Bang!
The door to Tama's thatched hut was violently thrown open. Several Gifters took a deep whiff of the fragrant air, their eyes immediately locking onto the food on the table.
"Isn't this delicious fish?"
"Hehehe... Didn't expect to find something this good in such a backwater place!"
"Hand it over!"
As they spoke, two of the Gifters stomped over to the table, intending to snatch all the food for themselves.
"You bastards, that's our food!"
"You're not taking it!"
Seeing this, Tama instantly dashed in front of the Gifters, puffing out her small chest to shield everyone behind her.
The cheerful atmosphere instantly vanished. Ryuuto and the others, who had been enjoying their meal, fell silent. They turned to face the intruders, their expressions cold. The air grew heavy, and the killing intent in their eyes was so thick it was almost tangible.
But evidently... these Gifters were completely oblivious.
"Get out of the way, you brat!"
"Are you looking to die? This is a tribute for Lord Kaido!"
The leader, a wolf-type Gifter, swung a massive, furry wolf paw, about to shove Tama aside.
Tama saw the giant paw lunging toward her. Fear welled up inside her, but more than the fear of being hit, she feared the hunger that would follow. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, resolute. Closing her eyes was an admission of fear, but her refusal to retreat a single step was a testament to how much she cherished the food.
Boom!
Just then, a powerful aura erupted. Countless arcs of black and red lightning surged through the hut, crashing directly into the Gifters at the door.
It was as if they had been targeted by an ancient beast. An overwhelmingly powerful will slammed into their minds, causing their pupils to shrink and sweat to pour down their foreheads.
"Urgh! I..."
They struggled to speak, but after only a second, they collapsed, unconscious.
Ryuuto slowly rose to his feet. It was he who had unleashed the blast of Conqueror's Haki, knocking the Gifters out instantly.
Thud!
The Gifters hit the floor with a heavy sound.
"What happened?" The giant wolf paw she had expected never came. Tama cautiously opened her eyes and looked around. To her astonishment, all the terrifyingly arrogant Gifters were lying on the ground.
Boom!
Ryuuto walked over to the unconscious men. With a powerful kick to the neck of each one, he sent them flying out of the hut, ending their lives in the process.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A series of impacts echoed from outside.
Silence returned to the small hut.
Outside, the villagers of Amigasa Village stared at Hawkins's men, who lay motionless on the ground amidst the scattered food. Once they were certain the men weren't moving, the villagers swarmed forward, reclaiming what was rightfully theirs.
"What a disgusting bunch." Ryuuto dusted off his clothes, though there was nothing on them, and sat back down with a sneer.
"Conqueror's Haki?" Tenguyama Hitetsu's gaze swept over Ryuuto as he asked cautiously.
"Just as you see," Ryuuto waved off Tenguyama's question dismissively. "Tama, come back and eat!"
That very question made Hancock and the others realize that the old man before them was more than he appeared. But since Tenguyama Hitetsu chose not to reveal his identity, they wouldn't press the matter.
As Oden's swordsmith, Tenguyama Hitetsu was not only a master craftsman but also a formidable warrior in his own right. He was the current guardian of Oden's two famous blades, Ame no Habakiri and Enma. In addition, he personally possessed another famous sword: the Nidai Kitetsu.
Tenguyama had been waiting for the right opportunity to pass these three great swords to worthy successors.
"Coming!"
Hearing Ryuuto, Tama leaped back onto her stool, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth as she stared at the grilled meat on her plate.
"Alright, I'm digging in again!" The sound of a gulp was followed by Tama's solemn declaration.
"Hahahahahaha..."
Seeing how adorable Tama was, Nami moved all the food from her own plate onto Tama's.
Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Bakura, Hawkins quickly learned of his subordinates' deaths. The small straw dolls that had been attached to his body had all fallen off. After all, those straw dolls were directly linked to his men.
This prompted Hawkins to begin a divination...
"The probability of success in investigating the situation: 86%!"
After the tarot cards gave him his answer, Hawkins slowly put them away. He gathered all his men in Bakura Town and set off menacingly toward Amigasa Village.
...
"I want all of you to be able to eat healthy food again! If you want to overthrow Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido, then follow me! I will lead you to final victory!"
Two hours later, Ryuuto stood on a small hill in Amigasa Village. His powerful, charismatic words resonated deep within the hearts of the villagers.
"Defeat Kaido!"
"Healthy food!"
After a few seconds of silence, a unified cheer erupted from the crowd below. The villagers waved their right hands in the air, letting out roars of their own.
"Excellent!" Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction at the sight.
Standing at the back of the crowd, Hancock, Nami, and the others smiled, gratified. Their decision to share all their food with the villagers had paid off.
"In that case, let's move out!"
Ryuuto shouted to the crowd and took his place at the head of the group. Hancock's crew followed close behind, along with Tenguyama Hitetsu and Tama, who was riding atop Komachiyo. Bringing up the rear were a dozen villagers from Amigasa.
From this moment on, they had officially declared war on Kaido.
Their plan was to split into two groups. The first group, consisting of Ryuuto, Jean Bart, and Van Augur, would take Cracker and Jack with them and head directly for Onigashima. Their mission was to first attempt negotiations with Kaido. The second group, led by Hancock and including Tama and Tenguyama Hitetsu, would travel to Bakura Town. From there, they would take a ship to Udon. After liberating the prison, they would rally the prisoners' strength and rendezvous with Ryuuto for the final battle against Kaido. Of course, this was contingent on Ryuuto's negotiations failing. This was Ryuuto's initial plan.
