One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 122 You Are the Challenger [6.2K]

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The merchant with the gold-rimmed glasses coughed violently a few times before finally being able to speak, his voice trembling as he said:
"Hana-Hanafuda-sama! You've misunderstood. It's not that the royal family arrived too slowly; it's just that this country is simply too vast!"

His caravans traveled far and wide, visiting many places. Looking at the whole world, Alabasta's land area is among the largest.

From the capital city of Arubana to the mouth of the Santoro River, even riding the fastest running duck day and night, it would take at least a whole day!

Moreover, the transmission of information and the royal family's response also take time.

"Oh, I see!"

Hanafuda suddenly realized, clicked her tongue, and spun the scythe in her palm. "It's all my fault for spending too much time in the New World a few years ago. I almost forgot that there was such a big country in Paradise."

He squinted, gazing at the distant horizon where yellow sand filled the sky, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"...Given the distance, it's understandable that the royal family might arrive slowly."

"Yes, Lady Hanafuda." The merchant with the gold-rimmed glasses had just breathed a sigh of relief when Hanafuda suddenly leaned down, the tip of her scythe pressed against his throat:
"But I don't have the patience to wait that long!!!"

"M-Sir..." the merchant trembled, "You've been waiting for almost a whole day. There won't be much time left. I estimate it will be over in three... no, two hours at most!"

Hanafuda turned to look at the end of the river. The heat of the desert distorted the distant scenery, and there was still no sign of the royal guard.

Two or three more hours?
"Tsk, looks like I'll have to add some spice."

Hanafuda licked her lips and suddenly said, "Jack!"

"exist!"

The blond, muscular young man immediately straightened his back, revealing a height exceeding eight meters.

"Go pick a few merchants, cut open their bellies and bleed them, hang them on the mast, and for every ten minutes I have to wait, throw another merchant up there."

Hanafuda grinned, "Since they think the road is too far, let the smell of blood travel further and see if we can scare those cowardly royals out of their shells sooner!"

bloodletting?

Jack scratched his head. He had only ever bled chickens and ducks before, but he had never harmed a human.

He was a little hesitant, but since it was the Hanafuda boss's order...

Finally, he pulled out a weapon from behind his back—similar to a hanafuda (flower card), a huge scythe—and strode towards the bound merchants.

The merchants were terrified and struggled desperately, but the ropes were tied too tightly and it was no use.

"Lord Hanazha!"

Someone cried out in grief and indignation, "This will kill many people! We haven't offended you, why do you have to do this!"

"Yes! What exactly did the royal family do to offend you that such ruthless methods were necessary?"

Royal family?

Hanafuda sneered, about to say something, when a beautiful and slender figure hurriedly came from behind, offering a Den Den Mushi with both hands:

"Hanafuda-sama, it's a phone call! It's from the Alabasta royal family!"

"Ok?"

Hanafuda raised an eyebrow, took the Den Den Mushi, and slightly softened the ferocity on his face, replacing it with a playful smile.

"Hello?" he said lazily, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Finally decided to contact me, King Cobra?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, followed by a deep, serious voice:

“Mr. Hanafuda, I am Icarum, the captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard.”

Hanafuda's smile immediately turned cold.

"A mere guard captain dares to speak to me?"

He scoffed, "What's wrong with that old codger Cobra? Is he feeling guilty? He doesn't even have the courage to talk to me in person?"

"His Majesty the King is currently seriously ill and unable to leave."

Icarum's voice remained calm, but a hint of tension could be heard in it. "However, to show our sincerity, the reception team, led by our country's only princess, Her Highness Vivi, is already heading towards the river mouth at full speed!"

"We will arrive within two hours at most. Regarding your sudden arrival in our country and the blocking of the Santoro River, although the royal family does not know the reason, we hope to do our best to reach a reconciliation with you."

"reconciliation?"

Hanafuda seemed to have heard a joke and burst into laughter.

