“How about this?”
“Let me hit you three times.”
“If you survive, I’ll let you go today.”
Garp knew Hawkins’ Straw-Straw Fruit could transfer damage through straw dolls.
But that didn’t mean Hawkins could walk away without punishment.
Three times was just right.
It wouldn’t kill him, but it would teach him a lesson.
A minor punishment.
A reminder that heavenly might could not be offended.
“Alright!”
Hearing Garp’s condition, Hawkins’ expression remained deadpan on the surface, but inside, he was overjoyed.
Three times meant only three of his lives would be consumed.
He wouldn’t die.
The one percent chance of survival had actually been chosen by him!
At the same time, curiosity rose in his heart.
What did Hero Garp want him to do?
It definitely wouldn’t be something small.
The moment Hawkins finished speaking—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Three Finger Pistols struck Hawkins’ forehead before he could react at all.
For an instant, it felt as though his skull was about to be smashed apart.
Hawkins’ eyes rolled back.
He nearly died on the spot.
But shortly after, the wounds healed automatically.
Three dolls fell from his arm.
Straw dolls.
Looking up at Garp’s face, Hawkins trembled inwardly.
Ruthless.
This man was truly ruthless.
He could not be provoked.
Absolutely not.
Before Garp’s overwhelming power, Hawkins was nothing more than an insect.
No matter what the future held, at least right now, that was the truth.
He had seen many powerful people before.
But none possessed the same oppressive dominance as the man before him.
Yes.
Dominance.
“Huff…
huff…”
“Can I live now?”
Hawkins gasped heavily.
His body trembled, and his face was pale.
He didn’t even dare raise his head to meet Garp’s eyes.
He felt as though one more look would plunge him into bottomless despair.
“I’ll give you a chance to live.”
“After all, this old man isn’t some demon.”
“I don’t like hurting little kids like you.”
“Now, tell a fortune.”
“Where will Blackbeard, Marshall D.
Teach, appear six days from now?”
“Oh, right.”
“In the future, when I need you to tell fortunes, don’t refuse me.”
“This old man hates being disobeyed.”
“Understood?”
Looking at the battered Hawkins before him, Garp lost interest.
He had played enough.
If this continued, the kid might be scared to death.
After all, the pressure radiating from him wasn’t something ordinary people could withstand.
Even though his Conqueror’s Haki had not been released, the natural aura of a king still lingered around him.
Hawkins could not bear it.
Garp simply looked at him calmly.
He made no further moves.
“Alright.”
“I’ll calculate it immediately.”
Hawkins immediately took out a large pile of cards and began divining.
Many sharp straw spikes rose from the ground.
A card was placed on each spike.
Then, Hawkins closed his eyes.
One breath.
Three breaths.
Five breaths.
Time slowly passed.
Garp watched Hawkins without impatience.
To be honest, he was rather curious about the fortune-teller’s methods.
It was excellent for seeking fortune and avoiding disaster.
Before long, Hawkins opened his eyes.
He took the top card, placed it in his palm, and flipped it over.
A card appeared before them.
It depicted four or five iron bars.
Behind them, a man was trapped, wailing in pain.
The moment Garp saw the card, a trace of surprise flashed through his heart.
A cage.
A prison.
Impel Down?
As expected.
Even though his departure from the Marines had caused an enormous uproar, Blackbeard had not backed down.
That man would never stop until he achieved his goal.
Utterly evil.
Utterly greedy.
There were quite a few monsters imprisoned in that place.
Interesting.
Since he was planning to kill Blackbeard anyway, he might as well take a trip to Impel Down.
There was still time.
In that case…
He would kill them all.
Turning his head, Garp glanced at Hawkins.
At this point, he had to admit that this man had something special.
He had actually calculated it.
If Hawkins ever set up a roadside fortune-telling stall, he would definitely make a living.
He might even earn quite a bit each day.
“Mr.
Garp.”
“A cage is roughly equivalent to a prison.”
“And the most famous prison in this sea…
is Impel Down.”
After reporting the result, Hawkins fell silent.
He was obedient.
Very obedient.
He didn’t ask about Garp’s motives or intentions.
Not a single unnecessary question.
He merely offered a helpful explanation.
After finally winning a chance to live, getting himself killed by speaking nonsense would be the worst possible outcome.
Sometimes, silence truly was golden.
“You’re smart.”
“Good.”
