Chapter 149: Spoils of War 

A nautical chart is the guide to navigating the vast sea safely.

Each chart is meticulously drawn, detailing islands, wind directions, bearings, water depths, and ocean currents.

A skilled navigator can quickly grasp the nuances of a given sea area by glancing at a chart.

Of course, this is contingent on the chart being precise and professionally crafted.

In the technologically limited world of One Piece, creating a detailed and accurate chart is no small feat.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary measuring room was filled with piles of such charts.

As intrigued as he was surprised, Lafitte couldn't help but comment.

"Someone in the Arlong Pirates has this kind of talent? What a pity."

Images of the fishmen corpses scattered outside briefly flashed through his mind.

Even someone like Lafitte, who treated life as insignificant, felt a tinge of regret.

Approaching the desk where charts were being drawn, his sharp eyes caught sight of a bloodstained pen in the holder.

"So, it wasn't a fishman who drew these," he murmured, the realization flickering across his mind.

With just a glance at the bloodied pen, Lafitte made his judgment.

Without lingering on the thought, he casually picked up a chart and began to examine it.

Moments later, he set it down and reached for another.

After perusing the recent charts, Lafitte muttered to himself, "Impressive."

He looked toward the stacks of charts piled against the wall, nearly reaching the ceiling.

The sheer volume was staggering.

If all this work was done by one person, it was truly unimaginable.

Lafitte approached one of the stacks and pulled out another chart.

The countless charts in the measuring room captivated his attention, momentarily making him forget his original goal of finding the treasure vault.

Rustle, rustle...

The room was filled only with the sound of flipping charts.

Although they wouldn't stay in the East Blue for long, these charts could undoubtedly prove invaluable.

Meanwhile...

Nami entered the park through a gap in the wall.

Pausing at the sight of the fishmen corpses strewn across the ground, she quickly composed herself and moved toward the open doorway.

Without hesitation, she stepped inside.

The ground floor of the building was eerily quiet, with no one in sight.

Nami glanced at the staircase and hesitated briefly, ultimately deciding to remain in place.

If she waited, Maude would surely come downstairs eventually.

At that moment, Bailey walked into the hall, carrying a heap of food.

After setting the food down, the talking weasel noticed Nami immediately.

"Who... are you?" he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Startled but not overly shocked, Nami quickly composed herself. A talking weasel seemed hardly out of place in a world with fishmen.

"I'm here to see Wo—" She cut herself off mid-sentence, realizing she didn't actually know Maude's real name.

Bailey swallowed his food and gave her a wary look, subtly shifting the food behind him as if to protect it.

"Listen, lady, this place belongs to us now. I don't care who you are or what you want, but you'd better leave. Otherwise, when my boss comes downstairs... heh."

"What's your boss's name?" Nami asked, unbothered by his warning.

Bailey tilted his head arrogantly. "My boss's name is... uh?"

Suddenly catching himself, Bailey's gaze turned sharp. "You're trying to trick me!"

"..." Nami sighed in exasperation.

Meanwhile, at the fourth floor.

Maude finally found the room containing the Arlong Pirates' assets.

It was an unsecured room, filled with stacks of cash that formed small mountains in plain view.

"Tch, if only Sunny were here..."

Maude chuckled at the sight of the cash piles, his lips curling into a grin.

Stepping forward, he casually grabbed a thick bundle of bills.

Each bundle was mostly made up of 1,000 Beri notes.

After sifting through several stacks, Maude estimated the total amount. While the denominations were relatively low, the sheer volume still amounted to at least five to six hundred million Beri—a substantial fortune.

"Not bad as seed money for some future plans," Maude mused.

Still, transporting all this cash posed a challenge.

Paper currency wasn't ideal for life on the sea; most pirates preferred gold and jewels.

"Guess I'll consult Lafitte," Maude decided, knowing his crewmate had a better grasp of the pirate world's nuances.

Before leaving, Maude took one last look at the bounty.

The chaotic nature of the Great Pirate Era made such lawless treasures abundant.

Descending the stairs, he entered the main hall.

There, Nami was kneeling on the floor, massaging Bailey, who looked utterly content as he stuffed his face with food.

Maude paused, momentarily stunned by the scene.

Both Nami and Bailey noticed him simultaneously.

Bailey scrambled to stand, but Nami was quicker.

Springing to her feet, she accidentally knocked Bailey several meters away.

Ignoring the weasel, Nami turned her attention to Maude.

"Do you need something?" Maude asked bluntly.

"You defeated the Arlong Pirates. As agreed, I'll pay you the 70 million Beri I buried in the orange grove, but..."

Nami hesitated.

She wanted to ask Maude to leave the Arlong Pirates' remaining wealth untouched, but the words wouldn't come out.

Maude watched her carefully and shook his head.

"Our deal was for me to kill all the fishmen. I spared Hachan, so technically, I didn't fully deliver. I won't claim your money."

"Also, let me remind you..."

Maude glanced at her clenched fists, as if reading her thoughts.

"Don't expect handouts. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and treasures don't just fall from the sky."

"We defeated the Arlong Pirates. It's only natural that the spoils belong to us."

Nami fell silent, acknowledging the truth of his words.

But soon, she smiled.

"Thank you."

"You should be thanking me properly," Maude replied cryptically, leaving Nami momentarily confused.

Without her detailed intel, the operation wouldn't have been as lucrative.

He had several reasons for taking down the Arlong Pirates, none of which included altruism.

Click-clack.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.

Both Maude and Nami turned to see Lafitte descending, holding a stack of charts.

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