know I can't read? When did I learn to read that crap!"
"But you can at least understand the wanted posters on it…"
Cold sweat beaded on the female cadre's forehead. "It's those few photos tucked inside the front-page special edition of last month's World Economic News…"
"I'm face-blind!"
Hanafuda toyed with his scythe, impatiently saying, "I can't remember them even if I read them. Damn it, what's with all the rambling? Just say what you want to say, or shut up!"
"Yes…"
The female cadre jolted, stealing a glance at the black-haired boy on the ice, and whispered:
"Boss, this guy is Shanu, the one who killed Crocodile, the super rookie with a bounty of 540 million Berries..."
Huh?
Hanafuda's expression froze instantly.
The scythe in his palm stopped spinning abruptly.
"..."
Hanafuda's pupils contracted, staring intently at the black-haired boy on the ice. "Shanu...you're the captain of the Curtainfall Pirates, the Grand Sword Master Shanu?"
"To correct you, it's the Curtainfall Adventures."
Shanu sighed, rubbing his temples. "Illiterate and face-blind...do I really have to fight an idiot like you? It feels like bullying a moron..."
"Stop talking big!!!"
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Hanafuda's forehead, but he quickly regained his arrogant demeanor, sneering:
"Heh, a brat who just entered the Grand Line, killed Crocodile, what, you think your strength is enough to challenge all the Shichibukai?"
"I'm Hanafuda! A man with a bounty of 500 million five years ago, not like Crocodile, a clown who's lost his fighting spirit and just hides in the desert playing the hero!"
He gripped his scythe tightly, his gaze gradually turning cold and menacing:
"However, what you said earlier was correct. Crocodile couldn't deliver the order because you killed him. This mess is definitely your fault!"
"Now that you've shown yourself, are you planning to give me three Zoan-type Devil Fruits, or do you want me to cut off your arms and legs to vent my anger as compensation?"
"What if I don't want either?" Shanu said with a smile.
"How arrogant, brat..."
Hanafuda sneered, "It seems you're really determined to challenge me. Then let me show you my strength!!"
Swish!
He stomped his heel and leaped up, swinging his scythe as he descended from the sky, slashing fiercely at the black-haired boy on the ice below.
"Challenge?"
Shanu raised his head slightly, looking at the huge scythe that was cleaving down with terrifying wind pressure, a mocking smile slowly curving his lips.
Snap.
Only when the scythe was almost embedded in his face did he finally make his move. To Hanafuda's astonishment, he easily grasped the blade with just his left hand.
"I said, are you mistaken about something..."
The sharp edge of the scythe was only an inch away from Shanu's brow, but it couldn't go any further, that long, powerful hand simply and firmly gripped the blade, without even using Armament Haki.
This guy's strength is actually that great?
Hanafuda's pupils shrank sharply, and at the same time, he suddenly noticed that the other's free right hand had somehow clenched into a fist.
Boom!
In the next instant, the fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, slammed heavily into Hanafuda's abdomen, and a terrifying shockwave exploded out like ripples!
Hanafuda's eyes bulged instantly, and blood gushed from his mouth!
"Ugh!!!"
His body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing through the sails of several merchant ships, and finally crashing heavily into the desert on the right bank of the river, raising a cloud of dust.
Shanu's calm voice rang out at that moment:
"Clearly, you're the challenger."
The entire mouth of the Sandora River fell silent.
Jack and the rest of the pirate crew were stunned, while the civilians on the merchant ship stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the scene.
Hanafuda, one of the Shichibukai, a former pirate with a bounty of 500 million Berries, had been sent flying with a single punch?!
"Oh, is he dead?"
Robin seemed unsurprised, turning her head and asking with a smile.
"Not really," Smoker replied, cigar in mouth. "A few others might not have been able to withstand that punch from the captain, but this guy was once a top member of the Beasts Pirates, a sworn brother of Kaido. He's the kind of person with thick skin and tough flesh; he won't be defeated so easily."
As if to emphasize the accuracy of his words,
the next moment...
Rumble!!!
The entire desert on the right bank of the river suddenly trembled violently, like the shudder of an ancient beast awakening.
"Hey!"
"What's going on? What's happening? What's that noise?!"
On the merchant ship closest to the riverbank, the sailors stared wide-eyed in terror.
Before them, the once calm sand was now like a boiling cauldron of oil, the yellow sand churning and surging like waves!
"Roar!!!"
A deafening roar suddenly tore through the heatwave, the sound waves rippling in the air!
A colossal creature burst forth from the sand, the sandstorm it created instantly obscuring half the sky.
It was a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, over twenty meters long.
Its body was covered in jet-black scales, and with a sweep of its thick tail, it snapped several poplar trees in half. In its gaping maw, its gleaming white teeth gleamed coldly.
Turning his head, upon seeing the black-haired boy on the riverbank, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's eyes instantly filled with ferocity and savagery:
"You bastard... brat, you've completely enraged me! Get over here!!!"
"No wonder this guy's nickname is Lizard King." Smoker frowned. "So it's an Ancient Zoan Tyrannosaurus Rex Devil Fruit. It's truly an incredibly rare find..."
He had previously encountered a guy named Drake at headquarters who also possessed a similar Devil Fruit ability, but he was only an Ancient Zoan Allosaurus, yet his strength far surpassed his own, and he was now a Major General at headquarters.
Compared to a Tyrannosaurus Rex... an Allosaurus was clearly nothing.
"It does look a bit scary."
Shanu also looked up at the enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex with great interest. Just from the transformation commotion, he almost thought he had been transported to an Ultraman movie set.
"Maybe we should just ignore this guy," Nojiko said with a grin. "The ice I formed is shallow; if he charges at us, he'll probably fall right into the sea. This form is scary, but on this shore, he's no threat at all."
Indeed.
The Snow-Snow Fruit her brother brought back was refused by Kuina, who stubbornly insisted on becoming the purest swordsman. Uncle Zeff said that a sea chef couldn't be a landlubber. Gin and Mochi were even more dismissive… so in the end, she ended up eating it.
Nojiko was quite fond of the cool effects the fruit could produce and had been diligently studying it for the past few days. She had now basically mastered it and, combining it with his fist techniques, had developed several quite powerful moves.
"We still need to manage this," Shanu grinned. "It's been a long time since I've seen such a tough guy. It's rare to find a suitable punching bag; how can I not stretch my muscles a bit?"
Oh, there was another tough guy there.
He looked at Jack on the huge black pirate ship, who was still standing there somewhat bewildered.
This guy seems to be a rookie, completely different from the Drought who dared to charge at a ship full of Marine bigwigs. He doesn't seem like a big deal.
"The Hanafuda Pirates' officers are your responsibility. Have Gin come down and help too. Be careful not to affect the merchant ships nearby."
"Don't worry, Captain, leave it to us."
Kuina nodded, then glanced back. "As for those merchant ships, don't worry. They're smart enough to have already retreated far away."
"Well, then I have no worries. I can go and have some fun with this Shichibukai."
Shanu's gaze shifted to the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Hey, kid, why aren't you coming over here!"
The Tyrannosaurus Rex stared intently at him, grinning maliciously. "Could it be that you're trembling with fear after witnessing the power of your Hanafuda-sama?!"
"People from the Beast Pirates really aren't very bright," Shanu sighed.
He slightly twisted his neck, instantly producing a series of crackling sounds like popping beans.
Crack!
The next moment, the ice surface suddenly shattered, and the black-haired boy's figure vanished from the spot in an instant!