One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

As Maude's two cries of address echoed through the tavern, an eerie silence fell once more.

The pirates around them, uninvolved in the brewing storm, sniffed out the ominous tension in the air.

If not for the Redhorn Pirates blocking the entrance, they would have bolted long ago.

Meanwhile, the manager of the Battleaxe Tavern, experienced in handling such situations, discreetly signaled his staff to retreat behind the relatively safer bar counter.

Kazte was the first to snap back to reality. His murderous gaze shifted from Maude to Wolfrat and finally landed on Abby.

Maude's choice of words—his casual naming of Abby and Wolfrat—and the way the three were positioned now painted a picture in Kazte's mind, one that unraveled the knot of questions that had plagued him like a tangled web of threads.

Why would Maude, without any personal grievance, kill their navigator?

Why had Lagren, usually cautious in his dealings, been shot dead the very same night he contacted Wolfrat?

And why were Abby, Maude, and Wolfrat even acquainted?

Before this incident, Kazte was sure that neither Maude nor Wolfrat had any prior interaction with the Redhorn Pirates—let alone any enmity.

So, for Maude, who had no apparent connection to the crew, what motive could he possibly have to kill their navigator?

The idea seemed absurd—until Abby's potential involvement entered the equation.

If Abby, their rival, had a hand in this, then the motive, though murky, started to make sense.

Kazte's gaze toward Abby grew increasingly hostile.

Little did he know, the real instigator—Maude—possessed a unique ability called Hunter's Notebook.

Even more so, Kazte couldn't have guessed that Maude's true target was Red, and their unfortunate navigator had merely been collateral damage in this deadly game.

As Kazte's attention shifted to Abby, Maude remained calm, calculating his next move.

Moments ago, under the brunt of Kazte's murderous intent, Maude had reflexively used Abby—who happened to be within reach—as a shield.

As for Wolfrat, well, he was just collateral damage in this improvised ploy.

If Maude had known the names of the other pirates at the nearby table, he wouldn't have hesitated to drag them into this mess, too.

Such actions, pulling others into the fray, had woven a bizarre yet dramatic scene where unrelated pieces suddenly connected in strangely believable ways.

Wolfrat, though unaware of his actual role in the events, had become the final straw breaking the fragile dam of Kazte's reasoning—thanks to Maude's spur-of-the-moment cry of "Big brother Wolfrat."

Wolfrat couldn't help but curse Maude in his heart.

This guy isn't even human!

Still, Maude didn't think a few heartfelt shouts could buy him a real chance to escape. He kept his focus on Abby, waiting to see her next move before planning his response.

Ideally, he wanted Abby and Kazte to fight each other, giving him an opening to flee.

If that didn't work, he'd have to struggle for his life.

The intense sense of danger sharpened Maude's mind further.

Abby met Kazte's murderous glare head-on.

Although she didn't fully understand the situation, she wasn't stupid. She quickly realized the sinister intentions of the unfamiliar young man behind her—he was using her as a shield.

What baffled her was how Kazte, the so-called "Dumb Bull," had fallen into such an obvious trap without hesitation.

Despite being her rival, Abby knew Kazte wasn't actually dumb.

She had no interest in delving into the reasons.

What truly irked her was Maude's audacity in using her.

That said, if she hadn't approached Maude with the intent to strike, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to use her in the first place.

Swish—

Abby, her face full of displeasure, drew her rapier without a word.

She turned sharply and lunged, her sword flashing like a cold stream of light aimed directly at Maude's heart.

Her swift, precise strike brimmed with deadly intent.

She didn't care about Kazte's grudge against Maude. Nor did she feel the need to explain anything to him.

Killing Maude with one thrust—that was all she wanted.

"Ruthless."

Facing this sudden attack, Maude stomped hard against the floor. Using the resulting momentum, he propelled himself backward just in time to narrowly evade the blow.

Abby's strike was fast, fierce, and entirely unexpected.

If not for Maude's recent hunt of Fishman Sam...

If not for his constant vigilance regarding Abby's reactions...

He might have met his end then and there.

Abby's attack caught everyone off guard, including Kazte and Wolfrat.

It was too sudden.

But what surprised them even more was Maude's ability to dodge such a swift and sudden blow.

After all, Abby's bounty of 38 million berries wasn't just for show. Her rapier strikes, swift as the wind, were infamous.

"He dodged?"

Abby looked at Maude, now retreating, with astonishment.

Was it because her turn had slowed the strike, giving him a chance to evade?

Maude, however, wasn't concerned with her thoughts. As he widened the gap between them, his expression turned mournful.

"Big Sister Abby, you told me—if Wolfrat and I each took down a Redhorn Pirate, we could join your crew. We did it! But instead of welcoming us, you try to kill me once the Redhorns show up?"

Maude's voice was filled with despair, like that of a valiant soldier whose contributions had gone unacknowledged.

Hearing Maude drag his name into this, Wolfrat's face twitched uncontrollably.

He finally understood: this guy is pure trouble.

But now that he was already implicated…

With a resigned heart, Wolfrat decided to play along. He burst into tears, wailing, "That's right, Big Sister Abby! We admired you so much, we were even willing to risk our lives for you! But why, why would you treat us like this?!"

Wolfrat' tearful performance elicited subtle disdain from the surrounding pirates.

In the pirate world, betrayal and abandonment weren't uncommon.

But using people and then tossing them aside so blatantly? That was a different story.

Seeing Wolfrat not only cooperate but also fully commit to the act, Maude was secretly impressed.

Abby, feeling the weight of the disdainful gazes, twitched at the corner of her eye.

At the entrance, Kazte began transforming into his half-beast form.

His furious eyes locked onto Abby as he ground out, "Good… very good… Newtman Abby!"

As Kazte's growl rumbled through the tavern, the atmosphere grew tense, like a taut bowstring about to snap.

Though Abby was entirely uninvolved, she neither felt innocent nor wronged.

Ignoring the furious Kazte, she turned her sharp gaze to Maude. Her lips curved into a dangerous smile.

"Little brother, you've piqued my interest. So, how about telling me your name?"

"Big Sister Abby, please, give Wolfrat and me another chance!"

"…"

"Big Sister Abby, please, give Usopp and me another chance!"

Dragged into this mess yet again, Wolfrat seized the opportunity for revenge. He called out Maude's name with exaggerated emotion.

"Oh?"

Abby chuckled.

"Usopp, huh… Little brother…"

Her tongue glided over her lips.

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