Two months was enough time to change many things.
For instance, Maude had successfully integrated some new ideas into the powers of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
And Cavendish had not only performed excellently in his role as a sparring partner but had finally mastered Armament Haki.
At last, he was able to return to the Sabaody Archipelago, only a few steps away from the New World he had long yearned for.
As they gazed upon the distant outline of the Sabaody Archipelago, Cavendish and his crew were visibly moved.
Finally…
Many impatient crew members immediately envisioned scenes of stunning, alluring mermaids in their minds.
"Heh heh… slurp."
"Hey, mind your image! We're the Beautiful Pirates, remember?"
"Sorry, sorry! I got too excited and couldn't help myself."
Just the thought of those beautiful visions lifted their spirits, making them as bright and clear as the blue sky overhead.
At the front of the ship, Bailey sat at a tea table, sipping his tea in silence while watching his overly ecstatic crew like they were a bunch of lunatics.
When his cup was empty, he lifted it toward Perona, who was floating nearby, motioning for her to refill it.
Perona's lips twitched slightly as she fought the urge to smack him. Suppressing her frustration, she picked up the teapot and poured him another cup of steaming hot black tea.
Bailey looked at Perona's clearly unwilling expression and shook his head.
"Little Perona, how many times have I told you? As a maid, you can take your time getting used to the service, but you must always smile. Got it? Smile! Like this!"
As he spoke, Bailey demonstrated, squinting his eyes into crescent moons and grinning widely, revealing a row of teeth like a fool.
"Go to hell!"
Enraged, Perona raised the teapot, ready to throw it at him.
Just then, Maude lowered his newspaper and looked over.
Feeling Maude's gaze, Perona froze instantly, not daring to act out. She obediently placed the teapot back on the table.
Maude glanced at the extravagant gilded teapot and said flatly, "That teapot belongs to Little Cav. He says it's a ten-year collector's edition. If you break it, can you afford to replace it?"
"Tch."
Perona curled her lips, her sidelong glance at the teapot full of disdain.
A stupid teapot—how much could it even be worth?
But since she was currently penniless, she had no grounds to argue with Maude.
Bailey walked up to Maude, holding his teacup, and sighed. "Boss, why did we even bring her along? She's useless—won't serve properly, won't even smile."
Perona didn't quite catch his meaning, but she knew it wasn't anything good, and immediately glared at him fiercely.
Maude shot Bailey a look and furrowed his brows. "Weren't you the one who insisted on bringing her along?"
"What?!"
Both Perona and Bailey were stunned.
Perona was shocked to learn that she hadn't been brought along because of Maude's decision.
Bailey, on the other hand, was stunned because he had completely forgotten.
"So it was you, you bastard…!"
Perona fixed her eyes on Bailey, wishing she could bite him to death.
If it weren't for being forcibly dragged along, she would be comfortably enjoying afternoon tea in the cool and quiet forest right now, happily savoring the delicious cakes made by Sister Gaya.
The image formed vividly in her mind, making her eyes sparkle with longing.
But then, recalling the experience of serving Bailey as a maid along the journey, her expression darkened instantly, tears welling up as she bit down on her sleeve in frustration.
Seeing her entire internal struggle play out so visibly on her face, Maude was speechless.
Bailey, on the other hand, looked increasingly dissatisfied.
Now he finally remembered why he had asked Maude to bring Perona along in the first place.
Since Sister Gaya and Lafitte had to stay behind on the Thriller Bark to help Brook and Jim with their training, only he and Maude had come to Sabaody.
That was why he had set his sights on Perona.
If she came along, she could serve them tea and water, and he could bully her a bit to pass the time.
Unfortunately, Perona was completely uncooperative.
Bailey had even entertained the idea of having her feed him.
The more he thought about it, the more disappointed he felt.
Maude ignored the antics of the two and continued reading his newspaper.
Since he wasn't sure when Luffy had set sail, Maude had to keep a close eye on the news to get a rough idea of the timeline.
So far, there had been no word about the Straw Hat Pirates.
Which meant Luffy had yet to set sail.
However, today's headlines…
"The Revolutionary Army launched a nighttime raid on the weapon factory of the allied nation of Moden, rescuing numerous slaves and seizing a large stockpile of weapons."
"According to surviving guards, despite the cover of darkness, the Revolutionary Army seemed to appear out of nowhere, giving them no chance to react."
Maude's gaze skimmed over the report, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
"The Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, was reported to have dined and dashed at ten different restaurants in the port town of Chaga."
Maude's eyes twitched, and he rubbed his temples.
Even something this trivial made the news?
Then again, if Cavendish had Ace's level of fame, even his choice of clothing would probably be newsworthy.
"Alone… So he's started hunting down Blackbeard."
Maude's eyes flickered as he turned the page.
A headline about the Blackbeard Pirates' attack on Drum Kingdom caught his attention.
"Oh?"
Maude was slightly surprised.
This confirmed that Blackbeard had already left Whitebeard's crew and that Ace had begun his pursuit.
If things played out as expected, once Ace caught up with Blackbeard, he would undoubtedly be defeated and taken prisoner.
And at that moment, the Summit War would be set into motion.
Maude folded the newspaper.
The future was still uncertain, and he could only take it one step at a time.
For now, at least he had confirmed Ace and Blackbeard's movements.
Next, he only needed to wait for Luffy to make his mark to determine the approximate timeline.
While Maude was reading the newspaper, the Sleeping Forest White Steed sailed steadily toward the lawless zone of Sabaody Archipelago—Grove 1.
For pirates, it was best to stay in the lawless areas of Sabaody.
After all, the Marines stationed here rarely patrolled those regions.
Naturally, the Beautiful Pirates followed this unspoken rule and chose to dock at Grove 1 within the lawless zone.
Moments later, the Sleeping Forest White Steed made landfall.
Maude was the first to disembark, with Bailey perched on his shoulder.
Following behind him were Perona, Cavendish, and dozens of Beautiful Pirates crew members.
As for the rest, they remained behind to guard the ship.
Just as they set foot on land, Maude heard a cacophony of screams and desperate pleas.
Following the sound, he saw a group of slave traders escorting dozens of male and female slaves, all with striking appearances and well-proportioned figures, disembarking from a mast ship.
The slave traders barked curses as they shoved the captives forward, urging them to move faster. Their hands were rough and merciless, showing no restraint as the slaves cried out in pain.
Such a sight was commonplace in the Sabaody Archipelago, and the Beautiful Pirates paid it no heed.
"Let's find a reliable coating shop first."
Cavendish was about to voice his thoughts when he suddenly noticed Maude heading toward the newly arrived slave traders.
Floating behind him, umbrella in hand, was Perona.
"Maude?"
Cavendish paused, momentarily caught off guard.
The slave traders quickly noticed Maude's approach.
"That's... Warlord Maude!"
The moment they recognized him, the slave traders stiffened, a surge of wariness rising within them.
Why was this man here...?
Though they had no prior grievances with him, an inexplicable unease gripped their hearts.
As Maude walked forward, his gaze swept over them.
That uneasy feeling intensified into sheer dread.
"Huh?"
Without warning, the slave traders' expressions twisted in shock as they suddenly dropped to their knees, as if controlled by an unseen force. Their synchronized movement was eerily precise.
"My... my body... I can't move...!"
Horror-stricken, the traders found themselves not only kneeling but prostrating fully, pressing their foreheads to the ground in an act of absolute submission.
The sudden and inexplicable event left the enslaved captives wide-eyed with astonishment.
Not far away, Perona, Cavendish, and the rest of the crew exchanged puzzled glances.
Had Maude done something?
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