Things were taking a turn for the worse.
Inside the tavern, the unrelated pirates were growing restless as they watched the brewing confrontation between Kazte and Abby.
While many harbored thoughts of fleeing, their hopes were dashed by the sight of the Redhorn Pirates blocking the main exit.
The door was sealed shut, making escape impossible.
Shouting for Kazte and his group—who were teetering on the brink of violence—to step aside wasn't exactly an option either.
Not that it was impossible, but the question was—who would dare take the lead?
As for the other way out, there was a passage near the counter that led to the kitchen and likely a backdoor.
However, reaching it would require crossing through the line of sight between Kazte and Abby.
And so, the question arose again—who would go first?
No one wanted to volunteer, so they all retreated toward the walls, hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
If there was no chance of escaping through the main door or the backdoor, then breaking through the wall was the only remaining option.
Though the walls of the tavern were sturdier than ordinary timber, they were still wooden and wouldn't pose too much of a challenge to smash through.
Interestingly, Maude's thoughts aligned perfectly with those of the pirates, showing no awareness of his role as the instigator.
Breaking through the wall was one of his backup plans as well.
As for the closer kitchen passage, he had no intention of using it—not because he feared injuring the tavern staff, but because of the potential trouble it would bring from the powers backing Mad Hat Town.
"Just fight already," Maude muttered, casting a wary glance toward Abby while keeping the corner of his eye on Kazte's group near the entrance and the dozen burly pirates who had arrived with Abby.
Between Kazte, who was seething with rage, and Abby, Maude found the latter far more dangerous.
Her sudden and ruthless attack earlier had given him a deeper understanding of her cold-blooded nature.
Using a lunatic like her as a shield was a last resort.
Abby's gaze locked onto Maude with a dangerous, almost knowing smile.
Though her lips curved in amusement, her eyes brimmed with icy killing intent.
Standing with her back to Kazte and his men, she raised her left hand slowly while gripping her rapier in her right. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.
The crisp sound echoed unnaturally in the tense air.
At the signal, the dozen pirates under her command drew their swords, paying no attention to the skunk hiding under the table, and converged toward her.
At the same time, Kazte's crew had already unsheathed their weapons, ready for battle the moment Kazte entered his beast-like transformation.
Several of Kazte's officers, led by Wells, didn't hesitate to raise their guns and aim them at Abby's group.
Every pirate crew had members proficient in firearms, and the Redhorn Pirates were no exception.
In contrast, none of Abby's subordinates carried guns; their focus was solely on melee weapons.
In this standoff, Kazte's crew had the clear advantage in both numbers and armaments.
The tension in the air was like a taut string, stretched to its breaking point.
A fight was imminent.
Wolfrat, sensing the danger, immediately quelled his emotions.
In this calm before the storm, the last thing he wanted was to draw attention with his overly convincing sobbing.
He quietly moved closer to Maude, keeping a careful distance—not so close as to step into Abby's attack range, but not so far as to leave Maude unguarded.
It was a precise distance, allowing him to intervene at any moment to aid Maude.
"Why do I have to go through this?" Wolfrat muttered bitterly to himself.
He couldn't help but think that if Maude failed to escape this predicament, not only would his earlier tears be wasted, but he'd also find himself dragged into unnecessary trouble.
No matter how unpleasant it was, he had no choice but to hold back his disgust and assist Maude's escape plan.
All for the mission, he reminded himself.
Maude, meanwhile, had no time to appreciate Wolfrat's "kindness." After Abby snapped her fingers, he couldn't even spare a glance at Kazte's crew.
Despite the pressure from Kazte's group, Abby seemed entirely unconcerned. Her eyes remained fixed solely on Maude.
"Boss Abby, there's no point in focusing on me like this. You're just going to get your men killed faster," Maude warned, striking straight at the heart of the matter.
"That's exactly what I was thinking, Usopp," Abby replied with a sultry smile, her arm holding the rapier bulging slightly with tension.
"But then again, who told you to provoke me?"
As her words fell, Abby lunged forward, her rapier flashing like a streak of light aimed once again at Maude.
Resonance: Triple Echo!
The thin blade vibrated, producing a sharp hum as it cut through the air.
The glowing sword energy split into three, targeting Maude's throat, chest, and lower abdomen.
"This crazy woman…"
The oppressive force of the attack made Maude's face tighten. He narrowly twisted his body, trying to avoid the incoming strikes.
The three sword flashes zipped past, leaving only afterimages in their wake.
Rip!
Two slashes appeared simultaneously across Maude's chest and abdomen, tearing through his clothes.
A fraction deeper, and they would have drawn blood.
Maintaining his sidestepped position, Maude swiftly drew his flintlock pistol and fired at Abby's face without hesitation.
Bang!
The lead bullet shot through the lingering smoke, heading straight for Abby's visage.
However, it struck only an afterimage.
The bullet passed through, hitting an unfortunate pirate instead.
Abby's speed shocked Maude.
For someone commanding a bounty of 38 million berries in the West Blue, Abby was indeed a formidable opponent.
Realizing that his current strength wouldn't allow him to gain the upper hand, Maude decisively shifted tactics. Retreating swiftly, he holstered the flintlock.
The second flintlock, already loaded, was a trump card he wouldn't use lightly.
For now, he focused entirely on defense.
As long as he could keep Abby occupied, her subordinates would surely be wiped out by Kazte's crew in short order.
The longer the battle dragged on, the worse Abby's position would become.
By then, even if Kazte deduced her intentions, he would likely eliminate her altogether.
Maude's goal was to force Abby to abandon her assault on him.
In the blink of an eye, Maude's thoughts crystallized. His focus on Abby sharpened to its peak.
Heart Drop Combat Perception!
With heightened concentration, Maude employed a technique akin to early-stage Observation Haki.
His gaze locked onto Abby.
The flow of her killing intent, the tremors in her movements, the trajectory of her strikes—
In that moment, Maude captured every detail.
Just as Abby had eyes only for Maude, Maude now had eyes only for Abby and her blade.
He had no other choice.
Using Heart Drop Combat Perception required devoting all his focus to a single target.
Abby sensed something unusual.
For a brief instant, she felt as if Maude had completely seen through her, leaving her utterly exposed.
But she didn't dwell on the thought. With her rapier, she unleashed a flurry of Triple Echo strikes, her true killing move.
To finish Maude quickly, she held nothing back.
The furious barrage of strikes enveloped Maude like a storm.
Yet within the storm, Maude danced nimbly, evading every thrust of her blade.
In mere seconds, Abby's rapid strikes failed to land even once.
Her expression faltered.
Not far away, Wolfrat watched in stunned disbelief.
Prepared to step in at any moment, he had been shocked by Abby's speed and ferocity.
He could only stand helplessly as her sword surrounded Maude.
In that instant, Wolfrat thought he saw Maude's inevitable demise, skewered by countless blades.
But what unfolded before his eyes was Maude moving fluidly within the storm of strikes, effortlessly avoiding each one.
"Paper Art? No... that's not it!" Wolfrat muttered, his voice trembling.
"And that bastard… he was hiding his true strength this whole time!"
The realization sent a chill down Wolfrat's spine.
Even though he remained in the shadows, for some reason, he felt as if the tables had been turned on him.
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