If the Golden Lion were to return to the stage and pose a threat to the world—
Even if Maude had not voluntarily offered to help, given the nature of the World Government and the Marines, they would undoubtedly call upon the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
With power comes responsibility.
The Warlords enjoyed many privileges granted by the World Government. In return, when trouble arose, a summons left them with no room for refusal.
However, there was still a difference between acting passively and taking the initiative.
Despite the intelligence regarding the Golden Lion remaining unconfirmed, Maude had taken the initiative to offer his assistance.
A truly unpredictable man.
That was more or less the sentiment shared by Hina, Smoker, and Tashigi.
Until the intelligence could be verified, none of them wanted to mention anything regarding the Golden Lion.
The dinner that night ended in a heavy silence.
Two days later—
A Marine detachment arrived on schedule to take over the garrison duties on Dali Island.
Hina's warship slowly departed the port, heading toward the open sea.
After half a day's voyage—
Hina strode onto the deck, deliberately raising her voice in front of Maude.
"Attention all hands! Moments ago, this vessel received another support request!"
The Marines immediately perked up.
Accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, they swiftly assembled before Hina.
"???"
Maude lowered his sunglasses, staring at Hina with a puzzled expression.
Another support request in just half a day?
Hina intentionally avoided Maude's probing gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips as she announced the details of the mission to her subordinates.
To provide aid, a course change was inevitable.
"Is the Marine force really that understaffed??? Why are all the support requests landing on your ship???"
Unable to hold back, Maude questioned Hina directly.
Hina met Maude's gaze, her tone resolute.
"Executing orders without question is the duty of a soldier."
"..."
Maude massaged his temples, glancing at the navigator altering the course. Suddenly, something occurred to him.
"Do you have Eternal Poses?"
"Naturally."
"A support request outside the navigation route, and you just happen to have the corresponding Eternal Pose? Once, I wouldn't think much of it. But twice? That's a bit too convenient, isn't it?"
"Looks like you didn't know."
Hina gestured with her hand, prompting a nearby Marine to head into the cabin.
Moments later, the Marine returned carrying a box.
Under Maude's watchful eyes, the Marine handed the box to Hina.
Hina placed one hand under the box and lifted the lid with the other.
Inside was a neatly arranged collection of fifteen Eternal Poses, allowing the ship to sail to fifteen different locations at any given moment.
Maude stared in silence.
What an utterly brain-dead setup...
Hina, pleased by Maude's speechlessness, closed the box and turned to issue orders.
The warship adjusted course for the next support location.
This time, Maude refrained from intervening.
A day later, the ship set sail again.
But after two more days at sea, Hina received yet another support request.
Maude wasn't an idiot—he quickly realized Hina was intentionally dragging out the voyage back to Marineford, using various pretexts to delay their return.
Whenever they encountered pirate ships along the way, Hina would pursue them with reckless abandon, showing no regard for the voyage or the time it would take. She wouldn't rest until the chase ended.
Over time, even Smoker caught on.
The reason for their busy schedule was Hina's petty revenge—using legitimate excuses to prevent Maude from returning to Sabaody Archipelago as he wished.
In truth, Hina had never agreed to take Maude to Sabaody Archipelago from the beginning. Moreover, she had no obligation to obey his orders.
If not for Maude's Warlord status, she would have kicked him off the ship long ago.
Realizing Hina was dead set on prolonging the voyage, Maude knew he had no authority to command the Marines—unless he was on an official mission.
Left with no choice, Maude simply went along with the situation.
Need support?
No problem—
I'll handle it!
Just provide the intel.
Chasing pirate ships?
No problem—
My Moonwalk is wicked fast.
Hand over the intel, and I'll wrap it up in an hour.
Maude's proactive attitude left Hina dumbfounded.
Her original intent had been to frustrate Maude—but it seemed to have no effect at all.
Over time—
Maude's overwhelming strength completely won over the Marines aboard the ship.
Reconnaissance?
