Leno hadn't expected Akainu to move this fast.
Nor had he expected him to actually locate Amazon Lily.
Sharp nose, huh? Leno muttered inwardly.
The new Marine Headquarters had barely been completed, and Sakazuki already had time to come after him?
A true workaholic.
Kizaru was forced into it.
Akainu did it willingly.
Leno replayed everything in his mind, trying to figure out how his location had been exposed.
When he left Marineford with Hancock, hardly anyone paid attention to her.
Logically, the Marines shouldn't have been able to trace them.
Of course—
They had Owl's big mouth to thank for that.
But Leno didn't know.
After a moment of thought, he dismissed it.
"Doesn't matter."
Akainu was here.
That was what mattered.
If Amazon Lily was going to become his base—
There was no way he'd let the Marines run wild here.
"You only get peace after you beat the fear into them."
That was a principle Leno understood well.
He sighed.
"Marineford just ended, and he's already knocking on my door. What a grind."
Then his gaze turned cold.
If the Marines had time to target him—
It meant he hadn't hit them hard enough.
They still thought he was manageable.
Otherwise, the chaos in the New World would've kept them too busy.
At that moment, Gloriosa hurried over.
Before she even steadied herself, she began berating him.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't brought the Marines here, Amazon Lily wouldn't be in danger!"
She trembled with rage.
"Hancock is a Warlord! The Marines wouldn't attack her! This is because of you!"
Leno didn't even look at her.
He cast a cold glance—
Boom.
An invisible wave of Conqueror's Haki crashed down.
Gloriosa's breath hitched.
Cold sweat drenched her body.
Her legs nearly gave out.
As a former Empress of Amazon Lily, she possessed Conqueror's Haki.
But Haki varied in strength.
She was old now.
Weakened.
Even in her prime—
She likely couldn't have matched Leno's.
"Hmph."
Leno's voice was icy.
"Even without me, the Seven Warlords system won't last much longer. I just sped up the inevitable."
Gloriosa didn't believe him.
But she didn't dare speak further.
Leno had no interest in arguing.
He turned and walked toward the island's edge.
"I'll go greet this diligent Admiral."
Domino and the others followed.
When Leno reached the coastline and extended his Observation Haki—
His expression turned strange.
"Using the same trick again?"
On the warship—
Besides Akainu—
He sensed Tina.
Ain.
Tashigi.
Kujaku.
Even Sadi.
Bound.
Displayed like bait.
Leno scoffed.
"Still think I'm some lust-driven fool?"
Last time should've made it clear—
This tactic didn't work on him.
And frankly—
These Marine women didn't even compare to the women in his own crew.
At least none of his crew had betrayed him.
"Betrayal is betrayal."
His gaze grew colder.
"Mercy toward enemies is cruelty toward yourself."
He had no intention of being cruel to himself.
So he turned to Domino.
"Perfect timing. Let's test your Tremor-Tremor progress."
Why not use the specialist?
Domino stepped forward.
When she saw the bound women—
Former colleagues—
A flicker of hesitation crossed her face.
"Leno-sama… them…"
Before she could finish—
He cut her off.
"That was then. This is now."
"They chose their side. That makes them enemies."
He met her eyes.
"No need to hold back."
For a split second—
Something bright lit up in Domino's eyes.
Relief.
Joy.
"Of course," she thought. "No one understands him better than I do."
Her hesitation vanished.
She inhaled deeply.
Assumed the stance she had practiced countless times.
Her right fist clenched—
A white spherical aura enveloped it.
With a sharp cry:
"Sea Quake!"
On the warship—
Akainu had already noticed them.
When he saw Domino adopt Whitebeard's signature opening stance—
He sneered.
"Hmph. Striking a pose doesn't give you the Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
He didn't believe it.
Didn't believe Whitebeard's fruit had fallen into her hands.
Didn't believe Leno would let her attack—
Especially with former "friends" bound on deck.
He opened his mouth to mock them—
But—
RUMBLE—!!!
The calm sea violently convulsed.
From Domino's fist—
Fractured space rippled outward.
The shockwave tore through the ocean depths.
Her power wasn't on Whitebeard's level.
Not even close.
But—
It was unmistakably the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The sea split—
A massive wave began to rise.
Akainu's smirk froze.
Then shattered.
His pupils contracted.
"Impossible…!"
He stared at Domino.
Then at Leno.
"Whitebeard's fruit… he took it?!"
A chill ran up his spine.
Leno was already at Emperor-level.
Now—
With a Tremor-Tremor user at his side—
That was another "Whitebeard" in the making.
"So it was him… the one who stole Whitebeard's corpse…"
Akainu's expression darkened.
In that instant—
One thought crystallized in his mind.
This man must not be allowed to live.
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