Maude's abrupt departure was entirely unexpected by the Jackal Pirates.
Originally, they had arrived with the mindset that even if they couldn't secure the meat, they'd at least get a taste of the broth. But to their shock, Maude had directly tossed the meat down to them.
Saliva instantly pooled in their mouths.
The moment Maude left, their impatience took over. Without hesitation, they tore the remnants of the Redhorn Pirates to shreds in a frenzied assault.
They then transformed into locusts, greedily plundering the Redhorn Pirates' loot. Nothing was spared—not the weapons scattered on the deck, nor the barrels of alcohol in the galley.
With ample manpower, efficient looting, and a mutual understanding to avoid crossing certain lines, these three pirate factions achieved a rare moment of peaceful and harmonious cooperation during their scavenging spree.
Once they had stripped the Redhorn Pirates of all valuables, they swiftly vacated the scene, leaving behind a battlefield strewn with corpses.
If it weren't for their identities as pirates, they might even have taken the heads of Kazte and Wells with them.
Only at times like this could they lament the bitter irony of a pirate's existence. Even if they dared to break the unwritten rule of not exchanging fellow pirates' heads for bounty, claiming the reward from the Marines would still be a challenge.
Meanwhile, Maude, having disembarked, moved quickly toward where Wolfrat and Tatamu were located.
Among the three targets listed in his notebook, one remained: the swordsman Gabdon.
Compared to the Sharp Bull Pirates' treasure, Maude valued the bounty rewards far more.
Once his strength increased, would money even be a concern?
At this moment, Gabdon should still be entangled with Wolfrat.
Maude could only hope Gabdon was resilient enough not to be taken down by Wolfrat just yet.
"Hang in there, Gabdon!" Maude muttered to himself, quickening his pace.
He wasn't about to let Gabdon's head slip away. If Wolfrat knew what Maude was thinking, he'd probably be at a loss for words.
In the clearing near the warehouses, several corpses lay strewn about, each marked by gaping wounds. Blood oozed from the gashes, the metallic tang of it thick in the air.
Tatamu stood silently beside the bodies, gazing toward Wolfrat and Gabdon, who were locked in combat a dozen meters away.
Wolfrat had already assumed his human-beast hybrid form. A not-too-deep gash marred his chest, while his right cheek was slightly swollen.
In contrast, the ruggedly handsome Gabdon bore several wounds, yet the long sword in his hand remained steady, unfaltering despite his injuries.
"Tch," Wolfrat spat out a mouthful of blood.
Oddly enough, the blunt injury on his face, courtesy of Gabdon's sword hilt, hurt more than the cut on his chest.
"If I could use the Six Powers, someone like Gabdon…"
Cursing internally, Wolfrat glanced at Tatamu out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to call for assistance but hesitated to add another debt to the ledger.
"I wonder how Usopp's holding up."
Wolfrat mulled over the thought but was soon interrupted by Gabdon's erratic footwork as he charged forward, blade in hand.
Suppressing the urge to use Shave, Wolfrat met the charge head-on, raising his partially-healed claws to clash against Gabdon's sword.
Clang! Clang!
The two exchanged blows at a rapid pace.
In mere seconds, claw and blade collided a dozen times, sparks flying with each clash.
Seconds later, their tempo reached its peak.
It was Wolfrat who first faltered, allowing Gabdon to seize an opening.
With a cunning move aimed at Wolfrat's knee—an underhanded strike called Ground Sweep—Gabdon inflicted two fresh gashes on Wolfrat's leg.
Wolfrat's eyes widened slightly as he retreated abruptly, creating distance.
Gabdon, however, didn't press the attack. Instead, he twirled his sword gracefully and cast a sidelong glance at the still-motionless Tatamu.
In Gabdon's estimation, the Ground Sweep had sufficiently neutralized Wolfrat as a threat. His attention now shifted to Tatamu, whose strength was not to be underestimated.
"Still just watching?" Gabdon's voice was cold as he locked eyes with Tatamu.
Tatamu offered no response, his silence unbroken.
Gabdon sneered. "What, so confident in that rat? Think I can't finish him off in ten moves?"
Gabdon couldn't fathom why Tatamu remained a bystander in this one-on-one duel, but he wasn't complaining.
To Gabdon's taunt, Tatamu maintained his silence, as if speaking would be a waste of effort.
Wolfrat glanced at the wounds on his leg and cursed inwardly. Since arriving in Mad Hat Town, he had kept a low profile. When had he ever been so humiliated?
"Honestly, ever since I crossed paths with Usopp, I've taken more injuries in a week than in the past few years combined."
With a sigh, Wolfrat resolved to end things quickly. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he launched an offensive against Gabdon.
With Tatamu backing him up, Wolfrat could afford to go all out against Gabdon.
Still, at this stage of the battle, Wolfrat knew he couldn't defeat Gabdon without using the Six Powers.
"Oh?"
Seeing Wolfrat's renewed assault, Gabdon's eyes gleamed with icy resolve.
The two clashed once more. This time, Gabdon swiftly gained the upper hand, forcing the injured Wolfrat into a defensive retreat.
"Damn it," Wolfrat growled, feeling the mounting pressure from Gabdon's relentless strikes. The temptation to use the Six Powers grew stronger.
"No… I can't use it!"
Wolfrat gritted his teeth, desperately searching for an opening to counterattack. But to his dismay, he realized that without the Six Powers, no such opportunity existed.
Tatamu, save me!
Just as Wolfrat was on the verge of voicing his plea, a gunshot shattered the tension of the night.
The bullet, fired from behind Wolfrat, grazed his side before striking Gabdon in the abdomen.
Caught off guard, Gabdon staggered, his face paling as pain and shock registered simultaneously.
Wolfrat, barely processing the source of the shot, seized the moment. With a swift swipe of his claws, he struck Gabdon, forcing him to stumble back two steps.
A second gunshot rang out.
The timing was impeccable. The bullet struck Gabdon squarely in the forehead, leaving a bloody hole.
Gabdon's expression froze, his body collapsing lifelessly to the ground. Even in death, he couldn't fathom who had fired the fatal shot.
Turning swiftly, Wolfrat traced the direction of the gunshot. Emerging from the smoke-filled night was none other than Maude.
"Phew…"
Seeing Maude, Wolfrat exhaled a sigh of relief.
Maude, concealing his delight at securing the kill, approached with a smile.
"Good work," Maude said.
"What about Kazte?" Wolfrat asked.
"Handled," Maude replied calmly.
"That fast?" Rats exclaimed in disbelief.
Maude nodded, his gaze shifting toward Tatamu, who stood in the distance.
"Let's move. There are too many eyes watching nearby."
With that, Maude led the way back toward the town.
Wolfrat and Tatamu exchanged a glance before quickly following.
Tonight would undoubtedly be one for the books.
At the dock where the Redhorn Pirates' ship was moored, a few pirates who had arrived late found themselves with nothing to loot.
Frustrated and unwilling to leave empty-handed, they unceremoniously dumped the corpses on the deck into the sea before sailing the ship out into open waters.
They had effectively stolen the ship.
Maude knew nothing of this development.
If he had, he might've sighed and remarked, "What talent."
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