“I’m satisfied with the answer.”
“Congratulations, kid.”
“Today…”
“You get to live.”
“I killed you three times today, so you owe me three lives.”
“Converted into fortune-telling opportunities, I’ve used one already.”
“So you still owe me two more.”
“My math is correct, isn’t it?”
“Kid.”
Garp raised his arm and gently placed his hand on Hawkins’ shoulder.
A faint, kind smile appeared on his face.
He looked warm and approachable.
Completely different from the terrifying beast from moments ago.
If Hawkins hadn’t witnessed everything firsthand, he might have thought he was looking at his own grandfather.
But that exact expression made Hawkins’ heart skip.
At the same time, he was dumbfounded.
Old man…
That was not how accounts were calculated.
You killed me three times.
How does that mean I owe you three fortune-tellings?
But Hawkins did not dare argue.
One look into Garp’s eyes told him that if he refused or said anything that displeased this old man, he could be poked to death at any moment.
Gulp.
Hawkins swallowed and sucked in a cold breath.
“N-No problem, Mr.
Garp.”
“This is my Vivre Card.”
“And this is the Den Den Mushi used to contact me.”
“If you need anything, you may contact me at any time.”
“Two or three times sounds too distant.”
“As long as you need it, I will divine for you whenever you wish—”
“No…”
With trembling hands, Hawkins took a Vivre Card and Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
This was practically handing his life over to Garp.
The Den Den Mushi wasn’t a big deal.
But the Vivre Card meant Garp could find him at any time.
If he served poorly, his life would be in danger.
So the exact number of times no longer mattered.
He had already sacrificed this much.
Sacrificing a little more was nothing.
After all, a chance to live was right in front of him.
If he didn’t cherish it, he would truly be doomed.
Garp nodded slightly and looked at Hawkins with some surprise.
This kid had handled things flawlessly.
There was no opening left to kill him.
On top of that, he was genuinely valuable.
Letting him live was acceptable.
Garp did not reach out.
Seeing this, Bogard instantly appeared beside Hawkins.
He swept a cold glance over him and accepted the Den Den Mushi and Vivre Card.
Then he whispered,
“Remember Mr.
Garp’s mercy.”
“An insect like you can be crushed as easily as a toy.”
“And remember this.”
“If Mr.
Garp asks you to divine—no, tell fortunes—and you dare spout nonsense…”
“I will hunt you to the ends of the sea.”
Bogard truly wanted to kill him.
If Garp had not spared Hawkins, Bogard would have cut him to pieces already.
Two pieces of trash had dared sneak attack Mr.
Garp.
Even nine lives would not have been enough for them.
Hawkins said nothing.
He felt deeply wronged.
He had clearly been caught in the crossfire.
Somehow, he had been treated like an accomplice.
And yet he couldn’t explain.
After all, he had indeed been standing beside Apoo.
Even if he explained, they wouldn’t believe him.
He wanted to cry.
At the same time, his heart trembled.
Only when Bogard approached did Hawkins feel the swordsman’s pressure.
He was absolutely not weaker than the top fighters of the sea.
Why?
Who exactly was this swordsman?
He was unknown.
Unfamous.
Yet his strength was terrifying.
Definitely not weaker than Dracule Mihawk!
Seeing Hawkins’ shocked expression, Garp turned and jumped down from the rooftop.
Then he walked deeper into the city.
Behind him, Bogard gave Hawkins one final warning glance before vanishing in a flash.
When Hawkins saw him again, Bogard was already behind Garp.
Only then did Hawkins finally let out a long breath.
He raised his head and watched Garp’s departing back.
Then he slowly removed another card from the many pieces of straw around him.
He had calculated this card alongside Blackbeard’s location earlier.
The card depicted three things:
A sword.
A ring.
A crown.
Hawkins suddenly stood up.
He stared at the card in disbelief, completely stunned.
This card had many meanings.
The sword represented invincible strength.
The ring represented invincible authority.
The crown represented invincible status.
This was clearly unreasonable.
It was extremely rare for these three forms of power to appear in one person.
Moreover, this card was legendary.
It had never appeared before.
And now, it meant that the old man before him was destined to become the future ruler of the world—
A supreme overlord.
“What exactly happened?”
“Even as the Marine Hero standing at the peak of the world, he should never have drawn this card.”
“Something major must have happened.”
“Something that changed the entire structure of the world.”