Chapter 3: The Rookie's Gift
Eustass Kid.
In the original work, he's a pirate of the "Worst Generation," along with Luffy, Zoro, and the other Supernovas. He's also a ruthless man who doesn't hesitate to kill.
Maud, out of habit, considered Kid a potential target. But thinking about it was one thing; acting on it was another entirely.
If the conditions were favorable, he would, of course, accept the experience value from Kid without hesitation.
But if the conditions didn't allow it, he wouldn't easily take the risk.
Especially not now, when he was a complete weakling.
The world of One Piece...
Maud withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to hide the strange emotion in his eyes.
Seeing a young Kid here was totally unexpected, like a trigger that caused his memories of One Piece, which were stored in a corner of his mind, to rush forward.
In the future, these memories would become crucial information for the Hunter's Notebook, which could then be transformed into experience points.
The arrival of Maud and Sunny gave the tense standoff a moment of pause.
Kid turned his head to look at Maud, who remained with his head down and said nothing. How could he know that this guy, who seemed so fragile, had designated him as one of his hunting targets?
If he had known, he probably would have just scoffed at him.
Without paying any more attention to Maud, Kid turned back to Saul and said bluntly:
"Tsk, where did you kidnap another free laborer from? I wonder how he'll die this time? I bet he'll be beaten to a pulp and become a useless pile of rotten meat on the street."
"Heh, in Mad Hatter Town, there's no shortage of 'undertakers.' With them, even if this kid were cut into dozens of pieces, they could extract some value from him. So, as long as he dies usefully, I don't care if I don't get any profit."
Saul, whose face was marked by the passage of years, shook his golden pipe, letting the ashes fall to the floor.
"Speaking of laborers, I have high expectations for you. What do you say, Kid? If you're willing to work for me, I'll not only get you Jinu's gun but also the Salamander's dagger, and I'll offer you a long-term supply of the best rum in the West Blue."
"Go to hell!"
Kid replied coldly, "I won't work under anyone."
"What a pity, what a pity."
Saul shook his head, as if he really meant it.
Maud listened to the conversation, which seemed to be taking place between the two of them as if no one else was present, and gained some useful information.
Mad Hatter Town?
West Blue?
A place where people kill each other in the streets and where there were gunshots a moment ago.
It was most likely an illegal and dark area where pirates gathered.
Thinking this, Maud took a discreet look at the shelves full of weapons in the shop.
It was a weapons store.
Furthermore, Saul, who appeared to be the owner, had a strange obsession with the "theory of value."
Maud thought to himself.
As a newcomer, he could only be cautious with what he said and did.
Noticing Maud's calmness, Saul's eyes glinted.
Then, he jumped off the stool and came out from behind the counter.
It was then that Maud realized Saul was less than a meter tall.
Unconsciously, he looked at the counter, which was over a meter and a half high, and guessed that Saul had been standing on the stool to be able to look Kid in the eye.
After exchanging words with Saul, Kid's patience was almost gone.
He looked at Saul, who was out from behind the counter, and asked coldly, "Are you going to sell me that gun or not?"
Saul looked at the cloth bag full of Berries that Kid was holding and asked, "Where did you get the money?"
A vein appeared on Kid's forehead, and he replied angrily, "It's none of your business where I got the money. Are you selling it or not?"
If he hadn't known that Saul wasn't an ordinary person, he wouldn't have wasted his time here.
Saul acted as if he didn't see Kid, who was about to get furious, and took a slow puff from his pipe.
"Didn't I just say it? I'd rather take apart Jinu's gun and throw it in the dump than sell it to you."
More veins popped on Kid's face. He looked at him with fury and said, "Then throw it!"
Tap, tap.
Saul tapped the counter wall with his pipe several times and said, "I'll throw it when I find a good day."
"You stupid old man!!!"
Kid was struggling to contain his rage.
In sharp contrast, Saul had a serene and calm expression.
Seeing the situation, Maud realized that Saul wasn't as weak as he seemed.
After all, making the irritable Kid, who didn't hesitate to take action, contain his emotions, meant he was a tough guy.
Maud watched the situation calmly and could feel the helplessness of Sunny beside him.
According to Sunny, although Saul was a miser, he wasn't the type of merchant who would stoop for money. Besides, he hated people who had no manners.
Therefore, if the attitude were a little more polite, Jinu's gun wasn't something that couldn't be sold. If the price was right, Saul would sell it without hesitation.
And Kid knew this perfectly well, but he didn't hold back at all, which is why they kept having this charade where the customer wanted to buy, but the owner didn't want to sell.
What Sunny found hardest to understand was that, with Saul's temperament, which had no time for business courtesies, he had tolerated Kid's attitude so many times.
She didn't know what Saul saw in Kid.
Kid couldn't get the better of Saul, and since he didn't want to put up with it anymore, he took the money bag and headed for the door, which had one of the wooden leaves open.
"Don't go far."
Saul looked at Kid's back and said to him in a neutral tone.
Kid didn't turn around.
