Chapter 112: The Monster's Dominance
Yet, in his memory, there was no information that matched this woman.
Maude had no time to dwell on the matter. Without hesitation, he tore his gaze away and continued squeezing through the hole in the wall.
Whoever you are, my priority is escaping.
The tangible threat brought by Gion drove Maude's movements to become even more reckless.
He could only hope that the human shields behind him would hold their ground. He didn't expect them to stall Gion, but even a slight delay would suffice.
Outside the crowd.
With a mere flick of her hand, Gion had already sent dozens of pirates crashing to the ground.
To those present, she exuded an overwhelming power that rendered them as feeble as clay pigeons.
Her actions imprinted this image deep into the minds of the pirates.
Trembling with fear, they quickly adjusted their strategies.
The once-crowded throng of pirates began to scatter.
None of them wanted to risk their lives against Gion's lethal attacks, nor did they intend to resign themselves to death.
Expressionless, Gion observed their reactions. Then, suddenly, she stepped into the air and ascended toward the wall.
This abrupt action seemed to make her a sitting duck.
Seeing her rise into the air, a savage glint flashed in the pirates' eyes. The quicker ones immediately drew their flintlock pistols.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunpowder smoke erupted, and a hail of bullets shot toward Gion in the sky.
However, with a single acceleration using Moonwalk, Gion effortlessly evaded the barrage, which wasn't poorly aimed.
"She's so fast!"
The pirates stared in shock as Gion darted past above them.
At the same time, her back was fully exposed to their line of sight.
A golden opportunity!
The pirates swiftly adjusted their aim and pulled the triggers again.
To them, Gion's actions were tantamount to suicide.
But just as they fired another volley, Gion, as if possessing eyes on her back, danced through the air with a series of abrupt, twisting maneuvers, dodging every bullet aimed at her from behind.
Against her honed Observation Haki, unaided lead bullets were utterly useless.
Witnessing Gion evade each bullet in such an uncanny manner, the pirates' faces were filled with disbelief.
Dodging an assault from the front was one thing—but ignoring a pincer attack?
Most of the pirates present had never ventured into the Grand Line, let alone encountered anything related to Haki.
As a result, Gion's display of power only deepened their fear.
Effortlessly avoiding wave after wave of dense gunfire, Gion soon reached the base of the wall.
Although she was a swordswoman, her Observation Haki, bolstered by her Devil Fruit ability*, surpassed even her Armament Haki.
No matter how concentrated the incoming firepower, it posed no threat to her.
Amidst the crowd.
Maude had almost reached the hole in the wall.
However, Gion's interception forced him to curse under his breath.
Whether it was bravery born of skill or sheer fearlessness, Gion's actions left no doubt—she intended to cut off all escape routes.
"What now?"
Sunny, while reloading her gun, whispered nervously.
She had fired twice at Gion earlier, but even with Observation Haki aiding her aim, her bullets had unsurprisingly missed their mark due to Gion's superior Haki.
"This woman is untouchable. We'll have to fall back for now."
Making a quick decision, Maude abandoned the idea of forcing his way through the hole. He shifted his focus to the more distant side of the wall.
If the direct route was blocked, he would have to take a detour. His new plan was to reach the island's edge, then swim or climb his way past the wall.
Once decided, Maude ignored the relentless gunfire behind him and continued forging a path with brute force.
Thanks to Gion's intimidating presence, the crowd was thinning out, making it easier to move.
Before long, Maude and Sunny squeezed out of the chaos.
Turning back, he saw the wall area now littered with corpses.
Standing tall in front of the hole, Gion's figure was like that of a gatekeeper, barring everyone's passage.
The pirates, wary of her close combat prowess, resorted to ranged attacks, firing continuously.
But no matter how well they aimed, none of their shots landed.
Maude's gaze passed through the figures of the pirates and settled on Gion.
"One man holds the pass against ten thousand."
The phrase flashed through his mind.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked away.
If Gion hadn't been so overwhelming, Maude might have stayed to snipe her from the crowd, hoping to clear the way and pass through the hole.
But the strength she displayed sapped any desire to take that risk.
Faced with such overwhelming odds, Maude understood precisely what needed to be done.
"Good luck, everyone," he thought, offering silent encouragement to the pirates behind him.
Others, harboring similar thoughts, were also avoiding direct confrontation with Gion.
Unlike Maude, however, they hesitated, clinging to a sliver of hope.
What if she fell to the hail of bullets?
So, they lingered on the outskirts, observing.
Unmoved by the pirates' barrage, Gion raised her long sword and unleashed an overwhelming offensive.
Pirates who had never ventured into the Grand Line or New World could never comprehend the sheer power an individual could possess.
Though far from the pinnacle of strength, Gion was leagues beyond the pirates of Mad Hat Town.
She paid no mind to the gunfire coming from every direction. Like a tiger among sheep, each swing of her sword felled multiple pirates.
By this time, Maude was already retreating.
Though he had never set foot in the Grand Line, he understood the terror of truly powerful individuals more than any pirate present.
What had impressed him most in the original story wasn't Whitebeard's cataclysmic power but the scene where the Straw Hat Pirates faced 100,000 fish-men on Fish-Man Island.
Ten versus 100,000—a ridiculous ratio.
Yet, such was the nature of this world.
Even so, if the Straw Hat crew from that time had faced a Yonko, they would have been obliterated instantly.
This illustrated the sheer gulf in strength. Numbers meant nothing against those at the pinnacle, nor could they sustain a battle of attrition.
Even Jinbe and the young Ace could battle for five days and nights.
So, what kind of stamina and endurance would monsters surpassing them possess?
Maude knew all too well: the pirates behind him, even if multiplied several times over, couldn't possibly gain the upper hand against Gion.
Elsewhere, amidst a heated skirmish.
Sol panted lightly.
In contrast, Garp appeared composed and relaxed.
The disparity between the two was evident at a glance.
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