Beside the deep pit, Leno glanced at the severely mutilated body of Kid, and with an arc of electricity flickering on his fingertip, he finished off the future 'Pirate Supernova.'
Though Kid's strength was enough to dominate the South Blue, he was no match for Yamato. His defeat had been inevitable.
At that moment, Kuina silently approached Leno's side. She looked down at Kid's corpse at the bottom of the pit without saying a word.
"So, how's it going? Have you mastered Conqueror's Coating yet?" Leno turned toward her with a teasing grin.
"Hmph."
Kuina lifted her chin proudly, let out a light snort, and ignored him, turning instead to help search for survivors.
"Man… everyone's getting secretive these days."
Leno shook his head helplessly and turned toward the others tending to the wounded. He took one more look at the ruined town and sighed softly.
Over the next few days, they stayed to help the islanders rebuild.
"Eh? Why do I have to help too?" Yamato, who had been happily eating and drinking, frowned in protest when Leno told her to pitch in.
"Why? Maybe because someone blew a giant hole in the town square. And those collapsed buildings—remind me, who caused that?"
With each word Leno spoke, Yamato's confidence deflated. By the end, she hung her head in surrender.
"Fine, fine, I'll help! But hey, that wasn't really my fault—it just happened, okay?"
"'Just happened'? More like you lost control. Now everyone else has to clean up after you."
Leno wasn't about to let her attitude slide. If he did, she'd have her tail wagging above the clouds in no time.
Watching everyone work so diligently, Yamato felt a twinge of guilt. It really was her fault, after all.
Days passed, and as the reconstruction neared completion, it was time for Leno and his crew to depart.
The next morning, they tried to leave quietly—but the townspeople caught them at the harbor.
"Please, heroes, at least let us say goodbye!"
"Yeah! We haven't even thanked you properly yet!"
"Miss Kaya, we'll miss you!"
"Doctor Chopper, please stay a little longer. Let us treat you well~"
"At least take our sincere gifts~"
The crowd's words were filled with warmth and reluctance.
Seeing the people completely filling the port, Leno sighed and summoned the Gale. To everyone's astonishment, the ship slowly lifted into the sky.
"Everyone—take care of yourselves!"
"Stay healthy! Goodbye!"
As Chopper and Kaya waved from the deck, the Gale shot into the clouds, vanishing from sight.
Leaving "Karate Island" behind, Leno and his crew resumed their sea voyage, soon falling back into their usual rhythm aboard the ship.
"The wind's calm, the tides are steady. Looks like smooth sailing today," Nami said from the bow. Feeling satisfied, she returned to the cabin.
"Good work, Nami!"
Bored, Leno picked up his fishing rod and cast his line over the rail, hoping to relive his days as an old fisherman.
"Hm?" Before long, the float began trembling violently. Leno reacted instantly.
"Got one! Come on up!"
Splash—Thud!
With a powerful heave, he hauled a massive creature onto the deck.
The noise drew everyone's attention. Chopper, Yamato, and the others hurried over.
"Is that… a seashell?"
"It's huge!"
As they marveled at the giant shell, a cracking sound echoed—and the shell suddenly split open.
From inside climbed out… a man in a suit, wearing a sash across his chest like a supermarket promoter.
Amid their stunned silence, the man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thought I was done for. Thanks for the rescue, everyone!"
"A p-person came out of it?!" Chopper's eyes went wide. A man had literally emerged from inside a shell!
Yamato stepped forward, puzzled. "Who are you? And why were you in there?"
"Oh, right! My apologies!" The man straightened up, his tone brisk and professional. "I'm Wes Lace, a representative of Den Den Mushi Direct Sales! I was, uh, providing customer service along with the merchandise."
"So he is a salesman…" Leno muttered. "That outfit fits a little too well."
"Den Den Mushi Direct Sales? What's that?" Kuina had wandered closer, curious.
Hearing someone ask, Lace's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. He immediately launched into a pitch, proudly displaying his wares one by one.
As he pulled various items out of the shell, Chopper's and Yamato's eyes began to sparkle with desire.
Lace explained that he had been traveling in a conch-shaped submersible called the S-KARU when a storm dragged him to the ocean floor—until Leno's fishing rod saved him.
He handed out product catalogs for them to browse.
"As a token of gratitude for saving my life, please accept these catalogs. All items can be delivered right to your door!"
"Ooh, there are kitchen tools too," Carmen said curiously as she flipped through the pages, spotting several cooking knives for sale.
Chopper stepped forward, astonished. "Ské! You mean you can deliver to us on the ocean?!"
"We can't do that!"
"(╬▔皿▔)╯"
"Our company only operates in safe and reliable environments," Lace said firmly. "We don't provide services in dangerous places like the sea."
Seeing the hungry look in their eyes, Lace began quoting prices for the items they'd picked out.
"Since you all seem interested, and as thanks for saving me…"
"You're giving them to us?" Yamato interrupted excitedly.
"Hold it! What are you, pirates?!" Lace exclaimed. "That'll be fifty-three thousand Berries! Fair deal, right?"
"So you're selling them to us…" Chopper and Yamato both groaned in disappointment.
Then Nami stepped forward. "Do you sell paper?"
"Paper?" Les blinked.
"Yes. Tough paper—something that won't rot from sea wind or water damage."
At that, Lace's face lit up. He pulled out a thick stack of sheets with dramatic flair.
"This is our company's proudest creation—Premium Advertising Paper! Resistant to wind and sun, and the ink never fades. Perfect for maps or treasure charts!"
The more he explained, the brighter Nami's eyes shone. It was exactly what she needed. She hurriedly asked for the price.
Lace's eyes narrowed slyly as he glanced at her golden accessories and eager expression. A rich customer! Time to charge extra.
"Well, this is a rare, high-grade item," he began smoothly. "Even special orders take a long time to make…"
As he spoke, he watched her closely.
Sure enough, Nami blurted, "Can I buy it now? I'll pay whatever it costs!"
"Nani?!"
"That stingy Nami…"
"That money-grubber…"
"She actually said 'whatever it costs'!"