The Miniature

The residential area, as a part of Mad Hatter Island, occupied less than half the land area of the other districts.

Its popularity was even more vastly different.

This was because the residential area was prepared for pirates and underworld figures who were willing to settle down permanently.

However, most of the people living here were aging pirates who had retired from the seas, like Saul, or those who had become disabled from injuries sustained in battle but had a retirement fund.

These individuals had lost the capital to look forward to the future; all they had was a way to continue clinging to life.

Under such circumstances, the overall atmosphere of the residential area leaned towards being lifeless.

Walking down any alley, one was always surrounded by a stench akin to that of "dead rats."

Dead bodies on the road were also a common sight.

After all, not every pirate eliminated by the times could be like Saul...

Possessing the capital to trample on money.

Being able to open a shop in a location destined for failure.

And being able to indulge and spend money at the pleasure district and taverns every day.

When idle, he could even spend a fortune to buy a famous sword he would never use.

In contrast, all they could do was spend the rest of their money.

Either buying a bottle of wine, sitting in a tavern, listening to the vibrant boasts of younger pirates to reminisce about the past, and then licking the last drop of wine clean.

Or heading to the gaudily decorated pleasure district, exchanging money for the familiar and exciting gazes of the past, even if those gazes were fake, built upon money.

Until the last cent was spent.

Then, waiting to die, or struggling a little longer.

Being pirates, why was the ultimate treatment so vastly different?

Maud knew the answer clearly.

It was power, the power to control oneself.

To live better and more freely, one needed the power to alter the will of others.

Especially in a world like this, it was even more so.

Otherwise, one might end up like the few short-sighted pirates before him.

Maud raised his eyes, looking at the pirates blocking the alley ahead, a few missing limbs, wielding rusty, chipped cutlasses.

His gaze swept over their bodies hollowed out by alcohol and lust, sensing their gazeless, malice-filled stares.

Maud silently drew his dagger.

After walking through a few more alleys, he should be out of the residential district.

Despite being ambushed for robbery, Maud was thinking about how many meters were left until he left the district.

Then, before making a move, Maud overheard a conversation.

"The one on the stomach... that's mine."

"I, I'll just take what's below the knees."

"Alright, the rest is mine."

It was rare to encounter such young and tender youths in the residential district.

The few pirates, with little left, were so excited that their voices trembled slightly.

What deterrence could a mere dagger have?

If only they hadn't traded their flintlock pistols for wine money so early, shooting this youth would have been much easier.

A future compressed to the brink of death, like cold darkness, gripped their minds.

Nothing mattered anymore.

As long as they could experience the feeling of being full one more time.

As long as they could savor the exhilaration of wine sliding down their tongues and throats once more.

Impatient, after confirming ownership, they raised their long swords and slashed at Maud.

In their minds, they could already see a rekindled future.

Even if only for a day!

They imagined.

However, the "prey" before them suddenly disappeared.

Their thoughts hadn't caught up when a long-lost coolness was felt somewhere on their bodies.

Had they been hit?

They each fell to the ground, blood gushing from their wounds.

They had overestimated themselves and underestimated the threat of Maud.

Realizing their hopes were dashed, realizing death was near.

They wailed.

Maud stepped over the three pirates, his stride forward not faltering in the slightest.

Considering he didn't want to be splattered with blood, he had deliberately avoided areas like the carotid artery, which would bleed profusely, when he attacked.

This meant that, until the bleeding reached a certain point, these three pirates, who weren't worth Maud wasting ink on, would slowly inch towards death.

Ignoring the desperate wails from behind him, Maud rounded a corner and continued forward.

This insignificant interlude was merely a microcosm within the microcosm of the Pirate King's world.

Although there were still rays of light capable of piercing the darkness within these microcosms, under the influence of the Great Pirate Era, people were more willing to face the unavoidable darkness.

Before truly embracing this world, Maud knew very well what he needed to do.

To gain a foothold, he first had to stand firm.

Getting stronger as quickly as possible was what Maud was currently striving for.

After walking through a few more winding alleys, Maud finally emerged from the residential area and onto a wide, sun-drenched street.

The "stench" and "deathly aura" that had always permeated the air were finally dispelled by the bright sunlight.

On the street, pirates carrying weapons came and went, the din of voices making it quite lively at first glance.

After the auction ended, most of the pirates drawn there were in no hurry to leave.

Rest and enjoyment were often more important than setting sail.

Furthermore, after the grand event concluded, they could foresee warships patrolling the outer seas.

While Mad Hatter Town was an area the Marines couldn't interfere with at this stage, it wouldn't hurt to cast a net in the outer seas and catch some small fry.

Experienced pirates would do their best to avoid such potential risks.

Maud walked into the crowd, subtly observing the pirates passing by.

Most were burly men, and while there were female pirates, they were few and far between, and each one was as stout as a walking bear.

Compared to them, the waitresses in the tavern were practically angels.

"I'll head straight to the tavern."

Maud estimated he needed to be back at the weapon shop before evening, and with limited time, he had no room to wander aimlessly.

Last night, Maud could have leaped across rooftops under the cover of darkness, avoiding the disadvantage of not knowing his destination.

But now it was different; walking normally on the street, it would be a bit difficult for him to find the tavern he went to last night.

However, he hadn't intended to go to last night's tavern anyway.

In Mad Hatter Town, taverns were everywhere, in every district, varying only in size.

Maud walked along the street, weaving through the crowd.

When he saw a tavern, he would slow down.

He wouldn't go into small ones.

He wouldn't go into large ones that were mostly empty.

He continued on like this, picking and choosing.

He walked for a kilometer or two without realizing it, but this allowed Maud to find a tavern that was quite large and had a lot of customers.

[Battle Axe Tavern]

Maud glanced up at the sign, which featured two blood-stained axes crossed around a bottle, then pushed open the tavern door and walked in.

About half an hour after Maud entered the Battle Axe Tavern, Wolf Rat, who had meticulously dressed himself up, arrived at the entrance of the Battle Axe Tavern.

Wolf Rat looked at the tavern door, then pulled out a small mirror to check his reflection.

Looking at his "stunningly handsome" self in the mirror, Wolf Rat murmured ecstatically, "It was worth taking a bath for over an hour."

Then, he attempted to force a kind and approachable smile.

So handsome and so friendly, making a friend shouldn't be a problem, right?

Wolf Rat nodded with satisfaction, then put away the mirror and pushed open the bar door, walking in without noticing the strange glances from a few pirates nearby.

"What a creepy guy."

One pirate gave Wolf Rat's smile a frank assessment.