In the park.
The Marine soldier who was lurking in the dark glanced at Gion, who was currently acting as a bag-carrying girl, and felt a sharp pang of heartache.
Pain!
Bitter wine entered his throat, hurting not just his body but his soul!
That infuriating man, Leno, treated their goddess like this.
And yet, Gion seemed more than content. She was even happy.
How could she be happy?
Ring, ring, ring...
The soldier pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Hello? This is Commodore Kazanbo!"
"Commodore, we are monitoring Area 53, keeping an eye on Jack from the Beasts Pirates!"
"Has there been any change?"
"Yes, sir. Jack, who had been quiet up until now, is heading toward the island after speaking with a fish-man!"
"He's moving toward Area 33 as we speak!"
"We suspect his target is Hunter Guild's President Leno!"
Kazanbo's face tightened.
"Area 33? But that's the park! There are many tourists there!"
He quickly scanned the crowd around him, estimating that Jack would arrive in 20 minutes.
There was no time for evacuation.
Kazanbo barked,
"Delay him! I'll inform Vice Admiral Gion immediately!"
"Understood, Commodore!"
Kazanbo put down the Den Den Mushi and rushed to Gion, explaining the situation hurriedly.
"Jack? The newcomer with a bounty of 350 million Belly?" Gion frowned.
Meanwhile, Leno and Kuina stepped out of a bubble ball.
"The Sabaody Archipelago park is really something," Leno commented, shaking water off his head.
A rare smile appeared on Kuina's face. She was genuinely happy. Given her age, she was still a child at heart. And what child wouldn't enjoy a day at a park?
She focused on sword practice every day, worrying Leno.
Pushing herself so hard wasn't always a good thing. Too much tension, too much effort—eventually, the string could snap.
If her will wasn't strong enough, the collapse would be devastating.
Moria was an example of that. A once fiery, ambitious youth, he lost to Kaido in a single blow and crumbled. Even his Conqueror's Haki, which had once burned bright, faded away.
From a hot-blooded man to a lazy recluse, Moria had never recovered.
Leno had taken Kuina out to see more of the world, gain experience, and have fun to relax her mind and body.
Not only for Kuina but also for himself.
Lately, with intense training, growing stronger, and managing the Hunter Guild, Leno's mind had been overwhelmed with responsibilities.
Luwell's concerns had reminded him that to face Kaido, both strength and mental fortitude were crucial.
Relaxation and mental preparation were just as important as training.
Leno had promised Gion they were only here to have fun, and he hadn't lied.
Seeing Gion's frown, Leno asked with a grin, "What's bothering you?"
Gion hesitated before explaining, "A newcomer from the Beasts Pirates is on the island. He came after hearing about you."
"Oh? What's his name?"
"Jack."
Jack?
In the future, Jack would be one of Kaido's three All-Stars, but now he was still a newcomer.
Before arriving, Leno had talked with Kuzan about the current state of the Beasts Pirates.
They had taken over Wanokuni, led by Kaido.
His two main commanders were King and Queen.
Kaido also had a fierce new recruit named Jack.
As for Kaido's future troops—the Tobiroppo, Shinuchi, and Gifters—they hadn't appeared yet.
Kuzan had also mentioned that Kaido once had a third commander who died in battle against Moria. Enraged, Kaido had wiped out Moria's entire crew.
"Coming for me, huh?"
Leno picked up the sword from Gion, slinging it over his shoulder with a grin.
"I'll go meet him for a little sparring."
Leno glanced at Kazanbo's Den Den Mushi, raised a hand, and said to Gion, "Tell your people to report his location."
Without waiting, Leno grabbed Kuina, and in a flash, leaped into the air.
[Wind's Blessing]!
Leno stepped on the air, soaring tens of meters up and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Wait! You won't escape me so easily!" Gion gritted her teeth, watching them vanish. She wouldn't make the same mistake Kuzan had.
"Have the scouts report Jack's location!" she ordered before kicking off the air herself with Geppo, rapidly chasing after them.
Kazanbo and his men stood dumbfounded.
"What are you waiting for? Move!" he shouted.
"Right away!" they snapped out of it, using Geppo to follow suit.
The Rokushiki were still popular among many Marines for their practicality. At least knowing one or two techniques was common for officers.
Those who couldn't use them could only rely on Bon Chari to get around.
Up in the air, wind swirled around Leno, propelling him forward at high speed, even while carrying Kuina. Despite the velocity, Kuina remained unbothered by the wind.
Looking down curiously, she saw the Sabaody Archipelago's bubble houses passing beneath her like matchboxes.
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the scout reported Jack's movements.
From their height, Leno soon spotted the hulking figure of Jack moving below.
Suddenly, Leno dropped down, landing on a massive red tree branch. He could see Jack clearly now, moving steadily toward them.
There were no settlements nearby, making it a perfect battleground.
"Jack! Let's have a warm-up session, shall we?"
Leno handed Dragon Sparrow to Kuina. Seeing her confusion, he smiled. "I'll handle this one."
