At Luffy's decision, Zoro curled his lip slightly, and the bloodthirsty red gleam in his eyes gradually faded.
He slid Shusui back into its sheath with a clang, gave a cold snort of mild disappointment, and returned to the group.
"W-we're saved!"
Hearing Luffy's voice, which sounded like music from heaven, Hawkins and the pirate lackeys felt as though they had narrowly escaped death. They let out long, shuddering breaths, their bodies drained of strength. A few of the more timid ones even collapsed to the ground, weeping with joy.
"Well, since the captain has spoken, we'll do it your way."
Ronan looked at Luffy, a barely perceptible glimmer of approval flashing in his eyes. Then he slowly turned his head, his deep gaze settling once more on Hawkins, who was still sprawled on the ground.
"Hey. Hawkins, right?"
Ronan's voice became as still as the water in an ancient well, yet carried the assurance of someone with everything under control:
"I can tell you're smart, and you value your life very highly."
"We Straw Hat Pirates have always appreciated smart people."
"Since Luffy said he'd spare you... I'll give you a choice."
Ronan bent down slightly, his eyes fixed firmly on Hawkins:
"If you swear an oath right now to turn your back on Kaido completely and pledge allegiance to our Straw Hat Grand Fleet, we can spare you. We might even... save you a decent position when we reshape the world in the future."
At those words, even the windblown sand around them seemed to freeze.
Lying on the ground, Hawkins tensed all over again.
At that moment, the mind of the man known as the "Magician" raced like an overloaded computer, frantically weighing the benefits against the risks.
*I've already surrendered to Kaido and earned a reputation