Ch. 543The Celestial Dragons' Secret

Maud escaped Pangu City after kidnapping five Celestial Dragons and returned to Thriller Bark, where Luo discovered evidence that their bodies had been artificially constructed. The chapter left Maud considering the revelation that the Celestial Dragons might not be what they claimed.

  • Maud sensed a powerful gaze in Pangu City, destroyed buildings to create chaos, and escaped the guards by switching places with shadow ropes.
  • Maud reunited with Lafitte and Brook on Thriller Bark, and the three returned to the castle with the five unconscious Celestial Dragons.
  • Maud ordered Luo to remove the Celestial Dragons' hearts, and Luo detected unusual features in their bodily structures.
  • Luo told Maud that the Celestial Dragons' bodies bore traces of artificial construction, though he said calling them artificial humans was not entirely accurate.

Ch. 544What a Big News Story This Is

Maud planned to expose the Celestial Dragons’ origins and his attack on Mary Geoise through the World Economic News. Morgans chose to publish the evidence, and the resulting newspaper spread worldwide the next day.

  • Luo told Maud that the Celestial Dragons descended from artificial humans, and Maud asked him to prepare a medical report to document the finding.
  • Maud used a captured CP0 member’s shadow to register the corpse for experience, then ordered Lafitte to send photos of the Mary Geoise attack to Dada.
  • CP0 members failed to wake Essai, and a sudden wound opened in her neck, killing her as blood covered their white robes.
  • Maud’s crew began a victory feast after Jim silenced the awakened Celestial Dragon in the cells.
  • Dada showed Morgans photographs of Maud abducting three Celestial Dragons, and Morgans ordered the staff to prepare a special newspaper edition.
  • The next day, a sensational newspaper reached every corner of the world.

Ch. 545He Did What We've Always Wanted to Do!

Maud’s attack on the Holy Land and abduction of a Celestial Dragon made headlines, astonishing Sabo and the Revolutionary Army. Sabo remained on the island to train Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, while Sunny asked whether they should contact Maud.

  • Maud read Dada’s account of his attack in the morning paper and waited for the Navy to call.
  • Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates left the island to quell unrest in the New World and reclaim Whitebeard’s corpse from Maud.
  • Luffy decided that the Straw Hat Pirates would stay on the island to train, and Sabo stayed to help them without leaving the Revolutionary Army.
  • Koala arrived with a newspaper reporting that Maud had attacked the Holy Land and abducted a Celestial Dragon.
  • Sabo admired Maud’s feat, Molly praised him for doing what the Revolutionary Army had always wanted, and Sunny asked whether they should contact him.

Ch. 546How Terrifying

After reading the report of Maud’s attack on Mary Geoise and abduction of a Celestial Dragon, people across the seas reacted with shock. Sengoku called Maud to threaten him, but Maud rejected his attempt to regain the initiative.

  • Luffy charged aboard the Sunny toward the kitchen, and Sabo introduced him to Koala and the others as his little brother.
  • Nami snatched the newspaper from Sabo and read the report about Maud’s attack on the Holy Land, prompting the Straw Hat Pirates to react with shock.
  • Sabo decided against contacting Maud so he could focus on the Straw Hat Pirates’ special training.
  • Hancock and her sisters read the report, and Gloriosa confirmed that Maud had attacked Mary Geoise and abducted a Celestial Dragon.
  • Sengoku rebuked the three CP0 members for dismissing Maud as no cause for concern, then called Maud to threaten him on behalf of the World Government.
  • Maud told Sengoku that threats would not let him take back the initiative.

Ch. 547Initiative

Maud arranged to exchange five captured Celestial Dragons for the Heart Pirates, leaving Sengoku with little choice but to agree. Maud planned to keep the Celestial Dragons’ “Shadow Heart” even after returning them, while Vegapunk began to suspect the Maud Pirates could retain Devil Fruits with certainty.

