When Leo removed the pressure on the bodies of the marines, they all screamed at the top of their lungs to the boat. It is almost like they are too scared to even be next to Leo for fear that he would take even their life in the next second.
The villagers looked at each other with strange expressions as they watched the marines drive their ship away at top-notch speed. And they looked down at the body of the dead man. Yet, in their eyes, there weren't any signs of pity. The villagers already despise this marine from before who collaborated with Arlong.
"It will cause an uproar. I think they will be sending marines to capture our Hero." Some of the villagers who were advanced in age sighed with sadness at that thought.
"And there would also be a huge bounty that will be placed on the Kind Sir's head. Those marines won't let him get away for killing one of their men." Now everyone had their head down as they thought of what will happen to Leo.
Nami came over to the side of Leo and tugged on his sleeved shirt with a face that expressed her worries for him. And Leo gives her a warm smile that tells her everything will turn out alright. He didn't want her to feel worried for him.
He turned around to face the villagers and gave them a warm smile. Then, he says to them, "We shouldn't let that man and the future ruin the happiness of our celebration. Everyone will have a cup of wine with me!"
The faces on everyone immediately brightened a little more as they followed each other back to the festival. The celebration didn't stop till late after midnight. By that time, Leo had already gotten everyone in the village drunk from wine. The wine doesn't affect him since his physique is stronger than the average folk.
Eating a last piece of bread on the table and some more soup Leo stood up and walked over to where Nami was laying her head on the table, asleep. Her sister Nojiko had gone back to their home for some sleep an hour ago.
He picked her up in her arms gently. Her cheeks were flushed and warm from all the wine she drank. Her eyes parted slightly open to see that it was just Leo, and then she gave a warm smile before going back to sleep in his arms as he carried her back home.
As he was walking through the farm through the night, there was the sweet smell of the tangerines ripe for picking. The wind was blowing the delicate fragrance up in the air. He looked down at her small face as she slept peacefully in his arms.
He found an empty bedroom, put her sleeping body gracefully on the bed, and carefully laid the warm blankets over her. He was about to leave when Nami unconsciously grabbed hold of his wrist and murmured in her sleep, "Please don't go."
"This silly girl," he smiled and put her hand back on the bed. He stretches out his hand to brush back her orange hair behind her ear. Then, as he watches her sleep, he tells her, "Goodnight, Nami." And giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
When Nami woke up in the morning, she smelled something nice and looked over to see a warm dish sitting on her desk. The warm golden light of the morning shone down on the desk from the window. Standing up from her bed, she noticed that there was a quick note next to the dish:
"For my sweet Nami,
Make sure to eat every last bit. I'm training by the cliff of the beach.
Leo"
It was like a stone was lifted from her heart when she read the words on that note. She had thought that Leo had left the island already. She breathes out a sigh of relief as a cute smile appears on her face.
When she looked at the note's handwriting, she remembered what had happened last night in bed—the scene of Leo drawing close to her and planting a kiss on her forehead. She was not asleep, and the thought made her cheeks more bright red.
She looked at the bowl of rice dish, along with some cooked fish and egg. There was also the soup that Leo had learned yesterday from the villagers after tasting it at the festival.
"He is not too shabby of a cook," Nami said as she took a bit of the food Leo had made. An adorable smile bloomed from how sweet it was for him to cook for her.
When Nami finished eating the food, she went to the cliff and found that tall figure practicing his sword with such concentration. However, he stopped practicing when she got close by and put away the sword in his hand.
"Good morning," he said to her warmly, turning around. His pitch-black eyes met her brown eyes at that close distance. There was this silence between them as they stood in front of each other.
He was the one who broke the silence. Some things need to be said, even if it isn't implied in words. But they both know that it is time that he needs to depart.
He told her, "Nami, I need to go now. I want to say--"
Before finishing his sentence, he finds her hugging him around the waist. She let go and then said to him, trying to muster a smile on her face, "I know. One day I hope to find you again. I will always always love you."
She didn't let him reply when she finished saying those words to him. Instead, she fleed away from his sight and ran down the cliff.
He didn't run after her but sighed as he looked at the distant figure. Then, he said to the wind, "I wanted to say I will carry you in my heart too."