One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

From obscurity to worldwide fame.

Looking back on Maude's journey, Blackbeard found it nothing short of astonishing.

Especially the part where he killed Gecko Moria and then volunteered himself for the position of Warlord of the Sea…

Such boldness and ruthlessness deeply impressed Blackbeard.

Thus, ever since establishing his own crew, he had been keeping tabs on Maude to some extent.

Today marked the first time he was seeing Maude in person.

And just as he had expected, Maude exuded an imposing aura—undeniably a man of extraordinary caliber.

"Zehahaha, this is gonna be a good show."

Blackbeard stepped to the side and casually sat on the floor, eagerly watching the unfolding confrontation between Maude and Doflamingo.

Hawkeye leaned against the wall, turning his gaze toward the scene.

Because of Shanks—along with the fact that Maude was also a swordsman of growing renown—Hawkeye had taken an interest in him.

Hancock, on the other hand, had always harbored a deep-seated disdain for men. She swept a cold glance across all the men present, as if looking at filth.

Ignoring the tense standoff between Maude and Doflamingo, she made her way to the single-seater sofa opposite Maude and sat down in an unbothered, yet sultry manner—completely unconcerned about any exposure.

Inside the room, six of the Seven Warlords of the Sea were present.

Blackbeard Teach, who was eager to enjoy the spectacle.

Hawkeye Mihawk, who remained uninvolved but still attentive.

The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, who cared little for the affairs around her.

Heavenly Yaksha, Donquixote Doflamingo, who couldn't sit still without stirring up trouble.

And Phantom Sniper, Maude, whose composed demeanor refused to be outmatched.

Aside from Kuma, who remained seated in silence like an unmoving statue, the rest of the Warlords—Maude included—each displayed their own distinct personalities.

Doflamingo sneered coldly at Maude's taunting words, fully embracing the surging killing intent within him.

"Five-Color Strings."

Without warning, he attacked.

With fingers spread like claws, he slashed at Maude from a distance.

Five nearly invisible razor-thin threads shot out from his fingertips, slicing through the air toward Maude's face.

Maude wasn't the least bit surprised by Doflamingo's sudden strike.

This man was the type to act on impulse the moment his anger flared, completely disregarding time, place, or identity.

Not to mention, Maude had slain several officers of the Donquixote Family—including a high-ranking one. It was only natural that Doflamingo would want to tear him apart.

Shadow Clone.

Maude remained seated, watching the incoming Five-Color Strings with a calm gaze.

Silently, a pitch-black shadow clone materialized before him. Without hesitation, it raised its sword and intercepted the slicing threads.

Screech—!

The razor-sharp Five-Color Strings clashed against the shadowy blade, emitting a piercing, metallic sound.

The attack was completely blocked.

A moment later, as the force of the threads weakened, the shadow clone exerted strength and deflected them away.

Throughout it all, Maude remained composed, not even moving from his seat.

"Fuffuffuffu…"

Despite his attack being stopped, Doflamingo's killing intent did not wane.

However, instead of launching an immediate follow-up, his gaze lingered on the pitch-black figure before him.

He had seen Gecko Moria use a similar ability before, so he wasn't unfamiliar with shadow-based techniques.

In contrast, Blackbeard—who had merely been watching—was seeing a shadow clone for the first time.

"Oh? So it's a shadow… pretty handy, huh?"

Observing how Maude didn't even need to lift a finger to block Doflamingo's attack, Blackbeard let out a slight chuckle.

That said, everyone present, including Blackbeard, knew one thing—Doflamingo's first move was nothing more than an appetizer.

"Fuffuffu, I told you… don't get too cocky."

Doflamingo extended his right hand, and the floor beneath him rippled like a wave, transforming into clusters of white threads.

The appetizer was over—he was going all in.

With his awakened Devil Fruit ability, he turned the entire reception room's floor into a mass of threads that he could freely manipulate.

Both Blackbeard and Hawkeye turned their eyes to the shifting floor.

There were countless Devil Fruit users in the world, but those who had reached the level of awakening were exceedingly rare.

Even Hancock, who had been largely uninterested, couldn't help but take another look at Doflamingo.

"You really are unrestrained, Doflamingo…"

Seeing that Doflamingo had decided to go all out, Maude knew better than to remain seated. He stood up, placing his right hand on the hilt of Shusui.

"If it's a fight you want, I'll oblige."

With a crisp ring of steel, Maude drew Shusui.

As his aura surged, the walls and floor of the reception room were fully assimilated into threads under Doflamingo's control.

But Maude didn't give him the chance to set up his attack.

Lifting his sword, he unleashed a powerful Hakoku.

A cylindrical shockwave, blazing like a comet's tail, shot straight toward Doflamingo.

"That move is—"

Bathed in the incoming white light, Doflamingo's expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly manipulated the threads to form a cocoon around himself for protection.

Boom!

The devastating Hakoku struck the cocoon-like barrier with immense force.

Though the threads were coated in Armament Haki, making them remarkably tough, they still couldn't nullify the sheer power behind the attack.

The damage was mitigated, but the impact was unavoidable.

In the blink of an eye, Doflamingo—along with his thread cocoon—was blasted backward, smashing through the walls of the reception room.

BOOM!

The walls cracked apart.

Like a shooting star, Doflamingo's body was sent hurtling out of the room, crashing through multiple buildings along the way.

Inside the reception room, Blackbeard, Hawkeye, and Hancock all stared in astonishment at Maude, who had just sent Doflamingo flying with a single Hakoku.

"That's Big Mom's move…"

On the Grand Line, any pirate with a decent reputation had signature techniques that were widely recognized—let alone the Four Emperors, who ruled the New World like sovereigns.

Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit abilities.

Kaido's monstrous durability.

Shanks' mastery of Haki and swordsmanship, rivaling even Hawkeye.

And Big Mom's terrifyingly destructive Ikoku.

These well-known abilities were common knowledge among seasoned pirates.

Seeing Maude unleash a technique similar to Big Mom's, even Hawkeye couldn't help but be surprised.

Outside the reception room.

The navy soldiers stationed nearby were jolted by the deafening impact.

Already on high alert due to the looming threat of Whitebeard's forces, they rushed toward the scene as quickly as possible.

And what they saw shocked them—several buildings torn apart and Doflamingo lying amidst the wreckage.

"What the hell just happened?!"

A Marine officer asked with a tense expression.

Nearby soldiers, who had witnessed the event firsthand, were still in shock.

Just moments ago, they had seen Doflamingo get blasted out of the reception room by a powerful shockwave.

And the one responsible was—

They turned toward the gaping hole in the reception room's wall.

There, standing tall, was Maude.

The officer instantly grasped the situation.

He didn't know what had transpired inside, but one thing was clear—Doflamingo had been sent flying by Maude.

But the real problem was…

Why the hell are the Warlords fighting each other?!

"Damn Warlords… they really do whatever they want!"

The officer cursed inwardly.

Suddenly—

A chilling, murderous aura flooded the area.

The Marines instinctively turned around—

Doflamingo was rising from the rubble, radiating pure, unbridled killing intent.

Seeing his predator-like gaze, the Marines immediately realized…

These two reckless Warlords were dead serious!

"Wait, this is Marine Headquarters! You can't just do as you please here!"

A high-ranking Marine stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation.

But his words were met with Doflamingo's menacing glare.

The officer's body froze.

-------

Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parenthesis ( )]

NOTE: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon!