Maude spent three months on Monmon Island improving his physique, raising it to three stars.
In the following five months, despite the support of nutrient-rich meals, he was unable to manifest the fourth star frame.
Ultimately, the fastest way to level up is through hunting.
The Arlong Pirates became Maude's first target after an eight-month hiatus.
He was looking forward to it.
The small sailing boat glided smoothly across the sea.
Bailey lay on the deck, basking in the sun.
After days of sailing, he had grown somewhat accustomed to it.
At the bow, Maude gazed at the outline of land in the distance, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Lafitte, stroking his chin, was contemplating upgrading to a more reliable ship.
With their current small vessel, not only would venturing into the Grand Line be a challenge, but even encountering a storm in the East Blue could result in being capsized by a large wave.
As he mulled over this, Lafitte glanced at Maude.
Dealing with the Arlong Pirates this time might bring in enough money.
They had even gone to the trouble of acquiring a few nautical charts with marked coordinates.
Without these charts, even with Lafitte's skilled navigation, finding the Arlong Pirates' island in the unfamiliar East Blue would have been difficult.
Lafitte, consumed by thoughts of replacing the ship, didn't question Maude's insistence on targeting the Arlong Pirates.
The East Blue was universally recognized as the weakest of the four seas.
In such a vast region, the pirate with the highest bounty—a mere 20 million berries—was Arlong, the leader of the Arlong Pirates.
To Lafitte, stomping on the so-called strongest pirate in the East Blue right after setting sail was the most logical first step.
After all, making a name for oneself often starts with taking down rivals.
Moreover, since Maude had received his bounty, he had spent eight months in seclusion on Monmon Island.
To the outside world, Maude had likely vanished.
Thus, this attack on the Arlong Pirates could also serve as a signal flare announcing Maude's return to the public eye.
And there was the potential windfall from looting to fund a new ship.
Lafitte mentally pieced together Maude's motivation for targeting the Arlong Pirates, arriving at a theory that seemed plausible and logical.
Unaware of Lafitte's speculation, Maude focused his thoughts on the island that was drawing closer.
Finally, he broke the silence. "I can see land!"
Bailey hopped onto Maude's shoulder, his face lit with excitement.
Days of surviving on dried provisions had taken their toll, and his first thought upon seeing land was to indulge in a feast.
Lafitte scanned the shoreline and then turned to Maude.
"Where do you want to dock?"
The options were cliffs or a beach.
Given the size of their vessel, only a few locations were suitable for landing.
However, Lafitte refrained from making the decision, opting instead to defer to Maude.
"That beach over there."
"Understood."
The small boat approached the shallows.
Lafitte first stowed the sails, then, with astonishing strength, lifted the boat and flew toward the beach.
Crossing the shallow waters, he carefully set the boat down on the sand and retracted his wings.
"If only we could just fly to the next island like this," Bailey muttered under his breath, clearly enjoying the sensation of flight more than the turbulence of sailing.
Lafitte ignored Bailey's grumbling.
If ferrying the boat through the air became their standard mode of travel, Lafitte would likely be the first member of the crew to die of exhaustion.
Maude stepped off the boat and surveyed the surroundings.
The beach ended in a sparse grove of trees, crisscrossed by well-trodden paths.
This location was on the island's east-northeast side, while the Arlong Pirates' base lay to the west-southwest—almost a direct diagonal.
Maude had deliberately circled most of the island to land here, aiming to avoid any encounters with fish-men.
This choice puzzled Lafitte.
While he didn't underestimate the Arlong Pirates, he didn't see them as an opponent warranting such caution either.
Hence, there seemed no need for this level of careful planning.
Lafitte didn't voice his doubts, and Maude wasn't about to explain.
The reason for avoiding detection by the Arlong Pirates was so Maude could first make contact with Nami in Cocoyasi Village. He wanted to extract detailed intelligence on the Arlong Pirates from her.
Such information was critical to maximizing his gains.
There was also the matter of activating his ability, which required "face likeness."
For that, Maude needed Nami's help.
Otherwise, he would waste time comparing the faces of fish-men one by one.
