Each Harboring Malicious Intent

The tavern was noisy and crowded, almost full, with even the seats in front of the semi-circular bar packed tightly.

The business was clearly booming.

After scanning the room, only a few inconspicuous seats remained, nestled near a corner.

Maud occupied one of these seats, a small round table before him holding the rum and snacks that the server had just delivered.

He didn't touch the food or drink, instead focusing on listening to the surrounding chatter.

"I heard something happened at the auction last night?"

"What, you didn't know?"

"I drank too much last night. If I hadn't overheard people talking on the way here, I wouldn't have known. What exactly happened?"

"They say it was trouble caused by several major gangs fighting over a Devil Fruit. After all, it's a Devil Fruit, who wouldn't want one?"

"Oh, was it stolen?"

"No, all the troublemakers were killed by members of the gang. The Devil Fruit was eaten by Gang Bege, who bought it with money."

"Tsk, how much was the transaction?"

"I heard it was over a billion. Don't know if it's true or not."

"Hiss—"

A sound of gasping in disbelief.

"That much? If I had over a billion, I could go anywhere in the world!"

"Idiot, if you had that much money, I'd be the first one to rob you."

"What did you say?"

Bang.

The sound of a wooden mug being slammed forcefully onto the table.

Immediately following were the dull thuds of fists hitting faces and bodies as they exchanged blows.

Starting a fistfight over a minor disagreement—a peculiar form of masculine romance.

Maud looked away, thinking to himself, 'Gang Bege? Is he in Mad Hatter Town too? But Sunny's notebook doesn't have any information on him. Did he come from somewhere else specifically to get the Devil Fruit?'

'So, this is when he ate the Devil Fruit.'

Information about Bege and the abilities of the Devil Fruit immediately surfaced in his mind.

Listening to most people in the tavern discussing the Devil Fruit incident, and learning about Gang Bege's reputation and status, Maud didn't form any immediate plans regarding him.

It was hard to imagine a man with such status and power choosing to go out to sea in the end.

One could only say, to each their own.

"Did that Fish-Man slave manage to escape in the end?"

At a table not far from Maud, a few pirates were discussing a Fish-Man slave.

Maud couldn't help but follow the sound, subtly glancing towards that table.

"He didn't escape. Died in an alley. They say an Undertaker killed him."

"Undertaker? What, are Undertakers' services now extended to Fish-Man corpses?"

"I don't know about that. And when the people from the auction house found the Fish-Man's body, it wasn't missing any parts."

"So...?"

"Hey, if it's just gossip, don't take it too seriously. I could also say that the Fish-Man slave was killed by a prostitute, would you believe me?"

"Hahaha, let's drink."

Listening to the conversation at that table, Maud's brow furrowed slightly, and he let out a soft sigh inwardly.

He wasn't surprised that he'd been discovered.

After all, whether it was on the streets or in the buildings near the alley, there was no shortage of people at the time.

The reason he sighed was that after killing the Fish-Man slave, his entire mind was consumed by the joy of the substantial profit, and he hadn't considered cutting off a few important "parts" from the Fish-Man's corpse to match the Undertaker disguise he was using at the time.

He'd have to be more careful next time.

Maud committed this experience to memory, and subconsciously picked up his wine glass, taking a gentle sip.

He reminded himself that he was currently a patron, and it would be odd not to raise a glass and drink for an extended period.

What Maud didn't know was that because of the Fish-Man slave incident, the people from the auction house had traced clues and found Arthur, who wore a similar work mask.

If Arthur himself hadn't been at the auction at the time, he probably would have been invited to the auction house for a cup of tea and a chat.

However, Arthur also learned from this that someone was impersonating him to do some shady business.

Putting down his wine glass, Maud subtly observed the other patrons.

With his limited intelligence channels, he could only rely on such methods to gather useful information.

And every time the bar door was pushed open, he would subconsciously glance over.

Creak—

The wooden bar door, showing its age, was pushed open.

Maud glanced over subconsciously, and upon seeing it was Wolf Rat, quickly averted his gaze.

"Is that the lunatic from last night who seemed desperate for friends?"

Looking down at the food and drink on the table, Maud was slightly surprised.

