The island that had been blasted into the sky by the rising current wasn't very large. Enel had already arrived, but he didn't rush to search for the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale right away.
He already knew where to look. Before coming here, Claudius had provided him with the relevant information—most likely, the pointer was hidden aboard a dilapidated ship.
But he wasn't in a hurry. After all, the main purpose of this so-called "treasure hunt" was to lure in the likes of Golden Lion Shiki, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin.
So, instead of heading straight for the ship, Enel took his time exploring the island. Who knew? He might stumble upon some other valuable finds.
"Any hidden treasures around here?" Enel murmured to himself, twirling his golden staff between his fingers.
Meanwhile—
Eustass Kid had also made it to the island.
"Hey, we're coming in too fast! At this rate, we'll crash, Captain!" Killer warned, watching in alarm as their ship hurtled toward the island from above.
Kid grinned wickedly. "This is the best way. The weaklings will get crushed and won't be able to cause trouble—perfect!"
As he spoke, electromagnetic energy crackled around his arm. A moment later, an invisible force slowed the ship's descent.
Not long after, Kid's vessel landed safely on the island. Meanwhile, other pirate ships—less fortunate or less skilled—came crashing down, shattering on impact.
"Let's go! We're getting that Log Pose!" Kid declared, leaping off the ship.
The island wasn't very big. By the time Kid found the ruined ship, several pirates were already fighting around it.
The ship was in bad shape, but it was overflowing with treasure—gold, jewels, and valuables were piled up like sand, spilling from the wreckage.
Naturally, this attracted a chaotic free-for-all as pirates battled to claim the riches.
Off to the side, Basil Hawkins wasn't participating in the brawl. Under the protection of his crew, he sat calmly, drawing tarot cards for a reading.
As he flipped them over, his usual impassive expression turned slightly more serious.
"Fate tells me there's a 90% chance the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale is on that ship," Hawkins murmured.
With that, he gathered his tarot deck, stood up, and issued his order.
"This nonsense has gone on long enough. Clear the area, we're taking that ship."
"Yes, Captain!" his men responded.
The Hawkins Pirates charged forward, cutting down the weaker pirates with ease. The few survivors fled in terror.
Just as Hawkins was about to board the wrecked ship, Kid spotted the commotion.
Seeing Hawkins make a move, Kid smirked cruelly. "So, a mystery man suddenly shows up, huh? That just confirms it—the Log Pose must be here! Let's take him down!"
Onboard the ruined ship, one of Hawkins' subordinates moved carefully, ignoring the piles of gold at his feet as he searched for the Log Pose.
Then, something felt off.
A split second later, gold coins shot from the ship and pierced his body.
The man staggered back, coughing up blood. But instead of collapsing, a small, tattered scarecrow fell from his body, one of Hawkins' infamous voodoo dolls.
Elsewhere on the island, a completely unrelated pirate suddenly screamed in agony. Two large holes appeared in his chest, blood pouring out as he collapsed, dead.
His nearby crewmates panicked, looking around wildly. They thought an unseen assassin was among them.
Meanwhile, Hawkins calmly plucked a coin from the air and turned toward the approaching Kid.
"We meet again, Hawkins," Kid sneered. "Have you predicted your own death today?"
Hawkins remained expressionless. "Eustass Kid… Compared to me, you're the one drowning in misfortune. I see death hanging over you. If you turn back now and leave this island, you might be able to escape your fate."
His words weren't meant as a taunt or a curse, it was simply what he had foreseen.
In fact, had he taken the time to do a deeper reading, he might have noticed something even more unsettling…
Not just Kid, but he himself bore the same ominous sign of impending death.
In truth, at least seven or eight people on this island had that same grim fate.
Kid, however, didn't take him seriously. To him, Hawkins was just trying to rattle him.
With a wild grin, Kid scoffed, "Then let's find out which of us dies first!"
Without hesitation, he launched himself at Hawkins, arcs of electricity crackling around his arm.
Hawkins remained unfazed. As Kid charged forward, gold coins and other metallic objects around him flew into the air, instantly forming a massive golden arm.
"DIE!!!" Kid roared, swinging his enormous metal fist at Hawkins.
Still calm, Hawkins didn't dodge.
Instead, his body shifted—
"Strawman's Voodoo!" he murmured.
In an instant, he transformed, his human form twisting into a towering straw effigy.
He crossed his arms, blocking Kid's attack.
Several thick straw tendrils shot from his body, reaching out to ensnare Kid.
Before they could make contact, however, a strange cry rang out.
Killer suddenly appeared, his twin scythes slashing through the straw tendrils before they could wrap around Kid.
Kid, undeterred, took the opening. His eyes flashed with ferocity.
"Repel!"
The gold that made up his giant arm suddenly trembled, reversing direction and launching toward Hawkins.
Hawkins didn't panic.
More straw tendrils burst from his body, rapidly weaving together into a massive shield.
Just as Kid's attack was about to connect.
A flash of lightning cut between them.
"Lightning Metallurgy."
In an instant, all the gold in midair melted into liquid, dripping harmlessly to the ground.
Both Hawkins and Kid instinctively stepped back, eyes darting toward the source of the interference.
A figure floated above them, a long golden staff in his hand, electric arcs still crackling around it.
A sigh escaped his lips.
"Not that I care about your little squabble, but could you not destroy the treasure? There might be something I need on this ship," Enel said casually, pointing his staff at Kid.
Kid was never the type to back down. His temper flared instantly.
Even though he recognized Enel—after all, the man was one of the infamous Seven Warlords of the Sea, he didn't care.
A Warlord? The so-called invincible Thunder God?
Tch—only because he hadn't met Kid!
Without a word, Kid activated his Devil Fruit ability.
The golden staff in Enel's hand trembled, as if trying to break free from his grip.
Enel raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Then, a smirk played at the corner of his lips.
"Now this… is interesting."
(To be continued.)
***
This book is completed on P/treon. Support me on P/treon to read ALL advanced chapters:
https://p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)