"Arlong will slaughter all of you humans to the last."
That was what Sam wished to say before his death.
If Maude had heard it, he might have laughed out loud.
However, hearing Arlong's name from Sam's mouth genuinely caught Maude by surprise.
After all, the Arlong Pirates resided in the East Blue, while this was the West Blue.
Could it be that Sam was trying to join Arlong, only to lose his way, end up in the West Blue, and then get captured by humans?
Maude shook his head, dismissing the thought.
At that moment, his body emitted a faint crackling sound, followed by a subtle transformation.
Sensing the change, Maude rolled up his sleeves, revealing the faint outline of muscle on his arm, though still undeveloped.
"Who would've thought that just a few words of information could yield such results."
Maude was genuinely astonished and couldn't help but glance at Sam's corpse.
After all, this was someone who, relying solely on his raw physical strength and terrifying grip, had managed to carve a bloody path through a crowd.
Even in his heavily injured state, Sam not only managed to endure but also charged forward with surprising speed, though significantly diminished, still posing a considerable threat.
Had Maude not anticipated Sam's reaction and preemptively created distance, he might have been caught before finishing his name.
A Fish-Man with physical prowess like Sam's could be even more formidable if he learned martial arts or Fish-Man Karate. His overall strength would likely multiply several times over.
"This guy... doesn't seem like just another ordinary Fish-Man warrior. If he had escaped tonight and later joined the Arlong Pirates, who knows? He might have been the one to wipe out the Straw Hat Pirates before they even fully formed."
Maude picked up the [Usopp], which he had casually tossed aside earlier.
Throwing the gun had been unnecessary. It was meant to slightly lower Sam's guard, but since there weren't any bullets in the chamber, it hardly mattered.
Still, Maude had to admit a certain admiration for Sam's decisiveness in the last few minutes of his life.
Unfortunately, fate had already set its price.
Even if Sam had managed to escape the auction house and make it here, he could not escape his ultimate destiny—death.
At that point, Maude could have easily killed Sam with just a dagger, given his unsteady breathing and grievous wounds.
But using a gun had simply been the safer option.
When a safer method was available, Maude wasn't foolish enough to use a dagger.
Had it been a long blade, however, it might have been worth considering.
After all, the longer the blade, the greater the advantage. A long blade was far more reliable than a dagger.
Not lingering any longer, Maude left the alleyway.
Moments later, a faint trace of fishy odor began to permeate the air.
Tonight's excursion had been fruitful—three pirates and one Fish-Man.
The bountiful harvest convinced Maude to call it a night. Rather than stirring up more trouble at the auction house, he decided to head straight back to the weapon shop.
"The Arlong Pirates..."
On the way back, Sam's unfinished final words, combined with the benefits Maude had reaped from the Fish-Man, filled his mind with idle speculation.
For now, it was just that—speculation.
After all, the Arlong Pirates were far off in the East Blue, and with Maude's current strength, going there would be akin to delivering himself on a platter.
But the benefits of hunting Fish-Men were undeniable.
Of course, ordinary Fish-Men might not offer much, but Fish-Men like Sam—now that was another story.
The possibilities Maude considered included the Arlong Pirates in the East Blue, Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters beneath the sea, or the Sabaody Archipelago, known for its abundant supply of Fish-Man slaves.
The awkward part was that, by the time Maude could reach any of those places, his strength would likely have grown to the point where he no longer needed them.
On his way back to the weapon shop, Maude deliberately avoided well-lit routes but ended up getting lost.
Left with no choice, he resorted to traversing rooftops and finally made it back safely.
Once there, Maude tiptoed into the bathroom.
In the dark, he removed his mask and armband, placing them on the sink. He turned on the faucet, cupped some water, and splashed it on his face.
These disguises were items he planned to dispose of tomorrow.
Even if he needed them again in the future, he would simply make a new set with a different style.
"Phew..."
Wiping his face dry, Maude glanced at the pitch-black mirror.
With his physical enhancements on track, he began contemplating whether it was time to fill in his second requirement.
As the thought arose, so did hesitation.
Swordsmanship or martial arts?
If it were martial arts, Maude immediately thought of the Marines' Six Powers—Shave, Iron Body, Paper Art, Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol.
As for swordsmanship, the images that came to mind were Zoro's dazzling techniques and Mihawk's overwhelming presence with a single swing of his blade.
The former required him to first master the Six Powers before his Martial Arts Requirement could take effect.
The latter could be optimized by filling in a Cold Weapons Requirement for broader benefits.
But the more general the requirement, the more the experience points would have to be split.
Requirements like Physique, for example, had their gains divided among strength, endurance, speed, and other aspects.
If the second requirement were similarly broad, it might lead to more quantity but less refinement.
Alternatively, Maude could take a gamble and fill in something like a Talent Requirement, but such an abstract concept was too risky.
In the end, Maude knew he leaned more toward swordsmanship. However, with only a limited number of slots available, he couldn't afford to rush his decision.
His reasoning was straightforward: under the same conditions, swords were undeniably superior to fists.
And then, there was the crucial matter of length.
As he pondered this, an image popped into his mind.
A tiny stick-figure martial artist darted through a crowd, leaving afterimages and shouting, "Watch me dazzle you!"
Meanwhile, a stick-figure swordsman unsheathed a long, rigid blade and sneered, "Mine's longer."
And just like that, the debate ended.
Maude snapped back to reality.
"Take it slow."
He habitually reminded himself not to rush.
With enough patience, success was never as unattainable as it seemed.
Click.
The sudden brightness of a light bulb startled Maude.
In the mirror's reflection, he saw Sunny's figure.
Sunny was the one who had turned on the light.
So absorbed was he in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her coming downstairs.
Seeing Sunny in the mirror, Maude offered an apologetic smile.
"Did I wake you?"
Sunny shook her head. "I wasn't asleep."
"You're still up at this hour?"
Maude was surprised.
Sunny didn't answer immediately, her gaze shifting instead to the mask and armband on the sink.
The mask, in particular—if one didn't look closely, they might mistake it for Arthur's work mask.
Noticing Sunny staring at the mask and armband, Maude turned around, casually blocking her view as he changed the subject.
With a teasing grin, he said, "Don't tell me you stayed up waiting for me?"
"Yes."
Sunny's direct admission caught Maude off guard.
He laughed and joked, "Oh no, don't tell me you've fallen for me?"
Sunny rolled her eyes and walked straight toward the kitchen.
"I'm hungry. Make me something to eat—and prepare an extra portion. Sol might be back soon."
"You go ahead. I'll be there in a moment."
Maude replied with a smile, planning to first take the mask and armband upstairs.
At the Mad Hat Auction House...
The black smoke had dissipated, leaving the scene in disarray.
Amid the chaos, gangster Capone Bege stood surrounded by his men, holding a half-eaten Devil Fruit.
His face twisted in disgust at the indescribable flavor.
At his feet lay a middle-aged man, riddled with bullet wounds.
"Bege!"
The man struggled to lift his head, glaring at Bege. "A bootlegger like you..."
Bege coldly stared down at him while swallowing the other half of the Devil Fruit.
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