Drake's journey as an undercover agent had just begun, but the internal competition within the Beasts Pirates was driving their overall strength to new heights, which was bad news for both the Marines and Drake, who was about to infiltrate them.
To gather critical intelligence, he had to find a way to enter the upper ranks of the Beasts Pirates. However, in their fiercely competitive environment, reaching the top had become even more difficult.
Drake's current bounty was largely influenced by Sengoku. With his behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Drake—once a fallen Rear Admiral—was able to quickly rise to the status of a Super Rookie and reach Sabaody Archipelago.
But that wasn't enough. Drake's bounty was merely his graduation certificate—something that served as his ticket to joining the Beasts Pirates. His Ancient Zoan ability meant that he was a good fit professionally, but that was all.
A freshly graduated young man was naturally at a huge disadvantage compared to those who had been nurtured by the Beasts Pirates themselves.
Moreover, as the Great Pirate Era continued to expand, more and more pirates at his level were emerging, making the competition even fiercer for Drake.
Upon spotting members of the Beasts Pirates in Sabaody Archipelago, he had planned to seize the opportunity to make an impression on them, hoping the "interviewers" would become more familiar with him—something that would benefit his mission later.
So, when the conflict first erupted, he remained hidden in the shadows, watching like a spectator, waiting for the right moment to act.
But reality hit him hard. Lami's slap might have landed on Kid's face, but the pain resonated deeply in Drake's heart.
"Two attacks… No, just one attack was enough to defeat the rookie with the highest bounty…?"
The first attack had corroded Kid's metal arm, and the second had left him completely paralyzed. This brief display of power was enough for Drake to realize just how many monsters lurked under the banner of the Beasts Pirates.
"Captain Drake, that woman… is she a pirate from the New World?"
Drake's subordinates were unaware of his true situation. To them, he was nothing more than a former Marine Rear Admiral who had turned his back on the Marines
And because of his past rank, he knew far more than rookie pirates just starting out.
"Yes, she's part of the Beasts Pirates. One of their religious forces—Poison Nun Lami. Bounty: 165 million Berries."
Drake's mission was to infiltrate the Beasts Pirates, so he had memorized the names of notable figures within their ranks.
"165 million… But she just instantly took down Kid, who's worth 300 million…"
"A bounty doesn't always reflect true strength, but this woman… It seems the Marines have seriously underestimated her."
Listening to his subordinates' complaints, Drake didn't really know what to say. The Marines' Intelligence Branch was somewhat unreliable, but the bounty system usually had some merit.
Lami's ability was not simple, but compared to Jack, who was looking for a fight everywhere, Kaido, who frequently made headlines, and Queen, who often got himself into trouble, Lami wasn't nearly as terrifying.
On top of that, she was just a nun. She didn't spend her days fighting and killing, and even the Marines didn't suffer many casualties at her hands, which was why her bounty wasn't particularly high.
In the New World, Lami's ability wasn't overly fearsome—those with strong enough bodies and Haki could withstand her poison. But here, it was a different story. Like Queen, she excelled at oppressing the weak—the weaker the opponent, the more terrifying she became.
If Kid had run into a combat-focused fighter like Bat-Man, he might have been able to hold his own for a few rounds—heck, even against Isuka, he could've lasted a bit longer as a punching bag. But unfortunately for him, he ended up running into Lami.
...
"Captain, that girl you were trying to hit doesn't seem simple..."
"I told you, I wasn't hitting on her!"
Law's patience was wearing thin faster than usual. But as he looked at the immobilized Kid, his emotions were complicated.
He was glad that Lami had such strength—it meant her future would be safer. But at the same time, his heart ached for her. He had no idea what she had gone through to transform from the crybaby in the past into the person she was now.
"Captain Hawkins... Is this the reason you stopped me?"
Drake wasn't the only one watching the scene unfold. The Hawkins Pirates were also observing from inside the restaurant.
The pirate who had almost attacked her earlier but was stopped by Hawkins now felt weak in the knees. Even the ruthless Kid had been taken down in an instant—if he had acted, who knew what would've happened to him?
"This is fate. You don't need to worry. There's no sign of death on your face, but others wouldn't be so lucky."
A few strands of straw extended from Hawkins' body as several cards floated in the air, manipulated by the straw. Hawkins silently began repositioning the cards.
"What do you mean?"
"Chance of conflict: 99.5%. Mortality rate: 50%. Chance of a successful escape: 69.6%. He carries the mark of death on half of his body."
Mysticism might not always be reliable, but compared to the words of the grandmother back home, it was at least somewhat more trustworthy. Just as Hawkins finished his divination, Kid moved again.
Splurt! Splurt!
Blood suddenly burst from Kid's arms—not from an enemy's attack, but as if something inside him had exploded, causing his blood vessels to rupture. As blood flowed down both arms, his body unexpectedly regained movement.
"Punk… Repel!"
The remaining metal in the area was once again drawn by his ability, shooting toward Lami.
However, Lami didn't even bother to defend herself. Though she was a "Zoan-type" Ability User, she has a "Logia-type" mud body, making her nearly invincible in the first half of the Grand Line.
"I underestimated the physique and willpower of these rookies… Looks like I diluted the poison too much."
Lami could control the potency of her poisons. She had only intended to teach these people a lesson and didn't want to cause a biohazard on Sabaody Archipelago, so she had significantly weakened her poison.
But she had underestimated Kid's physique, leaving him with enough strength to keep fighting.
Just as Lami was considering whether to finish him off with a more serious attack, a blue figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
Clang!
Drake, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly appeared in front of Kid's attack, deflecting the attack aimed at Lami.
"If you want to fight, take it to the New World. Don't cause trouble here!"
That was his official reason. Sabaody Archipelago was too close to Marine Headquarters—if a major disturbance broke out, it would be bad for everyone. Plus, this gave him a chance to make an impression on Lami. At this moment, he was actually grateful for Kid's impulsiveness, which gave him an opportunity to make an impression.
To maximize the effect, he even struck a cool pose.
But once again, things didn't go as he expected.
Instead of getting a response from Lami, he was met with a slash from Law.
"Trafalgar Law, this isn't the place for a fight. Don't you understand?"
"I don't need you to tell me what to do. I just don't like you and felt like cutting you down."
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