  • Maud offered Sengoku the five Celestial Dragons in exchange for the Heart Pirates and set the exchange for two weeks later on Thunder God Island.
  • Sengoku accepted Maud’s terms, then told the silent CP0 members that obtaining the Op-Op Fruit was no longer realistic.
  • Sentomaru told Vegapunk that Maud had attacked the Holy Land using the reborn Float-Float Fruit, prompting Vegapunk to suspect the Maud Pirates had a way to retain Devil Fruits.
  • Lafitte questioned Maud’s decision to trade away the Celestial Dragons, and Maud revealed that he intended to keep their “Shadow Heart.”

Ch. 548Ability Design

Maud tested how his Shadow ability could manipulate a person’s heart through its shadow, then traveled through a stormy sea to buy Thunder God Island supplies from an old traveling merchant. He left with umbrellas and Sky Island Empty Shells, considering whether a Sound Shell and the Sound-Sound Fruit could make a sound-explosion bomb.

  • Maud explained that he had left a hidden Shadow Surgery mechanism in a Celestial Dragon as both insurance and a possible threat against the World Government and Marines.
  • Maud separated Shalria’s heart from its shadow, then used the shadow to inflict intense pain before Luo restored the heart; Maud later prepared the same mechanism for four other Celestial Dragons.
  • Ten days later, Maud encountered an old traveling merchant’s boat in a storm and asked whether she sold umbrellas for Thunder God Island.
  • The frightened merchant sold Maud ten Lightning-Resistant Umbrellas and other goods for only 100 Beli, and Maud paid with a golden ring before flying away.
  • As Maud headed toward Thriller Bark, he considered combining a Sound Shell with the Sound-Sound Fruit stored in his Shadow Box to make a sound-explosion bomb.

Ch. 549Waiting for Your Arrival

Maud returned to Thriller Bark with Empty Shells and Lightning-Resistant Umbrellas, then led a group onto Thunder God Island to await the Marines. The Marines arrived by warship as Luo waited to rescue Bepo and the others.

  • Maud brought Lightning-Resistant Umbrellas and various Empty Shells back to Thriller Bark, where the crew examined them.
  • Perona accidentally set Beli's rear on fire with a Flame Shell, and Beli retaliated by releasing a foul odor from a Stench Shell, causing chaos.
  • Maud considered using Empty Shells to strengthen Thriller Bark but postponed his plans until after visiting Sky Island and handling Doflamingo's loose ends in Dressrosa.
  • Several days later, Maud and a group including Lafitte, Jim, Luo, Perona, and five unconscious Celestial Dragons landed on Thunder God Island using the umbrellas to withstand its lightning.
  • After waiting for several hours, Maud and the others saw two Marine warships approaching, and Luo recognized their arrival.

Ch. 550Huang Yuan: Hello? Hello? Why is there still no sound?

Maud exchanged the captured Celestial Dragons for Luo’s crew on Thunder God Island, but the Marines’ retreat was interrupted by a World Government ambush. Maud remotely killed Shalria aboard the warship as Kizaru tried to contact the Marines, leaving Smoker and Hina stunned.

  • Smoker and Hina brought Bepo and the other Heart Pirates to Thunder God Island, where they met Maud and Luo for the exchange.
  • Luo checked the pirates for tampering while Smoker verified the Celestial Dragons, and the two sides completed the exchange.
  • Smoker and Hina sailed away with the Celestial Dragons, but more than a dozen Marine Headquarters warships appeared ahead of them.
  • Kizaru called Smoker, and the Marines realized the World Government had not intended a normal hostage exchange.
  • Maud saw the approaching warships and snapped his fingers, causing Shalria’s chest to explode aboard Smoker’s ship.

Ch. 551What a remarkable man, Bagard Maud

Maud killed the Celestial Dragon Shalria in front of Smoker’s Marines, committing the Maud Pirates to a path of no return. Kizaru arrived to eliminate Maud and his crew, but Maud caused the other Celestial Dragons to suffer unexplained pain, and Kizaru approached him without attacking.

