With just one sentence from Keynes, the imposing soldiers swallowed their pride and dropped to their knees in the middle of the street.
Under the scrutiny of many onlookers, Matthew lowered his head slightly without speaking.
His actions, however, were enough to give Keynes an answer.
"Leave."
Keynes spoke coldly.
Matthew had shown him respect, so Keynes, in turn, allowed him a way out without further humiliation.
"Yes, Lord Keynes."
Matthew stood, forcing a smile as he addressed Keynes, then decisively turned and led his troops away from North Street.
Before leaving, he even made sure to take the bodies of the three Mallet brothers with him.
As for the act of kneeling just now, to Matthew, it was a trivial matter.
That Bacardi Maude...
To be called a distinguished guest by Keynes and shown such regard likely meant he had placed a costly order at the Thomas Shipyard.
Part of the profits from every order at the Thomas Shipyard was handed over to the king, a man who valued money above all else.
In light of this connection, making an enemy of Maude could lead to far worse consequences...
Matthew wasn't afraid of the Maude Pirates themselves. His concern was Keynes saying a few choice words to the king.
If that happened, their group would most likely be sent to the Hanging Prison.
Even the thought of those horrific images sent a chill down his spine. Matthew could only hope Keynes wouldn't trouble him further later on.
Matthew retreated swiftly.
The accompanying soldiers didn't say a word.
They were accustomed to situations where pride had to be cast aside for the sake of profit.
In the scenario just now, if Keynes hadn't intervened, they would have clashed with the Maude Pirates.
However...
Recalling the ominous aura surrounding Maude—a presence drenched in the blood of countless battles—the soldiers couldn't help but shiver slightly.
Truth be told, none of them wanted to confront Maude.
Resolving the matter by kneeling might even be considered a stroke of luck.
North Street.
Maude and his crew watched as the soldiers left.
Their behavior had made Maude's group aware that Keynes's identity might be anything but ordinary.
After dismissing Matthew and his men, Keynes turned to Maude with an apologetic smile.
"Mr. Maude, I hope you won't hold a grudge over what just happened."
"It's fine."
Maude sheathed his sword, Chidori.
Had Keynes not stepped in, Maude would have been forced to fight again.
In Dick City, killing pirates or bounty hunters generally didn't lead to trouble.
But taking action against the military would likely force them to find another place to have their ship built.
Even knowing the potential consequences, Maude wouldn't have hesitated to strike.
What's the point of pursuing power if it can't be used in moments like these?
As pirates, they should always follow their true desires.
After resolving the matter, Keynes exchanged a few pleasantries before heading back to the shipyard.
He planned to devote all his attention in the coming days to the construction of Maude's exorbitantly priced new ship.
Once Keynes left, Maude and his crew began making their way toward East Street.
The earlier events on North Street had changed how the townsfolk looked at Maude and his crew.
For someone to be treated with such deference by Keynes of the Thomas Shipyard, they must be significant figures.
Under the watchful eyes of many, Maude's group departed North Street and reached the crossroads at the center of town.
Lafitte glanced back toward North Street, speaking softly, "I didn't expect those soldiers to act like that."
"Neither did I... This country is strange."
Maude observed the bustling streets with interest.
Walking ahead, Benny hesitated to speak but ultimately stayed silent.
In this country, money was everything.
It could absolve crimes and even buy lives.
Here, every individual's value could be measured in money.
Much like the bounties on pirates or the price tags on slaves.
The king of this country had merely magnified this principle to its fullest extent.
For some, this was a paradise.
Led by Benny, Maude's group arrived at a large tavern on East Street.
Before they entered, Benny had already explained the nature of East Street to them.
It was essentially the only lawless zone in Dick City, where even the military dared not intervene.
Here, acts like robbery or murder wouldn't provoke a response from the authorities.
However, from the moment Keynes had stepped in for Maude, it was clear that no matter what trouble Maude caused in any other district, the soldiers maintaining order wouldn't bother him again.
Money was power.
In the Kingdom of Ahab, this truth was evident everywhere.
Upon learning East Street was a lawless zone, both Maude and Lafitte's interest was piqued.
They pushed open the tavern doors and walked in.
The noisy atmosphere inside gradually quieted at their arrival.
All eyes in the room turned toward Maude.
Famous pirates with high bounties always drew attention wherever they went, especially in places filled with their kind.
Most of the gazes were filled with fear.
They were afraid of Maude.
And Maude had certainly earned that fear.
He scanned the room with his sharp eyes.
Many pirates avoided his gaze, lowering their heads in submission.
Unbothered by their reactions, Maude's eyes lingered briefly on a man bound by two thick chains before moving on.
That chained man was Buffalo.
"Well, isn't this unlucky? I guess I won't be heading to the casino later," Buffalo thought to himself, glancing at Maude's group as they sat down.
Had he not indulged in a few extra drinks, he would've been at the casino ten minutes earlier.
This stroke of bad luck left him feeling sour.
"Wait, he doesn't even know me," Buffalo suddenly realized.
"So what am I so worried about?"
Buffalo laughed to himself, flashing the unmistakable emblem of the Donquixote Family on his teeth.
Once Maude's group was seated, the chatter in the tavern slowly resumed.
Maude paid no further attention to Buffalo but had already recognized him.
That unmistakable propeller-like hairstyle and mustache were as good as a beacon.
"Could it be that Baby 5, with her Arms-Arms Fruit, is also on this island?"
Maude's thoughts churned.
Buffalo and Baby 5 often acted together in the Donquixote Family.
If Baby 5 was here too, then...
At that moment, the tavern doors swung open again.
A tall man in a long coat stepped inside, pausing briefly to scan the room before heading straight to Maude's table.
The man grinned at Maude.
"Long time no see, Maude."
"Arthur? You're not dead?"
Maude looked up at the man, surprised.
Arthur, the former undertaker of Mad Hat Town, twitched slightly at the comment and pointed to the last empty seat at the table.
"That's a harsh greeting. Mind if I join you?"
"I do."
Maude gave him no face.
"..."
Arthur's expression stiffened.
After clearing his throat, he shamelessly took a seat anyway, eager to avoid being told to leave outright.
He quickly changed the subject.
"Maude, you're here for the Devil Fruit, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
Maude replied without much reaction.
Lafitte and the others at the table remained calm, as if they had come to Leviathan Island for the same reason Arthur had just mentioned.
In truth, the news of a Devil Fruit in Dick Town was no longer a secret.
Arthur took no issue with their response, glancing briefly at the weasel-like Bailey perched nearby, wondering if it was Maude's choice for the upcoming Beast Battle.
Without lingering on the thought, Arthur lowered his voice.
"They say the Devil Fruit was discovered on an island called Little Garden."
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