"Lord Leno, why hasn't he come back yet?"
Shirahoshi's voice trembled slightly as she nervously glanced around, as if danger might be lurking nearby.
Ever since Leno's figure vanished, she had been unable to sit still.
Seeing this made everyone gathered around her feel a heavy ache in their hearts.
All these years, this little girl had lived in constant fear like this.
Nami swept her gaze around, then leaned close to her sister and whispered,
"Hey, Nojiko, what's wrong with that idiot? He dragged the princess out here and then just left her alone?"
"What nonsense are you talking about~" Nojiko smacked her lightly on the back and said, "Leno must have had something urgent. Otherwise, there's no way he wouldn't have said anything."
"Tch~ Urgent, my ass. I bet it's just—"
Nami curled her lips in disdain. She knew that idiot's habits all too well.
Just as she was about to expose him, the sudden crackle of electricity interrupted her.
Bzzzt—
Lightning converged, and the instant Leno's figure appeared, he casually tossed out a blood-soaked corpse.
"Lord Leno~"
The moment she saw him, Shirahoshi's eyes seemed to light up.
She lunged forward, scooping Leno up in both hands and rubbing him against her cheek again and again.
Unlike Shirahoshi, the others immediately noticed the body Leno had thrown out.
"This is?!"
"...Vander Decken. No doubt about it."
Fukaboshi and Jinbe exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
How much time had even passed? The criminal who had plagued them for years had been so easily executed!
As that thought settled in, everyone turned their gaze toward the young man in Shirahoshi's hands, wearing a helpless expression.
"So this is the power of the Thunder God… Truly deserving of the name!"
Hearing their conversation, Ace's eyes shone as he exclaimed in amazement.
A man able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the old man—his strength was obvious!
Yet that very powerhouse now wore a wry smile, looking at Shirahoshi holding him as he said helplessly,
"Little Shirahoshi, could you not hold me like that?"
"Ah, I'm very sorry, Lord Leno~"
Coming back to her senses, Shirahoshi realized it might be impolite and hurriedly spread her palms, letting Leno sit properly in her hand.
Her sapphire-like eyes stayed fixed on him, studying him endlessly, never growing tired of it.
Though he wasn't even as big as one of her palms, as long as he was nearby, her heart felt incomparably at ease.
After confirming the corpse's identity, the three princes exchanged looks and bowed deeply toward Leno.
"Thank you, Sir Leno, for removing a burden that has troubled us for so many years!"
"No need for thanks. Little Shirahoshi is so adorable—I couldn't let her keep suffering in that small tower."
Picking up a Target-Target Fruit for free—why not? And Shirahoshi really was adorable.
Leno gently patted the palm beneath him and smiled at the little girl.
"Thank you, Lord Leno. I'm so happy~"
Her voice was soft and sweet, brimming with joy. Shirahoshi's big eyes curved into crescents as a rosy blush spread across her fair cheeks.
Behind her, her beautiful fish tail swayed wildly without her realizing it, clearly delighted by Leno's praise.
Seeing their sister return to her former cheerful self, the three princes were filled with relief.
At the same time, their gratitude toward Leno only deepened—they felt they owed him more and more.
They even began thinking about discussing with their father how best to properly repay Leno and his group.
With the long-standing worry finally gone, everyone relaxed and started chatting freely about all sorts of things.
At that moment, Yamato stirred things up again, looking at Ace with blazing eyes.
"Now that things here are settled, it's our turn!"
"Gladly—bring it on~"
Ace was equally fired up. He pressed down the brim of his hat, the corners of his mouth spreading into a wide grin that revealed his white teeth.
He knew very well that Yamato was Kaido's daughter. He'd never had the chance to challenge the so-called strongest creature before.
After getting beaten down by Leno, he had given up on that idea.
Now was the perfect opportunity—a clash between the next generation.
Seeing that the outcome was unavoidable, everyone could only let them have their way.
After some discussion between Jinbe and the three princes, they led everyone to Gyoncorde Plaza.
On the vast grounds, the two fought without restraint—flames and shards of ice flying everywhere, the scene lively and intense.
To those on Leno's side, such a spectacle was nothing special.
But for the people of Fish-Man Island, it was unprecedented. One by one, they stared with mouths agape.
Living on this small island year-round, they had hardly ever seen any real battles.
A grand fight like this, with ice blanketing the ground and flames roaring into the sky, was something they might only witness a few times in a lifetime.
As everyone watched the battle intently, Leno keenly sensed many malicious gazes spying from the shadows.
"Heh, if you don't show yourselves, I might've almost forgotten about you~"
Leno narrowed his eyes, considering whether to find a chance to wipe them all out in one go.
Might as well see it through—so Neptune's family wouldn't suffer again later.
Noticing Leno spacing out, Shirahoshi slowly withdrew her hand and asked curiously,
"What's wrong, Lord Leno? Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing you need to worry about."
It was decided. To make sure the adorable little Shirahoshi never suffered again, he'd find the time to eliminate them.
After getting no answer, Shirahoshi turned her gaze back to the two fighters in the plaza, her eyes filled with amazement.
"Those two are both amazing! Who do you think will win in the end?"
"Mm, Yamato~"
Rubbing his chin, Leno replied casually.
At this stage, Ace was no match for a strengthened Yamato—she had already mastered Conqueror's Coating.
Ace, on the other hand, still relied heavily on his Devil Fruit. The outcome was obvious.
Sure enough, not long after Leno spoke, the battle came to an end.
Though brief, both had nearly gone all out. The fight was spectacular.
Of course, only Ace had truly gone all out—Yamato had simply enjoyed herself!
All these years, Leno had always remembered her Teacher Kaido's famous words: Haki stands above all else.
That was why, in his daily demands of the crew, he placed special emphasis on Haki training.
What seemed obvious to Leno left Shirahoshi utterly astonished. She looked at him with even greater admiration.
There was nothing Leno could do but accept it—after all, she was still just a child.
The two fighters returned together, chatting and laughing. Ace showed no frustration at his loss; instead, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
In his words, his room for improvement was still huge—he'd definitely catch up one day.
Under normal circumstances, Ace really could have caught up.
Unfortunately, Leno shook his head inwardly. 'You don't have that much time.'
Just then, Ace suddenly stepped in front of Leno and said seriously,
"Mr. Leno, may I ask for your guidance? I want to see just how big the gap between us really is!"
"Oh?" Leno raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
...
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