Chapter 185: The Report
Pirates and treasure chests go hand in hand—one of the truest depictions of the Age of Sailing.
A treasure chest is the kind of thing that instantly stirs up excitement among pirates.
For Maude, the appearance of this unexpected treasure chest intrigued him greatly.
However, given the current situation, he had no time to open it, so he brought the chest into the ship's hold for safekeeping.
After returning to the deck, Maude glanced at Lafitte, who was intently studying the shifting weather patterns, then turned his attention back to the massive waterspout piercing through the sky.
A treasure chest falling from the heavens—what a fantastical occurrence. Yet, it happened undeniably.
Opportunities like this were enigmatic, beyond reason or explanation.
There's an old story about a drunken pirate who, after feasting with his crew on a desolate island, fell victim to a stomach ache. In desperation, he found a secluded spot to relieve himself.
By sheer coincidence, his excrement landed squarely on a Devil Fruit.
After finishing his business, the pirate instinctively glanced at the mess, only to notice the Devil Fruit partially buried under it.
The pirate, sobered by the sight, wasted no time retrieving the fruit from the muck with lightning speed. Without a second thought, he devoured it whole—even with its unsavory coating.
This was just one of the peculiar wonders of the Grand Line.
In a world with millions of islands, Devil Fruits and treasure chests lay dormant in the most unexpected places.
When fortune smiles upon you, there's no need to search. The treasures come to you.
As Maude pondered the chest's contents, he also remained attentive to the weather changes.
After their previous sharp maneuver to port, they narrowly escaped the deadly "whale-suction current," significantly reducing the risk of capsizing.
Under Lafitte's skillful navigation, a series of precise adjustments brought the mast ship clear of the massive waterspout's peril.
After several tense minutes, the ship finally broke free of the storm, sailing into calm, sunlit seas.
Now out of danger, Lafitte furrowed his brows slightly.
"This ship... it's too poor in quality," he thought to himself with a quiet sigh.
The near-capsizes were due to the mast ship's sluggish responsiveness.
Still, the prospect of commissioning a multimillion-beri custom ship at the next Leviathan Island brought a small smile to his face.
As the mast ship cruised over tranquil waters, Maude couldn't contain his anticipation. He hurried to retrieve the treasure chest from the hold.
Seeing the chest, both Lafitte and Jim looked surprised.
In the heat of their battle with nature, they hadn't noticed Maude picking up a treasure chest.
The crew gathered around, peering down at the rusted chest.
"What could it be...?"
Maude, brimming with curiosity, began removing the chains tightly wrapped around the chest.
Once freed from its iron bindings, the corroded lock on the chest was visible.
Placing his hand on the chest, Maude applied a bit of pressure, and the lid creaked open.
Inside, murky seawater filled more than half the chest, with soggy, disintegrated papers floating aimlessly.
Maude carefully tilted the chest to pour out the water. Along with a faint clink, an eternal pose in the shape of an hourglass fell out.
Additionally, there was a slender, sealed wooden tube.
"An eternal pose?"
Maude picked up the device. The glass sphere, supported by three wooden pillars, contained a steady needle pointing in a specific direction.
Normally, a permanent pose's frame would bear engraved letters marking its destination.
However, this one lacked any inscription.
As Maude examined the pose, Gaya picked up the wooden tube and gently shook it. A faint rattling sound came from within.
She opened the seal and removed a rolled parchment.
Maude set down the pose and watched as Gaya unfurled the paper.
It was a roughly drawn map of an island, appearing ordinary at first glance.
Yet, near the center of the map was a red "X."
"A treasure map?"
The crew exchanged glances.
Treasure chests and maps naturally piqued curiosity, even among those who weren't pirates.
Lafitte picked up the pose, smiling. "What a delightful surprise."
With this map, the pose was likely pointing toward the island where the treasure lay.
Gaya's gaze lingered on the skull icon in the map's upper-right corner, her expression filled with wonder.
Handling such objects as a pirate gave her a peculiar feeling.
Maude took the map from Gaya, his curiosity brimming. "I wonder what kind of treasure it'll be."
"Usually, it's riches," Lafitte remarked, fiddling with the pose.
Wealth meant a fortune that could fund countless endeavors.
In a place as scarce as the Arlong territory, even in the Grand Line, such treasures were rare.
"Let's visit after getting a new ship!" Maude exclaimed, his excitement palpable.
Finding this map felt like hitting the jackpot.
Treasure hunts always ignited a sense of adventure.
Seven days later.
The Maude Pirates' massacre of the pirates on Twin Island dominated a page in the latest newspaper.
The diligent News Coo delivered the papers across the world.
"What a brutal bunch, those Maude Pirates…"
"Twin Island, isn't that the starting point of one of the routes? These guys are insane—so arrogant right at the start of the Grand Line?"
"A crew like that… not people to mess with. If we ever cross paths, it's best to steer clear."
"Such audacity from a rookie pirate crew?"
"What a bloodthirsty bunch of newcomers!"
"I've never heard of something like this before."
"It's hard to imagine—they wiped out every pirate on the island with just a few members?"
"Bacardi Maude…"
Across the seas, pirates everywhere were abuzz with speculation.
While the Twin Island massacre didn't cause a major uproar in the world, it rippled across the Grand Line, drawing considerable attention to the Maude Pirates.
East Blue, Loguetown.
Gion, known as Momousagi, stared silently at the newspaper photo.
Her calm expression couldn't hide the creases forming as her fingers gripped the paper tightly, betraying her emotions.
She hadn't expected to receive news of Maude like this.
So… he's already in the Grand Line.
Her heart sank.
Behind her, Smoker and Tashigi looked at the same black-and-white image.
The photo showed Maude standing amidst a pile of corpses, his long blade in hand.
The photographer's skill captured Maude's cold, piercing gaze despite the side profile, the chilling intent radiating through the picture.
Tashigi's heartbeat quickened as she read the report beneath the photo.
Still inexperienced, she was deeply shaken by the brutality of the Maude Pirates.
Smoker frowned, apprehension flashing in his eyes.
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