  • Maud snapped his fingers and killed Shalria as Smoker and the Marines watched from their warship.
  • Lafitte, Perona, Luo, and Jim realized that Maud’s act meant they would raise the Maud Pirates’ flag and could not turn back.
  • Kizaru arrived at the warship and gathered light to attack Maud, but Maud clenched the shadows of the other Celestial Dragons’ hearts and made them scream in pain.
  • Hina restrained the suffering Celestial Dragons with Black Rags, but the ship doctors found no abnormality in their bodies.
  • Kizaru traveled to Maud’s group, and Maud stopped his companions from attacking as Kizaru praised him.

Ch. 552But If You Know What's Good for You

Maud forced Kizaru to stand down by revealing his leverage over the Celestial Dragons, then killed another hostage and slashed Kizaru into a warship. As Thunder God Island rose into the sky, Maud and the Maud Pirates escaped while the Marines watched in shock.

  • Kizaru told Maud that eliminating him could be worth the lives of four Celestial Dragons, but Maud judged that Kizaru had no intention of attacking.
  • Maud revealed that he could destroy a Celestial Dragon with a snap of his fingers as Thunder God Island began to rise using the Float-Float Fruit's ability.
  • Maud snapped his fingers again, killing a second Celestial Dragon, and then struck Kizaru with Shusui, sending him crashing into a warship.
  • Thunder God Island rose into the sky as Maud sheathed Shusui and the Marines stared at him in shock.

Ch. 553Remember This Failure Well

After Maud’s attack killed two Celestial Dragons and sent Kizaru flying, the Marines let the Maud Pirates escape with Thunder God Island. Maud discovered unusual ore beneath the island and said he wanted gold to reinforce Thriller Bark, leaving his crew surprised by the scale of his plans.

  • Smoker tried to pursue Maud, but Hina stopped him and Kizaru emerged from the wreckage, telling the Marines they had no way to act against the departing pirates.
  • Kizaru told the Marines to remember their failure and reflected on the growing threats to the seas as Thunder God Island vanished into the clouds.
  • A submerged periscope watched the island and the departing warships before retreating beneath the sea.
  • Aboard Thriller Bark, Maud explained that he had brought Thunder God Island along to investigate whether it held anything unusual.
  • Maud and his crew found dark ore beneath the island’s crater and recognized it as the material used to make their black umbrellas.
  • Maud agreed the ore could reinforce Thriller Bark but said he wanted gold even more, startling Perona and the others.

Ch. 554Has It Spread?

Maud put Jaya and Luo through special training on Thunder God Island while they prepared ore for Thriller Bark. When the crew went searching for food, they found pirates attacking a merchant ship, and Maud was surprised to hear that news of him killing two Celestial Dragons had spread.

  • Maud tasked Jaya with shaping all the ore on Thunder God Island and ordered Luo to cut up the island to improve his stamina.
  • Maud exhausted Luo in under three minutes, then the crew stayed near Thunder God Island while Jaya and Luo trained for half a month.
  • After the crew ran out of food, Maud, Lafitte, Brook, and Jim flew out to search for provisions and spotted ships at sea.
  • The group found Captain Ellis and his pirates robbing a merchant ship and threatening its civilians.
  • A child recognized Maud as the man who had killed two Celestial Dragons, and Maud wondered how the news had spread.

Ch. 555Goodbye Mermaid Girl

Maud read news of the Thunder God Island incident, killed the pirates who had seized a merchant ship, and rescued the captives in their hold. He recognized a red-haired mermaid he had once saved and freed her again, then she begged him to help Fish-Man Island.

