There are no gods in this world.
And yet, the Celestial Dragons proclaim themselves as such.
The irony is that the Celestial Dragons do indeed wield authority and power that surpass countless nations.
If their dignity or lives are ever threatened, the highest-ranking intelligence agency under the World Government—CP, known as the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield—along with the Navy's top forces, the Admirals, would be dispatched to uphold their so-called divine status.
In fact, the Celestial Dragons have the direct authority to mobilize an Admiral at will.
Because of this, countless pirates across the seas secretly mock the Admirals as nothing more than well-trained hounds of the Celestial Dragons.
From their perspective, such an opinion is understandable.
But even they must admit—if they ever encountered a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago, they would immediately fall to their knees in submission.
Such is the existence of the Celestial Dragons.
Reviled by many, yet feared by all, safeguarded by the CP agency and the Navy.
Therefore, there is one undeniable truth across the seas:
To lay hands on a Celestial Dragon is to invite the unrelenting wrath of the CP agency and the Navy—a pursuit that will never end until the offender is erased from existence.
This is precisely why the Celestial Dragons dare to wander through the lawless zones of Sabaody Archipelago with only a handful of guards.
Even the most audacious pirates—those who frequently abduct royalty and nobility for exorbitant ransoms—would turn away the moment they see a Celestial Dragon practically delivered to their doorstep.
This phenomenon was something that Maude could never quite understand.
With the Celestial Dragons being so arrogant and detestable, surely someone with nothing to lose would have attempted a final, desperate act of vengeance against them?
And yet, such an event had never occurred.
Perhaps it was because CP agents were always lurking in the shadows, protecting the Celestial Dragons.
But if that were truly the case, why did CP fail to intervene when the Straw Hats knocked Saint Rosward unconscious?
Regardless of the reason, if the Navy's objective this time was to obtain living hearts—
Then they could have the hearts of the Celestial Dragons instead.
And if it was Law's Ope Ope no Mi they were after—
Then perhaps presenting the severed heads of a dozen Celestial Dragons as a warning would make the World Government and Navy reconsider their course of action.
Maude's shocking proclamation left the entire room in utter silence.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Shakky was the first to recover, gazing deeply at Maude.
She knew he was serious.
She also understood that, given Maude's approach to things, he had already considered the risks and planned his contingencies before making this decision.
"Heh… You're becoming more and more dangerous, aren't you? I have a feeling you're going to turn this world upside down, little Maude."
Shakky mused inwardly, instinctively reaching for her cigarette case—only to realize it was empty.
Maude withdrew his gaze from the towering Red Line and turned to his crew, observing their reactions. His tone was calm.
"What? Are you all really that surprised?"
"Maude, do you even realize what you're suggesting? Those are Celestial Dragons…"
Law furrowed his brows as he spoke.
Maude met Law's gaze evenly.
"Precisely because they're Celestial Dragons, the Navy will ensure Bepo and the others are well-treated, and in the end, they'll have no choice but to return them safely."
"But have you considered the consequences?"
"Do you want to save Bepo and the others or not?"
Maude countered.
Law's expression darkened. "I do. But not by using a method that will drag us all into the depths of hell."
"Hohoho…"
Lafitte interjected, speaking with an eerie calmness. "Once we make a move against the Celestial Dragons, no matter the outcome, we will face an endless manhunt from the World Government and the Navy."
"Lafitte, are you scared?"
Maude asked seriously.
"No. In fact, Captain, your decision fills me with excitement."
Lafitte shook his head, the blood-red hue of his lips stretching into an exaggerated grin.
Following a captain like this meant witnessing sights that ordinary people could never dream of.
In the mere seconds since hearing Maude's declaration, he was already eager to see what would unfold.
Seeing Lafitte's reaction, Maude smiled faintly.
Lafitte had gambled everything on him since the beginning—and had never once been disappointed.
The initial shock on Gaya's face gradually gave way to calm acceptance.
Her stance was simple: she would follow wherever the crew went.
Law opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Once his emotions settled, he realized how foolish he had been just moments ago.
Trying to persuade Maude to abandon his decision?
That was never going to happen.
Law slowly closed his mouth, exhaling a silent sigh.
Even though Maude was doing this to help him rescue Bepo and the others—he couldn't bring himself to feel grateful.
"There are those who call the 'D' Clan the natural enemies of the gods."
A memory surfaced in Law's mind—words once spoken to him by a man he deeply respected.
