Chapter 156: Sharpening Stone

The casual remark pierced deep into the bucktoothed Commodore's heart like a dagger.

In the lead-up to the Reverie, it wasn't uncommon for pirates and criminals to attack royal families.

These attackers often had clear motives—either for ransom or as part of someone's larger scheme.

This was precisely why the World Government tasked the Navy with escort duties during such times.

While such attacks on royalty were frequent within the Grand Line, they were rarely seen in the Four Seas.

Now, this troublesome foe before him was clearly targeting the Nandekar Kingdom's royal family.

From just a single offhand comment by Maude, the bucktoothed Commodore believed he had discerned the man's true objective.

Little did he know, Maude's words were merely a smokescreen.

"You came from over there, didn't you?"

Stepping into the air with Moonwalk, Maude ascended effortlessly. His gun-wielding right arm stretched out, aiming steadily at the Nandekar Kingdom's royal ship—also the direction of another Marine vessel.

"Die!"

The bucktoothed Commodore wasted no time on idle chatter. With a powerful leap, he surged toward Maude like an arrow.

Though he lacked mastery over the Rokushiki, his prowess lay in his extraordinary swordsmanship.

As he charged, arcs of crescent-shaped sword energy cut through the air ahead of him, creating a dazzling display.

Hidden Blade!

The blade's trajectory concealed itself behind the remnants of its own crescent slashes, creating a disorienting illusion that confused even the keenest eyes.

However—

With a flash of insight from his Observation Haki, Maude raised his blade, Chidori, effortlessly parrying the incoming strike.

Clang!

The clash of steel sent sparks flying, and the deceptive afterimages dissipated instantly.

The bucktoothed Commodore's eyes narrowed. His technique relied on obscuring his blade's true path, but against someone who could see through illusions, it was rendered ineffective.

Maude seized the advantage, his grip on Chidori tightening as he pressed down with force. In an instant, his upper body leaned forward, and with two sharp kicks in midair, he used Moonwalk again.

Boom! Boom!

The resulting shockwaves transferred power through his body to his blade, driving the bucktoothed Commodore downward like a meteor. The impact shattered the ship's deck, sending the commodore crashing into the lower hold.

Having dispatched his opponent for the moment, Maude ascended once more, landing nimbly on a yardarm near the crow's nest. Before the bucktoothed Commodore could recover, Maude fired two precise shots, taking down a pair of Marines in the melee below, easing some of the pressure on Lafitte.

Reloading swiftly, he shifted his gaze to assess the situation. The royal ship was furling its sails in an effort to distance itself from the battle, while the second Marine ship, driven by the wind, closed in rapidly.

A faint smile crept across Maude's lips as he observed their obvious intent.

From his elevated perch, he became an easy target. Predictably, Marines on the approaching ship raised their rifles, unleashing a volley of bullets.

Leaning back, Maude let gravity carry him off the yardarm, evading the incoming barrage with a graceful backflip before landing on the deck below.

Without hesitation, he aimed at the hole the bucktoothed Commodore had made and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The lead bullet, spiraling out of the barrel, shot straight through the smoky air.

At that very moment, the bucktoothed Commodore leapt from the hole, the bullet hurtling directly toward his face.

"You calculated that perfectly, didn't you…"

With a swift slash, he bisected the bullet midair.

But before he could recover, Maude was already upon him. With Chidori now clad in Armament Haki, Maude swung fiercely at the commodore.

"Armament…"

The bucktoothed Commodore frowned, hastily reinforcing his own blade with Haki to parry the strike.

The ensuing clash sent sparks flying, with each strike followed by another, as Maude's attacks rained down like a storm.

"His technique is unrefined… there's a hint of inexperience," the bucktoothed Commodore noted, spotting gaps in Maude's assault within seconds.

And yet—

Despite identifying these openings, he found no chance to exploit them.

Several moments passed, their blades clashing dozens of times.

Though the bucktoothed Commodore saw the flaws in Maude's technique, the latter's mastery of Observation Haki allowed him to anticipate every counter.

The commodore's frustration mounted.

"Damn that Observation Haki!"

While his swordsmanship and reflexes allowed him to block each attack, he couldn't find an opportunity to turn the tables.

Meanwhile, Maude was clearly enjoying himself.

Unlike physical strength, swordsmanship required practice and experience to refine. And for Maude, each clash was another step toward mastery.

"This isn't half bad," Maude remarked with a grin.

To him, the bucktoothed Commodore wasn't too weak nor overwhelmingly strong—just perfect as a "sharpening stone" to hone his skills.

The commodore's cold glare bore into Maude's playful smile.

"Find this funny, do you?"

Maude didn't answer, his focus unwavering as he pressed his advantage.

Minutes passed.

The bucktoothed Commodore finally realized Maude's intent.

"This brat… he's using me as practice!"

Rage flared in his eyes, his strikes growing more aggressive.

Elsewhere, Lafitte had just dispatched the last Marine soldier, leaving a trail of twenty-four carefully chosen heads in his wake.

Glancing at the approaching Marine ship, then at Maude's duel, Lafitte quickly assessed the situation.

The bucktoothed Commodore was clearly the strongest combatant among the Marines. It would be wise to deal with him before reinforcements arrived.

He began moving toward Maude—

"Don't interfere," Maude's voice rang out.

"Understood," Lafitte replied with a chuckle, noting the satisfaction on Maude's face. Turning to the incoming ship, his expression darkened.

"Can't let you disrupt his fun…"

His tone was laced with deadly intent.

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