Sakazuki hadn't expected Leno to suddenly pull out a Den Den Mushi—
Much less broadcast Tsuru's voice for everyone to hear.
But now he understood.
Those subtle movements earlier—
Leno had been on the line with Marine Headquarters the entire time.
"Hmph. She thinks she can command me through a Den Den Mushi?" Akainu sneered inwardly.
"I am Admiral Sakazuki."
On deck, however, Kujaku, Tina, and the others lit up with desperate hope when they heard Tsuru's voice.
"Grandma Tsuru! Save us!"
"Admiral Akainu—he's going to kill Kujaku!"
"Please make him stop!"
Even Hibari shouted anxiously, "Staff Officer Tsuru! Please persuade Father!"
Unfortunately—
Sakazuki ignored the Den Den Mushi completely.
He was thinking about something else.
What price had Tsuru paid to make Leno intervene?
Judging from Leno's attitude since arriving at Amazon Lily—
He clearly had no lingering attachment to old flames or childhood friends.
If that was the case—
He would never help for free.
Tsuru's wrinkles weren't worth that much.
"She must've paid dearly…" Akainu's eyes flickered.
"Enough to move that cold-blooded brat."
He was right.
She had.
But Sakazuki had his own purpose.
He needed Kujaku as leverage.
If he let her go now—
Tsuru's "benefit" might turn into a fatal trap.
He hadn't expected Tsuru to know about that matter.
Then again—
With her decades of connections inside the Marines…
It wasn't strange.
Never underestimate the value of human networks.
On shore, Leno was thinking something else entirely.
Let's see if my guess is correct…
Timing-wise, it should line up.
No one knew what he was calculating.
The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.
Truth be told—
Akainu never intended to actually kill Kujaku.
Threatening Leno was one thing.
Killing Tsuru's granddaughter?
That was another matter entirely.
It would create enormous political backlash.
But if he backed down immediately just because Tsuru shouted—
Where would his dignity as an Admiral go?
So he merely gave a cold snort toward the Den Den Mushi.
He said nothing—
But the hand gripping Kujaku's neck relaxed significantly.
Now it was barely a hold at all.
On the other end, Tsuru understood perfectly.
She'd worked with Sakazuki for years.
That snort meant—
Kujaku wasn't dying today.
Relief washed over her.
And then realization hit.
She had panicked.
Sakazuki was ruthless—
But not foolish.
He might kill other hostages to provoke Leno.
But Kujaku?
Unlikely.
After all—
He still wanted to become Fleet Admiral one day.
"So in other words…"
Tsuru's face turned pale inside her office.
"Did I just personally push Kujaku into a tiger's mouth?"
She understood Leno.
He wouldn't use that information impulsively.
If he intended to leverage what she'd revealed—
He would absolutely try to control Kujaku as a countermeasure.
Because Tsuru was Marine HQ.
If Kujaku were safe—
Tsuru would warn the Navy.
Turn the information into a trap.
Just as Tsuru was about to urgently speak again—
Leno lifted the Den Den Mushi to his mouth.
His tone turned ice-cold.
"Old woman. I'm warning you."
"Don't do anything unnecessary."
"Otherwise… I can't guarantee your precious granddaughter will make it back alive."
Tsuru trembled in anger.
The polite, measured Leno she once knew was gone.
This Leno—
Was ruthless.
Decisive.
"You brat—!"
Click.
The call ended.
That abrupt shift didn't escape Sakazuki's notice.
Too fast.
Too deliberate.
What exactly had Tsuru told him?
Alarm bells rang in his head.
Without hesitation, he dropped Kujaku to the deck.
Then he barked sharply at Hibari:
"Hibari! Untie them immediately! Get them away from here! Once we start fighting, I won't have time to protect you. Watch yourselves!"
The sudden reversal stunned everyone.
"Father… what's happening?" Hibari asked nervously, though her hands worked quickly to free the others.
Sakazuki didn't explain.
His eyes remained locked on Leno.
On shore—
Leno no longer wasted time.
His gaze sharpened.
"Move."
He issued orders calmly.
"Akainu is mine. The rest—do as you please."
The air grew heavy.
Murderous intent spread like wildfire.
Moments ago it had almost felt like negotiation.
Now—
War.
Leno vanished in a flash—
Appearing before Sakazuki.
Their fists collided.
The shockwave tore across the sea.
"Akainu! Your opponent is me!" Leno grinned.
Truth be told—
He had already fought the other two Admirals.
Now the set was complete.
Elsewhere—
Hancock cried out sharply.
"Perfume Femur!"
Her beam swept toward the Marine ship—
Targeting the newly freed female Marines.
"Fools who betrayed Leno-sama—turn to stone!"
Domino locked onto Kujaku.
White tremor light gathered around her fist.
"You deserve to die."
Robin, Kalifa, Perona, Bonney, and Arichette each engaged different Marines.
The battle off Amazon Lily had begun in earnest.
But far beyond the battlefield—
Another ship approached silently.
The Blackbeard Pirates' flag fluttered in the distance.
And on another route toward Amazon Lily—
A massive Marine fleet sped forward at full throttle.
Inside the command cabin—
Sengoku's face was dark.
He had just received Tsuru's urgent Den Den Mushi call.
"What?! That idiot Sakazuki kidnapped Kujaku and the others as hostages?!"
He slammed his fist against the table.
"That fool! Does he even understand what he's doing?!"
His original plan had been simple:
Surround Leno with overwhelming force.
Capture him cleanly.
Now Sakazuki's reckless move had thrown everything into chaos.
"Accelerate! Full speed ahead!" Sengoku roared.
"We must reach Amazon Lily before this spirals completely out of control!"
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