The next moment, the smile vanished from his face, the tip of his scythe tapped lightly on the deck, and he said expressionlessly:

"Sure, hand over the two Devil Fruits that Crocodile is supposed to give me, and I'll leave immediately without interfering with your kingdom's business dealings with these caravans."

"Devil Fruit?"

Icarum paused, then spoke again, his voice clearly tinged with surprise:

"We don't have any Devil Fruits... From what you're saying, you have an unfinished deal with Lord Crocodile that wasn't completed because of his unexpected death? But why are you asking us for them?"

"why?"

Hanafuda's forehead veins bulged as he roared:
"Stop playing dumb! Everyone on this high seas knows how close Crocodile is to your Alabasta royal family—they're practically inseparable!"

"not to mention!"

Hanafuda angrily retorted, "From the very beginning, Crocodile has been using your royal family's name to buy weapons from me! That guy doesn't even have any subordinates, what does he need so many weapons and equipment for? Isn't it obvious that he's procuring them for your royal family's garrison?"

"For the past few months, I've delivered the weapons on time every time, but what's the result? What's the result?"

"As a result, the two Zoan-type Devil Fruits they promised me in exchange have yet to be delivered! Crocodile is dead, so if I don't come to your royal family to collect my debt, who else should I go to? Huh? Who! Answer me!!"

There was silence again on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

Icarum seemed to want to say something, but the microphone was snatched away: "...It's alright, Icarum, let me talk to him myself!"

"Hey?"

A young girl's voice came through the microphone:
“I am Vivi, the princess of the Kingdom of Alabasta. Hello, Lady Hanafuda. I think there is some misunderstanding regarding what you just mentioned.”

Hanafuda squinted.

Princess Vivi?
She seems to be just a little girl about the same age as her daughter, Runti?

What could a little kid like that know?
He was disdainful in his heart, but still spoke coldly: "Oh? Little girl, tell me, what misunderstanding could there be?"

"First of all, the royal family has never commissioned Crocodile to purchase any weapons. Secondly, the royal family was completely unaware of the so-called Devil Fruit deal he made with you."

Princess Vivi's voice, though still young, carried an undeniable firmness.

"I can swear on behalf of my father, and on the reputation of the Nefit family for eight hundred years, that neither of these two points is true!"

"We should thank you for the information you inadvertently revealed, which has made us suspicious of Crocodile's true motives for his long-term activities in Alabasta. The royal family has already arranged for people to investigate the truth, and we will inform you as soon as we have the results..."

"Too much nonsense!"

Hanafuda scratched his ear impatiently. "What are you talking about? I don't care about the truth or the motives! I just want to know about those two Zoan-type Devil Fruits... no, you've wasted so much of my time, now it should be three!"

"Three Devil Fruits, or you can use Devil Fruit users with Zoan-type abilities instead. In short, can your royal family give them to me or not!"

He suddenly swung his scythe, and a huge wave of air slashed out.

boom!
A merchant ship not far away was instantly cut in half and exploded, with the merchants and sailors falling into the water and screaming in panic.

"Did you hear that melodious scream? This little princess who thinks she's so capable?"

Hanafuda grinned and said:
"My patience is limited. Regardless of whether you can reach the river mouth in time, as long as you haven't collected all the Devil Fruits I need, I will destroy one ship every ten minutes from now on until the royal family hands them over!"

*Snap* Regardless of Weiwei's reaction on the other end, Hanafuda hung up the phone expressionlessly.

He looked at the dumbfounded Jack and frowned, saying:

"What are you standing there for? My previous orders still stand. Move!"

Jack then woke up with a start.

"Yes, Hanafuda master!"

Just as Jack reached out, ready to grab the first unlucky guy—

Swish!
A vine made of smoke suddenly stretched out rapidly, and Jack's wrist was suddenly wrapped around it and pulled hard!
boom--!
He was thrown violently away and slammed heavily onto the ship's side, shattering the wooden railing instantly!

