"Is this person really a Marine Headquarters Captain…?"
Maude's self-introduction left Nami skeptical.
She glanced at the fragments of the dagger on the table, her gaze momentarily shadowed.
Shattering a dagger with a flick of the fingers.
Such a feat was insignificant for monsters of that caliber.
Regardless of whether the person before her was truly a Marine Captain, she doubted he could defeat all the Fish-Men.
Nami's judgment wasn't entirely unreasonable from a purely intuitive standpoint.
The strength of Arlong and his crew was overwhelming; breaking a dagger with a flick would be child's play for them.
However, what distinguished Maude was the precision with which he broke the dagger inch by inch.
The difference lay in control.
Maude could sense Nami's distrust, and he understood.
After all, asking someone who had long lived under the oppressive rule of the Fish-Men to believe in such a possibility was implausible.
As the sisters fell into sudden silence, Maude swept the fragments of the dagger into his palm and stood up.
Nami instinctively stepped back and got off the table as Maude rose.
Maude paid no attention to her reaction. Instead, he raised his right hand, now holding dozens of dagger fragments.
Drawing Nami and Nojiko's eyes to him, Maude activated Armament Haki, letting it coat his palm.
Then, he clenched his fist.
Accompanied by a piercing crunch, the fragments in his hand turned to powder.
Opening his hand, Maude let the metallic dust fall onto the table.
Watching Maude crush sharp fragments with his bare hand without injury, Nami and Nojiko's eyes widened in disbelief.
Unfazed by their reactions, Maude said evenly, "I swear on the name of Marine Captain Wolfrat, I will annihilate the Arlong Pirates. If I fail, I'll fight to the death."
"You…"
Nami stared at Maude, her eyes widening.
At that moment, a seed of hope quietly sprouted in her heart.
Perhaps this man really could…
Nojiko also fixed her gaze on Maude, a glimmer of hope rising within her.
"Well then, do we have a deal or not?"
Maude's calm voice broke Nami's thoughts as she wrestled with her emotions.
Taking a deep breath, Nami deliberated.
She had seen Maude's power and held some expectations.
But…
In just another two years or so, she might have enough to buy back Cocoyasi Village for 100 million berries.
Should she take the risk or play it safe?
Even if Maude was strong, she couldn't wager everything, especially when the entire village's fate was at stake…
"I agree, but you'll only get the money after the job is done!"
Finally, Nami made her decision.
"Of course."
Maude nodded, unfazed.
Money wasn't his priority.
What he needed was intelligence on the Arlong Pirates.
If not for that, he wouldn't have bothered showing off repeatedly.
But as long as it achieved results, a few more displays were worth it.
"Nojiko, fetch some paper and a pen."
Maude glanced at Nojiko.
"Huh? Oh!"
Nojiko was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, heading toward the desk.
Wait, this is my house…
She turned back to look at Maude, who gestured for Nami to take a seat with the air of a household head.
Suppressing a sigh, Nojiko retrieved the paper and pen and handed them to him.
"Thank you."
Maude's polite acknowledgment surprised Nojiko, who couldn't help but cast him a complicated look.
What kind of person is he?
Maude slid the paper and pen toward Nami with a smile. "Please document the names, strengths, and detailed sketches of every Fish-Man in the Arlong Pirates. With this information, my chances of success will be much higher."
Without hesitation, Nami picked up the pen and began writing.
The first name she wrote was, unsurprisingly, Arlong, the leader she despised most.
Scratch, scratch—
The house fell silent, with only the sound of Nami's pen filling the air.
Three hours later, Nami put down the pen and pushed a thick stack of papers toward Maude.
The process had taken so long primarily because drawing the sketches was time-consuming.
If not for her decent drawing skills, it would have taken even longer.
Maude picked up the papers filled with detailed notes and facial sketches, examining them carefully.
First and foremost was Arlong, the most valuable "XP target."
"Quite a repertoire of moves… wait, 'Tooth-Chewing Bubble Gum'?"
Maude raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nami.
While he remembered the names of Arlong and a few key crew members, their faces and details eluded him, which was why he sought Nami out.
And she didn't disappoint. Her impressive artistic skills provided detailed intelligence and accurate facial sketches.
But 'Tooth-Chewing Bubble Gum'?
"Are you serious?" Maude asked skeptically.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this," Nami replied solemnly.
"Fair enough."
Nodding, Maude continued reading.
The rest of the information was more straightforward.
As he skimmed through details of the officers, Maude's lips curved into a smile.
Nami had clearly put significant effort into this, making his trip worthwhile.
"Shioyaki, Pisaro, Kaneshiro…"
"Bunch of nobodies. Their moves sure are flashy, though."
Maude picked up the pen and crossed out irrelevant information, leaving detailed notes only for officer-level Fish-Men.
The rest? A name was sufficient.
"An entire crew of Fish-Men should yield a decent boost to my physique."
Lost in thought, Maude began to anticipate the coming battles.
After finishing his revisions, he set the pen down and carefully gathered the papers.
"I'll copy these into my Hunter's Notebook later. Then it's time to harvest some experience."
"Pleasure doing business."
Maude smiled faintly at the sisters, then stood up and headed for the door with the intelligence in hand.
That's it?
Nami and Nojiko, still processing the abrupt turn of events, watched him leave.
"Wait!" Nami called out impulsively.
But Maude didn't look back, opening the door and stepping out.
The information was secured; there was no need to linger.
Inside the house, Nami stared at the open door, murmuring, "What kind of person is he…?"
Nojiko remained silent.
Nami's question echoed her own thoughts.
At first, she had assumed Maude was here to trouble Nami as another victim of Arlong's tyranny.
Then he brought up the money buried in the orange grove—a closely guarded secret.
Startled, they'd assumed he was a thief after their hidden stash. But then he claimed to be a Marine Captain.
Finally, he left with the intelligence, not even mentioning the money again.
Each twist left Nojiko utterly baffled.
What was this guy thinking?
"By the way, today's the payment day," Nojiko suddenly reminded Nami.
Hearing this, Nami bolted upright and rushed to the door.
"Nami, your injuries—"
"It's fine."
Ignoring Nojiko's concern, Nami ran outside, scanning the horizon.
But Maude was nowhere to be seen.
Where had he gone…?
Nojiko followed her out, and the sisters instinctively turned their gaze toward the village.
Meanwhile, a group of Fish-Men had entered Cocoyasi Village.
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