From the perspective of the World Government, the implementation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea system has, overall, been more beneficial than detrimental.
Even a steadfast opponent of the system like Vice Admiral Chaton has to acknowledge this fact.
Nevertheless, Chaton still believes that the existence of the Seven Warlords is fundamentally unreasonable.
However, his influence is limited. No matter how much he wishes to abolish the system, in the end, he is powerless to do so.
And he is not alone. There are many within Marine Headquarters who share his sentiment.
Veteran Marines such as Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru are also among those who oppose the Seven Warlords system.
However, whether it is the legendary hero Garp or the highly respected strategist Tsuru, neither can do anything about it.
In the current climate, no one— not even Fleet Admiral Sengoku— can hope to abolish the Seven Warlords system.
Unless the Marines grow strong enough to no longer require the power of the Warlords.
Only then would abolishing the system become a possibility.
Therefore, in Tsuru's eyes, Chaton's small maneuvers are nothing more than wasted effort.
Even if he successfully convinces the Marine giants to join the opposition, what difference would it make?
The overall strength of Marine Headquarters would remain unchanged.
Tsuru sees through it all but chooses to remain silent.
Right or wrong, success or failure— she never stops those who seek change.
"Granny Tsuru, you don't like the Warlords system either, do you?"
"Mm."
Tsuru set down the paper listing the names of the Marine giants and gave a slight nod.
"As long as this system exists..."
She paused mid-sentence, then shook her head slightly and said calmly, "There is no point in discussing this."
With that, a series of figures flashed through her mind— the current Seven Warlords.
For a pirate, becoming a Warlord is undoubtedly a wise choice.
Some accepted the title for the sake of peace.
Others did so for their own ambitions or simply for the convenience that came with the status.
The former includes figures like Boa Hancock and Dracule Mihawk— renowned and powerful, yet with no clear ulterior motives.
The latter category consists of pirates like Donquixote Doflamingo and Crocodile, who sought to use their Warlord status to further their own agendas.
And then there was Maude, who had recently taken Moria's vacant position.
In Tsuru's eyes, Maude undoubtedly belonged to the latter group.
This young man from the West Blue went so far as to eliminate Gecko Moria just to claim a seat among the Seven Warlords.
His actions immediately reminded Tsuru of Doflamingo, who had used the "Heavenly Tribute" as leverage to secure his own Warlord status.
Behind such a proactive and aggressive approach— what kind of hidden intentions could be lurking?
Thinking deeply, Tsuru found herself lost in thought.
With the limited information available, she had no way of knowing.
But every time she considered Maude's still-unclear motives, she couldn't help but feel a vague sense of unease.
That was why she had been keeping a close watch on Maude's movements lately.
"Granny Tsuru, Granny Tsuru..."
Chaton's repeated calls finally brought Tsuru back to reality. She responded softly, "Carry on."
With that, she prepared to leave.
"Alright."
Though puzzled, Chaton could only nod in response.
Tsuru turned slowly and walked toward the door.
She had come all this way solely to confirm something regarding Maude.
Chaton silently watched Tsuru leave, then lowered his gaze to the paper on the desk, scanning the weighty names written upon it.
"Brrr... brrr..."
Just then, the transponder fax machine at the side of the room emitted a sound.
Chaton turned toward it.
One by one, photographs featuring Maude, alongside the "Blue Ogre" and "Red Ogre," were being transmitted.
Chaton stepped forward and looked down at the images.
The first thing that caught his eye was Maude's striking figure, already exuding an aura of dominance— enough to make one instinctively take him seriously.
Picking up the photographs, he examined them one by one.
Finally, Chaton set the pictures down and sighed helplessly, "Why do all of these make him look so damn handsome? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were shooting a photo spread."
Saying that, he glanced at the transponder snail.
If possible, he wanted to call and ask if they had any less flattering pictures.
But obviously, that wasn't realistic.
Shaking his head slightly, he suppressed the impulse and picked up the transponder snail, dialing a news agency's number.
...
Little Garden.
As the sun set, a beautifully crafted three-story villa stood tall on the flatlands.
This was the answer provided by the hundred or so bounty hunters under Maude's orders.
Maude scrutinized the villa's greenery-adorned walls and courtyard.
He never would have imagined that these bounty hunters could construct such an aesthetically pleasing, nature-infused villa in a place like Little Garden.
Shifting his gaze, he looked at the bounty hunters standing obediently before him and couldn't help but remark, "You guys... really are something else."
"Thank you for the compliment!!!"
The bounty hunters shouted in unison.
This was probably the most united they had ever been since arriving in Little Garden.
Maude thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about leaving your contact info?"
"..."
None of the bounty hunters dared to respond, instead forcing smiles that looked more like grimaces.
"Just kidding. You can leave."
Maude waved his hand, signaling them to go.
The bounty hunters hesitated, exchanging glances, but none dared to take the first step.
"What?"
Maude glanced at them and frowned. "Not leaving? Do you want to stay for dinner?"
"N-No, not at all!"
Panicked, the bounty hunters frantically shook their heads before hastily turning to leave.
Each bore injuries, stumbling as they departed— a pitiful sight, yet tinged with the joy of survival.
Cavendish watched them go before turning to Maude with growing suspicion.
Was this really the Maude he knew?
Given Maude's nature, shouldn't he have eliminated these bounty hunters the moment they were no longer useful?
Maude noticed Cavendish's puzzled gaze but paid it no mind. He simply sat at the stone table in the courtyard, waiting for Gaya to finish preparing dinner.
Before long, night fell.
Torches were planted around the courtyard, their flickering flames illuminating the area.
Gaya had prepared a full-course meal using dinosaur meat.
Everyone took their seats and began devouring the feast.
As the meal wound down, Philo pointed to the bodies of Dorry and Brogy under the night sky and asked, "What should we do with the corpses?"
As a plague doctor, she always prioritized proper corpse disposal.
"We'll bury them after dinner."
Maude took a large bite of meat, glancing at the bodies. He had no intention of collecting their bounties.
Philo nodded in understanding.
Before bringing up the matter, she had already extracted sufficient blood samples from the two giants— survivors of a hundred years on Little Garden were certainly worth studying.
Cavendish silently chewed his food, his gaze at Maude growing increasingly perplexed.
First, he let the bounty hunters go.
Now, he was foregoing the giants' bounty.
Was this really the same Maude he had known?
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