Chapter 52: Battle, Hawkins!
His divination was all over the place—and that was a problem.
Under normal circumstances, he'd retreat immediately when faced with uncertainty. No hesitation. That's how he'd survived and climbed the ranks, relying on his cards to guide every step.
But this time? The readings fluctuated wildly between great fortune and disastrous death.
Even more bizarre, this inconsistency occurred when he simply thought about attacking the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
That made him uneasy.
How could a rookie pirate crew cause such chaotic interference in his predictions?
The more Hawkins thought about it, the more curious he became. He found himself wanting to follow them, to see what made them tick.
Just then, a crew member rushed up with an urgent report.
"Captain! We've confirmed the guy who took down the Birudo Pirates—it was Ace the Fire Fist! That handyman who looked like him on the Dragon Hunter ship? That was actually Ace!"
Hawkins' expression turned grim.
The second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates... working as a handyman on a no-name crew?
It didn't make sense.
None of this made sense.
The erratic divinations, the bizarre revelations, the outrageous coincidences—everything about the Dragon Hunter Pirates was unnatural.
"Captain," one of his men said nervously, "maybe we should just back off. This crew is way too weird."
"Yeah," another added. "They've got Ace as a handyman. If we go after them, we might end up scrubbing their deck too."
"They don't even show respect to Whitebeard! This guy's gotta have something huge backing him. Charging in sounds like suicide."
A chorus of agreement followed. Hawkins stayed silent, frowning deeply.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do," he said coolly. "Just take care of your own duties."
The pirates exchanged uneasy glances but backed off, grumbling under their breath.
Hawkins turned back to his cards. "One more divination..."
His eyes narrowed. "What? I haven't even done anything yet..."
"Captain!" another pirate shouted. "We've been spotted! The Dragon Hunter Pirates are sailing straight toward us!"
"Leading them is their so-called handyman—Ace the Fire Fist!"
"What do we do, Captain? Fight or retreat?"
More panicked reports flooded in.
Hawkins' crew wasn't exactly top-tier. He'd taken them in because they were manageable and useful for basic tasks. Pirate crews had a ton of logistics to handle, and sailing alone—unless you were a freak like Hawkeye—just didn't work.
"Is this how I die?" Hawkins muttered, staring at his cards.
But just then, the reading flipped.
His eyes widened. "Wait... good luck?"
Did that mean they'd gain something if they fought?
Then what about the death result earlier?
The contradictions were maddening.
For the first time, Hawkins truly doubted the cards he had always trusted.
Still, he made his decision.
"We fight!" he declared. "We're pirates, dammit. What's the point of sailing if you run from every challenge?"
"Counterattack! Defeat the Dragon Hunter Pirates!"
"Ace or not, we'll take them down!"
With that, Hawkins pulled out a handful of straw dolls and began fusing them into his body. One after another, over a hundred scarecrows merged with him.
Meanwhile, on the sea—
"Looks like it's Hawkins' crew," Ace grinned from the Dragon Hunter ship's deck. "Not bad... guy's got some strength. And he's a Devil Fruit user too."
"Looks like we've got ourselves a fun one today."
He turned to the others with a smirk. "Take your time, boys. I'll go say hello."
With that, he tossed his small boat overboard and leapt after it, propelling himself forward with a burst of flames.
Hawkins' crew had three ships in total. The flagship held Hawkins himself, while the other two carried supplies and low-ranking crew members.
That wasn't just logistics—it was strategic. Hawkins' powers depended on his subordinates. Every scarecrow he used transferred his damage to someone else.
"Portgas D. Ace..." Hawkins muttered.
"Demon-Subduing Aspect!"
With a flash, a towering avatar emerged behind Hawkins, wielding a massive blade.
Ace shot forward and landed directly on the giant sword's back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said with a grin. "A sneak attack without even saying hi? That's rude, man."
Tiny glowing embers floated out from Ace's body and drifted toward Hawkins.
Hawkins frowned, ordering the giant avatar to dodge.
With a twist, the avatar flung Ace off the blade.
"You think you can take me down with that weak fire of yours?"
"Fire Fist Ace, your—"
A massive explosion erupted before Hawkins could finish his sentence.
Flames engulfed the Demon-Subduing Aspect instantly.
On one of the nearby ships, a subordinate suddenly burst into flames and screamed as he was consumed—one of Hawkins' substitutes.
The avatar reappeared, lunging toward Ace again.
But Hawkins didn't look as confident anymore.
Just one strike. That's all it took for Ace to destroy his Demon-Subduing Aspect.
Without the scarecrow, that would've taken him out of the fight entirely.
Summoning it again would drain his stamina fast.
Hawkins narrowed his eyes.
"This guy... is seriously strong."
Ace cracked his knuckles. "Round two?"
His arm turned into a raging inferno.
A giant flaming fist launched toward Hawkins with terrifying speed.
"Demon-Subduing Slash!"
Hawkins responded immediately. He knew Ace had the upper hand in terms of offense.
But that didn't matter.
Hawkins wasn't trying to win through brute force. His strength came from endurance. His ability let him transfer damage, fatigue, and injuries to his crew.
As long as his dolls held up, he could outlast anyone.
Yet even as he clung to that strategy, his confidence wavered.
Because no matter how strong Ace was...
He was still just the handyman of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
What the hell is going on with this crew?
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