The fate of this moment turned with the single shot fired by Maude, an act that reshaped destiny.
Lafitte descended from the sky, intercepting Aokiji's attack aimed at Maude and Sabo.
Every nerve in Lafitte's body seemed to be electrified with excitement.
The man behind him—he'd made his choice.
The abrupt intervention caught Sabo by surprise, but Maude, struggling to lift his eyelids, looked toward Sol's location.
Without the aid of Observation Haki, all he could make out were two dark shapes in the distance.
Garp's punch ultimately did not land.
While the successive sniper shots from Yasopp were more of a warning than a deterrent, the true reason for Garp's hesitation lay in the domineering presence of Shanks' Conqueror's Haki.
No words were needed to halt Garp; the blazing intensity of Shanks' aura alone made his stance unmistakable.
If Garp were to strike, here and now, the result would be absolute—no retreat, no mercy.
This was Shanks' declaration.
"Red-Haired..."
Garp turned sideways, frowning as Shanks strode toward him.
The sheer force of Shanks' aura was palpable. With each step, dust silently rose into the air, yet it had no real effect on Garp.
What Garp had to consider was not fear of Shanks but the potential consequences of an all-out battle.
Shanks' arrival also caused Aokiji to abandon his pursuit.
"Ah... well," Aokiji sighed, his gaze shifting from Lafitte, who had shielded Maude and Sabo from the icy barrage, to the imposing figure of Shanks.
"A major player's shown up..."
In an instant, Aokiji grasped the situation. A fight to the death here would benefit neither side.
Surely, the Red-Haired Pirates understood this too.
Step by step, Shanks advanced, crossing smoke and frost-ridden terrain. His footsteps made no sound, yet the ice beneath him cracked.
Stopping a short distance from Garp, Shanks' aura only intensified.
"Do me a favor and let this go. For both of us, it's not the worst outcome."
"Red-Haired..."
Garp's expression darkened, his face obscured by shadows.
Then, suddenly, he threw a punch at Shanks.
With an unflinching expression, Shanks drew his blade, holding it horizontally to block Garp's strike.
Clang!
Fist met blade, and the resulting shockwave shattered the ice within a hundred meters.
Nearby, Sol was knocked unconscious by the impact.
Already gravely injured, Sol had only remained conscious through sheer willpower. But this clash was the final blow, forcing him into unconsciousness.
Shanks held his blade steady like an unyielding mountain. Though he stopped Garp's fist, a sense of caution grew in his heart.
This old man was not to be trifled with.
After a moment's silence, Garp withdrew his fist.
Though he spoke no words, Shanks knew Garp had relented.
"A wise decision," Shanks said, sheathing his sword. He stepped past Garp and approached Sol.
His eyes lingered momentarily on Sol's severed leg before he bent down to pick up the unconscious man.
Meanwhile, Yasopp moved toward Maude.
As he passed, he and Aokiji exchanged a brief, wordless glance.
As one of Shanks' earliest recruits, Yasopp felt no fear toward Aokiji.
Under Aokiji's gaze, Yasopp reached Lafitte, who, with narrowed eyes, studied Yasopp but instinctively stepped aside.
Yasopp gave Lafitte a fleeting look before turning to the exhausted Maude.
With a hearty laugh, Yasopp slapped Maude on the shoulder.
"Kid, you've come a long way. Only a few months, and you've already gotten this strong."
"Yasopp... Is Sol okay?" Maude winced from the shoulder slap, brushing off the praise. His concern lay with Sol's condition.
Grinning, Yasopp reassured him, "As long as we're here, there's no way Sol would be in any real danger."
The confidence in Yasopp's tone brought Maude a sense of relief. Fatigue washed over him, and his head felt heavy, as if blood were no longer reaching his brain.
Yasopp's attention shifted to the dismantled remnants of the Usopp, Maude's weapon.
Noticing his gaze, Maude murmured, "Sorry... I didn't use it properly..."
Only after firing that last shot did Maude fully understand the treasure he had been entrusted with. For a seasoned marksman, a weapon like the Usopp was priceless.
"You did great," Yasopp replied, slapping Maude's shoulder again. His tone turned serious.
"Giving my old partner to you was the best decision I've made in years."
Squatting down, Yasopp retrieved a teardrop-shaped component—the Core Mechanism—from the broken weapon.
"Keep this core. Let it finish its journey in your hands."
"Got it," Maude said, carefully placing the worn Core Mechanism in his inner pocket.
"By the way, I have a question for you."
"Yeah?"
"I heard about someone in Mad Hat Town—a guy named Usopp..."
"Huh?" Maude blinked in surprise.
Both Sabo and Lafitte glanced at Maude, their eyes betraying curiosity.
"Because he shares my son's name, I got curious. Maude, you—" Yasopp started to ask but was cut off as Maude suddenly clutched his head and collapsed against Sabo.
Sabo instinctively caught him, his lips twitching slightly in exasperation.
Lafitte lowered his hat brim, remaining silent.
Yasopp raised an eyebrow, staring at Maude sprawled against Sabo. "Kid, what's with the sudden act?"
"Uh..." Maude was momentarily speechless.
With the intervention of the Red-Haired Pirates, the conflict reached its conclusion.
Both sides showed restraint, preventing the situation from escalating further.
Ultimately, Maude and his companions boarded the Red Force, leaving Mad Hat Island's inner bay.
Sabo and his group returned to their ship docked on the island's far side.
This mission to rescue the enslaved workers had involved two ships from the Revolutionary Army.
To ensure the workers' safety, Sabo had sent one ship ahead to leave the island while he and the other remained, leading to the events that unfolded.
Since Sunny and Bailey were aboard the Revolutionary Army's ship, the Red Force made a detour around the island to rendezvous with them.
Once the gangplanks were connected, Sunny boarded the Red Force.
After confirming Sol's life was no longer in danger, Sunny—her injuries treated—embraced Maude tightly without saying a word.
Shanks, however, had no sense of timing. He crept over silently and whispered, "Hey, little lady, do you know where Sol hides his stash of booze?"
"I do," she replied.
"Heh heh."
Meanwhile, after the Red-Haired Pirates' departure, a Marine unit led by Gion began clearing out the remaining pirates on Mad Hat Island.
Some had already fled using makeshift rafts, including Arthur.
[TL/N: Dang, this undertaker is still alive. He might be the reincarnation of Mark Calaway, lol.]
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