One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

As dawn broke, the farm/factory was ablaze, flames roaring high into the sky.

The Armed Forces significantly outnumbered the Revolutionary Army.

Thus, when Sabo, serving as the spearhead, was held back by Scott, the user of the Copper-Copper Fruit, the Revolutionary Army found themselves locked in a grueling struggle once again.

Amid the chaos, Maude and Sunny infiltrated the Armed Forces' ranks, appearing to fight while covertly observing the situation on both sides.

"The Revolutionary Army seems to be in a tough spot," Maude murmured to himself as he watched the Revolutionary Army being overwhelmed.

An operation to free slaves was inherently as challenging as a hostage rescue. Its difficulty was self-evident.

Maude figured the Revolutionary Army would only act under circumstances where success was assured. However, from the current scenario, it was evident that this mission had a heavy element of risk-taking.

Given the situation, it was impossible for Maude and Sunny to openly intervene. The most they could do was take potshots during the chaos, quietly thinning the Armed Forces' ranks and slightly alleviating the pressure on the Revolutionary Army's melee fighters.

For instance, Maude's most recent shot struck a soldier of the Armed Forces who had just been slashed but was still capable of fighting.

Without Maude's intervention, that soldier wouldn't have succumbed immediately and could have continued the battle. However, Maude's timely lead bullet became the straw that broke the camel's back.

Each shot was precise and covert. Even if someone caught a glimpse amid the chaos, they wouldn't have realized what was happening.

Had Maude not mastered the basics of Observation Haki, pulling off such precision in this chaotic melee would have been impossible.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Maude muttered as he fired another concealed shot, though his attention was primarily fixed on Sabo and Scott.

Scott was an exceptional target—a prime catch at this stage.

If the opportunity arose to claim his head, Maude wouldn't let it slip by. But before that, he needed a chance to write Scott's name into his notebook.

Glancing at Sunny, Maude saw her composed demeanor and felt slightly reassured. He then turned his focus to devising a strategy for Scott.

The battlefield was pure chaos. The situation had reached a stalemate where every moment saw someone fall, life slipping away.

The Armed Forces held the advantage in numbers, and as time dragged on, the Revolutionary Army's position would only worsen.

To break the deadlock, Sabo needed to quickly defeat Scott and once again become the sharp blade that could pierce through enemy lines.

However, Scott's Copper-Copper Fruit granted him exceptional defense, allowing him to stalemate Sabo effectively.

Moreover, Scott's tactical clarity shone through. Realizing that Sabo wasn't an opponent he could easily defeat, Scott decisively abandoned any thoughts of killing Sabo, focusing solely on containment. This denied Sabo any openings.

This astute and decisive strategy left Sabo struggling. Without external assistance, it was impossible for him to overcome Scott in the short term.

Watching this unfold, Maude couldn't help but look at Scott with newfound respect.

To demonstrate such precise judgment amidst the chaos of battle spoke volumes about Scott's capabilities.

Unfortunately, Scott's defensive abilities effectively countered Maude and Sunny's potential support. Otherwise, the two could have created opportunities for Sabo.

"Well, good luck to him," Maude thought to himself, continuing to fire covert shots into the battlefield.

Between their feigned involvement, Maude and Sunny occasionally managed to thin out the "allies" in the Armed Forces, unbeknownst to the group.

While some Revolutionary Army fighters sensed something off, they were too preoccupied to investigate.

As time passed, the battlefield grew increasingly littered with bodies.

During a pause to reload, Maude discreetly summoned his notebook, jotting Scott's name before quickly putting it away.

Returning to his position, he noted that the Revolutionary Army's situation had become even more dire.

Sunny, too, seemed to notice that they were teetering on collapse. Her shooting grew noticeably more urgent.

"Sunny, don't push too hard," Maude immediately cautioned.

Their involvement wasn't about self-sacrifice.

Even offering limited support to the Revolutionary Army was already going above and beyond.

Hearing Maude's warning, Sunny nodded silently, suppressing any impulses to act recklessly.

As Sol had said, priorities mattered.

When stepping in to help, the first consideration must always be their own survival.

After guiding Sunny to a slightly safer distance, Maude surveyed the battlefield.

At this rate, within half an hour, the Revolutionary Army would likely be wiped out.

Observing their fierce resistance, Maude could guess their reasoning: they were buying time for the slaves to escape Mad Hat Island.

For that cause, they were willing to lay down their lives.

Maude didn't disdain this kind of selfless courage.

But sacrificing one's life for unrelated strangers? If it were him, he wouldn't bother.

As the tide increasingly favored the Armed Forces, Maude began to consider retreating.

Soon, dawn would break.

If the Armed Forces discovered that he and Sunny were shooting from behind, things would take a nasty turn.

Just as Maude was contemplating withdrawal, two unexpected developments unfolded on the battlefield.

"Oh?"

Maude's eyes landed on a young woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

Undeterred by gunfire, the woman charged into the fray, using a martial art resembling Fish-Man Karate to send Armed Forces soldiers flying.

Every one of her strikes left her opponents either crippled or incapacitated.

"She's the woman who was with Sabo last night," Maude recognized her, surprised but then shifted his gaze to the second unexpected figure.

It was a towering man with his face wrapped in layers of black cloth, leaving only his eyes visible.

The man entered through an unguarded gate in the wall and launched a devastating assault from the Armed Forces' rear.

Maude and Sunny instinctively distanced themselves, wary of attracting his attention.

"That man... could it be…"

Maude's eyes widened as the figure's size brought to mind Tatamu.

But regardless of his identity, these two variables had appeared at the perfect time.

Maude's gaze sharpened as he looked toward Scott, his thoughts racing.

Meanwhile, in Tatamu's quarters...

Wolfrat stood silently at the doorway, staring at the empty bed.

Moments later, he exited the bar and ascended to the rooftop, looking toward the factory.

Smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire's glow painted the heavens red.

Even at a distance, faint sounds of battle reached his ears.

Wolfrat retrieved a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, dialing Gion's number.

At the same time...

On the seas, an hour away from Mad Hat Town, two Marine warships cut through the waves.

A sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Gion stood on the deck, wind in her hair.

Beside her, hands in his pockets, Garp stared ahead.

Brrrr... Brrrr…

The Den Den Mushi in Gion's pocket suddenly rang.

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