One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Upon seeing the Tempest Kick slash headed his way, Maude didn't think twice—he ran.

Surrounded by a crowd of pirates devoid of any fighting spirit, blending in was his best bet. With so many towering, burly figures around, surely he and Sunny wouldn't be the ones singled out, right?

With this thought driving him, Maude charged into the mass of pirates.

But first, getting through the hole in the wall and reaching the pig farm was paramount.

Maude had barely covered some distance when the group of pirates behind him fell victim to the relentless Navy officer wielding the Six Powers.

The pursuer was none other than Captain Robbie.

Mindful of the notorious "Phantom Gun," only Robbie and Gion had entered Mad Hat Town to hunt down the fleeing pirates. Even after encountering Wolfrat along the way, the three of them had split up, hoping to kill as many pirates as possible.

Robbie had already lost count of how many pirates he'd taken down as he carved a path through the chaos with his mastery of the Six Powers. But dispatching fodder brought him no satisfaction.

After dealing with the pirates before him, Robbie turned his gaze toward Wall Mountain in the distance. A steady stream of pirates was fleeing through town, flowing like a river toward the cave at the base of the mountain.

"Do they really think they'll be safe there?" Robbie smirked coldly, though he had no intention of provoking the massive crowd gathering below Wall Mountain.

Confident in his abilities but not foolish, Robbie knew better than to believe he could take on such overwhelming numbers.

If Admiral Aokiji were involved, however, he could've frozen them all in place with a single move.

Deciding to let the pirates at Wall Mountain be, Robbie focused instead on those still within his reach. His sharp gaze locked onto the fleeing group ahead.

Moonwalk.

Kicking off the ground, Robbie launched into the sky, his body brimming with killing intent as he closed the distance with the pirates below.

The sound of air pressure bursts from behind spurred the pirates to run even faster, a mix of fear and desperation driving them forward.

Among them, Maude glanced back at Robbie, who was using Moonwalk to pursue them, and cursed under his breath. All he could do now was hope that the "shields" around him would hold up.

But Robbie quickly closed in. With two swift Tempest Kick slashes, he sent over a dozen pirates crashing to the ground.

The fleeing group thinned out rapidly, and within seconds, only about ten pirates remained—Maude included.

With fewer targets to distract him, Robbie's gaze naturally fell on Maude, who was carrying Sunny on his back. He didn't seem too concerned; to him, the remaining pirates were already as good as dead.

A few quick Moonwalk steps brought Robbie directly in front of the group. Without hesitation, he darted to the nearest pirate.

Finger Pistol.

Robby's finger pierced the pirate's chest, striking the heart with precision.

One hit, one kill.

As he pulled his blood-stained finger free, Robbie turned his attention to the remaining pirates. He didn't plan on taking on the horde beneath Wall Mountain but intended to finish off these stragglers before resuming his hunt within Mad Hat Town.

His cold eyes swept over the group until they landed on Maude. His expression froze.

"Oh?"

Robbie's voice carried a hint of surprise.

Maude instantly realized that this Navy officer recognized him. Without wasting a moment, he darted to the side, hoping to slip past Robbie.

But now that Robbie had identified Maude, he wouldn't let him escape so easily.

Shave.

In a blink, Robbie appeared in front of Maude, his finger aiming directly at Maude's forehead.

Reacting swiftly, Maude unsheathed Chidori and slashed toward the incoming Finger Pistol, the blade leaving a ghostly blue arc in its wake.

"What quick reflexes…" Robbie's expression shifted as he withdrew his attack, narrowly avoiding the strike. A moment later and he would've lost his finger.

After retreating to a safer distance, Robby unleashed two crossed Tempest Kick slashes, aimed straight at Maude.

Maude's gaze turned cold. Infusing Chidori's blade with Haki, he turned it jet-black before slashing through the incoming attacks.

The Tempest Kick waves shattered like glass, dispersing into wild winds that lashed at the surroundings.

Quickly retracting his Haki, Maude conserved his limited energy. Having only recently awakened Armament Haki, he had little to spare. Thankfully, his precise control allowed him to coat only the blade of his sword, minimizing waste.

But it was enough to neutralize Robbie's attacks.

Watching Maude shatter his Tempest Kick slashes, Robbie's eyes flashed with surprise.

"In just a few short months, you've gone from a spoiled noble to… this. No wonder Gion sees you as a threat."

"Get out of the way," Maude said coldly, his sword at the ready.

Robbie's face darkened. He dragged his foot across the ground, drawing a short line in the dirt.

"Sorry, this road is closed."

During their standoff, the few remaining pirates seized the opportunity to flee toward Wall Mountain. Meanwhile, the horde of pirates clogging the mountain cave barely spared a glance at Maude and Robbie, too focused on reaching the pig farm to consider their next move.

Back at the scene, Robbie's gaze briefly fell on Sunny. Noticing her frostbitten, swollen leg, he paused.

Frostbite? Was this… Admiral Aokiji's doing?

But if Aokiji had acted, how had these two made it this far?

Robbie narrowed his eyes at Maude. "Did you… encounter Admiral Aokiji?"

"Aokiji? Who's that?" Maude replied nonchalantly, his mind already plotting his escape route.

Robbie's expression hardened. "Then how do you explain her frostbite?"

"Oh, you mean that tall, ugly guy? So, his name is Aokiji?"

"Hmm? So you did meet him. But how is that possible…"

Robbie's face twisted with confusion. In his mind, it was inconceivable that anyone could escape once Aokiji made a move. And yet, here they were.

What happened?

Maude's eyes narrowed, and he smirked. "So his name is Aokiji. Yeah, he was strong. Took quite the effort to take him down."

Sunny: "…"

"Impossible!"

Robbie's eyes widened in shock, his composure breaking for a split second.

Bang!

Maude fired his flintlock pistol.

Mad Hat Auction House, Rooftop.

"Achoo!"

Aokiji sneezed suddenly.

"Could I be catching a cold?"

He rubbed his nose absentmindedly, completely unfazed by the irony of his situation as a user of the Ice-Ice Fruit.

His gaze drifted away from the fierce clash between Garp and Saul, almost instinctively turning toward a distant street.

The two youngsters with frozen legs? Nowhere in sight.

A large question mark appeared over Aokiji's head.

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