Before Lafitte arrived at Mary Geoise, Maude had yet to make a move against the other Supernovas in the Sabaody Archipelago.
However, from Lafitte's perspective, the moment those Supernovas decided to cause trouble, they had already sealed their fate.
Defeating the Supernovas should have been one of Maude's bargaining chips for securing a position as a Warlord of the Sea.
But now, it seemed unnecessary.
After all, compared to the achievement of taking down Gecko Moria, the defeat of a few Supernovas was merely icing on the cake.
Personally defeating Moria and then immediately recommending himself for the vacant Warlord position—this sequence of actions, leading to the current outcome, was the true foundation of their confidence.
When it came to selecting a new Warlord, the Marines had always prioritized two factors:
Strength and Reputation.
Among the potential candidates who met these criteria, Maude clearly stood out as the superior choice.
Thus, despite multiple rounds of discussion, the conclusion remained unchanged.
As for the existing Warlords, aside from Doflamingo playing the role of a dissenting voice, the others were largely indifferent, going along with the flow.
However, anyone with a keen eye could tell that, no matter how much Doflamingo nitpicked, the Marines were clearly inclined toward appointing Maude.
The meeting soon reached its final stages.
Sengoku compiled the meeting's conclusions into an official document and handed it to a stationed guard outside the room, instructing them to deliver it to the highest authority within the World Government—the Five Elders.
The Marines' role was simply to nominate the most suitable candidate, but the final decision rested in the hands of the Five Elders.
...
Inside a grand and opulent chamber,
The Five Elders sat around a circular table, Maude's bounty poster and the Warlord meeting's official document laid before them.
With calm expressions, they silently observed the bounty poster featuring Maude.
"A small hole left unattended will eventually turn into a gaping chasm. The top priority now is to quickly determine Moria's successor."
"Indeed. If the balance among the Three Great Powers is disrupted, it will send unpredictable shockwaves across the world. Maintaining equilibrium is paramount."
"Bacardi Maude, huh…"
"First, he suddenly targets Moria. Then, he sends someone to intrude on the meeting and personally recommend himself… Clearly, a man with a plan—his ambitions are not small."
"But, we must admit—he is qualified."
"Yes. Appointing him as Moria's successor is the fastest way to quell any unrest."
"Then…"
The Elder with a long scar over his eyebrow picked up Maude's bounty poster, glanced at the others, and said flatly:
"I have no objections."
"No issues."
"Agreed."
"Very well."
The decision was made on the spot.
As for Maude's past actions against a member nation of the World Government?
In the grand scheme of preserving the balance of the Three Great Powers, such concerns were trivial.
The Five Elders' verdict was swiftly relayed back to Sengoku, who remained in the meeting room.
As Sengoku had anticipated, the Five Elders' stance on filling the vacant Warlord seat could be summed up in one word—urgency.
Given this priority, appointing Maude, the man who defeated Moria, was an outcome they were more than happy to accept.
"Those old geezers…"
Upon hearing the final decision, Doflamingo leaned back and slammed his crossed legs onto the meeting table, producing a sharp, grating noise.
Yet, neither the individuals seated at the table nor Lafitte—who stood motionless by the window—paid him any attention.
At that moment, the matter was settled.
However, until the World Government and the Marines made an official public announcement, Maude's status as a Warlord was not yet solidified.
The dissemination of this information, from the initial declaration to newspaper publication, would take at least a day within the Grand Line.
For the entire world to know? At least three days.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo…"
But for Lafitte, the decision was as good as set in stone.
A grin spread across his face as he twirled his cane between his fingers. His heavy boots stomped lightly in the pool of blood at his feet, sending small splashes into the air—his way of expressing joy.
Sengoku turned his head slightly, noticing Lafitte's evident satisfaction, and spoke up.
"I want to speak with Maude."
"No problem."
Lafitte immediately took out a Den Den Mushi.
Across the table, Jinbe's gaze flickered slightly—he, too, wished to have a word with Maude.
Before everyone's eyes, Lafitte dialed Maude's number.
A few seconds later, the line connected.
The Den Den Mushi's features morphed into a sharp and commanding expression, reflecting Maude's likeness.
Then, Maude's voice came through.
"Lafitte? It's done?"
"Hoo-hoo, mission accomplished."
"Good. Head back directly. By the way, that Flamingo should have attended the meeting too—he didn't give you any trouble, did he?"
At Maude's words, a few veins bulged at Doflamingo's temple.
The others at the table exchanged subtle glances.
Lafitte cast a brief, unreadable look at Doflamingo before replying calmly.
"Nothing major."
