"Bang!"
Leno casually shattered the ice on his body and looked at Aokiji with a mocking expression. "What's wrong? Hit a nerve?"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Their Haki-coated fists slammed together in a rolling thunder of blows, shockwaves ripping the misted cold clean from the air.
Aokiji's eyes were bloodshot as he relentlessly swung his fists, wanting to vent the frustration of all those years: "What do you know? What can I do in this position?"
"Bang!"
Leno blew him back with a single punch and roared, "Then choose one! If you're gonna slack off, stop pretending you're shouldering the world, fretting over this and that. It's nauseating!"
He was mad now. 'Say a few hard truths and he bares his fangs? Please.'
"Bang." Aokiji was sent flying again by Leno's iron fist, rolling a few times on the ground in a sorry state. "My Justice cannot be slandered by a criminal like you!"
"Your justice? You've got no damn justice left! A man who doesn't even know what he stands for isn't fit to talk about it!"
"Ever since Ohara, every time there's the slightest stir around Robin, you rush to check on her, watching her every move."
"What is it? Does pulling the strings of a girl born to suffering thrill you that much? Answer me, Aokiji!"
Scarlet lightning began to crawl over Leno's frame as he strode forward. Today he'd beat some sense into this twisted man for Robin's sake.
He took another step—cracks spider-webbed from his feet, the ice savaged by red arcs.
"Conqueror's Fist!"
He flashed to Aokiji's front, fist wreathed in lightning, and drove it straight in. The Admiral snapped out of his daze just in time to cross both Armament-coated forearms.
Leno's words had rattled him. 'Me?… controlling her fate?'
'…Yes. All these years, I have held her fate in my hands—forcing her to struggle on in misery.'
"Boom!"
The punch fiercely struck Aokiji's abdomen. The force of the punch passed through his body and erupted as an air current behind him. The ice beneath their feet shattered instantly from the impact. Scarlet-red electric arcs scattered, and the shockwave swept the surroundings.
Aokiji's body shot out from Leno's fist like a cannonball, smashing through the large ice blocks that were swept up by the impact along the way.
"Boom," "Boom," "Boom." After a series of collisions, the sent-flying Aokiji finally became embedded in the thick layer of ice, subsequently disappearing as he was buried by the collapsing fragments.
A little later—
The Gale cruised along the sea. Leno sat at the table with an awkward expression and a large bump on his head, facing Nami, whose anger still lingered on her face.
When Leno returned to the ship with a proud look, just about to boast about his feat of making Aokiji cry, Nami instantly appeared before him. "Bang." One punch made Leno see stars, followed by a flurry of kicks and punches. Chopper and Carmen, who had recovered, also seized the opportunity to join in the beating.
It was the first time their own captain had nearly sunk them all. Only after Leno apologized sincerely—and promised never to pull that again—did they let him go.
"Idiot Leno, consider this a lesson. If there's a next time, hmph hmph..." Nami threatened Leno in a fierce yet cute manner.
Leno immediately fawned over Nami, running behind her to massage her shoulders and rub her back, indulging in a lot of pampering. Then, he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Nami's slim waist and tease her. Finally, the blushing Nami couldn't take the teasing anymore and kicked Leno away.
He drifted—conveniently—into Kuina and Nojiko, gathered both into a hug, and kissed their cheeks. "Sorry. My screw-up nearly put you in danger. There won't be a next time."
The two women blushed profusely from Leno's intimate public gesture. After a slight struggle, they leaned into Leno's embrace, listening to his promise.
Robin's amused voice floated over. "Ara, Captain Leno—quite the charmer. Surrounded by beauties, living the dream."
"Swish."
Before she could blink, he'd wrapped her up, too.
"What's wrong? Our lovely Robin, jealous already? Relax. You're not getting away either." Leno brushed a kiss against her cheek, breath warm at her ear.
"Aren't you worried your girlfriends might get jealous and make trouble?" Robin, seasoned by storms of life, kept her cool—cheeks merely pink—as she teased back.
"Relax. None of you are getting away," he said cheerfully, hands roving boldly at her waist.
Every girl rolled her eyes in sync. This pig-headed scoundrel… how did we let him talk us aboard again?
Feeling the hands on her waist growing bolder and beginning to climb higher, Robin quickly twisted her body to change the subject, looking at the unconscious, soaking-wet Aokiji lying on the deck. "Then, Captain, how do you plan to handle him?"
When Leno carried the unconscious Aokiji back to the ship, everyone's mouths dropped open in shock. 'This is a Marine Admiral! He was knocked out and captured just like that?'
Chopper and Carmen circled him, examining him from all angles, their eyes filled with adoration. Kuina and Nojiko exchanged a look, also greatly shocked. Having fought Aokiji, they clearly understood the value of a Marine Admiral.
Shock. Excitement. Awe. This monster's too strong… and I kinda love it.
"We'll wait till he wakes up. Can't just toss an Admiral into the sea. If something really happened to him, the Navy would hunt us to the ends of the earth."
"Idiot Leno, he's a Marine Admiral! He must be worth a lot! We can make the Marines pay to ransom him! I've already decided on the price—5 billion Berries!" Nami suggested excitedly, already imagining herself rolling around in a pile of 5 billion Berries.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at Nami, whose eyes had turned into Berries as she daydreamed. 'As expected of you, Nami!'
Seeing Leno actually consider it, Robin and the others hurried to shut it down. "Leno, we're already wanted. Let's not poke the Navy that hard. If they fixate on us, it'll be a headache."
He looked around at their faces and sighed. "Fine. When Aokiji wakes, we let him walk. No need to do anything extra."
Only then did the tension drain away—though Nami's mood soured visibly. That was five billion…
Nojiko flicked her a look. "Nami, are you drowning in Berries? This is about whether we get to sail in peace. Pull it together, okay?"
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