  • Maud killed Ellis and ordered Lafitte, Jim, and Brook to wipe out the pirates aboard the merchant ship and nearby pirate ships.
  • Maud read a newspaper showing photographs of his clash with Kizaru and learned the World Government had failed to suppress news of the incident.
  • Maud took half the merchant ship's supplies and learned Lafitte and Brook had found two mermaids and a wounded fish-man imprisoned aboard a pirate ship.
  • Maud recognized one mermaid as the girl he had rescued at the Sabaody Archipelago auction house and learned pirates had attacked Fish-Man Island after the Summit War.
  • Maud broke into the mermaid's cell and removed her slave collar, and she asked him to help Fish-Man Island.

Ch. 556Two of Me? I Want Them Both!

Maud agreed to divert to Fish-Man Island after a mermaid asked him for help, partly because he hoped to build ties with its royal family. After returning to Thriller Bark, he announced that he wanted both an island in the sky and Fish-Man Island as territory, leaving Hawkins to wonder whether the decision was right.

  • Maud agreed to visit Fish-Man Island and ordered Lafitte to free the captives aboard the merchant ships.
  • Luna and Windsor left the cabin with the wounded Attar, but three freed human slaves tried to capture the mermaids for money.
  • Attar killed the three men, then died from his wounds and poisoned crossbow bolts; Luna and Windsor escaped into the sea.
  • Maud found the bodies after collecting the ships' supplies and returned with his group to Thriller Bark.
  • Maud announced that they would set out for Fish-Man Island and said he wanted both it and an island in the sky as territory.
  • Hawkins drew a card and silently questioned whether Maud had made the right choice.

Ch. 557The Whereabouts of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit

After Maud decided to travel to Fish-Man Island, Vergo learned that the Donquixote Family had found the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and ordered him to help obtain it. A week later, Fish-Man Island faced an escalating pirate invasion, and Neptune considered seeking protection from the Big Mom Pirates.

  • Vergo questioned the civilians rescued from the Maud Pirates, then received a coded call from the Donquixote Family about the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
  • The Donquixote Family ordered Vergo to join the effort to obtain the fruit and eat it, even if he had to abandon his Marine cover.
  • Pirates and slave traders overwhelmed Fish-Man Island after Whitebeard's flag stopped protecting it, while the Ryugu Kingdom's forces suffered heavy losses.
  • Neptune learned that the Big Mom Pirates had arrived and that the pirates at Coral Hill were gathering near Ghiro-Cord Plaza.
  • Neptune ordered the Right Minister to invite the Big Mom Pirates' representative to Ryugu Palace and considered accepting their protection.

Ch. 558The Great Bait Operation (6000 Words)

Maud entered Ryugu Palace, subdued its defenders, and persuaded Shirahoshi to serve as bait so he could draw the pirates together and eliminate them. As pirates gathered at Ghiro-Cord Plaza, Smoothie headed there to deal with them herself.

  • Maud reached Neptune's throne hall, knocked out the Right Minister and Left Minister with Conqueror's Haki, and told Neptune that the palace soldiers were unconscious rather than dead.
  • Maud told Neptune and the Prince brothers that he planned to use Shirahoshi as bait, then bypassed their attacks and entered the Hard-Shell Tower.
  • Maud convinced Shirahoshi to help lure the island's pirates, and she agreed before Neptune and his sons arrived and found them making a pinky promise.
  • A giant sword thrown by Vander Decken flew toward Shirahoshi, but Maud stopped it between two fingers and shattered it with Armament Haki.
  • At Ghiro-Cord Plaza, Lafitte, Hawkins, and the others watched pirates gather while waiting for Maud's orders.
  • Smoothie approached the gathering pirates and decided to take care of them all at once.

Ch. 559The Name Bagard Maud! (5200 words)

Charlotte Smoothie led the Big Mom Pirates toward Ryugu Palace as pirates gathered at Ghiro-Cord Plaza to attack it. Princess Shirahoshi was presented as bait, but a curving bullet struck Black Robe Ribis, who recognized it as Bagard Maud’s shot and left the plaza terrified.