Dust billowed up, and Jack's massive body tumbled several times on the edge of the deck before regaining his balance and avoiding falling into the sea.

"Who!"

Jack jumped to his feet, looking around furiously. "Who! Which bastard has the nerve to ambush me!"

"..."

Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, as if he had sensed something, and turned around to look towards the river mouth.

Upon seeing the scene before him, he raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of surprise:

"He looks a bit like Aokiji from the Navy. What kind of ability is that?"

—On the wide Santoro River, a crystal-clear road of frost had somehow formed.

Amidst the swirling chill, seven figures strode across the ice.

The merchant ships, which had been fleeing in terror to the outskirts, couldn't help but stop and look back in this direction.

"I was just following the captain's orders. What, do you have a problem with that?"

A deep voice rang out, coming from the white-haired figure on the far right. He had a cigar in his mouth, tilted his head slightly, and met Jack's angry gaze indifferently.

To his left, the crew members stood in a row.

Redfoot Zeff crossed his arms and his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.
Robin, with her black herringbone hair, lowered her eyes and a faint smile played on her lips.
Kuina pressed one hand against the Wado Ichimonji, her eyes sharp as knives.

There were two other girls standing on either side of the center. The blue-haired girl exuded an icy chill, while the orange-haired girl had flames burning above her head.

At the very center was a black-haired boy walking slowly forward.

With his hands in his pockets and an expressionless face, Xia Nuo seemed to ignore the massive pirate ship that loomed across the river like a mountain, which exuded an oppressive aura.

Upon seeing his face clearly, the surrounding merchant ships erupted in an uproar.

"Hey, are you kidding me? Those guys are..."

"That's right! It's that group!"

"How come they happened to be here too... Let's go, hurry up!"

"A collision of this magnitude would be disastrous if we got caught up in it!"

Amidst the surrounding whispers of panic.

Xia Nuo slightly raised her head, her gaze passing over Jack and landing directly on Hanafuda:

"Hey, you Shichibukai."

"Listening to all that nonsense you've spouted, threatening merchant ships and the royal family, it's all very troublesome. It seems... there's an easier path right in front of you."

"An even simpler way?" Hanafuda narrowed his eyes, twirling the scythe in his palm, a ferocious smile curving his lips.

"Kid, tell me, what's your plan?"

Xia Nuo stepped forward on the ice, his crew following closely behind, their demeanor growing increasingly calm and powerful.

"It's very simple."

He raised his head, his dark eyes staring directly at the card, and grinned:
"—Why don't you just come find me directly?"

"...?"

Hanafuda's expression froze for a moment, then he burst into wild laughter, "Hahahaha! Looking for you? A brat who hasn't even grown his first hair? Who do you think you are?!"

He swung his scythe sharply, the blade pointing directly at Xia Nuo!
"Who do you think you are? Crocodile owes me money, what's it to you?!"

As soon as these words came out.

The entire massive pirate ship was deathly silent, with only the sound of the sea breeze.

The expressions of Xia Nuo and the others on the ice were all frozen.

The entire crew of the Hanafuda Pirates were frozen in place, as if petrified.

Only Jack stood there, holding his scythe, looking completely bewildered.

—Wasn't the leader of Hanafuda's harsh words delivered in a very cool and standard way? Why is everyone reacting like this?
"Uh, Hanafuda-sama, don't you know him...?"

The slender female cadre who had previously retrieved the Den Den Mushi swallowed hard, cautiously leaned close to Hanafuda's ear, and whispered:

"Um...did you throw away the newspaper I gave you last time without reading it carefully?"

"newspaper?"

Hanafuda frowned. "What do you mean? You've been following me for so long, don't you know I'm illiterate? When did you become able to understand that rubbish!"

"But you can at least understand the wanted poster above, right..."

