West Blue, Marine Branch 158 Base.
Inside the dojo, Gion trained tirelessly, her sweat pouring like rain.
By the time she finished her final set of exercises, she was drenched, as though she had just stepped out of a bath.
As one of the rare female powerhouses in the Navy, such high-intensity daily training was second nature to her.
After her training, Gion returned to her room, carefully placed her blade in its designated spot, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Once she had showered, she settled onto the sofa, closed her eyes, and allowed herself a moment of respite.
Since accepting a favor from her two elders, Gion had spent most of her time in West Blue unless duty called her back to the Grand Line. Even her holidays were spent here—a lifestyle she had maintained for over two years.
However, whether stationed at headquarters or a branch, she believed it wouldn't hinder her pursuit of honing her strength.
The only notable difference, perhaps, was the recently transferred Captain Robbie from the 158th branch, whose persistent attempts to win her favor had grown increasingly tiresome.
"Brr-brr-brr-brr…"
The den-den mushi's trilling snapped Gion out of her brief rest.
She stood, her long legs striding across the room to the desk where the den-den mushi rested. Picking up the receiver, she was greeted by Wolfrat's voice.
"It's hooked."
"Excellent."
Gion's eyes lit up upon hearing his report, though her tone remained calm. "This will be the final probe. Are you confident in your ability to seize the moment?"
"..."
Silence lingered on the other end.
Gion waited patiently.
"Yes," Wolfrat finally replied with resolute certainty.
"Good. I'll leave the timing of the operation in your hands."
Her words carried a weight of trust so palpable that Wolfrat could feel it through the receiver.
"Understood."
With that, the call ended.
Gion set down the receiver slowly, pondered for a moment, and then dialed Vice Admiral Tsuru's number.
This might be the closest they had ever come to their chance.
In Mad Hat Town, Wolfrat carefully tucked the den-den mushi away.
He thought back to Maude's indifferent response when the bait had been cast earlier.
If not for Maude subsequently asking Tatamu to investigate the bandit gang, Wolfrat might have truly believed that Maude, under the alias Usopp, was merely a detached bystander.
It was this act of commissioning an investigation that confirmed Wolfrat's suspicions—the fish had taken the bait.
"Apologies…" he murmured to himself.
Thanks to the intel Gion provided, Wolfrat now understood Maude's identity and the events he had endured.
It also clarified why Maude had been mercilessly hunting down pirates in the town.
In Wolfrat's eyes, Maude, used as a pawn to target the enigmatic sniper, was an innocent victim in this scheme.
But Gion had not expressed any objections.
Thus, Wolfrat saw no reason to voice his own misgivings.
As a Marine, his duty was to obey orders and complete his assignments.
Even so, any lingering resentment he felt toward Maude for the trouble caused before had long dissipated.
After some thought, Wolfrat left his room and headed downstairs to the bar, taking his usual seat at the counter.
"Tatamu, bring me another bottle of Bacardi rum," he called out, having already drunk most of the first bottle and grown fond of its flavor.
"You haven't paid for the last one," Tatamu replied, pointing to the empty glass.
"It's just money," Wolfrat scoffed, reaching into his pocket. After a brief pause, he grinned sheepishly. "I'll owe you this time."
Tatamu shook his head in exasperation. As he glanced at the empty bottle of rum, he seemed to ponder something.
Wolfrat caught this subtle change and narrowed his eyes.
Having spent considerable time around Tatamu, he knew the burly man's bear-like appearance belied a surprisingly meticulous mind.
It was likely that Tatamu had started piecing things together.
Even so, Wolfrat had no intention of sharing any details.
After leaving the Nightshade Bar, Maude headed straight back to the weapons shop.
Ignoring Sunny's sharp glare, he began his daily training routine.
Sneaking out might not get him into trouble, but skipping training? That was a surefire way to get strung up by Sol.
Bailey, seated comfortably on the counter, sipped tea as he watched Maude work up a sweat.
Two months of the shop's hearty meals had rounded Bailey's figure significantly. Curled up, he now resembled a plump ball of fur.
"Pour me some tea," Sunny commanded, setting down her cup.
"Right away, Boss Lady!"
Bailey quickly set aside his own tea and grabbed the pot, refilling Sunny's cup with practiced ease.
Under her stern rule, he had long since abandoned calling her "Mama" in favor of the safer title, "Boss Lady."
Taking a sip of the freshly poured tea, Sunny resumed reading her newspaper.
Bailey, moving with exaggerated caution to avoid disturbing her, returned to his own cup and continued observing Maude's training.
This life, he mused, wasn't so bad.
Especially when the food was this good.
By noon, Maude completed his training, and Sunny had prepared lunch.
However, Sol hadn't returned for the meal, something neither of them found unusual.
Without waiting for him, they ate and carried on with their day. Cleaning up, of course, had become Bailey's job.
In the afternoon, Maude focused on dull but essential reload drills, losing track of time until night fell.
"Why isn't Sol back yet?" Maude asked as he helped Sunny prep dinner.
"He's probably fetching more booze," Sunny replied, stirring the pot of meat stew.
"Fetching booze? From where?"
"An uninhabited island called 'Little Darling.' It's one of Sol's secret stash spots. He came up with the name himself."
"..." Maude was speechless.
"When will he be back?"
"Could be as short as five days," Sunny answered after tasting the stew. "Whenever he wants to go on these trips alone, he never says a word beforehand."
"Alright then."
Though Maude nodded, an idea had begun forming in his mind.
Late at night, Sol had yet to return, confirming Sunny's theory about his absence.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Maude readied himself.
Standing before the shop's weapon rack, he scanned its contents before taking Dark Crow into his hand.
It had been two months since he last held the blade, and it felt faintly unfamiliar.
"Tonight, let's hunt to our heart's content."
Strapping Dark Crow to his waist, Maude stepped out into the streets.
The stack of bounty posters he had received from Tatamu earlier had already been meticulously recorded into his Hunter's Notebook.
These names mostly belonged to pirates with bounties ranging from 5 to 15 million berries—not worth extensive scouting but plentiful enough to make up for it in numbers.
Winding through narrow alleyways, Maude emerged onto the main street.
"Let's head to the Battleaxe Tavern."
After crossing several streets, he arrived at the bustling tavern.
The moment he pushed open the door, the lively chatter and the strong scent of alcohol washed over him.
Standing at the entrance, Modder let his gaze sweep across the packed room.
To others, it seemed as though he was searching for a seat.
In truth, he was hunting for familiar prey.
At a table near the door, a pirate recognized him and nudged his companion.
"It's Usopp…"
The group at the table murmured in hushed tones, their surprise evident.
Like a ripple effect, more and more pirates identified Maude.
Gradually, the tavern's boisterous noise began to quiet.
Most of the pirates present turned their attention to the figure at the door.
Such was the effect of a growing reputation—wherever one went, recognition would follow, drawing inevitable stares.
This was life in the pirate world.
----------------------------
Join my patreon to access advance chapters: patreon.com / emperorgarus