He took a few steps toward the door, but suddenly stopped.
Bang!
The other wooden door was kicked open by a man holding a machete.
The door slammed against the wall, emitting a dull sound, and almost came apart.
The man was covered in blood and had a murderous aura. It was clear that he had just killed a lot of people.
He walked into the store, and the first thing he saw was the bulging bag Kid was holding. His cold murderous intent turned into a comment filled with gritted teeth.
"Brat, it took me a lot to find you."
"Where did this stray dog come from?"
Kid looked coldly at the man and smiled slightly.
In front of the counter, Saul narrowed his eyes. He first looked at the right wooden door, which Kid had kicked earlier, and then looked at the left wooden door, which the man with the machete had just kicked.
So they liked to kick doors.
Saul's face was covered in coldness.
The man with the machete only had eyes for Kid and paid no attention to the others. He held his machete and looked at Kid with anger.
"I am a man with a bounty of 11 million Berries. They call me the Execu..."
"Slap!"
The man's familiar monologue, which he had obviously said before, was interrupted by a slap from Saul, who had somehow gotten behind him and knocked him unconscious.
Kid's pupils instantly shrank. He was the closest to the man, but he hadn't seen Saul's movements.
This old man... he really wasn't easy to deal with.
Saul landed softly.
Due to his short stature, if he hadn't jumped, he would have only been able to hit the man's knees.
After landing, Saul didn't bother to look at the unconscious man lying on the floor. He turned to look at Kid, who was still standing. "Well, do you want to stay for dinner?"
Kid's cheek twitched. He left without looking back.
Seeing Kid leave, Saul closed the shop door, which was about to come off its hinges.
Sunny approached Saul and whispered, "I think you're being too 'friendly' with Kid."
"Friendly?"
Saul turned to look at Sunny and smiled, "'Partiality' might be a more appropriate word."
"Hmm." Sunny nodded. As she took the valuables from the unconscious man, she said again, "I think you're being too 'partial' to Kid."
"Hehe."
Saul put away his golden pipe and picked up the bloody machete that had fallen to the floor.
"In this world, there is no black or white, nor is there justice. If I'm 'partial' to him, it's because he has the value for me to be 'partial' to him."
After saying these words, Saul had already wiped the machete clean and placed it on one of the shelves, instantly turning the machete into a salable item.
Seeing the ability of both of them to talk and collect riches at the same time, Maud felt ashamed.
After placing the machete, Saul walked over to the man and kicked him in the head.
"This guy's head is worth some money, but it's a shame it can't be exchanged for cash. By the way, what was his name?"
"He's Evan Watts, the captain of the Ghost Knife Pirate gang. They call him the Executioner, and he's a well-known swordsman of the West Blue, with a bounty of 11 million Berries."
Sunny put the valuables she had found on the counter.
As a small and incompetent informant in Mad Hatter Town, she was kind enough to complete the pirate's monologue, which Saul had interrupted earlier.
"Oh."
Saul stroked his chin and suddenly looked at Maud, who had remained discreet and silent.
"You, come here."
Maud saw that Saul was pointing at him, and without saying anything, he walked over to him.
Saul patted Maud's knee and raised an eyebrow: "Can't you respect your elders? Do I need to remind you to sit?"
The corner of Maud's mouth twitched, and he understood instantly. He sat on the floor, crossing his legs, thus managing to be at the same level as Saul.
With their eye level finally equalized, Saul nodded with satisfaction and examined Maud closely.
In terms of first impressions, he was most satisfied with the calmness Maud had shown from beginning to end, as it was not the mental quality of a normal person.
"What's your name?"
"Bacardi Maud."
That was the signature on the photo, and since the name was the same, it saved Maud from having to think of one.
"This last name..."
Saul muttered something and, out of habit, looked at the little informant, Sunny.
Sunny reminded him, "The ones who sell wine."
Saul understood instantly: "Oh! I remember now. Their rum is quite good, and didn't it appear in the newspapers a couple of days ago? They said that the armed merchant ship that was transporting their goods was robbed by a pirate gang, and that no one, including the head of the family, survived."
Sunny nodded, "That's right."
"Hmm, then this is interesting."
Saul turned to look at Maud, and his eyes slowly narrowed.
After a while, without waiting for Maud to react, Saul suddenly pulled out a small dagger that was no different from a fruit knife and offered it to Maud with a smile.
"Take it as a farewell to your past, and kill this guy, Watts."
"No problem!"
Maud's eyes opened and closed, and without hesitation, he accepted the dagger Saul offered him.
His face remained calm, but his heart was filled with joy.
This was a benefit that came to him on a silver platter.
Maud looked at Watts, who was unconscious.
I'll remember you, Evan Watts, the man known as the Executioner, with a bounty of 11 million Berries.
Maud paid his silent respects.
Seeing that Maud was so obedient and decisive, Saul felt even more satisfied.
But then, Maud said, "I'd like to go to the bathroom first."
"..." Saul.
"..." Sunny.