That's right—this was completely unreasonable.
Setting aside the dual forms of Haki and his sharpshooting skills, which already determined the upper limit of a gunman's potential—
Four-gun style? What kind of madness was that?
That alone was one thing, but firearms that didn't even require reloading? In a battle between gunmen, that was nothing short of cheating.
And yet…
His swordsmanship was just as formidable.
In other words, if he couldn't be taken down in a gunfight, the only option left was to defeat him in close combat.
Unfortunately, this guy was also a highly skilled swordsman.
As he dodged the bullets, Izo still had enough presence of mind to think critically about the situation.
Gradually, he peeled away the layers of Bacardi Maude's defenses.
What he saw was a warrior of overwhelming strength, one that was both unimaginable and nearly impossible to counter.
Even if his allies closed in to apply pressure on Maude, if they weren't strong enough, the only outcome he could foresee was Maude drawing his sword and cutting them down in mere moments.
Gun and sword mastery…
A title he had vaguely heard somewhere before was now becoming clearer in his mind.
That title—it belonged to Maude.
Izo quickly grasped the reality of the situation.
"With just me alone, I can't take this guy down."
He had to admit—he had been too arrogant in thinking he could handle Maude on his own.
"I need backup…"
Izo's expression grew solemn as he considered who to call for support.
"Izo."
At that moment, three figures moved toward him.
"You guys…"
From the corner of his eye, Izo caught sight of them.
The three figures were—
Blenheim, the Ninth Division Commander, an old man with a white beard, a single braid, and a long sword in hand.
Fossa, the Fifteenth Division Commander, a tall and burly man with a diagonal scar across his face, also wielding a long sword.
And—
One of the captains from the Grand Fleet, the man who had stabbed Whitebeard in the back during the original events—Maelstrom Spider Squard.
As Blenheim and Fossa arrived, they each swung their swords, easily deflecting the lead bullets Maude had fired at Izo.
Their intervention prompted Maude to momentarily halt his attack.
Once Maude paused, Squard approached Izo.
"Izo, Pops sent us to assist you."
Carrying a massive greatsword over two meters long, Squard licked his lips with a long tongue, casting a cold gaze at Maude in the distance.
"Pops…"
Izo was momentarily stunned before looking toward Whitebeard, who was still battling the Marines.
It seemed that Whitebeard had already seen through the difficulties he was facing.
So while he was still considering who to ask for help, Whitebeard had already taken care of the problem for him.
The ones sent for assistance—Blenheim, Fossa, and Squard—were all highly skilled swordsmen.
If the three of them worked together to suppress Maude, they could definitely create an opportunity to take him down with a precise shot.
"Pops is always one step ahead… Truly amazing."
Even while tearing through the Marine defenses, he was still able to oversee the battlefield and make precise tactical decisions.
Izo was deeply impressed. Taking a deep breath, he sharpened his focus, striving to maintain his Observation Haki at full capacity.
"Blenheim, Fossa, Squard, I'm counting on you to handle Bacardi Maude. Also, regarding his abilities—"
"You can deal damage by attacking his shadow with Armament Haki, right?"
Before Izo could finish, Blenheim interrupted.
Before coming to assist, they had already been briefed on the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's weaknesses.
"Yeah."
Izo nodded.
"Heh, leave it to us."
"Come on, Izo, no need to be so formal. We've fought together before. Just make sure you take the shot when we create an opening."
"Let's go!"
Squard, always the impulsive one, charged in first.
"You're as impatient as ever, Squard…"
Fossa shook his head slightly before following suit alongside Blenheim, all three rushing toward Maude.
"That's Whitebeard's Ninth Division Commander, Blenheim, and Fifteenth Division Commander, Fossa! And… Maelstrom Spider, Squard!"
"Their target is… Warlord Maude!"
"Wasn't Maude just fighting Izo?"
"To deal with Maude, the Whitebeard Pirates actually deployed three commanders?!"
"They're planning to gang up on him and take him out?"
Squard and the others were among the more prominent fighters in this war, so their coordinated assault immediately drew the attention of many Marines.
To keep the Warlords of the Sea in check, the Whitebeard Pirates had already dispatched over half of their division commanders.
However—
They had only sent one commander each to hold off Mihawk, Bartholomew Kuma, Doflamingo, and Hancock.
Yet for Maude, they had sent three commanders and a fleet captain.
How much of a threat did they consider Maude to be to allocate their forces in such a manner?
On the Marine side, Vice Admirals and other high-ranking officers quickly noticed Whitebeard's special treatment of Maude.
"After making the Whitebeard Pirates suffer loss after loss, it's only natural that he'd be treated like this."
Vice Admiral Momonga cut down a rampaging beast before glancing at Maude, who was now facing three division commanders and a Grand Fleet captain.
"Should we assist Maude?"
"The beasts that Golden Lion dropped have us at our limits—we don't have the manpower to help Maude."
"Besides, he's a pirate…"
Even though they had taken notice of Maude's predicament, none of the Marine officers showed any intention of aiding him.
Perhaps—
They truly were too preoccupied with the monsters unleashed by Golden Lion.
Or perhaps—
Because Maude was a pirate, their instincts restrained them from offering aid.
As the Marines stood by, Blenheim, Fossa, and Squard closed in on Maude, striking from different angles with their blades.
Blenheim and Squard's long swords were coated in hardened Armament Haki.
Meanwhile, Fossa's sword was wreathed in blazing flames.
As expected of the renowned pirates of the New World, their attacks carried an undeniable menace.
Even Maude had no choice but to momentarily retreat, swiftly pulling back to avoid their combined assault.
While evading, Maude's gaze flickered toward Izo, instantly understanding his intentions.
"Indeed… The only way a sniper reaches full potential is under the cover of teammates. Still… they're really going all out just to take me down."
Despite being outnumbered, Maude remained perfectly calm.
As he dodged, he released the flintlock Bailey had transformed into, allowing his shadow clone to take it and move independently, slipping away from the encirclement.
"It seems you all still don't understand… That's why I say—you know nothing about the true power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit."
Drawing his black blade, Shusui, Maude's eyes remained serene as he watched Squard and the others close in.
At the same time, he had already set a hidden ace in motion—one that could decisively eliminate Izo.
And Squard's intervention only helped conceal it further.
As for the Marines' indifference, Maude didn't care.
There were things he had to settle…
But that would have to wait until he took Whitebeard's head.
Maude continued his tactical retreat, evading Squard and his team's pursuit.
"Black Cage!"
"White Fist!"
Just then, black iron bars and a smoke-clad fist struck toward Squard and Fossa.
Hina and Smoker had arrived.
"Tch…"
Seeing their intervention, Maude raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
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