Chapter 118: A Lively Scene
Yet, Wolfrat would never have dreamed that Tatamu was a member of the Revolutionary Army—and, to top it off, a Cat-Cat Fruit user.
A cat versus a mouse.
Tatamu wore a blank expression.
Wolfrat's face was complicated.
"Tatamu, at a time like this, don't you have something to say?"
"Just leave."
"Heh, how ironic."
Wolfrat let out a self-mocking laugh.
Not long ago, he had racked his brains trying to get Wolfrat to leave this dangerous place.
And now, it was Wolfrat telling him to go.
The underlying sentiment was, unmistakably, the same.
"And if I refuse to leave?"
Wolfrat took a deep breath, his gaze growing cold.
Tatamu remained silent but adopted a combat stance, poised for both offense and defense.
Whoosh!
Wolfrat said no more, launching an attack at Tatamu.
In an instant, the cat and the mouse were locked in fierce battle.
Not far away, Bailey pounced onto Sunny.
Sunny gently patted Bailey's head and whispered, "Thank you."
She hadn't expected Bailey to come to her rescue alongside the Revolutionary Army.
Just moments ago, she had genuinely thought her life was over.
Bailey merely grinned sheepishly.
At that moment, Koala approached.
She glanced at the ongoing clash between Tatamu and Wolfrat before turning to Sunny with a smile. "We meet again."
"Mm."
Sunny nodded slightly.
Koala said solemnly, "I have a lot of questions, but for now, we should leave here as quickly as possible."
With that, she bent down and scooped Sunny into her arms.
Sunny didn't resist, allowing herself to be carried.
As they moved, Sunny turned toward where Maude was.
"Maude, he…"
"Don't worry. Sabo and Morley are helping him. Right now, our priority is to escape, not to distract them."
"Mm."
Sunny pressed her lips together and nodded.
Koala immediately carried her toward the tunnel Morley had opened.
"Bailey, follow us!"
"Got it, Klaral!"
Smack!
"It's Koala, not Klaral!"
"Ugh, I get it…"
After taking a smack from Koala, Bailey's voice sounded a bit distorted.
Koala, instinctively resorting to violence, quickly glanced at Morley.
Seeing that Morley wasn't paying attention, she breathed a small sigh of relief.
If Morley found out she had hit Bailey, she'd probably lecture her again.
Who knew what experiences had made Morley, a giant, so fond of small animals?
Clang!
A steel pipe coated in Armament Haki swung diagonally to block Gion's descending blade aimed at Maude.
Had it not been for this intervention, Gion's strike would have been fatal.
"Hm?"
Though the attack was blocked in time, the force transmitted through the steel pipe caused veins to bulge on Sabo's forehead.
So strong!
Sabo's expression turned grim.
Just from this one clash, he could fully sense Gion's overwhelming strength.
No wonder someone as strong as Maude had ended up in this state.
Seeing Sabo suddenly interfere, Gion frowned slightly and unleashed a burst of power, forcing Sabo back.
With quick thinking, Sabo used the momentum to snatch Maude by his collar as he retreated, swiftly creating distance from Gion.
Instead of pursuing them, Gion suddenly turned around.
A massive trident came crashing down toward her, wielded by none other than Morley of the Revolutionary Army.
Gion's eyes narrowed as she raised her blade horizontally to block the powerful blow.
The sharp clash of weapons sent shockwaves rippling through the area, scattering dust into the distance.
"Morley, West Army Commander of the Revolutionary Army!"
Upon seeing Morley's distinctive appearance and scant outfit—consisting only of a miniskirt—Gion instantly recognized the identity of her opponent.
"What's your relationship with Maude?"
"Fuhaha!"
Morley's wide eyes gleamed as he answered earnestly, "Are you asking about my relationship with Maude? Hmph, I won't reveal my romantic secrets to a stranger!"
"...?"
Gion's Observation Haki almost faltered.
She couldn't fathom why a male giant would have such an exaggeratedly effeminate demeanor.
While Morley kept Gion occupied, Sabo carried the injured Maude out of the battle zone.
However, Morley's booming voice carried far, and even after retreating, Maude and Sabo could still hear his words.
"Pfft."
Maude turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Sabo quickly stopped and helped Maude sit down.
"Don't mind him. Morley's just joking."
Sabo awkwardly tried to explain.
Even he found it a bit cringeworthy.
"It's fine."
Maude wasn't coughing blood because of Morley's words. He steadied his breathing and immediately turned to look in Sunny's direction.
But Sunny was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't worry. Koala already took Sunny into the tunnel. They'll head back to the ship ahead of us. Oh, by the way, Koala is the girl you saw with me earlier."
"I see…"
Maude let out a sigh of relief.
Sabo removed his gloves and extended a hand to Maude with a smile. "Uh… Maude, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Sabo, from the Revolutionary Army."
"Bacardi Maude. Thanks for saving me earlier."
Maude wiped the dirt off his left hand before shaking Sabo's outstretched one.
"No need to thank me; it's just returning the favor."
Sabo's smile deepened.
He was referring to Maude's assistance to the Revolutionary Army at the pig farm before dawn.
Understanding the implication, Maude shook his head. "A small favor doesn't compare to saving a life."
"Hey, that wasn't a small favor—it was a huge help!"
"…"
Maude nodded slightly, choosing not to argue further.
He glanced at Morley, who was holding her own against Gion.
As one of the Revolutionary Army's four commanders, Morley was indeed a force to be reckoned with. Not only was she evenly matched with Gion, but she also seemed to have the upper hand.
Shifting his gaze, Maude turned to Tatamu, who was still locked in combat with Wolfrat.
"Sabo, Tatamu is one of your people?"
"Yep. He's the one who told us your real name, by the way."
Sabo didn't elaborate further.
Places like the pig farm, where countless slaves were exploited, were all too common in this world.
The Revolutionary Army often stationed members like Tatamu in such places, waiting for the right moment to rescue the enslaved.
Sabo wasn't about to reveal these details.
Hearing this, Maude rubbed his temples, piecing things together.
From Wolfrat's use of the Rokushiki techniques, it was clear he was from the Navy.
So, a Navy-trained Wolfrat and a Revolutionary Army member like Tatamu had been coexisting in the Nightshade Bar all this time…
And to make things more absurd, they were both Zoan-type Devil Fruit users—one with the Mouse-Mouse Fruit and the other with the Cat-Cat Fruit.
The irony of their dynamic was something only the two of them could truly understand.
Maude stood up, his attention returning to Sabo. "We need to get out of here quickly. There's still one particularly tricky enemy in town—huh?"
Maude abruptly turned toward the town.
Sabo, sensing it too, followed his gaze.
Both of their expressions changed.
At the edge of the street, Aokiji stepped forward, frost curling under his feet.
"Ah, what a lively scene."
He glanced distantly at Morley.
The Revolutionary Army, huh…
Then his gaze shifted to Maude, lingering on his seemingly uninjured legs.
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