After taking Pyke's head, Maude closed his eyes to evaluate the gains.
[Physique: ★★★★☆]
[Swordsmanship: ★★★]
[Haki: ★★☆]
The new star for physique had barely filled a tenth of its frame, appearing as faint streaks that were almost unnoticeable.
From the looks of it, the gains from Pyke's head weren't as substantial as anticipated.
After all, Maude's physique had already approached the fifth star, and his swordsmanship had completed its first transformative stage. With the distribution of gains becoming increasingly divided, progression naturally slowed as he advanced further.
Even so, the day's haul was still impressive, mainly due to the sheer number of targets.
At the current growth rate, Maude was more than satisfied.
It seemed that the abundant prey in the pirate world was a perfect match for his ability.
However, he understood that as time went on, the effectiveness of his ability would gradually diminish.
Not that it mattered—Maude wasn't concerned about the distant future. For now, all he needed to do was seize every opportunity to hunt.
Placing the tearful and smiling Dada down, Maude turned his gaze toward the distant pirates surrounding the area.
Lafitte and Bailey approached him, while Dada, gravely injured, leaned against the base of a stone sculpture.
"Maude... big bro..."
Dada's voice was weak.
His injuries were severe, primarily from punches and club strikes, which was the only reason he had lasted this long.
"Don't talk. Just rest."
Maude gently patted Dada's shoulder before straightening up and looking toward the pirates in the distance.
"Lafitte, don't hold back. Wipe out every pirate in this town."
"Hoho, understood."
Lafitte tipped his hat with a light gesture.
From the information he had gathered for Maude, there were still about thirty pirates in the town who could provide some gains.
Although Maude told him not to worry about leaving specific targets alive, Lafitte would still try to avoid killing the ones Maude had marked in his mental list.
Eradicate them all...
A gleam of light flickered in Lafitte's eyes.
For the Maude Pirates, this was their first major action since entering the Grand Line.
Slaughtering every pirate in the town perfectly aligned with his own desires.
Unaware of Lafitte's thoughts, Maude shifted his gaze to Bailey and said calmly, "Bailey, stay here and watch over Dada."
"Oh... okay."
Bailey agreed reluctantly.
Meanwhile, on the distant streets and beneath various buildings, the pirates noticed Maude's sharp gaze sweeping toward them. A sudden sense of foreboding washed over them.
No way...
They had stayed behind only to see if they could take advantage of the situation.
Since no opportunities had arisen, they believed they had no grudge against the Maude Pirates.
Under such circumstances, surely the Maude Pirates wouldn't trouble them, right?
But as Maude, emanating a menacing aura, began walking toward them, that ominous feeling intensified.
"Damn it!"
The pirates, gripped by fear, didn't dare to stay still. They scattered like frightened birds in mere moments.
Unmoved by their panic, Maude watched coldly.
"Do you think you can escape?"
He didn't use his Stealth Walk technique but instead sprinted after the fleeing pirates.
The handful of pirates who had started retreating earlier might have a slim chance of escaping the island.
But for those who had clung to false hope until Pyke's death shattered their illusions, escape was out of the question.
After all, Maude had already sent Jim to destroy the ships docked along the riverside.
With Gaya overseeing the area, the risk to Jim during his sabotage was minimal.
As for whether there were ships docked on the opposite side of Spring Island, Maude didn't care.
When Maude and Lafitte began their pursuit, cutting down the first fleeing pirate, the rest were shaken to their core.
"Why is the Maude Pirates hunting us down?"
"Damn it! This whole mess was caused by the Bloodshadow Pirates—what does it have to do with us?"
"They're insane! Those monsters are insane!"
As Maude and Lafitte unleashed carnage, the number of bodies on the island surged dramatically.
The pirates, realizing the Maude Pirates intended to annihilate them, stopped questioning their motives and began banding together to fight back.
In no time, the town erupted into chaos.
The sounds of fighting, screams, and explosions echoed ceaselessly.
For the pirates, it was as if doomsday had arrived.
On a rooftop, Dale watched Maude and Lafitte hunting pirates through the town.
"They... they actually dare to do this... ha, haha!"
Dale stammered at first, then broke into an excited laugh.
