The Straw Hat Pirates headed straight for Rain Dinners.
Their objective was self-evident.
They were most likely planning to take down the mastermind behind everything—Crocodile.
But that was clearly unrealistic.
However, with Luffy's plot armor and tenacity, no unexpected twists were likely to occur.
Maude mused, paying no mind to the glances from Smoker and Tashigi as he sat down directly.
Bailey, for once, wasn't in a rush to feast. Instead, the little weasel sneakily observed Smoker and Tashigi.
With Perona's whispered encouragement, Bailey hopped off the table and approached the two injured Marines.
Then—
Bailey's mouth twitched mischievously.
Smoker and Tashigi immediately grew alert.
Bailey, unfazed, nimbly searched them both and swiped all their money.
"..." Smoker.
"..." Tashigi.
"Hehehe."
Bailey grinned with his ill-gotten gains, then scurried back to his seat.
Watching the weasel's triumphant retreat, veins bulged on Smoker's forehead—like a tiger fallen from grace, bullied by dogs.
Tashigi lowered her head, utterly dejected.
First crushed by Maude in a single strike, then saved by the Straw Hat Pirates' doctor, only to be blatantly robbed by a filthy weasel.
What a miserable series of events.
With the Marines' "treat money" in hand, Bailey flamboyantly ordered every dish on the menu.
Smoker tore his gaze from Bailey and fixed it on Maude, his voice low and heavy.
"Bacardi Maude… what is your true purpose in Alabasta?"
Another question like this…
Maude glanced at Smoker but chose to ignore him, stuffing a red berry pancake into his mouth.
Seeing this, Smoker's brow furrowed tightly, about to speak again—
—but a shadow snake silently coiled around him, sealing his mouth shut.
Tashigi wasn't spared either, bound and gagged by another shadow snake.
With the two Marines silenced, Maude leisurely enjoyed a luxurious two-hour feast right in front of them.
Once satisfied, Maude stood up, ready to leave.
He had to head to Rain Dinners to collect the intel Robin had prepared.
"No need for change."
At the counter, Bailey slapped down the stolen cash with swagger.
The restaurant owner glanced cautiously at Smoker's thunderous expression, hesitated, but eventually accepted the money.
After paying, Maude led Perona and Bailey out of the restaurant—never sparing another glance at the two Marines.
A few dozen meters away, the shadow snakes quietly returned to their master.
Who knew how Smoker would react once he regained his freedom?
Minutes later—
At Rain Dinners, Maude left Perona and Bailey in the casino hall, heading alone to the room where Robin had hidden the intel.
The room was empty.
Maude retrieved a stack of documents with clear photographs from a designated drawer.
He skimmed through one page.
The contents were exactly as requested—summarizing only the names and abilities of the agents.
This would make things much easier.
Satisfied, Maude nodded and used Observation Haki to ensure no one was nearby.
He summoned his Hunter's Notebook and meticulously recorded each ability user's information.
"These senior agents might not be powerful… but they're still Devil Fruit users. They should yield decent profits."
With a flick of his palm, the Hunter's Notebook dissolved into faint light, vanishing into the air.
Among Baroque Works' Devil Fruit users, only a few stood out—
The rest had developed their powers along comical lines.
Still, despite their bizarre abilities, most had honed their skills over time.
With sufficient intelligence, eliminating them could yield considerable experience in Devil Fruits.
However, swordsmanship and Haki gains would be negligible—
In fact, those would offset some of the Devil Fruit and physical experience.
This was one of the unavoidable flaws of the Hunter's Notebook in the later stages.
Maude burned the intel papers and left the room without reuniting with Perona immediately.
Instead, he scouted Rain Dinners.
No sign of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Crocodile and Robin were absent as well.
"It's starting… Crocodile's 'Operation Utopia' plan."
"And… the Poneglyphs tied to Pluton."
Maude's eyes flickered.
After a moment, he returned to the casino hall, finding Perona and Bailey.
Bailey lay sprawled on the floor, looking ready to die on the spot.
"What happened?"
Maude asked, puzzled.
Perona pouted. "This idiot gambled everything away."
Understanding dawned on Maude as he glanced speechlessly at the weasel, who now wished to be reincarnated as a mayfly.
"Let's go to Alubarna."
...
Three hours had passed—it was time.
Before leaving, Maude cast a final glance at the opulent casino hall.
With Crocodile absent, it was a prime opportunity for piracy.
But Maude prioritized growth—he couldn't afford to squander this chance.
Moments later, the two humans and one weasel departed.
Bailey transformed into a land cruiser, carrying Maude and Perona across the desert.
They crossed a river halfway through the journey.
At their current pace, they would reach Alubarna in about two hours.
Due to missing intel, Maude was unsure of the city's current situation.
Had the war begun?
Had the Straw Hats clashed with Baroque Works?
Regardless, with the Straw Hats' style, they would likely scrape through even the fiercest battles—leaving their enemies alive in the end.
That meant Maude wasn't worried about losing bounties.
After crossing the river, they pressed onward.
An hour later—
Maude spotted an unexpected group atop a distant sand dune—
The Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy, however, was missing.
Hearing the sound of Bailey's tires on the sand, the weary Straw Hats turned toward the noise.
"Eh?!"
Recognizing the familiar vehicle, they lit up—
Like seeing a ray of hope in the dark night.
"It's Maude…"
Five minutes later—
With Nami and the others onboard, the Bailey cruiser resumed its journey.
"So Luffy stayed behind to stall Crocodile?"
Maude asked, surprised.
"Yeah."
The group's faces were filled with worry.
Even Zoro was distracting himself with push-ups.
Maude pondered aloud.
"Our paths aligned… but we didn't hear any commotion when leaving Rain Dinners, nor did we encounter Luffy… which means the battle likely ended already."
"..."
The crew tensed.
"Luffy's strong—he'll be fine."
Usopp tried to reassure them.
It had little effect, but they clung to hope.
Maude didn't press further.
In the desert, Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit made him a nightmare opponent—
Without plot armor, Luffy might have truly fallen.
"Maude… why are you going to Alubarna?"
Vivi gathered her courage to ask.
Maude met her gaze calmly.
"No comment."
"..."
Vivi froze.
A thought crossed her mind as she glanced at her companions.
If Maude helped them… the country might be saved.
But only she could ask.
Usopp, quick on the uptake, spoke up.
"Master… could you—"
"Sorry. I'm a Warlord of the Sea. By the rules, I can't oppose a fellow Warlord."
Maude cut him off.
But silently, he added:
Openly, no… but in the shadows? Who knows…
"..."
Disappointment clouded their faces.
"But…"
Maude's eyes swept over them.
"I can promise you this—your country will be safe."
It was just words—but coming from Maude, they felt like a lifeline.
Hope flickered in their eyes.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parenthesis ( )]
There are more than 400 advance chapters available for you!