When lacking strength, you develop further. Persisting stubbornly despite the odds? That's the height of foolishness.
After all, there's always tomorrow...
Maude smiled as he gazed at Gion, who remained motionless. It felt as if invisible ropes, imperceptible to the naked eye, were binding her tightly in place from every direction.
The Marines answer to the World Government, which, in turn, extracts benefits from its allied nations. It is therefore obligated to provide tangible support to these nations in return.
If Gion, a Vice Admiral, were to disregard the safety of an allied nation's king in pursuit of a pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million berries, then…
Well, that would certainly make things interesting.
This kind of constraint, born from status, allegiance, and hierarchy, was something Maude utterly despised. Yet, he relished using such constraints against people he disliked.
Just like now.
What a delight.
"Old hag, look forward to our next meeting," Maude said, his tone dripping with mockery.
Seeing Gion remain silent, Maude tightened his grip slightly on his blade, Chidori, pressing it against Degarth's neck. A thin line of blood appeared, trickling down.
Feeling the sting of the blade, Degarth's heart raced. He hastily shut his mouth, no longer daring to scream.
With Degarth as his hostage, Maude slowly retreated. Supporting Law, who was leaning heavily against him, Maude dragged the exhausted doctor along.
"Your Majesty!" soldiers, officials, and nobles cried out, stepping forward anxiously as they watched Degarth in Maude's grip.
"Nobody move!!!"
To their surprise, it was Degarth himself who shouted the order. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot. His overwhelming desire to survive overpowered any shred of dignity.
"Your Majesty…"
The gathered soldiers and officials ground their teeth in frustration but were helpless to act.
"Maude, do you really think this will allow you to escape?" Gion's voice was icy as she swung her sword to the side, leaving a deep gash in the stone pavement.
Her aggressive display was enough to intimidate. The Marines accompanying her stepped forward, standing firmly behind her, in stark contrast to the hesitant soldiers of the Ahab Kingdom.
"Whether I escape or not isn't up to you, old hag," Maude said with a smirk. Without hesitation, he twisted Degarth's arm, snapping the bone with a sickening crack.
The sound of the fracture reverberated like thunder through the air, leaving the soldiers and officials pale-faced. Degarth's agonized scream followed, piercing through their hearts.
Despite his focus on physical fitness and health, Degarth had never trained to endure pain. The sharp agony of a broken bone turned his face ashen, beads of sweat pouring down as he screamed.
"Your Majesty!!!" Loyal soldiers and officials glared at Maude with eyes full of hatred.
Gion, however, remained unmoved. Her expression cold, she strode towards Maude without hesitation.
"What are you doing!?" shouted the king's personal guards, who had already failed in their duty. They brandished their weapons, blocking Gion's path.
Gion glared at the swords and spears barring her way, her brows furrowing slightly. Seeing the guards' actions, the Marines drew their weapons, further escalating the tension.
In response, the soldiers of the Ahab Kingdom raised their weapons, aiming them at Gion and her Marines.
The scene was chaos.
"Now this is more like it," Maude said with a laugh, his voice carrying a hint of malice as he quickened his retreat with Degarth in tow.
His laugh grated on the ears of Gion and her Marines.
"Soldiers of the Ahab Kingdom, listen well! If you let these Marines take another step forward, I'll break your beloved king's fingers, one by one. Step by step, finger by finger. If you cooperate, I'll release him once we're safe."
Maude's voice was cold and ruthless, like a winter wind cutting through the air. His words sent a chill down Degarth's spine.
"Do as he says!" Degarth roared, enduring the pain. His desperation to survive left him no choice.
"And you, you wretched woman!" Degarth snarled at Gion, his voice filled with fury and frustration. "A mere dog of the World Government dares to disregard my life?!"
Humiliated and enraged, Degarth lashed out at Gion. After all, her actions clearly showed she cared nothing for his safety.
Gion's expression remained icy, though her frown deepened. For a brief moment, she could almost understand why Garp had refused the position of Admiral multiple times.
She couldn't care less about the life of this pathetic king. Yet the soldiers and guards in her way were obstacles she couldn't ignore.
