Drake's degrading comment about Apoo did have a rare, tiny smile appear on Hawkins' lips before he squashed it down. Mostly due to the reminder that, despite the fool's simpering, he had gotten the better of him. A bitter pill to swallow, but an undeniable fact. "Indeed, I was blindsided. I had assumed that it would be Eustass who would cause it all to fall apart. He and Apoo were always at each other's throats. Frankly, I had intended to only remain long enough to get the prize my cards had promised me, then leave before the man snapped and attempted to violently end the alliance."
Alas, the inevitable betrayal had occurred before the cards could fulfill their promise. And it was all because he hadn't considered that the Ten of Swords were supposed to be warning him of Apoo. But the cards had been dealt, he'd misinterpreted that hand, and his fate had been sealed. Just as Kidd, Killer, and his crew's had been.
He shrugged at Drake's offering of condolences. Hawkins often forgot that other captains regarded their men as more than just pawns. That they preached loyalty to their subordinates, rather than merely the other way around. Did Drake, Kid, and Trafalgar all truly care about them? Did they not realize the opening such sentiment provided their enemies? Was it not better to command devoted yet expendable men who could be easily replaced should they be killed on the dangerous, unpredictable seas?
You're not a captain, the Heart Pirate's fiery engineer had hissed at him on Sabaody. She'd realized the true purpose of the men who followed him and had taken offense on their behalf. You're a damn cult leader.
Perhaps she had been right; it did not change his opinion on the matter, nor his lack of emotion over his men's deaths. "My men had long accepted that their fates were to die in service to me. They embraced that fact." Holding out his arm, a few straw dolls emerged from the flesh. "I'm sure you understand my powers allow me to redirect any damage meant for myself onto another. Thus, growing attached to them would have been unwise." He paused before stating quietly, "Faust was the only exception. The only one I never used my powers on. His fate should not have been theirs. For him only, I will accept your condolences."
The dolls sank back into his body. While he didn't have his crew anymore, he did have subordinates among the Beast Pirates to serve the same purpose should he be attacked. Not that they were aware of this, of course. He didn't have time to mold their minds like he had his own crew. At least he doubted Kaido had much regard for them beyond cannon fodder, either.
He caught Drake's pointed glance and regarded his own attire. He hadn't thought much about the blood showing. White had simply been a common color on Auger. Better for protecting against the sun in the desert. But he supposed it did show off his victims' blood quite starkly when it splattered across him. "Perhaps it was. Your former superiors do seem to have a certain twisted sense of humor."
Brow furrowing, Hawkins realized that Drake's attention was still fixated on him, though not his attire anymore. Was he looking at his hair? Had he managed to get blood in it? Or was he simply looking at it to avoid looking at his face? He'd been told his red eyes and forehead tattoos could be rather unsettling.
It didn't matter. Hawkins' fingers steepled again as he considered his companion's question. "Regarding us being on the same side...I am not opposed to it. I seem to recall Trafalgar being your target more than myself back in the North." That brought the faintest chuckle to his throat, briefly remembering their respective early careers. "Perhaps the fates saw fit to keep us from clashing too often back then so that we might fight side-by-side now with minimal bad blood. So long as you do not choose to betray me as Apoo did, I see no reason to bear any ill feelings towards our current working relationship." Though, he would be doing frequent readings of his cards to ensure he wasn't blindsided by betrayal again. One couldn't be too careful.
Turning his head to fully gaze at the man lying beside him, bare chest coated in dried blood and leathers clinging to his muscles, Hawkins asked, "And what are your thoughts on us fighting on the same side now?"