10,000 meters above the ground.
The terrifying Thriller Bark hovered atop a mass of white clouds, appearing from a distance like a floating island built upon the sky itself.
Sitting casually on the balcony of his chamber, Maude held a blue-and-white striped Den Den Mushi—an official Marine-issue transponder snail left behind by Aokiji. The cold wind ruffled his coat and hair, accentuating the sharp contours of his face, lending him an undeniable, captivating presence.
Not far from him, Lafitte stood at the forefront of the crew. Among them were Urouge, who had recently regained consciousness, and Hawkins, who had only recently pledged allegiance to Maude.
As newcomers to the crew, Urouge and Hawkins watched the Den Den Mushi in Maude's hands with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
On the other end of the line was none other than the Fleet Admiral of the Marines—Sengoku the Buddha.
"Abducting a Celestial Dragon…"
After hearing the final phase of the plan, these two notorious Supernovas could not help but shudder at the mere thought of the consequences.
Yet, the man they were watching remained utterly unperturbed—as if the act of defying the highest powers of the world was as trivial as having a meal or drinking a glass of water.
The Den Den Mushi in Maude's hand gradually shifted its features, morphing to resemble Sengoku's solemn visage.
Through the transponder snail's facial expressions, one could discern the mood of the person on the other end.
At this moment, the Den Den Mushi reflected Sengoku's calm yet composed demeanor.
"Bacardi Maude."
Despite Maude's opening remark dripping with mockery, Sengoku remained completely unfazed, both outwardly and inwardly.
"If it's you, there's no need for me to explain. You should already understand why we took action against the Heart Pirates."
Sengoku's words were deliberately ambiguous, carrying an undertone of bureaucratic doublespeak.
Maude tilted his head slightly, gazing down toward the land below.
It was as if his vision could pierce through the terrain and the vast distance, seeing directly into the Holy Land of Mary Geoise atop the Red Line.
"I wouldn't know. Please, do enlighten me."
"..."
A brief silence lingered before Sengoku's voice came through once more.
"At present, all sixteen members of the Heart Pirates have been detained in Impel Down, on Level Three…"
Upon hearing the incorrect number, before Maude could respond, Law and another Heart Pirates crew member—who had managed to escape by guarding the submarine—immediately reacted, their expressions shifting drastically.
"No! You captured seventeen of us!"
Law immediately interjected, fearing that Sengoku's words implied the death of one of his crew during the battle.
Maude glanced at Law, noting the anxiety in his expression. It was clear just how much Law valued his comrades.
Law's correction caused Sengoku to pause momentarily.
"If you count the 'pet,' then yes, it's seventeen."
"..."
Law's face stiffened slightly as Bepo's silly image flashed through his mind. He sighed in relief.
At the very least, everyone was safe.
"Trafalgar Law, since you're listening as well, I'll get straight to the point."
Sengoku spoke Law's name with a subtle undertone, but his tone quickly returned to a calm, emotionless state.
"Let's make an 'exchange.' One hundred living hearts in return for your crew."
The use of the word "exchange" rather than "trade" was perhaps the Marines' last attempt at maintaining a semblance of dignity.
"Hm?"
Hearing Sengoku's proposal, Law's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't speak immediately but instead looked toward Maude, who remained composed.
As Maude had predicted, the Marines' willingness to stir up trouble during the post-war recovery period was all for the sake of obtaining living hearts from him.
But the question remained—why did they need them?
To Law, a living heart was only useful as leverage against its owner. Without the Ope Ope no Mi's abilities, even something as basic as a heart transplant would be impossible.
If the Marines weren't particular about whose hearts they obtained…
Then a weak pirate crew could be wiped out easily to fulfill the quota of one hundred hearts.
In less than a second, Law's mind raced through various possibilities. He found himself leaning toward cooperating with the Marines in the exchange.
Compared to abducting a Celestial Dragon, gathering a hundred hearts to save his crew was significantly easier, with negligible risks.
As he was about to speak, he noticed Maude subtly raising his hand in a 'hold back' gesture.
Understanding the signal, Law swallowed the words he had been about to say.
After stopping Law, Maude turned his gaze toward the Den Den Mushi and spoke in a teasing tone.
"Only a hundred hearts? Is that enough?"
"It is."
Sengoku remained completely unfazed by Maude's mockery, firmly affirming the deal.
"Fine. We accept. One hundred 'living hearts' in exchange for the Heart Pirates' crew."
Seeing that Sengoku was immune to taunts, Maude decided there was no need to press further and agreed to the terms the Marines had proposed.
"Good. You have ten days. The exchange location—"
"Ten days? That's plenty. But…"
Before Sengoku could finish, Maude interrupted without hesitation.
"The location will be chosen by us. Once we have the hearts, I'll contact you with the details."
"Fine, then—"
"Wait for the call."
For the third time, Maude cut off Sengoku mid-sentence and promptly hung up the Den Den Mushi.
His final words mirrored the exact phrase Aokiji had used when leaving behind the transponder snail.
Inside the room, Urouge, Hawkins, and the others watched the entire conversation unfold, their expressions filled with intrigue.
Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's office…
Aokiji's expression showed a hint of amusement as he scratched his cheek while observing Sengoku's reaction.
Sengoku remained expressionless as he slowly placed the Den Den Mushi back on its stand.
As the supreme commander of the Marines, he would never allow himself to be provoked, regardless of his opponent's words or actions.
"Gathering one hundred hearts is effortless for them. Under normal circumstances, anyone would readily comply and follow through with the exchange. But this is Bacardi Maude…"
Sengoku clasped his hands together, resting his chin atop them as he looked at Garp, Tsuru, Aokiji, and Akainu.
"Just thinking about his name alone unsettles me."
"Relax. This exchange only requires one hundred hearts. We're not showing overt hostility, so there's no reason for the Maude Pirates to overreact."
Tsuru's eyes remained half-lidded as she spoke calmly.
Sengoku nodded slightly in agreement.
"No. That's incorrect."
Suddenly, a cold voice came from the doorway.
Sengoku and the others turned to see three tall, slender figures clad in white cloaks, their faces concealed behind peculiar masks.
"CP0…"
Sengoku's gaze sharpened as he identified the newcomers.
The leading agent took two steps forward, his masked face sweeping over the assembled Marine powerhouses.
"Be advised. What we require is not one hundred hearts—but the Ope Ope no Mi."
"Hm?"
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