Following the incident at Mad Hat Town, Maude, who had remained dormant for eight months, re-emerged into the public eye with a fearless and domineering presence.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he seemed poised to replace Ace, the "Fire Fist," as the new center of attention.
Every year, unless there's a major event, rising stars inevitably draw the world's gaze.
Last year, it was Ace. After entering the Grand Line, he quickly gained notoriety in just a few months, attracting the attention of the Four Emperors and the Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
For an entire year, the world closely followed Ace's future, until he joined the Whitebeard Pirates, which somewhat diminished the spotlight on him.
According to the original storyline, this year should have been Cavendish's time to shine.
Six months from now, Cavendish was destined to enter the New World with a bounty of 280 million berries, making a grand debut that would shake the world.
But Maude's emergence had irrevocably altered that trajectory.
News reporters, drawn to Maude's growing influence, diverted their focus from Cavendish.
Moreover, with Dada Turkey fanning the flames every so often, the spotlight that should have been on Cavendish naturally shifted to Maude.
In such an environment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku kept a close eye on these dazzling newcomers.
However, the three Admirals of the Marines—Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji—remained largely indifferent to the ever-emerging pirate rookies.
Kizaru didn't care, and Akainu cared even less.
Aokiji typically shared the same attitude, but the Mad Hat Town incident and Maude's subsequent activity had piqued his interest enough to pay some attention to news related to Maude.
For instance, the recent incident where Gion was thwarted by Maude.
Even so, Aokiji's laid-back senior, who enjoyed munching on senbei, seemed unconcerned about the potential threat Maude might pose in the future.
As for Aokiji, he didn't particularly mind either.
Among those involved in the Mad Hat Town incident, it was only Momousagi who remained fixated on Maude.
"Should I take a stroll?"
Aokiji paused his movements, resting one foot on the ice surface as a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Since the location wasn't far and he had nothing better to do, he decided to take a look.
Having made up his mind, he adjusted the handlebars of his bicycle.
Just then, a Sea King burst out of the ocean, glaring at Aokiji with its crimson eyes filled with hostility.
Ring-ring—
Aokiji glanced up at the Sea King and casually rang his bicycle bell, signaling it to move aside.
The Sea King paused momentarily before lunging toward Aokiji.
Seconds later—
A massive ice sculpture appeared on the sea.
Aokiji, still riding his bicycle, slowly drifted away.
Ring-ring—
On a calm stretch of sea, a Marine warship anchored and lowered its sails.
"Vice Admiral Momonga, the intel has been confirmed."
On the deck, a Marine approached Vice Admiral Momonga, who had a Mohawk and a flowing beard.
Upon hearing this, Momonga raised an arm and ordered sternly, "Weigh anchor and set sail for Lorre Island!"
"Yes, sir!"
Following Doberman's command, the crew sprang into action, their hurried footsteps echoing across the deck.
The warship's sails filled with wind, and the massive vessel slowly began moving toward Lorre Island.
Meanwhile, on a distant part of the sea, another Marine warship was also en route to Lorre Island.
The word of Maude's presence on Lorre Island had spread through the underworld, drawing bounty hunters with greedy ambitions.
To claim Maude's head—even with the Marines deducting a portion of the bounty—the combined reward from the underworld and the Marines exceeded one billion berries.
A target with such an extraordinary risk-to-reward ratio was exceedingly rare.
Driven by greed, those who sought Maude's life weren't limited to bounty hunters from the underworld.
The currents of chaos surged.
Countless eyes turned toward the desolate Lorre Island, where Maude's presence had indeed become the focal point of a growing storm.
Lorre Island.
Since Issho had arrived on the island, ten days had passed.
During this time, with the help of Navy officers led by Servis, Maude's group—including Law—had made remarkable progress in eliminating the plague sources from the villages.
Naturally, the hardest-working member was Law.
Perhaps spurred by the grudge he bore against Doflamingo, Law pushed himself relentlessly.
His near-frenzied dedication made Maude genuinely worry that he might burn out.
On this particular day, Maude's group arrived at another village.
With the Marines present, there was no need for Lafitte's hypnosis ability.
Grateful villagers, spared from hypnosis, expressed their heartfelt thanks after being treated.
The Marines, satisfied with their work, smiled warmly, though Maude's group remained indifferent.
Half a month passed.
Their efforts against the plague had achieved significant results.
At this pace, the plague on Lorre Island could be eradicated entirely in less than a month.
"Slurp-slurp…"
Issho sat leisurely, savoring a bowl of freshly prepared vegetarian noodles while watching the others work.
Among the group, he was the most at ease.
Each day, Gaya would experiment with new noodle recipes for him, allowing him to live comfortably.
As a bodyguard, Issho had little to do until trouble arrived, so he remained an observer for now.
Finishing his bowl of noodles, Issho instinctively looked around for Bailey, intending to ask for a refill.
At that moment, he sensed something and turned toward the coastline.
With a surge of his powerful Observation Haki, his awareness blanketed the entire island.
"Hm… I was hoping for another two bowls…"
Issho set down his empty bowl and picked up his wooden staff, heading toward the coast.
Returning from hunting, Maude noticed Issho moving toward the outskirts of the village.
"They're here…"
Maude's eyes glinted as he abandoned his prey and followed Issho.
After all, taking out opponents was one of his favorite pastimes.
On the northern coast of Lorre Island, a large vessel capable of carrying 500 people had docked.
"We're finally here!"
A bald, brutish man stepped onto the shore, excitement radiating from his expression.
"Ten billion berries, here I come!"
A wooden plank extended from the ship to the shore, and a group of menacing figures quickly disembarked.
"Move faster, you lot!"
The bald man brandished a blade, yelling at his subordinates as they descended the plank.
Suddenly, a faint pop echoed through the air.
In an instant, the docked ship, its plank, and the men on it vanished into thin air.
The bizarre event left the group of would-be bounty hunters frozen in shock.
"W-What just happened?"
The bald man's eyes widened in confusion.
A calm, gentle voice broke the silence:
"If you're traveling, where do you wish to go?"
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