The Seven Warlords of the Sea—recognized by the World Government—are seven privateer pirates granted special privileges and legitimacy.
Sitting in this position comes with perks and conveniences bestowed by the World Government.
For instance, legalized plundering, immunity from Navy pursuit, and other exclusive rights.
In other words, becoming a Warlord means freedom from the harassment and threats of the Navy, enabling a pirate to act with far fewer restrictions and concerns.
However, in exchange, a Warlord must comply with the government's mandatory summons and hand over a portion of their spoils, including those acquired through privateering.
This is the price of privilege.
As a result, the Seven Warlords are widely regarded by other pirates as lapdogs of the World Government.
Yet, in truth, becoming a Warlord is no simple feat. Only those with significant renown or overwhelming strength capable of intimidating ordinary pirates are eligible.
Take Fire Fist Ace, for example. Before joining the Whitebeard Pirates, he was once invited by the World Government to become a Warlord.
The many privileges of the Warlord position can also be highly advantageous for someone with a calculated mind.
For example, a Warlord could propose an offer the Navy cannot refuse, then use their status to demand the execution of certain non-Devil Fruit users imprisoned in Impel Down.
It's likely the Navy would agree, even providing detailed information on the prisoners.
Most prisoners in Impel Down endure daily torture. Those who survive are exceptionally resilient—ideal prey.
Or, by framing it as hunting pirates, a Warlord could request intelligence support from the Navy, which the latter would happily provide.
After all, from the Navy's perspective, seeing pirates kill each other is a welcome sight.
These are just some of the potential benefits that come with being a Warlord.
Before discussing this matter with Lafitte, Maude had already considered the idea of becoming a Warlord.
However, Maude's desire to claim a Warlord position was driven by a specific goal: to participate as a Warlord in the great war two years later.
For him, that event would be an unmissable opportunity.
Moreover, joining the war as a Warlord would allow him to engage without taking on the brunt of the conflict, enabling him to harvest chaos and gain experience with minimal pressure.
But all of this was theoretical.
Conceptually, it seemed simple, but the actual path to becoming a Warlord was fraught with challenges.
"Seven Warlords of the Sea…"
Maude looked at Lafitte and said calmly,
"Unless the World Government creates an additional position, the only way to become a Warlord is to remove one of the current ones."
"That's obvious."
Lafitte's face lit up with a delighted smile.
Maude thumbed the hilt of his Chidori blade, pushing it upward slightly before letting it fall back. The crisp sound accompanied his words:
"Each Warlord recognized by the government is far from ordinary. The difficulty of ousting one is self-evident."
"Precisely because it's difficult, it's worth pursuing," Lafitte replied, his excitement becoming more evident.
"No matter how arduous, I'll do everything I can to clear the path for you!"
"I trust your abilities," Maude said with a firm nod.
"But there's no rush. We can plan this carefully. For now, strengthening ourselves takes priority."
Without sufficient strength, even the most elaborate plans would amount to nothing.
This was an undeniable reality.
"True, but fame is equally important," Lafitte said, his eyes gleaming as he suppressed his excitement.
"Before laying a solid foundation, we can't afford to miss any opportunity to increase our renown."
Hearing this, Maude glanced out the window and said calmly,
"You're referring to taking down the Arlong Pirates?"
Lafitte nodded.
"Exactly. Although Arlong's bounty is only 20 million Berries, he's also the highest-bounty pirate in the East Blue—a barely qualified stepping stone."
Maude fell silent at Lafitte's words.
However, Lafitte could guess the reason for his hesitation.
"Maude, there's no need to overthink this," Lafitte said.
"Right now is the perfect time. The World Government's Reverie happens once every four years, and to ensure the safety of the kings attending the meeting, the Navy headquarters will have deployed a significant portion of their forces for security."
"Oh?" Maude was slightly surprised. This was information he didn't recall hearing about.
If Lafitte's information was accurate, then this period was indeed the perfect opportunity for pirates to act freely.
With this thought, Maude looked at Lafitte, his eyes flashing as he grinned.
"That means…"
"Exactly," Lafitte nodded knowingly, their thoughts aligning seamlessly.
With the Navy stretched thin, any actions they took now would encounter far fewer obstacles.
Still, Maude couldn't help but worry about how this situation might affect Sol and the others living peacefully on Monmon Island.
But after a moment's reflection, he realized that if Sol were present, he'd likely offer a single piece of advice:
One word: Attack.
Maude quickly set aside his concerns.
Half an hour later.
Maude finished packing all the Berries into a sturdy, oversized bag.
While packing, he roughly estimated the total.
The bag contained approximately 600 to 700 million Berries—a massive fortune.
Once the money was secured, Maude called down Lafitte, who had been in the chart room.
During the last half hour, Lafitte had been studying nautical charts, committing as much as possible to memory, knowing he couldn't take them with him.
With everything ready, there was no reason to linger.
Maude walked to a window and kicked the wall beside it.
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, the entire wall crumbled, sending debris cascading to the ground below.
The bag of money was too large to fit through the door, so he had no choice but to create a new exit.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of the villagers, who had been waiting outside to thank Maude.
Hearing the noise, they looked toward Arlong's tower, only to see smoke and dust billowing from the source of the sound.
Moments later, they watched as Maude and Lafitte leapt out of the dust.
Seconds later, more explosions came from within the compound.
Soon, the towering structure collapsed into a pile of rubble, raising a massive cloud of dust.
Seeing this, the villagers finally understood that the noise had been Maude and Lafitte dismantling the building.
They watched in tense silence as the two figures emerged from the smoke.
Maude led the way, with Bailey perched on his shoulder.
Lafitte followed behind, carrying the enormous, bulging bag. His tall frame barely kept the heavy load from dragging on the ground.
Without acknowledging the stunned villagers, Maude headed for the shore, intent on reaching the small sailboat moored nearby.
The villagers remained silent, their words of gratitude stuck in their throats as they watched the two leave.
Reaching the shore, Maude suddenly stopped and turned to look at the villagers.
"Oh, by the way, I'm a pirate. My name is Bacardi Maude."
"If the Navy comes to clean up the aftermath, feel free to mention my name."
With that, Maude turned and walked away.
Nami and the other villagers stared in shock as the two figures disappeared into the distance.
"Maude… is a pirate?!"
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