One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

The night's hunt was uneventful yet unexpectedly fruitful.

Satisfied with the results, Maude decided to call it a night. Evading the curious gazes trailing behind him, he slipped off the main street into a maze of alleyways. After deliberately circling around a few times to ensure no one was following, he returned to the weapons shop under the cover of darkness.

Passing by the store's shelves, Maude hesitated for a moment. With a moment of introspection, he returned the Dark Crow to its display before heading into the back room.

In the corridor, Bailey, roused by the sound, lifted his head to look at Maude. His nose twitched, catching the distinct scent of blood lingering on Maude.

Maude glanced at the figure slumped against the wall and chuckled.

"Since you're awake, why don't we have a late-night snack together?"

"What are we eating?"

Bailey's sleepiness vanished instantly. He sprang to his feet, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Keep your voice down. Don't wake Sunny."

"Got it!"

Bailey nodded vigorously, his teeth flashing in the dim light.

When Bailey first arrived at Sol's weapons shop, he thought Maude and Sunny were the most terrifying demons in the world.

He had braced himself for days filled with misery.

To his surprise, not only was his life far from unbearable, but it was also quite comfortable. Most importantly, every meal was hearty and delicious.

For Bailey, the greatest joy of living here was undoubtedly the food.

His voracious appetite had initially surprised Maude and Sunny, but they eventually grew accustomed to it.

"You head to the kitchen first. I'll join you shortly," Maude said as he ascended the stairs. He entered his room with careful, deliberate steps, closing the door behind him.

From his coat, he pulled out a hefty stack of Beri, looted from Harvey and his crew earlier that evening.

The stack was thick.

Maude quickly counted it—just over a million Beri.

In a chaotic and dangerous place like Mad Hat Town, as long as you had the strength, making money was surprisingly easy.

If he wanted to, Maude could rake in several million Beri in a single night without breaking much of a sweat.

However, if he were to spend his time hunting solely for money, he might as well stay in the shop and practice reloading speed instead.

After storing the money away, Maude headed downstairs. He washed the bloodstains from his body in the bathroom before heading to the kitchen to prepare their snack.

The ingredients left little room for variety—it was mostly meat.

This, too, was a long-standing tradition at the weapons shop.

As Sol often said, "A man's got to eat to live. And if you're going to eat, you might as well eat well."

He'd even forego adding a rare sword to his collection just to ensure the meals at the shop were top-notch.

Maude pulled out an assortment of meat from the fridge. After some quick preparation, he managed to whip up a small feast of meat dishes in no time.

Bailey, who had been waiting impatiently, began devouring the food the moment it hit the table.

Sitting across from him, Maude ate at a more leisurely pace, watching the now noticeably plumper Bailey with amusement.

"You know," Maude began, smirking, "even a pig could outrun you at this point."

"Mmff…mmff…"

Bailey, his mouth stuffed with meat, looked up at Maude and mumbled something incomprehensible.

While he couldn't decipher the words, Maude could guess the gist of it from Bailey's expression—something along the lines of, "That's impossible!"

Glancing at the layers of fat accumulating around Bailey's middle, Maude continued, "Haven't you noticed that your appetite has decreased recently?"

"Huh?"

Bailey froze, then hastily swallowed his mouthful of food, a pensive look crossing his face.

Comparing his current intake to a month ago, it was clear that he was eating less.

Seeing Bailey deep in thought, Maude's eyes narrowed mischievously.

"Do you know why?"

"No idea!"

Bailey shook his head.

Maude cut into his steak and said matter-of-factly, "Because you're fat."

Bailey looked genuinely puzzled. "But isn't being fat supposed to mean you can eat more?"

"Who told you that nonsense?" Maude countered with a serious tone. "Lying around all day like you do slows down your digestion. And when your digestion slows, your appetite naturally decreases."

"But I'm not just lying around all day. You made me clean the shop…" Bailey muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

Maude's smile turned sharp as he looked at Bailey.

"Nothing! I was just saying…this meat is delicious!" Bailey quickly raised another steaming piece of meat as evidence of his innocence.

Maude scoffed but returned to the topic at hand.

"Look at me. Do I eat a lot?"

"A ton!"

"Jealous?"

"Absolutely!"

"Want to be like me?"

"Of course!"

"Then start working out."

"...?"

The next morning, Sunny unlatched the weapon shop's main door, cracking it open just enough to let in some fresh air before returning to her spot behind the counter.

As she picked up the morning paper, her gaze landed on Bailey, now sprawled on the floor. In his stubby hands, he was holding a small piece of black metal, attempting to do bench presses.

Sunny's expression shifted as she put down the paper and hurried over to Bailey. Without a word, she snatched the piece of metal from his hands.

Bailey blinked in confusion and looked up at her.

Sunny frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you? Do you have a fever?"

She placed the metal down and pressed a hand to Bailey's forehead.

Bailey initially thought Sunny was mocking him but quickly realized she was serious.

"Boss…!"

He pushed her hand away carefully. "I'm fine! I'm just working out a bit."

"Working out?"

Sunny's frown deepened. Suddenly, she reached out and pinched Bailey's chubby cheeks.

"Bailey, you don't need to work out. Just focus on eating. If you're not full, let me know, and I'll add more to your plate."

"Boss…"

Bailey was touched, but he quickly explained, "I'm doing this to become like the captain! I want to eat as much as him at every meal!"

"Oh, I see."

Sunny seemed to understand.

Bailey looked at the black weights longingly. "Um…can you pass those back to me? I can't reach them…"

"Sure."

Sunny handed them over.

"Train hard, Bailey. Make sure you can eat more each time."

"I will, Boss!"

Sunny smiled faintly, returning to the counter with a pensive look on her face. Floating above her head was a mental equation:

Training = Increased Appetite = More Weight = Higher Potential Sale Price.

Unaware of her musings, Bailey resumed his workout, glancing at her thoughtfully.

"Boss and Captain—they're really good people," he muttered to himself. "Why did I ever think they were demons? I was way too quick to judge."

Determined not to disappoint their expectations, Bailey pushed himself harder.

Wearing his training weights, Maude walked into the shop, spotting Bailey in the middle of his routine. Pleased, he nodded in approval before starting his own daily exercises.

By the afternoon, Maude had finished his training ahead of schedule.

After removing his weights and resting for a bit, he geared up and headed out for another hunt.

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Five days later, Sol returned to the shop, arms laden with a haul of fine wine.

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