One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Maude's dismissive remarks had somewhat provoked Luffy and the others.

When Zoro took the lead in making a move, they realized this was a rare opportunity for battle.

Strength itself grew through combat.

The formidable Warlord of the Sea before them was undoubtedly an ideal sparring opponent.

As Luffy assumed an offensive stance, the atmosphere in the field shifted drastically, brimming with tension.

With their three core members expressing their intent, Usopp and Bartolomeo hesitated briefly before deciding that seizing this chance to "learn" from Maude wouldn't be a bad idea.

However, they had no idea...

Luffy truly wanted to punch Maude away.

Zoro genuinely wanted to cut him down.

Sanji sincerely wanted to kick him to the ground.

Without such resolve, they might fall before even touching the towering mountain that was Maude—let alone overcoming him.

"Clang, clang—"

Franky's iron fists clashed together a few times.

Seeing his crewmates' determination, he naturally followed suit.

Nami, frowning at the muscle-headed idiots itching for a fight, scooped up the unconscious Chopper without hesitation and retreated to the upper deck, distancing herself from the conflict.

"Heh."

Robin glanced at Nami's decisive move, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She could see that these reliable companions weren't simply driven by Maude's condescension—they weren't fighting merely to overturn his disdain.

Their truest intention was to treat Maude as a sparring partner.

With the New World within reach, the chance to clash with someone of Maude's caliber—comparable to the powerhouses of that perilous sea—was an invaluable opportunity.

"It truly is a rare chance."

Robin's gaze shifted to Maude, the mastermind behind it all.

In ordinary circumstances, she would have followed Nami and stayed out of the fray.

But because the opponent was Maude, her interest was piqued.

She studied Maude's face intently, yet couldn't decipher his thoughts.

This man was as inscrutable as ever.

His motives, reasons, methods—impossible to grasp.

Maude looked at the Straw Hats, eager for battle, and casually leaned back against the rail of the Thousand Sunny.

"Feeling fired up, huh?"

A smirk played at the corner of his mouth. At his silent command, his shadow detached from his body, sliding to the side. The flat two-dimensional shadow shifted into a three-dimensional form.

Under the watchful eyes of the Straw Hats, the shadow slowly took on Maude's exact outline.

As the silhouette became clearer, hair, eyes, skin, and even the colors of his clothing emerged.

The shadow had transformed into a perfect duplicate of Maude.

"There are two Maudes!!!"

Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the shadow clone beside Maude.

The others wore similarly stunned expressions, struggling to believe their eyes.

Zoro's gaze locked onto the black blade, Shusui, at the clone's waist. He was speechless, as if witnessing something beyond comprehension.

Seeing their shock, Maude rested his hands on the railing and said indifferently:

"Want to defeat me? Then spar with my shadow first. But even if it's just a shadow... I don't think you can win."

"!!!"

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, already brimming with fighting spirit, simultaneously furrowed their brows.

Spar with the shadow? What a joke!

Their target was Maude himself!

A rare moment of perfect understanding passed between them as they wordlessly charged at Maude's true body.

Franky's hurried warning—"Take it to the shore! Don't damage the Thousand Sunny!"—was left far behind as the three streaked toward their target.

Maude tilted his head slightly, calmly watching the three core fighters rush at him, making no move to withdraw his Conqueror's Haki.

In battle, even if Conqueror's Haki couldn't knock out the opponent, the pressure alone could exert a spiritual suppression effect—especially if there was a gap in strength.

This suppression could affect the opponent's Observation Haki and make their bodies feel heavier.

But if the strength gap was small, Conqueror's Haki would have little effect.

With his current power, Maude couldn't knock out the three Straw Hat fighters, but he could impose a negative status on them.

Even as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji charged forward, their movements betrayed a subtle sluggishness.

"Swish—!"

The first to act was Luffy, his body steaming as he used a technique similar to "Shave," propelling himself at high speed into attack range.

"Jet Pistol!"

His right fist, like a jet engine, rocketed toward Maude's face at near-invisible speed.

Yet before it could land, the shadow clone stepped in, catching Luffy's wrist with a single hand.

"This guy...!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed, shocked by the clone standing like a gatekeeper before Maude.

The grip on his wrist was like an inescapable shackle.

As the clone casually neutralized Luffy's Jet Pistol, Sanji and Zoro's attacks followed.

"Diable Jambe—Premier Hachis!"

Sanji's blazing right leg cut in from the left, aiming a searing kick at Maude.

"Three-Sword Style... Bull Demon... Brave Claw!"

Zoro's three blades combined into a claw-like formation, thrusting at Maude's chest from the right.

Throughout it all, Maude remained serene, unmoved.

The clone, without breaking a sweat, drew Shusui with its free hand, the black blade perfectly intercepting Zoro's thrust.

"Clang!"

The clash of blades rang out as the clone deflected Zoro's attack—still holding Luffy's wrist—and kicked Sanji's leg away with its own.

"This guy...!"

Zoro stared at Shusui, straining with all his might yet unable to budge the clone's defense.

But it was just a shadow...

"This guy...!"

Sanji winced at the searing pain in his leg, staring at the clone's lifeless, glossy eyes.

Not only was it a great swordsman—it was skilled in martial arts too?!

The coordinated assault of the Straw Hats' three strongest fighters had been effortlessly repelled by the clone.

"Oi, oi... did you guys skip breakfast or something?"

Franky, well aware of their strength, couldn't hide his astonishment.

"Just a shadow... suppressing all three of them..."

Robin, Usopp, Bartolomeo, and even Nami from the upper deck watched the battle with wide eyes.

If Maude's real body had done this, they wouldn't have been so surprised.

But this was only his shadow.

If Maude himself got involved... the consequences would be devastating.

"Is this really your 'full power'?"

Maude's gaze swept over Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy, shaking his head slightly.

Before his voice had even faded, he flickered onto the upper deck, leisurely settling into a sun chair near Nami. He picked up a teapot from the table and poured himself a cup of still-warm tea.

As the liquid ceased trickling, the clone suddenly exerted force, flinging Luffy toward the shore.

Then, with the same overwhelming strength, it sent Sanji and Zoro flying.

Maude sipped his tea, eyes following the airborne trio through the rising steam.

"If this is all you've got... then I'll take back what I said earlier—I'm afraid you can't even scratch my shadow."

On the deck, Robin and the others stared at Maude in shock.

Everything had returned to the way it began.

The gap was so vast it left no room for hope.

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