Chapter Seventy-One: The Gaze from Kidd

On the long street, the first signs of conflict appeared. The passing pirates, sensing trouble, quickly stepped aside, leaving Maud and his companions a clear space to act. Street brawls were the norm in Mad Hatter Town, though fights this late at night were rare. Pirates gathered around, watching intently.

Among the crowd was the Kid Pirates. After more than three months, Kid was shocked by the immense change in Maud. If Maud’s face were covered, Kid would never recognize him. The transformation was not just physical, but more strikingly in the aura and strength he now possessed.

“I never expected this...” Kid stared at Maud. The first time they met, he’d considered Maud nothing more than a cheap laborer at the weapon shop—one who wouldn’t live long. It was no exaggeration to say that back then, he could have killed Maud with a single finger. But now, Maud had not only survived, his hands were surely stained with blood. Kid, who had also climbed up through blood and corpses, immediately sensed the truth: Maud was now the same kind of person as he—someone who disregarded human life and advanced toward a goal, undeterred.

Beside Kid, Killer, ever his shadow, recognized Maud. “Isn’t that the errand boy from the weapon shop?” Killer’s strongest impression of Sol’s weapon shop had always been the scar-faced young woman. As for Maud, he’d only glimpsed him once; remembering him at all was rare.

“Yes,” Kid nodded, focusing on the scene before him. He was deeply curious how, in just over three months, Maud had transformed from a frail nobody into someone whose mere act of drawing his blade radiated fierce sharpness. Three months—he wasn’t sure he could manage such a change himself.

Nearby, other pirates whispered among themselves. “The group on the left are from the Sea Serpent Pirates. Both the captain and first mate have bounties over ten million; they’re tough.” “Who’s the guy on the right? He’s a stranger, daring to provoke the Sea Serpent Pirates alone?” “You really don’t know.” The pirate explaining suddenly grew solemn. “That man stomped the Horned Bull Kazt and punched out the Boy-Killer Abe two months ago!” “Wait—could it be...?” “That’s right, he’s the legendary Usopp!” “So he’s the Usopp who made you a fortune two months ago. I’ve heard you brag about him; now I finally see him in person.” “Shh, don’t talk carelessly.”

The pirate hurriedly covered his companion’s mouth, fearing Maud would overhear. That windfall from the Horned Bull Pirates, politely put, was a reward Maud threw their way; less kindly, it was loot they’d stolen from him.

Kid turned, coldly watching the whispering pirates. He’d overheard their conversation. Only now did he realize the man from Sol’s weapon shop was the same Usopp who had recently made a name for himself.

“Guess I misjudged him.” Kid’s gaze was icy. So, it wasn’t just three months of change. In fact, this Usopp had, in a single month, grown from someone Kid could kill with a finger to a ruthless man capable of annihilating the Horned Bull Pirates. Who would believe such a thing? Kid, as one of the first to meet Maud, could hardly imagine how he’d managed it, even seeing it with his own eyes. This pace of growth was simply inexplicable.

“Kid, what’s wrong?” Killer noticed his captain’s unusual mood and asked. Killer had only glanced at Maud briefly at Sol’s shop, while Kid had a deeper understanding of the laborers there and had sized Maud up properly. That difference led to their very different reactions.

“Nothing,” Kid shook his head, then spoke with gravity. “Killer, that guy uses a blade too. Watch carefully—he’ll definitely be a rival we can’t avoid in the future.” “Hm?” Killer was surprised, rarely seeing his captain so cautious about someone his own age. “Understood.” He fixed his gaze on Maud, who stood ready with his sword. Kid’s attitude made him start to take Maud’s strength seriously.

It was deep night, and more pirates gathered, drawn by the commotion. If there was any place where people thrived on trouble, it was a chaotic pirate den like Mad Hatter Town. Street fights were common enough, but the worst incident had been when a pirate crew captured dozens of marines. They could have sold the marines to the pig farms for profit, but instead, they tortured and killed them in the street. At that time, the street was lively as a festival; pirates shouted and cheered in excitement, in stark contrast to the screams of the tormented marines. Of course, that pirate crew met a terrible end.

Soon, a crowd of curious onlookers gathered, much to Maud’s annoyance. “Let’s finish this quickly,” he muttered, and launched an attack at the Sea Serpent Pirates.

Thomas Harvey, captain of the Sea Serpent Pirates, had a bounty of 13.8 million. He was the one who’d warned Maud earlier. Seeing Maud charge with his blade, Harvey’s eyes grew cold. “When it comes to swordplay, I’ve never feared anyone since I started out!” Harvey shifted his arm, positioning his blade for a smooth strike, then stepped forward and sprang toward Maud.

Harvey spoke the truth; since setting out to sea, he’d crossed swords with navy officers dozens of times, rarely meeting his match. If his career had been longer, his bounty would surely be higher. Swordsmanship was the foundation of Harvey’s confidence in challenging Usopp—a confidence honed through battles with marines.

Serpent Curve. Harvey stared at Maud’s blade, the Dark Crow, and his sword arm began to ripple like a wave. The blade he swung was as elusive as a serpent’s body.

In the crowd, Killer watched Harvey’s Serpent Curve, amazed. He hadn’t expected such skill from a pirate barely making a name for himself. He was now eager to see how Maud would respond.

Inside the ring, facing Harvey’s bizarre sword path, Maud read the hidden threat from Harvey’s movements. He then swung an unremarkable, straightforward slash, precisely intercepting the serpent’s head Harvey had aimed at him.

Clang—!

The dazzling Serpent Curve dissolved instantly like spring snow. Their blades collided, sparks flying.

The Serpent Curve was broken, but Harvey was not fazed; instead, he laughed excitedly. The Serpent Curve was merely one of his practiced opening moves. He had three more powerful techniques, his true trump cards. The navy swordsmen he’d faced before never lasted past the third move, so he’d never had the chance to use his fourth. Tonight, he might finally have that opportunity. This man before him would be his stepping stone to fame!

Staring at Maud over their crossed blades, Harvey’s expression grew ever more exhilarated. “You live up to your reputation, Usopp. You’ve got me fired up. Let’s see if you can handle my next three moves!”

Bang—!

As their blades were locked, Maud’s free left hand whipped out a flintlock pistol from his coat and fired at Harvey’s vital spot.

Shot in the chest, Harvey’s excited expression froze. “I...”

The echoing gunshot left the crowd stunned into silence. If not for the mask covering his face, Killer’s eyes might have popped out in disbelief.