Chidori

"Chidori..."

Maud eyed the long sword placed on the table.

The hilt was engraved with a row of diamond patterns, and the scabbard was a deep, lustrous blue, slender and textured. Disordered white "" patterns were arranged on its body.

The interplay of blue and white gave a sense of depth at first glance.

After observing for a while, Maud's curiosity about the blade within the scabbard was piqued.

In contrast, Sunny had no interest in swords and was focused on cleaning the bottom of the bowl, not even leaving a single speck of chopped scallion.

Saul took a large slurp of the steaming noodles and glanced at Maud. "What, want to try the feel of it?"

Maud nodded subconsciously. "Yeah, this sword looks really well-made. I wonder what it feels like to hold."

"Heh, why don't you find out by trying it?"

Saul freed one hand, picked up Chidori, and offered it over.

Maud's face lit up at the sight and he reached out to take Chidori.

At that very moment, Saul's smile vanished. He flicked his wrist, using Chidori like a stick, and tapped it against Maud's forehead.

"You need to focus on one thing at a time. You haven't even gotten the hang of guns yet, and now you're interested in swords?"

"..."

Maud rubbed his forehead, speechless as he looked at Saul, who had gone from smiling to expressionless in an instant.

Was it really necessary to hit him just for looking at a sword?

Knowing how sensitive Saul was about this matter, Maud didn't dare to argue back.

He had been considering whether to write down his second request tonight, and coincidentally, Saul had just bought Chidori from the auction.

Therefore, he really wanted to personally experience the allure of a famous sword from the world of One Piece.

To his surprise, Saul wouldn't even let him touch the sword.

He hated anything related to swords so much, yet he was so enthusiastic about collecting famous swords.

Maud couldn't figure out what was going on in the old man's head.

Maud glanced at Chidori, which Saul had placed back on the table, feeling quite regretful.

But then, he remembered that this famous sword would be displayed on the shelf, and Saul went to the pleasure district for morning training almost every day...

Casually retracting his gaze, Maud started hatching a plan in his mind.

At this moment, he didn't notice Saul's meaningful look, as if to say, Kid, just give up.

The next day.

Early morning, a thin mist permeated the air.

The air was filled with the salty, humid moisture of the sea.

Maud woke up from his sleep, put on his weighted gear, and immediately rushed to the shop.

"How could it not be here?!"

Looking at the shelf, unchanged from yesterday, Maud was filled with disappointment as his expectations fell flat.

Hearing Maud's voice, Sunny came over from the hallway, looking at Maud with confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Maud replied perfunctorily.

He didn't want to say, but Sunny glanced at the shelf and, recalling Maud's behavior last night, immediately guessed his intentions.

"Don't even think about it. Swords that Saul wants to collect would never be put on the shelf for sale. He doesn't need these famous swords to show off."

"Is that so."

Maud's disappointment deepened.

He had been holding onto a sliver of hope that Saul might have intended to keep it for a few days before putting it on the shelf, but Sunny's words shattered his hope completely.

"The swords he bought at a high price are all in his room. But I advise you not to mess around. Saul would know if even an ant entered his room."

Sunny glanced at the disappointment on Maud's face and walked towards the kitchen.

"Breakfast will be a little late today. Clean up the shop first, then come over."

"Okay."

Maud responded listlessly, then looked back at the shelf.

Although there were many long swords displayed, none of them gave him that "wow" feeling like Chidori.

There was a world of difference between them.

After all, a great reputation wasn't undeserved.

As one of the Fifty Great Swords, Chidori possessed not only the aura of a superior blade but also a quality that far surpassed the swords on the shelf.

While the swords on the shelves weren't bad, they were nowhere near the level of Chidori, though the difference wasn't astronomical.

Maud felt this way more due to the influence of reputation.

He was deeply influenced by the original work, naturally believing that only the nearly one hundred swords of the "Yōwaza" (Superior Grade) category were truly good swords.

But this world was so vast, how could there only be a hundred good swords?

Even a mid-quality longsword, as long as it was wielded by a swordsman skilled in Armament Haki.

Through prolonged "Haki cultivation," it could become a fast sword without anyone noticing.

Although he couldn't touch Chidori anymore, Maud felt a sudden urge to acquire a sword.

However, he'd have to obtain it secretly and hide it in his room.

He could take it out to get a feel for it whenever he had free time.

With this thought, Maud wasn't in a hurry.

What was more important was copying the "Notebook," as he had to return it to Sunny after dinner.

No longer dwelling on Chidori, Maud cleaned the shop at his fastest pace and then asked Sunny for a new notebook.

It took him over two hours to copy all the information.

He already had some impression of the information in the "Notebook," and after copying it, he remembered some parts more clearly.

Maud estimated that even without matching it with bounty posters, he should be able to identify the individuals immediately upon seeing them.

By late afternoon, the weapon shop's business was as dismal as ever.

There were still no customers.

It wasn't until mealtime that Saul, reeking of alcohol, returned slowly, carrying a jug of wine.

As soon as he entered the weapon shop, Saul's eyes immediately fell on the weights on Maud's legs.

"I'm skipping lunch."

With that, he uttered a single sentence and went straight upstairs to his room.

He must have had a hearty meal outside.

Watching Saul go upstairs, Maud returned to the shop and couldn't help but glance at the slightly ajar shop door.

He figured Saul wouldn't wake up for several hours after falling asleep.

So, if he didn't have to endure Saul's nagging about training in the afternoon, he might be able to go out and scout for prey on the street.

Maud decided to act on his thought and skipped eating. He went straight back to his room.

First, he took off the weights and secured the two flintlock pistols close to his body. As for "Usopp," he wouldn't bring it because the signs of aging on the gun's surface were too obvious.

"About 500,000 Belly..."

Maud counted his remaining personal funds and then carefully put them in his pocket.

This money was what he had casually collected from his prey after hunting.

After making his preparations, Maud quickly went downstairs and entered the shop.

"Sunny, I'm going out."

Maud quickly dropped the sentence and, without giving Sunny a chance to reply, pushed the door open and shut in one smooth motion, disappearing in an instant.

Behind the counter, Sunny stared blankly at the door, then gritted her teeth after a long pause.

"Mau-d!"

But soon, she noticed the speed at which Maud had slipped away.

"It can't be, only a few days..."

Sunny thought in bewilderment.

Even with astonishing talent, she couldn't believe he could make such noticeable progress after wearing weights for only two days.

Sunny couldn't figure it out.

Walking down the alley, Maud suddenly remembered he hadn't visited a few of his "neighbors" yet.

But thinking he could visit them anytime and that time was pressing, he pushed the thought aside for later.

"Come to think of it, this is my first time out during the day."

Maud couldn't help but sigh, then pondered where to go.

The first place that came to mind was the tavern.

Although it was a mixed crowd, the chance of finding suitable prey was relatively high.

However, Maud also wanted to stroll through Cape Street during the day, as well as visit other weapon shops, and where Saul often did his morning exercises... cough cough.

The more he thought about it, the more excited Maud became, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.

His excitement soaring, he failed to notice the gaze fixed upon him from behind.