Running into Maude here was by no means part of Aokiji's plan.
When he had mentioned being lost earlier, it wasn't a joke.
It was simply that encountering the Maude Pirates at this location was completely unexpected for him.
But since they had met, sitting down for a chat while filling his stomach seemed like the natural course of action.
As he awaited Maude's response, Aokiji used his powers to create a pair of chopsticks radiating a chill.
If that woman named Gaya were here, she would surely have handed him a clean set of utensils by now.
As this thought crossed Aokiji's mind, he picked up a piece of braised meat with his ice-crafted chopsticks, popped it into his mouth, and displayed a satisfied expression.
Around him, the crew, led by Lafitte, stared at Aokiji with odd expressions as he shamelessly mooched off their food.
Maude, fingers interlocked, rested his chin on his hands and silently observed Aokiji chewing his food.
After a brief moment of silence, he gave a slight nod—his simplest response to Aokiji's statement.
"Arara…"
Swallowing his food, Aokiji looked at Maude with interest.
"In less than a month since arriving in the 'New World,' you've already made such waves… Among all the people I know, you're the only one, Bacardi Maude, who could pull something like this off."
"Kuzan, if you're here just for a free meal, then eat quietly."
Maude tilted his head slightly, catching a glimpse of Aokiji's ice chopsticks as they diligently grabbed another piece of meat.
Aokiji didn't reply but noticeably picked up the pace in both grabbing food and chewing.
The tavern fell silent except for the sound of Aokiji's relentless eating.
After finishing every last piece of meat in the large bowl before him, Aokiji let out a long breath, set down his ice chopsticks with satisfaction, and used his sleeve to wipe the broth from his mouth.
"Thanks for the meal."
Lifting his gaze from the now-empty bowl, Aokiji's eyes met Maude's.
"My original plan was to wander around, see things for myself, and confirm some matters in my own way. But running into you on the first island of my journey… has made me reconsider my itinerary."
"Oh?"
Maude raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Aokiji, whose sunglasses concealed any readable emotions. Placing his hands flat on the table, he said in a calm tone, "You're not planning to stick around just to freeload meals, are you?"
"Arara."
Scratching his head with a hand still faintly stained with broth, Aokiji responded in a straightforward and serious tone, "That's exactly what I had in mind."
"!!!"
Hearing Aokiji's words, the Maude Pirates collectively displayed expressions of shock.
Maude, however, remained unfazed, his face calm as ever.
"Then stay," he said. "It just so happens that my ship is missing a proper ice maker."
"Ice maker, huh…"
Aokiji chuckled helplessly before studying Maude carefully.
Not even a shred of hesitation.
This man… always so unpredictable.
Aokiji thought to himself.
"Captain!"
"Boss, this guy was a Marine Admiral just a few days ago…"
Hearing how easily Maude welcomed Aokiji into the crew, the Maude Pirates were not exactly thrilled to gain such a powerful new ally. Instead, they were filled with concern, as if the words 'Aokiji is probably a Marine spy' were written across their faces.
Maude raised a hand, and with just that simple gesture, the crew fell silent, their protests stifled.
"A pirate should live freely, but rules still matter."
With that, Maude snapped his fingers.
From the shadow cast on the tavern floor, a pitch-black night owl emerged, fluttering toward a cabinet, retrieving a small, intricately crafted red-rimmed sake cup. It then flew toward Aokiji and placed the cup in front of him.
Plop—
Once the cup was set down, the shadow owl morphed midair into a hand, picked up a sake bottle, and filled the cup to the brim before sinking back into the table's surface, returning to the shadows.
"Kuzan, when I said 'always,' I wasn't joking. I don't need to explain what this drink signifies, do I? So… are you ready to decide?"
Maude gestured toward the filled sake cup.
"Arara, 'pirates should live freely'… Even though I'm no longer a Marine, that line still sounds unpleasant to me."
Aokiji stared at the sake cup, pausing for a moment before continuing:
"But perhaps… there are some things I can see more clearly from a pirate's perspective."
With that, he picked up the cup and downed its contents in one swift motion.
At that moment, former Marine Admiral Aokiji officially became a member of the Maude Pirates, taking on the name and identity of a pirate.
