Chapter Seventy-Six: The True Terror

A bullet from an unknown source erupted like a stone cast into still water, creating ripples of chaos. The pirates, who had been merely bystanders, were instantly taken aback. They hadn’t heard any gunshot, and yet—

They stared in disbelief at the gangster who had fallen, killed by a bullet to the temple. No one knew who had fired, but everyone was certain it had something to do with Maud.

With this in mind, their gazes shifted to Maud, who now stood in the middle of the street, long sword drawn. Up to this moment, it had been hard to imagine anyone would openly challenge the gangsters in the street. After all, the syndicate was one of the titans of the West Sea’s underworld. Even the notorious pirate crews of these waters, famed for their ferocity, seldom dared provoke them.

Yet Maud’s act of blocking the road hadn’t made Capone Bege pause. But the silent bullet—that had stopped Bege in his tracks.

“Protect the boss!”

The gangsters, their faces twisted in shock, scrambled to encircle Bege, forming a human wall to shield him from further bullets.

Within that ring, Bege’s expression remained inscrutable as he looked at Maud. Even someone like him, who had grown up with guns as toys, found it impossible to pinpoint the shooter’s location from the fleeting sound of the bullet’s passage. At best, he could only guess the direction from the spatter of blood and the entry wound.

But it had happened too suddenly; there hadn’t been time to gather details. And even if he could deduce the bullet’s trajectory, it would change nothing—Bege was certain the shot had come from an extraordinary distance.

Unbelievable as it seemed, it was the undeniable truth.

Though Bege was inwardly shaken by the shooter’s terrifying skill, he betrayed nothing, his gaze cold as he regarded Maud. There was no doubt: the shooter was an ally of Maud’s.

“Kill him,” Bege ordered, his tone brimming with murderous intent, uninterested in Maud’s reasons for causing trouble.

At Bege’s command, several gangsters on the outer edge immediately drew their pistols.

But then—again, the whistling of bullets. Still, no gunshot was heard. The moment the gangsters raised their guns, they fell, each struck fatally in the temple by unseen bullets.

Multiple shots, all to the temple. It wasn’t just one sniper?

Bege’s eyes narrowed sharply; he could no longer maintain his composure. He glanced toward the darkness, but saw only brightly lit buildings and the deep night beyond. Somewhere in that blackness lurked a terror that could chill the heart.

“Boss…” The gangsters, unused to such an ordeal, were visibly frightened. They had faced overwhelming numbers before and dared to fight, but this ghostlike marksman left even these hardened men quaking.

Not only the syndicate but pirates on both sides of the street wore stunned, haunted expressions. Most had never even set foot on the Grand Line—what could prepare them for this? Putting themselves in the syndicate’s place, what hope could there be but despair?

While the gangsters were all anxiety and dread, Maud, sword in hand, only smiled in silence.

The distant shooter was, of course, Thor. With his profound mastery of Haki, Thor could execute syndicate members from several kilometers away with ease. If he wished, he could wipe them all out in moments, not even allowing them a glimpse of their executioner before it was over.

“So this is the power of a top-class sniper…”

Thor’s display of power made Maud truly appreciate how terrifying a sniper could be. But Thor’s mission tonight wasn’t to annihilate the syndicate—it was to cover Maud.

This was why Maud dared confront the syndicate so openly. Otherwise, with their overwhelming firepower, he might have avoided their bullets but would never have gotten a chance to take out Bege.

Who could it be…?

Suppressing the chill crawling up his spine, Bege’s gaze swept grimly over his men. “I won’t repeat myself,” he said icily.

At his command, those gangsters not hampered by their positions drew their guns, intent on taking Maud down.

But the bullets from the darkness were always faster.

One after another, those who raised their guns fell, each shot through the temple. The bizarre carnage rendered the entire street deathly silent.

Maud, meanwhile, was quietly pleased—there was nothing like having a strong ally. He certainly wasn’t about to warn the syndicate not to use their guns tonight. This way, Thor could pick off more of these worthless foot soldiers.

Besides, Maud knew all about Bege’s Devil Fruit powers. He was certain Bege had hidden plenty of fighters inside his body—captains and officers, the syndicate’s true strength.

Until Bege played all his cards, Maud intended to conserve his energy, not making a single unnecessary move.

Contrasted with Maud’s calm, the syndicate was now a bundle of nerves. Bege’s face darkened; to test his theory, he commanded his men to keep aiming at Maud.

This time, the bullets came even faster. Some men were shot down the instant they began to lift their weapons.

In moments, over twenty corpses littered the ground.

Bege glanced at the bodies, cold sweat beading on his brow. He had no idea how many snipers lurked in the darkness, but given the incredible rate of fire, there had to be several.

If those snipers chose to, they could easily wipe out his forces and threaten him directly.

But they didn’t.

Why?

Bege couldn’t puzzle out the reason, but he could guess the shooters’ conditions for opening fire.

If only he knew there was just one sniper—what would he think then?

Realizing that drawing a gun was pointless, Bege gave a new order: “Switch to blades.”

The syndicate men hesitated, then quickly obeyed, drawing their short knives.

This time, no bullets came.

Yet Bege still felt a deep unease as he gazed into the night. He sensed an unprecedented danger, as if invisible bars had descended from the sky, forming a cage around him.

Even with hundreds of men inside his body and the defensive power granted by his Devil Fruit, he couldn’t shake the feeling. It made no sense, but he could not deny it.

Still, as a hardened underworld boss, his ruthlessness surged. He spat out his cigar with a snarl.

He’d considered fleeing. But in the end, he chose to face the threat and destroy it.

Though wary of the sniper, he was still determined to deal with Maud first.

“Kill him!”

At the command, the remaining syndicate men charged Maud with their knives. The ghostly bullets did not return, and the men’s confidence surged. Yet they seemed to forget their true strength lay in their guns.

As the gangsters rushed at him, Maud, feeling a pang of regret, strode forward to meet them.

He dispatched them effortlessly, cutting them down like wheat.

Now, Bege was the lone commander left in the open.

Watching in silence from both sides of the street, the pirates were stunned by the syndicate’s downfall.

“Who exactly is Usopp?” they whispered in awe.

With such a terrifying sniper as an ally, they could foresee a supernova pirate crew rising in the West Sea under Usopp’s name.

Amidst the corpses, Maud flicked the blood from his blade and pointed it at Bege.

“Bring them out,” he said. “We’re not finished.”

“Who… are you?” Bege demanded, his face growing darker as his Devil Fruit’s secret was exposed.

The pirates around them were baffled, but Lafitte’s brow furrowed in thought. Bring them out? He glanced at Bege, a suspicion forming.

At that moment, Bege made his move. Instead of releasing the men inside him, he suddenly opened a row of small gun ports across his chest. The muzzles emerged, all aiming at Maud.