Maud had once warned Smoker through a Den Den Mushi.
But Smoker had still chosen to uphold his identity as a Marine. He had left Loguetown and followed the Straw Hat Pirates to Alabasta.
If Maud knew that, he wouldn't have been surprised.
After all, it was exactly the sort of thing Smoker would do.
What truly surprised him was the man in a green cloak standing atop the ruins before him—the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon.
Or rather... Monkey D. Dragon.
But why had this man appeared here?
Maud narrowed his eyes slightly, puzzled.
Dragon lowered his head a little. His unruffled eyes swept across Maud's face like a gentle breeze, yet he was the first to speak.
"Bagard Maud."
He had addressed Maud by his full name the moment he spoke, and he seemed completely unsurprised by Maud's arrival.
After all, with the Revolutionary Army's intelligence network, a great pirate like Maud, who held the title of Shichibukai, would certainly be under constant observation.
Three days ago, Maud had clearly still been on the Sabaody Archipelago, yet three days later, he had dropped into the desert region of Alabasta, thousands of miles away.
Such an astonishing phenomenon was beyond the imagination of any ordinary person.
But it was another matter for those who knew the Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities inside and out.
Of course, it was also possible that Kuma had contacted Dragon after sending Maud flying and told him of the threat the Straw Hat Pirates might face.
"The leader of the Revolutionary Army actually came alone to these city ruins, which have been eroded by sandstorms for years. Could it be that you came here to..."
Maud calmly looked at Dragon in his dark green cloak. Just as he reached the middle of his sentence, a