"Corazon… Maybe the 'D' Clan is indeed the natural enemy of the so-called gods… But in truth, those who truly threaten the gods aren't necessarily 'D's."
"For example, the man standing before me now."
"He saved me, just like you did."
"I want to live freely—just as you once told me."
"But…"
"I cannot simply keep receiving favors."
"If possible… Even if I never uncover the meaning of this cruel fate—even if I must abandon my own freedom—it doesn't matter."
"From now on… I want to do something for Maude."
Law lowered his head slightly, lost in thought.
Perona, wrapped in layers of bandages, slowly floated past the contemplative Law and stopped before Maude.
"Maude… Are you really going to attack the Celestial Dragons?"
As she spoke, her voice carried a subtle tremor. Shadows loomed over her eyes.
It was as if merely mentioning the Celestial Dragons had triggered a buried nightmare.
In truth, her homeland had been destroyed because of them…
"There's no doubt about it."
Maude nodded.
Perona hesitated. "But… but…"
She wanted to say something, but the words lodged in her throat, refusing to come out.
"What's wrong?"
Maude asked, puzzled by her reaction.
Perona lowered her gaze, forcing a smile. "Nothing."
With that, she turned and floated back toward the shadow-forged bed Maude had prepared.
Half an hour later…
The masts of the Fallen Monk Pirates and Hawkins Pirates' ships, along with the Heart Pirates' submarine, departed from Sabaody Archipelago.
Out at sea, Gaya activated her ability, lifting the two pirate ships and the submarine into the air.
"Huh? This is… the power of the Float-Float Fruit?"
"How did that woman end up with Golden Lion's ability…?"
Upon witnessing Gaya unleash the powers of the Float-Float Fruit, the crew members of the Fallen Monk Pirates and Hawkins Pirates were left in utter shock.
The Summit War had only concluded about a week ago.
Across the seas, countless individuals were just beginning to scramble in search of the top-tier Devil Fruits that had resurfaced.
And yet— The Float-Float Fruit had already fallen into the hands of the Maude Pirates…!!!
Even Shakky couldn't help but be surprised.
With her vast network of intelligence, her mind quickly pieced together past experiences and the information she had gathered over the years.
In an instant, scattered clues silently connected, allowing Shakky to deduce why the Float-Float Fruit had ended up in the possession of the Maude Pirates.
So, it was only Law who had been taken to Marineford by Maude…
"Does the Op-Op Fruit really have such an ability?"
A glimmer of astonishment flickered in Shakky's eyes as she discreetly glanced at Law.
"The World Government and the Marines must have realized this as well—that's why they targeted the Heart Pirates?"
"No wonder they took it so seriously that even an admiral was dispatched…"
Recalling Aokiji leading the operation, Shakky felt her deductions were drawing closer to the truth.
Suppressing her internal shock, Shakky maintained a composed expression.
Under Gaya's control, the two masted ships and the submarine lifted off the water's surface and ascended straight toward the clouds above.
Only after piercing through the cloud layers did they gradually come to a stop.
Suspended in the sky above the clouds was the massive Thriller Bark, floating silently in the air.
From an even higher altitude, looking down at Thriller Bark, its structure would appear as follows— A towering outer wall encircled the ship, with a massive set of red lips and jagged teeth forming an entrance. At the center lay a circular island.
Beyond this, most of the ship's structure was hollow.
Initially, Maude had planned to fill these empty spaces within Thriller Bark with rock or steel.
However, since Gaya was still in the early stages of mastering the Float-Float Fruit's abilities, the plan was temporarily shelved. Instead, Maude had used a large mass of water to fill the ship's hollowed sections.
This condensed body of water, positioned between the island and the towering walls, conveniently served as a docking bay for the Underworld Ferry and the pirate ships belonging to the Hawkins Pirates, the Fallen Monk Pirates, and the Heart Pirates, which Gaya had just transported up.
Guided by her will, Gaya carefully placed the two masted ships and the submarine onto the water within Thriller Bark.
At that moment, The crew members of the Hawkins and Fallen Monk Pirates stood frozen in disbelief.
The combination of Thriller Bark and the Float-Float Fruit gave them an overwhelming sense of déjà vu—akin to the legendary ability to manipulate entire islands.
After all, an island was an island, but a ship was a ship.
Hawkins silently observed the floating Thriller Bark, his gaze lingering on the vast body of water beneath its hull.
