After spending eight months on Monmon Island, Maude had yet to use the Hunter's Notebook.
Although a few clueless pirates occasionally stumbled upon Monmon Island, they were far too weak—unworthy of wasting a page on. After all, this was the East Blue, where the average bounty hovered around a mere 3 million Berries.
In the East Blue, weaklings were truly weak, but the strong were undeniably strong.
Looking across the entire sea, the only real hunting-worthy target was the Arlong Pirates.
As a pirate crew entirely composed of Fish-Men, they possessed exceptional physiques that made them excellent prey.
Although their overall bounties weren't high, their raw strength was undeniable.
Take their captain, Arlong, for instance—just his officers alone could easily defeat a Rear Admiral from the East Blue Marine branch.
Given such strength, paired with the Fish-Men's innate physical advantages…
Since Maude was in the East Blue, there was no reason to let the Arlong Pirates go.
Today, the weather was fair and sunny—a perfect day for setting sail.
Everyone gathered on the beach, where a small sailboat was grounded on the shore.
This was the very boat they had arrived in eight months ago.
Yesterday, Sol had personally repaired the boat, ensuring it was seaworthy.
A boat like this was sufficient for short journeys, though it could only handle the relatively calm waters of the East Blue.
Maude and Lafitte worked together to load supplies, including fresh water and food, onto the boat.
Once the loading was complete, all that remained was to push the boat into the water and hoist the sail.
After securing the supplies, Lafitte remained on the boat while Maude jumped down to the beach.
As soon as Maude's feet hit the sand, Sol tossed him an old flintlock pistol.
Maude caught it with ease.
The flintlock pistol was the only intact relic Sol had left, with all his other guns destroyed by Garp.
Perhaps due to his old-fashioned preferences or the powerful single-shot capabilities of flintlock pistols, Sol had always favored single-shot models.
Naturally, this old flintlock pistol was no exception.
Ignoring the inconvenience of reloading, its raw power far exceeded that of multi-shot flintlocks.
"I'll take it."
Without unnecessary sentimentality, Maude naturally accepted the pistol.
Sol nodded silently.
Sunny watched Maude with a reluctant expression.
Though she had prepared herself mentally for this day, she couldn't help feeling an overwhelming urge to stop him from leaving.
Gaban smoked calmly, while Gaya smiled with her eyes half-closed.
All the parting words that needed to be said had already been spoken before they reached the beach.
Maude looked at Gaya and asked with a smile, "Sister Gaya, are you sure you won't reconsider?"
Gaya shook her head and said calmly, "I don't like pirates, and I don't want to become one."
"Fair enough."
Maude couldn't hide his disappointment.
He greatly valued Gaya's culinary skills, particularly her ability to enhance physical strength through food. However, her aversion to pirates was deep-rooted.
At this moment, he truly wanted to drag out the corpses of the pirates who had died on Monmon Island and whip them a few hundred more times.
If not for them, Gaya, who had grown up on Monmon Island, wouldn't have developed such a strong dislike for pirates.
Thinking of this, Maude felt a lingering sense of regret.
To convince Gaya to join his crew, he decided to give it one last try.
"Sister Gaya, the Grand Line is full of rare ingredients. For example, there's an island called Little Garden, where you can find all kinds of large beasts and even dinosaurs. Aren't you the least bit interested?"
"…"
Gaya's eyes opened slightly, showing a hint of hesitation.
Her knowledge of the outside world was limited to the murals in ruins, a few books in her home, and Gaban's stories.
She had heard Gaban mention dinosaurs before—prehistoric creatures from an ancient era.
What kind of meat would they have? How would it be best prepared?
Gaya was intrigued.
Gaban exhaled a puff of smoke and suddenly said, "It wouldn't hurt to go out and see the world."
He wouldn't interfere with Gaya's decisions, but personally, he hoped she would explore the world beyond Monmon Island instead of staying there for her entire life.
"Gaban…"
Gaya hesitated.
Gaban smiled and said, "The choice is yours. No one can make it for you."
Gaya fell silent.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Maude was pleased but refrained from pressing her further, allowing her to think it over.
After a long pause, Gaya shook her head again.
Although she was curious about the outside world, her aversion to being a pirate held her back.
Seeing her refusal, Maude was deeply disappointed.
Still, the fact that Gaya hesitated for so long revealed her desire to leave the island.
In the end, it all came down to the stigma of being a pirate…
"Sister Gaya, we'll be sailing around the East Blue for a while," Maude said.
"Hmm?"
Gaya looked at him in confusion.
"We'll return to Monmon Island next month. If you change your mind by then…"
Maude's persistence was evident, prompting Gaya to nod lightly.
Seeing this, Maude smiled. At least there was still a chance.
After bidding farewell to Sol and the others, Maude boarded the boat with Bailey.
At Maude's signal, Lafitte lowered the sail.
The wind caught the sail, slowly pulling the boat out to sea.
Sunny waved vigorously, her eyes glistening with tears.
Maude shouted to her, "Sunny, information is power. If you join the Revolutionary Army, don't slack off!"
"Got it!"
"Sol, cut back on the smoking. Try to live a few more years!"
"Brat…"
The boat gradually disappeared from view, eventually becoming a tiny black dot on the horizon.
Sol tilted his head slightly, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds. "I'll be waiting," he said leisurely.
Out at sea, the small boat drifted steadily.
Bailey, feeling dejected after parting with Sunny, hid inside the cabin.
Maude stood at the bow, staring out at the endless ocean.
He was thinking of Sunny.
If she could grow within the Revolutionary Army, her information network would undoubtedly become a powerful asset.
In return, Maude would lend her his strength when needed.
That was the agreement they had made before parting.
Lafitte approached and suddenly said, "Gaya doesn't belong on this ship."
Surprised, Maude asked, "Why do you say that?"
"She's too upright," Lafitte replied.
Maude fell silent before nodding.
If Gaya weren't so upright, she would already be aboard the ship.
Lafitte continued, "That said, her culinary skills and unique ability to enhance strength through food are worth the effort to recruit her."
Not wanting to dwell on Gaya, Maude said, "We'll see next month when we return to Monmon Island."
Ten days later, the boat reached the northwestern waters of the East Blue.
This was the territory of the Arlong Pirates.
Maude's target was clear—the Arlong Pirates.
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