The strength of the Donquixote Family's officers varied greatly.
Weaker ones, like Buffalo, relied entirely on their Devil Fruit powers without developing them to their full potential.
Stronger ones, however, included formidable figures such as the seasoned martial artist Lao G, standing right before them.
At this point in time—roughly a year before Luffy set out on his journey—Maude had little knowledge of Law's current strength. Still, with the powers of the Op-Op Fruit at his disposal, Law shouldn't be significantly weaker, even if he wasn't as dominant as he would be three years later.
Yet Lao G had managed to leave Law in such a pitiful state.
"Law, are you alright?"
Maude asked casually, his eyes fixed firmly on Lao G.
His physique was on the verge of condensing a sixth star frame.
And Lao G, who appeared frail but brimmed with "hidden youthful energy," was the perfect opponent to push him to that milestone.
"I'll live," Law muttered, clutching his injured abdomen. His gaze briefly flickered to Baby-5, unconscious in Jim's grip, before he added calmly, "Maude, that woman your crew subdued belongs to the Donquixote Family."
"Oh, I know."
Maude nodded lightly.
A hint of surprise flashed across Law's eyes. With a grave expression, he said, "The head of the Donquixote Family is Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Are you sure—"
"And?"
Maude interrupted, his gaze never leaving Lao G. His tone was calm, but his words carried weight.
"I might die one day," Maude said, his voice steady, "but I won't let myself be scared to death by a mere reputation. Names, titles—they mean nothing to me."
At that moment, an image of Shanks' hearty laughter flashed in Maude's mind.
"If I ever wanted protection, why would I bother with the Donquixote Family? Even they wouldn't be enough to satisfy me."
"What... do you mean?"
Law looked at Maude in shock, struggling to grasp his meaning. Yet Maude's composed demeanor exuded an unshakable confidence, as if the name "Donquixote" held no weight for him at all.
Maude had no intention of explaining further.
He had never planned to act under the Red-Haired Pirates' flag, let alone be intimidated by Doflamingo's name.
Enemies like Buffalo and Baby-5, who relied on the Donquixote Family's influence, were nothing once they stood in his way.
If Maude were to shrink back in fear at this point, why bother setting sail in the first place? He might as well live a quiet, uneventful life in some obscure corner of the world.
Lao G overheard Maude's words, his aged yet sharp eyes flashing with murderous intent. He glanced at the unconscious Baby-5 before locking eyes with Maude. Beneath Maude's calm demeanor, he could feel the brewing storm of killing intent.
"Bacardi Maude, are you looking to make an enemy of the Donquixote Family?"
"What if I am?"
Maude chuckled softly, his tone laced with unveiled hostility.
Lao G's expression darkened.
At that moment, Baby-5 began to stir after being unconscious for nearly an hour.
"Huh?"
Still groggy, she blinked in confusion. But the moment her eyes landed on Lao G, her spirits lifted as if finding a pillar of support.
"Lao G!"
"Baby-5, hold on! I'll get you out of here!"
Lao G adopted his signature 'G'-shaped combat stance, preparing to attack.
Baby-5, relieved to see him, turned to Maude in alarm and shouted, "Watch out for him! He's strong—he killed Buffalo!"
"..."
Lao G showed no surprise at the mention of Buffalo's death; he had anticipated as much.
From this moment on, Maude had officially become a mortal enemy of the Donquixote Family.
Glancing at the shouting Baby-5, Maude gave a faint command: "Jim."
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Jim delivered a heavy punch to Baby-5's head.
With a muffled thud, she fainted again, barely seconds after regaining consciousness.
"..."
Watching Jim's decisive action, Law raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of curiosity and bemusement.
Buffalo was dead, and Baby-5 had been captured.
What exactly was Maude's plan?
While Law pondered, a sense of relief washed over him. Regardless of Maude's intentions, the Maude Pirates' arrival had spared him from a perilous situation.
Originally, he had little chance of escaping Lao G. But now, with Maude's help, even if they couldn't defeat Lao G, at least they wouldn't leave their lives behind.
"Captain!"
A voice suddenly called out from the side.
It was Bepo.
On Law's orders, Bepo had stayed out of the fight to avoid becoming a liability. But as he watched Law being beaten by Lao G, he grew increasingly anxious.
The arrival of Maude's crew gave him a sliver of hope, prompting him to rush over.
"Captain, are you alright?"
Bepo's face was filled with worry as he looked at the bloodied Law.
"I'm fine."
Law waved him off weakly, signaling that it wasn't too serious.
Bepo heaved a sigh of relief, his eyes lighting up as he turned toward Maude. "Mau—"
Before he could finish, Law swiftly covered Bepo's mouth, silencing him before he could utter the word "Maude."
Bepo looked at Law in confusion, but Law, his expression twitching, refused to explain. Instead, he pressed harder on Bepo's mouth, warning him not to say anything inappropriate in this situation.
Maude, meanwhile, kept his focus on Lao G, ignoring the pair's antics.
Sensing Lao G's rising aura, Maude weighed the risks of severely injuring and capturing him alive.
A foe of this caliber was worth the effort of extracting intelligence from before being eliminated.
That said, capturing him alive would undoubtedly increase the difficulty of the fight.
Still, risk and reward often went hand in hand.
With Lafitte and Jim to back him up, Maude decided to take the gamble.
The first step was to claim his target.
"Law, this old man is mine."
"???"
Law, who had been preparing to fight alongside Maude, froze in confusion at the sudden declaration.
Without waiting for a response, Maude began walking toward Lao G, who stood poised to attack.
He wasn't about to explain that he wanted to avoid Law stealing the kill.
Instead, Maude took control of the situation, giving Law no room to argue.
"Maude, are you planning to face Lao G alone?"
Law finally grasped Maude's meaning after several steps.
Maude pretended not to hear, his attention fully locked on Lao G.
Against such a powerful opponent, there was no room for half-measures.
Until Lao G was defeated, nothing else mattered.
Maude trusted Lafitte and Jim to handle the rest, ensuring he had a clear and uninterrupted fight.
Watching Maude, Law frowned.
For reasons he couldn't quite articulate, he felt an inexplicable sense of disorientation.
"Hoho, Maude will handle that guy," Lafitte said, appearing beside Law. With his cane raised, he gestured toward the colosseum's entrance.
"Our job is to make sure no one else interferes with Maude's battle."
Before Lafitte's words fully registered, Law heard the clamor of approaching soldiers from the colosseum entrance.
The soldiers of the Ahab Kingdom.
Law's expression darkened as he wondered what kind of havoc the Maude Pirates had caused inside the colosseum.
Lafitte looked down at Law with a smile. "By the way, these soldiers are here for us. Feel free to ignore them."
"I don't like the sound of that," Law replied, his tone cold as he unsheathed Kikoku and held it at the ready.
"They're coming," he said, watching the flood of soldiers emerge from the colosseum.
"Lafitte, I don't doubt Maude's strength, but Lao G is no ordinary opponent. Are you sure he can handle this alone?"
"Hoho..."
Lafitte chuckled ambiguously, his eyes glinting.
"In that case, you've underestimated my captain. Maude is no ordinary man."
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