Everything Was Thrown into Chaos!

A minute ago.

After completely adapting to Abe's fierce offensive rhythm, Maud gradually found himself with some energy to spare.

At the same time, he couldn't help marveling at how ferocious this mad woman, Abe, was, while also feeling relieved that his physical abilities could keep up.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

With the pressure on his defense greatly reduced, Maud finally had a little energy to spare for observing the situation.

He noticed that Wolf Rat and Kazt were clashing head-on.

Had Wolf Rat not blocked Kazt, then...

Still shaken by the thought, Maud silently praised Wolf Rat as a good brother.

But soon, he saw that Wolf Rat couldn't hold out for even three seconds. After several exchanges, he showed signs of being smashed into a little pancake by Kazt, and Maud immediately realized that this was no place to linger.

"I have to leave before Wolf Rat can't hold out any longer."

Having made up his mind, Maud stopped diverting his attention to the battle on Wolf Rat's side.

Noticing that Maud still had the energy to pay attention to other places, Abe's blood surged, and several blue veins bulged beside her brows and eyes.

The charming allure she had displayed earlier had completely vanished.

In her fury, Abe's thrusting rapier suddenly sped up, but her technique also began to show signs of disorder.

"Hm?"

The sudden increase in the speed of the sword strikes once again made Maud feel pressured.

However, the threat had dropped sharply.

"Should I counterattack...?"

Maud repeatedly dodged the sword strikes, considering whether it was feasible to draw his flintlock pistol or the dagger he carried close to his body and counterattack.

The increasingly chaotic technique meant that if Abe hurriedly switched from offense to defense, she would expose a certain degree of vulnerability.

That was his chance to counterattack.

But Maud had also considered the risks after counterattacking.

Whether he drew his pistol or his dagger, he would have to make several unnecessary movements.

Although Abe's technique had become disordered, her sword speed had increased.

Under these circumstances, even one unnecessary movement that failed to keep up with her speed could turn into an opening.

If there were something to gain, Maud was willing to take the risk.

Otherwise, his priority was retreat.

"Then I'll have to... use my hands."

Abandoning the idea of counterattacking with his pistol, Maud formed his next plan.

The increasingly chaotic swordplay had already been stripped of all its threat.

After defending for several dozen seconds, Maud seized an opportunity. As he sidestepped a sword thrust, he advanced instead of retreating, driving off the ground and lunging forward.

As his body brushed past Abe's, Maud used the arm he had naturally raised to slap her across the side of the face.

A clear smack rang out, but it was instantly drowned out by the sounds of blades clashing all around them.

The slap threw Abe slightly off balance, and a break appeared in her relentless offensive.

Seizing the opportunity, Maud immediately escaped the range of Abe's attacks and ran toward the hole in the wall.

Abe's mind collapsed. She stared blankly at Maud's fleeing back.

Wolf Rat happened to see this scene.

However, his attention wasn't on Abe, but on Maud, who was running faster than a rabbit.

At this point, Wolf Rat accepted everything.

He didn't even have the energy left to curse Maud.

Exhausted, Wolf Rat withdrew his gaze and turned to Kazt, trying to explain.

"Believe me, this is a misunderstanding!"

What greeted him was Kazt's fierce hoof.

With a bang, Wolf Rat flew backward and slammed heavily into the wall.

"Hm?"

After sending Wolf Rat flying, Kazt felt somewhat puzzled by the sensation of that strike.

Had he toughened up?

Before he could think further, he saw that Maud was about to escape the tavern and suddenly roared.

"Stop!"

Hearing the fury in Kazt's voice, Maud didn't even have the energy to look back.

Did something happen to Brother Wolf Rat?

Maud wondered.

Seeing that he was almost at the opening, Maud couldn't help speeding up.

Suddenly, he saw a white skunk running wildly ahead of him. Its legs were too short, though, so it wasn't running very fast.