Bakura Town and Udon were crucial locations, as many of Oden's former retainers were scattered throughout those areas, representing a significant potential force.
This task fell to Tenguyama Hitetsu. As one of Oden's retainers himself, he surely had ways to contact them. However, with Kozuki Momonosuke still in Caesar's hands, the situation remained unpredictable.
Ryuuto couldn't predict what would happen. After he and his group departed, Hancock led her contingent toward Bakura Town. This put them on a direct collision course with Hawkins.
Sure enough, after about half an hour of travel, Hancock's group ran straight into Hawkins and his men.
One glance was all it took for Hawkins, who was riding a strange, four-legged beast, to feel a sense of dread.
"Pirate Empress, what are you doing here?!" Hawkins's eyes narrowed, his body tensing up. He knew he was no match for Hancock; he was merely a Headliner in the Beasts Pirates.
"Wait, that's the Sake Maiden, Vivi!"
Spotting Vivi, a sudden realization dawned on him.
"'Could it be... the Ryuuto Pirates have already arrived in Wano?!' His mind raced, arriving at the most logical conclusion.
"The Supernova, Hawkins?" Nami recognized the familiar face instantly.
"Probability of a successful escape today: 0%!"
Hawkins was already consulting his cards, seeking to know his fate for the day. Staring at the zero-percent chance of survival, a cold dread washed over him.
"'This can't be right! Didn't I do a reading before I came here? The outcome was supposed to be overwhelmingly in my favor!" Hawkins cursed inwardly.
This was, of course, the effect of Nami's Luck-Luck Fruit ability, which had severely skewed his divination. Otherwise, he never would have charged in here to offer himself up for slaughter.
Hancock turned her gaze to Vivi, her expression clearly saying, "Your turn."
Hancock had no interest in fighting this nobody herself. Having been with Ryuuto for so long, she rarely needed to lift a finger in battles like this.
"Alcohol Spike!!"
Vivi let out a sharp cry and slapped her hip. A jet of sake erupted, instantly splitting into a volley of sharp arrows. Coated in Armament Haki, they turned black as obsidian and crackled with dark lightning as they shot toward Hawkins.
"Straw Man!!"
In response, Hawkins transformed his right arm into a massive, hardened straw effigy to block the attack.
This was the signal to attack. The men behind Hawkins—a mix of his own crew and a large number of Gifters—charged toward Nami and the others.
"Tama! Get the kibi dango ready!"
Seeing them coming, Nami shouted and leaped in front of a rabbit-type Gifter, prying its mouth open with all her strength.
"Right, Miss Nami!" Tama replied, quickly pinching off a dango and tossing it straight into the Gifter's mouth.
Instantly, the rabbit Gifter became Tama's loyal servant, awaiting her command. This was Tama's unique ability: turning enemies into allies.
Tama of the Beasts!!
Meanwhile, Burgess leaped into the crowd, leading with his elbow and sending Gifters flying. Tenguyama Hitetsu, wielding the Nidai Kitetsu, unleashed a single, vicious slash. A wave of dark purple energy shot out, instantly cleaving Gairila in two.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
On the other side, Hawkins's right arm took the full brunt of Vivi's attack. With several bursts of black lightning, the two attacks collided. As they did, four or five small straw dolls fell out from within his straw arm.
In the midst of the battle, several Gifters suddenly dropped dead. It was hard to say if Hawkins even considered his men human; any damage he took was instantly transferred to them. Who in their right mind would serve under Hawkins? It was a raw deal.
This sudden turn of events brought immense relief to the villagers from Amigasa, who had been struggling against the Gifters. They had no idea what was happening, but all they knew was that the Gifters were dying, and that was a good thing. After all, it usually took four or five of them just to hold back a single one.
"So that's your Devil Fruit ability?" Vivi watched with disdain. *What a disgusting power*, she thought.
"Probability of survival today: 0%!"
Hawkins, however, was long accustomed to his fighting style. After a brief pause, he began another divination. It was his signature move—constantly reading the cards, even in the heat of battle.
But the result was just as hopeless as before. A grim expression settled on Hawkins's face. After a moment of rapid calculation, he roared, "Straw Man's Card!"
Distorted light emanated from his body as he transformed into a giant straw demon with a five-pointed star for a head. Black lightning crackled around its immense form, giving it an incredibly menacing appearance.
"Straw Sword!!"
The giant straw figure let out a low, sinister groan and swung its massive sword down at Vivi.
"Perfume Femur!!"
But before the blade could land, Hancock's voice rang out. A beam of pink light shot from the heart shape she formed with her hands.
Then... a series of muffled impacts echoed from Hawkins's body.
One by one, small straw dolls fell from the Straw Man's Card form.
Evidently, Hawkins had transferred all the petrification damage Hancock had dealt to him. As a result, his men who were still fighting were instantly turned to stone.
"What a truly repulsive man!"
Hancock's brow furrowed even deeper at the sight. She leaped into the air, her cheongsam fluttering, and aimed a direct kick at Hawkins. A powerful surge of black and red lightning erupted from her attack! Hancock was using her full strength.
Bang!
As expected, though Hawkins managed to block the kick with his sword, the impact forced him back half a step before his entire Straw Man's Card form was turned to stone.
At that moment, the battles on Burgess's and Tenguyama Hitetsu's fronts also concluded. Not because they had to try very hard. It was all thanks to Hawkins!
Every single person on Hawkins's side had been defeated. It was a good thing Tama and Nami had managed to tame three or four of the Gifters with kibi dango beforehand. Otherwise, the battle would have ended too quickly for them to even react.
...