This man...
He actually managed to break free from Vice Admiral Tokikake and Vice Admiral Gion's combined assault!
Sentomaru and Wolfrat stared in disbelief at the sudden arrival of Maude.
Just considering strength alone, without taking rank or experience into account, Tokikake and Gion were among the top ten most powerful individuals in Marine Headquarters.
Yet Maude had emerged unscathed from their joint attack.
Wolfrat gazed at Maude's back, momentarily dazed.
This rate of growth… It's absolutely unbelievable.
On the battlefield.
Brook quickly got back to his feet just in time to see Maude stomp down and shatter Sentomaru's double-edged axe.
It's the captain…
Brook let out a sigh of relief before clenching his fists tightly.
Today's ordeal had made him acutely aware of his own weakness.
The desire buried deep within him—to hurry to the New World—had completely crumbled.
In its place arose an urgent need to grow stronger.
Before the crew officially sets foot in the New World…
At the very least, I must master this power called Haki!
Brook vowed silently.
"You call this an axe? It looks big, but the quality is disappointing."
After shattering the double-edged axe, Maude gripped Shusui and slashed toward the nearby Sentomaru.
Sentomaru quickly suppressed the shock in his heart and decisively retreated several steps, narrowly avoiding Maude's blade.
"You bastard! That axe was specially forged for me by the Logistics Division!"
Sentomaru glanced down at the remaining black steel handle in his hand, then at the shattered remains of the axe scattered across the ground, gritting his teeth in frustration.
This guy's speed of appearance was too fast and bizarre—even his Observation Haki hadn't reacted in time.
If not for that, he could have coated his axe with Armament Haki in advance, preventing Maude from shattering it with a single stomp.
"Even without Haki reinforcement, my axe is a meticulously crafted weapon. Its greatest strength is its hardness… and yet, this bastard still broke it underfoot!"
"No wonder he was able to send Uncle Tokikake flying with that kick. His leg strength must be insane."
"So, I have to be wary of not just his sword and gun, but also his kicks…"
"Hmph! No matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, I, Sentomaru, am the man with the strongest defense in the world!"
Completely unaware that he had spoken his thoughts aloud, Sentomaru tossed away the broken axe handle, spread his palms in front of him, and assumed a sumo-like stance.
Maude raised an eyebrow at the stance and asked curiously, "The man with the strongest defense in the world?"
"Huh? How'd you know that?"
"You just said it yourself."
"WHAT?!"
Sentomaru was visibly stunned.
But Maude had already made his move, taking just one step to appear directly in front of Sentomaru.
Shusui, imbued with Armament Haki, thrust straight for Sentomaru's heart.
This strike was a killing blow—merciless and absolute.
"Bukūjutsu: Stealth Foot!"
Sentomaru's eyes narrowed as his palms surged forward.
A force, condensed by Armament Haki, erupted from his palms and crashed into the tip of Maude's sword.
Boom!
The blade of Shusui abruptly halted inches from Sentomaru's chest, as if it had struck an invisible wall of solid air.
The force of the impact sent powerful shockwaves surging outward, carving deep gouges into the ground, as though a massive wheel had rolled across it.
"Hardened Haki projected outward… His Armament Haki level is indeed high."
The muscles on Maude's sword-wielding arm tensed as he coolly observed Sentomaru's serious expression.
Seeing that Shusui couldn't pierce through Sentomaru's Stealth Foot, Maude didn't withdraw. Instead, he increased the pressure, locking into a contest of strength.
Sentomaru scoffed. "It's useless! I already told you, I have the strongest defense in the world! How could your sword possibly pierce me?!"
Maude ignored him, his free left hand reaching for the flintlock at his waist—White Weasel.
The moment Maude's fingers touched it, the gun transformed instantly, responding to the situation without needing a command.
He firmly gripped the handle, drew the firearm, and aimed at Sentomaru's legs, pulling the trigger in rapid succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted, sending a barrage of superheated lead bullets toward Sentomaru's lower body.
Sentomaru's expression tightened as he quickly reinforced his legs with Armament Haki.
Clang! Clang!
The bullets struck his hardened legs, sending sparks flying.
"You… you're cheating!"
Facing this dual-pronged assault, Sentomaru suddenly felt immense pressure.
Maude said nothing, simply increasing the speed at which he fired.
The relentless close-range gunfire became a torment for Sentomaru.
That so-called strongest defense in the world…
Was beginning to crack.
"Damn it!"
Sentomaru prided himself on his unparalleled defense, yet he never imagined he'd encounter a freak like Maude.
Forget the powerful stab—the real problem was this absurd gun.
A gun that didn't need to be reloaded?
Fine, that's whatever.
But why was it firing as fast as a Gatling gun?!
And to make matters worse…
One out of every ten bullets was coated in Armament Haki!
Who the hell could withstand that?!
Sentomaru was the first to falter, retreating from the storm of bullets.
"Oh? Weren't you 'the strongest defense in the world'? And yet, you're backing off?"
Seeing Sentomaru retreat, Maude raised his gun higher and continued firing.
Sentomaru's face twitched as he forcefully swiped his palm, knocking down the incoming bullets one by one.