Cold sweat beaded on the female cadre's forehead. "Those few photos that were tucked inside the front-page special edition of the World Economic News last month..."

"I'm still face-blind!"

Hanafuda toyed with the sickle and said impatiently, "I can't remember it even if I read it. Damn it, what's with all the rambling? Just say what you want to say, or shut up!"

"Yes……"

The female cadre shuddered, stole a glance at the black-haired boy on the ice, and lowered her voice:

"Boss, this guy is Shano, the one who killed Crocodile, the super rookie with a bounty of 540 million Berries..."

Ok?
Hanafuda's expression froze instantly.

The spinning of the sickle in his palm came to an abrupt halt.

"..."

Hanafuda's pupils constricted as she stared intently at the black-haired boy on the ice. "Xianuo...you're the captain of the Fallen Pirates, the katana master Xianuo?"

"To correct you, it should be the Fallen Adventurers' Guild."

Xia Nuo sighed and rubbed her temples. "Illiterate and face-blind... Do I really have to fight an idiot like you? It feels like I'm bullying a mentally challenged person..."

Stop talking big!!!

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Hanafuda's forehead, but he quickly regained his arrogant demeanor and sneered:
"Heh, a brat who just entered the Grand Line, killed Crocodile, and thinks he's strong enough to challenge all the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"I'm Hanafuda, you know! A man with a bounty of 500 million five years ago, unlike Crocodile, a clown who's lost his fighting spirit and just hides in the desert playing the hero!"

He gripped the sickle tightly, his gaze gradually turning chilling and menacing.

"However, what you said earlier is true. Crocodile was unable to deliver the order because you killed him. You should definitely be held accountable for this mess!"

"Now that you've shown yourself, are you planning to give me three Zoan-type Devil Fruits, or are you going to let me cut off your two arms and one leg to vent my anger as compensation?"

"What if I'm not willing?" Xia Nuo said with a smile.

"How arrogant you are, brat..."

Hanafuda grinned maliciously, "It seems you're truly determined to challenge me. Then let me show you my true strength!"

Swish!
He stomped his foot hard, leaping into the air and wielding his scythe as he descended from the sky, slashing fiercely at the black-haired boy on the ice below—

"challenge?"

Xia Nuo raised his head slightly, looking at the huge scythe that was slashing down with terrifying wind pressure, and a mocking smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Snapped.

He only made his move when the sickle was almost embedded in his face. To Hanafuda's astonishment, he easily grabbed the blade of the sickle with just his left hand.

"I said, aren't you mistaken about something...?"

The sharp edge of the scythe was only an inch away from Xia Nuo's brow, but it could not go any further—that long, powerful hand simply and firmly gripped the blade, without even using Armament Haki.

This guy is incredibly strong?

Hanafuda's pupils contracted sharply, and at the same time, she suddenly noticed that the other person's free right hand had clenched into a fist at some point.

boom!
The next instant, a fist wrapped in Armament Haki slammed heavily into Hanafuda's abdomen, and a terrifying shockwave exploded out like ripples!

Hanafuda's eyes bulged out instantly, and blood gushed from his mouth!

"Wow!!!"

His body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing through the sails of several merchant ships before finally slamming heavily into the desert on the right bank of the river, raising clouds of dust.

At that moment, Xia Nuo's calm voice also rang out:
"—Clearly, you're the challenger."

The entire mouth of the Santoro River was deathly silent.

Jack and the rest of the pirate crew were stunned, while the civilians on the merchant ship stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the scene.

—Hanafuda, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, a great pirate with a bounty of 500 million Berries, was sent flying by a single punch?!

"Oh dear, is he dead?"

Robin seemed unsurprised, turning his head and asking with a smile.

"That's not the case."

Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, replied, "Anyone else might not be able to withstand that punch from the captain, but this guy was once a top member of the Beasts Pirates, and he was on brotherhood with Kaido. He's the kind of person who's tough and resilient, so he won't be defeated so easily."

