Chapter Fifty-Four: Preparation

Looking at the entire incident, although Lagren was killed by Saul, strictly speaking, Lagren’s death was indirectly caused by Maud. Yet, Maud knew nothing of this. So, when he thought it over, his mind naturally returned to the man walking with Red in the alley that night. Could it be that he had unwittingly killed a... major source of experience points? No wonder Kazt took this matter so seriously.

At this thought, Maud, feeling a twinge of regret, feigned casualness and asked, “Oh? How did this Lagren die?”

“He was shot dead.”

Maud pressed a hand to his forehead and replied calmly, “I see.”

Wolf Rat watched Maud’s reaction in silence. He realized that, in this affair, the Trick Gun had eliminated Lagren on Maud’s behalf, yet had kept Maud in the dark. Such covert, protective behavior further suggested that, to the Trick Gun, Maud held real significance. In other words, Maud might qualify as a bargaining chip to restrain the Trick Gun—and then there was that girl in the shop…

Wolf Rat pondered all this without betraying a hint, and continued, “Not only did Kazt lose a skilled fighter like Lagren recently, but the incident with the escaped fishman slave at the auction a few days ago cost him over half his men.”

“Oh?” A glimmer of interest lit Maud’s eyes.

“Besides Lagren, Kazt still has two notable officers. One is Wells, a fine marksman with a bounty nearing ten million. The other is Gabdon, with a bounty of fourteen million. He may not match Lagren, but he’s a formidable swordsman in his own right. And Kazt himself is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user—give him a few more days, and even if he’s not fully healed, he’ll at least be up and walking.”

“Therefore, my personal suggestion is to strike the Snail Pirates first.”

As a navy man, Wolf Rat considered assassination the most advantageous course. So, even if Maud’s question had been a pretext, he was willing to go along, having assessed the situation. Now that he was committed, he had to see it through—and intelligence was the key.

“As for the Aibe Pirates, it’s best not to provoke them any further.” At this, Wolf Rat’s expression turned grave.

Maud asked, puzzled, “Why?”

“The Aibe Pirates may be few in number, but each is an elite. Moreover, among those pirates still in town with bounties over thirty million, there’s one who’s Aibe’s suitor.”

“Suitor? As in...?” A few dark lines appeared on Maud’s brow, but he caught himself.

Wolf Rat, knowing what Maud meant, replied coldly, “Calling him a suitor is just a pretense—he’s only looking for a chance to swallow up the Aibe Pirates. And as for Aibe’s particular tastes, what does it matter? In any case, if you make a move against Aibe, you might just be handing that suitor his opportunity.”

Wolf Rat’s advice to leave Aibe alone stemmed from another, crucial reason: the one who’d slapped Aibe was you, not me. Concealing this thought, Wolf Rat was all the more eager for Maud to focus on the Snail Pirates first. After all, they were the real threat to him, and that was why he’d described their situation in such detail.

After Wolf Rat’s explanation, Maud agreed that targeting Aibe was ill-advised. Not so much because of the suitor, but because Kazt’s unique abilities and the swordsman Gabdon were just what he needed.

“Then Kazt will be our first target. By the way, do you have the bounties for the Snail Pirates?”

Having made the decision, Maud asked for the crucial information. Wolf Rat didn’t hesitate; after all, knowing their faces was essential for matching intelligence. He glanced at Tatamu.

Tatamu understood at once and opened another drawer. To Maud’s mild surprise, Tatamu pulled out a thick stack of bounty posters. Then, recalling Tatamu’s intelligence work, Maud let it go.

Sensing Maud’s reaction, Wolf Rat explained for Tatamu’s sake, “Anyone running a place like this keeps bounty posters for all sorts of pirates. Anyone with a bounty is trouble, so knowing who you’re dealing with is only prudent. Especially in a place like Flower Street—the staff are required to recognize every customer’s face.”

Maud nodded with sudden understanding; he hadn’t realized there was such a reason. Saul’s shop certainly had nothing like this. But then, with its out-of-the-way location, there was little foot traffic. And even when tough customers like Kidd showed up, didn’t they behave themselves in front of Saul?

Now, knowing how thoroughly Tatamu was stocked with wanted posters, Maud thought he might drop by more often. Tatamu, thoroughly familiar with the posters, quickly selected three: Kazt, Wells, and Gabdon. Lagren’s had long since been removed.

Maud took the posters and studied them, carefully memorizing the other two targets’ faces. If he could eliminate Kazt tonight, that would be ideal. As for the Snail Pirates, the captain’s death would surely plunge them into chaos. The very prospect of a power struggle was reason enough for them to fight among themselves.

Having memorized the faces, and with a new respect for Wolf Rat’s abilities, Maud tried to probe for more valuable information. “I wonder what these three’s specific abilities are?”

“Wells won’t be hard to deal with; Kazt and Gabdon are the real challenge…” Wolf Rat took the bait and began to elaborate on their abilities. Maud was secretly pleased and listened intently.

Half an hour passed.

When Wolf Rat finished, Maud looked at him with the eyes of someone seeing him anew, thoroughly satisfied. Wolf Rat chose to ignore it, instead saying seriously, “Usopp, I hope tonight’s operation goes smoothly. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

It was a heartfelt statement.

Maud could feel the sincerity and was taken aback. His suspicions about Wolf Rat’s motives only deepened. But as long as it wasn’t anything sinister, he could accept it.

“As a friend, I feel the same.” Maud raised his glass to Wolf Rat and drained it in one go.

Wolf Rat likewise finished his drink, thinking that he’d finally taken a big step forward.

Afterward, Maud and Wolf Rat agreed to meet at midnight, and Maud left the Night Bar with the Dark Crow.

Once Maud was gone, Wolf Rat sat and drank, lost in thought. Tatamu, for his part, continued his habitual polishing of glasses, as if there were always more to clean each day.

Ten minutes later, Wolf Rat suddenly rose and went to a room on the second floor. There, he took out a well-hidden Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.

...

Navy Headquarters, at the home of the Navy hero Garp.

“That boy actually went off to become a pirate!!”

In the room, Garp clenched a newspaper, veins bulging at his temple. Just as he was fuming, someone entered without so much as a knock.

“I could hear your booming voice from far away—what’s happened?”

“Little Crane…”