"What kind of result are you hoping for, Lord Scotch?"
"That depends on your skills. The Hundred Beasts don't need useless members. If you're too weak, even if Lord Queen values your abilities, don't expect to advance further. This is advice from your seniors."
Queen ultimately handed Hawkins over to Scotch. Due to his unique body, Scotch is one of the few in the High-Level Officials who belongs to Queen's faction.
This is due to his body characteristics. When injured, he typically doesn't go to the hospital; instead, he gets sent to Queen for major repairs.
So, during Hawkins' evaluation period, Queen entrusted him to Scotch.
However, Scotch spoke in a peculiar manner, frequently and unintentionally showing the number 18 on his shoulder to others, and his clothing was special too, where the cape draping down his body just covered the front '1', only revealing the back '8'.
Being the former NO. 8, now NO. 18, he still misses those glorious single-digit days. But as the new generation rises, he can no longer compete with them and can only reminisce about his past in this way.
Queen actually directed Scotch not to be too harsh; once Hawkins was competent enough, he could let him pass since Queen needs someone for crisis forecasting, not a highly powerful official.
But this isn't something Scotch could say to Hawkins directly.
Listening to Scotch, Hawkins said nothing, only pulling out his Tarot Cards to start a reading. Meanwhile, the Straw-Straw Fruit was already activated, searching among Drake's subordinates for a host to transfer damage.
That's another purpose of his divination. He rarely uses his people as Stands. If circumstances allow, his straw Stand always resides within the enemy's subordinates.
Scotch didn't urge him either, only communicating with the Magnemite above. As a power user from the same evolution chain, he shares a greater affinity with Magnemite.
Drake attacked a power plant, which is also the Magnemites' cafeteria.
The electricity-feeding Magnemites around the power plant are responsible for circuit inspections and can assess the plant's power quality, hence their response to Drake's attack.
"No need to hurry, someone will deal with him. You all go scout the area around the island and check for other enemies."
Scotch dispersed the Magnemites overhead. His own fire control system now locked onto Drake. If Hawkins truly suffers defeat, he doesn't know how Queen will treat Hawkins, but dealing with Drake is his task.
"He's an Ancient type; perhaps Lord Kaidou might take interest. But he damages the power plant's outer walls, so let him mine for a bit first."
Watching Drake transform into Human-Beast Form, Scotch was already thinking ahead, knowing that regardless of who wins, it won't greatly affect him.
However, to Drake and Hawkins, this battle is of distinctly different significance.
Drake needs to prove his strength, while Hawkins must pass his assessments. Therefore, they both enter fully committed from the start.
"Your Death Star is flickering; my victory probability is as high as 87.6%. Today, your luck is bad—draw a card."
This is Hawkins' ability fully developed—drawing cards. Utilizing his Fruit Ability, he can affect the psychological behavior, power, and dynamics of both allies and enemies within range through random card-drawing.
Hawkins can draw cards that far exceed his own limits but must take on high-risk consequences, such as accidentally drawing a negative buff.
"And for me, luck is great—Upright Chariot."
Hawkins' battle is one of gambling on luck. If he fails at drawing cards, his combat effectiveness plummets. Conversely, enhancement cards provide him a direct boost.
A mysterious force emerged from the cards, causing Hawkins' body to expand significantly under its influence.
"Demon Vanquisher Form."
Covered in straw, Hawkins transformed under the Upright Chariot's influence, turning into a muscle-bound scarecrow, looking more intimidating and terrifying than his normal form.
Ten massive spikes accompanied Hawkins' swing as he fiercely lunged at Drake.
Boom!
Drake, in Allosaurus form, evaded Hawkins' attack, but those sharp spikes still slammed into the ground. This Winter Island is covered in snow year-round; the ground is already frozen hard and extremely tough.
Battered by Hawkins' attack, shattered fragments and blade-like debris struck Drake.
"You're literally bad at close combat, aren't you?! X Hunting Ground!"
Avoiding Hawkins' fierce strike, Drake crossed his sword and axe, swinging toward Hawkins. While the previous hit was powerful, it was nothing but a brute-force chaotic swing, riddled with flaws to Drake's eyes.
At this point, Hawkins was wide open, Drake's attack nearly cleaving him in half.
Indeed, from the outset, Drake aimed to kill. In his view, pirates don't care about such things, and if it kills the opponent, that's the ultimate solution.
He didn't realize that if his plan succeeded, Queen might directly implode, rushing over within days to confront him.
However, he didn't succeed. A shattered straw-man crawled out from Hawkins' body, resulting in one of Drake's electrocuted soldiers' chests turning into debris.
"Your attacks can't harm me, but how many of mine can your body withstand?"
Hawkins clapped his hands toward Drake but was dodged. Consequently, Hawkins' sharp spikes pierced through his own hand.
"You bastard..."
Hawkins' ability was far more confounding than Drake's. In previous battles, his fruit completed a parasitic link with Drake.
Thus, the injury to his hand was transferred to Drake, whose hands suddenly bore multiple bleeding holes, nearly causing him to drop his weapon from the excruciating pain.
For a young man not proficient in Haki, Hawkins' Fruit Ability poses an unsolvable challenge; even with the robust physique from Allosaurus, Drake isn't Hawkins' match.
Seeing his hands injured, Drake directly shifted into a giant Allosaurus biting toward Hawkins. But Hawkins didn't counter with his body this time; instead, returning to standard form, he launched a nail at Drake using a tool.
"Seastone?!"
That nail, though tiny, struck Drake's shoulder, causing him to halt, and a powerlessness spread instantly from his shoulder across his body.
"The preference of that lord—a high-purity Seastone nail—seems quite effective, doesn't it? Oh, by the way, ever since just now, my winning probability has reached 98%."