A sudden thought struck him— If Thriller Bark were to be outfitted with formidable firepower at its base,
Then, against such a monstrous vessel, even a Marine Buster Call would pale in comparison.
This sudden realization aligned almost perfectly with Maude's vision for modifying Thriller Bark.
"With a ship like this and the powers of the Float-Float Fruit, we'd never have to worry about the Marines hunting us down. Is this… the true extent of Maude's confidence?"
In just a brief span of time, Hawkins found himself contemplating numerous possibilities.
Meanwhile, Shakky continued to console Perona while observing Gaya, who was still struggling to fully master her ability.
"The Float-Float Fruit is considered one of the most difficult to control among Paramecia-type Devil Fruits. To achieve this level of proficiency in such a short time… That's some exceptional talent."
Shakky murmured inwardly.
Recalling the early days of Shiki's Float-Float Fruit abilities, she remembered how his initial attempts at control were nothing short of laughable.
Triggered by Gaya's display of power, memories of Shiki surfaced in Shakky's mind, causing her to sigh softly with a hint of nostalgia.
Once the ships were secured, the crew members disembarked onto Thriller Bark one after another.
Jim was the first to carry the gravely injured and unconscious Urouge to the infirmary.
"Jim seems… happy?"
Gaya's eyes widened slightly as she watched Jim striding towards the castle.
Perona, Brook, and Bailey furrowed their brows, struggling to recall if Jim had shown any visible signs of joy.
Yet, as far as they could remember…
His face remained expressionless as ever.
"???"
One by one, question marks seemed to pop up above their heads.
Maude, standing beside them, offered an explanation: "It's because we've decided to take action against the Celestial Dragons."
No! This was your decision alone!
Perona, Brook, and Bailey silently stared at Maude, unable to find the words.
However, Maude, still watching Jim's retreating figure, remained unaware of their reactions and continued seriously:
"After all… Jim's dream has always been to bring down those who stand above everyone else."
"Wait, the big guy's dream is to overthrow the Celestial Dragons?!"
Perona gasped in surprise.
Brook opened his mouth wide in shock, exclaiming, "Taking down the Celestial Dragons? That's something I wouldn't even dare to imagine! Yohohoho…"
"But that's exactly what we're about to do next, isn't it?"
Philo, having removed her raven mask, murmured softly.
"Gah…"
Brook's laughter came to an abrupt halt.
That's right—they were about to take on the Celestial Dragons…
Who knew what awaited them?
A shadow flickered in Brook's eye sockets.
Perhaps… this would be his chance to prove that he was truly worthy of being part of the Maude Pirates.
"Don't just stand there. While the night is still young, let's throw a welcoming banquet for Hawkins and his crew."
Maude gestured toward Brook and the others before heading toward the castle.
Hawkins' eyes flickered with an unreadable expression.
For just a brief moment, he had the illusion that Maude had accepted him.
Even if it was merely an illusion—
Being acknowledged by a strong individual… wasn't such a bad feeling.
A faint smirk crossed Hawkins' lips as he strode after Maude.
Meanwhile, the rest of his crew remained visibly reserved.
—
Two days later.
News of Admiral Aokiji's defeat at the hands of Maude spread like wildfire across the Grand Line.
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sakazuki sat on the guest area's sofa, arms crossed, his expression dark and brooding.
On the other side, Aokiji sat casually, scratching his head.
"You've disgraced the Admirals, Kuzan."
Sakazuki shot a sharp glance at Aokiji, his tone rigid and cold.
"Arara…"
Aokiji yawned lazily. "Even the World's Strongest Man fell to Maude. Losing to him isn't exactly shameful, is it?"
Sakazuki's gaze was as frigid as ice. In a low voice, he muttered, "You and I both know the reason Maude was able to defeat Whitebeard was—"
"Creak."
The office door swung open, cutting Sakazuki off.
Sengoku entered the room, leading Vice Admiral Tsuru and Garp.
"Contact Maude."
Ignoring the conversation, Sengoku fixed his gaze on the Den Den Mushi atop the table.
Aokiji quietly sighed in relief and picked up the receiver, dialing a number.
Moments later—
The call connected.
Maude's voice, laced with unmistakable mockery, resonated through the room:
"You Marines sure are experienced at using hostages as bargaining chips."
A suffocating silence fell over the office.
The Den Den Mushi, seemingly aware of the tension, began sweating profusely.
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