Sell, sell me???

Maud's sheer reaction speed and agility allowed him to achieve an effect similar to Six Powers' Kami-e.

No matter how sharp and relentless Ebe's stabs were, he was like a paper boat drifting on the waves, appearing incredibly perilous but utterly unsinkable.

Wolf Rat recognized that the evasion technique Maud was using wasn't Kami-e, which only made him more astonished.

This level of strength was nowhere near what he had seen in the alley last night.

"Usopp... is definitely closely related to 'Ghost Gun'."

Wolf Rat's eyes flickered as he directly attributed the technique Maud displayed to Saul.

He knew that one of the most troublesome aspects of Ghost Gun was its incredible survivability.

According to intelligence, not only was their escape ability top-notch, but they could even withdraw from a hundred-person encirclement with ease.

"Now is not the time to be thinking about this."

Wolf Rat calmed his emotions and, confirming that Maud wouldn't be in immediate danger, shifted his attention elsewhere.

The shot Maud had just fired at Ebe was like the sounding of a battle horn, causing the Sharp Bull Pirates' gunmen to instinctively pull their triggers.

Amidst a barrage of deafening gunshots, several lead bullets flew towards Maud and Ebe.

At the critical moment, Ebe's subordinates formed a human wall, using their long swords to block the incoming lead bullets.

This was Ebe's command, conveyed through a snap of her fingers – no one was allowed to interfere with her enjoyment of killing.

Normally, pirate crews could be broadly categorized into three types.

The first type focused on numbers, the second on quality, and the third emphasized both quantity and quality.

The Sharp Bull Pirates' crew was of the first type, while Ebe's crew was of the second.

Therefore, even though Ebe's side was outnumbered, they wouldn't be easily crushed by the Sharp Bull Pirates.

It's worth noting that Ebe's pirate crew had a total of thirty-one members, but Ebe had only brought ten subordinates with her to the Battle Axe Tavern this time.

While gunmen like Wells were reloading, the close-combat members of the Sharp Bull Pirates surged towards Ebe's subordinates.

Instantly, the Sharp Bull Pirates and Ebe's pirates clashed fiercely.

However, the first kill in this battle didn't come from either pirate crew.

The first to die was an unlucky individual struck by a stray bullet fired by Maud.

The surrounding pirates cursed inwardly, only wanting to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

Seeing that Kazt was determined to block the exit, they could only seek another way out and began their "wall-breaking" operation.

Within seconds, driven by the instinct for self-preservation, several large holes were smashed into the tavern's wooden walls by the pirates.

One by one, pirates squeezed through the man-sized openings and fled the tavern.

Kazt glanced at their actions and chose to ignore them.

He took out two thick stacks of Belly from his pocket and tossed them onto the tavern counter.

The tavern manager, hiding under the counter, could only offer a wry smile as the two stacks of Belly flew towards him.

After paying the compensation in advance, Kazt first observed Ebe's subordinates, who were being held back by his own men, confirming his advantage. Then, he turned his gaze towards Maud, who was being pursued and attacked by Ebe.

He could tell that Ebe genuinely wanted to kill Maud, but with the situation having escalated to this point, he couldn't be bothered to delve into the reasons.

No matter what, Maud had to die!

Kazt, covered in thick black fur, with a face like a black ox and two horns on his head, strode towards Ebe and Maud.

He held the advantage and had many options.

For example, he could eliminate Ebe's subordinates first.

Or he could sit back and watch the fight, waiting for Ebe and Maud to kill each other.

But his choice was to seize the opportunity and launch a sneak attack on both Ebe and Maud, aiming to kill one of them first.

No matter who died first, it was an acceptable outcome for him, but only if he personally delivered the final blow.

Under Ebe's stormy offensive, Maud could only focus his mind on defending himself, completely unaware of Kazt's movements.

And Maud's tenacity was also causing Ebe some trouble.

She had initially expected to stab Maud into a sieve in a short amount of time, which was why she had her subordinates provide cover and hadn't considered the risks involved.

Who would have thought that the young man before her was as slippery as an eel? No matter how fast or fierce her stabs were, she just couldn't land a hit.

In all her travels, Ebe had never encountered such an enemy.

Despite lacking any real threat, he was so slippery that it made her feel disgusted.

Her pride wounded, Ebe refused to believe it and seemed determined not to stop until she landed a hit.

However, Maud gradually adapted to Ebe's rhythm.

Ebe's aggressive, stabbing-focused fighting style, while appearing threatening at first glance, lacked the versatility of sword techniques. Essentially, it was no different from a few basic moves.

Once her initial burst of strength passed, she wouldn't pose much of a threat.

Clearly feeling the pressure and threat from Ebe gradually decreasing, Maud couldn't help but feel a hint of regret.

Because of the lack of a [Portrait], Maud couldn't pre-write Ebe's name in the notebook.

This meant that even if he risked finding an opportunity to kill Ebe, he wouldn't gain any profit.

"Forget it, I should focus on how to escape."

Maud thought to himself.

The two, clinging to each other like glue, were so engrossed in their offensive and defensive battle that neither noticed the threat from Kazt.

Wolf Rat observed the situation from the side and quickly realized what he needed to do for Maud.

He immediately stepped forward, blocking Kazt.

"Wolf Rat."

Kazt coldly stared at Wolf Rat, who was standing in front of him.

"..."

Wolf Rat remained silent, his body and even his face transforming into that of a beast in an instant.

His features became rat-like, his body bulged slightly, and sharp claws appeared on his hands.

Being both Zoan users, Kazt looked at Wolf Rat, who was significantly smaller than him, with disdain. "You think a rat like you can stop me?"

After a cold laugh, Kazt suddenly moved, his massive body pressing forward.

He completely ignored defense and stomped a hoof towards Wolf Rat's face.

In his beast form, his strength multiplied, and coupled with the hardening of his hooves, he could often crush an enemy's head with a single stomp.

The dark, heavy hoof arrived with a gust of wind.

Wolf Rat's eyes narrowed, and he raised his claws, blocking the incoming black hoof.

Crack!

The immense force not only broke two of Wolf Rat's claws but also sent him staggering back several meters.

Kazt, seizing the advantage, pressed his attack with another powerful stomp.

Wolf Rat was forced to parry again.

This time, though he wasn't knocked back, another claw was broken.

Wolf Rat gritted his teeth, enduring the pain that felt like broken fingers.

"You damn dog, if it weren't for..."

Resisting the urge to use Six Powers, Wolf Rat struggled to fend off Kazt's fierce assault.

In just one minute, Wolf Rat's hands were almost rendered useless by Kazt.

Battles between Zoan users were often like this.

Without the enhancement of body techniques, it came down to a contest of strength and defense.

In this regard, Wolf Rat, from the Rat-Rat Fruit branch, was naturally weaker than Kazt, from the Ox-Ox Fruit branch.

"When it comes to strength, how can a rat compare to an ox?"

Kazt sneered coldly.

Facing a life-threatening danger, Wolf Rat took a deep breath.

He would try to help Maud escape, but he wouldn't risk his life.

"I wonder how Usopp is doing."

Taking advantage of a brief pause when Kazt was speaking, Wolf Rat glanced towards Maud's direction.

What met his eyes was Ebe, standing stunned with a swollen, red cheek.

And... Maud, who had run off faster than a rabbit.

"He... he sold me out???"

Wolf Rat was dumbfounded.