Chapter 145: Reference

Previously, in order to obtain critical information, Maude casually adopted the identity of a Marine.

It was purely to add a bit of credibility, and without much thought, he used Wolfrat's name.

Ordinarily, this would have been inconsequential—Maude wouldn't care about such trivial matters.

However, after personally witnessing the villagers' hope and excitement directed at the so-called "Marine hero," Maude immediately shed his borrowed identity.

And the reason was simple.

For over six years, the Arlong Pirates had tyrannized these lands without challenge. If Maude hadn't stopped by here in his quest for experience, their reign would have extended for another two years—until the Straw Hat Pirates arrived.

In other words, the Fish-Man crew that treated humans as livestock would have ruled these seas for a full eight years.

And yet, the Marines had done absolutely nothing.

Worse still, there was Captain Nezumi from the 16th Branch, who openly colluded with the Arlong Pirates.

It wasn't as if East Blue lacked powerful Marines—it was the weakest of the four seas, after all. There were only a handful of pirates with significant bounties: Arlong, Don Krieg, and Buggy the Clown.

Even then, Arlong, the highest among them, only carried a bounty of 20 million berries.

Was taking him down really that hard?

For a hero like Garp, who occasionally visited East Blue, it would have taken just one punch.

Yet, the Arlong Pirates stood unchallenged for six years—no, eight years in total.

So, whether it was the villagers' hope or their gratitude for the dismantling of Arlong's regime, Maude could not accept it under the guise of being a Marine.

Because the Marines didn't deserve it.

That's why he discarded the facade.

Ignoring Nojiko's questions, Maude strode toward Arlong Park.

With the intelligence gathered, he wasn't interested in wasting time answering questions.

His sole focus was to swiftly claim the experience points that Arlong and his crew could provide.

Thanks to his grueling training over the past eight months, Maude was acutely aware of the importance of hunting.

After all, the gains from killing a few Fish-Men on the village path earlier far surpassed what eight months of hard training could achieve.

That was the reality.

If he wanted to rise to an unshakable position as quickly as possible, the only option was relentless hunting.

In this world of survival of the fittest, there was no shortage of suitable prey.

As Maude walked from Cocoyasi Village to Arlong Park, his thoughts churned.

The oppressive rule of the Arlong Pirates, the helpless villagers, and the absolute domination of the strong over the weak—it all left a deep impression on him.

Soon, he arrived before the tall walls surrounding Arlong Park.

The entrance faced the sea, with the rest of the compound enclosed by high walls, save for a waterway designed for the Fish-Men to pass through.

The design was reminiscent of the amusement parks on Sabaody Archipelago, reflecting Arlong's twisted psyche.

Maude had no intention of taking the long way around to the front gate. With a light leap, he landed atop the wall.

Beneath the towering structure, Arlong, tall and shark-like with a nose resembling a serrated blade, lounged in a chair.

In front of him was a seawater pool connecting to the ocean, beyond which lay the main entrance to Arlong Park.

Around the pool, some sixty Fish-Men sat or stood, drinking and eating in apparent leisure.

Maude's arrival quickly drew their attention.

Arlong noticed too, casting a cold glance at the figure standing on the wall.

To Arlong, humans were a lowly species.

The sight of Maude standing atop his wall, looking down, was enough to sour his mood. He would've preferred Maude to shatter the wall and walk through the main entrance rather than adopt this superior posture.

A vicious glint flashed in Arlong's eyes.

Without a word, he raised a bottle of liquor, poured some into his palm, and flung it at Maude.

Powered by immense strength, the liquid, instead of dispersing, coalesced into droplets and shot toward Maude like buckshot.

The speed of the water bullets was remarkable, breaking through the air with a sharp whistle.

But Maude easily sidestepped them.

The power behind those bullets was no joke.

Clearly, Arlong was on a different level compared to the other Fish-Men.

If the ordinary Fish-Men were low-level minions, and their officers were elite underlings, then Arlong was the boss—a purple-tiered Boss.

Not just another enemy. A Boss.

The thought made Maude's eyes gleam as he looked at Arlong like a chef eyeing a particularly fat and juicy fish.

Arlong was unfazed by Maude dodging his attack. There were plenty of other ways to kill a human like him.

However, Maude's bold and predatory gaze infuriated him.

Since arriving in East Blue, it had always been Arlong who looked down on humans, never the other way around.

"Everyone, kill this insolent inferior human!"

Arlong's murderous command echoed through the park.

At his order, the Fish-Men surged toward Maude, their eyes brimming with killing intent.

Some were unarmed, while a few wielded blades and firearms.

Bang!

A Fish-Man fired three consecutive shots at Maude with a flintlock pistol.

The bullets were slow and weak by Maude's standards.

Using Observation Haki, Maude tracked the bullets' trajectories.

Enveloping his right hand in Armament Haki, he swung it, catching the bullets mid-flight.

"Huh. Managed to catch one intact."

Opening his palm, Maude revealed one undamaged bullet and fragments of the other two.

He'd only attempted the "projection" technique on a whim and was surprised at its success.

This technique, where Haki reinforced a weapon, worked here to neutralize the bullets' impact.

The feat left the Fish-Men dumbfounded.

Maude flicked the intact bullet back, killing one Fish-Man instantly.

Drawing his blade, Chidori, Maude leaped into the fray, slicing through the Fish-Men like a predator among prey.

In less than ten seconds, over a dozen Fish-Men lay dead at his feet.

And then, Maude laughed.

"Haha! Finally…"

The fourth star frame for his physique had materialized.

His triumphant laughter sent shivers through the remaining Fish-Men.

As his mirth subsided, Maude looked at the survivors with a predatory glint.

It was the gaze of someone regarding them as nothing more than meat on a chopping block.

A chilling realization swept through the Fish-Men.

Were they… just food to him?

In that instant, dread pierced their hearts.

Even Arlong, who had risen to his feet, now regarded Maude with a hint of apprehension.

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