The moment Maude severed Garp's arm, he once again became the center of attention.
Though the war was still ongoing, and the reporters had yet to fully unleash their efforts, the live broadcast had already cemented Maude's overwhelming presence in the minds of people across the world.
When this war ends, one thing is certain—should Maude raise his banner, countless individuals will flock to his call.
Not only had he disrupted Blackbeard's plan to claim the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, but he had also stolen the spotlight from him.
This would undoubtedly affect Blackbeard's scheme of using his newfound fame to recruit powerful allies.
However—
Such future possibilities were of no concern to Maude.
He had already exceeded his initial purpose for participating in the Paramount War. What he needed to focus on now was how to retreat unscathed.
If it were just him and Law, escaping the battlefield would be simple.
But there was no way he could abandon Sabo, Morley, Usopp, and Robin, to whom he had made a promise.
The real challenge lay in ensuring all of them could get out safely.
"What's wrong? Not going to avenge your 'legend'?"
After storing Garp's severed arm into the Shadow Casket, Maude smirked and taunted the surrounding Marines.
To ease the pressure on Sabo and the others, the best strategy was to draw as much fire onto himself as possible.
As for Garp, with Luffy and Ace keeping him occupied—and with one arm lost—he no longer posed a significant threat.
Maude was fully confident in this assessment.
The only real concerns were the sheer number of Marines, the formidable Vice Admirals, and Sengoku, who appeared to be gathering strength.
To the Marines, Maude's grin was nothing short of blatant mockery.
"Don't get cocky!!!"
"You pirates will never escape from here!!!"
The Marines, their pent-up fury ignited, launched a relentless assault.
But to outsiders, Maude seemed to possess endless stamina. With a few swings of Hakoku, he effortlessly tore through their ranks.
The devastating cylindrical shockwaves carved multiple openings in the Marine formations.
However, the Marines quickly closed the gaps.
In terms of sheer numbers, they held the absolute advantage.
Even if they couldn't overpower the enemy, they could simply wear them down.
Witnessing their swift and disciplined response, Maude raised an eyebrow.
At this point, he no longer had a stockpile of prisoner shadows to replenish his stamina or Haki.
If he didn't start managing his energy output, he might run out of strength before even getting Sabo and the others out of here.
"Hakoku!"
Adjusting the power of his attack, Maude unleashed another series of strikes, forcing the encroaching Marines back.
As one of Elbaf's legendary techniques, Hakoku possessed immense penetration and impact power, making it the perfect tool to break enemy formations.
Amid the chaos, the Marines charged forward, one after another.
Garp remained silent, despite his lost arm, while the rest of the Marines threw themselves at Maude without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the blockhead Luffy was still struggling to process Maude's act of severing Garp's arm, wasting precious time.
Maude glanced at him briefly.
Considering that he had left a Shadow Mark on Luffy, he decided to ignore him for now.
Yet, looking at the situation—
Escaping with everyone unscathed was nearly impossible.
Even just getting past Akainu and Aokiji was an insurmountable challenge, let alone breaking through the countless Marines surrounding them.
"How should I do this…?"
Fending off attacks, Maude contemplated his options.
However, the presence of Akainu, Aokiji, and even Fujitora loomed over him like an unscalable mountain, blocking all possible routes.
Despite the dire circumstances, a plan formed in Maude's mind.
"Maybe I can use the Blackbeard Pirates to my advantage."
Compared to Whitebeard's battered crew, Blackbeard's freshly assembled forces were more appealing as a target.
"Luring the Marines' main forces toward the Blackbeard Pirates? No… the Marines aren't fools. Unless… I forcibly send the Blackbeard Pirates into the middle of this battlefield."
Maude's eyes gleamed as he sidestepped an incoming slash, countering with another Hakoku that instantly wiped out a dozen Marines.
Freeing up a moment, he quickly looked toward Blackbeard's location.
"At this distance…"
Maude frowned slightly.
His plan was to have Law use Room to teleport Blackbeard's entire crew into the middle of the Marine forces.
But if the distance was too great, Law would have to expand his Room beyond his normal limits, which would shorten his lifespan.
However, there was no alternative.
Having made his decision, Maude aimed his gun at Law's position and fired a shot.
The bullet streaked across the battlefield and landed beside Law.
Swoosh!
In an instant, Maude teleported to Law's side.
The very moment he materialized, a thin stream of blood sprayed from his shoulder.
This was the consequence of the Marines attacking the shadow bullet he had left behind—his own injuries being reflected back onto him.
The Marines had already figured out his weakness.
Even if he left behind a shadow as small as a fingernail, it would become a target.
Ignoring his fresh wound, Maude turned to Law.
"I need your help, Law."
"Speak."
Law's expression flickered with surprise.
Not long ago, Maude had instructed him to keep a low profile, yet now he was asking for his assistance.
Clearly, something had gone wrong.
"I need you to perform a Room beyond your normal limits."
Maude turned his gaze toward Blackbeard's location—just in time to see his crew mercilessly attacking Kuma. His eyes turned cold.
"I know this will shorten your lifespan. If you refuse, I won't force you."
"After I activate Room, what do you need me to do?"
Law didn't hesitate in the slightest.
If not for Maude, he would have died at Doflamingo's hands long ago.
So, even if it cost him his life, he wouldn't hesitate to repay Maude.
"Teleport the entire Blackbeard Pirates—into the middle of the Marine forces."
Maude pointed at Blackbeard's crew, who were slaughtering Marines and attacking Kuma. After a brief pause, he added—
"Move Kuma as well."
"Understood."
Law instantly grasped Maude's intent, his gaze carrying a hint of admiration.
This man… when it came to screwing over others, he was absolutely ruthless.
Still, without hesitation, Law extended his hand.
"Room!"
At the cost of his lifespan, Law expanded an enormous domain, encompassing the Blackbeard Pirates.
The moment the Room activated, Blackbeard and his crew froze in confusion.
"Huh? What's this?"
Then, they sensed a gaze locking onto them.
Following the direction of the stare, they barely caught sight of Maude in the distance.
Swoosh—!
In the blink of an eye, their surroundings changed.
Before them was an endless sea of Marines.
"???"
The sudden turn of events left the once-arrogant Blackbeard utterly dumbfounded.
His crewmates were just as stunned.
The surrounding Marines were equally speechless.
For a moment, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
"We've been screwed over…"
Realization dawned on Blackbeard, and his lips twitched uncontrollably.
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