Meanwhile, not far from the battle, Wolfrat slowly regained his senses, shifting his gaze to Brook.
No matter what, the Maude Pirates must be stopped here.
This was his duty as a Marine.
Beast Form!
Wolfrat's body swelled, gray fur growing across his face.
Shave!
In a flash, he appeared right in front of Brook.
Fang Spear!
His beastly claws, infused with Armament Haki, sharpened into deadly points and drove straight toward Brook's ribcage.
Brook, distracted by Maude and Sentomaru's battle, reacted too late—the attack was already at his chest.
"Huh?!"
Brook barely raised his half-broken sword in defense, but he was too slow.
The hardened Fang Spear struck his ribs with brutal force.
Crack!
A loud shattering sound echoed as Brook's body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing hard and carving a deep trench in the ground.
The impact shattered half his ribcage and nearly knocked him unconscious.
Wolfrat, seeing his attack land successfully, wasted no time, vanishing in a blur to close in on Brook once more.
He was certain his attack hadn't been fatal, so he needed to finish Brook off before he could recover.
Once Brook was down, he'd go assist Sentomaru.
That had been his plan all along.
Then—
The sound of breaking bones reached Maude's ears.
His gaze snapped toward the source.
"Wolfrat!"
In that instant, murderous intent surged in Maude's eyes.
Sentomaru noticed the sudden spike in Maude's aura and his face darkened.
Maude's gaze locked onto him.
Flowing Edge!
As he continued pulling the trigger, Maude swung Shusui, unleashing a piercing, arrowhead-shaped slash within the rain of bullets.
The attack was upon Sentomaru in an instant.
Sentomaru braced himself, thrusting his palms forward to intercept it.
BOOM!
The sword aura exploded violently against Sentomaru's palm.
The resulting shockwave sent Sentomaru flying backward.
After forcing Sentomaru back with a single Flowing Edge strike, Maude didn't spare him another glance. His toes pressed against the ground, leaving behind a faint ripple of dust before his figure suddenly vanished.
In the next instant, a series of fine dust ripples appeared at intervals across the ground.
Like raindrops striking the surface of a pond, these ripples spread outward in rapid succession, extending toward Wolfrat's position.
Sensing something amiss, Wolfrat, who had been charging toward Brook, instinctively turned his head. His face darkened.
"Maude…!"
The reflection of those encroaching ripples was clear in his gray rodent-like eyes.
A sudden, pure surge of killing intent sent shivers down Wolfrat's spine, causing his fur to stand on end. He stopped abruptly.
The moment he halted, the ripples across the ground vanished.
Maude appeared out of nowhere, blade swinging down toward Wolfrat's vital point.
Wolfrat's heart pounded. He crossed his clawed arms before him, attempting to block the overhead slash.
However—
The blade cut straight through his Armament Haki-hardened claws, then cleaved a massive wound across his fur-covered chest.
Squelch!
Blood gushed from the open gash.
Wolfrat's body trembled as his expression froze, then he collapsed.
Thanks to the enhanced vitality granted by his Zoan-type physiology, he barely clung to life.
Maude pressed the tip of Shusui against Wolfrat's throat.
Blood trickled down the blade, gathering into beads at the edge before dripping onto Wolfrat's neck.
"Wolfrat, my friend… isn't being alive a good thing?"
"..."
Wolfrat's chest heaved violently as he gazed at Maude with a complicated expression.
Memories of their past encounters in Mad Hatter Town flashed through his mind.
"…I am a Marine."
His lips parted slightly, voice hoarse. "And you… you're a pirate. Bringing you to justice… is only natural."
"Well, of course. It's the way of the world."
Maude nodded lightly. His right hand pressed downward, driving the blade deeper against Wolfrat's throat. His voice was indifferent.
"But don't be too disappointed. I'll make sure to send a few more pirates down there to keep you company. So then…"
"Rear Admiral Wolfrat!"
At that moment, the Marines finally arrived, albeit too late.
Their faces twisted in shock as they saw Wolfrat at Maude's mercy, a blade to his throat.
At this range, they had no chance of intervening in time.
Sentomaru, who had been sent flying by the earlier attack, struggled to his feet, but he, too, was too late to act.
Meanwhile—
"Wolfrat!"
Gion, having followed Maude's shadow, arrived just in time to witness the critical moment. Her pupils shrank sharply.
"Bacardi Maude—don't you dare…!"
She surged forward at full speed.
Maude cast her a fleeting glance before turning his attention back to Wolfrat, finishing his earlier sentence.
"Farewell, my dear friend."
"..."
Wolfrat's lips twitched.
He wanted to ask about Tatamu's well-being.
He wanted to leave a parting threat—something like, I'll be waiting for you in hell.
But in the end, he said nothing. His eyes dimmed.
With a sharp thrust, Maude drove Shusui through Wolfrat's throat.
Blood trickled down in thin streams.
Wolfrat's body trembled slightly. His gaze lingered on Maude for a moment before the light in his eyes faded completely.
With a single stroke, Maude had ended Wolfrat's life.
He glanced once more at the charging Gion, his expression cold and indifferent.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
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