The night was dark, the space around shimmering under the pale light of the moon.
A small red glow flickered, followed by the scent of burning tobacco. Leno's finger, wrapped in Armament Haki, was the source of that glow, creating friction with the air, igniting a cigarette without any external flame.
Much like Sanji's Black Leg, the heat generated by the concentrated Haki was enough to produce fire. For Leno, this was a trivial task. The cigarette he held wasn't for him, though. He had bought it at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, a place where you wouldn't leave unless you bought something, no matter how overpriced.
He never smoked, but this one was for Rayleigh. Although, in a twist of fate, Leno was now the one puffing on it.
The bright ember flared as he exhaled, his mind settling with each breath.
"Call..." He exhaled slowly, letting the smoke drift lazily in the air. The bright flame dimmed slightly, and the tension around him loosened. He finally felt some peace.
With a nonchalant flick, Leno handed the cigarette over to Gion, who accepted it with a grin. She took a deep drag, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"You think that'll convince me?" she teased, exhaling smoke with a chuckle. "You're still far from beating me."
Leno smirked, "Who surrendered first last time, huh?"
Gion grinned, "Care to try again?"
Without hesitation, Leno responded, "You said it!"
Gion tossed the cigarette aside, her gaze sharp as she leaned closer, almost daring him. "Let's see who gives up first this time."
The tension between them crackled in the air, but neither backed down.
Morning came, with the first rays of sunlight bathing the hot spring hotel in a warm glow. Kuina woke up to her usual routine, ready for breakfast before diving into her daily training.
Stepping outside, she spotted Leno and Gion sitting at a table in the hotel lobby, sipping coffee together.
"Good morning, Leno! Good morning, Admiral Gion!" Kuina greeted cheerfully, noticing something unusual—Gion wasn't in her usual attire. Instead, she was dressed casually in fitted sleeves and trousers.
"Good morning, Kuina," Leno replied, looking quite refreshed.
"You two seemed to have had quite the chat last night," Kuina observed, raising an eyebrow.
Leno, with a satisfied grin, responded, "Oh, we had a very productive conversation. A deep exchange of ideas, you could say."
"Huh? Really?" Kuina blinked in surprise. She wasn't one to get too involved in personal relationships, much like Zoro. To her, people were either friends or enemies—no in-between.
However, she couldn't help but notice Gion's appearance. "Vice Admiral Gion, it looks like the corner of your mouth is hurt… were you really just talking?"
Gion smiled softly, her hand instinctively lifting to cover the bite marks on her neck and the faint bruising on her lips.
"Oh, we talked plenty," she said with a sly smile. "Turns out Leno and I get along quite well."
Underneath the table, her long legs kicked lightly at Leno, hiding her embarrassment behind her cup of coffee.
Their battle of wills the previous night had left them both with plenty of "souvenirs," as it were.
Gion might be a Vice Admiral, but even her resilient body had its limits after last night's intense sparring. Every movement brought a dull ache—though, with her strength, it was manageable.
As for Leno, he wasn't much better off, though he recovered faster thanks to his robust constitution.
After breakfast, Leno spoke up, "You'll be training with Vice Admiral Gion for the next couple of days, Kuina."
"Where are you going?" Gion asked, eyeing him curiously.
"I'm heading off for some special training of my own. I need to be in top form to face Kaido."
This time, Gion didn't press for more details or insist on watching over him every second. Kuina, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
As Gion led Kuina away for her own training session, she called back, "Let Leno be for now. No need to keep an eye on him."
"Eh? Why not?" Kuina asked, clearly puzzled.
"I've already spoken with him and understand why he's here in Sabaody. He won't cause any trouble. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility," Gion explained calmly.
The Marine officers around them were visibly impressed by Gion's efficiency. It wasn't often that someone of her rank would handle things so smoothly.
"Wow! Vice Admiral Gion really is amazing!"
"Yes, she's not only strong but also wise!"
"I knew we could count on her!"
As they praised her, Gion's expression darkened slightly.
"Quit standing around and go catch some pirates!" she barked, sending the officers scrambling.
Leno, now free from Gion's watchful eye, wasted no time. Heading straight for his appointment with Rayleigh.
Reflecting on the previous night, he found his mind clear, the tension he'd been holding on to gone.
"Seems like holding it all in really is bad for the mind and body," Leno mused, his spirits lifted.
As he rode, he opened the system's prompt log.