"That's good. I've got things to handle here. Hanging up now."
"Wait."
"What?"
"The Fleet Admiral wants to speak with you."
"Oh?"
A trace of surprise could be heard in Maude's voice through the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku seized the opportunity.
"Maude, regarding the Warlord position—"
"If it's just formal instructions, tell them to Lafitte. He'll handle it."
Without hesitation, Maude interrupted Sengoku.
Sengoku's brow furrowed slightly.
From the side, Garp suddenly let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh.
Hearing the unmistakable laughter, Maude's voice momentarily paused.
Then, he spoke again.
"Lafitte, you have full authority to manage the arrangements. Wrap things up and return soon. I'm hanging up—beep…"
And just like that, Maude ended the call.
Lafitte hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the now-closed Den Den Mushi, shifting his gaze toward Sengoku, whose expression had darkened slightly.
Several Vice Admirals exchanged uncertain glances, while Jinbe and the other Warlords had an even more complex look in their eyes.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was Garp's laughter, tinged with amusement.
...
Sabaody Archipelago – Grove 18
Inside a slave auction house, Maude closed the cover of his wrist-worn Den Den Mushi and looked up at the pirate captains imprisoned behind transparent glass cells.
Beside him, Udyr—the man who had led Maude to the auction house—was sweating profusely.
"F-Fleet Admiral?! Did I just hear something insane?!"
Udyr's heart pounded wildly, his eyes darting away from Maude in nervousness.
The auction house's staff, similarly drenched in sweat, maintained their forced smiles, diligently introducing the imprisoned captains while silently cursing their boss for cowering behind the counter.
At that moment, the auction house owner was completely ignoring Maude, instead staring down at the day's newspaper on the counter.
Right at the top of the front page, one name stood out in bold, oversized letters—
"The End of the Supernovas—Bacardi Maude!"
"So this is the guy who took down five Supernovas in one go…? He's way too young…"
The auction house owner couldn't tear his eyes away from the headline.
Just moments ago, upon seeing Maude in person, he had nearly wet himself in fear.
Maude, however, paid no mind to the reactions of Udyr or the employees—his attention was solely on the pirate captains for sale.
With bounties collected, it was time to cash in and gain experience.
Meanwhile…
The explosive headline about Maude taking down the Supernovas in the Sabaody Archipelago was already spreading across the world at breakneck speed.
As expected, the article's author was none other than Maude's die-hard fan—Turkey Dada, who had recently adopted the pen name "Dede the Turkey" to ride the wave of his idol's rising fame.
Newsroom.
Having just finished another round of singing Maude's praises, Turkey Dada slumped back into his plush office chair.
His face radiated satisfaction, but there was an underlying sense of emptiness, as if he still wasn't quite content.
BAM!
The office door was suddenly flung open with brute force.
Top reporter Dale stormed in, breathless with excitement.
"Dada! Huge news!!!"
Turkey Dada, still lounging in his chair, barely lifted an eyelid.
"If it's not about my idol, don't bother."
Dale nearly choked on his own spit from sheer frustration. Without another word, he slammed a freshly faxed document from headquarters onto the desk.
"See for yourself. The editor-in-chief already assigned you the write-up."
Dale took deep, steadying breaths, but the thrill coursing through his veins just wouldn't subside.
Turkey Dada picked up the document with an air of practiced nonchalance and, at the same time, decided to educate his junior.
"Honestly, Dale, how many times do I have to tell you? In this profession, staying calm in the face of breaking news is essential. You must learn to control your emotions."
"Only by doing so can we produce fair and unbiased reports. That's how we earn the trust of the people!"
"Listen well and learn properly, got it?"
Dale's expression twitched.
Fair and unbiased?!
Buddy, you've practically written Maude into legend, like he's already ascended to Skypiea! And you have the nerve to lecture me about journalistic integrity?!
Dale clenched his fists, resisting the overwhelming urge to grab the ashtray and smash it over Turkey Dada's head.
Completely unaware of Dale's inner turmoil, Turkey Dada casually flipped through the document.
"Huh?"
After just a few lines, his eyes widened like saucers.
"T-This…!!!"
"As expected of my idol! I—I…!!!"
His face flushed red, his breath quickened, and he nearly suffocated from excitement.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that after finishing one exhilarating headline yesterday, he'd get to push out another one today.
"Oh my god!"
His mind flooded with dazzling words of praise, swirling in his consciousness like a chorus singing Maude's glory.
Dale stared blankly at Turkey Dada, who looked like he was about to drop dead from sheer euphoria.
…The hell?!
Weren't you just preaching about staying calm and composed?!
-------
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