Grinding her teeth, Gion took a deep breath, suppressing her frustration.
"Old hag, see you around," Maude's mocking voice reached her ears.
A vein throbbed on Gion's temple. Under the circumstances, his choice of address felt like a deliberate insult.
With the Ahab Kingdom's soldiers unwittingly aiding him, Maude retreated to the Thomas Shipyard, Degarth in tow.
Some of the kingdom's soldiers and guards followed Maude, while others remained to keep Gion and her Marines at bay, as per Maude's demands.
"Mr. Maude, what are you doing…?" The shipyard guards were stunned to see Maude holding the king hostage.
Ignoring them, Maude strode into the shipyard. Before long, he reached the storage dock housing the Underworld Ferry, where Lafitte and the others were waiting.
"Looks like we're about to get a 'grand send-off,'" Lafitte said with a sly smile, tipping his hat as he observed the soldiers trailing Maude.
Gaya, seated nearby, closed her book and returned to the ship. When she emerged, she carried a single-handed axe.
Maude sheathed Chidori, lifting both the trembling Degarth and the exhausted Law. With a light jump, he landed on the deck of the Underworld Ferry.
"Prepare to set sail," Maude commanded.
On the deck, he gently placed Law down before hauling Degarth to the railing. Peering down at the tense soldiers below, Maude smirked.
"W-We've reached the shipyard. Y-You can let me go now…, right?" Degarth's voice trembled with fear.
Maude's smile widened, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.
"You…!" Degarth's expression twisted in horror as he sensed Maude's killing intent.
Before Degarth could react further, Maude twisted his neck with a swift motion.
With his head slumping to the side, Degarth's life faded away. In his final moments, he barely registered the chilling words spoken by Maude.
"I am, after all, a pirate."
Whether to kill Degarth or not was inconsequential to Maude.
However, to disgust Gion and fulfill his promise to the Revolutionary Army to escalate the situation, Maude had no intention of sparing Degarth's life the moment he took him hostage.
Casually, Maude tossed Degarth's lifeless body toward the soldiers below.
"You scoundrel! How dare you do such a thing?!"
The soldiers stared in disbelief at the corpse thrown their way.
At that moment, the supports propping up the Underworld Ferry gave way with a loud crack.
Without the supports, the Underworld Ferry plunged heavily into the current below, sending up a massive spray of seawater.
Driven by the current, the Underworld Ferry moved toward the tunnel ahead.
Caught off guard, the soldiers could only watch helplessly as the Underworld Ferry drifted away.
Just then, a tall figure arrived at high speed—it was Gion.
Ignoring the soldiers and Degarth's corpse, she swung her blade, releasing a massive red slash toward the Underworld Ferry.
If the slash connected, even the hull crafted from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam would be split wide open.
Almost simultaneously, Gaya, who had approached Maude's side, swung her axe, sending a similarly massive red slash to intercept Gion's attack.
The two equally formidable slashes collided midair with a thunderous explosion, unleashing a shockwave that even accelerated the Underworld Ferry's departure.
"..."
Gion's astonished gaze pierced through the lingering aftermath of the explosion, landing on Gaya.
Who would have thought Maude's ship harbored someone this powerful?
Gion's thoughts were shaken.
Meanwhile, Gaya opened her amber eyes slightly, her gaze reflecting Gion's figure.
Two strong women stood amidst the remnants of the explosion, silently locking eyes.
Seeing Gaya take action, Maude sheathed the hilt of his sword, Chidori.
"Gaya, that old woman's pretty fierce, huh?"
"Fierce? I don't know about that, but she's definitely strong."
"Strong? I'm not so sure. But one thing's certain—she's old."
"..."
Gaya found herself speechless, looking helplessly at Maude's amused expression.
In the distance, Gion's sharp hearing picked up their conversation despite herself.
Even if she didn't want to listen, the exchange between Maude and Gaya reached her ears.
Furious, Gion vented her anger by unleashing another slash toward the Underworld Ferry.
But before the slash could reach its target, the Underworld Ferry slipped into the tunnel, vanishing from sight.
