The "Gale" soared swiftly through the air, heading straight toward the Anglerfish's third stomach.
Once the father and daughter had finished their emotional reunion, Leno expressed his interest in obtaining Pure Gold. Acier readily agreed and even pointed out the exact location.
Freshly washed and feeling refreshed, Acier came to the deck with Olga and found Leno waiting there.
"Mr. Leno, once we retrieve the Pure Gold… how do we get out of here?"
Having finally reunited with his daughter, he wanted nothing more than to live peacefully with her outside. As for the troublesome Pure Gold, since Leno wanted it, he was more than happy to hand it over.
Leno smiled mysteriously at the pair before him.
"You'll find out soon enough." He grinned. "But what about you two? Have you decided where you'll live once you're out?"
"This… we haven't really thought about it," Acier admitted, glancing at his daughter. "Does Mr. Leno have any recommendations?"
The question caught them both off guard. After all, it had been two hundred years—surely the world outside was no longer the one they remembered. Their future might be uncertain at best.
"In that case, why don't you come to my homeland?" Leno suggested with a smile. "It's a beautiful place."
Considering their special circumstances, Leno decided to send them to Skypiea for safety. The existence of "Pure Gold" couldn't be leaked under any circumstances—he wasn't ready to make the whole world his enemy yet.
"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered. "Olga was suffering from Emperor's Fever of the South Blue, wasn't she?"
"That's good news for you—this disease was cured long ago! There's even a special medicine for it now."
"What?! Really?"
Olga and Acier both widened their eyes in disbelief. Back in their time, the illness had been an incurable death sentence.
"Olga, those two hundred years weren't in vain!" Leno chuckled. "You won't have to worry about staying small anymore."
He sighed inwardly. Not everyone was lucky enough to have a father like Acier—a true scientist.
"Chopper, give Olga a shot!"
"Got it!"
Moments later, Chopper appeared with a syringe nearly as thick as his arm.
Olga's face instantly turned pale. She took a small step back, trembling as she looked at Chopper. "C-Can we skip the shot? I'm… terrified of needles…"
"Nope! You'll die if you don't take it!" Chopper said matter-of-factly, raising the syringe.
"I don't want it!"
Olga turned and ran, but there was no escaping Chopper. He caught her easily, and soon a distant scream echoed through the air.
"Yamete~ Aaaah!!"
...
Not long after, under Acier's guidance, everyone arrived at his old laboratory inside the third stomach.
On the table sat glass vessels glowing with a brilliant golden light. The moment Nami saw them, she darted forward and hugged one tightly to her chest.
Her eyes shone brighter than the Pure Gold itself. "This is the treasure that can buy the whole world?!"
She rubbed her cheek against it with delight, drooling uncontrollably.
The others crowded around, marveling at the dazzling glow.
"So bright!"
"What an incredible treasure~"
Pure Gold—it was enough to make anyone's heart race. No one would ever need to worry about aging again.
After they had admired it to their fill, Leno finally stepped forward.
"Everyone, I'm sure you already understand what Pure Gold does."
He paused, glancing at them seriously.
"My advice is not to use it until your bodies reach their peak condition."
He looked toward the women before adding, "Of course, if you want to use it now, that's fine too—but make sure to take it off while you're training, or it won't have any effect. You can have it made into jewelry to wear later."
In the end, only Robin and Hancock decided to keep Pure Gold accessories.
As Hancock put it, she simply wanted to preserve her most beautiful self—for Leno's sake.
Nami glanced at her own still-developing chest, then at Olga's, and immediately gave up on the idea.
Once Leno stored away the Pure Gold, it marked the end of their strange adventure. Not long after, the crew returned to the ship and began their victory feast.
"It's delicious! So good!"
"I've never had food this amazing before! You guys are too lucky to eat like this every day!"
Acier and Olga were full of praise as they savored Carmen's cooking, their eyes shining with admiration.
Remembering their two hundred years of life inside the fish's stomach, both were overwhelmed with emotion and began crying uncontrollably in each other's arms.
People are strange creatures—comparison can break them. Before meeting Leno's crew, their life had been hard but content. But now, after seeing the ship's luxury, the comfort, and the delicious food—they simply couldn't hold it in.
Watching the two suddenly burst into tears at the table, the others looked puzzled.
"Did Carmen's cooking really reach the level that makes people cry?"
"Hey~ we've been in here for so long," Yamato said between bites, glancing around curiously. "I wonder how far the Anglerfish has swum by now?"
As soon as she spoke, the room went silent. Everyone turned to stare at her with wide, horrified eyes.
Moments later, a loud wail broke the silence.
"We're doomed! If the Anglerfish has returned to the deep sea, even if we get out, we'll all die!"
Nami rushed to Leno's side, clutching his arm desperately.
"You idiot! What do we do?! I don't want to live here for another two hundred years!"
Her panic spread quickly—everyone's faces went pale. After all, unlike Acier and Olga, they weren't used to this place.
Having seen the vibrant world outside, the thought of spending centuries trapped in this gloomy belly was unbearable.
"What are you panicking for? I'm not staying here either!" Leno sighed, giving Nami an exasperated look.
Now she was scared—where was that treasure-hunting spirit of hers from earlier?
Seeing everyone's anxious faces, Leno finally stopped teasing. He walked to the bow of the ship and raised both hands.
"Rumble… Rumble…"
In the distance, the entire island began to rise rapidly in response to his movement.
Higher and higher it floated—until it reached the uppermost layer. Leno's hands remained lifted, and the ascent continued.
At last, everyone understood his plan. Their tension melted away, replaced by awe and laughter.
"Unbelievable! Is Leno even human?!"
"He's too amazing! He just made the entire island fly!"