In reviewing the entire incident, though Lagren was killed by Sol, it could be argued that his death was indirectly caused by Maude.
However, Maude was completely unaware of this.
When he thought back on the matter, his mind naturally turned to the person walking with Red that night in the alley.
Could it be that he had unknowingly taken down a...
A walking jackpot of experience?
No wonder Kazte was so invested in the incident.
Thinking about it, Maude felt a twinge of regret but feigned indifference as he casually asked, "Oh? How did this Lagren guy die?"
"He was taken out with a single shot."
"..."
Maude pressed a hand to his forehead and replied calmly, "I see."
Wolfrat quietly observed Maude's reaction.
He realized that, in this case, it was the 'Phantom Gun' that killed Lagren for Maude, all without Maude's knowledge.
This kind of protective behavior on the Phantom Gun's part indicated that Maude held significant value in his eyes.
In other words, Maude might qualify as leverage to keep the Phantom Gun in check. Coupled with that little girl in the shop…
Wolfrat silently considered his next move and continued, "Recently, Kazte not only lost Lagren, one of his top men, but he also suffered heavy casualties from the Fish-Man slave escape incident at the auction a few days ago."
"Oh?"
A spark flickered in Maude's eyes.
"Other than Lagren, Kazte has two other noteworthy officers."
"One is Wells, a skilled marksman with a bounty close to 10 million, and the other is Gabton, a swordsman with a bounty of 14 million. Although not as formidable as Lagren, he's still a force to be reckoned with."
"Moreover, Kazte himself is a Zoan Devil Fruit user. Give him a few more days, and while he might not fully recover from his injuries, he'll at least regain enough mobility to act freely."
"So, my suggestion is to target the Redhorn Pirates first."
As a Marine, Wolfrat saw no downside to Maude's plan to assassinate them. Even though Maude had baited him, Wolfrat recognized the situation and willingly stepped into the trap.
Now that he was involved, he had to do his part to make the operation a success.
Intelligence was key.
"As for the Abby Pirates, it's best not to provoke them further."
At this point, Wolfrat's expression turned serious.
Maude asked in confusion, "Why?"
"The Abby Pirates may not have many members, but every single one is elite. Plus, there's a pirate with a bounty exceeding 30 million in town who happens to be one of Abby's suitors."
"A suitor? Like the kind that…"
A few veins bulged on Maude's forehead, but he stopped himself from finishing the sentence.
Wolfrat understood what Maude was implying and replied coldly, "A suitor? Hardly. It's just a ploy to absorb Abby's pirate crew into his own. As for Abby's... unique preferences, what does that matter?"
"In any case, if you go after Abby, you might just give that suitor the opportunity he's been waiting for."
While Wolfrat advised against targeting Abby, he had his own ulterior motive:
The person who humiliated Abby was you, not me.
Concealing this thought, Wolfrat naturally preferred that Maude deal with the Redhorn Pirates first.
After all, the only group capable of threatening him was the Redhorn Pirates. This was why he had provided such detailed intelligence on their current situation.
After listening to Wolfrat's explanation, Maude agreed that targeting Abby wasn't ideal.
But his reasoning wasn't solely due to the suitor's presence. Instead, it was Kazte's Zoan abilities and Gabton's skills as a swordsman that drew Maude's interest.
"Then Kazte will be the first target. Oh, by the way, do you have bounty posters for the Redhorn Pirates?"
With his decision made, Maude inquired about the most critical item.
Wolfrat didn't hesitate; identifying the targets was crucial.
He glanced at Tatam.
Tatam understood immediately and opened another drawer.
To Maude's surprise, Tatam pulled out a thick stack of bounty posters.
Realizing Tatam worked in intelligence, Maude quickly made sense of it.
Noticing Maude's reaction, Wolfrat explained proactively, "Anyone running a business in this town has bounty posters for various pirates. After all, anyone with a bounty isn't someone you'd want to cross without preparation."
"Places like the Pleasure District even require employees to memorize the identities of their patrons."
Maude nodded in understanding, impressed by this layer of precaution.
It was no wonder Sol's shop lacked these posters. The shop's remote location saw little foot traffic, and even when someone like Kid showed up, they had to behave in front of Sol.
Now knowing that Tatam had such a comprehensive collection of bounty posters, Maude thought he might visit more often in the future.
Familiar with the posters, Tatam quickly pulled out three: Kazte, Wells, and Gabton. Lagren's, of course, had already been removed.
Maude took the posters and studied them carefully, memorizing the appearance of the other two targets.
If they acted tonight, killing Kazte would be the best outcome.
As for the Redhorn Pirates, their captain's death would inevitably plunge them into chaos.
The potential for infighting over leadership was reason enough to act.
After memorizing their faces, Maude, now impressed with Wolf Rat's resourcefulness, tried to extract even more useful intelligence.
"What are their specific abilities?"
"Wells won't be much trouble, but Kazte and Gabton are the real challenges…"
Wolfrat willingly took the bait and began explaining their abilities in detail.
Maude listened intently, pleased with the wealth of information.
Half an hour later.
After Wolfrat's thorough explanation, Maude gave him a look that seemed to say, I've underestimated you.
Wolfrat ignored the look and said earnestly, "Usopp, I hope tonight's operation goes smoothly. I don't want anything to happen to you."
These words were sincere.
Maude could feel it, leaving him momentarily stunned.
His suspicions about Wolfrat's motives became even more complicated.
But as long as there was no malice, Maude could accept it.
"As a friend, I feel the same."
Maude raised his glass to Wolfrat and downed it in one gulp.
Wolfrat followed suit, thinking to himself that he had finally taken a big step forward.
Later, Maude and Wolfrat agreed to meet at midnight. Maude then left the Nightshade Bar with his Dark Crow.
After Maude left, Wolfrat sat in deep thought, sipping his drink.
Tatam continued his routine of polishing glasses, as though there was an endless supply of them.
Ten minutes later, Wolfrat suddenly stood up and headed to a room upstairs.
Once inside, he retrieved a carefully hidden Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
At Marine Headquarters, in the home of the Hero of the Marines, Garp.
"That boy actually became a pirate?!"
In his room, Garp clutched a newspaper, veins bulging in frustration.
Just as he fumed, someone entered the room without knocking.
"Your yelling could be heard from miles away. What's going on?"
"Tsuru…"
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