After stepping out of his room, Leno quietly sensed the altars within his body that were beginning to loosen once more.
He fell into thought.
"It seems… related to lust?" he murmured to himself.
His mind drifted back to when the demonic statues had first appeared.
"The first time, the Chop-Chop Fruit awakened because of anger… The second time, the Munch-Munch Fruit appeared because of greed… And now, because of Domino and Robin…"
Anger. Greed. Lust.
Why did that combination feel so familiar?
After a brief pause, realization dawned on him.
"…No way. Are these statues inside me corresponding to the Seven Deadly Sins?"
Were they literally demonic statues—just the One Piece version?
"Don't tell me in the end I'll get seven Devil Fruits, each corresponding to one of the seven sins…"
Even he found that thought a little absurd.
He shrugged.
"If that's the case…"
He wasn't sure what that would mean.
A seven-fruit ability user?
Powerful, sure—but maybe a bit boring.
If he had too many abilities, he wouldn't even know which one to use.
Was he supposed to draw cards before every fight?
That wasn't how abilities worked.
Card-flipping was something you did when the night got dark…
Actually, no. Kids made choices.
He wanted them all.
Still—
After surviving the war at Marineford—
Lying lazily on the beach of Amazon Lily, basking in the sun and sea breeze—
And breathing in the faint, ever-present fragrance unique to the Land of Women—
It felt genuinely peaceful.
What? You're saying women can be messy?
Sorry.
This is the two-dimensional world.
That concept doesn't exist here.
Here—
Everyone is soft and fragrant.
While Leno enjoyed rare tranquility—
Someone else was far from happy.
Gloriosa was extremely dissatisfied with Leno's presence on the island.
He wasn't Roger. He wasn't Rayleigh.
So why was he allowed to stay?
She once again confronted Boa Hancock.
"Snake Princess!" Gloriosa tapped her cane against the floor sternly.
"That man must leave! The laws of Amazon Lily cannot be broken! A man remaining here will bring misfortune!"
Hancock sat atop her pet Salome.
She merely tilted her chin slightly.
Her beautiful eyes swept lazily over Gloriosa.
Then she refused in her usual arrogant tone.
"You're far too noisy, Elder Nyon. Lord Leno is my invited guest. He may stay as long as he wishes."
"Do not forget—I am the ruler of Amazon Lily."
Seeing the subtle blush on Hancock's cheeks when Leno's name was mentioned—
And the flicker of unusual light in her eyes—
Gloriosa's heart sank.
That look—
She knew it too well.
It was lovesickness.
Hancock had fallen in love with Leno.
Gloriosa herself had once left Amazon Lily because of the same illness.
That only made her more anxious.
"Snake Princess! You…" She hesitated, worry etched across her face.
"You may love whoever you want—but you cannot love Leno!"
From what she had seen at Marineford—
That man would never live quietly.
Amazon Lily did not need war.
That was precisely why Hancock had accepted the Warlord title.
And—
There was the mark on her back…
Whether Leno would accept it was unknown.
Before Gloriosa could speak further—
Hancock's face turned pale.
"Silence!"
She rose abruptly.
Her long leg shot out again.
Bang!
Gloriosa let out a short cry and was sent flying into the sky once more, turning into a distant star.
Silence returned to the palace.
Hancock stood still, chest rising and falling.
The unspoken truth was the thing she feared most.
If Leno learned of her past—
Would he still love her?
She didn't dare imagine it.
Her earlier pride and composure faded.
In their place—
A trace of unease and fear.
She wrapped one arm around herself, nails digging into her skin.
Sandersonia and Marigold stood nearby, watching with concern.
"Sister…" Marigold whispered softly.
Sandersonia added, "Sister, Elder Nyon…"
"Enough!" Hancock cut them off.
She inhaled deeply and straightened her back.
"Leno is the man I have chosen! He is not like those despicable men! He… he won't care! He definitely won't care!"
She sounded like she was speaking to them—
But more like she was desperately convincing herself.
She was clean.
Aside from the slave mark on her back—
Nothing else had happened to her.
A man like Leno—
Who despised the Celestial Dragons—
Would only be angry on her behalf.
Right?
She didn't know.
But she hoped so.
Meanwhile—
At the Revolutionary Army headquarters—
Luffy had recovered somewhat after days of rest.
Though he had lost one eye—
He still had the other.
The scar on his face was proof of his resolve as a pirate.
His honor.
Ace was alive.
His will was not broken.
From the moment he set sail, he had accepted death as a possibility.
Losing one eye—
He could accept that.
Because he had been too weak.
He needed to grow stronger.
Not just him.
His crew needed to grow as well.
After witnessing Marineford—
He knew he wasn't strong enough to protect anyone.
But first—
He needed to tell his crew his decision.
"Everyone…"
Luffy gazed into the distance.
His eyes hardened with determination.
He turned and walked toward his father without hesitation.
There was no other way.
On his own, he had no means to contact his scattered crew.
Having a father and not using him?
That would be stupid.
Didn't he rely on Rayleigh in the original timeline?
At that moment—
Across the world—
The scattered members of the Straw Hat Pirates were reading about Marineford.
They saw Luffy appearing on the battlefield.
They saw Ace rescued.
They saw Luffy battling Leno in a bloody clash—
And ultimately losing an eye, left gravely wounded.
Boin Archipelago
Usopp trembled violently as tears streamed down his face.
"Luffy… Luffy…"
Fear gripped him—
But beneath it burned anger.
"That Leno… that bastard! I'll kill him! I swear I'll kill him!!"
He jumped up and ran toward the shore.
"I'm going to find Luffy!"
Torino Kingdom
Chopper sobbed uncontrollably, clutching the newspaper in his hooves.
"Luffy…"
"That bad guy Leno! I'll develop the strongest Rumble Ball ever! I'll help Luffy get revenge!!"
He too wanted to leave immediately.
Karakuri Island
Franky crushed part of a wall with his fist.
"Unforgivable!!!"
"That bastard Leno—I'll blast him away with my Radical Beam!!"
He was ready to abandon his modifications and rush out.
Kamabakka Kingdom
Sanji's cigarette fell unnoticed from his lips.
"Luffy…"
His fists trembled, eyes bloodshot.
"Leno… you bastard! How dare you hurt Luffy like that! I'll never forgive you!!"
Weatheria
Nami nearly fainted from crying.
"Luffy… Leno, you demon! I'll never forgive you!"
Kuraigana Island
Zoro said nothing.
The newspaper nearly tore in his grip.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
…
While the Straw Hats were desperate to reunite with Luffy—
Luffy himself had already arrived before Dragon.
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