Before returning to the Sabaody Archipelago, Maude read in the newspaper about the Blackbeard Pirates attacking Drum Island.
At that time, he wasn't entirely sure about the exact timeline.
However, it had to be soon…
After that, he spent over a month in the Sabaody Archipelago.
During this period,
Every well-known pirate who arrived at the archipelago met the same fate—shot dead by Maude without exception.
The rewards gained from these kills steadily strengthened his power, bit by bit.
Aside from that, Maude spent most of his free time refining his Shadow-Shadow Fruit abilities.
To ensure that his Devil Fruit could accommodate more of his creative ideas, he had to maximize his mastery of its powers—until he reached the point of awakening.
That was why he was eagerly anticipating the upcoming great war.
And today, at last, he saw a news report related to the Straw Hat Pirates.
This meant—
The tide… had begun to rise!
However, what Maude hadn't expected was that even Usopp had been given a bounty—and a starting amount of 20 million berries, no less.
While this bounty wasn't anything special in the Grand Line, it was quite significant for the East Blue.
"He should be proficient in Observation Haki by now, right?"
Maude smiled as he looked at Usopp's bounty photo in the newspaper. His appearance had changed somewhat from how he remembered, bearing an even stronger resemblance to Yasopp.
In a world where lineage held great significance, Usopp, as the son of Yasopp—the lead sniper of a Yonko's crew—was bound to possess remarkable innate talent.
Mastering Observation Haki was an expected outcome.
The only question was whether Usopp, with his current physique, could break through the barrier of Armament Haki using the method Maude had taught him.
"It probably won't be easy. If it were Luffy or Zoro, they'd likely achieve it naturally…"
Lost in thought, Maude suddenly sensed an unusual gaze directed at him from the side.
The source of that gaze was Perona.
She glanced at Usopp's bounty poster and asked curiously, "Maude, is this long-nosed guy your son or something?"
"What makes you say that?"
Maude calmly folded the newspaper and turned to look at Perona, who was staring at him with curiosity.
"And also, his name is Usopp, not 'long-nosed guy.'"
Perona hesitated for a moment before answering seriously, "Because when you looked at Usopp's photo… your expression seemed really… fatherly. So, is he actually your…?"
"No. I don't even have a woman, so where would a son come from?"
Maude shook his head.
Since Perona had asked so seriously, he responded just as seriously.
"Huh? Are you trying to imply something?!"
Upon hearing Maude's words, Perona's imagination ran wild. She instinctively took two steps back, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"…"
Seeing Perona's reaction, Maude sighed and said, "Save it. With your figure, I wouldn't have the slightest interest."
"What did you just say!!!"
One moment, Perona had been shivering in nervous anticipation, and the next, she transformed into an enraged wildcat, baring her fangs and claws!
At that moment, a hand suddenly reached around from behind her, pressing against her flat chest.
"Eh?"
The unexpected groping left Perona completely frozen.
Then, she heard a teasing voice from Shakky.
"Yeah… not much to work with."
"Shakky…!"
Perona looked as if she had been struck by lightning, her entire being drained of energy as though a ghost had passed through her body.
Shakky withdrew her hand and instead gave Perona's head a light pat, chuckling. "Don't be discouraged. I know a way to make them bigger—if you want."
"Really? I—"
Perona's eyes lit up, and she was about to nod enthusiastically when she suddenly stopped, her mind spinning with conflicted thoughts.
"No, wait."
"I already look super cute."
"If my body gets better too…"
"That demon behind me would definitely make a move!!!"
"But…"
"If Shakky really can help me improve my figure, then I wouldn't have to endure that demon and that ugly skunk mocking me anymore!"
Perona was in the middle of a fierce internal struggle.
During this process—
One moment, she clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, eyes brimming with hope;
The next, she furrowed her brows and lowered her head in deep contemplation;
And then, within seconds, she held her head in both hands, looking as though she was about to cry.
Her rapid emotional shifts were perfectly reflected in her expressions and movements, making for an amusing spectacle.
Shakky, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh.
She wondered how little Maude had managed to recruit so many interesting crewmates.
Meanwhile, Maude paid no attention to Perona and Shakky's brief exchange. Instead, he had Bailey fetch a white Den Den Mushi to prevent eavesdropping.
This rare white Den Den Mushi had been snatched from Cavendish.
Who knew how Cavendish had managed to collect so many different kinds of Den Den Mushi?
"It's time…"
Now that the Straw Hat Pirates had officially returned to the stage, Maude wouldn't just sit idly by and wait for the tide to rise.
He had to make preparations—
To ensure that the upcoming war, one that would reshape the future, would escalate into an even grander spectacle!
—
At the same time…
The Straw Hat Pirates had arrived at the island where Loguetown was located, just one step away from Reverse Mountain and the Grand Line.
But as soon as they stepped into Loguetown, they found themselves caught in the middle of a chaotic battle.
And the one leading this battle wasn't Smoker, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit user stationed in Loguetown.
"Usopp, why do you have so many 'enemies' after you?"
Zoro, his chest wrapped in numerous bandages, swung his swords and took down two armed attackers.
Panting, he glanced around at the growing number of foes, all of whom were shouting about wanting to kill Usopp.
Judging by the bloodstained bandages on his body, it seemed fate had remained unchanged, and he had still encountered Mihawk before entering the Grand Line.
"What enemies?! I don't even know these guys!!!"
Usopp fired off a rapid barrage of shots, taking down seven or eight foes in an instant, completely baffled by the situation.
"They're probably after your bounty."
Sanji, dressed in a black suit, delivered a sharp flying kick, effortlessly sending several enemies away from Nami. He then exhaled a puff of smoke and lowered his cigarette.
"Huh? If that's really the case, shouldn't they be going after Luffy instead?"
Usopp tilted his head, glancing at Luffy not far away, who was knocking down waves of enemies with his Gatling attack.
In terms of bounties, Luffy's was a full ten million higher than his own.
Yet, these guys were only shouting about wanting him dead, completely ignoring Luffy.
"Now that you mention it…"
Sanji found the point reasonable but was still puzzled.
The battle grew more intense.
In just a short moment, nearly a hundred people lay sprawled across the ground, taken out by Luffy and the crew.
With a few burly fighters guarding her, Nami remained perfectly safe.
"Usopp, they…"
Nami's ears twitched slightly as she listened to the enemies closing in while shouting something. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"They seem to be yelling for you to change your name…"
"Huh?"
Usopp froze.
"Change my name?"
"?" Sanji.
"??" Zoro.
"???" Luffy.
On a distant high-rise, Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, stood with a calm expression, his green hooded cloak billowing as he observed what could barely be called a battle—it was more of a ridiculous brawl.
Closer to the scene, Smoker arrived on his sleek motorbike, frowning as he surveyed the chaotic fight involving the Straw Hat Pirates.
With just a glance, he recognized the attackers—they were members of the underground syndicates active across the city districts.
But…
"What the hell is going on?"
Smoker couldn't make sense of it.
Fixated on the chaos, he remained oblivious to the presence of a world-class criminal watching from the distance.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parenthesis ( )]
There are more than 400 advance chapters available for you!