"This…"
The crew of the Maude Pirates stared in disbelief at Aokiji, who had just drunk the sake.
Under normal circumstances, they would be enthusiastically welcoming their new crewmate.
But the man before them had, just days ago, been an Admiral of the Marine Headquarters…
And now, he had inexplicably become their new comrade.
It felt surreal.
Due to Aokiji's sensitive past, none of them knew how to properly welcome him, so they remained silent.
Just then, Bailey, his face flushed from drinking, waddled along the table toward Aokiji on his short, pudgy legs.
"Hey, listen up. Crew rankings are determined by when you joined, so go ahead and call me Bailey-senpai!"
"?"
Aokiji tilted his head, looking at Bailey in confusion.
Seeing no reaction from Aokiji, Bailey bared his teeth and exhaled a puff of alcohol-laden breath.
"I'm one of the founding members of this crew, so it's only fair you call me 'Senpai,' right?"
"Oh? So that's how things work here…"
Aokiji let out a breath—not of alcohol, but of bone-chilling cold.
At the same time, ice slowly formed on his cheeks.
Hit by the sudden wave of frost, Bailey shivered, sobering up almost instantly. Along with the dissipating alcohol, his earlier bravado also vanished.
"Oniisama, need a fresh set of chopsticks? I can get them for you right now!"
"Arara, then I'll leave it to you."
Aokiji nodded slightly at Bailey.
Without hesitation, Bailey turned and dashed away like a rabbit.
In the end, he shoved the task of bringing the chopsticks onto Jim.
Behind the bar, the tavern owner, who had been trying to remain inconspicuous, stared at Aokiji in utter shock.
"What the hell kind of day is this?"
"The Maude Pirates, who don't even bat an eye at the Celestial Dragons, are drinking and dining in my run-down tavern—that's crazy enough."
"But an ex-Admiral of the Marines… joining them?!"
The tavern owner felt as if he had stepped into a dream.
Outside the tavern, an old shipwright, whose ears were particularly sharp, seemed to have overheard everything and was equally astonished.
"The empty seat among the Four Emperors… it looks like we're about to find out who's taking it."
The old shipwright murmured to himself in a hushed tone, his voice laced with astonishment.
"Never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd be repairing a ship for such an incredible bunch. Is this the world's way of giving me a few extra years? Oh ho ho..."
With that, the old shipwright gathered his energy and set to work on the repairs.
A week passed.
The repairs on the Underworld Ferry were nearing completion.
During a brief break in the shipwright's work, Maude and Lafitte walked to the harbor, inspecting the areas of the ship that had sustained the worst damage.
After a thorough check, all they could see were a few traces of repair work.
"Not bad at all, that old man..."
Maude was somewhat surprised by the shipwright's skill.
If the man weren't already half a step into the grave, Maude might have invited him aboard.
"Hoho, truly impressive."
Lafitte, pleased with the results, tapped his foot lightly on the deck.
"By the way, Lafitte, did the old man say when the repairs will be completely finished?"
"Fastest would be two days."
"That's quick."
Maude nodded in approval.
At that moment, an ice crystal drifted onto the deck.
Within seconds, the ice formed into the figure of Aokiji.
Hands in his pockets, he tilted his head back, gazing at the pirate flag that Jim had restored and repainted on the main mast.
"It's been days now, and you still don't have any questions for me?"
"Would you even answer if I asked?"
Maude glanced sideways at Aokiji.
"Arara..." Aokiji habitually scratched his cheek with a finger before saying, "I'm already part of your crew now."
"Alright then, since you put it that way, if I don't ask, wouldn't that make me seem heartless?"
Maude shifted his gaze back to the skull emblem on the sail.
"So tell me, Kuzan, are you a 'landmine' or a 'spy' that the Navy deliberately set loose?"
"Hey, hey."
Beads of sweat appeared on Aokiji's forehead. He spread his hands helplessly and said, "Do I even need to answer that? Of course not..."
Stuffing his hands back into his pockets, his tone suddenly turned serious.
"I've never believed that everything the World Government does is right. Nor do I think that the things I want to accomplish can only be done by staying in that 'position.'"
"So no need for doubts. Before the Navy's 'reformation' began, I had already truly 'left' the Marines... However, a change in identity and stance won't change who I am."
