The New World and the first half of the Grand Line exist on entirely different levels.
In the New World, Haki users are as common as fish in the sea—countless and abundant.
There, Armament Haki is a standard skill.
In contrast, in the first half of the Grand Line, those who understand Haki can be counted on one hand.
This stark difference defines the gap between the two seas.
For this reason, Maude would not set sail for the New World until every crew member had fully mastered Haki.
Under Maude's orders, those who had yet to learn Haki—such as Jim—were to be trained by Lafitte until they had mastered it.
Lafitte did not reveal to the others what Maude was preoccupied with; he simply enforced strict training regimens.
Day by day, time passed.
It had been three months since Maude had secluded himself behind closed doors.
With a creak—
On this day, Maude, his hair now noticeably longer, pushed open the doors of the dissection room and stepped out.
Cavendish followed closely behind, also emerging from the room.
After three months, Cavendish's appearance and aura had undergone subtle changes.
The most striking transformation was his eyes, which had shifted from blue to gold.
Aside from that, his pupils and irises remained structurally the same.
"How long were we in there?"
As Maude walked down the corridor, he suddenly asked.
During this time, he had been wholly absorbed in exploring the potential of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, paying little attention to the passage of time.
Perhaps because of his deep immersion, stepping out of the dissection room felt surreal, as if only a day had passed rather than months.
"Ninety-two days."
In contrast, Cavendish remembered the exact duration.
"Is that so? So, it's been three months."
Maude sighed with a hint of emotion, then glanced at Cavendish and smiled. "You worked hard during this time."
"Hmph, we each got what we wanted. It wasn't a matter of hard work."
Cavendish instinctively turned his head, avoiding Maude's gaze.
Maude chuckled, then looked ahead toward the corridor's end, where flickering candlelight cast long shadows. He spoke seriously, "In a few days, come with me somewhere. After that, you'll be free."
"Hmm? Where?"
Cavendish's golden eyes narrowed slightly. The mere mention of the word 'freedom' stirred his emotions.
"I'll tell you when we leave."
"..."
Cavendish was speechless.
He hated how Maude kept things vague, but he had no choice but to tolerate it.
Fine.
Freedom was near, after all!
As he silently reassured himself, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
With his greatly enhanced strength, he was eager to venture into the New World.
Maude and Cavendish traversed the long corridor before parting ways at a junction.
The former intended to wash up first, while the latter sought out his Beautiful Pirates crew.
Maude returned to his room alone.
Instead of heading straight to the bathroom, he stood before a mirror.
He stared at his reflection.
Three months of unkempt hair covered his eyebrows and ears, but his focus was on his black eyes.
"The color seems darker… and…"
Maude scrutinized his eyes closely.
Against the deep black of his pupils, a faint white ring had formed outside the iris.
The mark was subtle, blending into the whites of his eyes. If not examined carefully, it was nearly imperceptible.
"This change… is it good or bad?"
Maude muttered to himself.
The alteration in his eyes was a result of his deeper mastery of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
Similarly, Cavendish had also undergone a transformation.
However, Cavendish's change was far more apparent—his pupils had completely changed color.
This phenomenon seemed to be evidence of Maude's experimentation with souls.
"Heh."
Maude smirked, unconcerned, and proceeded to the bathroom.
If it made him stronger—
Then what did it matter if he played with souls?
After a simple wash, Maude summoned his shadow to help trim his hair, quickly restoring a clean and tidy look.
He then changed into a fresh set of clothes.
"Are they all outside?"
Maude's eyes glowed red as he looked beyond the walls toward the castle grounds.
Through his Observation Haki, he sensed multiple presences training on the open field outside the castle.
He stepped onto the balcony, gazing at his crew practicing Haki below.
On the field—
As Maude's gaze swept across them, Lafitte and Gaya immediately sensed his presence.
They turned to look up at Maude on the balcony.
Upon seeing him, their expressions subtly shifted.
"Has he finally finished?" Lafitte wondered.
"I wonder if Maude is hungry," Gaya mused.
Their reactions went unnoticed by Brook and the others.
Lacking Observation Haki, they had no idea Maude was watching them from the castle.
Thus, when Maude suddenly appeared using Shadow Blink, Brook and the others were startled.
"My heart nearly jumped out—though I don't have a heart! Yohohoho!"
Brook exclaimed, patting his ribcage theatrically as if recovering from a fright.
"Maude, you're finally out!"
"Captain!"
Philo and Jim stopped their training and turned to face Maude.
Perona, who had been floating in the air with Bailey, quietly descended and hid behind Gaya.
She was a bit afraid of Maude.
Maude scanned his companions, his gaze lingering briefly on Perona despite her attempt to hide.
Earlier, he had noticed her floating freely through the air—a property of the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
If that ability could lighten her body, then—
If she could master Moonwalk, what would that look like?
The thought crossed his mind before he chuckled and shook his head.
"Lafitte, how's their progress?"
"Hoho, Jim has begun to grasp Armament Haki. Philo and Brook, however, still lack the necessary physical conditioning. At their current pace, they'll need at least three more months before they can learn Armament Haki."
"Not bad."
Maude glanced at Philo and Brook, who looked slightly embarrassed.
Given their physical capabilities, mastering Armament Haki within six months would already be an impressive feat.
Of course, that was largely thanks to Gaya's nutritional meals.
As for Jim, whose physique had long met the requirements, learning Armament Haki in three months was only natural.
At this point in time, the Marineford War was roughly six months away. That should be enough time for Brook and the others to master Armament Haki.
As for Observation Haki, which required innate talent, that was another matter.
"Everyone, I'll be heading to Little Garden soon. If all goes as planned, we'll depart tomorrow or the day after."
Since the crew was gathered, Maude took the opportunity to announce the upcoming journey.
"Little Garden? What kind of place is that?" Brook asked curiously.
"An ancient island."
"An ancient island?"
The crew's expressions shifted slightly.
"Yohoho, I'm looking forward to it!" Brook exclaimed excitedly.
"You're not coming. You'll stay here and continue training."
"Ah?!!"
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