Far away in the Sabaody Archipelago, Maude had no idea that Sunny had given up on the Clear-Clear Fruit, nor that she had chosen to give it to Sabo instead.
If he had known, he probably would have understood her decision.
For the Revolutionary Army, an organization that consistently makes enemies on a national scale, a highly capable and active intelligence team is essential—but even more so, they need an unstoppable assault team.
If highly targeted intelligence is the foundation for toppling enemy nations,
Then the assault team is the final straw that breaks them.
As the head of the assault team, Sabo had always operated solo on countless missions, breaching enemy defenses single-handedly and creating massive openings for his comrades to flood in.
This wasn't out of recklessness or a sense of personal heroism.
Rather, it was his way of taking on all the risk himself.
By doing so, he could reduce unnecessary casualties within the assault team, a unit that naturally faced the highest mortality rate.
He willingly bore the full burden of danger.
However, if Sabo were to eat the Clear-Clear Fruit, the risks of these operations would drastically decrease.
He could even use its ability to turn his comrades invisible, allowing the entire assault squad to bypass enemy defenses entirely.
This would not only reduce casualties but also significantly boost efficiency.
Perhaps this was Sunny's motivation and reasoning for choosing to give the Clear-Clear Fruit to Sabo.
Even if Maude had known, he wouldn't have intervened.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
The ten sets of Vivre Card materials that Shakky had ordered arrived on schedule. Their exorbitant price nearly drained the funds Maude had brought to Sabaody.
With the materials in hand, Maude turned to Shakky for guidance on how to make a Vivre Card.
"The method for making a Vivre Card?"
Shakky leaned on the bar, a half-smoked cigarette between her fingers, watching Maude with interest as he sat before her.
Someone who ordered ten sets of Vivre Card materials didn't even know how to make one?
She chuckled but didn't press further and instead answered Maude's question directly.
"Just mix a piece of your fingernail into the material and let it dry. Once it turns into paper, it's done."
"That simple?"
Maude was surprised.
Shakky nodded. "You can try making one first."
"Alright."
Looking at the materials piled on the bar, Maude broke off a small piece of his fingernail.
Following Shakky's instructions, he successfully created his own Vivre Card.
"So this is a Vivre Card…"
Maude examined the small, plain white paper in his hand, imbued with a faint trace of his own presence.
With this, he could now consider establishing a hidden stronghold within the Florian Triangle.
Beside him, Gaya and Brook curiously observed the Vivre Card.
It was hard to imagine that such an unremarkable piece of paper was not only fireproof and waterproof but also more reliable than a Log Pose for navigation.
Maude carefully put away his Vivre Card, then turned to Gaya and Brook. As for Bailey, who was too busy stuffing his face with food, Maude simply ignored him.
"Gaya, Brook, you two should make one as well."
"Alright."
Gaya immediately broke off a small piece of her fingernail and followed Maude's example, mixing it into the material.
Maude then looked at Brook.
Brook was staring at his hands in silence, seemingly contemplating something profound.
"Brook?"
"Ah."
Brook slowly raised his head to meet Maude's questioning gaze and said seriously, "Captain, I don't have fingernails!"
"Uh…"
Maude instinctively glanced at Brook's smooth, white skeletal fingers and fell silent.
Shakky, amused by the situation, chuckled and suggested, "Why not try using a bone instead?"
"That seems to be the only option."
Maude rubbed his temples.
Ten minutes later, Brook's Vivre Card was successfully created.
It turned out that bones could indeed be used to make a Vivre Card, though fingernails were naturally the preferred choice.
Shakky watched as Gaya and Brook examined their newly made Vivre Cards, then turned to Maude and suddenly asked, "Little Maude, when do you plan to set sail?"
"In the next couple of days."
Maude stowed away the remaining materials.
"I see…"
Shakky nodded lightly.
Maude was about to put everything away when something crossed his mind. Curious, he asked, "By the way, what's Rayleigh been up to lately? I haven't seen him in days."
"Him?" Shakky flicked the ash off her cigarette with familiarity and said, "He mentioned taking a trip to the East Blue."
"He's already left?"
Maude was slightly taken aback. He knew Rayleigh was going to the East Blue to visit Gaban and the others but hadn't expected him to leave in such a hurry.
"Not yet."
Shakky twirled her cigarette between her fingers and smiled. "Traveling from here to the East Blue isn't so easy. He needs a few days to make the necessary preparations."
"Is he looking for a ship? I could help with that."
"No, not that."
"Huh?"
Maude was puzzled.
Shakky lit her cigarette, her eyes curving slightly as she said, "Just finding a ship wouldn't be a big deal. He's likely looking for a merchant vessel headed to the East Blue and planning to smuggle himself aboard as cargo."
"..."
Maude's lips twitched. That definitely sounded like something Rayleigh would do.
As long as the money was right, merchant ships would transport just about anything—including people.
Rayleigh could easily board one as a "passenger" by paying a fee, but knowing his style, he was more likely to go with Shakky's suggestion…
Maude shook his head slightly.
At that moment, Lafitte pushed open the tavern door and entered.
Hearing the sound, Maude turned to the newly arrived Lafitte and smiled. "You're back."
"Hohoho."
Lafitte walked up to Maude, sat down beside him, and slid a booklet across the table.
"What's this?"
"The auction catalog for the Human Auctioning House."
"Oh?"
Maude raised an eyebrow and picked up the booklet.
It was thin, only seven or eight pages long.
Scanning through it, he saw listings of various slaves.
There were beautiful female slaves, skilled male laborers, and even pirate captains with high demand on the market.
Unfortunately, there were still no fish-men or giants—the targets Maude was looking for.
However, on the last page of the catalog, a large golden question mark was prominently displayed, accompanied by a note:
—"A mysterious, high-profile auction item!"
This piqued Maude's curiosity.
For the Human Auctioning House to go out of its way to build suspense like this, the item was likely something valuable—perhaps a giant, worth at least 50 million berries.
Or it could be a mermaid, fetching over 70 million.
Or even a Devil Fruit user, whose price would depend on demand.
Aside from mermaids, the other two were exactly what Maude was after.
"Hopefully, it's a giant."
Maude set the catalog down.
Lafitte tilted his head, his smile turning cold and sinister. "Tomorrow happens to be the auction house's monthly event."
"Is that so?" Maude stroked his chin and smirked. "Perfect timing."
"Hohoho…"
Lafitte's grin grew even more chilling.
Maude's fingers traced over the auction catalog's smooth cover.
"Then let's make a scene."
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