In the arena, Leno moved one step at a time, appearing and vanishing like an illusion as he weaved through the dense forest of lightning.
With a flick to the forehead for each one, he sent the female warriors flying out of the battlefield in succession!
After all, these women would become important combat strength for Skypiea in the future, so Leno had no intention of being overly ruthless.
Besides, this was their home country. If someone were seriously injured, it would be hard for anyone to save face.
And so, Leno swiftly cleared the field, then withdrew his Haki and calmly returned to stand at the center of the martial arena.
Only then did the citizens watching finally snap out of their daze. Without realizing it, they had been completely stunned by what they had just witnessed!
Sounds of sharp breaths being sucked in rose one after another, followed by thunderous cheers like a roaring sea.
The sound waves surged like tides, shaking the heavens.
"Incredible!"
"Too powerful! It was just an instant..."
"The Thunder God is incredible! He defeated the Kuja Pirates so easily~"
"Are men all this powerful?"
"..."
Their faces flushed with excitement, they rose to their feet without realizing it, wildly waving their arms as they shouted.
The cheers gathered and grew, forming rolling waves that spread outward again and again.
"Thunder God~"
"Thunder God~"
"..."
Watching the citizens chant "Thunder God" in unison with fervent eyes, Hancock's face was filled with joy and pride!
This was her Leno—wherever he went, he would always be the most dazzling presence!
As she gazed at the tall, upright figure in the arena, the love in her eyes seemed ready to overflow.
"As expected of Lord Leno. The citizens were conquered so easily."
The reason for this situation lay mainly in the fact that Nine Snake Island was an extremely martial nation.
Within the country, resources were distributed largely based on battle merit, and individual combat strength directly affected one's quality of life.
This made them revere powerful individuals immensely—men excluded, of course!
Yet Leno happened to be that lone exception, even without mentioning his identity as the God of Skypiea.
After all, their empress herself had issued an order allowing Leno to enter their island freely at any time.
As the only man who could come and go from Nine Snake Island without restriction, and who shared an ambiguous relationship with the empress, it was only natural for them to regard Leno as one of their own.
So after witnessing Leno's overwhelming strength, the citizens couldn't help but worship him, cheering and applauding his name!
Amid the citizens' cheers, the National Guard stepped onto the martial arena, unwilling to be outdone.
Though they had already foreseen their defeat, a warrior's honor would not allow them to retreat.
The result was just as obvious—their attacks couldn't break through Leno's defenses either.
Just like the Kuja Pirates before them, they were swiftly cleared from the field, without any surprises.
And this was exactly the outcome Leno wanted: to defeat them quickly with overwhelming strength, displaying his absolute power.
His purpose was simple—to put their minds at ease, so they could entrust Hancock to him without worry.
After flicking the blonde Margaret out of the arena, Leno's figure transformed into a bolt of lightning and suddenly appeared before Hancock.
He bent at the waist like a gentleman and extended his hand toward her in an inviting gesture.
Seeing Leno before her, the empress—who had been waiting for this moment—felt her cheeks instantly flush crimson.
She tightly grasped Leno's warm hand, and the two of them took a few steps forward side by side.
Leno turned his head and smiled at Hancock, then looked toward the crowd below and spoke in a clear, resounding voice:
"Citizens of Amazon Lily, please quiet down for a moment~"
After the noise below gradually subsided, Leno continued:
"I believe everyone here already knows me. My name is Leno, the God of Skypiea."
"The reason for today's battles in the martial arena was to let everyone clearly understand my strength."
"To prove that I have the ability to protect your empress from any harm!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the members of the Kuja Pirates and the National Guard.
"As for your concerns, I understand them."
"But I can guarantee that I will protect your empress with my life!"
"Because she is not only your empress—she will also be my wife!"
As his words fell, Hancock's face instantly turned bright red, her body going limp.
She looked at Leno with dazed eyes, her delicate figure instinctively leaning into his chest.
Leno quickly wrapped an arm around the now-unsteady Hancock, then looked down at the crowd and declared loudly:
"From now on, your empress is under my protection. You can rest assured!"
Ignoring the renewed uproar below, he scooped Hancock up in his arms and leapt into the air, his figure vanishing in an instant.
Only when the platform stood empty did the members of the Kuja Pirates finally come back to their senses.
They exchanged looks, all wearing expressions of mixed emotion.
"Looks like we were worrying over nothing, hahaha..."
Seeing her companions' awkward expressions, the orange-haired Daisy covered her mouth and laughed nonstop.
She was an optimist. Even when the others had been discussing it before, she never mocked them.
With the Thunder God by Snake Princess-sama's side, how could anything possibly happen to her?
"Will you shut up already! What's the point of saying that now~"
Lightly exhaling a puff of smoke, the cannon gunner Rindo shot an annoyed glance at the carefree girl.
Everyone had been worried back then, alright? But now this outcome was perfect—there was no longer any need to worry about Snake Princess-sama's safety.
"All we can hope for now is that Lord Thunder God keeps his promise and lets Snake Princess-sama live happily~"
"That said, the Thunder God isn't just strong—he's handsome and gentle too."
Ran, with her side-swept short hair, withdrew her gaze, her expression full of admiration.
As the team's archer, her thoughts were more delicate than most.
"If he's protecting Snake Princess-sama, we can feel much more at ease~"
The Kuja Pirates buzzed with discussion, and on the other side, the National Guard was also whispering among themselves.
As the captain, Kikyo still looked somewhat conflicted. She turned to the few members beside her and asked:
"What do you think?"
"Hmm~ I think Snake Princess-sama must be very happy right now!"
The tall Aphelandra glanced left and right, tapping her finger lightly against her chin as she spoke softly.
She might not understand much else, but Snake Princess-sama's expression and eyes couldn't lie.
That was the look of happiness—just like how she felt when eating her favorite food.
"You brat, who was asking you about that..."
Kikyo looked at the team's resident 'dorky' member with exasperation. She always missed the point.
"Does this mean Snake Princess-sama will really go out to sea with the Thunder God in the future?"
"I'm so jealous of Snake Princess-sama~"
Marguerite, her quiver on her back, had eyes full of starlight. Going out to sea had always been her dream.
If only she could sail with them too...
"I swear, you guys..." Kikyo rubbed her temples in a headache. These teammates were hopeless.
...
...