One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

The alleyway was dimly lit.

The only source of light came from the skull-shaped oil lamp by the entrance of the Tatam's Nightshade Bar.

A woman stood partially veiled in the shadows, her demeanor and tone exuding an overbearing authority that demanded submission.

Faced with her oppressive presence, Wolfrat opened his mouth as if to speak but couldn't utter a word. Her gaze bore down on him, forcing his eyes to lower slightly in submission.

"Just a pirate," she remarked, glancing in the direction where Maude had slipped away. Her implication was clear:

You got shot and had to grovel for an apology. When the pirate fled after realizing the situation had turned against him, you didn't even have the courage to chase after him.

Wolfrat instinctively glanced at Tatam, who had been his focus only ten seconds earlier as he'd explained the situation.

But now, facing this woman—technically his superior—he had to craft a different explanation.

"That guy just now... he's from the weapons shop."

"What?"

The woman was momentarily startled. Her figure blurred as she instinctively executed a Soru, vanishing in a flash toward the direction Maude had fled.

A split second later, she reappeared dozens of meters away, only to halt abruptly. She stood there in silence, staring ahead without taking another step.

Wolfrat silently watched the woman's slightly awkward posture and couldn't help but think to himself, Go ahead, chase him! Why aren't you chasing him?

But he valued his life, so such words could only stay in his mind.

After a few seconds of silence, the woman turned and walked back toward Wolfrat.

Standing before him, she briefly glanced at Tatam, who was still by the bar's entrance.

From the start until now, this was the first time she had acknowledged Tatam's presence.

Even though Tatam had displayed hostile intent earlier, she had outright ignored him.

Her confidence, much like her commanding aura, stemmed from an unwavering belief in her own strength.

"Don't kill him," Wolfrat said firmly. "He's got nothing to do with this, and I can guarantee he won't cause trouble."

The woman said nothing, but her thumb nudged the hilt of her sword ever so slightly.

Seeing this, Wolfrat's expression turned cold. He stepped in front of Tatam and locked eyes with the woman.

"Trust me," he said.

"I trust you, but not him."

Her thumb pressed further against the hilt.

"Then I guess I'll just have to quit."

"..."

Reading Wolfrat's stance, the woman hesitated before releasing her grip on the sword, yielding for the first time.

Wolfrat's role was far too valuable to their operations. If he quit, it would be nearly impossible to find a suitable replacement for a long time.

As the woman relented, Wolfrat exhaled in relief. Turning to Tatam, he said, "Go inside."

Tatam frowned but refused to move.

Wolfrat's expression grew stern.

Seeing this, Tatam cast a subtle glance at the woman, whose mere presence filled him with pressure, before silently turning and stepping into the bar.

The bar door closed.

Only then did Wolfrat shift his gaze back to the woman.

"A few days ago, I took a job from some pirates," Wolfrat began. "They wanted me to find out who killed one of their crewmates. Unfortunately... the culprit turned out to be someone from the weapons shop."

"You've been exposed?"

The woman's expression darkened as she connected the dots.

Wolfrat shook his head.

"I've been careful these past few days, uncertain if that old man noticed me. But now, I'm more inclined to believe he didn't."

"Or perhaps," he added, "he just didn't care enough to bother with me. Otherwise, I'd probably already be a corpse rotting in some alley.

"Even if he did come after me, there's no way he could figure out my true identity. So, there's no need for you to worry. At worst, you'd just need to find someone else to replace me."

Hearing this, the woman's gaze softened slightly, and she nodded.

Wolfrat continued, "For years, I've avoided getting too close to that weapons shop or even directly observing the old man. My instincts tell me that even a purposeful glance in his direction could bring me dangerously close to death."

"Your caution is commendable," the woman said, lowering her gaze. Her crimson eyes gleamed coldly.

"After all, he's the infamous 'Phantom Gun,' with top-tier observational skills and unparalleled sensitivity."

"Which is why you shouldn't have sought me out in the first place."

"Nothing will happen tonight," she replied with confidence, a hint of meaning in her tone.

Wolfrat sighed softly. He understood the source of her assurance—nothing more than the chaos and distractions provided by tonight's grand event.

Glancing toward the auction house, he asked, "How many of you came?"

The woman raised three fingers.

"Three, huh… That shouldn't cause me too much trouble," Wolfrat muttered before turning his attention back to Maude's escape route.

"That guy just now—he's the one the pirates are after. Running into him here was sheer luck, giving me the perfect entry point."

The woman's eyes lit up as she connected the dots, recalling Wolfrat's earlier groveling behavior.

"You're planning to use him?"

"Exactly."

"But he's just a rookie. He's neither the first nor the last."

"This time is different," Wolfrat said. "That old man… he made a move for him."

"What?"

The woman's eyes sharpened.

For the old man to take action increased the risk of exposure. Yet, he did it anyway, which underscored the importance he placed on Maude.

Could it be…

A realization dawned upon her, causing her cold, attractive features to radiate with newfound brilliance.

Wolfrat found himself momentarily captivated. The woman's commanding presence often made him forget just how alluring she truly was.

Shaking his head, he forced the errant thoughts from his mind.

Some women, no matter how beautiful, were best left untouched.

"Wolfrat," the woman said, her voice filled with rare warmth, "I don't care what your plan is. As long as you succeed, I promise all your efforts over the years won't be in vain!"

"One thing I don't understand," Wolfrat replied. "If you're so desperate to deal with that old man, there must be a strong reason. So why not just call in reinforcements from headquarters to take him out directly? Why resort to all this roundabout scheming?"

"You think we don't want to?"

The woman hesitated, her thoughts briefly drifting to the faces of two older figures. She stopped herself from saying more.

Wolfrat's confusion deepened. "Then why?"

"Because…" She gritted her teeth. "He's too fast."

"..."

Wolfrat was speechless.

The woman took a deep breath.

"In any case, getting the bird into the cage voluntarily is never easy."

Meanwhile, Maude was running.

He dashed through several streets before finally slowing to a stop.

"What's her problem?" he muttered.

Shaking his head, he retrieved three pistols and began loading them one by one.

Until he could match Yasopp's godlike speed at reloading, Maude found himself constantly grumbling about the inconvenience of flintlock pistols.

"Not a bad haul. Maybe I can find a few more suitable targets before midnight. By now, the auction should still be underway, right?"

Just as he finished reloading and glanced toward the auction house, a series of explosions erupted in that direction.

Maude froze in place, stunned.

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