Chapter 139: 'The Fool' Hawkins! That Golden Throne is Mine!
Chapter 139: 'The Fool' Hawkins! That Golden Throne is Mine!
At the same time.
Inside the castle.
Little Las' eyes flickered, and he found himself in a grand hall, brightly lit with candelabras that flickered like a sea of fire, illuminating the surroundings.
Each candelabra was crafted from pure gold.
A long red carpet extended from Las' feet, leading up to a dazzling sight above. Las looked up, and the sudden glare of gold caused a momentary sting in his eyes.
There, atop a golden throne, sat a strikingly handsome man, gazing down at him with keen interest.
"Your M-Majesty!"
Las swallowed, holding up the gold ore in his hand as he exclaimed, "I've found gold ore! My father is not a criminal, nor a liar, nor a thief! This gold is real!"
"I know."
Before Las could finish, the man on the golden throne interrupted with a dismissive tone, "Of course, the Golden Land exists."
Las paused, a confused look spreading across his face.
"But it exists only for me."
The man on the throne extended his hand and said, "It exists for me, King Graney of the Golden Land. Others are not worthy of knowing its existence, including you."
As he stretched out his hand, the ground suddenly lurched, forming sharp spikes that impaled the space around Las.
Just as the spikes were about to pierce Las' body, the grand doors of the hall were flung open, and a figure with golden, wavy hair swiftly approached, tossing aside the body they were carrying.
Boom!
The figure collided with Las, sending him tumbling to the ground, and the spikes impaled the body instead, turning it into a gruesome pincushion.
"Mr. Hawkins!"
Las scrambled to his feet, turning just in time to see Hawkins striding toward him.
Graney paused, a slight frown crossing his face as he glanced at the impaled figure before shaking his head. "What a disappointment. You couldn't even handle a single pirate."
"He bore the mark of death today."
Hawkins stepped closer to Las and gave him a sidelong glance to ensure he was unharmed. Then, he turned his gaze toward Graney and asked, "Are you the king of the Kingdom of Anu?"
Along with Hawkins, another figure had been transported to this place—Basil Hawkins, the 'Magician,' a notorious pirate with a high bounty. However, he hadn't encountered anyone particularly formidable. Instead, he came across someone who claimed to be the palace steward, and when this steward tried to stab him, Hawkins had quickly turned the tables and stabbed his attacker through the heart, killing him instantly.
Hawkins didn't get lost in the castle; he used his tarot cards to divine the best route and made his way straight to the royal hall, arriving just in time to see Las in danger. Without hesitation, he threw the corpse he had been carrying as a distraction.
This child was specifically requested by Sag, so of course, he had to save him if he could.
Graney regarded Hawkins with keen interest, nodding as he spoke, "I know of you, 'Magician' Basil Hawkins, a pirate with a substantial bounty on your head. It seems, however, that you sea-farers look down on those who dwell on islands. In this world, not only pirates possess strength."
Szzz!
Several spikes erupted from the ground, piercing Hawkins' body.
A smirk played at the corners of Graney's mouth. "I, too, am powerful."
"Mr. Hawkins!" Las cried out in alarm.
Despite the spikes impaling his body, Hawkins remained unaffected, stepping forward as if nothing had happened, his flesh seemingly insubstantial, passing through the spikes without harm.
However, two straw dolls appeared on his arms—one riddled with holes, and the other split open, smoking as it fell away.
Simultaneously, at the castle entrance, two unconscious soldiers stirred, one with holes appearing in their body, and the other with gaping slashes that sprayed blood.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Graney glanced at the fallen straw dolls and nodded in approval. "Not bad at all."
He remained seated on his throne, his posture relaxed as if he were evaluating a junior member of his crew.
Hawkins, unperturbed, pulled out his tarot cards and performed a quick divination, sticking down several cards. "A 99% chance of death. You, too, bear the mark of death today, just like this palace, which is destined for destruction."
"Am I, Your Majesty?"
Graney laughed heartily, his finger hooking as the ground beneath Hawkins erupted once more, transforming into spikes that impaled the pirate, leaving him no chance to react.
"You would make an excellent jester, making me laugh like this. Nonetheless, your ability is intriguing. I shall offer you a chance to survive. Pledge your loyalty to me, and I, as a king under the protection of the World Government, shall grant you my patronage. From now on, this place will be your sanctuary, and the Navy will no longer pose a threat to you."
Graney sat up straighter, his mouth stretching into a wide grin. "The Navy here demands a significant sum of gold from me each year."