[Ding! You have successfully defeated your opponent. Scanning... Obtained: Armament Haki (S level), Sword Dance (S level), Observation Haki (S level), Seimei Kikan (S level), Rokushiki...]
Leno couldn't help but smile. Gion was truly a formidable opponent.
"Not bad at all," he murmured, his gaze focused on the horizon ahead.
In Marine, becoming an Admiral wasn't just about personal strength. One needed group attack capabilities and tactical prowess.
"If Gion could obtain a strong Logia-type Devil Fruit, she might even be able to take Kuzan's place," Leno mused.
As Leno considered the possibilities, a nagging thought crept into his mind. Sakazuki, with his relentless push to destroy the Hunter's Guild, was bound to cause trouble. If he were to ascend to the position of Fleet Admiral, Leno knew that the Guild would be one of his first targets.
"But if Gion could become Fleet Admiral, it would split Marine's power and weaken Sakazuki's influence," Leno thought, strategizing his next move.
He was already working to build alliances within Marine. Gion's rise could pull key figures like Garp into his orbit, strengthening his position.
"Choose a talent," the system urged.
Leno's eyes narrowed. "Sword Dance," he said confidently.
With the confirmation, his mind was flooded with the essence of this deadly yet graceful form of combat, blending swordsmanship with fluid, dance-like movements.
[Ding! Talent copied: Sword Dance.]
A beautiful vision of a swordswoman appeared in his consciousness, her blade slicing through the air in elegant arcs. "This will pair well with my existing skills," Leno thought, feeling the knowledge of Sword Dance embed itself into his muscle memory.
Suddenly, the system beeped again. [You have similar talents. Do you want to fuse them: Sword Heart, ...., Double-Bladed Swordsmanship, and Sword Dance?]
Leno smirked. "Fusion."
[Please select a primary talent for evolution.]
There was no hesitation. "Sword Heart," he declared, knowing that it was his core strength, the talent he'd honed for years.
As the talents fused, an aura of power surged through Leno. A kaleidoscope of light spun in the system panel, melding the four talents into something new and far more potent.
[Fusion successful: You have obtained the talent "Master of the Sword (SS level)".]
Leno's grip tightened on his sword as a sense of unity between him and his sword washed over him. The system's description was clear—Master of the Sword allowed his kendo power to multiply, enhancing his swordsmanship two hundredfold.
"Perfect," Leno thought, just as a group of pirates blocked his path, sneering with weapons drawn.
The pirate leader grinned maliciously, brandishing a sword. "Hand over everything of value, or we'll cut you down, brat!"
Unfazed, Leno eyed the group, his fingers lightly resting on the hilt of his sword, Dragon Sparrow.
"Perfect timing," he muttered. "I'll try out my new talent on you."
With a fluid motion, Leno's sword was out of its sheath in a flash, the blade glowing with a blinding light. Before the pirates even realized what was happening, a torrent of razor-sharp slashes tore through the air, cutting them down in an instant.
Blood sprayed, and silence followed.
The pirate leader, who had been so confident a moment earlier, froze in terror, his bravado evaporating. He stared at Leno, eyes wide with fear, before collapsing to the ground unconscious, unable to process what had just happened.
Leno sheathed his sword, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Power doubled... not bad," he murmured, glancing at the system panel to check his new talent's stats.
With his abilities now at their peak, Leno felt ready to face anyone—whether it was Kaido, the Four Emperors, or even the Celestial Dragons.
Later, Leno met up with Rayleigh at their arranged meeting point. To his surprise, Buggy was there too, looking unusually serious.
"Eh? Buggy, are you here for special training too?" Leno asked with a smirk, clearly teasing the red-nosed pirate.
Buggy puffed up his chest indignantly.
"Hey! Don't underestimate me! I was part of the Pirate King's crew, after all!" He jabbed his thumb at himself.
"I've got dreams too, you know!"
Leno raised an eyebrow. "Dreams? You?"
Buggy crossed his arms, a proud grin on his face. "That's right! I'm gonna gain enough power to make the Hunter's Guild work for me! And then, I'll take down Shanks and the Four Emperors! One Piece will be mine!"
Leno chuckled at Buggy's delusions of grandeur, but there was something endearing about his ridiculous confidence. Even so, Leno's thoughts were elsewhere—focused on the battles to come, on Rayleigh's training, and on the long, dangerous road ahead.
------------
+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
Unlock exclusive access to more fanfic chapters and support my work by joining me on Patreon! Your support helps bring your favorite stories to life!