Chapter 109 Magician Hawkins

"The captain is once again seeking fortune-telling!"

The Hawkins Pirates; their captain, Hawkins, took out his divination cards early in the morning.

Hawkins has been feeling restless recently, as if something significant is about to occur. Like a magic wand, whenever he faces a choice, he resorts to divination, selecting the best option based on the outcome. And the results have been excellent.

Over the years, the outcomes of his divinations have never disappointed him, propelling him from an ordinary pirate to a rising star of the North Blue.

Several purple cards appeared suspended in the air by a strange force, and Hawkins randomly drew one.

"It's the Queen. Such a rare card. Could it signify my destiny?" Hawkins' expression shifted slightly. It was the first time he had drawn this card since learning divination.

More purple cards appeared, swirling and intertwining in the air, obscuring their suits from view.

Hawkins' expression changed, his hand darting like lightning to draw a card, and it was the same one again.

"It appears this is my fate," Hawkins sighed.

"Captain, we're nearing Rick's Island," Bebo announced, holding a pointer and a chart.

After acquiring information about the Hawkins Pirates from the One-Eyed Pirates, they commandeered their ship and set course for Riker Island.

"Look, there's a pirate ship ahead!"

Xia Qi exclaimed, eagerly preparing to fire the cannon. Excitedly, he and Pekin fired off half of the cannonballs on the ship.

"Wait, that seems to be the Hawkins Pirates' ship," Bebo observed through a telescope.

A scarecrow's head hung above the opposing pirate ship, with a thick cross behind it.

"This is the first time I've seen someone turn their likeness into a pirate flag," Levi remarked, recognizing Hawkins' scarecrow avatar.

"Friends, our captain has been expecting you," a voice called from Hawkins' ship.

Hawkins, as depicted in the anime, was a tall, slender man with peculiar eyebrows and long blond hair. He wore a shoulder pad on his left side and a North Blue-style longsword at his waist. At that moment, he sat at the table on the deck, with two steaming cups of tea opposite him.

"It seems you anticipated our arrival, as expected of Hawkins," Levi remarked, impressed by the scene before him. Hawkins' divination abilities seemed as remarkable as Arlong's sister.

"I predicted two visitors, though not specifically who," Hawkins replied calmly, pushing the tea toward them.

"What else did you foresee?" Levi inquired curiously.

"I foresaw boarding a ship today, but I didn't expect it to be Master Levi's ship," Hawkins replied, his tone composed, belying his young age.

"Know me, do you?" Levi was surprised that his reputation had reached even the North Blue.

"As a pirate aspiring to venture into the Grand Line, I've kept abreast of news from there. From your first appearance in the newspaper to your battle with the Four Emperors Big Mom, I haven't missed a beat," Hawkins smiled.

"It seems my reputation precedes me!"

Levi chuckled. He had anticipated lengthy conversations or even confrontation upon meeting Hawkins. Hawkins' awareness of current events saved him the trouble.

"Levi? The infamous pirate with a bounty of 5 billion Berries?" Xia Qi and Pei Jin were astonished. Though small-time crooks in the North Blue, they had heard rumors of Levi in taverns and elsewhere.

He was a figure atop the world. They hadn't expected such a prominent figure to visit the North Blue.

"Master Levi, you may invite me aboard your ship. Allow me to witness your capabilities," Hawkins said, eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. Despite his status in the North Blue, he remained idealistic, eager to gauge his distance from the pinnacle of the world.

"This is my subordinate, Trafalgar Law, a pirate with a bounty of 200 million Berries. I trust he won't disappoint you," Levi gestured toward Luo, standing before him.

"What? Our captain is a heavyweight with a bounty of 200 million Berries!" Pei Jin and Xia Qi exclaimed in pleasant surprise. Hawkins currently held a bounty of 100 million Berries, already among the North Blue's elite. They hadn't realized their captain wielded such power at such a young age.

"Trafalgar Law, please demonstrate," Luo said, brandishing Gui Cry.

"Basil Hawkins!"

The two confronted each other on the shore of Rick's Island, a sparsely inhabited isle where they could battle freely.

"ROOM!"

A spherical space formed in Luo's hand, rapidly expanding to enclose Hawkins.

"Is this your Devil Fruit ability? Quite peculiar," Hawkins observed, nodding at the space.

"Manifestation of the Subduing Demon!"

As Hawkins muttered, his form shifted continuously until he became a scarecrow.

"Frightening!" Bebo quivered, cowering behind Xia Qi.

"This is our leader's Devil Fruit ability. He wields the Paramecia Demon Fruit's Straw-Straw power," the man who had brought Levi and the others boasted.

The colossal scarecrow Hawkins transformed into wielded a massive straw blade, swinging it at Luo. The blade darkened, evidently enhanced.

Luo smirked, swinging Gui Cry at Hawkins. Despite Hawkins' proficiency in Armament Haki, it paled in comparison to Luo's mastery.

Hawkins unleashed a volley of five-inch nails at Luo, who vanished before them, reappearing to sever Hawkins' head.

"So formidable, worthy of Levi's service. I, Hawkins, concede," Hawkins declared.

As Luo dispelled his space, Hawkins stood unharmed, acknowledging his defeat.