The Marines had dispatched Vice Admiral Momonga.
Maude wasn't the least bit surprised.
What did catch his attention, however, was Aokiji...
A full-fledged Marine Admiral, abandoning his post at Marine Headquarters, where he was supposed to guard the lofty Celestial Dragons, just to trouble a pirate with a bounty of only a little over 300 million berries?
That was excessive.
Still, Maude felt no fear this time.
With Issho in the front and Kuma covering the back, even Aokiji couldn't do much against him.
Without paying much attention to the fight between Issho and Aokiji, Maude and Lafitte returned to the village.
At the entrance to the village, they saw Kuma standing by the roadside, as though waiting for them.
"Kuma, what are you doing here?"
Maude looked at Kuma, who was standing motionless like a statue, with some surprise.
Kuma lowered his gaze toward Maude and asked, "What happened?"
His Observation Haki wasn't strong enough to fully perceive what was happening by the coastline, but he had seen the meteors brought down by Issho's powers.
That alone spoke volumes.
Concerned about Maude's safety, Kuma came to the outskirts of the village. Initially, he had planned to head straight for the coast, but when he sensed Maude's presence approaching the village, he decided to wait.
"A group of Marines arrived, along with... Aokiji." Maude explained briefly.
"Aokiji?"
Kuma's eyes flickered, surprised by the Admiral's arrival.
Had Maude grown important enough to warrant an Admiral's personal attention?
In truth, Aokiji had merely stumbled upon this place by chance. By "chance," it meant that he had been traveling from island to island.
On his way to Lorre Island, Aokiji had even found a small, desolate island that seemed perfect for napping, where he had spent several days.
That was why Vice Admiral Momonga had arrived on Lorre Island before Aokiji.
Kuma didn't know the full story, and seeing Maude return unharmed, he stopped overthinking it and paid no further attention to the situation at the coastline.
Under Sabo's instructions, his priority was Maude and his crew's safety. Issho, meanwhile, wasn't his concern.
Once he had clarified the situation, Kuma turned and walked away.
Maude watched Kuma's retreating figure curiously, shook his head, and continued toward the village.
Out on the open plains, the ground was covered in a sheet of ice riddled with countless cracks.
Massive meteors, frozen into sculptures, lay scattered across the ice.
Nearby, several deep craters of varying sizes marred the landscape.
Sitting alone atop an ice pillar, Aokiji tilted his head, gazing off in a particular direction.
"Issho, huh…"
Moments later, he muttered to himself, "From my position, there are certain lines I can't cross."
Reflecting on his earlier clash with Issho, Aokiji's expression gradually grew more serious.
Observation Haki.
Armament Haki.
And even Devil Fruit powers.
Issho matched him in all respects.
Such an individual, if they were to align with the pirate faction, would be a significant problem.
As a Marine Admiral, Aokiji was all too aware of the strategic weight a top-tier combatant carried.
If Issho were to truly join Maude's crew...
Just the thought of it gave Aokiji a headache.
"What a hassle…"
He sighed softly.
Not long after, Aokiji turned his head toward Vice Admiral Momonga, who was limping toward him, his body heavily injured.
"Your injuries look severe. Maybe you should get back to the ship and let the medic tend to you first," Aokiji said indifferently.
"It's not a big deal."
Momonga's face was pale, clearly straining to keep himself upright.
Aokiji could see through it but didn't press the issue. Glancing at Momonga's chest, he said calmly, "Let's just pretend nothing happened today."
"Why?"
Momonga asked in confusion.
Aokiji withdrew his gaze from Momonga and looked once again in the direction Issho had gone. With a meaningful tone, he said, "There's no need to throw yourself into something like this. Surviving is more important than anything else."
Momonga bowed his head in silence.
What had happened today was nothing short of humiliation for him.
"But…"
Momonga suddenly raised his head, looking solemnly at Aokiji. "That man's strength is undeniable, and his connection to Maude's crew cannot be ignored!"
In his words, he had already labeled Issho as an ally of the Maude Pirates.
Compared to his own humiliation, the potential threat posed by Issho was far more significant.
From his perspective, it was only natural to suggest issuing a bounty for Issho as soon as possible.
But Aokiji, who understood Issho's nature far better than Momonga, had gauged Issho's stance during their battle. He wouldn't allow such a reckless move.
Letting Momonga and the others treat today's events as though they never happened was Aokiji's way of keeping Issho out of the mess.
"Think about it. Why do you think Maude spared your lives?"
"It's because of that man."
Momonga muttered, his expression dazed. "Who exactly is he?"
Recalling the events of ten minutes ago, Aokiji said in a strange tone, "He calls himself Fujitora now. Strictly speaking, he's a half-hearted bounty hunter."
"A bounty hunter… Fujitora…"
Momonga etched the name into his memory.
Aokiji scratched his cheek.
Ten minutes earlier, Issho had even taken the time to explain the origin of that name.
Apparently, Maude had come up with it.
Aokiji thought of Maude, then of Gion.
Speaking of which, Gion seemed to be on her way to Lorre Island as well.
Hopefully, she'd arrive later rather than sooner.
Otherwise, things might get even more troublesome.
Kuzan sighed inwardly.
Nearby, Momonga took a deep breath, wincing as his injuries flared up.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he turned to Aokiji, about to speak, but Aokiji cut him off.
"Let them be."
Aokiji knew what Momonga wanted to discuss—how the Marines should handle Maude's crew moving forward.
Hearing Aokiji's response, Momonga's expression shifted. After a moment, he let out a quiet sigh.
Aokiji glanced at Momonga's reaction but said no more.
He understood why Maude's crew had stayed on the island for so long.
With Issho present, Aokiji couldn't act against them directly, nor did he have any reason to interfere with the good deeds they were doing.
Moreover, there was still the matter of Servis falsifying reports.
Even if there were reasons for his actions, breaking protocol was breaking protocol—no excuses.
"I'll stick around for a while."
Having made up his mind, Aokiji decided to stay and handle the situation properly.
After giving Momonga a few instructions, Aokiji turned into ice and flew away.
In the village.
Behind their temporary residence, on a flat piece of land, was a large wooden table pieced together using Law's Op-Op Fruit abilities.
The table was covered with delicious dishes, meticulously prepared by Gaya.
A few days earlier, the Heart Pirates had finally arrived on Lorre Island.
Otherwise, Law wouldn't have needed to make such a large table.
Everyone sat down, eating, drinking, and laughing, filling the area with lively energy.
Ignoring the spread of food on the table, Issho quietly slurped on the vegetarian noodles Gaya had specially made for him.
Suddenly, he paused, as if sensing something. Turning his head slightly, he "looked" in a particular direction.
After a moment, he resumed eating his noodles.
Seconds later, the temperature around them dropped noticeably.
"Why did it suddenly get cold…?"
A member of the Heart Pirates murmured in confusion.
"Oh my, this looks delicious."
A string of icy crystals formed near the table, slowly taking the shape of Aokiji.
The lively atmosphere around the table froze instantly.
The only sound remaining was Issho slurping his noodles.
"I-it's Aokiji!!!"
The Heart Pirates' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Bepo, trembling, clung to Law. The latter immediately grabbed Kikoku, his expression tense as he stared at Aokiji.
Maude, seeing the uninvited Aokiji, couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
This guy… what's he thinking?
Aokiji ignored the stares directed at him. His gaze moved from the table of food to Kuma, who sat quietly at the table.
Sensing Aokiji's gaze, Kuma calmly looked back.
"..."
Aokiji fell silent.
Why was the Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma, here as well?
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