This was Aokiji's first statement since joining the Maude Pirates.
Maude shot him another glance and said, "Why does that sound like you're throwing shade at me?"
"Arara..."
Aokiji slowly turned his head to look at Maude. "If it's you, I don't think you'll disappoint me."
"Oh? So this is a kind of 'check and balance,' huh?"
Understanding dawned on Maude, and he replied indifferently:
"But that's fine. If gaining a top-tier fighter only costs me this much, I'd say it's a bargain. However... back at the tavern, I told you this already—pirates should live as they please."
"So don't expect me to make decisions against my own will just to retain a powerhouse."
Taking advantage of the moment, Maude made his stance clear.
He had recruited Aokiji for his strength, not to accommodate an aloof, uncooperative veteran.
"Arara."
Aokiji seemed deep in thought before asking seriously, "Would you mind sharing... your next destination?"
"We're heading to Dressrosa. And by the way, you don't have to be so formal."
Maude smiled slightly, as if the previous discussion was already behind them. He didn't hide their objective from Aokiji.
"Dressrosa, huh..."
Aokiji's eyes flickered beneath his sunglasses. He immediately understood Maude's reason for going there—clearly to uproot any remaining threats.
This could be an opportunity.
As he thought about the situation in Dressrosa, Aokiji mulled things over in his mind.
Suddenly.
A massive shadow appeared without warning, and within mere moments, it completely engulfed the small island.
The sudden darkness caused a commotion in the town.
Aokiji looked up toward the sky.
A gigantic floating island-ship loomed silently overhead.
The source of the shadow was clear—it was the floating vessel blocking out the sunlight.
"Thriller Bark..."
A single glance at the ship's underbelly was enough for Aokiji to recognize it instantly.
Maude and Lafitte also gazed at the hovering Thriller Bark.
"Finally, it's here."
"Hoho..."
As they watched, a tall and slender figure slowly descended from the edge of the floating ship.
That figure was Gaya.
"Hmm?"
From a distance, Gaya immediately noticed Aokiji's presence. Her amber eyes narrowed slightly as she quickened her descent, landing beside Maude in an instant.
She didn't say a word, but her eyes questioned him silently.
"Gaya, meet Kuzan. He's our new crewmate."
"..."
Gaya's face filled with surprise.
...
Two days later.
The repairs on the Underworld Ferry were complete.
Before departing, Maude paid the old shipwright a generous sum.
Then, under the shipwright's watchful gaze, Gaya activated her ability, lifting the Underworld Ferry into the sky and guiding it toward the floating Thriller Bark.
As the Underworld Ferry soared through the air, Aokiji stood at the deck's edge, watching the sea shrink below him. An indescribable feeling welled up inside.
Come to think of it, this was his first voyage as a pirate...
Moments after the Underworld Ferry docked onto Thriller Bark, the ship erupted in chaos.
"Oh my god, Admiral Aokiji is attacking!!!"
"Throw away the shovels and hammers! Grab your weapons!!!"
"Wait, where's my weapon?! Why do I only have a shovel?!"
"Isn't your weapon strapped to your back? The hell, man! You've been digging dirt for a few days and already lost your memory?! You don't even know where your weapon is?!"
"..."
Aokiji's presence nearly scared the laboring pirates to death.
After a wave of frantic scrambling, the ship finally settled down.
"Former Admiral Aokiji... is really one of us now?!"
"Unbelievable! This is insane!"
Even after learning that Aokiji had officially joined the Maude Pirates, the crewmates on Thriller Bark still found it hard to believe.
It was simply too shocking!
Setting aside their anxieties, the addition of a former Marine powerhouse was undeniably a massive morale boost!
However, one particular crew member, who had joined the Maude Pirates around the same time as Aokiji, felt an overwhelming pressure and secretly steeled his resolve.
A few days later.
News of Aokiji joining the Maude Pirates spread across the world in an instant.
Cavendish, who had been making headlines recently, barely had time to bask in the spotlight before Maude snatched it away yet again.
Just when the world was still reeling from Maude's takedown of a Celestial Dragon and his battle against Big Mom and Kaido—
Maude went and dropped yet another bombshell!
Once again, the world trembled at his name.
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