For someone of Maude's caliber, slaughtering a few small-fry pirates was nothing more than a flick of the wrist.
After effortlessly eliminating the members of the On Air Pirates, Maude cast a glance at Apoo, whose spine was broken and limbs fractured, rendering him completely immobile.
Feeling Maude's gaze, Apoo's face turned deathly pale.
"As expected of a Warlord of the Sea... Even when facing a rookie pirate... you show no mercy. And I foolishly thought... I could kill you..."
"Rookie pirate?"
With a flick of his wrist, Maude turned Shusui's blade to its dull side, his tone calm.
"You don't look like a 'rookie' to me."
"..."
Apoo's heart pounded in terror at those words.
Does this man know my true identity...?
In the blink of an eye, doubt and fear clouded Apoo's mind.
But given the dire situation, there was no time for overthinking. He quickly chose to beg for mercy.
"Don't kill me... Even if you put a slave collar on me... I can be more valuable alive!"
Surrendering was a common practice among pirates, and turncoat pirates were even more prevalent.
For most pirates, as long as they could live well and eat their fill, it didn't matter who they followed.
Captains seeking to quickly expand their crews would sometimes take the risk of recruiting capable individuals.
Seeing that Maude had spared him, Apoo naturally assumed he was being offered a chance to submit. With a bounty exceeding 200 million berries, he humbled himself before Maude.
Unfortunately, his assumption was dead wrong.
"You got one thing wrong. To me, you're worth more dead."
Maude's blade fell.
For an instant, the dark blade of Shusui reflected Apoo's disbelieving expression.
The heavy back of the sword struck Apoo's forehead with a dull thud.
Apoo instantly lost consciousness.
In the fleeting moment before darkness consumed him, his mind was filled with confusion.
After knocking Apoo out, Maude sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to Jewelry Bonney in the distance.
"Your turn."
Muttering to himself, Maude used Shadow Step, closing the distance between them in a few flashes.
"So fast!!!"
The Bonney Pirates' crew members were visibly shocked to see Maude intercept their captain so quickly.
Bonney furrowed her brows, instantly preparing to fight.
"Captain Bonney, run!"
However, the crew members closest to Maude charged forward without hesitation.
They knew rushing in was a death sentence, but they hoped to buy Bonney a few extra seconds to escape.
Their selfless act made it clear—they didn't believe their captain could defeat Maude.
Their judgment was correct.
"You idiots... Stop being reckless! Get back here!"
Despite Bonney's frantic shouts, Maude's slash had already torn through the advancing pirates.
Schiing! Schiing!
Deep, grisly wounds split their bodies, blood spraying as they collapsed lifelessly.
One swing.
Over a dozen crew members died on the spot.
"Damn it...!"
The remaining crew members turned pale but still charged forward.
Even if they could delay him for one second—it would be worth it.
"Your courage is commendable, but useless."
Maude admired their determination but showed no mercy, cutting them down with another precise slash.
The entire massacre lasted only two seconds.
"You have some loyal crew members."
Maude's gaze shifted from the pile of corpses back to Bonney, whose face was contorted with rage.
Too bad the two seconds they bought were wasted by you.
Maude kept the thought to himself.
In a flash, he appeared in front of Bonney, his towering figure casting a shadow over her.
"I'll kill you!!!"
Driven by fury, Bonney lunged forward, reaching out with her right hand.
With her Devil Fruit ability, a single touch could reverse the tide of battle.
But Maude, well aware of her powers, wouldn't give her the chance.
He stepped back just enough to stay out of her reach.
"Shadow Bind."
From the shadows stretched across the ground, inky tendrils shot out, wrapping tightly around Bonney.
The moment the shadowy appendages ensnared her, the fight was over.
Whether it was Urouge, Apoo, or Bonney—none of the Supernovas with bounties around 200 million berries could withstand Maude's overwhelming strength.
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
Bonney struggled with all her might, but the shadow tendrils held fast, as if forged from iron.
Her arms were pinned, leaving her unable to touch Maude.
Maude observed her outstretched hand and spoke calmly.
"Just to be safe... I'll cut off your arms first."
As the words fell, he raised Shusui.
Bonney's pupils shrank in terror, her heart sinking as she foresaw her grim fate.
But just as the blade was about to sever her limbs, a massive paw-shaped projection appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the strike.
Shusui's blade lodged deep into the paw pad but bounced back without leaving a scratch.
"Kuma?"
Maude calmly withdrew his sword, eyeing the sudden intruder—Bartholomew Kuma.
Kuma retracted his hand, standing tall. His expressionless face and glassy eyes betrayed no emotion.
He glanced at Maude, then shifted his gaze to the bound Bonney.
Bonney's eyes widened in disbelief, as if seeing a long-lost loved one.
"Bonney."
Kuma's voice was as gentle as ever.
But before Bonney could speak, Kuma raised his palm once more.
Without warning, he swatted Bonney, making her disappear into thin air, leaving only a ripple of dust behind.
After sending Bonney flying, Kuma stood in silent contemplation.
Devoid of his former emotions, his face remained blank.
Maude stared at Kuma's back, understanding dawned in his eyes.
Quietly, he sheathed Shusui.
"Kuma... you came just in time."
If Kuma had been two seconds later, Bonney would have lost both her arms.
It seemed the crew members' sacrificial charge hadn't been in vain after all.
Kuma turned to face Maude.
"I came to fulfill the promise."
Unwilling to broach the topic of Bonney, Kuma got straight to the point.
Maude nodded lightly, making no effort to press the matter.
"Follow me."
With those words, Maude walked toward Apoo's unconscious body.
Before fulfilling his agreement with Kuma, there were a few matters to settle—starting with Apoo and the newly pledged Urouge.
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