Chaton's voice was just as distinctive as his face.
Maude looked at the Den Den Mushi and said coldly, "Cut to the chase."
"So ruthless."
Chaton's lazy demeanor was somewhat reminiscent of Kizaru.
Come to think of it, their appearances did bear a certain familial resemblance.
Maude had no interest in wasting words with Chaton, so he remained silent, simply staring at the Den Den Mushi.
Sensing the silence on Maude's end, Chaton immediately understood his attitude and put away his usual laid-back manner, getting straight to the point.
"The intel on the Giant Warrior Pirates has been compiled. If you have a fax Den Den Mushi, I can send all the documents over now. If not, I'll have to read them out to you word by word."
"…"
Having to listen to Chaton read out intelligence reports would be pure torture.
Maude didn't respond immediately. Instead, he signaled Lafitte with his eyes to check with Cavendish.
Lafitte understood and left to find Cavendish.
A dozen seconds later, Lafitte returned to the bow of the ship and nodded at Maude.
Ordinary pirates wouldn't have a fax Den Den Mushi on board, but Cavendish was clearly not an ordinary pirate.
Not only did he have a fax Den Den Mushi, but he also had all kinds of communication and imaging-related Den Den Mushi.
On the other end of the line, Chaton was puzzled by the prolonged silence, wondering if Maude was truly that petty over a minor delay.
Helpless, he kept calling out, "Hello? Hello?"
Then, hearing Lafitte suddenly report a fax number, Chaton finally stopped.
"Well, that makes things much easier."
Chaton had only casually mentioned the fax option, not expecting Maude to actually have one. Without hesitation, he transmitted all the information over.
Afterward, Chaton picked up the Den Den Mushi again, intending to pry some information out of Maude.
However, before he could even speak, Maude's voice came through first.
"Received."
"Alright, then—"
Before Chaton could finish his sentence, the Den Den Mushi's eyes suddenly closed.
Maude had cleanly hung up the call.
"He actually hung up on me!"
A vein popped on Chaton's forehead as his cheek twitched.
Nearby, Vice Admiral Tsuru sipped her tea and silently glanced at the furious Chaton, thinking to herself—Maude even hung up on Sengoku; what makes you think you'd be spared?
Aboard the Sleeping Forest White Steed.
"Only the Marines could gather intelligence this detailed."
As Maude skimmed through the faxed documents, he couldn't help but be impressed.
Given that the targets of the intel were figures from a century ago, he hadn't expected much—just getting a few details would have been enough.
Yet the Marines had handed over an almost perfect report.
The intel exceeded his expectations—not only was it detailed, but it was also comprehensive.
It contained information on the abilities of "Blue Ogre" and "Red Ogre," as well as a record of the Giant Warrior Pirates' numerous crimes at sea. Pillaging, arson, and slaughter were common among pirates of that era.
What Maude truly wanted, however, was the ability intel.
The rest was inconsequential.
"Hakai…"
Maude's eyes gleamed.
According to the Marine report, this technique, "Hakoku," was the ultimate trump card of the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre—so powerful it could cleave mountains and split the sea.
Maude had some memory of this technique.
He recalled that the two giants had once unleashed it together, and the resulting attack had left a gaping hole over a hundred meters in diameter in the body of a massive Sea King.
A technique like that couldn't simply be categorized as a slash or a shockwave attack—it was likely derived from an advanced form of Armament Haki.
The intel also confirmed that both giants possessed Armament Haki.
Maude's mind was racing, but he wasn't in a hurry to set sail for Little Garden just yet.
For now, he would return to Thriller Bark and further explore the potential connections between the Shadow-Shadow Fruit and the human soul.
Lafitte had also finished reading the intel. If the Marines hadn't exaggerated, the strength of the two giant captains was indeed beyond his expectations.
That said—
He had no reason to doubt.
In the end, their strength would inevitably become a part of Maude's own.
Two days later.
The Sleeping Forest White Steed finally reached the edge of the Florian Triangle.
Seeing the dense fog ahead, the Beautiful Pirates' crew members grew uneasy.
Under Lafitte's command, the Sleeping Forest White Steed plunged straight into the mist.
Even with Lafitte's exceptional navigational skills, it took eight full days before they successfully rendezvoused with Thriller Bark.
A deep rumbling sound echoed as the enormous red-lipped maw of Thriller Bark slowly opened, making way for the Sleeping Forest White Steed to enter.
"T-This…"
The Beautiful Pirates' crew members widened their eyes at the sheer size of Thriller Bark.
Most pirates had heard of Gecko Moria's reputation, but few knew about Thriller Bark itself.
As astonished murmurs spread among the crew, the White Horse passed through the massive jaws and into the inner bay of Thriller Bark.
On the distant shore, a few figures could barely be seen through the thick fog.
As the Sleeping Forest White Steed approached the shore, a silhouette suddenly soared into the air, accompanied by several faint white shapes circling above.
The eerie atmosphere made the sight all the more unsettling.
The Beautiful Pirates' crew members tensed up, gripping their weapons, watching the pale figure cautiously.
Then, they heard a voice—soft yet filled with obsession—coming from the spectral form.
Though they couldn't quite make out the words, it sent chills down their spines.
"Could it be a vengeful spirit?!"
Even Cavendish, unaccustomed to such supernatural encounters, felt uneasy.
Compared to tangible enemies, the unknown was far more terrifying.
As the figure drew closer, they finally discerned the words it was chanting.
"Strawberry shortcake… strawberry shortcake… strawberry shortcake…"
"???"
A string of question marks practically floated above the crew's heads.
"Could it be a ghost that choked to death on strawberry shortcake?" one crew member hesitantly suggested.
"Terrifying!" Others gasped in shock.
Cavendish's face paled slightly as he spoke gravely. "To choke to death on strawberry shortcake… that must be a truly vengeful spirit. Stay on guard!"
"YOU'RE the ones who'll choke on cake!!!"
An outraged voice rang out as Perona descended onto the deck, bringing a swarm of adorably eerie Negative Hollows with her.
Before the Beautiful Pirates could react, the hollows phased through their bodies.
In an instant, they all collapsed, overcome with despair.
"Hmph."
Perona snorted before floating toward Gaya without sparing them a glance.
"Gaya, I missed you so much!"
"I think you just missed strawberry shortcake."
Gaya chuckled as she hugged Perona.
Perona stuck out her tongue before glancing at the defeated Beautiful Pirates. "Who are these idiots?"
"Guests," Gaya said tactfully.
Although, given the circumstances, "prisoners" would be more accurate.
But saying that would only provoke Perona.
That was just Gaya's way of being kind.
Cavendish and his crew were completely unable to resist the effects of the Negative Hollows.
"What a terrifying ability!"
Overwhelmed by despair, they were equally stunned by the sheer power Perona had just displayed.
A little girl, effortlessly taking them all down in an instant.
So this was the strength of the Maude Pirates!
Absolutely terrifying!
Perona's arrival had completely shattered the Beautiful Pirates' previous understanding of the Maude Pirates.
They couldn't help but wonder—what kind of power did the two figures standing on the shore possess?
Surely, not every single member of their crew was this overwhelmingly strong... right?
The mere thought of such a possibility made even Cavendish feel a newfound sense of respect and fear toward the Maude Pirates.
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