In the world of pirates, there exists a myriad of Devil Fruit abilities.
As someone who has traversed dimensions, Maude possesses foreknowledge of most known Devil Fruits and their capabilities—insight akin to that of a prophet.
Among this knowledge, the Op-Op Fruit stands out as the most valuable Devil Fruit, boasting a transaction price as high as 5 billion berries.
Thus, Maude had always been particularly aware of the Op-Op Fruit.
Beyond its astronomical value, the fruit also grants an ability that defies common understanding—bestowing eternal life.
The man standing before Maude, wearing a spotted fur hat and sporting a bit of stubble on his chin, is none other than the Op-Op Fruit's wielder: Trafalgar D. Water Law.
He hadn't expected to encounter Law here.
At this point in time...
Law should already have severed ties with the Donquixote Family, shouldn't he?
Maude's calm gaze fixed on Trafalgar Law, and his thoughts drifted momentarily to Buffalo, the Donquixote executive he had glimpsed earlier.
If Law hadn't yet left the Donquixote Family, then his simultaneous presence here with Buffalo in Dick City was a curious coincidence.
Facing Maude's unabashed scrutiny, Law appeared unperturbed, as he was similarly appraising Maude.
"Bacardi Maude..."
Anyone who regularly followed the Daily Times would instantly recognize the man before them.
He was none other than the architect behind the Twin Islands Incident—Bacardi Maude.
Whether it was the attack on the royal vessel of Nandekar Kingdom and its two escort warships during the Reverie, or the massacre of an entire pirate town on Twin Islands, Maude's actions spoke volumes of his ruthlessness.
And yet, seeing Maude in person, Law couldn't help but marvel—appearances truly can be deceiving.
Compared to these recent events, Law was more intrigued by the mystery surrounding Maude's first bounty notice.
The Marines had issued a bounty of 68 million berries for Maude, yet no details about the incident behind it were disclosed.
What kind of secrets could lie hidden within?
Law had no way of knowing, but one thing was certain: this man was no ordinary pirate.
While Maude and Law silently assessed each other, nearby, sparks were already flying between Bepo and Bailey, who were locked in a glaring contest.
"You wanna fight, little guy? Ah-yah!"
Bepo's black eyes widened as he stepped back dramatically, demonstrating a comical sweep kick. He quickly got to his feet, lifted one leg into a crane stance, and stretched his arms wide in a pose resembling a bird in flight.
The entire sequence was thoroughly theatrical.
"Look at this bear trying to act tough. Hic~"
Bailey, perched atop Jim's bald head, glanced down at Bepo dismissively. He raised a pudgy paw and smirked. "It'd take just one finger to handle someone like you."
Bepo bared his teeth in frustration. "We'll see what you've got, you little—!"
"Hah, hic~!"
Bailey tilted his head back and laughed, letting out a drunken hiccup.
With a single claw from his paw, he beckoned Bepo mockingly. "Come on, you cowardly bear. Let's see what you've got!"
"...?"
Bepo hesitated, glancing at the intimidating Jim beneath Beli. Four words came to mind—"hiding behind someone stronger".
Seeing Bepo freeze in place, Bailey smirked smugly, as though he'd never heard of the word "shame."
"You're making me mad!"
Seething under Bailey's disdainful gaze, Bepo leapt forward, aiming to pounce on the smug little creature perched on Jim's head.
"Room."
Raising a hand, Law effortlessly activated his ability, enclosing Bepo in a spherical space and pulling him back to his original position.
Snapped back to reality, Bepo turned to Law, looking hurt. "Captain..."
"Eat something later."
Law tapped Bepo's stomach lightly with his sword hilt.
"Okay!"
At the mention of food, Bepo's dejection vanished in an instant.
Maude glanced at Bailey, signaling with his eyes for him to behave.
Bailey grinned sheepishly before flopping onto Jim's head and promptly falling asleep.
Turning back to Law, Maude said, "Apologies. That little one's a bit drunk."
"It's fine."
Law remained calm and composed.
