Throughout the day, cannon salutes echoed from all corners of Mad Hat Town without pause.
It wasn't until evening that the commotion began to subside.
Not long after, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the town came alive with radiant lights.
After dinner, Sol gathered his cash and prepared to attend the auction.
Though he lacked the talent to walk the path of a master swordsman, he had an undeniable fondness for collecting famed swords.
And tonight's auction featured one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Swords, which had become his target.
[TL/N: I might have mistakenly translated the blade being auctioned as Grade-level when it is in fact a Skillful-level blade.]
Before leaving, he turned to Maude and Sunny, his tone carrying a hint of warning:
"You two, if you don't have anything important tonight, go to bed early."
"Sure."
"Got it."
Sunny and Maude nodded in unison.
Seeing this, Sol opened the shop door and stepped out.
As they watched him leave, Maude closed and bolted the door firmly.
"Sunny, I'm heading to bed."
"Oh? Planning to sneak out already?"
"Hmm? No, I mean—what are you talking about?"
"I said, the moment Sol walks out the door, you're already thinking about sneaking out to join the fun, aren't you?"
"Ridiculous. It's dangerous out there—why would I dare?"
Caught red-handed, Maude could only chuckle awkwardly.
Sunny snorted coldly. "You think I don't know what you've been up to these past few days?"
"What are you talking about?"
Feigning innocence, Maude blinked and deflected.
Seeing him play dumb yet again, Sunny couldn't be bothered to argue further. Instead, she warned him sternly:
"Tonight isn't like other nights, so you'd better stay indoors. I'd hate to open the shop tomorrow morning and find Arthur delivering your mutilated corpse—a missing eye, ears and nose sliced off, body chopped into bits, with half a pound of your guts gone."
"Sunny, you… you're brutal!"
Maude's eye twitched furiously, overwhelmed by the morbid "kindness" of her warning.
Sunny's gaze turned serious. "I'm not joking."
"Yeah, I can tell."
"Then stay in and behave tonight."
"…"
Maude remained silent.
Sunny frowned slightly at his lack of response, her own expression hardening.
She knew that when Maude stopped joking, it meant his decision was set in stone.
The air grew awkward.
After a while, Sunny suddenly walked over to the counter and retrieved an aged, yellowed notebook from a hidden drawer.
"Here, take it."
She tossed the notebook to Maude.
Catching it in mid-air, Maude asked curiously, "What's this?"
"My intelligence journal from the past few years."
"An intelligence journal?"
Maude's eyes narrowed as he quickly flipped through the pages.
"This is…"
After a quick skim, his expression lit up with excitement.
The modestly sized notebook contained a wealth of detailed information on mid- and high-bounty pirates.
It was exactly what he'd been lacking.
He'd always assumed Sunny only investigated their "neighbors" as a precautionary measure.
Now, it was clear she'd been doing this kind of work all along.
"Sunny, is this… a hobby of yours?"
Barely able to contain his excitement, Maude almost tucked the notebook directly into his shirt.
Sunny, not understanding his enthusiasm, shook her head. "Not exactly a hobby—more like preparation for the future."
"Preparation for the future?"
"Yeah. Sol's getting old. One day he might not wake up, or he might pass away next month. These things aren't impossible."
Sunny spoke in a casual tone about the inevitable realities of old age, then continued:
"When that time comes, I'll have to shoulder certain burdens on my own. Since my own strength is limited, gathering intelligence in advance is the best way to lighten the load."
"You've thought that far ahead?"
Maude was surprised but felt that Sol had a few years left in him, given his daily energy for morning exercises in the Pleasure District.
Unconsciously, he found himself getting used to Sunny's sharp tongue.
"Unlike you, I don't have talent."
Sunny's gaze shifted to Maude's legs, specifically the weights strapped to them.
"Uh…"
Maude found himself at a loss for words.
"When Sol saved you back then, it wasn't out of kindness. It wasn't just to add another worker to the shop, either. It was so I wouldn't be left to fend for myself in the future.
"There were several others before you, but none of them survived this town. They all met terrible ends."
As she spoke, Sunny locked her gaze on Maude's face.
"But even Sol didn't expect that the person he brought back this time, though occasionally glib, would have such astonishing talent. So much so that he broke his own rule and took the initiative to offer mentorship."
Maude fell silent at her words.
He had often wondered about Sol's motives for saving him.
Now, he finally understood.
Looking at the silent Maude, Sunny's tone grew heavier:
"I don't dislike you. That's why I'm giving you the journal—and because I don't want you dying too soon."
"Thank you."
Maude suddenly smiled warmly.
Even if it's not love, I don't dislike you two either.
He thought to himself.
Sunny snorted. "Whatever you plan to do, I don't care. But I want the journal back tomorrow night."
"Huh? I have to return it?"
"Of course! It's my hard work!"
"What if I don't?"
"No way. You can copy it down if you need to."
"Good point."
Maude chuckled.
With that, Sunny said no more and headed upstairs.
The reason she'd given Maude the journal was simple: she hoped he'd use it wisely to avoid dangerous people and unnecessary death.
"Sunny."
Maude suddenly called out.
Sunny stopped and turned to look at him.
"What kind of Devil Fruit would you want? I'll get you one someday."
"…"
Seeing her remain silent, Maude began ticking off options with his fingers, smiling as he spoke:
"Let's rule out Logia types—they're too hard to acquire. Zoan types are decent, durable, and resilient, but the variety is overwhelming. Unless it's an Ancient Zoan, it's not worth considering.
"Paramecia types, though, offer a lot of versatility. They're divided into categories like enhancement, creation, and control.
"For example, there's the Slip-Slip Fruit. I think that one would suit you well."
As Maude rambled on, Sunny's expression remained blank.
"You seem to know a lot about Devil Fruits," she remarked.
"!!"
Maude quickly explained, "I read about them in a book once."
"Oh."
After a moment of thought, Sunny walked back to the counter.
"What are you doing?" Maude asked.
"Writing it down."
Sunny grabbed a pen and paper, meticulously recording Maude's analysis.
Maude was speechless.
Wouldn't it make more sense to decide on a direction first?
He silently watched her, noting how sharp yet occasionally clueless she seemed.
Devil Fruits, huh…
Images of Sunny's expression while looking at the auction catalog surfaced in his mind.
"Maybe I can't do it now, but someday, I'll get you a Devil Fruit."
Maude made a quiet vow to himself.
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