When Akainu shouted, "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your childhood sweetheart, would you?"—
Leno almost burst out laughing.
For a split second, he wondered—
Did Sakazuki transmigrate too?
Or was this just some universal villain instinct?
Faced with the threat, Leno showed no panic.
Only naked disdain.
"You're threatening me with people who betrayed me?"
He let out a short, mocking laugh.
"Sakazuki, did the magma fry your brain? And you call this a plan?"
"You think this works on me?"
While speaking, Leno subtly reached into his coat.
A small Den Den Mushi.
He dialed.
The call connected quickly.
"This is Tsuru," came the calm, slightly puzzled voice.
Leno didn't respond.
The moment he activated the Den Den Mushi, he released Conqueror's Haki—
Using Observation-killing pressure to isolate the area and block Akainu's sensory perception.
Sakazuki didn't notice the call.
Akainu frowned at Leno's reaction.
This wasn't what he expected.
"You see clearly who this is!" Akainu shouted again.
"This is Kujaku! Your childhood sweetheart!"
Then, as if reinforcing the point—
"And Vice Admiral Tsuru! They treated you well back then! Have you forgotten?! Are you truly this heartless?!"
Leno shrugged casually.
"Treated me well?"
His lips curved coldly.
"When I was pushed out as the scapegoat, tell me—"
"Did a single one of them stand up for me?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"No."
"That so-called kindness only existed as long as I was useful. As long as I was obedient."
"The moment their own interests were at stake?"
"It shattered."
Silence followed.
Beside him, Domino's eyes burned with anger.
Back then, her rank was even lower than theirs.
None of them had spoken.
Not one.
On the ship—
Tina lowered her head.
Ain bit her lip.
Hibari's eyes flickered with guilt.
And Kujaku—
Held in Akainu's grip—
Looked like she wanted the ocean to swallow her whole.
Leno was right.
Back then, she had been closest to him.
And she had said nothing.
There was no rebuttal.
Akainu refused to believe this indifference.
No one could truly watch a former friend die without hesitation.
Even he—
Might hesitate.
"LENO!" he roared.
"I'll ask you one last time! Will you save her—or not?!"
His grip tightened slightly.
"If you refuse—I'll kill her right now!"
Those words traveled across the sea—
And through the open Den Den Mushi—
Into Tsuru's office.
She had already been confused by Leno's silent call.
That was why she hadn't hung up.
Now—
Hearing Sakazuki's threat.
Hearing her granddaughter's name in the background—
Her face drained of color.
"Kujaku… Kujaku is with Sakazuki?!"
She shot to her feet, trembling.
"No wonder I couldn't find her… or Tina…"
"He kidnapped them? To threaten Leno?!"
The usually composed Great Staff Officer was shaking.
"Leno! Can you hear me? Please—save Kujaku! She can't die! I'm begging you!"
Leno's reply was cold.
"Why?"
The single word cut like ice.
"I'm not a saint. I don't repay betrayal with virtue."
"When they chose to stand against me—"
"They chose today."
Tsuru fell silent.
Why?
Yes.
Why should he?
What right did they have to ask?
She remembered that meeting.
The high-level conference room.
Garp proposing that Leno shoulder the blame.
Silence filled the room.
No one spoke.
They had treated Leno well—
But much of that came from his identity as Garp's disciple.
When even Garp chose to abandon him—
Who would risk opposing Garp for Leno's sake?
His value hadn't outweighed the cost.
Tsuru recalled the image—
Leno standing alone in that room.
Surrounded by quiet consent.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Not from pity.
From regret.
If she had spoken even a single sentence—
Even a token defense—
With Leno's clear-cut personality, he would never have refused her later requests.
The return on that tiny investment would have been immeasurable.
A catastrophic loss.
Back at sea—
Akainu's patience was running thin.
His hand tightened around Kujaku's neck.
The heat of magma seared the air.
She gasped weakly.
"Three seconds," Akainu said coldly.
"Three."
Kujaku felt death creeping closer.
Her strength gave out.
She looked toward the shore.
At Leno.
Still expressionless.
"Leno… save… me…"
Her voice was barely audible.
On deck, the bound women screamed.
"Leno! Save Kujaku!"
"Even if we were wrong in every way—you can't just watch her die!"
"She was your childhood sweetheart! You can't be this cold!"
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