It was explosive—exactly the kind of event he had hoped for!
However, aware of the danger, Dale stopped snapping photos so openly. He crouched low to avoid detection.
"Ugh..."
A groan came from a pirate beside him who was regaining consciousness.
Dale's eyes gleamed as he turned.
Bam!
With a heavy strike, silence returned to the rooftop.
Dale then picked up his telescope, focusing on Maude and his pursuit.
For the fleeing pirates, this was nothing short of the end of days.
In the town, many pirates resisted, even resorting to heavy weapons like cannons.
But the cannonballs failed to harm Maude or Lafitte and instead set multiple parts of the town ablaze.
Others, unwilling to face the Maude Pirates, fled toward the coast, hoping to escape by ship.
Yet, when they reached the shoreline, all they found were heavily damaged vessels.
Despair and terror quickly spread across the island.
"Demons... they're demons..."
The thought echoed helplessly in many pirates' minds.
Winter Island.
Seven or eight hours passed.
The storm that had raged across the island for two days and nights finally subsided.
Not long after the blizzard ceased, figures clad in animal pelts emerged from a cave.
These were the displaced residents of Spring Island.
Forced to flee to Winter Island after being driven out by pirates, they lived in destitution—scantily clothed, perpetually starving.
Prolonged malnutrition had left them gaunt, with someone succumbing to hunger or cold almost every month.
Every lull in the relentless snowstorm was a precious opportunity to search for food.
Based on past experience, once a blizzard stopped, they could expect at least an eight-hour window before the next one hit.
For these people, survival hinged on making the most of this fleeting reprieve.
Even a single blade of hardy grass buried under the snow could mean the difference between life and death.
One by one, they left the cave, trudging through the snow in search of sustenance.
Before long, someone noticed flames and thick black smoke rising from the direction of Spring Island.
"What's happening on Spring Island?"
Amid the scattered crowd, a young man with thick eyebrows and bright eyes gazed at the ominous smoke column in the distance.
This young man was the same food thief that Maude and his crew had encountered near the tree bridge two days prior.
"I'll go check it out!"
Unable to suppress his curiosity, the young man called out to his companions before heading toward the tree bridge.
"Bach, be careful!"
His companions looked at him with concern as his figure disappeared into the distance.
Dozens of minutes later.
Bach arrived at the shoreline. After carefully surveying his surroundings, he crossed the tree bridge and stepped onto Spring Island.
What he saw left him stunned.
The town was ablaze, with corpses of pirates strewn along the waterfront.
The pirate ships once anchored at the shore were now badly damaged.
Bach was taken aback by the scene.
"Was this the work of the Marines? No, that's impossible… What happened here?"
He quickly dismissed the idea of Marine involvement. After all, the Marines and the World Government had withdrawn their protection from Spring Island because its residents couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute. This withdrawal had led to the island becoming a haven for pirates.
Bach's gaze swept over the carnage before landing on a single pirate ship that remained intact.
The flag on its mast displayed a skull surrounded by crossed swords and rifles.
"Was this the work of that pirate crew?"
Swallowing nervously, Bach mustered his courage and approached the pirate ship, desperate to uncover the truth.
He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed two figures emerging from the main street of the town: Maude and Lafitte, with Bailey perched on Maude's shoulder.
The pair immediately noticed Bach.
"Oh, it's you," Maude said, instantly recognizing him as the thief they had encountered two days earlier.
Curiously enough, this second meeting took place in the exact same spot.
"..."
Bach's heart pounded as his gaze darted to the blood staining Maude's clothing. Despite his usually bold nature, he found himself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the tension of the moment.
Still, he had his answer now.
It was these two who were responsible for what had happened.
But…
Could just the two of them have accomplished something this monumental?
At that moment, Bach suddenly recalled something his late father had told him before passing away a month ago.
His father had spoken of islands in other regions that also couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute. Some of these islands managed to gain protection by paying a smaller tribute to powerful pirate crews, securing the safety promised by their pirate flags.
The thought struck Bach like lightning. Though nervous, he blurted out a question without thinking.
"C-could we borrow your pirate flag for protection?"
"..."
Maude and Lafitte exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.
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