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Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: That Which Matters Most

The sudden, overreaching gesture and the intensely aggressive gaze—

Even someone like Robin, with her inherently calculating nature, found herself momentarily flustered.

In moments of panic, people inevitably reveal things without meaning to.

Less than two seconds passed.

Robin noticed that within Maude's invasive gaze, there was no trace of the desire she had anticipated.

Instead... it was more of an appraisal.

Robin quickly regained her composure, locking eyes with Maude.

In that instant of clarity, she realized that Maude's provocative gesture had merely been an insignificant test.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, she felt a pang of disappointment.

If she could fulfill her dream, even at the cost of her life, it would be a price worth paying.

What significance did a mere body hold in comparison?

It was precisely this conviction that had carried her this far.

Whether real or feigned, she had to seize any chance presented to her...

A glimmer of resolve flashed in Robin's eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Maude's voice cut in first.

"Nico Robin, setting aside strength, you're an exceptional talent."

Without any visible movement from Maude, the shadows that had pulled Robin forward now gently returned her to her original position.

Maude rose from his shadowed seat.

As he stood, the shadows behind him coalesced into shifting black forms, hovering in his wake.

"However... there is no place for you on my ship."

Maude's steady gaze met Robin's, catching the fleeting look of disappointment that crossed her face.

To be honest, his deeper interaction with Robin today had stirred a certain temptation within him.

As he'd said, she was a rare talent—

Letting her slip away would be a pity.

Yet, Maude was not Luffy. He had no grandfather hailed as a Marine hero.

If he brought Robin aboard now, it was only a matter of time before Aokiji would come knocking.

In the original story, had it not been for Aokiji's respect for Garp, the Straw Hat Pirates would have been eliminated the moment Robin joined and began making her mark.

That was the privilege of connections and reputation.

But for Maude—if Aokiji was the only threat—

With the power he'd amassed so far, Maude could gamble on protecting Robin.

With the right terrain and allies, there was a chance he could keep her safe.

However, his final decision had nothing to do with Robin's value or the risks she carried.

The crux of it was that Robin sought to join his crew under the pretext of using him.

That alone made her not worth the risk.

Understanding this, Maude had no hesitation in cutting short the opportunity Robin was trying to grasp.

Robin could read Maude's attitude clearly. Despite her silence, regret flickered in her eyes.

Yet, Maude felt regret as well.

This woman, with her turbulent past, had only one place in the world where she truly belonged.

Both remained silent.

Maude crushed the life from the gecko in his hand, then infused a small wisp of shadow into its body.

With that done, he shifted the conversation back to business.

"If you're ever in danger and need help, simply place some salt into the gecko's mouth. I'll sense it and come to you immediately."

He extended the gecko toward Robin.

Robin gazed at the small creature, its lifeless body still faintly twitching. A flicker of curiosity passed through her eyes.

Without a word, she accepted it.

Though she had no way to verify Maude's claim, she knew he wouldn't resort to petty tricks for something like this.

This single chance to call for help might be the greatest favor she could extract from Maude.

Robin abandoned any further thoughts of securing a future escape route from him. Instead, she calmly looked back at Maude.

"The information you want will take some time to prepare."

"How long?"

"Two hours."

"Alright. In two hours, I'll return to this room. You don't need to be here—just leave the intel on that desk."

"Understood."

With that, the deal was struck.

Maude wasted no time lingering. His shadows slipped out of the Rain Dinners casino ahead of him, and he vanished through a shadow exchange.

After watching him disappear, Robin tucked away the gecko and left the room to find Crocodile.

Compared to preparing the information, reporting the recent situation to Crocodile was more urgent.

"Bacardi Maude..."

Hearing that Maude had appeared in Rainbase, Crocodile's expression darkened slightly as he dined.

The meat in his hand instantly lost its flavor.

His thoughts mirrored Robin's.

At such a critical juncture, the sudden appearance of Maude was anything but good news for him.

Crocodile set down his knife and fork, his gaze turning cold.

Uncertain of Maude's intentions, there was no choice but to meet him in person.

Having made his decision, Crocodile slowly rose, his eyes sweeping over Robin's composed face.

Just as he was about to speak, a clamor echoed from within the casino.

Amidst the noise, the dull thud of heavy objects crashing to the ground could be faintly heard.

Crocodile's brow furrowed.

Previously confident of victory, the news of Maude's presence in Rainbase now stirred a faint unease in his heart.

...

On the long street of Rainbase.

Having left Rain Dinners, Maude strode down the street.

With the intelligence obtained from Robin, all he needed was a high vantage point at the palace square in Alubarna to wait for the perfect moment to harvest the Devil Fruit experience from Baroque Works' numerous ability users.

As for participating in the battle…

He'd pass.

What Maude sought was the Devil Fruit experience from Baroque Works' ability users.

As for combat experience—most of them would be one-shot fodder, hardly enough to pique his interest.

If there was anyone worth mentioning, it would be the man who could transform his entire body into blades, as well as Crocodile, another member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

However, those two were essential whetstones for Luffy and Zoro's growth, and Maude had no intention of openly making a move against a Warlord.

Therefore, sniping Devil Fruit experience amidst the chaos would suffice—there was no need to complicate matters.

Maude returned to the large hole in the restaurant wall, only to find the Straw Hat crew gone.

"Maude, where did you run off to?! Disappearing without a word—so rude!"

Perona floated out from the hole in the wall, puffing her cheeks angrily at Maude.

When Maude had vanished at the entrance of Rain Dinners, Perona rushed to the restaurant, only to see him disappear again before she could greet him.

The thought alone made her feel exhausted.

"I had business to take care of. And you..."

Maude's gaze shifted to the jam smudge at the corner of Perona's mouth.

"Enjoying yourself, huh? But I remember you didn't bring any money, did you?"

"Hmph, I didn't. But those two Marines did."

Perona pouted, pointing at the two temporarily incapacitated injured Marines inside the restaurant.

"..."

Maude shook his head slightly and glanced at Smoker and Tashigi, whose wounds had already been bandaged.

Even without Perona's explanation, Maude could roughly guess who had treated their injuries.

"Where did Luffy and the others go?"

"They went towards the casino. Should we follow?"

"Forget it. Bailey's hungry—let's eat first, then take a look."

"Oh."

Maude and Perona walked into the restaurant side by side.

Bailey, having reverted to his original form, perched on Maude's shoulder, drooling profusely.

Inside the restaurant, the owner appeared to be a weathered man, well-versed in the ways of the world.

Even with a massive hole smashed through the wall, he continued his business undeterred.

As the saying goes—time is money.

However, upon seeing Maude enter, the owner visibly tensed.

What crossed his mind was to hang a temporary closure sign outside the restaurant two steps ahead of schedule.

Smoker and Tashigi watched Maude step inside, their expressions heavy.

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