Looking at Bepo, Maude remarked, "He's a Mink, right? Interesting fellow."
"Huh?"
Unused to compliments, Bepo blushed and lowered his head, fidgeting with his paws in embarrassment.
Law glanced at Bepo's reaction and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
I shouldn't have brought this guy to the island...
Maude chuckled softly before offering a hand to Law. "Let's get acquainted. I'm Bacardi Maude."
This gesture of camaraderie made Law raise an eyebrow slightly.
Based on what he'd read, Maude didn't strike him as someone inclined to make friendly overtures.
Nevertheless, Law found Maude's demeanor unoffensive, so he calmly introduced himself.
"Trafalgar Law."
He then tapped Bepo's arm with the hilt of his sword.
"This is Bepo."
Maude nodded, introducing Lafitte and the others in his group.
Their introductions were brief and to the point, with neither side showing excessive enthusiasm nor cold indifference.
After establishing initial contact, Maude made no attempt to deepen the interaction.
"Law, we've got things to do. We'll be heading off."
"Alright."
Law nodded, watching Maude and his group leave with a curious glint in his eye.
Bepo, still fidgeting, muttered, "Captain, everyone says Maude's a merciless butcher, but I think he's a good person! And he's got great taste!"
"..."
Too drained to respond, Law simply pushed open the tavern door and entered.
A butcher, huh...?
Once inside, Law reflected on the public's perception of Maude.
Though their encounter had been brief, Law found it hard to reconcile Maude's reputation with his own impression.
Perhaps it really is true—appearances can be deceiving.
Law shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought.
It was just a chance encounter. Even if they had exchanged names and gotten to know each other, it didn't necessarily mean their paths would cross again.
"Maude!"
Suddenly, Law heard someone angrily shouting Maude's name through gritted teeth. Reflexively, he turned toward the source of the voice.
Arthur stood before a messy, overturned table, his face brimming with fury, clutching a stack of bills in his hand.
Beside Arthur were two waitstaff, each wearing forced, apologetic smiles.
One of the staff members spoke politely, "Sir, your total bill for this visit comes to 546,000 berries. However, the amount you just took back was only 302,000 Berries, so there's still a shortfall of 244,000 Berries."
Arthur shot a scathing glare at the waiter, then begrudgingly pulled out more cash to cover the difference.
After paying, Arthur growled through clenched teeth, "Damn Maude! Not only—"
Mid-sentence, Arthur abruptly stopped.
He noticed the strange stares directed at him from the surrounding patrons, clenched his teeth, and stormed toward the tavern door.
Losing the Eternal Pose was bad enough. Maude had promised to treat him, but in the end, had only left 300,000 Berries before walking out.
Come to think of it, how did I end up drinking until I passed out...?
Arthur frowned.
Little did he know, the 300,000 berries Maude had left behind were all the cash he had left after deducting an advance payment for Benny's guiding services.
Law quietly watched Arthur walk past him.
Somehow, he had the feeling that this man shared some sort of history with Maude.
Outside the tavern, on the bustling street.
Lafitte suddenly turned to ask about Law's background.
"Maude, who was that man back there?"
"Heh..."
Maude kept his gaze forward, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Law is the user of the Op-Op Fruit, and he'll be one of our allies in the future."
"Oh?"
Lafitte raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is Law's mortal enemy," Maude explained casually.
He had his sights set on obtaining the Arms-Arms Fruit, which meant it was only a matter of time before he came into conflict with the Donquixote Family.
Even without that connection, as long as the opportunity presented itself, the Donquixote Family, led by Doflamingo, would inevitably become one of the stepping stones on his path.
And the enemy of his enemy was, naturally, his ally.
However, it was still too early to delve deeper into these matters, so there was no need to make an effort to form close ties with Law for now.
"I see," Lafitte mused, glancing back in the direction of the tavern.
From the mere mention of the Seven Warlords and the word "mortal enemy," Lafitte could already piece together a lot.
Donquixote Doflamingo...
He was already one of their potential targets.
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