As his strength grew, controlling the shadows of inanimate objects with sheer will had become second nature to Maude.
This also meant that from the moment he could effortlessly manipulate external shadows, he had elevated the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's abilities to an entirely new level.
Paramecia had transcended beyond Paramecia—
This statement was no mere exaggeration.
A mass of shadow enveloping the Venomous Hellhound floated steadily in midair under Maude's control.
Since shadows, by nature, did not fall under the category of living beings, they were inherently immune to ice and fire. In a way, they were also the ultimate counter to poison.
"Here, you can have it back."
Maude swung his blade, pointing it toward Blackbeard, Van Augur, Doc Q, and Catarina Devon as they retreated.
With that motion, the shadow mass tightly encasing the Venomous Hellhound suddenly soared above the Blackbeard Pirates.
At the same time, beehive-like holes appeared beneath the shadow mass. An invisible force squeezed it tightly, compressing it inward.
Under the immense pressure, the Venomous Hellhound's body crumbled apart, turning into a viscous toxic sludge that spilled through the holes, cascading down like a torrential downpour toward the Blackbeard Pirates.
"!!!"
Watching the poisonous rain descend, not only did Blackbeard and his crew react in shock, but even Shiryu, whose ability had been borrowed, was visibly startled.
"Hey, Shiryu! What the hell are you doing?!"
Catarina Devon's expression darkened slightly as she swiftly dodged the pouring venom, shouting in frustration.
Poison was the quintessential tool for the weak to defeat the strong, and in battle, it was an utter nightmare to deal with.
Shiryu, his face tense, ignored Catarina Devon's complaints. With a forceful stomp, he charged straight toward Maude, venom dripping from his body.
Seeing Shiryu launch a frontal attack, Maude remained unfazed.
Rumble—!
The fragmented, rubble-strewn ground in front of Maude suddenly surged upward, forming sharp, jagged stone pillars.
It was Gaya's doing.
So far, none of Maude's enemies had realized the grave mistake they had made.
That was—
From the moment Gaya set foot on Dressrosa, the entire island had already fallen under her control.
The stone pillars, coiling like the body of a serpent, aimed their razor-sharp tips at Shiryu.
Swish—!
In the next instant, the pillars shot forth from all directions, piercing toward Shiryu.
"..."
Shiryu abruptly halted his advance, slashing out a flying blade strike that shattered the incoming rock formations.
But in the blink of an eye, the shattered remnants reassembled themselves, continuing their relentless assault from above.
A cold glint flashed in Shiryu's eyes. Left with no choice, he withdrew his blade and retreated to evade the attacks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The stone pillars slammed into the spot where Shiryu had stood moments ago, leaving deep cavities in the ground from the sheer force.
Having used her Float-Float Fruit ability to force Shiryu back, Gaya narrowed her eyes and leisurely walked to Maude's side.
"You're getting more adept, Gaya."
Maude tilted his head toward Gaya, his shadow-covered face revealing a faint, barely perceptible smile.
He was, of course, referring to Gaya's growing mastery over the Float-Float Fruit.
"Still a long way to go."
Gaya shook her head slightly, keeping her gaze locked on the formidable Blackbeard Pirates ahead.
She knew she still had much to learn before she could fully master her Devil Fruit's power.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of polished leather shoes striking the ground came from behind.
Lafitte, twirling his cane, strode over to Maude's side.
Following closely were Law, gripping Kikoku, and Perona, floating in midair.
As for the other members of the crew, including Kuzan, they stood facing Ace and his Whitebeard Pirates allies, as well as the Marines led by Fujitora. This created a tense but silent standoff.
Neither side made a move.
Or rather, they all silently agreed that eliminating the Blackbeard Pirates took priority.
It was an unspoken understanding.
So when Maude launched his attack, aside from the impulsive Ace, the others merely observed, careful not to disrupt the fragile equilibrium.
After all, with four opposing forces gathered in one place, if they could quietly eliminate one of them, it would be the best possible outcome.
With these factors in play, it was inevitable that the Blackbeard Pirates became the first to be targeted.
"If we can use this opportunity to 'borrow strength' and take down the Blackbeard Pirates, it wouldn't be a bad thing. If only…"
Chaton trailed off mid-sentence, his gaze flickering as he took in the tense battlefield.
If they could eliminate the Maude Pirates as well, now that would be something truly worth celebrating.
This was the thought Chaton swallowed back.
Pirates killing each other was always a welcome sight for the Marines.
In situations like these, the Marines were more than happy to fan the flames, handing out weapons if necessary.
That was exactly what Chaton was thinking, and though most of the other Marines didn't show it, they shared the same sentiment.
Only Fujitora had his mind set elsewhere.
"We have other matters to attend to."
After a moment of contemplation, Fujitora sheathed his cane sword.
"Other matters?"
Chaton was taken aback, looking at Fujitora in confusion.
Fujitora remained silent, his gaze shifting toward Dressrosa's town.
With the effects of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit's power undone, freed pirates and criminals were now unleashing their pent-up rage, causing chaos across multiple parts of the city.
Through his Observation Haki, Fujitora could clearly perceive the unrest.
In his mind, protecting civilians took precedence over eliminating pirates.
But what ultimately led to his decision wasn't just the ongoing disorder—it was the fact that the aftermath of this battle would inevitably reach the city.
With the destructive power of the combatants present, if precautions weren't taken, Dressrosa would be reduced to rubble in mere minutes.
"The safety of the people is more important, isn't it?"
With those words, Fujitora turned and walked toward the large entrance of the city, marked by its distinctive mushroom-shaped rock formations.
Hearing this, Chaton—who also deeply valued civilian safety—finally snapped out of his battle-driven mindset, feeling a wave of guilt.
He immediately took charge of the Marines, shifting their focus to protecting the civilians.
As one of the most formidable figures present, Fujitora's every action was closely watched by all.
Seeing him ignore the battlefield and head toward the city without any intent to fight, Maude and the others quickly understood his intentions.
"Classic Issho."
Maude murmured to himself.
Of all the Marines, he respected Fujitora the most—bar none.
Shifting his gaze away from the departing admiral, Maude turned his attention back to Blackbeard.
Even with Fujitora withdrawing from the fight to prioritize the civilians, it didn't change Maude's resolve—
The Blackbeard Pirates were not leaving here in one piece.
Blackbeard glanced at Fujitora's retreat, his eyes flickering with an unreadable expression.
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