Hawkins didn't respond to Graney's offer, instead once again stepping away from the spikes, his body now bearing two damaged straw dolls. He drew his sword and fixed his gaze on Graney. "My loss rate is 95%, which means I am not your match. If I don't fight you, my chances of survival are infinitely close to 100%. But if I do battle you, my chances drop to only 10%. You are strong, but—"
The divination never lied, and this palace was fated to be destroyed, with a probability of less than 1% that it would remain standing.
Understanding Hawkins could also guess that Sag would show up and finish off this king.
According to his divination, all he needed to do was wait quietly, and he wouldn't even risk injury.
Initially, he had intended to bide his time and observe. However, this fellow named Graney wanted to recruit him, which was an insult to his pride.
This was the second time.
The first time, he chose to join Sag's pirate crew because the divination results led him to that decision. At that time, he had set aside his pride once.
But Sag had persuaded him, making him wonder if he could follow along and sail with him.
Now, it was happening again.
He had already set aside his pride once, and this time, he knew that Sag would handle it, so he didn't have to choose.
But such things would continue to happen. What about the next time?
On this voyage across the sea, would he have to set aside his pride and choose the divination results every time? He liked divination, and he also liked using divination results to decide his actions, but he didn't like giving up his pride and self-respect!
Perhaps Sag was right; a one-in-ten-thousand chance was still a chance.
"My sword is also very sharp," Hawkins said, his tone carrying an unquestionable conviction.
Like Lily, his sword was a rapier, and in essence, the width of their blades was similar, with Lily's being even thinner. However, their fighting styles were completely different.
That woman named Lily was a formidable swordswoman.
As for Hawkins, he used a style of ability-based swordsmanship.
"Straw Hand Backup Sword!"
The sword transformed into a cluster of straw as Hawkins brandished it, whipping it through the air like a flail and then sending it flying like a straw-covered slashing attack.
The power of this move was not inferior to a swordsman's flying slash and was even slightly stronger.
"Interesting."
Graney shook his head, facing the rapidly approaching straw whip without moving from his seat on the throne. He merely twitched his finger, and the ground next to Hawkins erupted once more with stone spikes.
This time, Hawkins directly ran to dodge the stone spikes, waving the sword hilt to make the straw twist in the air like a snake, brushing it toward Graney's head.
Bang!
A stone wave rose from the ground, solidifying into a stone wall that withstood the straw's brushing attack, emitting a dull clang.
This caused Hawkins's pupils to narrow slightly, for while his 'Straw Hand Backup Sword' might not be able to cut through steel, it could certainly cut through ordinary stone.
Yet, when it struck this stone wall, he couldn't even find a single dent.
The hardness was completely different from those stone statue knights he had encountered before.
"Hmph, hmph, stone can also be transformed into a high-density form, and when fused together, the hardness can rival steel. Your attack power is not bad, but with just a casual wave of my hand, you can't withstand it." Graney smiled.
Hawkins's first attack missed, and he quickly waved the sword hilt, making the straw twist and coil around the stone wall, then stabbing toward Graney.
At the same time, his body lunged to the right, and as he moved, his whole body was wrapped in straw, transforming into a four-meter-tall straw man form. One hand gripped the sword while the other hand revealed five coffin nails, and the straw hand extended, resembling striking claws. The straw sword and straw claws attacked in unison, one on the left and one on the right.
Simultaneously, he opened his mouth and sprayed out a large number of coffin nails, like gunfire.
Graney lightly moved his finger, and the stone wall once again transformed into a stone wave. As the ground continuously surged with new stone waves, they wrapped around him, forming a fan-shaped stone wave that withstood all these attacks.
The stone wave then enclosed upon itself like a beast's mouth, trapping the straw sword and straw arm within the stone, as if they had fused into one.
Hawkins gave a sharp tug, but when he couldn't pull it free, he chose to sever it instead. Chi! With a sharp sound, he tore off his left arm, and at the same time, the straw on the sword body also fell off, retracting back toward him.
A one-armed straw doll dropped from his body.
The sixth one.
Just now, he had expended four, and before that, when dealing with that dead butler, he had also expended one. Up to now, a total of six.
Pu!
But just at this moment, a stone spike shot out from the stone wall, piercing Hawkins's head, and a straw doll with a pierced head dropped out.
The seventh one.
The stone wall split open, revealing Graney sitting on his throne as he observed Hawkins with interest. "That was a substitute, right? It can block damage for you? It's a very interesting ability, but I'd really like to know how many times you can use it."
Hawkins pulled at the stone spike that had pierced his forehead, yanking himself free from the spike that was connected to the ground. Once again, he expended a straw doll.
