Over the next few days, Leno began teaching Urouge how to train Haki.
Calling it teaching was a bit of a stretch—he was really just describing the feeling of Haki. As for how to gradually draw it out, even Leno himself had no clue.
After all, his own Haki came from the system. Left with no other choice, he invited Hancock over to give Urouge a more detailed explanation.
On another front, Vivi had just eaten a Devil Fruit and took advantage of this period to familiarize herself with her new ability.
That said, she had a lot to learn. Aside from her Devil Fruit power, she basically knew nothing else.
For now, her main focus was improving her abilities and physical condition. As for Haki, that would have to wait until later.
Reiju's situation was much simpler—just strap on some Seastone first and get used to it.
Busy days always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for them to leave.
Aboard the Gale, everyone stared at the island they had utterly wrecked, falling into silence.
Who would have thought that just one sentence from the captain could doom an entire island?
And just like the world as it was now—countless nations and islands had vanished as well, all because of a single order from those who ruled the World Government.
After a brief moment of remembrance for the nameless island, Leno and his group once again set out on their journey.
Jaya Island, Mock Town.
This place lay in the first half of the Grand Line, a lawless zone that no one bothered to govern—a paradise for criminals.
With the World Government and the Marines turning a blind eye, pirates, fugitives, and human traffickers all treated this place as their base.
Chaos and violence filled every corner. Robbery and murder happened almost constantly.
Yet despite being a cesspool where all kinds of trash gathered, its geographical location was extremely special—it was the only route from the Blue Sea to Skypiea.
Today, another mysterious visitor arrived.
A ship made entirely of steel slowly sailed into the town's harbor.
On the Gale, Leno was assigning tasks to his "underling," handing a box to the burly man before him.
"Urouge, there's one hundred million Berries in here. Consider it your startup capital."
As he spoke, he turned to look ahead, pausing briefly before continuing.
"See that town up ahead? I took a look earlier—there aren't any particularly strong figures there."
"Take this place as your starting point. Go and conquer it, Urouge!"
"I shall obey the divine decree! I will not fail to live up to your expectations!"
After respectfully bowing to Leno, Urouge carried the box, turned around, disembarked, and headed into town.
Only after watching his figure disappear did Leno turn back and say,
"Let's go. Back to Skypiea!"
"You big idiot, aren't we going to check out the town up ahead?"
Nami was a little curious as to why Leno didn't want to land. From a distance, it looked fairly lively.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back and will just wipe the place out completely."
Leno felt the urge to roll his eyes as he replied irritably,
"Do you even realize how attractive you all are? A bunch of beautiful women like you walking down the street would cause an immediate riot."
"And the people living there are all criminals—filthy trash who don't know restraint."
"If their looks or words offended you, I'd get angry and take action. And if I didn't hold back, that place would probably be gone."
The moment he finished speaking, he noticed everyone's mood visibly brighten, their gazes filled with affection as they looked at him.
In truth, he had misunderstood things a bit. The reason they were so happy wasn't just because they were being praised—it was because the one praising them was Leno.
"Since that's the case, then, big idiot, let's hurry back to Skypiea!"
Nami smiled brightly as she hugged Leno's arm, then said with a hint of longing,
"It's been so long… I kind of miss Belle-Mère and Aileen."
"And you don't even mention Brother Genzo, huh?"
As he casually took control of the ship and began lifting off, Leno chuckled teasingly. Genzo seemed to have been collectively disliked by everyone.
Tragic.
Thankfully, Aileen was still on his side—otherwise, the guy might've gotten depressed.
Speaking of Aileen, Leno found himself missing her too. After all, he'd practically watched her grow up.
"I wonder how Aileen's doing now. Will she still cry when she sees me?"
As if recalling something, Leno turned toward the two-hundred-year-old little blonde.
"Olga, once we get to Skypiea, I'll introduce you to a few new friends~"
"Huh? Whatever. In my eyes, you're all already my little friends anyway..."
She wasn't wrong.
Standing before her, aside from her father Acier, everyone else present really was a true little friend.
Leno gave her a helpless look, then continued,
"Don't worry, they are all wonderful little girls. You'll definitely get along!"
Olga looked listless, responding to Leno half-heartedly.
They were almost at Skypiea. She would finally be leaving the ship.
During the time she'd spent with Leno and the others, she'd seen different scenery, met different people, and experienced things she never had before—living a vivid, extraordinary life.
She knew she would eventually leave, but she also knew that the bond between her and Leno's group wouldn't be severed just like that.
In her heart, she was deeply grateful to them—for saving her from a fish's stomach, and for giving her an unforgettable journey.
Despite her reluctance to part, she understood that she couldn't really help with anything on the ship. She was, at best, a burden.
There was nothing to resent about that. After all, who goes out to sea with a child?
Leno glanced at her a few times, sensing that the little blonde seemed troubled.
He then looked toward Acier standing nearby, silently asking with his eyes.
"Is your daughter okay?"
Acier glanced at his daughter and gave Leno a bitter smile, shaking his head.
As her father, how could he not understand Olga's feelings? There had already been signs back on Trial Island.
The closer they got to Skypiea, the more downcast her mood became.
Now that they were about to arrive, she had completely wilted.
But there was nothing he could do. He couldn't very well ask Leno to take in his daughter.
Everyone on the ship had their own roles. What could Olga do aboard—act cute?
So in the end, this was something she had to work through herself. Others couldn't help much.
Leno scratched his head. What was going on with this father-daughter pair?
He then guided the Gale into a rapid ascent. After piercing through a thick layer of clouds, a vast sea of clouds suddenly unfolded before their eyes.
Amid the mottled clouds in the distance, a massive gateway appeared in their field of vision.
"We're here—Skypiea!"