He stretched, his powerful muscles rippling as he prepared.
It had been half a month since Leno began merging with his Gluttony Demon King talent. His body was becoming stronger, filled with an intoxicating power that made him feel bloodthirsty and wild. Many warriors lost themselves in this power, becoming slaves to it.
But Leno's will was unwavering.
In an instant, Leno leaped down, landing in front of the towering figure of Jack.
"Huh?" Jack stopped, looking down at the man standing twenty meters away.
"Who are you?"
"You were looking for me, weren't you?"
Leno gazed calmly at Jack.
Jack, still young, wore nearly the same outfit he would in ten years. His tall, muscular frame was draped in a fur coat. His blond hair, tied back in a ponytail, had two braids on the sides. A metal jaw covered his mouth.
"So, you're Leno, the leader of the Hunter Guild, the one challenging the governor-general, huh?"
Jack's gaze narrowed.
"Challenge?" Leno chuckled.
"Is that what Kaido calls it? Seems like Kaido himself wants to meet me."
Indeed, the whole sea saw Leno's upcoming fight with Kaido as a challenge. But to Leno, it was much more. Kaido had ruled the New World with brute force for far too long.
Leno stood amidst the wreckage, surveying the destruction caused by the battle with Jack. The air around him hummed with tension as the onlookers, from the infamous Doflamingo to the flamboyant Tezolo, remained at a respectful distance. The clash between Leno's pure strength and Jack's monstrous power had left the battlefield in ruins. Jack, who had boasted about the might of his fish-man bloodline, now lay embedded in a mangrove root, defeated and unconscious.
The Sabaody Archipelago had witnessed many fierce battles, but none like this. The spectators had been expecting a close fight, especially since Jack was one of the super rookies favored by Kaido. But Leno had crushed all expectations.
Gion, who had been watching the fight closely, could barely mask her surprise. The battle hadn't been decided by Haki or any of the advanced techniques common to the New World's top fighters. It was a contest of raw power, and Leno's punch had settled it.
The crowd murmured among themselves.
"A human, suppressing Jack without using Haki?" one of them whispered.
Another replied, "Even though Jack's a giant grouper fish-man of massive stature and his strength is legendary, he couldn't handle Leno's sheer physical might."
As the dust settled, Doflamingo's signature laugh echoed through the crowd.
"Fuffuffuffuffu... looks like this little human is full of surprises," he commented, though his grin didn't hide his wariness.
Even he knew better than to provoke someone who had just bested one of Kaido's elite in pure strength.
Leno shook his head, unimpressed. "One hundred thousand times the strength of a human, Jack?" His voice rang out, clear and firm.
"Is that all?"
Jack had given it his all, transforming into his Mammoth form, an ancient Zoan type known for its overwhelming power and size. The transformation had been terrifying, shaking the earth with every step, but even that hadn't been enough.
Leno had remained rooted, unmovable, his strength growing more intense with each passing moment. Now, he stood victorious, brushing dust from his fists as if the fight had been nothing but a minor inconvenience. The crowd of onlookers was stunned, realizing that they had vastly underestimated him.
"Super rookie Jack of the Beasts Pirates, defeated!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, breaking the tense silence.
The news would spread quickly, and soon, everyone from the World Government to the Seven Warlords of the Sea would know about the man who had bested one of Kaido's most powerful men without breaking a sweat.
"Is he a swordsman or a monster?" a bewildered voice asked.
Leno eyes locking onto Doflamingo. For a moment, it seemed as though another fight might break out, but Doflamingo simply smirked, turning his back and vanishing from sight. The others quickly followed suit, none of them eager to test their strength against Leno.
With a final glance at the wreckage around him, Leno turned his attention inward. The familiar system prompt sounded in his mind:
[Ding! You defeated the opponent: Jack. Scanned talents include Fish-Man Bloodline (S level), Mammoth Zoan Form (Fourth Level), Fish-Man Muscles (S level), Fearless Heart (S level), Armament Haki (A level), Observation Haki (A level), Short Sword Mastery (A level), Fish-Man Karate (B level)... Please choose a talent.]
Leno sighed, unimpressed. Despite Jack's fierce reputation and his raw physical power, none of his abilities seemed worth absorbing. The Zoan fruit had limited development potential, and while Fish-Man Karate was powerful, it wasn't something Leno needed. He had already far surpassed Jack in terms of raw strength, even without Haki.
He waved the prompt away, uninterested for the moment. There would be more battles, more enemies, and more opportunities to grow stronger.
The wind blew across the battlefield, carrying with it the whispers of those who had witnessed the fight. Leno's reputation would grow, whether he cared about it or not.
As he walked away, leaving the defeated Jack embedded in the mangrove, Leno's mind shifted to the next challenge. The Grand Line was full of dangers, and somewhere out there, his true opponents were waiting. But for now, he had proven that even in the face of overwhelming strength, his power stood unmatched.
And the world, from East Blue to the New World, was starting to take notice.
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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