No problem—I'll do it.
Sniping?
No problem—I'll do it.
Boarding combat?
No problem—I'll do it.
Cover fire?
No problem—I'll do it.
Enemy too strong?
No problem—I'll do it.
Gradually, Maude's reliability instilled a profound sense of admiration among the Marines.
During mess hall conversations, one recurring topic emerged—
"Wouldn't it be great if Maude was one of us?"
The sentiment was clear—
If only Maude were a Marine.
Hina once overheard such discussions.
The topic itself didn't matter much.
What irked her was the unreserved reverence her subordinates displayed toward Maude.
Her face darkened on the spot.
As the voyage continued, the chaotic support requests finally ceased.
Yet Maude had become addicted.
"Oi, woman, no support requests today?"
"..."
"Oi, woman, didn't you see that pirate ship? Why aren't we pursuing it?"
"..."
"Oi, woman, the navigator said there's a lawless zone nearby outside the Government's jurisdiction—full of pirates. Should we 'conveniently' wipe them out along the way?"
"..."
Hina's hands trembled slightly.
Gritting her teeth, she snapped, "Hina has a name! Not 'woman'!"
"Oh, woman."
"..."
Hina almost exploded in anger.
In the distance, Tashigi watched the dark expression on Hina's face and sighed softly. "Maude is really terrifying."
Beside her, Smoker's cheek twitched, silently stuffing a fourth cigar into his mouth on top of the three already there.
The warship sailed straight toward Marineford.
From departure to now, it had taken more than a month, and the warship was finally about to arrive at Marineford.
During this time, the Navy confirmed the news that Golden Lion Shiki had returned to the seas.
Additionally, several other bombshells had also surfaced.
First, the Red-Haired Pirates had made contact with the Whitebeard Pirates—not as a conflict between two Emperors, but potentially as an alliance.
Second, the Straw Hat Pirates had attacked and conquered Enies Lobby.
Third, the vacant position in the Seven Warlords of the Sea would be filled by Blackbeard Teach.
One shocking piece of news after another stirred the sea that had been calm for so long.
The gears of the era had begun to shift.
On this day, Maude stepped off the warship, setting foot on the land known as Marineford.
He gazed at the nearby Marine Headquarters and murmured, "Blackbeard becoming a Warlord means..."
Ace had been captured.
But the Navy was covering up the news.
After all, there was already a looming threat in the sky causing the Navy enough headaches.
If the news of Ace's capture were made public...
"Interesting."
With foreknowledge of future events, Maude suddenly chuckled.
If the Golden Lion were to intervene in the Summit War, what kind of spectacle would unfold?
And if the Revolutionary Army joined in...
It might result in the utter destruction of Marineford's justice before the eyes of the entire world.
If that assumption became reality—
The entire world would undergo earth-shattering changes overnight.
With that thought, Maude's smile faded as he contemplated certain possibilities.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of wooden sandals echoed from ahead.
It sounded familiar.
Maude looked up to see a figure dressed in purple, holding a wooden staff—Issho, also known as Fujitora, walking slowly toward him.
Maude's eyes flashed with surprise.
"Issho-san!"
"Maude."
Issho stopped nearby, smiling as if he could see Maude.
Maude was taken aback. "Issho-san, what are you doing here?"
"I have joined the Navy."
"Huh?"
Maude was stunned.
The last time they'd met on Lorre Island, he'd confirmed that Issho had not yet joined the Navy—and Issho hadn't participated in the Summit War.
This meant Issho should have joined the Navy after the war.
But now...
A thought crossed Maude's mind—if Issho had already joined the Navy before the Summit War, he was highly likely to participate in the conflict.
What would the future become?
Looking at the future Marine Admiral Fujitora before him, Maude joked, "Issho-san, now that you're a Marine, don't send me to Impel Down."
"If necessary, I won't pretend not to 'see' you."
Issho nodded, his expression serious. He didn't treat Maude's words as a joke.
