Thriller Bark.
High noon, under a vast and cloudless sky.
Seated at the dining table, Maude rested his cheek against his hand, chuckling as he glanced at the day's newspaper spread open before him.
"That Dada guy…"
Unsurprisingly, the front page featured a photo taken at the perfect angle by Lafitte, ensuring Maude was captured in the most striking pose.
As for the article itself, Dada's vivid and immersive storytelling painted a scene as if he had been there in person—witnessing firsthand how Maude had nonchalantly snatched away a Celestial Dragon with a mere wave of his hand, and how he effortlessly reduced a section of Pangaea Castle's streets to rubble.
"World Economy News…"
His eyes skimmed over the various reports, and an image of a certain albatross flickered in his mind.
"Not bad. Bold reporting."
He muttered to himself in a low voice.
Tap. Tap.
Lafitte approached the table and placed a standard-issue Marine Den Den Mushi, left behind by Aokiji, in front of Maude.
"Hoho… The Marines should be 'calling in' any moment now."
"I've been waiting."
Maude slowly lifted his gaze, peering through the window at the vast blue sky in a certain direction.
"Hopefully, this time, they'll understand a simple truth—"
"As long as they don't provoke me, we can coexist peacefully."
"Hohoho…"
The Summit War, which shook the entire world, had paved the way for a new era upon a mountain of corpses.
And the one who carved his name into history with a dazzling battle record—Maude—had become renowned across the world.
Yet, less than ten days after the war's conclusion, the name Bacardi Maude once again stormed into the public eye, this time in an even more overwhelming and dominant fashion.
Somewhere in the Grand Line.
A temporary resting spot for Sabo and his companions.
The mysterious storm at Marineford had whisked them—and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates—away from the battlefield.
Yet, the one responsible for the storm, Dragon, had never revealed himself from beginning to end.
Sabo, Morley, and the others, familiar with their leader's ways, had refrained from questioning it.
One day prior.
Having reunited with Ace and shared their long-overdue brotherly bond, the Whitebeard Pirates—having recovered—set sail from the island.
They had two crucial missions ahead of them:
One—to quell the chaos erupting in their New World territories.
And two—to reclaim Whitebeard's body from Maude's grasp.
Sabo and the Straw Hat Pirates saw them off as they departed.
Afterward, instead of setting sail immediately, the Straw Hats remained on the island.
The Summit War had exposed them to the sheer power of the New World's true titans and left them painfully aware of their own weaknesses.
In the world they were about to enter, countless foes far beyond their current strength awaited them.
Even Luffy, usually carefree and reckless, understood the gravity of the situation. And when it came to important matters, he never wavered.
Suppressing his impulse to set sail immediately, he made the wisest decision since his journey began—
To stay and train.
For once, the entire Straw Hat Pirates unanimously agreed with his decision.
Not that they could have stopped him even if they had opposed it…
Upon learning of Luffy's decision, Sabo made a shocking declaration—one that left Morley and Karasu utterly dumbfounded.
"Sabo, are you leaving the Revolutionary Army?!"
Morley stared at him, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Karasu muttered an unintelligible string of words from beneath his crow mask, like a machine gun firing rapid bursts of speech.
Though his words were incomprehensible, his agitation was evident.
When Sabo had first regained his memories, Koala had worriedly asked him if he planned to leave the Revolutionary Army.
At the time, he had given her a firm answer—
"No, I won't leave."
"What are you guys talking about?"
Seeing their exaggerated reactions, Sabo chuckled helplessly. "I'm just staying here to train Luffy and his crew for a while. I'm not leaving the Revolutionary Army."
"Oh, thank goodness!"
Morley patted his chest—covered in thick chest hair—in relief.
Karasu also fell silent, clearly exhaling a sigh of relief.
Their reactions were enough to show just how important Sabo was within the Revolutionary Army.
"Sabo, how long do you plan to stay?"
Morley asked the question on everyone's mind.
Sabo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gazed toward the Straw Hats training in the distance. Pressing down on his hat, he smiled and said—
"Hard to say… at least until I feel at ease leaving them."
"Ah…"
Morley grimaced.
Karasu, on the other hand, was unfazed. As long as Sabo remained in the Revolutionary Army, nothing else mattered to him.
At that moment—
A mast ship appeared on the horizon.
"They're here."
Sabo narrowed his eyes at the approaching vessel.
Moments later—
The ship docked, and the gangplank was lowered onto the shore.
One by one, figures disembarked. Among them were Koala and Sunny, and even one of the Revolutionary Army's four commanders—Belo Betty.
"How was the voyage? Smooth sailing?"
Sabo greeted his comrades with a smile, not yet noticing their unusually tense expressions.
"Here! Today's newspaper!"
The moment Koala stepped ashore, she shoved the newspaper into Sabo's hands, urgency written all over her face.
Surprised by her behavior, Sabo unfolded the paper and took a quick look.
"Huh?"
His pupils contracted sharply as his expression turned to sheer disbelief.
"Maude… he actually attacked the Holy Land… and kidnapped a Celestial Dragon?!"
"What?!"
Morley and Karasu gasped, immediately crowding around Sabo to peer at the newspaper.
Seconds later—
Morley's sharp, high-pitched voice rang across the entire island, startling flocks of birds and beasts into a frenzy.
The Straw Hat Pirates, in the middle of training, nearly lost their balance from the sudden shriek.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible… Maude…"
Sabo stared at the printed photograph, his voice filled with admiration.
Morley, eyes sparkling with excitement, stomped his feet in delight. "Maude… Maude actually did what we've always wanted to do!"
The Revolutionary Army's true enemy was not the World Government or the Marines—it was the Celestial Dragons, who controlled both from the shadows.
But launching an attack on the Holy Land and striking at the Celestial Dragons was no simple feat.
Even an organization as vast as the Revolutionary Army had to bide its time, gathering strength and waiting for the right moment.
Yet Maude—who hadn't even set foot in the New World—had already launched an attack that shook the world.
And the most shocking part?
He got away unscathed.
"Should we contact Maude?"
Sunny's soft voice brought Sabo and Morley back to reality.
Sabo looked up at Sunny.
On her face, he saw genuine joy.
Should they contact Maude…?
Deep in thought, Sabo remained silent.
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