Amid the send-off from the Franky Family's underlings, Leno and his group boarded their ship and departed from the waterborne city.
As the "Gale" sailed farther away, the crowd seeing them off gradually dispersed, leaving only Franky and Iceburg behind.
Iceburg glanced at the carefree junior beside him, emotions churning in his eyes.
"Franky, you gave it to him, right?"
"When I handed it over to that kid, his expression made it seem like he'd already expected me to have that thing. He was very calm."
Hearing this, Iceburg's eyelids twitched slightly, as if he had finally relaxed.
Just as he was about to say something, Franky's voice rang out again.
"Idiot Iceburg, that's something even Tom cherished and protected. You just handed it over to a stranger like that?"
"What is this supposed to be?"
Franky unfolded the note, glanced at it casually, then looked at Iceburg in confusion.
Why show him these names? And they were all from Iceburg's side.
"World Government personnel."
"What?!"
Franky's eyes went wide, cold sweat instantly beading on his cheeks as he hurriedly reexamined the note in his hand.
The more he read, the worse his expression became. Without them realizing it, Iceburg's side had already been placed under tight surveillance.
Even his secretary was one of theirs!
"Where did you get this?"
"The kid gave it to me. I didn't really believe it at first, but later I checked their records…"
Iceburg quietly gazed out at the sea, his expression filled with relief. Thank goodness Leno had warned them.
Otherwise, he would've remained completely in the dark. He never imagined that even after so many years since Tom's death, they still hadn't given up on searching for that thing.
"We can't keep it. And it'll only bring us deadly disaster, just like what happened to Tom."
"Those damn bastards!"
At the mention of his mentor, Franky's face flushed red with rage, his teeth grinding audibly.
The World Government executing Tom on such a flimsy pretext was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
If given the chance, he would definitely take revenge on them.
"We should've listened to the kid last night and wiped them all out!"
Kicking the stone at his feet into the sea, Franky spoke through clenched teeth.
"You did the right thing. Clear out one wave and another will come. The kid can't stay by our side protecting us forever."
Looking at the resolute expression on his junior's face, Iceburg sighed inwardly. This guy was no longer that reckless boy he used to be.
Those people from the World Government would never stop until they achieved their goal.
If they took the initiative to eliminate this batch, it would be the same as telling them outright that the thing was in their hands.
But when Franky noticed Iceburg's approving look, his hackles immediately rose and he cursed angrily.
"Bastard Iceburg, what kind of look is that? Am I really that unreliable in your eyes?"
"…"
Iceburg: I'll give you a look. Figure it out yourself!
After a bout of grumbling, Franky shot Iceburg an annoyed glance and continued.
"The kid said that if it ever becomes necessary, we can push everything onto him. He's not afraid of anything."
"Is that so?" Iceburg froze for a moment, then let out a breath and said as if it were only natural, "That figures. After all, he's the Thunder God famous across the seas."
"…"
Franky swaggered off, while Iceburg shook his head helplessly, like he was watching a younger brother throwing a small tantrum.
After standing there a while longer, he finally turned to leave, already thinking about how he should deal with those people in the future.
At the same time, on the commercial street.
Inside a two-story building next to Blueno's bar, Kalifa, dressed in a secretary's outfit, pushed the door open and walked in.
Inside the room, Lucci lay against the bed, his body wrapped in bandages. Kaku, Fukuro, and the others were seated around the nearby table.
Kalifa poured herself a glass of water, then looked toward Lucci on the bed and asked,
"How's your body? How's the recovery?"
The one who answered her was a white pigeon wearing a top hat. It raised its wings and waved at Kalifa, signaling that everything was fine.
Lucci's eternally expressionless face remained calm as ever. He merely gave a slight nod.
At that moment, Kaku, seated across the table, set his teacup down heavily and said with a sigh of relief,
"They finally left. My nerves have been on edge these past few days."
As he spoke, he wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead and continued with lingering fear in his voice,
"You have no idea. A few days ago, the way he looked at me…"
"I thought I was already dead!"
It was truly terrifying.
That casual glance from those crimson vertical pupils made his blood feel like it froze solid in an instant, leaving his body unable to move at all.
Even now, recalling that brush with death made him shiver.
"Is it really that exaggerated? You couldn't even handle a single look? Or are you just a coward?"
Jabura curled his lip disdainfully, his gaze toward Kaku noticeably more casual.
If he'd run into him instead, he would've made that so-called Thunder God experience the terror of Lord Wolf firsthand.
Jabura thought smugly.
Hearing Jabura's mockery, Kaku's brows shot up, and he was just about to explode when Lucci spoke from the bed.
"That guy really is terrifyingly strong. Even stronger than the rumors say."
"Hey, Lucci, we never asked about the details of your fight these past few days. Just how strong is he, exactly?"
Seeing this taciturn man finally speak, the curious Jabura immediately pressed him for details.
When Lucci had been brought back, there wasn't a single intact spot on his body, and he'd even been giving off a strange fragrance.
Jabura had almost started drooling before he caught himself. Thankfully, no one else noticed, or else…
Seeing Lucci so badly injured had shocked the hungry wolf for quite some time.
Lucci was the strongest among them. Maybe he could at least probe the Thunder God's true strength.
It wasn't just Jabura. Everyone present was curious about just how powerful that man really was.
"He only used a finger."
The moment those words fell, the room went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Even that arrogant, empty-headed wolf froze completely.
Facing the damp, salty sea breeze, the "Gale" cut through the waves at remarkable speed.
Everyone aboard had been thoroughly led astray by their captain, Leno, and were now sprawled out side by side on the deck like salted fish.
From the lookout, Chopper gazed at the comfortably lounging group, tears of envy streaming down his face.
But there was nothing he could do. Lookout duty rotated, and even Leno wasn't exempt—though he often shamelessly slacked off anyway.
Pulling his gaze back, Chopper picked up the telescope and casually swept it across the sea.
He spotted a small boat on the water. Looking closer, the two people aboard were both familiar faces!
"That is…?"