Recognizing the skunk as the pet Abe had brought along, Maud scooped it up as he leaped through the opening.

The skunk's body trembled when Maud suddenly lifted it. Its beady black eyes filled with intensely humanlike fear, yet it didn't dare struggle too much, afraid that this inexplicable human might suddenly stab it.

In the skunk's eyes, humans were precisely such vicious creatures.

It obediently stiffened its body and stayed still, watching as Maud carried it through the hole in the wall and escaped outside.

At that moment, the skunk realized that this human was actually helping it escape.

The fear in its eyes instantly melted away like spring snow.

Its impression of humans also changed slightly.

"I've finally met a different kind of human."

The skunk was moved.

Maud had no idea that the projectile he had casually picked up was having such a rich inner monologue.

He was even more astonished when he caught a strange fragrance coming from the skunk.

A fragrant skunk?

He seemed to remember seeing a similar description somewhere.

At the same time, inside the tavern.

Watching Maud escape right before his eyes, Kazt glared furiously and chased after him.

However, a figure was faster than him, sprinting toward the hole in the wall.

It was Wolf Rat, who still hadn't dispelled his beast-human form.

Seeing that Wolf Rat was fine, a flash of surprise crossed Kazt's eyes.

Just then, a blade of light stabbed toward Kazt.

Kazt abruptly halted and dodged the sudden thrust.

"Mad woman, what are you doing?!"

Seeing Abe standing before him with bloodshot eyes and a savage expression, Kazt cursed furiously.

Without saying a word, Abe drove her sword at Kazt again, weaving a large expanse of sword light in an instant.

In his beast-human form, Kazt's strength had increased, but his speed had decreased slightly.

Facing Abe's sword strikes, each one filled with murderous intent, he was caught off guard and suffered several wounds.

Kazt grew even more furious.

After easily wounding Kazt, a strangely satisfied smile appeared on Abe's savage face.

Her gaze toward Kazt revealed an intense desire to keep thrusting her sword.

Seeing the complicated expression on Abe's face, Kazt's cheek twitched violently several times.

Everything was messed up—completely fucking messed up!

"Mad woman!"

Kazt roared, but another wave of swordplay answered him.

Left with no choice, Kazt could only retreat and dodge while issuing an order to Wells, one of the officers.

"Wells, take some men and chase that brat. Dead or alive!"

Upon hearing the captain's order, Wells immediately led several gunners out through the main entrance and chased after Maud.

Outside the tavern, Maud ran wildly through the street with the skunk in his hand.

After crawling through the hole in the wall, Wolf Rat relied on the physical advantages granted by his transformation and forcibly caught up with Maud.

"Usopp, wait for me!"

Seeing Maud's back, Wolf Rat shouted excitedly.

Hearing the shout from behind him, Maud instinctively and reflexively threw the skunk in his hand.

The skunk, which had just been marveling at meeting a good person: "?"

Wolf Rat, whose eyes held only Maud's back: "?"

The skunk Maud had thrown traced a graceful arc through the air before landing squarely on Wolf Rat's face.

With a bang.

Wolf Rat was knocked to the ground.

Wells and the others, who had chased them out of the tavern, suddenly slammed on the brakes as they stared at Wolf Rat and the skunk rolling to a stop in front of them.

The air fell silent for a moment.

I overreacted, Maud thought. He then looked back toward Wolf Rat and shouted, "Brother Wolf Rat, I..."

Then, upon seeing Wells and the others holding guns, Maud abruptly changed tack.

"If we get the chance, listen to me explain."

With that, Maud ran off without looking back.

Wolf Rat came back to his senses and inhaled deeply.

His lungs hurt.

The skunk, which had landed on its head, looked utterly bewildered.

The human heart... the human heart is treacherous!

Wells frowned slightly, hesitating over whether to waste a bullet on Wolf Rat.

Amid the flow of people on the street, a short figure flashed past.

"You brat..."