If Maude crossed the line, Issho would not hesitate to personally escort him to Impel Down, regardless of their past acquaintance.
"Ah, fair enough—but I won't give you that chance."
Maude understood Issho's sense of justice and didn't mind.
Issho's lips curved into a smile. "There's a good ramen shop here—I'll treat you."
"Ramen?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but... you have money, right?"
"The Navy's salary isn't bad."
Issho's casual remark implied that money wouldn't be a problem.
"Okay, but I hope you don't mind two extra mouths."
Maude pointed to Bailey and Perona.
"No problem. The more, the merrier."
Issho didn't mind—just a few more bowls of noodles.
The two walked side by side toward Marineford's town, with Perona floating behind them, holding an umbrella.
At the port, Hina and the other Marines silently watched Maude and Issho leave together.
"That man... is strong."
Smoker stared intently at Issho's back.
Hina nodded in agreement.
Curious, she asked, "I've never seen him before—Hina is curious."
"Ah la la, his name is Issho."
A wisp of frost gathered beside them, condensing into Admiral Aokiji's form.
"Admiral Aokiji!"
The gathered Marines hurriedly saluted, flustered by Aokiji's sudden appearance.
Smoker and Hina, familiar with Aokiji's ways, were unfazed.
"Issho..."
That was the man's name.
Aokiji waved a hand at the Marines, signaling them to relax, then stuffed his hands into his pockets and glanced at Issho's receding figure.
"But he prefers to be called Fujitora. As for his strength... it's about the same as mine."
"!!!"
The Marines, including Tashigi, couldn't hide their shock.
If there was truly such a man, why hadn't his name already shaken the world?
Most of them assumed Aokiji was joking.
But Smoker and Hina knew he was not.
"Fujitora, huh... He seems quite familiar with Maude."
Smoker's gaze shifted from Aokiji to the two figures walking together.
"Indeed."
Aokiji scratched his head lazily. "Leave the prisoner escort to your subordinates—I'll buy you both a drink."
Smoker and Hina agreed without hesitation.
Though they all served at Headquarters, opportunities to gather were rare.
In a small ramen shop in Marineford's town—
Issho, or rather, Fujitora, realized his miscalculation as Bailey's towering stack of empty bowls grew higher.
"...Do I have enough money?"
He silently wondered.
Fortunately, Maude's preoccupation with the recent bombshells dampened his appetite, easing the strain on Fujitora's wallet.
One thought crossed Maude's mind—Fujitora's Press-Press Fruit might counter the Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit.
Or they might simply cancel each other out.
If the Navy sent troops to hunt the Golden Lion, and if Sengoku knew of Fujitora's strength, he would likely assign the task to Fujitora—to both ensure success and give him a chance to earn merit.
After a moment's hesitation, Maude decided not to bring up the subject.
He knew Fujitora had come simply to reunite and share a meal.
Bringing up sensitive topics would sour the occasion.
Letting the matter rest, Maude enjoyed his meal and chatted with Fujitora.
When they spoke of Gaya not being in the Sabaody Archipelago, Fujitora expressed regret, fondly recalling Gaya's handmade noodles.
The meal lasted over an hour.
When the bill came, thanks to Bailey's monstrous appetite, Fujitora's money fell short.
Amused, Maude covered the rest, leaving Fujitora embarrassed.
So much for treating them to dinner.
Outside the shop, they parted ways.
Despite his Warlord status, lingering in Marineford made Maude uneasy.
Without delay, he returned to the Sabaody Archipelago.
"You're finally back."
At Shakky's bar, Law's eyes drooped.
Called here by Maude, he'd been waiting for half a month.
"Law, long time no see."
Ignoring Law's resentful glare, Maude grinned. "I don't know what you've been through, but I bet you've improved—your Op-Op Fruit abilities..."
"Want to test them?"
Law's eyes sharpened, a touch of arrogance in his tone.
"Oh?"
Maude's interest was piqued.
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