The eighth one.
This wasn't an instant attack, and the stone spike piercing his forehead would have caused an instant-death state. But if he didn't pull himself free from this stone spike, this state would continuously affect him until he expended all his straw dolls.
Before that, he would have to expend one to free himself.
However, the attack was too fierce, and he couldn't withstand a single move without suffering instant death or severe injury.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he was defeated.
His current limit was merely ten, and that was only because he had cursed those soldiers upon entering the castle.
Two more, and he would be injured.
Before that could happen, Hawkins' eyes narrowed with determination. A single straw rapidly coiled around a Tarot card, drawing out the topmost one. After a quick glance, he brandished his straw sword and continued to slash with it. But just as the straw sword extended out, the stone wall before him melted and transformed into a stone blade.
Bang!
The stone blade deflected the straw sword and swiftly slashed downwards, severing the straw arm that held the sword and forcing Hawkins to his knees as another straw doll with a pierced arm fell from his body. The straw sword fell to the ground, piercing the stone floor.
The ninth one.
Hawkins regrew a straw arm and quickly grasped the sword hilt, as if intending to pull it out. But at that moment, a stone spike abruptly protruded from the stone wave, piercing his chest right through the heart.
The tenth one!
His body stiffened, and he was unable to free himself from the spike. His body softened, the straw man form dissipating as he knelt there, a human once more.
The stone spike that had pierced his body remained, gradually staining his chest with a crimson hue as his blood soaked into the stone and dripped to the floor.
"Injured, are you?" Graney smiled. "Seems it's not unlimited after all."
Hawkins lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the man seated on the throne. A curve lifted the corners of his mouth as he flipped over the Tarot card he had been holding, revealing the upright 'Fool'. "Courage and confidence, pursuing dreams, unexpected gains, and surprising victories!"
Bang!
The ground beneath Graney's feet suddenly erupted, and the straw sword swiftly shot out from the ground, aiming straight for Graney's throat.
The straw sword embedded in the floor had never been intended for retrieval. Grasping the hilt was merely a ploy to allow the sword to burrow underground and attack from below.
The 'Fool' Tarot card had granted him the element of surprise, and at the same time, it had helped him realize something.
Pursuing the path of highest probability was what a smart person would do, but a smart person wasn't necessarily a strong one! Those who sought the 'One Piece', including Sag, who harbored greater ambitions in the New World—they were all fools!
It was these fools who could bring about miracles!
The straw sword's assault was exceedingly swift, not giving Graney any opportunity to react. The tip of the sword had already pierced his skin.
But just then, a layer of gold seized the straw sword's advance, halting its momentum.
Layer upon layer of gold swiftly enveloped the protruding straw, coating it in a golden hue.
Even the golden armrests of the throne melted, waves of gold surging forth.
Tick.
A drop of blood fell from Graney's throat, landing on the floor.
"Peasant!"
Graney's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins as he glared at Hawkins, his neck now free from the straw sword that had solidified into gold.
"I will crush you into rubble and forever trample you underfoot!"
A stone wave surged forth from beneath the throne, rushing towards Hawkins like a tidal wave.
"Tsk."
Hawkins shook his head. "Failed again. I don't know if you're right, Sag, but..."
Not adhering to the highest probability had stirred an unusual emotion within him.
Chasing the impossible, like defying fate, was truly...
"...heart-stirring." Hawkins gazed at the oncoming stone wave, a smile playing on his lips.
Bang!!
Just as the stone wave was about to engulf him, a huge hole suddenly appeared on the right side of the hall, and a figure swiftly rushed in. Hawkins' vision blurred for a moment before a black cloak with a red trim came into view, along with a head of dancing white hair.
White hair.
Pa!
The stone spike that had impaled his chest abruptly snapped.
Boom!!
At the same time, the entire stone wave shattered, turning into extremely tiny stones that rebounded towards Graney's position.
Graney frowned, his feet stirring as he summoned another stone wave to block the barrage of pebbles.
Patter, patter, patter!
The stones merged into the stone wave, creating ripples before sinking into the ground and revealing the figure that had stood before Hawkins.
"Sag," Hawkins muttered, his body relaxing as he slumped forward slightly. "You almost got me killed."
"You damn fool, doing something so stupid... Never mind, looks like you're having fun."
Sag glanced back at him before pointing at the man seated on the golden throne, his mouth stretching to reveal a row of white teeth in a sinister grin. "Get down from there! That golden throne isn't for you to sit on; it's mine!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
