Notebook

Throughout the day, celebratory cannon fire rang out nonstop from all corners of Mad Hatter Town.

It wasn't until dusk that the noise began to subside.

Soon after, the sun set and the streets lit up with bright lanterns.

After dinner, Saul gathered his cash and prepared to head to the auction.

Though he lacked the talent to walk the path of a Great Swordsman, he had a deep passion for collecting famous blades.

Tonight's auction item—the Fifty Crafts Good Fast Sword—was his target.

Before leaving, he turned back to look at Sunny and Maud, his tone carrying a hint of warning:

"You two, if you've got nothing to do tonight, go to bed early."

"Okay."

"Got it."

Sunny and Maud nodded.

Seeing this, Saul opened the shop door and stepped out.

Watching Saul leave, Maud promptly shut the door tight and slid the bolt home.

"Sunny, I'm going to bed now."

"Oh? Trying to sneak out that early?"

"Huh, well, it's not like there's anything to—wait, what did you say?"

"I said, the moment Saul's out the door, you're already thinking of slipping out to join the fun?"

"What are you talking about? It's dangerous out there—how would I dare go out?"

His intention exposed by Sunny, Maud couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle.

Sunny snorted coldly. "You think I don't know what you've been up to these past few days?"

"What have I been up to?"

Maud blinked and shot the question right back.

Seeing Maud playing dumb again, Sunny couldn't be bothered to argue. Instead, she warned:

"Tonight's different from usual, so you'd better not go out. I don't want to open the door tomorrow and see Arthur delivering your corpse to the shop—eyeballs popped out, ears and nose cut off, torso chopped into a dozen pieces, half a pound of organs missing."

"Sunny, you... you're ruthless!"

Maud's eyelids twitched violently, unable to stomach Sunny's well-meaning threat.

Sunny's gaze turned serious. "I mean it."

"I can tell."

"Then stay put and sleep tonight."

"..."

Maud fell silent.

Seeing this, Sunny furrowed her brow and fell silent as well.

She knew that when Maud stopped bantering, it meant his mind was made up and couldn't be changed.

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

After a long pause, Sunny suddenly walked over to the counter, reached deep into the drawer, and pulled out a notebook with a yellowed cover.

"Here."

She tossed the notebook to Maud.

Maud caught it and looked at it with confusion. "What's this?"

"A logbook of intelligence I've compiled over the past few years."

"Intelligence log?"

Maud's pupils contracted as he quickly flipped through the pages.

"This is..."

After skimming a few pages, Maud's expression lit up with excitement.

In this not-so-thick notebook were records of quite a few pirate bounties, ranging from mid-tier to high-tier.

This was exactly what he needed most right now.

He'd thought Sunny was just checking up on the "neighbors" as a precaution.

Now it was clear—this was something Sunny had been doing all along.

"Sunny, is this... your hobby?"

Suppressing his excitement, Maud nearly shoved the notebook straight into his pocket.

Sunny couldn't understand why Maud was so worked up, but she didn't press the matter. She shook her head. "Not entirely a hobby. Just preparation for the future."

"Preparing for the future?"

"Mm. Because Saul is already old. One day he might just not wake up, or he could breathe his last next month—that kind of thing isn't impossible."

Sunny first narrated Saul's potential future as an elderly man in a light and casual tone, then continued: "When that time comes, I'll have to bear certain pressures alone, and my own strength is very limited, so I can only reduce the pressure through information prepared in advance."

"You've already thought that far ahead?"

Maud was a bit surprised, but he felt Saul still had a good few years left, since he had the energy to go for morning exercise on Flower Street every day.

Unintentionally, he seemed to have grown accustomed to Sunny's casual sharp tongue.

"Because I'm not like you—I don't have talent."

Sunny glanced at Maud's lower body.

She was looking at the weights on his legs.

"Uh..."

Maud didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"When Saul originally went out of his way to save you and bring you back, his intention wasn't out of kindness, nor just to add another laborer to the shop. It was more so that I wouldn't be left to fend for myself in the future."

"Before you, there were several others, but because they couldn't adapt to Mad Hatter Town, they all died horribly without exception."

Saying this, Sunny stared at Maud's face.

"But even Saul himself didn't expect that the guy he brought back this time, though sometimes glib-tongued, had astonishing talent. So much so that he even broke his own rule and offered to take him as a disciple."

Hearing this, Maud fell silent.

He had wondered before about Saul saving him.

And now he finally understood.

Watching Maud stay quiet, Sunny's tone grew heavier. "I don't dislike you, which is why I gave you the 'Notebook.' And I don't want you to die too soon."

"Thanks."

Maud suddenly smiled knowingly.

Even if it's not like, I don't dislike you guys either, he thought to himself.

Sunny snorted coldly. "I don't care what you plan to do next, but you have to return the 'Notebook' to me tomorrow night."

"Huh? I have to give it back?"

"No shit, that's something I painstakingly wrote down!"

"What if I don't?"

"No can do. But you can copy it down yourself."

"That's true."

Maud chuckled.

With that said, Sunny said no more and headed upstairs first.

She had given Maud the [Notebook] to make him wise up and stay away from dangerous people, so he wouldn't end up dead for no reason.

"Sunny."

Maud suddenly called out to her.

Sunny stopped, turned around, and quietly looked at Maud.

"What kind of Devil Fruit do you want? I'll get you one someday?"

"..."

Seeing Sunny silent, Maud counted on his fingers and smiled. "Let's skip Logia-types, they're too hard to get. Zoan-types aren't bad—they're tough and can take a beating—but their ceiling is too low, and the types are too messy. Unless it's an Ancient Zoan, don't bother."

"After thinking it over, I'd go with Paramecia. But Paramecia types are all over the place—the general categories alone split into several kinds, like superhuman bodies, creation types, dominion types, and so on."

"So it depends on which aspect you need more. And I remember there's a Paramecia Devil Fruit called the Slick-Slick Fruit. I think that one would suit you."

Listening to Maud's sudden rambling, Sunny said expressionlessly, "You sure know a lot about Devil Fruits."

"Σ(д)"

Maud quickly explained, "I read some related material in a book."

"Oh."

Sunny thought for a moment, then suddenly turned back and walked toward the counter.

Seeing this, Maud asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Writing it down."

Sunny took out paper and pen and fully recorded the Devil Fruit analysis Maud had just spoken.

Maud was speechless.

Compared to writing notes, wasn't choosing a direction more important?

He silently watched Sunny, who was diligently taking notes while leaning over the counter, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

She clearly looked sharp, yet sometimes gave him the impression of being rather dense.

Devil Fruit...

In his mind, Sunny's expression when she saw the auction catalog slowly surfaced.

"Even if I can't do it now, I'll definitely get you a Devil Fruit someday."

Maud murmured to himself.