As if to emphasize the accuracy of his words.

next moment.

Rumble——! ! !
The entire desert on the right bank of the river suddenly trembled violently, like the shudder of an ancient behemoth before it awakens.

"Hey!"

"What's going on? What's that noise?!"

On the merchant ship closest to the riverbank, the sailors stared wide-eyed in horror.

Before our eyes, this once calm sandy land was now like a boiling pot of oil, with the yellow sand churning and surging like waves!
"Roar!!!"

A deafening roar suddenly tore through the heatwave, and the sound waves created visible ripples in the air!

A colossal creature burst forth from the sand, unleashing a sandstorm that instantly obscured half the sky.

—It turned out to be a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex that was over twenty meters long.

Its body was covered in jet-black scales, and with a sweep of its thick tail, it cut several poplar trees in half. In its gaping maw, sharp white teeth gleamed with a cold light.

Turning its head, upon seeing the black-haired boy on the riverbank, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's eyes instantly filled with ferocity and savagery:
"You brat...you've completely enraged me! Get your ass over here!!!"

“No wonder this guy’s nickname is Lizard King.” Smoker frowned. “So it’s an Ancient Zoan Tyrannosaurus Rex Fruit. That’s an incredibly rare find…”

He had previously met a guy named Drake at headquarters who also had a similar Devil Fruit ability, but he was just an Ancient Zoan Allosaurus. Drake's strength was far superior to Drake's, and he had now risen to the rank of Major General at headquarters.

Compared to Tyrannosaurus Rex, Allosaurus is obviously nothing.

"It does look a bit scary."

Xia Nuo also looked up at the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex with great interest. Just from the transformation, he almost thought he had traveled to the Ultraman set.

"Maybe we should just ignore this guy."

Nojiko chuckled and said, "The ice I formed is very shallow. If this guy were to rush over, he would probably fall straight into the sea. This form is scary, but on this side of the coast, it doesn't pose any threat to us at all."

Yes.

The Snow-Snow Fruit that my brother brought back was refused by Kuina because she was determined to become the purest swordsman. Uncle Zeff said that a chef at sea couldn't be a landlubber, and that he himself would have eaten the fruit when he was young. Gintoki and Mochi were even more dismissive...

So in the end, she ate it.

Nokiko was quite fond of the cool effects that this fruit could produce, and had been studying it diligently for the past few days.

I've basically adapted to it now, and by combining it with boxing techniques, I've developed several moves with decent lethality.

"We still need to reason with them."

Xia Nuo grinned. "It's been a long time since I've seen such a tough guy. It's rare to find a suitable punching bag, so how can I not stretch my muscles to my heart's content?"

Oh, and there seems to be another one with thick skin.

He looked at Jack on the huge black pirate ship, who was still standing there somewhat bewildered.

This guy seems to be a complete rookie, a far cry from the Drought who dared to charge headlong into a ship full of naval bigwigs. He doesn't seem like someone to be taken too seriously.

"The Hanafuda Pirates' executives are in your hands now. Have Gin come down and help out, and try to avoid affecting the merchant ships nearby."

"Don't worry, Captain, leave it to us."

Guina nodded, then glanced back. "As for those merchant ships, don't worry. They're very sensible; they've already withdrawn far away."

"Well, then I have no more worries. I can go and have some fun with this Shichibukai."

Xia Nuo turned his gaze to the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"Hey kid, why aren't you coming over here yet!"

The Tyrannosaurus Rex stared intently at him, grinning maliciously, "Could it be that you're trembling with fear after witnessing the power of your Hanafuda-sama!"

"People from the Beasts Pirates are definitely not very bright."

Xia Nuo sighed.

He slightly twisted his neck, which immediately produced a series of loud crackling sounds like popping beans.

Click!

The ice surface suddenly shattered, and the black-haired boy's figure vanished from the spot in an instant!

(End of this chapter)