Why had Hawkins's sword thrust missed? Drake definitely had not had time to dodge at the time; he had been practically waiting for death with his eyes closed. Yet with Hawkins's skill, that strike had actually missed?
It was simply unbelievable.
After Hawkins missed with his sword, Drake finally pulled himself back from the brink of death. Catching his breath, he forcefully shoved forward with his two crossed weapons, unleashing a cross-shaped slash. Hawkins hurriedly swung his sword back to block. With how close they were and how powerful Drake was, Hawkins was sent flying.
Drake was in a miserable state, almost constantly in danger. Urouge aboard the Konoha Go was no better off. Not only was Kidd harassing him head-on, but countless Pirates around them also took every chance to strike from the shadows. Urouge and several Devil Fruit ability users had already suffered minor injuries.
If the battle dragged on like this, they would sooner or later be worn to death by Kidd's Pirate alliance.
"Pfft! Why hasn't the Alliance Leader returned yet?!" Drake had several wounds on his body, and Apu's attacks had also inflicted serious internal injuries. After spitting out blood, the burning pain in his chest eased somewhat. He spoke unwillingly.
"Hmph! Your Alliance Leader isn't coming back!" Kidd sneered. "I've already notified the nearby Pirates and told them to hold Uchiha Hiko back. As long as we take the Konoha Go, they'll get a share of the treasure aboard. No matter how strong Uchiha Hiko is, getting through that many Pirates will probably take him some time!"
Kidd's words shocked Drake. He had not expected them to be planning not only to plunder the Konoha Go, but also to audaciously attack the Alliance Leader. These lunatics truly did not know the meaning of death.