  • Charlotte Smoothie rejected her subordinate’s suggestion to attack the plaza and headed for Ryugu Palace to make Neptune’s family submit.
  • Black Robe Ribis and Arthur rallied pirates at Ghiro-Cord Plaza to raid Ryugu Palace, with Ribis seeking Princess Shirahoshi and Arthur seeking treasure to buy a Devil Fruit.
  • Princess Shirahoshi appeared bound above the plaza, drawing the pirates into a frenzy while Lafitte held Jim back from acting.
  • Ribis leapt toward Shirahoshi, but a curving bullet shot from the Ryugu Palace passage struck his chest and sent him crashing to the plaza.
  • Ribis identified the shooter as Bagard Maud, terrifying the gathered pirates, while Charlotte Smoothie and her followers stopped upon hearing Maud’s name.

Ch. 560Remember This Fear Well

Maud’s appearance at Ghiro-Cord Plaza scattered the pirates, and his Conqueror’s Haki knocked out nearly ten thousand of them. He left several hundred survivors to spread fear, while Neptune, the princes, and Shirahoshi watched the scene through a broadcast image.

  • Ribis fled after insisting that Maud had fired the shot, but Arthur rallied the remaining pirates to attack Ryugu Palace.
  • Maud told Neptune and his sons that he would help Fish-Man Island eliminate every threat as Lafitte’s crew began setting up an Image Den Den Mushi.
  • Maud appeared behind Arthur, and the pirates scattered in panic while Arthur froze in fear.
  • Maud released his Conqueror’s Haki, knocking out nearly ten thousand pirates and leaving Arthur and several hundred others conscious.
  • Maud let the remaining pirates flee so they could spread the fear, while Neptune, the princes, and Shirahoshi watched through the broadcast image.

Ch. 561Like Mother's Ikoku!

Maud killed the pirates who had threatened Ryugu Palace, and Fish-Man Island watched his actions on a live broadcast. Smoothie arrived with Ribis, then attacked Maud, and their clash left the Big Mom Pirates reeling.

  • Maud used Conqueror's Haki and Shadow Flow, Daytime Fireworks, to kill the ten thousand pirates at Ghiro-Cord Plaza as Fish-Man Island watched.
  • Jones and the New Fish-Man Pirates discussed how Maud had disrupted their plan to use the pirates' attack on Ryugu Palace to win the islanders' support, while Vander Decken the Ninth rushed toward Shirahoshi.
  • Smoothie arrived carrying Ribis and confronted Maud, then drained Ribis's life and discarded his corpse.
  • Smoothie attacked Maud with Water Slice, and Maud countered with Ikoku, overpowering her slash and sending her fighters flying.
  • Maud covered himself in black armor with Shadow Flow, Pisces, as Smoothie and her surviving fighters faced him.

Ch. 562A Joyful Challenge

Maud defeated Smoothie after countering her attempt to strengthen herself by absorbing moisture from corpses, while Lafitte and the others overwhelmed the BIG MOM Pirates. As Smoothie's defeat crushed their morale, Jones ordered the New Fish-Man Pirates to attack Ryugu Palace and kill Neptune's family and soldiers.

  • Smoothie ordered her subordinates to hold Maud off for thirty seconds while she absorbed moisture from pirate corpses to increase her strength.
  • Maud reached Smoothie in under ten seconds, and Lafitte and the Maud Pirates stopped Smoothie's subordinates from buying her more time.
  • Maud pierced Smoothie's elbow, evaded her counterattack with Shadow Cicada, and struck her with Shadow Saber, Day and Night.
  • Smoothie fell to her knees with a severe chest wound as Maud declared her defeat certain, and the BIG MOM Pirates' morale collapsed.
  • After witnessing Maud defeat Smoothie, Jones ordered the New Fish-Man Pirates to go to Ryugu Palace and kill Neptune's family and soldiers.
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