After who knows how long, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Everyone in the living room turned toward the source and saw Leno walking down casually, a faint smile on his lips.
Their eyes darted between Leno and the staircase, each filled with the same confusion.
Why did he come down alone? Where's Nami?
Could it be... she got the worst of it? Vivi had already been anxious, and now she was so restless she couldn't sit still.
She turned to Leno, parting her lips as if to speak, but no words came out. In the end, she decided to go upstairs and check for herself.
But before she could rise, Nami appeared around the corner of the staircase.
She paused for a moment, then hobbled down slowly, her face contorted in an exaggerated grimace.
Vivi rushed to support her, concern etched all over her face. "Nami, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I... I'm fine..." Her voice was very low, tinged with exhaustion and hoarseness.
Nami forced a stiff smile and tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Her throat was dry and uncomfortable, so she headed to the table for some water.
But as soon as she sat down, her body shot back up like a spring.
Everyone jumped at the sudden movement, startled by her sharp, pained cry. What just happened?
There she stood, clutching her rear with both hands, struggling to stay upright, hissing through clenched teeth.
It didn't take a genius to figure it out—Leno had clearly smacked her butt, and judging by her reaction, he hadn't held back.
As the mental image of Nami getting spanked took shape in their minds, the group fought to hold back their laughter.
But seeing her so miserable, no one dared actually laugh. Instead, they all turned their backs, shoulders trembling with effort to stay quiet.
Nami was utterly mortified. If there were a crack in the floor, she'd dive in headfirst. This was the most embarrassed she'd ever been in front of everyone.
Her face flushed as she turned and glared daggers at Leno. That damn bastard!
Her backside still stung—probably swollen by now. He had no sense of chivalry whatsoever.
It was just a harmless joke! Did he really have to go that far and make her look like a fool?
"What are you glaring at me for?"
Leno, seated on the couch, put down his teacup and said in a tone that was equal parts exasperated and stern, "Don't think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours. If you dare act up again, I'll spank you again."
"You—!"
Nami instinctively stepped back and clutched her rear protectively.
She looked at him in disbelief. 'Unbelievable! He's seriously threatening to do it again?!'
Seeing that look of fear finally dawn on her face, a flicker of amusement passed through Leno's eyes.
Hopefully, this lesson would stick.
Taking another sip of tea, he glanced around at the others and said, "So, does anyone have anything to say about the trial?"
Yamato, sprawled across the table looking bored, let out a big yawn. She was still upset that Leno had refused to duel her.
She barely got to fight at all before the trial ended.
Leno shot her a glare, veins nearly popping. Just when he'd finally gotten into the flow of the conversation, she had to throw him off. Truly, not a single one of them made life easy.
"Leno, just say what's on your mind," Nojiko said with a small smile, sensing his frustration and stepping in to smooth things over.
"Besides, I'd like to know why you suddenly decided to organize this trial."
"Nojiko, you're the best!"
Leno gave her a thumbs-up, grinning like a fool. She had always been his childhood friend, always this considerate.
Blushing slightly under his praise, Nojiko rolled her eyes and replied, "Fine then, I'll explain the purpose of this trial."
Getting serious, Leno sat up straighter and said firmly, "I had two reasons. First, I wanted to test everyone's abilities and see how much progress you've made across the board."
"Second, I wanted this trial to serve as a reminder—to all of you and myself—that we must never slack off. Constantly improving our strength is the only path forward!"
"This sea… only respects power."
Once he finished, the group finally put away their usual playful looks and nodded seriously.
Even Yamato nodded in full agreement. In this world, strength was the ultimate truth.
To lighten the mood, Leno casually flopped sideways on the couch again.
"But truth be told, I was being overly cautious. You all performed well, especially in how you've developed your Devil Fruit abilities. I'm really impressed."
The moment the words left his mouth, the calm atmosphere instantly turned rowdy.
"Right? Right? I told you my move was cool!"
Seeing the girls suddenly act 'modest,' Leno regretted praising them at all.
When did they all get so shameless? A little praise and their tails were practically wagging.
But he didn't bother calling them out. Instead, he got up, walked over to the table, and with a wave of his hand, two Devil Fruits appeared out of thin air.
"This is...?!"
Everyone's eyes locked onto the fruits the moment they appeared.
"Leno, you got new Devil Fruits again?" Nojiko asked, recognizing one of them. "That one… didn't you get it back in the North Blue? I think it was a Mythical Zoan, right?"
She didn't recognize the other one though—it must be a new acquisition.
"That's right. This cactus-shaped fruit is the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit."
"I got it back in the Alabasta Kingdom, after killing Crocodile."
As he spoke, Leno gestured toward Vivi and Reiju before continuing.
"Vivi, Reiju—you two pick one."
"Oh, and by the way, the other one is a Mythical Zoan—White Tiger Form."
"Huh? I—I get to choose too?" Vivi was both surprised and touched.
She'd just joined the crew recently. Was it really okay for her to accept something this valuable?
"Come on, of course you get one! You're family now, aren't you?"
"Otherwise, someone's going to accuse me of revenge or favoritism again."
As he rolled his eyes, Leno shot a glance at Nami.
Yep, he meant her.
"???"