Chapter Four: Improving Physical Constitution

He managed to slip away using the pretext of needing to relieve himself.

Once in the restroom, Maud immediately locked the door behind him.

The "Hunter’s Notebook" appeared out of thin air, black as obsidian and exuding an air of mysterious prestige. At the spine, the black tail feather of a quill trembled ever so slightly, as if awaiting Maud’s touch.

When he first developed this ability, Maud had intended the pen to be a black fountain pen, but that would have increased the difficulty of manifesting it. To reduce the pressure on other aspects of the development, he had settled for a quill, which, while more challenging to write with, was structurally simpler.

He drew the quill from the spine without hesitation and neatly wrote the word "Constitution" in precise Chinese characters on the first silver line.

Constitution was his highest priority at the moment—there was no need to deliberate. Only by improving his physical condition first would he have the foundation to seek more. Especially in the world of pirates, a formidable physique was the bedrock upon which the strong stood.

As for monstrous constitutions like those of Big Mom Charlotte Linlin or Kaido of the Beasts, at this stage, Maud didn’t even dare to dream.

After recording his need, Maud flipped to the first page of the notebook.

It was blank as snow.

For an instant, he seemed to see a dense mass of messy, ugly handwriting scrawled across the paper. He blinked, and the writing vanished like a fading shadow.

He paused, murmuring to himself, “Starting over, then…”

At present, he was like someone whose main account had been wiped, now re-rolling a new character on a fresh server. There were, after all, certain advantages to this.

Pen in hand, Maud conjured up the image of Wat in his mind and quickly jotted down his information.

"Evan Wat"

"Proficient with blades"

These scant details he’d learned from Sunny—barebones, but better than nothing.

Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat, as the saying goes. Besides, with the current weakness of his body, any gain, however small, would yield noticeable results.

As if he had accomplished something important, Maud deliberately closed the Hunter’s Notebook with deliberate care.

He offered silent thanks to Evan Wat for his unwilling contribution—and to Kidd, for luring Wat here in the first place.

Withdrawing the notebook, Maud checked his reflection in the mirror.

He pressed lightly on the bloodied bandage over his forehead; a sharp pain immediately blossomed.

If the Hunter’s Notebook worked, the healing of his wound should noticeably accelerate after a successful hunt.

The only regret was that Wat was not a hand-to-hand combat specialist.

“Ready.”

Maud picked up the small knife from the washstand and stepped out of the restroom.

Inside the shop, Saul and Sunny had been waiting for some time.

In truth, only a few minutes had passed.

Knife in hand, Maud approached the unconscious Wat. Under Saul and Sunny’s watchful eyes, Maud didn’t hesitate—he knelt and drove the knife hard into Wat’s chest, aiming straight for the heart.

A spurt of blood splashed across Maud’s hand.

Awkwardly, the knife only went halfway in, nearly slipping from his grasp.

Saul raised an eyebrow; Sunny’s eyes lowered.

Damn.

Maud cursed inwardly. But considering the physical prowess typical of this world—and his own current weakness—he quickly let it go.

Without delay, Maud yanked out the knife and delivered several more stabs, quickly ensuring Wat’s death in his unconscious state.

The entire process was as routine as butchering a chicken.

After all, this was far from Maud’s first time. In his previous life, his Hunter’s Notebook bore nearly a thousand names. Most were criminals he’d executed himself after working in a penal institution—just a press of a button to administer the lethal injection, a task he could accomplish with ease.

Here, in the pirate world, the only comparable place Maud could think of was Impel Down. Yet the punitive institutions here seemed more humane: even criminals who deserved a dozen deaths were merely imprisoned.

Releasing the knife, Maud stood and slowly closed his eyes.

In the darkness behind his lids, the Hunter’s Notebook floated serenely, its edges glowing like the corona of a sun in full eclipse. The light seeped steadily into the notebook, and soon a tiny white star appeared on the black cover.

At that moment, the light vanished, and darkness returned.

In mere moments, a flush of color appeared on Maud’s previously pale face.

He opened his eyes, feeling a faint itch at his temple. The feebleness that had left him on the verge of collapse just minutes ago was now greatly diminished.

These subtle changes were the notebook’s hidden rewards for fulfilling the constitution requirement.

As for tangible benefits like muscle or resilience, Wat’s level and the meager information available were far from enough to trigger any noticeable transformation.

Still, the Hunter’s Notebook worked!

A gleam sparked in Maud’s eyes.

Saul and Sunny, having witnessed Maud kill Wat and his subsequent flush of excitement, were unfazed.

To them, merchants often harbored the deepest hatred for the lawless pirates who plundered them.

Besides, Maud’s current state was entirely the pirates’ doing. Venting his anger on Wat to ease his mind was only natural.

However, Saul didn’t want his future second-in-command to become unhinged.

He walked over, pulled the knife from the corpse, and wiped the blood off on the dead man’s clothes.

“You’re awfully excited. I told you to say goodbye to your past, not to get lost in a downward spiral.”

“Understood,” Maud replied, lowering his head.

He knew exactly what Saul meant, and saw no need to explain. All he needed now was to cling tightly to Saul’s coattails and swiftly adapt to this Mad Hatter Town, where human life was as cheap as dirt.

Saul glanced at Maud’s bloodied right hand. “Good. Go wash your hands.”

Turning to Sunny, he said, “Little one, go fetch Arthur to take care of the body.”

“Alright,” Sunny answered, and left.

Maud returned to the restroom, turned on the tap, and scrubbed the blood from his hands. After drying them, he looked at his reflection again.

He pressed the wound once more.

A few minutes ago, it would have hurt; now, it didn’t.

An encouraging result, though that also said much about the weakness of his body.

Who knew how many hunts it would take to reach Luffy’s level of self-healing?

He exhaled softly, body and mind relaxing at once.

His first hunt had gone smoothly, giving him a little more confidence.

Still, his situation remained precarious, and a second target was nowhere in sight.

Mad Hatter Town…

Dangerous, yes—but from another perspective, also the perfect hunting ground.

Take it slow.

Maud splashed cold water on his face, wiped it dry, and didn’t bother unwrapping his bandage to check the wound.

Returning to the shop, he found a burly stranger had arrived.

The man wore something like a mechanic’s outfit, a black armband with the word “Death” inscribed on his left arm, and a white mask that left only his eyes and half his mouth exposed.

Maud guessed this must be Arthur, summoned by Sunny to handle the corpse.

Arthur had been examining the body; hearing Maud’s footsteps, he looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“Oh, you’re awake after all.”