Kuma entered Law's "Operating Room."
Maude was surprised but chose not to interfere.
After spending some time at the temporary base, Maude left alone, heading to a small forest just outside the village.
Leaning against a lifeless, withered tree, Maude flipped open the cover of his wristwatch Den Den Mushi and dialed the special number Sabo had prepared for him.
A few seconds later, the line connected.
"Mo... It's rare for you to call."
On the other end, Sabo's slightly breathless voice came through, accompanied by the background sounds of clashing weapons and gunfire.
Perhaps due to this, Sabo refrained from directly addressing Maude by name.
"Are you busy?" Maude asked, lifting his eyelids at the sound of the ongoing battle.
"Ah, a little," Sabo replied casually, followed immediately by the dull sound of fists landing with heavy impact.
Maude guessed that Sabo must be in the middle of a fight. To answer the phone under such circumstances... truly reckless.
"In that case, I'll call back tonight," Maude said.
"No need. If you're calling, it must be something important," Sabo responded, his voice just finishing as a thunderous explosion erupted in the background.
Judging by the intensity of the noise, it seemed like a fierce battle.
The Revolutionary Army didn't actively engage in battles unless it was for something crucial, like freeing slaves or overthrowing a nation...
Could they be attacking a country right now?
Maude shook his head slightly. Regardless, if Sabo said it wasn't a problem, there was no need to hang up. He got straight to the point.
"Kuma has come to Lorre Island. Did you send him here?"
"Kuma? Which Kuma?"
"Bartholomew Kuma, the Warlord of the Sea."
"..."
Sabo went silent on the other end.
Seeing this, Maude suddenly remembered that Kuma's public identity was as a Warlord, not as a cadre of the Revolutionary Army.
Thinking deeper, even if Kuma came to Lorre Island, Sabo wouldn't be in a position to inform him about it.
At first, Maude was puzzled as to why Sabo hadn't mentioned this. Now, it made sense—not saying anything was normal.
After a few seconds of silence, Sabo's voice came back through the Den Den Mushi.
"I'll call you back later."
As soon as he finished speaking, the call disconnected.
Maude stared at the now-silent Den Den Mushi.
It seemed he had inadvertently startled Sabo.
After all, not many people were aware that Kuma was a Revolutionary Army cadre. Even a subtle mention of the connection was enough to make Sabo tense up.
Maude closed the cover of the wristwatch Den Den Mushi and began thinking about how to explain this to Sabo later.
Suddenly, he looked toward a shadowy area to his side.
"You're here," he said calmly.
"Heh heh..."
From the shadows emerged Lafitte, smiling. "I took the liberty of following you. Hope you don't mind?"
"Why would I?" Maude shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. "In fact, I've got something to discuss with you."
"About hunting?"
Lafitte approached, the pale, bloodless complexion of his face curling into a peculiar smile.
"You guessed it?"
Maude chuckled.
Lafitte nodded, his tone serious. "With such a powerful 'bodyguard' here and with news of us being on Lorre Island leaking into the underworld, wouldn't it be a waste not to take advantage?"
"Heh..."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Maude's mouth. "A group of prey showed up today. With him around, it didn't take much effort to take them down."
"Heh heh," Lafitte chuckled softly, imagining the scene. With Issho's ability, it was likely that a single gravitational pressure had crushed the troublemakers who came to Lorre Island.
Maude looked at Lafitte. "Still, without your hypnosis ability, it took me quite a bit of effort to extract information."
Lafitte slowly twirled his cane, smiling. "Then, let me join you from now on."
"Alright," Maude agreed.
Lafitte stopped spinning his cane, resting it on his back as he reminded, "That man's Observation Haki is exceptionally strong. He might notice your ability."
"It doesn't matter," Maude replied, gazing at the bare branches above. "This is a rare opportunity. Harvesting experience is more important than anything else."
"Heh heh..."
Lafitte quietly observed Maude.
Although Maude's handsome face remained calm, Lafitte could sense the urgency hidden beneath the surface.
Being easily suppressed by Issho earlier, combined with Doflamingo's overwhelming display of power during his recent visit, served as stark reminders of their weakness.
It was only natural that Maude would want to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Maude said nothing further, continuing to gaze at the lifeless branches above.
Lafitte stood silently beside him.
The forest was quiet.
After a long while, the Den Den Mushi rang suddenly, its sound breaking the stillness.
It seemed Sabo had found the time to call back.
Maude flipped open the cover of the wristwatch Den Den Mushi and answered.
"Maude, how did you find out?"
Once connected, Sabo's voice came through, starting with a direct question.
Maude paused, feigning ignorance. "Find out what?"
"Kuma's identity."
"Oh, I guessed," Maude replied.
"..."
The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds before Sabo's skeptical voice returned.
"I don't believe you."
"Alright. Kuma accidentally let it slip. I wasn't entirely sure at first, but now, I am," Maude admitted.
"..."
Another bout of silence followed.
Maude imagined Sabo's current expression and couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Sabo, Kuma doesn't know I'm aware of this," Maude added.
"That..."
Sabo felt as though he had been set up, sighing heavily before responding solemnly. "Maude, regarding Kuma's identity..."
"Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret until my dying breath."
"Good..."
Far away, atop the walls of a certain country, Sabo stood in the wind, black smoke rising behind him.
"Recently, Kuma mentioned Lorre Island. I didn't expect him to go there. Since he knows our relationship, he should be able to assist you."
Sabo glanced at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
Back on Lorre Island, Maude confirmed Kuma's stance and smiled as he spoke into the Den Den Mushi. "Got it."
With that, he decisively hung up.
On the other end, Sabo stared at the now-silent specialized Den Den Mushi in his hand.
"Sabo, even you have days where someone hangs up on you first?" Koala teased from behind him.
Sabo chuckled helplessly and dialed another number.
It wasn't Maude he was calling this time—it was Kuma.
Some things still needed to be clarified.
Over the next ten days, countless bounty hunters and pirates came for Maude's head.
However...
Regardless of their numbers or strength, none could stir up any trouble in Issho's presence.
Maude jokingly insisted that Issho shouldn't unnecessarily dirty his hands, collecting a slew of valuable bounties himself.
With Issho's efficient assistance and the continuous flow of "worthy prey," the stars in Maude's Hunter's Notebook multiplied at an astonishing rate.
The rewards from these hunts pushed Maude's Physique to six stars, marking a breakthrough into a new stage, with his body undergoing a profound transformation.
Unexpectedly, among the prey were several individuals proficient in Armament Haki, allowing Maude's Haki to advance to four stars.
The enormous gains brought an uncontrollable grin to Maude's face.
On the eleventh day, at noon, a Marine warship appeared off Lorre Island's coast.
The Marines aboard were greeted by the sight of countless empty ships docked along the shoreline.
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