"Bacardi Maude!"
Gritting her teeth, Gion swiftly turned and left the shipyard.
As long as she returned to her warship, there might still be a chance to catch up to the Underworld Ferry.
From beginning to end, Gion never spared Degarth's corpse a single glance.
She had no sympathy whatsoever for his fate.
Gion raced back to the central crossroads as fast as she could.
At that moment, the severely injured Wolfrat was being carried out by a few comrades.
Knowing Wolfrat's Zoan-type resilience, Gion wasn't overly concerned.
"Back to the warship!"
She issued the command, heading straight for the port.
However, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Ahab once again blocked Gion and her marines.
"Stand aside."
Gion's demeanor shifted, her cold expression laced with unmistakable killing intent.
Yet the soldiers held their ground, forming a wall to block her path.
"Hmph, the Marines…"
A middle-aged nobleman in extravagant attire stepped forward, his voice icy. "You think you can just leave without an explanation?"
"An explanation?"
Gion laughed coldly in anger, resisting the urge to draw her sword and cut down the man in front of her.
Ever since arriving on this island, she had faced constant obstruction. Letting the Maude Pirates escape was bad enough, but now this group of fools wanted her to account for herself?
And the worst part was, she couldn't even vent her rage at these "allies."
Gion felt on the verge of losing her mind...
The Underworld Ferry passed through Leviathan Island's "gills" and emerged on the open sea.
"Set sail!"
Maude's command rang out.
Lafitte unfurled the sails, and Jim took the helm.
Whoosh!
The sea breeze filled the sails, propelling the newly built Underworld Ferry forward, leaving Leviathan Island behind.
Once the course stabilized, Lafitte and Jim left their posts and joined the others on the forward deck.
At that moment, Law, still recovering from his exhaustion, was finally starting to regain his strength.
"Captain, this soup was just made by big sis Gaya. She said it'll help you feel better," Bepo said, carrying a bowl of steaming soup over.
Parched, Law accepted the bowl without hesitation, drinking it in one go.
"Hm?"
As the warm soup settled in his stomach, Law keenly felt its rejuvenating effects.
"This soup…"
Noticing his strength returning, a flicker of astonishment crossed Law's eyes as he turned to Gaya, who had just stepped out of the cabin.
Who exactly is this woman?
Law couldn't help but wonder.
The soup's restorative effects and her ability to hold her own against Gion were nothing short of remarkable.
Yet such an extraordinary individual was merely one of Maude's underlings.
"The Maude Pirates…"
Law silently handed the empty bowl back to Bepo.
Clack, clack.
Maude approached, glancing briefly at Baby-5, still unconscious and tied to the mast, before looking at Law.
"Law, your ship and crew are still on Leviathan Island, right?"
"Yes."
"Can you contact them? Have them come pick you up."
"I can, but…"
Law pulled out a Den Den Mushi, his tone calm. "Meeting up at sea won't be easy."
"Try anyway. If it doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."
Maude didn't press the issue.
He had relied on Law's abilities during their escape, which ended with Law accidentally tagging along. The least Maude could do was ensure his safe return.
Law nodded but cast a curious glance at Baby-5 tied to the mast.
"Why did you capture Baby-5?"
"No special reason," Maude replied, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Baby-5. "I just want the Weapon-Weapon Fruit power inside her."
Law was momentarily taken aback.
He had assumed Maude intended to use Baby-5 as leverage against Doflamingo.
It turned out Maude was only after the Devil Fruit's abilities.
At that moment, Bailey hopped onto Maude's shoulder, carrying two apples.
Taking one, Maude glanced at Law and posed a question with a faint smile.
"Law, with the Op-Op Fruit's capabilities, is it possible to extract the 'devil' residing within a Devil Fruit user and preserve it?"
"Huh?"
Law's eyes flickered with surprise.
In the ten-plus years since acquiring the Op-Op Fruit, he had never considered such a concept.
Maude calmly observed Law's astonished reaction.
He knew methods to extract Devil Fruit powers but wasn't entirely confident in their success.
Perhaps with Law's ability and some direction, the odds could be improved.
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