Chapter 75: Chapter 75: A Roadblock
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier after Maude's words.
Sunny glanced at Maude, then at Sol, who remained expressionless.
She wanted to say something, but sensing it was not the right moment, she chose to remain silent.
Sol put down the small yellowed book in his hand and picked up his gilded pipe, taking a slow drag.
In the suddenly quiet weapons shop, the only sound was the faint puff of smoke escaping from Sol's lips.
Maude observed Sol's reaction carefully.
He had mentally prepared for this moment long ago.
When he first came to the weapon shop, Sol had asked him to bid farewell to the past in a rather unconventional way.
It was a gesture that, at the time, spoke volumes.
Even so, Maude wasn't worried about Sol refusing his request.
"I want revenge."
Drawing on the lingering memories of his predecessor, Maude's face contorted into a vivid expression of hatred and murderous intent.
It was the first time Sunny had seen such a look from Maude. Her expression shifted slightly, and though her lips moved, she remained silent.
Sol, in contrast, merely flicked the ash off his pipe and continued to stay silent.
Eyes sharp with resolve, Maude spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Only by avenging myself can I truly leave the past behind."
Hearing this, Sol's eyes narrowed. He casually set his pipe aside.
Truly leave the past behind?
"And?"
"I need your help, Sol."
"Ha!"
Sol couldn't help but chuckle.
Maude ignored his reaction and pressed on:
"The enemy is Capone Bege of the underworld. He has numbers on his side, and with my strength alone, there's no way I can get close to him."
"That's why I need your help, Sol... With you, I know I can get a chance to confront Bege."
"Oh? So it was the mafia who did it."
Hearing Maude's words, Sol's chuckle faded, replaced by mild surprise.
What he initially thought was a run-of-the-mill pirate raid turned out to be the handiwork of an underworld mafia—one that currently dominated the scene.
It was no wonder Maude sought his help.
"I'll help you."
Surprisingly, it was Sunny who spoke, not Sol.
Maude glanced at Sunny, who looked unusually serious.
But Maude couldn't imagine what real assistance Sunny, who rarely displayed her abilities, could offer.
Sol, too, turned to Sunny, his tone exasperated:
"I haven't even agreed yet, and here you are jumping in."
"You're not going to refuse anyway," Sunny replied flatly.
"You little brat…"
Sol shook his head, exasperated yet helpless.
She wasn't wrong—he wasn't going to refuse.
On one hand, Maude's words resonated. Only by taking revenge with his own hands could he truly put the past behind him.
On the other, Sol had already come to regard Maude as one of his own. Refusing wasn't an option.
Still, he didn't want Maude to develop a dependency on him.
After some thought, Sol looked at Maude and said evenly:
"I'll help you, but how I help will be my decision."
"Deal!"
Maude wasted no time agreeing, knowing he had no room to negotiate.
Sol took another drag from his pipe, then suddenly smirked mischievously, as if recalling something amusing.
Maude and Sunny exchanged a puzzled glance.
Ten days later.
The auction house in Mad Hat Town was abuzz with the monthly auction.
As the largest auction in the town, there were two types held each month.
The mid-month auction was smaller in scale, attracting mostly pirates.
The end-of-month auction, however, was a grander affair, dominated by participants from the underworld.
This pattern had persisted for as long as anyone could remember, though its origins were unclear.
By noon, the docks were noticeably more crowded, with a surge of ships arriving—all linked to the underworld.
Even with the increased activity, it paled in comparison to the town's busiest events.
By evening, another batch of ships docked, likely the last wave of potential auction attendees.
As the ships settled into the harbor, groups of people disembarked and headed toward the town's bustling bar street.
Bar Street.
Thanks to the auction, the bars were livelier than usual, packed with customers spilling onto the brightly lit streets. Drunken pirates stumbled around, arms slung over each other's shoulders, the air thick with laughter and alcohol.
Suddenly, commotion erupted from the far end of the street.
Hearing the noise, the pirates turned, their faces quickly shifting to shock.
A procession of black-clad individuals marched down the street, led by none other than Capone Bege.
"It's the mafia…"
The pirates hastily stepped aside, unwilling to provoke a confrontation.
"Wait, is that all the men Bege brought this time?"
Some pirates, accustomed to the mafia's usual grandiose displays, noticed the difference.
In the past, Bege's entourage never numbered fewer than five or six hundred men.
Yet today, there were barely a hundred.
Though curious, the pirates had no intention of investigating further. They watched silently as Bege's imposing group strode through the street like they owned it.
Wherever they went, people made way, clearing a wide path.
No one dared block their way.
Except perhaps a drunken fool.
But the mafia had no patience for such people. Block their path, and you'd be lucky to die quickly.
Amid the crowd, a figure stood motionless. A young man, with a black-and-red longsword at his waist, stepped into the middle of the street, directly in the mafia's path.
The bold move drew immediate attention.
In the crowd, Lafitte pressed his finger against his hat's brim, observing the scene with intrigue.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at the young man.
"Capone Bege," Lafitte muttered, his lips curling into a faint smile. His eyes flicked to Bege's entourage, noting the smaller numbers.
An ideal opportunity.
Yet, an unshakable sense of danger held him back.
[TL/N: Dang, this bastard is sharp.]
The sound of footsteps echoed in the tense silence as Bege's group approached the lone figure.
A pirate in the crowd recognized the young man and exclaimed, "It's Usopp!"
Realizing his outburst, the pirate quickly clamped his hands over his mouth, glancing around nervously.
But no one paid him any attention.
All eyes were on the youth standing in Bege's way.
"Usopp?" Bege's cold gaze landed on the boy.
The name rang no bells.
Unimportant, then.
But clearly, this was no friendly encounter.
Bege continued his steady pace, but one of his men, without needing orders, raised his gun at the youth.
The crowd braced themselves, already picturing the grisly outcome.
But instead of fear, a faint smile appeared on Maude's face.
He smiled?
The crowd was stunned.
Before the gunshot rang out, a faint whistling sound cut through the air.
The next moment, a spray of blood erupted from the gunman's temple, and he collapsed instantly.
"What?!?"
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.
Maude slowly drew his blade, Dark Crow, the gleam of its edge reflecting the light.
It had taken quite the effort to convince Sol to let him carry it tonight.
----------------------------
Join my patreon to access advance chapters: patreon.com / emperorgarus