A single slash brought the soldiers to an abrupt halt.
The reason wasn't just the visible scar carved into the stone-paved road but the man standing on the other side of the slash—Maude.
The faint killing intent radiating from him seemed to dye their vision red, like the relentless winter chill seeping through the gaps in their armor, piercing into their very core.
It left their bodies stiff, their blood running cold.
Without exception, every soldier was intimidated by Maude.
"Good."
Seeing the soldiers frozen in place, Maude nodded in satisfaction. Then, without a second glance, he sheathed his blade and turned to leave.
Lafitte cast a glance at the trembling soldiers, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, before following in Maude's footsteps.
Jim deftly picked up the unconscious Baby-5 again before trailing behind. Meanwhile, Bailey easily leaped onto Jim's bald head and settled there.
"Captain…"
Bepo glanced at Law, then at the receding figures of Maude's group.
After a moment's hesitation, Law cradled Kikoku and strode after Maude.
The purpose of coming to Leviathan Island had been to seize the sacred root of the Suspended Lantern Vine, the national treasure of the Kingdom of Ahab, to use as a remedy for a plague ravaging an island.
But now, that plan had been shoved to the back of Law's mind.
Resolving the plague had been a whim from the start.
Before taking action, he hadn't even consulted the residents of the afflicted island, let alone discussed any sort of payment.
After all, he was a pirate—and a doctor.
But here, he had encountered Maude, who had presented him with a critical opportunity.
Faced with the choice between the two, Law prioritized pursuing Maude over the root of the Suspended Lantern Vine.
He had never promised anyone that he'd solve the plague.
When the whim struck, he'd solve it without complaint. But if he lost interest, all it took was a shift in his mindset.
That unrestrained nature manifested vividly in the span of just a few seconds.
Leaving the Suspended Lantern Vine behind, Law quickened his pace and walked beside Maude.
"Maude, you killed Buffalo and Lao G. Doflamingo won't let this slide."
"I know."
Looking straight ahead, Maude replied calmly, "But as long as I don't deliberately go to the New World to seek them out, they can't do much to me."
"The New World…"
Law's eyes flickered.
The Donquixote Family's stronghold was in Dressrosa, deep in the New World.
Hearing Maude mention the New World, Law instantly realized that Maude's understanding of the Donquixote Family extended far beyond the simple title of Warlord of the Sea.
This meant Maude had killed Buffalo and Lao G with full knowledge of the Donquixote Family's power.
So what exactly gave Maude such confidence?
Lowering his head, Law pondered deeply.
From what he knew, Maude's crew consisted of only four members. As for Bailey, Law had automatically excluded him from the equation.
A pirate crew with just four members could never hope to contend with the Donquixote Family.
Even though Law had a fairly clear grasp of Maude's strength, he still didn't believe Maude could defeat Doflamingo.
That alone was an insurmountable gap.
Noticing Law's lowered head and deep thought, Maude suddenly asked, "Law, you didn't come to Leviathan for a Devil Fruit, did you? Were you after Lao G and his group?"
"No," Law replied, shaking his head after snapping out of his thoughts.
"Oh?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Maude's face. He continued probing, "Then what are you here for?"
After a brief pause, Law raised a finger and pointed to the Suspended Lantern Vine growing at the top of the cave.
"To seize the Suspended Lantern Vine above. The root of this luminous plant is the key ingredient to curing a plague on a certain island."
"Curing a plague? Is this a paid gig?"
"Unpaid."
"Tsk tsk…"
Maude gave Law an appraising look.
Feeling uncomfortable under Maude's unabashed gaze, Law averted his eyes slightly.
"But it seems… you didn't get the Suspended Lantern Vine, did you?"
"No. Lao G stopped me."
Law glanced back at the towering stone pillar standing in the center of the intersection.
"Lao G's already been dealt with. You can just go get it now," Maude pointed out, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"…"
Law suddenly felt as if he were being left out. He couldn't possibly admit that getting closer to Maude mattered more than the Suspended Lantern Vine.
"The manual elevator near the stone pillar has been destroyed. Without it, I can't reach the top," Law said, quickly coming up with a reasonable excuse.
Hearing this, Maude immediately thought of Foot and Catherine. Most likely, they were the ones who had destroyed the elevator.
Smiling, he said, "I see. In that case, I'll take you up there myself."
"What?"
Before Law could react, Maude reached out and grabbed the back of his collar.
"???"
A series of question marks filled Law's mind as Maude lifted him by the collar and launched into the air using Moonwalk.
"Lafitte, you and the others head to the shipyard to meet up with Gaya."
Leaving this instruction, Maude accelerated, the air bursting beneath his feet as he climbed rapidly.
"…"
Suspended mid-air, Law's expression was a complex mix of emotions.
Lafitte watched Maude and Law ascend toward the top of the whale's head, grinning silently before continuing toward Thomas Shipyard.
In the distance, the soldiers frozen by Maude's killing intent could only watch helplessly as Maude and Law disappeared into the heights of the stone pillar leading to the capital atop the whale's head.
At that moment, Degarth emerged from the colosseum, flanked by a group of noble guards.
He spotted Maude and Law heading toward the capital and his expression immediately changed.
"What are you all standing around for???"
Furious, Degarth glared at the motionless soldiers.
Startled by his outburst, the soldiers quickly formed ranks and rushed toward the stone pillar. However, lacking the Moonwalk technique, they had no choice but to rely on the manual elevator to reach the capital atop the whale's head.
But when they arrived, they found the elevator destroyed and were left dumbfounded.
By this time, Maude and Law had long disappeared from view.
Panic spread across Degarth's face. The royal treasury in the capital held a significant portion of his wealth.
Meanwhile, a naval warship navigated through the bay at the whale's mouth and docked at the port of Dick City.
The warship came to a steady halt, anchoring as a wooden gangplank extended outward.
Leading the way was Gion, also known as Momousagi, a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. Draped in a Justice coat and carrying a long sword at her side, she disembarked first.
Following her was a squad of burly marines.
Stepping off the warship, Gion's cold gaze swept over the numerous pirate ships anchored nearby. Without paying them any mind, she headed straight for Dick City.
Tap tap...
The Marines marched in strict formation, their synchronized footsteps echoing as they followed Gion.
Among this group of Marines was none other than Wolfrat.
Now, he had risen to the rank of Commodore in Marine Headquarters.
Under Gion's lead, the contingent of Marines quickly arrived outside the colosseum.
The arrival of the Navy immediately drove away most of the pirates still lingering in the area.
To be precise, it was Vice Admiral Gion, known as "Momousagi" (Pink Rabbit), from Marine Headquarters who struck fear into their hearts.
As they reached the stone-paved street outside the colosseum, Gion's gaze was drawn to the lifeless body of Lao G.
A member of the Donquixote Family...
Gion's sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
She had some understanding of Lao G's strength. She hadn't expected him to meet his end here...
"Marines?"
Degarth noticed Gion and her squad of Marines and spoke arrogantly. "You've come at the right time. Hurry up and deal with the Maude Pirates!"
"..."
Gion fixed a cold stare on Degarth, ignoring his tone. Instead, she asked, "Where are they?"
"They're up there!"
Degarth pointed upward, his condescending tone tinged with a hint of threat. "If you let the Maude Pirates get away... hmph hmph."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear enough.
After confirming the target's location, Gion didn't spare Degarth another glance. Without acknowledging his words, she stepped into the air under the watchful eyes of those present, using the same technique as Maude—walking on air.
Once Gion moved into action, several Marine officers with command-level ranks, including Wolfrat, who were skilled in Geppo (Moonwalk), followed her lead and ascended into the sky.
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