"Lafitte, take Bailey to the village and get something to eat."
"And you?"
"I've got some business to take care of. Money-related."
"Understood."
At the mention of money, Lafitte didn't ask further questions. He led the eager Bailey toward the nearest village.
Maude watched them leave before walking along the shoreline toward Cocoyasi Village.
While on the way, he encountered a middle-aged woman squatting on the beach, digging for clams.
To save time, Maude approached her.
"Auntie, could you tell me the way to Cocoyasi Village?"
He asked with a polite smile.
The woman, initially wary of the unfamiliar Maude, relaxed upon noticing his good looks and courteous demeanor. She pointed him in the right direction.
"Thank you."
After expressing his gratitude, Maude followed her directions.
"Young man," the woman called after him, hesitating for a moment.
Maude stopped and turned to her, curious.
"Is something wrong?"
"What brings you to Cocoyasi Village?"
"I'm visiting relatives," Maude replied smoothly.
The woman seemed satisfied with his answer but added in a worried tone, "Didn't your relatives warn you? I'd advise you to leave quickly. If you're caught by those… "
She trailed off, lowering her head, her face etched with fear.
Maude didn't need her to finish to understand. His gaze lingered briefly on her expression, marked by deep-seated terror.
This was the plight of the weak.
Lacking the power to resist, they could only endure oppression, living in constant fear.
The twenty-odd villages under the Arlong Pirates' rule were just a small corner of this world's cruelty.
Far darker and more brutal places were countless.
In this world, strength was indeed an essential currency.
Smiling gently, Maude said, "I understand, but don't worry. Thank you for your concern."
With that, he turned and walked away.
The woman watched his retreating figure, her anxiety mounting.
He knows and still dares to come here?
She sighed heavily.
And yet, something about the young man's calm demeanor had left her with an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Shaking her head, the middle-aged woman continued digging for clams.
The villagers were forced to pay a head tax to the Arlong Pirates every month.
Ten thousand berries for an adult, and five thousand berries for a child.
Under such harsh conditions, the villagers struggled to survive.
Half an hour later.
Maude found himself in a grove of orange trees.
Armed with foreknowledge, there was no need for him to go to Cocoyashi Village.
The orange trees in the grove were neatly planted, leaving spacious paths over two meters wide between them.
It was harvest season, and each tree was laden with vibrant, plump oranges. The meticulous care given to this grove was evident in every detail.
Shifting his gaze away from the trees, Maude began walking toward a house not far ahead.
He had only taken a few steps when a woman with a healthy tan, holding a shovel, emerged from the side and blocked his path.
The woman was Nojiko, a member of Nami's family.
Her sharp eyes studied Maude, a stranger she had never seen before. With a wary tone, she demanded, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Faced with Nojiko's questioning, Maude did not answer. Instead, he glanced toward the house, quietly activating Observation Haki.
"Not here..."
Sweeping the house with his Observation Haki, he sensed no presence.
Realizing that Nami was not home, Maude muttered in mild disappointment.
Nojiko noticed Maude's lingering gaze on the house and caught the regret in his voice.
In an instant, she understood that Maude was here for Nami.
Her expression changed immediately. Driven by a protective instinct for Nami, Nojiko stepped forward and swung her shovel at Maude.
Her intention was to knock him unconscious, so she held back a bit on her strength.
But even if she had struck with all her might, it wouldn't have mattered.
Maude casually raised a hand and caught the shovel effortlessly, stopping it mid-swing.
"Huh?"
Nojiko's expression shifted drastically.
She froze, watching in disbelief as Maude gripped the shovel and crushed it into a small ball of metal with his bare hand.
This...
Such terrifying strength.
"You…"
Staring at the scene in horror, Nojiko's mind went blank.
She instinctively let go of the shovel's handle and stumbled back two steps, only to lose her balance and fall heavily to the ground.
"You're... a Fish-Man!"
Blurting out the first thought that came to her blank mind, Nojiko's words carried no logic or reason.
In her limited understanding, only a Fish-Man could possess such monstrous strength.
"What???"
A string of question marks popped up over Maude's head.
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