Maude successfully used his excuse to leave.
Once in the bathroom, he immediately locked the door.
The Hunter’s Notebook appeared out of thin air, black as ink and emanating a sense of sophistication.
The black quill’s feather tip trembled slightly as if eagerly awaiting Maude’s use.
When Maude originally developed this ability, he envisioned a black fountain pen, but that would have increased the difficulty of creation.
So, to ease the development process, he settled for a quill pen, which was harder to write with but simpler in structure.
Drawing the quill from the spine, Maude didn’t hesitate to write the Chinese characters for Physique neatly on the first silver line.
Improving his physique was his highest priority at the moment.
There was no need for further consideration.
Because only by enhancing his physique could he seek more.
Not to mention, in the world of One Piece, a strong physique was the foundation of power.
As for those with monstrous physiques like Big Mom and Kaido, Maude didn’t dare to even think about reaching their level yet.
After writing down his needs, Maude flipped open the first page of the notebook.
Blank as snow.
For a moment, he thought he saw messy, twisted handwriting on the pages.
A blink later, the writing vanished like an illusion.
Maude was momentarily stunned and muttered, “Let’s start over…”
He felt as if he had reset a high-level account and was starting anew on a fresh server.
The advantage was still substantial.
With the quill in hand, Maude generated Watt’s appearance in his mind while quickly writing down Watt’s information.
Evan Watt
Skilled with a blade
This information was what he heard from Sunny, and it was as simple as it could be.
But even a small mosquito leg was still meat.
Given his current body’s weakness, even a small benefit could have immediate effects.
Feeling like he had accomplished something significant, Maude ceremoniously closed the Hunter’s Notebook.
He thanked Evan Watt for his sacrifice.
He thanked Kid for bringing Watt over.
Maude put away the Hunter’s Notebook and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
He lightly pressed the blood-stained bandage on his forehead, feeling a twinge of pain.
If the Hunter’s Notebook worked, his wound should show significant improvement after the hunt.
The only regret was that Watt wasn’t a martial arts expert.
“Ready.”
Maude grabbed the small knife from the sink and left the bathroom.
Thor and Sunny had been waiting for him in the shop.
But it had only been a few minutes.
Maude held the knife and approached the unconscious Watt.
With Thor and Sunny watching, Maude didn’t hesitate. He knelt, then stabbed the knife into Watt’s chest, aiming for the heart.
Splurt—
Blood splattered over Maude’s hand.
Embarrassingly, the knife only went halfway in and almost slipped out of his grip.
Thor raised an eyebrow.
Sunny lowered her gaze.
Damn it.
Maude cursed internally.
But considering the physical toughness in this world, he let it go, especially since his body was currently very weak.
Without hesitation, Maude withdrew the knife and delivered several more stabs, quickly ensuring Watt’s death while he remained unconscious.
The whole process was as simple as killing a chicken.
After all, Maude had done this many times before.
In his previous life, he wrote nearly a thousand names in his Hunter’s Notebook from his work in an execution institution.
Most were criminals he personally executed using convenient methods.
The process was as simple as pressing a button to administer lethal injections, making it an easy task.
The ease of gaining benefits led Maude to stay at the execution institution for a long time, lacking experience in direct combat.
Technically, Maude wasn’t a hunter inclined towards combat.
As he executed more criminals, Maude developed a gradual indifference towards life.
Or rather, towards the lives of criminals. And most pirates in this world seemed no different from the hardcore criminals he once dealt with.
Killing them felt no more burdensome than squashing an ant.
Speaking of execution institutions, in the world of One Piece, the only place Maude could think of was Impel Down.
However, the punishment system in this world seemed more humane.
Even if a criminal in Impel Down deserved multiple death sentences, they were merely imprisoned.
It could be to prevent Devil Fruits from being lost, though most inmates weren’t Devil Fruit users.
Despite Impel Down not advocating for executions, Maude’s ability suited the navy well.
Unfortunately, waking up in such a chaotic place, even escaping, would likely mean failing the navy’s recruitment process.
As he thought this, Maude slowly released the knife handle, stood up, and closed his eyes.
In the darkness, the Hunter’s Notebook floated silently, its edges glowing like the sun during a solar eclipse.
The glow seeped into the notebook at a visible rate.
A tiny white star appeared on the black cover.
At that moment, the light vanished, and darkness returned.
In a short time, a hint of color appeared on Maude’s pale face.
He opened his eyes, feeling a slight itch on his forehead.
At the same time, the fatigue that would knock him down at a gust of wind noticeably lessened.
These changes were hidden benefits from improving his physique.
For visible benefits like muscle and hardness, Watt’s level and the scant preparation information weren’t enough to make a noticeable change.
Still, the Hunter’s Notebook worked!
Maude’s eyes sparkled.
Thor and Sunny observed Maude’s process and his post-kill excitement without much surprise.
To them, a merchant’s hatred towards pirates, especially those who ravaged their lives, was understandable.
Moreover, Maude’s plight was caused by pirates.
Taking out his anger on Watt to relieve his emotions was normal.
However, Thor didn’t want the future second helper in his shop to go to extremes.
He approached the body, drew the knife, and wiped the blood with the corpse’s clothes.
“Calm down. I wanted you to say goodbye to the past, not to get stuck in it.”
“Understood.”
Maude nodded, understanding Thor’s words, and had no intention of explaining further.
What he needed now was to hold onto Thor’s support and quickly integrate into Mad Hat Town, where life was cheap.
Thor glanced at Maude’s blood-stained right hand and said, “Good. Now go wash your hands.”
Then he turned to Sunny and said, “Sunny, call Arthur to handle the body.”
“Okay.”
Sunny left on her task.
Maude returned to the bathroom, washed his hands, and looked at his reflection.
He pressed the wound again.
What hurt a few minutes ago didn’t hurt now.
The results were promising, also indicating how weak his body was.
Who knew how many hunts he needed to match Luffy’s healing ability?
“Ah…”
Maude exhaled, relaxing both body and mind.
Successfully completing his first hunt gave him some confidence.
Still, the situation was challenging, and his second hunt seemed far off.
“Mad Hat Town…”
“Though dangerous, it’s an excellent hunting ground.”
“One step at a time.”
Maude splashed his face with cold water.
After drying off, he didn’t hastily remove his bandage but returned to the shop.
There, a burly man had joined the scene.
The man wore work clothes, a black armband with the character for death on his left arm, and a white mask covering most of his face.
Maude figured this was Arthur, the body handler Sunny had called.
Arthur was examining the body but looked up at the sound of Maude’s steps, surprised.
“Oh, you woke up?”
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