That summed up the situation perfectly.
Maud's words struck straight at the crux of the matter.
Aokiji's gaze grew slightly grave.
If he continued tangling with Maud here, his fellow officers who had come with him would fall one after another until not a single one remained.
Unless he could finish Maud off in a short time.
But that was clearly impossible.
This man before him came from an unusually special background. In just three years, he had grown incredibly powerful and now possessed the strength to face Aokiji head-on.
In a one-on-one fight, even Aokiji could not claim certain victory.
He even had to consider himself fortunate. Only about a week had passed since the war ended.
In such a short time, Maud's Shadow Stock was probably almost nonexistent. Even if he had any left, there should not be much.
Otherwise,
if Maud used the Shadow move he had employed against Whitebeard—the one that could sharply amplify his strength—the situation would become even more troublesome.
By now,
the abilities Maud had displayed during the Summit War had been recorded one by one by the Marine intelligence department, then thoroughly analyzed and catalogued.
Such treatment was no less than what a member of the Four Emperors would receive.
Thus, Aokiji had some understanding of Maud's Shadow ability. He also knew that during their dozens of exchanges, Maud had not unleashed all his abilities at once.
So how should he choose now?
Aokiji sighed inwardly.
He naturally had no need to worry about his own situation. Even if his fellow officers fell one after another and he was then besieged by the entire Maud Pirates, he did not believe he would be defeated.
But he likewise had no absolute confidence in defeating the entire Maud Pirates by himself.
Ultimately,
Aokiji's way