"Sol shot a Seastone bullet at my feet with the intention of making me accept his 'legacy' and then find a way to escape the predicament."
"I was fully aware of the situation at the time and knew which choice was the right one, but..."
Recalling that day, the memory remained vivid.
That was the closest Maude had ever come to death since arriving in the world of One Piece.
"In that situation, if I had turned and fled, even if I had managed to escape, I might never have been able to live with myself."
"Pulling the trigger meant gambling my last remaining chance of survival on that single shot."
"At that moment, I didn't even consider the consequences."
"I only thought... Sunny was already in a safe place, so I had no worries holding me back."
"Even so, the Haki I had mastered at the time could only be wrapped around my attacks—it was still far from the level of release."
"Fortunately, the old gun that Yasopp gave me did not let me down."
"With its guidance, I successfully fired that shot."
"To be honest, at that moment, more than anything... I wanted to kill Garp."
At Shakky's request, Maude gave a simple recount of that fateful event. As he spoke, a self-deprecating smile surfaced on his face.
"Looking back now, I was so naive."
"Kill Garp, huh..."
Shakky smirked as she extinguished the nearly burned-out cigarette in the ashtray.
Having lived through two great eras, she did not find such thoughts naive at all.
On these treacherous seas, an unwavering will was sometimes more important than a strong body.
"Haha."
Rayleigh laughed heartily, lifting a bottle of liquor to pour Maude a drink. Casually, he asked, "So, how strong is your Haki now?"
"Neither the best nor the worst—not first-rate, but not too far from it. At the very least, I have no trouble with Haki release."
"Impressive."
Rayleigh looked at the young man beside him, who was beginning to make a name for himself. He couldn't help but feel sentimental, as if the new generation was already washing over the old one like waves on the shore.
Maude responded with a modest smile.
Nearby, Brook watched his captain intently.
"Haki... Gaya and Lafitte can use it, but I don't even know what it is..."
Brook lowered his gaze to his sword, silently contemplating.
If he didn't want to hold the crew back, he needed to master this advanced technique as soon as possible.
With that thought, Brook made up his mind.
After Maude finished recounting his experience, Rayleigh began asking about old acquaintances.
When Gaya mentioned that Gaban had gone completely bald in his old age, Rayleigh laughed so hard he nearly fell off his chair.
"That guy used to care so much about his hair! He'd even mock me for not having enough to look stylish. And now? He doesn't have a single strand left! Hahaha..."
Rayleigh laughed until tears streamed from his eyes.
Shakky glanced at him, quietly lighting another cigarette.
For old-timers like them, reminiscing about the past was more about savoring joy rather than mourning time's relentless passage.
She hadn't seen Rayleigh this happy in years.
But she understood his feelings.
Just seeing Maude and Gaya was enough to stir up memories of the passionate years gone by.
Thinking this, Shakky smiled and flicked the ash from her cigarette.
As the conversation neared its end, Shakky suddenly said, "Maude, you didn't come to the Sabaody Archipelago just to enter the New World, did you?"
"No."
Maude nodded.
Shakky chuckled. "You're here for the Warlord position, aren't you?"
Maude's eyes flashed with brief surprise before he quickly masked it.
He hadn't intended to hide it, but he didn't expect Shakky to figure it out so easily.
Catching his fleeting reaction, Shakky knew her guess—based on various pieces of information—was correct.
Rayleigh, on the other hand, was visibly surprised. He hadn't realized Maude had come to Sabaody for the Warlord title.
Under their scrutinizing gazes, Maude admitted openly, "Yes. Taking down Moria wasn't for fame—I intended to claim his Warlord position from the start."
Shakky chuckled but did not press for his reasons. Instead, she was convinced that Maude becoming a Warlord was only a matter of time.
After all, taking down Moria was essentially the highest-priority ticket into the ranks of the Seven Warlords.
It was a key reason she deduced Maude's ambitions.
"Maude, before you take the Warlord seat, you might want to deal with some minor trouble on the island first."
"Like what?"
Maude looked at Shakky curiously.
She exhaled a puff of smoke and grinned. "Aside from you and Lafitte, the other seven Supernova with bounties over 100 million are also here on Sabaody."
"They arrived before you did, but after completing their ship coatings, they didn't immediately leave for Fish-Man Island. Instead, they chose to stay. Do you know why?"
Maude shook his head.
Shakky's smile deepened. "Because they were waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?"
Maude raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Before she mentioned it, he hadn't paid any attention to the other Supernova. It never crossed his mind that they would deliberately remain on the island for him.
Shakky nodded and explained, "Supernova aren't the type to be easily overlooked. You, as a fellow Supernova, have been stealing the spotlight. Naturally, that breeds jealousy."
"Seriously?"
Maude was speechless.
Shakky laughed. "They had their moment of fame, but you're constantly in the limelight. It's no surprise they see you as a stepping stone."
"Is that so..."
Maude rubbed his chin, then suddenly chuckled.
"Aunt Shakky, do you have detailed information on those guys?"
"Of course."
Shakky was a top-tier informant. Even after retiring, she kept track of rising rookies with ease.
Maude's smile widened.
"Can I buy that intel?"
"..."
Shakky was momentarily stunned before shaking her head with a chuckle. "Don't be silly. I don't charge cute juniors like you. If you want the information, just take it."
"Then I won't hold back."
Maude grinned.
...
Sabaody Archipelago, Tree Grove #47 – A Boutique Clothing Store
Cavendish stood before a full-length mirror, admiring himself in an elegant nobleman's outfit.
Around him, the store's saleswomen and female customers gazed at him with hearts in their eyes, utterly entranced by his beauty.
Just then, a crew member burst into the store.
"Captain! Maude is here!"
"Hmm?"
Cavendish's expression shifted as his gaze turned sharp.
"Pay for this."
Tossing that command to his subordinate, he dashed out of the store like the wind, vanishing in an instant.
His crew member stood frozen, dumbfounded. "I haven't even told him where Maude is yet..."
At the same time, the Supernovas across Sabaody all received the same news.
"Finally...!"
They had waited long enough.
-------
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