With a single slash, Wolfrat's life was utterly extinguished.
The feedback from his physique, strength, and Haki poured into Maude.
His eyes lowered slightly as he processed the sensation.
Right.
Two years ago, back in Mad Hat Town, he had recorded Wolfrat's name and ability in his notes.
At the time, he hadn't been able to kill him, and over time, he had nearly forgotten about it.
Now, as he absorbed the surge of benefits from the kill, he couldn't help but feel a sense of harvesting ripe crops.
This suddenly made him think of Kid—someone brimming with potential.
Two years apart—he wondered how Kid had been faring.
Had he been eating well, sleeping well, and growing stronger? Had he honed his skills and become more formidable? Had he managed to consume a Devil Fruit?
Perhaps he could claim Kid's bounty early, or maybe it would be better to let him develop further—until he arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Lost in thought due to the unexpected gain, Maude found his mind wandering.
...
Far away, in a wrecked restaurant littered with debris, Kid, with a foot planted on a fallen foe, suddenly shivered.
"This feeling..."
Kid furrowed his brows. His usual savage gaze momentarily darkened as he muttered to himself, "It's like when my grandpa used to call me home for dinner…"
"What?"
Nearby, Killer—wearing his signature blue, perforated mask—turned toward him in confusion.
The heavy look in Kid's eyes quickly faded. He shook his head. "It's nothing."
As a child, he would often spend entire days at the scrap yard, completely missing meal times.
Back then, during his growth spurts, missing a meal meant enduring endless nagging from his grandfather.
But that was all in the past. Nothing worth dwelling on.
With a sudden surge of strength, Kid pressed down harder with his foot, crushing the life out of the man beneath him. Coldly, he declared, "Let's eat."
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
Maude shook off his misplaced thoughts and withdrew his sword, Shusui, from Wolfrat's throat.
Gion, having halted her sprint, felt the presence of Wolfrat vanish through her Observation Haki.
"Bacardi Maude!"
Her eyes quivered, filled with a mixture of rage and killing intent. Like crimson arcs of lightning branching through storm clouds, her fury locked onto Maude.
Maude turned slightly to meet her gaze. His calm, impassive expression starkly contrasted with the overwhelming rage emanating from Gion.
Whoosh—
With a flick of his arm, Maude shook the blood off Shusui's blade.
The scattered blood droplets fell onto Wolfrat's white Marine coat, forming scarlet stains like blooming plum blossoms.
"..."
Seeing this, Gion's killing intent surged. The oppressive aura around her grew even more ferocious.
An aura that would make most pirates collapse in terror had no effect on Maude—let alone intimidate him.
His eyes remained calm as he raised his sword toward Gion, smirking with disdain. "You haven't received the official decree acknowledging my status as a Warlord yet? What a coincidence—I haven't received the bat's message either. In that case, it's only natural for Marines to hunt pirates, and for pirates to kill Marines in return. So tell me, what exactly are you so furious about, old woman?"
"Warlord? Let's see if you even qualify!"
Gion's wild aura suddenly condensed. Her long black hair whipped like writhing serpents, and her powerful, toned legs smashed into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shattered, as if a massive iron sphere had crashed down.
Dust exploded outward as Gion's figure transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, tearing through the air in a direct charge toward Maude.
"Momousagi-chan…"
"Vice Admiral Gion…!"
Sentomaru and the gathered Marines watched in shock as Gion launched her attack.
It was the first time they had seen Gion so visibly shaken—and the first time they had witnessed her unleash such overwhelming power.
Feeling her immense killing intent and oppressive force, Maude's eyes glowed red.
Two years.
He was no longer the same.
But neither was anyone else.
He had sprinted down the path of power.
So had this crazed woman before him.
Then let's see—
Without holding back, just how wide was the gap?
Regardless of the outcome, one year from now, he would undergo another transformation.
But right now, with this strike—
There was no retreat!
Hiss—
The grip on Shusui's hilt turned pitch black as Armament Haki coated his hand, extending up the sword's blade.
Full-powered Armament Haki.
Unwavering Observation Haki.
"You want to kill me? Go ahead and try…"
With a powerful step forward, Maude shot toward Gion instead of retreating, swinging his blade at her incoming strike.
At an extreme speed, the two figures clashed.
Clang—!
A deafening impact reverberated across the Sabaody Archipelago.
A violent shockwave erupted from the collision, spreading outward like a visible explosion.
Crack! Crack!
The ground split apart in a spiderweb of fractures as the force swept across the surroundings.
"Th-this…"
"What terrifying power!"
"Get down!"
The nearby Marines reacted quickly, but many were still sent flying by the sheer force of the shockwave, crying out in alarm.
Sentomaru, with his massive frame, withstood the blast, his eyes widening in disbelief at the two clashing warriors.
"..."
Amid the turmoil, he caught sight of Wolfrat's lifeless body, hurled by the wind. With a sharp motion, he caught the corpse and turned his gaze back to Maude and Gion, locked in a fierce standoff.
A strike of overwhelming strength—
Yet Maude had blocked it head-on.
"A power like that… it's not just a 500-million bounty level…"
Sentomaru's expression turned complicated.
For someone who prided himself on the world's strongest defense, he realized now that he had been arrogant—perhaps even narrow-minded.
The shockwave continued outward, tearing through the landscape.
Luckily, the battle was far enough from the city structures; otherwise, the destruction would have been catastrophic.
Outside the battlefield.
"This is…"
Robin, wrapped in her protective attire, covered her mouth in shock as she witnessed the devastating clash.
She had memorized the names of powerful figures across the sea, but this was the first time she had seen a battle of this level.
Compared to the frozen hellscape of her childhood, the raw, overwhelming force of this battle filled her with an even deeper sense of fear.
At the same time, she now had a more comprehensive understanding of Maude's strength.
And she knew one thing—
He had reached this level in less than two years.
Shhh…
As Robin trembled, a swirl of sand quietly formed behind her, slowly rising to shape Crocodile's imposing figure.
"What's this? You taking an interest in battle?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing his voice, Robin tensed, her pupils shrinking, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Heh…"
She lowered her hand and offered a knowing smile, turning to face her employer.
"I heard a commotion and came to check. Didn't expect to see Vice Admiral Gion and Maude fighting here."
Unfazed by Crocodile's sudden appearance, Robin maintained a relaxed demeanor.
"Guhaha."
Crocodile chuckled darkly, glancing at the shattered treetops.
That noise was impossible to ignore.
Taking out a cigar, he eyed Maude and Gion.
Even he, accustomed to chaos, felt a rare moment of surprise.
"500 million, huh? He certainly lives up to it."
Crocodile suppressed the tremor in his heart, lit a cigar, and took a deep drag.
Whoosh—
The white smoke he exhaled conveniently masked the sharp glint that flickered through his eyes.
A rookie with such exceptional strength, climbing the ranks at an astonishing speed...
To the old guard, there was always an inevitable sting—like a thorn that couldn't be ignored.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!