The Straw Hat Pirates had unexpectedly gained a new member—Bartolomeo.
This alone was enough to surprise Maude.
Had the intelligence report not mentioned Bartolomeo's signature Barrier-Barrier Fruit ability, Maude wouldn't have been so puzzled.
What shocked him even more was that the Donquixote Family had somehow gotten involved with the Straw Hats at this point in time.
"The Donquixote intelligence unit has set their sights on the Straw Hats..."
This was a warning message written at the bottom of the note.
It was only thanks to the Revolutionary Army's exceptional intelligence-gathering capabilities that Maude had access to this information.
Otherwise, who would have thought that the infamous Donquixote Family would take interest in a rookie pirate crew that had just entered the Grand Line?
And yet, the Straw Hats, who were now being watched by the Donquixote Family, were likely completely unaware of the situation.
Maude furrowed his brows.
He distinctly remembered that the first time the Straw Hat Pirates had crossed paths with the Donquixote Family should have been right before their journey to Skypiea.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a thought struck Maude.
"Is it because of Usopp...?"
His eyes narrowed sharply, a cold glint flashing within them.
The image of Doflamingo's arrogant, defiant expression surfaced in his mind, prompting Maude to let out a low, chilling chuckle.
"Well, that makes sense. After all, I did break a few of your bones."
Without warning, a shadowy mist seeped from Maude's palm, wrapping around the note before it sank into the ground.
Ever since Loguetown, his master-disciple relationship with Usopp was no longer a secret.
Given this context, it was only natural that Doflamingo would set his sights on the Straw Hat Pirates.
Most likely, he intended to wipe out Usopp's crew just to spite Maude.
Had he not asked Sabo to investigate the Straw Hats' movements in an effort to jog his memory, they wouldn't have stumbled upon this intel regarding the Donquixote Family's involvement.
If they hadn't uncovered this information, the Straw Hat Pirates might have been eliminated prematurely.
Thinking back, all of this stemmed from a casual decision he had made two years ago—to call himself Usopp's "master" out of consideration for the boy's feelings.
Yet now, that single choice had triggered a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences.
"Usopp and the others are already in Alabasta. If Doflamingo has made preparations in advance, he'll likely set up an ambush outside the capital. Even if I set off immediately, I wouldn't make it in time."
Maude stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Even though he had learned of the Donquixote Family's plan to strike at the Straw Hats, it was a case of "distant waters unable to quench immediate fires."
It was clear that Doflamingo, having suffered multiple setbacks at Maude's hands, was banking on this exact disadvantage.
"Quite the clever move."
Maude's gaze turned icy, but he remained unfazed. He turned and walked back into the bar.
Inside, Shakky, Perona, and Bailey were seated at the dining table.
Hearing the door open, they all turned to look at Maude as he entered.
"Something happened?" Shakky asked, her keen intuition picking up on the subtle changes in Maude's demeanor.
Perona's face showed curiosity.
Compared to them, Bailey was entirely focused on the dishes laid out before him, practically drooling over the food.
"Yeah."
Maude didn't deny it. He walked over to the table and sat down.
Shakky pushed a set of utensils toward him and asked with concern, "Is it troublesome?"
"A little, but it's not a problem."
Maude flashed Shakky a reassuring smile.
"That's good."
Since Maude showed no intention of elaborating, Shakky didn't press him further.
Soon, the group finished their meal, leaving the table empty.
After dinner, Maude suddenly spoke up. "Aunt Shakky, I'll be heading out for a few days. My Life Return training will have to be put on hold for now."
"That's fine. We can resume once you're back."
Shakky lit a cigarette, then turned to Perona, who was clearing the table. "Are you taking little Perona with you?"
Perona froze slightly, her hands pausing mid-action as she perked up her ears.
She had no idea where Maude was planning to go, but wherever it was—she didn't want to go!
"Don't take me! Don't take me!"
She silently prayed in her heart.
But Maude's next words shattered her hopes instantly.
"Yeah, she's coming."
For this trip, Perona's abilities would prove useful.
If he had the option to bring her along, Maude naturally wouldn't leave her behind in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Hearing his response, Perona looked utterly devastated.
Maude didn't explain further about his destination.
Before setting off, there was still someone he needed to meet.
