"Damn it! That bastard's Conqueror's Haki… has become even more dangerous!"
Akainu's face darkened.
The stronger Leno became, the slimmer the chances of rescuing Hibari.
Of course his mood couldn't possibly be good.
As for Blackbeard—who had already been looking for an opportunity to retreat—
The moment he felt that fleeting burst of Conqueror's Haki, he was practically scared out of his wits.
But along with fear—
He saw an opportunity.
That burst of Haki had stunned everyone for a brief moment.
"Now! Run!!"
Without hesitation, he exploded forward at the fastest speed of his life.
Putting in every ounce of strength he had, he fled in a direction he had long prepared—an extremely tricky escape route!
Crewmates? What crewmates?
Blackbeard was a lone man.
He had no such thing as companions!
The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates froze for a moment.
Then they reacted.
"Blackbeard, you bastard!!"
Cursing loudly—
Their bodies moved faster than their thoughts as they scattered in different directions!
"After them! Don't let them escape!!"
Sengoku and Akainu snapped out of it and gave chase.
To be fair—
Blackbeard's escape skills were top-tier.
His figure quickly disappeared into the maze-like waterways and fog.
The fastest one to escape—
Was undoubtedly him.
The others—like Avalo Pizarro, Shiryu of the Rain, Vasco Shot—
Though also fleeing, were just a step slower.
Or they simply chose worse escape routes.
In their fury, Sengoku and Akainu instinctively pursued the nearest and most important-looking targets:
Avalo PizarroShiryu of the RainSanjuan Wolf
(Well… with a body that big, hiding wasn't exactly an option.)
There's a saying:
When danger comes, you don't need to outrun the danger.
You just need to outrun your teammates.
And that proved true.
After a chase—
The Navy successfully captured four major members of the Blackbeard Pirates:
Avalo PizarroShiryu of the RainVasco ShotSanjuan Wolf
Although they captured key figures, and the others escaped heavily injured—
Sengoku and Akainu's expressions didn't improve at all.
If anything—
They grew even worse.
Not just because the outcome fell short of expectations—
But because Leno's strength had once again skyrocketed in such a short time.
Was this even reasonable?
Why was Leno improving so fast?
They trained day and night—
And still couldn't match a few days of his growth?!
An enemy getting stronger—
Was never good news for the Navy.
Naturally, their mood was terrible.
And the blame for Blackbeard's escape?
They conveniently placed it on Leno.
If not for that burst of Conqueror's Haki—
How could Blackbeard have found the chance to escape?
On Amazon Lily
Gloriosa had also felt Leno's surge in strength.
That Conqueror's Haki earlier—
Was no illusion.
It was almost on par with her beloved Gol D. Roger.
But how old had Roger been back then?
And how old was this brat?
Shock filled her heart.
Then—
A wave of relief.
"Luckily… luckily I held back earlier…"
She patted her chest, still shaken.
She knew clearly—
If she had acted back then—
She would already be a cold corpse.
Beyond saving.
When she subconsciously looked at Leno—
She found his gaze sweeping toward her.
That meaningful look made her heart tremble.
"He… he knows?"
"Does he know about my hesitation… and killing intent?"
Cold sweat broke out across her back.
She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes again.
Leno didn't linger on her.
His attention shifted as Robin spoke.
She explained everything that had happened over the past two days.
"The battle's still not over?" Leno raised an eyebrow.
As expected of a future Emperor's crew.
They actually held out that long against Sengoku and Akainu.
He released his Observation Haki and sensed carefully.
"Oh… seems like it's over now."
The others were surprised.
A battle that had dragged on for so long—
Had just ended like that?
And in Leno's perception—
Two powerful auras were rapidly approaching Amazon Lily again!
"So they still won't give up…"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
If they kept pushing—
Then they could all stay behind.
With his current strength—
He had the confidence to say that.
Even if he couldn't keep both—
He could definitely leave one behind for good.
The hostages
Ain, Tina, Tashigi, and the other captured female Marines—
Had ugly expressions.
Ever since arriving at Amazon Lily—
They had been tied up for two or three days straight.
If not for the authority they once held in the Navy—
Some Marines might have already done something inappropriate.
Under these circumstances—
How could they feel anything but resentment toward Sengoku and Akainu?
Of course—
The two men didn't care about them at all.
They only cared about Hibari and Kujaku.
Confrontation
Leno led the women out of the cave and onto the shore.
He looked coldly at Sengoku and Akainu.
"What? Do you think I'm easy to talk to?"
"Or do you think I wouldn't dare touch them?"
He gestured toward Hibari and Kujaku.
A bargaining chip unused was wasted.
Leno had no issue leveraging hostages.
Against enemies—
This was already lenient.
Hearing his blunt threat—
Sengoku and Akainu's faces turned ashen.
Ever since arriving at Amazon Lily—
It felt like they'd been forced to swallow one dead fly after another.
Endlessly.
"Leno! You—!!" Akainu's veins bulged.
Magma dripped from his body, scorching the ground.
"Enough!"
Sengoku cut him off before things escalated further.
He stared at Leno and forced the words out:
"What do you want to release them?"
Leno picked at his ear lazily.
"Didn't I already say?"
"Get lost."
"Immediately."
"Take your people and disappear before I change my mind."
Otherwise…
His gaze drifted to Hibari and Kujaku again.
Full of threat.
"I can't guarantee these two young ladies won't lose an arm… or a leg…"
"Or suffer some… other damage."
Sengoku and Akainu trembled with anger.
To them—
Leno was a shameless, despicable brat who refused reason.
A real man should fight head-on!
Not rely on such disgusting tactics!
The problem was—
They didn't dare.
In the end—
They could only swallow their fury.
With faces dark enough to drip water—
They withdrew from Amazon Lily.
Aftermath
Of course—
They didn't give up entirely.
On a small island far from Amazon Lily—
At the edge of Observation Haki range—
They stationed several warships.
To monitor Leno's movements.
Leno naturally sensed these "tails."
But he didn't care.
At that distance—
As long as they didn't cause trouble—
He couldn't be bothered to deal with them.
Cornered dogs bite.
Even with his increased strength—
Avoiding unnecessary fights was still preferable.
Right now—
He was far more interested in something else.
The Statue of Sloth.
He was very curious—
What kind of world awaited beyond "escape."
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