He had shot him last night, yet now he was acting like nothing happened, and dressed so flashy?

This must be the recovery ability of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit…

Maud's heart warmed slightly.

He had fled decisively last night because he wasn't confident.

But things were different now. After obtaining the gains from Fish-Man Sam, with his current strength, if he prepared thoroughly, he'd have at least a fifty percent chance.

Maud was calculating in his mind.

At the entrance of the bar, Wolf Rat scanned the room and quickly spotted Maud sitting in the corner.

Compared to the burly men around him, with their arms bared, drinking and spitting, Maud, despite sitting in the corner, was still a bit conspicuous due to his youthful and tender appearance.

"Found you, and… heaven helps me."

Wolf Rat moved towards Maud without a change in his expression.

There were only a few seats left in the bar, and while Maud's table was small, it was designed for two people.

In this situation, choosing to sit next to Maud wouldn't seem too purposeful.

Otherwise, if there were more spacious and comfortable seats available, and he insisted on squeezing in with Maud.

Then, anyone not in the know would probably assume he was gay.

"He's coming this way?"

Maud noticed Wolf Rat's movement and subconsciously looked at the empty seat in front of him, feeling a slight headache.

It seemed like the same situation as last night in the bar.

The difference was that Lafitte's reputation and aura back then were so powerful they could attract the attention of most pirates in the bar.

Whereas this Zoan-type Devil Fruit user now, with a cold glint in his eyes and an overall lecherous vibe, wasn't as eye-catching.

"Good thing I wore a mask last night and deliberately lowered my voice. But I'm never coming to a crowded bar like this again."

Maud thought silently.

The clothes he wore last night weren't the Undertaker's uniform, but he had deliberately dressed in bulky clothing to conceal his figure.

Therefore, Maud felt the possibility of Wolf Rat recognizing him was very low.

Footsteps approached.

Maud looked up as Wolf Rat walked over, then leisurely sat down in the seat opposite him.

Seeing that the other party's reaction was normal, Maud became even more certain that he hadn't been recognized.

"Yo, little bro, you're quite handsome."

After sitting down as a stranger, Wolf Rat looked at Maud with an admiring gaze, his expression so exaggerated as if he had never seen such a handsome man before.

At the same time, his thought was: Start with a compliment to build an unbreakable bridge for future conversation!

Hearing the slightly awkward compliment, Maud gave Wolf Rat a polite smile, not intending to engage further.

This guy… really is desperate for friends, isn't he?

Maud thought to himself.

Seeing that the start was going well, Wolf Rat first raised his hand to signal a waiter, then looked at Maud again, forcing a practiced, approachable smile.

He believed this smile was foolproof for winning favor.

Little did he know, to outsiders, that smile looked like his face was about to cramp up.

"Little bro, let's get acquainted. My name is Wolf Rat, and yours?"

"……"

Looking at Wolf Rat's indescribable smile, Maud's eyelids twitched slightly, and he simply stated his name.

"Usopp."

"You're Usopp? How should I put it, that name is marvelous, truly marvelous."

Wolf Rat immediately clapped his hands, a look of amazement on his face.

"Marvelous how?"

"……"

Wolf Rat was momentarily speechless.

Just then, the bar door was pushed open.

Wolf Rat heard the sound and turned his head towards the tavern door.

A tall woman with revealing clothing and bright red lipstick walked in.

She was leading a white skunk by a leash, followed by about ten burly men.

"Tsk, Usopp, look! A beauty."

Seeing the woman, Wolf Rat's eyes narrowed slightly, using it to deflect his previous awkwardness.

Maud's lips curved into a slight smile, and he let the previous question go, turning his attention to the woman entering the tavern.

At the same time, he keenly sensed the atmosphere in the tavern changing.

Another notorious pirate like Lafitte?

And a woman, no less.

Could it be...

Maud recalled the information in his notebook.

400 reward from Book Friend 20191029065858260, 500 reward from Book Friend 20171225141047421, 200 reward from Xingluo Wuxian, and 100 reward each from Shiguang Ranran Shiguang Chongchong, Feizhou Lizhuang GO, and Naobiejiu de Agua.