Come to think of it, if he wanted to rapidly improve his Shadow-Shadow Fruit mastery, the Donquixote Family—filled with Devil Fruit users—was undoubtedly the perfect target.
There was also Baroque Works under Crocodile, which had a fair number of ability users as well.
Looking further ahead, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were two massive forces with even more Devil Fruit users under their command.
In the end, Devil Fruits remained one of the most effective ways to strengthen a crew's power.
...
New World, Dressrosa.
In a dimly lit, spacious room, Doflamingo sat casually on the windowsill, his gaze fixed through the curtain's gap on an insignificant patch of grass outside.
At the center of the room, the high-ranking officers of the Donquixote Family stood in a line.
All eyes were on Doflamingo.
"I say, I say, Pica should have arrived in Alabasta by now, right?"
Trebol, one of the top executives and the Sticky-Sticky Fruit user, spoke up.
Diamante, another top executive and the Ripple-Ripple Fruit user, glanced at Trebol.
"If Pica had reached Alabasta, he would have reported back immediately. Since we haven't heard anything, it means he hasn't arrived yet."
"Is that so? Is that so? Seems like Pica isn't that enthusiastic about this mission. Otherwise, he should've been in Alabasta by now!"
"Hey, hey, Pica has always been a man of few words. If he volunteered for this task, enthusiasm isn't the issue!"
"Trebol, no one can guarantee smooth sailing over a long journey. If he ran into a few storms, it's only natural that it would take longer."
"Is that so? Is that so?"
"Could it be that Pica simply forgot to report in? Hee hee hee…"
Dellinger, wearing his signature horned helmet, covered his mouth as he let out a sharp giggle. Through the gaps in his fingers, his rows of sharp teeth were faintly visible.
"Oh-ho-ho! Not impossible. After all, Baby-5 and Buffalo were Pica's direct subordinates. The moment he lands in Alabasta, he might be so consumed by his hatred and frustration that he completely forgets about everything else and rushes off to deal with the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Giolla, the robust Art-Art Fruit user, twisted her waist while adjusting her uniquely shaped triangular glasses.
Gladius, wearing a black steel helmet and another officer of the family, spoke in a low voice: "I should have gone with Pica."
Like the slain Baby-5 and Buffalo, Gladius was also one of Pica's direct subordinates.
The primary objective of this mission was to eliminate Usopp, Bacardi Maude's disciple—a rare opportunity for revenge. He should have been part of it.
"Gladius, the target this time is just a rookie pirate crew who recently entered the Grand Line. There's no need to send two officers. Pica must have considered this when deciding to go alone."
"…"
Gladius remained silent.
"Once Pica wipes out the Straw Hat Pirates, I can't wait to see Bacardi Maude's reaction. Heh heh heh…"
"If that guy finds out, he'll definitely rush to Alabasta in a panic!"
"Hahaha! And what can he do? That guy is in the Sabaody Archipelago right now. By the time he reaches Alabasta, the Straw Hats will have already been pounded into paste by Pica!"
"The 'Gatekeeper of the New World'? Hmph, what a joke! Hahaha!"
"Beh-heh-heh…"
"Oh-ho-ho…"
"Heh heh heh…"
Laughter filled the room as the officers seemed to already picture Maude's furious yet helpless expression.
Doflamingo, perched on the windowsill, listened to their laughter with an expressionless face.
Taking just one person close to Maude wasn't enough to end this grudge.
"Fufufu…"
A cold chuckle escaped Doflamingo's lips.
Only by erasing everything and everyone connected to Maude could this feud truly be settled.
Power, authority, and influence—
They existed precisely for this purpose.
...
Alabasta, the desert.
As far as the eye could see, endless rolling sand dunes stretched across the horizon.
The sun hung high in the sky, an unforgiving blaze with not a single cloud in sight.
Scorching rays relentlessly bathed the land, the extreme heat distorting the air itself, making it visibly shimmer.
A group trudged through the desert, struggling against the harsh terrain.
This group was none other than the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just arrived in Alabasta.
"Luffy-senpai, I see 'food'!"
Bartolomeo, shirtless, reacted as if he had discovered a new continent, shouting in excitement.
"Food!!!"
Luffy, both parched and starving, lit up instantly. With a trail of dust behind him, he dashed over to Bartolomeo's side at top speed.
"Where's the food?!"
"Right here."
