The radio snail fell silent again.
Igaram seemed to want to say something, but the receiver was snatched away: "…It's okay, Igaram, let me talk to him personally!"
"Hello?"
A young girl's voice came through the receiver:
"I am Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom. Hello, Mr. Hanafuda. Regarding what you mentioned earlier, I believe there must be some misunderstanding."
Hanafuda squinted his eyes.
Princess Vivi, huh?
A little girl about the same age as his daughter Ulti?
What could a kid her age know?
He felt disdainful but still spoke coldly, "Oh? Little girl, go ahead, what misunderstanding could there be?"
"First of all, the royal family has never commissioned Crocodile to procure any weapons. Secondly, regarding the so-called Devil Fruit deal he made with you, the royal family was never informed."
Though Princess Vivi's voice was tender, it carried undeniable determination.
"On these two points, I can swear on behalf of my father, by the eight-hundred-year reputation of the Nephilim Family, that no such things have ever happened!"
"However, we should thank you for inadvertently revealing information that has made us suspicious of Crocodile's true motives for his long-term activities in Alabasta. The royal family is currently investigating the truth, and we will inform you of any results at the first opportunity..."
"Too much nonsense!"
Hanafuda impatiently scratched his ear, "Who cares about motives and truth! The only thing I want to know is about those two Zoan-type Devil Fruits… No, it's wasted so much of my time, it should be three now!"
"Three fruits, or you can substitute someone with Zoan-type abilities, just tell me, can your royal family provide them or not!"
He suddenly swung his scythe, and a huge surge of Qi sliced through the air.
Boom!
A merchant ship not far away was instantly sliced in half, exploding, and the merchants and sailors on it fell into the water, crying out in alarm.
"Do you hear those pleasant screams? Little princess who thinks she's quite capable?"
Hanafuda sneered:
"I have limited patience. Whether or not you can reach the river mouth in time, as long as the Devil Fruits I want aren't delivered, I'll destroy a ship every ten minutes until the royal family hands them over!"
Pop, regardless of Vivi's reaction on the other side, Hanafuda hung up the call expressionlessly.
He looked at the dumbfounded Jack and frowned:
"Why are you just standing there? My previous orders are still valid, take action!"
Only then did Jack snap back to reality.
"Yes, Boss Hanafuda!"
Just as Jack reached out to grab the first unlucky person—
Swish!
A vine made of smoke suddenly shot out rapidly, wrapping around Jack's wrist and yanking forcefully!
Boom—!
He was flung out forcefully, crashing heavily against the ship's rail, shattering the wooden railing instantly!
Amidst the dust and debris, Jack's massive body rolled awkwardly a few times at the deck's edge before stabilizing, avoiding falling into the sea.
"Who is it!"
Jack jumped to his feet, angrily scanning his surroundings, "Who! Which bastard dares to ambush me!"
"..."
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, seeming to notice something, and turned around to look toward the river mouth.
Upon seeing the scene before him, his eyebrows rose, revealing a hint of surprise:
"Kind of like that Navy guy, Aokiji, what kind of ability is this?"
——On the broad Santora River, at some unknown point, a crystal-clear icy path had formed.
Amidst the swirling chill, seven figures stepped boldly on the ice.
The merchant ships, initially fleeing in panic, couldn't help but pause and look back at this sight.
"I'm just following the captain's orders, why, do you have a problem?"
A low voice arose, belonging to the white-haired figure on the far right. He had a cigar in his mouth, his head tilted slightly, meeting Jack's angry gaze with indifference.
To his left, the crew lined up side by side.
Redfoot Zeff stood with arms crossed, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's;
Robin, with her black hair, looked down, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips;
Kuina, with one hand on the Wado Ichimonji, her eyes sharp as blades.
Two girls stood separately in the center, a blue-haired girl emanating icy coldness and an orange-haired girl with flames blazing atop her head.
In the middle, a black-haired boy advanced calmly.
Shano, hands in pockets, looked unperturbed, as if the gigantic pirate ship, blocking the river like a mountain, didn't exist.
Upon seeing his face clearly, there was an uproar on the surrounding merchant ships.
"Hey, you must be kidding, those guys are…"
"No mistake! That's definitely that crew!"
"Why are they here too... Let's get out of here, now!"
"If we get caught up in this level of clash, we're doomed!"
Amongst the panicked whispers around them.
Shano lifted his gaze slightly, looking past Jack and directly at Hanafuda:
"Hey, you, that Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Yapping so much nonsense, threatening merchant ships and the royal family, what a hassle… as if… there's clearly a simpler way right in front of you."
"A simpler way?"
Hanafuda squinted, twirling the scythe in his palm, the corners of his mouth curving into a sinister grin.
"Kid, go ahead and tell me, what way?"