Chapter 114: Desperation
He knew full well that even if he yelled the name, Usopp—someone he had never met—would not suddenly appear to block the incoming blade for him.
Yet...
The blade stopped.
The pirate, who narrowly escaped death, froze in disbelief, gasping for breath.
Did that... work?
He couldn't believe it—just calling out Usopp's name had elicited a reaction from the monstrous woman.
It was as if he had found a glimmer of hope for survival.
Gion, surprised, looked at the disheveled, insignificant pirate before her. She hadn't expected him to suddenly shout Usopp's name.
She knew that "Usopp" was the alias Maude had used in Mad Hat Town.
So... did this pitifully weak pirate know Modder?
While Gion pondered, her longsword, poised to strike, remained still.
The nameless pirate had no idea what was going through Gion's mind. He fixed his gaze on the motionless sword, assuming the monstrous woman must be wary of Usopp's power.
Hope flickered in his heart.
"Afraid, aren't you? Let me tell you, Usopp is—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Gion abruptly cut him down.
The nameless pirate died with confusion etched across his face.
Gion didn't spare a glance at the corpse. She continued her relentless pursuit of the remaining pirates.
The pirates had initially banded together, making it easier for her to reap lives with a single swing of her blade. However, after a few strikes near a broken wall, their morale shattered, and they fled in disarray.
With her targets scattered, the task became a bit more troublesome—she now had to hunt them down one by one.
Troublesome as it was, Gion had no intention of letting anyone escape. For every pirate she caught up to, she delivered a swift, decisive blow.
In this hopeless situation, a cry emerged once more.
"Usopp! Where are you?!"
The fleeing pirates pinned all their hopes on the strongest figure they could think of—Maude.
Their logic was simple: they needed someone powerful enough to hold Gion back, to stop her from slaughtering them like chickens.
"Usopp! Where are you?!"
Gradually, more and more pirates caught on, passing the name along in a chain of desperate cries.
Hearing the calls echoing from behind, Maude, who had already fled a considerable distance, felt his eye twitch.
"Those idiots. It's bad enough they couldn't hold out for three seconds, but why are they shouting my name?"
"No, wait—that's not even my name…"
Maude shook his head sharply.
"Why are they calling your alias?" Sunny asked, her face puzzled.
"I have no idea."
As Maude replied, he glanced back. One look was enough to send a chill down his spine.
Several excited gazes locked onto him.
He recognized those looks—they belonged to the pirates who had fled the fastest. Among them were a few who had started running the moment Maude broke through the crowd.
They were smarter than the ones who had foolishly stayed behind, hoping to take down Gion.
"That look in their eyes…?"
A sense of foreboding washed over Maude.
"Usopp! You're strong enough to deal with that woman, right?" one of the pirates shouted loudly.
Maude's eyelid twitched in irritation.
Damn you idiots.
He cursed inwardly and quickened his pace without looking back.
He finally understood why these fools were calling his name. They thought he was strong enough to take on Gion, so they wanted him to step in.
Are you kidding me?
If I could fight her, do you think I'd be running away in the first place?
If I stood a chance, I'd be leading the charge for the sake of the experience points.
Seeing Maude flee without hesitation, the pirates trailing behind him looked visibly disappointed.
Even though they had escaped this far, they still felt unsafe. They desperately wanted someone strong to confront Gion.
And Maude seemed like the perfect candidate.
But such things couldn't be forced.
The pirates quickly gave up on relying on Maude and focused on running for their lives.
Yet their earlier cries had already done their damage. Not only did they reveal Maude's location, but they also summoned death closer.
"There's Usopp!"
Hearing the shout, the other pirates confirmed Maude's position.
"There's Usopp!"
Suddenly, the scattered pirates seemed to unite, forming a bizarre line as they fled in Maude's direction.
At the very front of this formation was none other than Maude himself, running for dear life.
Gion wasn't deaf. Following the noise, she turned her gaze toward Maude's location.
"There?"
Gion's eyes sharpened.
With a swift swing of her sword, she dispatched another pirate blocking her path, then strode toward Maude's direction.
As she moved, she left no pirate alive, killing them all along the way.
Her actions sent a chill through the pirates who had placed their hopes on Maude.
Something's not right… they thought.
At the front of the fleeing group, Maude's expression darkened.
His Observation Haki rang incessantly like an alarm clock, warning him of the deadly intent surging from behind.
The intent wasn't directed solely at him—it blanketed the entire street.
"Maude… that woman's coming," Sunny said gravely, her eyes fixed on the approaching Gion.
She raised a flintlock pistol, aiming it at the figure cutting through the pirates like a god of death.
But she knew a gun wouldn't be enough to stop Gion.
"I see her," Maude replied, his voice heavy.
The escape had been anything but smooth.
First Aokiji, now this woman.
Couldn't they encounter someone like Robbie a little more often?
He sighed inwardly, then turned to face Gion, who was closing in quickly.
The countless pirates in her path couldn't even slow her down.
Realizing her superior speed, Maude's heart sank.
"Sunny, we might not get away," he said.
"Yeah," Sunny agreed, her voice steady.
Then, turning her gaze to Maude, she added, "Put me down and keep running."
Maude instinctively glanced at her, meeting her serious eyes.
"Maude, you can't die here."
Sunny forced a smile, though the scar on her face made it far from beautiful.
"If you reveal your true identity, that Marine woman might spare you."
"I just killed a Marine."
"If you don't tell them, and they don't say anything, no one will know."
Sunny's hands suddenly loosened from around Maude's neck. Her upper body tilted backward as they ran.
Maude reacted quickly, sliding his hands from under her legs to her waist, pulling her back onto his back.
"Are you insane?" he snapped, anger lacing his tone.
Sunny rested her chin on his shoulder again.
"Better one of us survives than both of us die," she said softly, repeating herself.
"Put me down and keep running."
"I won't."
"If we both die here, that's a waste. If you live, you can pour some wine on my grave every year."
"Shut up."
"Okay."
Sunny fell silent.
Moments later, all the pirates along the way had been slaughtered.
Gion finally caught up with Maude and Sunny, cutting off their escape.
She didn't strike immediately, but her presence alone suffocated Maude. Death loomed over him.
This was true despair.
He'd rather face Aokiji again.
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