Harvey's Serpent Coil Sword Technique was undeniably exquisite.
But Killer watched as Maude effortlessly dismantled Harvey's intricate swordplay with a single strike.
In that instant, Killer found himself anticipating a dazzling duel of swordsmanship between Maude and Harvey.
He was certain it would be a spectacle to behold.
However, Maude crushed those newly sprouted hopes with a single gunshot.
It was as if a small weed had been trampled in the air—an apt metaphor for Killer's current mood.
He couldn't help but glance at his captain beside him, as if to silently ask: This is the person you wanted me to watch carefully? Seriously?
Catching Killer's incredulous gaze, Kid's face twitched ever so slightly, but he pretended not to notice.
All around, the pirates looked at Maude with expressions of mixed emotions.
As for the Sea Serpent Pirates, their faces were twisted with fury.
Harvey, shot in the chest, didn't even have the chance to hurl the insult that embodied his bitter resentment before Maude followed up with a clean slash, cutting him down to the ground.
"Three moves? Sorry, I'm not interested in wasting time."
Maude calmly regarded the lifeless Harvey, then focused on the influx of swordsmanship experience he was absorbing from his fallen foe.
The gains were substantial!
In contrast, the improvement to his physical combat abilities was negligible—a typical outcome after reaching the One Star level.
"Not bad," Maude muttered.
Even so, the rewards from Harvey exceeded Maude's expectations.
Who would've thought? A mere pirate with a bounty of only 13.8 million Berries, whose name was scarcely worth remembering, could yield such significant benefits to his swordsmanship skills.
This suggested that Harvey's true strength far surpassed his bounty. A few more opponents of this caliber, and Maude might even be able to forge a new Star.
While pleased with the gains, Maude couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of regret.
If he'd had more detailed information about Harvey beforehand, he could've logged the pirate's techniques into his system. With Harvey's experience level, Maude might have been able to extract a move or two.
Regret aside, Maude decided he was still more than satisfied with the outcome.
He glanced at the enraged Sea Serpent Pirates, then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, made a startling move.
Adhering to the fine tradition of Sol's Weapon Shop, Maude expertly rifled through Harvey's corpse, pulling out a thick stack of Berries before casually stuffing it into his pocket.
The entire process took barely a second or two.
"…"
"…"
"…"
The faint murmurs that had started among the spectators were once again silenced by Maude's audacious looting.
The Sea Serpent Pirates, however, were driven to the brink of fury.
"He's out of bullets! Kill him and avenge Captain Harvey!"
Quincy, the Sea Serpent Pirates' first mate with a bounty of 11.5 million Berries, roared with rage, leading his crew in a charge toward Maude.
Quincy reached Maude first, slashing down with his blade.
Having already stowed his empty flintlock, Maude raised his sword with one hand to block Quincy's strike.
Clang!
Sparks flew as their blades collided.
It was a scene reminiscent of Maude's earlier encounter with Harvey—only this time, Quincy was the opponent.
"You scoundrel!" Quincy snarled, gripping his sword with both hands and pouring all his strength into it, hoping to overpower Maude and give his allies an opening.
Their blades locked in a tug-of-war, the force of their clash reverberating through their arms.
"You're out of bullets. Just accept your fate!" Quincy sneered, his face contorted with effort and anger.
Despite using only one hand to engage Quincy, Maude found himself slightly overpowered by the frenzied pirate's brute strength.
Why use only one hand? It wasn't for show, of course.
Bang!
Maude calmly drew a second flintlock and pulled the trigger.
The bullet struck Quincy squarely, causing the strength in his blade to falter.
Caught off guard, Quincy froze, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Maude's tone was flat as he said, "You're right—I was out of bullets. But I have another gun."
Without waiting for a reaction, Maude slashed Quincy down with a clean stroke.
Quincy didn't even have time to voice his grievances before joining Harvey in death.
At this point, the remaining five members of the Sea Serpent Pirates had just reached Maude, only to see their first mate dispatched in the blink of an eye.
They hadn't anticipated Quincy would also fall so quickly.
Left with no other option, they steeled themselves and launched a coordinated attack on Maude.
Surely he couldn't have a third gun, could he?
Besides, there were five of them.
Clinging to that hope, they were instead met with Maude's sword, slicing through the air toward them.
"Seismic Slash."
With a single step forward, Maude unleashed five consecutive strikes.
Five arcs of blade energy flashed and vanished, leaving the Sea Serpent Pirates' bodies frozen mid-motion, as if paralyzed.
Shick!
Blood spurted from their chests in unison.
Maude stepped back, straightened his posture, and flicked the blood from his sword with a practiced motion before sheathing it.
The Seismic Slash—a technique Maude had acquired from Gabdon—allowed for five swift strikes concentrated on a single point.
[TL/N: prev. as Shatter Slash.]
But Maude had modified the technique, distributing the five strikes across his five enemies.
The result was exceptional.
Thud, thud…
The Sea Serpent Pirates collapsed in unison.
Once again, Maude crouched down and looted the bodies with practiced efficiency, pulling out another stack of Berries and tucking it away.
"Not bad."
There was no time to count his spoils.
Under the dumbfounded gazes of the surrounding pirates, Maude vanished into the night.
The crowd, watching Maude's retreating figure, was filled with a mix of emotions.
Those final five strikes had been clearly visible to all.
It was now evident that Maude possessed exceptional swordsmanship, yet he deliberately relied on firearms to catch his enemies off guard.
No one could decide whether to praise or criticize his approach.
And yet…
Many pirates felt as though a door to a new world had been opened.
In their minds, Maude stood bathed in holy light, smiling as he extended a hand toward them.
It was as if he were saying: Join me.
"This tactic… not bad at all."
"First thing tomorrow, I'm buying a pistol."
"Impossible to guard against, really!"
Maude's unconventional combat style had inspired them.
Amid the crowd, Killer stared at the direction Maude had disappeared, his gaze vacant.
He'd initially assumed Maude was dependent on his guns and lacked true swordsmanship.
But those five strikes had been a harsh wake-up call.
A chill ran down Killer's spine.
Even after witnessing Maude single-handedly dismantle the Sea Serpent Pirates, he couldn't shake the feeling that what he'd seen was only a fraction of Maude's true power.
"What kind of man is he…?"
Kid glanced at Killer.
Though the mask hid his expression, Kid could sense his first mate's inner turmoil.
"Killer, if you fought him, do you think you'd win?"
"…No."
Killer shook his head, his gaze heavy.
"That man… he's more than what he seems."
"Is that so…"
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Kid's eyes.
A freak like that—better to eliminate him sooner rather than later.
But with that old man around…
Kid's killing intent wavered.
As the crowd began to disperse, a furious female voice suddenly rang out.
"Usopp!!!"
The sound of rapid footsteps followed.
The onlookers turned to see a scantily clad woman—Abby—leading a group of people as they stormed in with an imposing presence.
The crowd instinctively parted to make way.
Abby stepped into the clearing, immediately spotting the corpses on the ground but not Maude.
"Where's Usopp?!"
Her gaze swept over the pirates, but none answered.
"Too late…"
Abby gritted her teeth, her chest heaving with rage.
Meanwhile, several pirates who had been preparing to leave stopped in their tracks, their eyes drawn to her ample figure.
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