Bartolomeo proudly pointed at a cluster of lush, round cacti sprouting from the sand.
"Oh-ho!"
Luffy's spirits soared, his eyes gleaming.
Even if it was just cactus, in such a desperate environment, it was a rare delicacy.
With a mischievous grin, Bartolomeo plucked two round cacti and handed one to Luffy.
Bang!
Bang!
Just as the two were about to extract precious moisture from the cacti, Nami's fist slammed them both to the ground.
"You two idiots! Did you even listen to Vivi?! Especially you, Bartolomeo! Didn't you learn your lesson from eating those bats last time?!"
"Sorry, Nami-senpai!"
"I was wrong!"
Bartolomeo and Luffy hung their heads in shame, quickly admitting their mistake.
Nami sighed, feeling even thirstier than before.
Chopper, nearly fainting from the heat, forced himself up and carefully observed the numerous round cacti.
Judging by how abundantly they grew, they were most likely poisonous.
Otherwise, in a desert where water was so scarce, these cacti would have been devoured by desert creatures long ago. There was no way they could have grown so freely.
"Vivi, how much longer until we reach Rainbase?"
"About five more days."
"Ahhh..."
Luffy let out a weak groan.
Vivi, with her long, flowing hair, looked on guiltily at her crewmates, who were suffering under the blazing desert sun, too dehydrated to even sweat.
Sensing the mood, Nami placed a reassuring hand on Vivi's lower back and smiled. "Don't worry, these guys have ridiculous endurance."
"Mhm."
Vivi nodded.
After sailing with them for so long, she had come to understand this all too well.
Thud!
Just as Nami finished speaking, Chopper collapsed onto the scorching sand.
"This is bad! Chopper's passed out from the heat!"
"Oi! Chopper, are you okay?!"
Luffy and the others, who were closest, immediately rushed to his side.
Sanji observed Chopper lying motionless, his face filled with despair from the heat, and stroked his chin in thought. "Chopper, maybe you should shave off your fur? It might help you cool down."
"No way!!"
Summoning what little strength he had left, Chopper shouted his rejection at Sanji's suggestion.
That's when Bartolomeo suddenly raised his voice. "Step aside, everyone! I've got a way to bring Chopper back to his senses!"
"What way?"
Luffy and the others turned to him curiously.
"By fanning him!"
With a mischievous grin, Bartolomeo raised his right fist and materialized a large, fan-shaped barrier.
"Ohhh, I see!"
Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji all pounded their fists into their palms in realization.
Still overheated and struggling, Chopper looked at Bartolomeo's fan-shaped barrier with a glimmer of hope.
"Chopper, you ready?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Chopper nodded eagerly.
"Alright, here we go! Flowing Barrier—Invincible Sandstorm!!!"
Bartolomeo stepped forward, spinning his arm like a propeller. In an instant, powerful gusts of wind kicked up around them.
"Whoa!!!"
Luffy and the others watched in amazement as Bartolomeo's makeshift fan stirred up the air.
But just as things seemed to be going well, Bartolomeo's right foot suddenly sank deep into the sand, throwing off his balance.
Combined with the momentum of his wild arm movements, he stumbled forward—falling straight toward the collapsed Chopper.
And the large, spinning fan-shaped barrier?
It was plummeting right toward Chopper's side.
"Huh?"
Chopper blinked in confusion.
Before he could react, the massive barrier slammed into the sand beside him, sending a wave of sand exploding into the air.
Everyone froze.
As the sand rained down like a sudden storm, Chopper turned his head to the side, his eyes bulging as he found himself mere inches away from the enormous barrier.
"…It was an accident! An accident!"
Bartolomeo quickly pulled his barrier back, scratching his head awkwardly.
Chopper's protruding eyes slowly retracted. Then, with great effort, he lifted his eyelids and gave Bartolomeo a long, complicated look.
A few seconds later, Chopper simply shut his eyes—
—and passed out cold.
"Chopper!!"
Everyone panicked and scrambled in a frenzy.
"Can't you guys just behave for once?!"
Watching the group of clowns before her, Nami resisted the urge to punch them.
In this scorching heat, even throwing a punch would be a waste of energy.
Vivi silently observed the chaotic mess that was her crew.
For some reason, despite all the commotion, she felt oddly at ease.
"…Heh."
A small smile appeared on her face.
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