"Don't—no—!"
"Kuina, calm down!"
The moment Kuina opened her mouth and agreed to the trial, Chopper and Carmen rushed forward without hesitation. They clung to her legs, wailing like ghosts at a funeral.
Just imagining Leno's terrifying giant dragon form, and that explosively overwhelming "Thunder God" state, was enough to make their scalps tingle.
Facing a monster that horrifying—how was that any different from marching straight to their deaths?
Yet no matter how long they cried and begged, Kuina's resolve never wavered. She had made up her mind to test herself against Leno.
With no other choice, the two of them turned their hopeful gazes toward the others, praying that someone—anyone—would back out along with them.
But to their utter disbelief, after scanning the crowd, they found that aside from the two of them, not a single person responded.
The sight instantly sent a chill through their hearts.
Seriously—are you all insane?
That's Leno we're talking about! The infamous, terrifying, absurdly overpowered freak who makes people tremble just hearing his name!
They couldn't wrap their heads around what these people were thinking. Did they really believe that sheer numbers would be enough to take down that demon king?
Chopper and Carmen exchanged a bewildered look.
What's wrong with this world? Or… are we the ones with the problem?
Look at their attitudes.
Yamato didn't even need mentioning—her eyes were already shining, brimming with excitement. This one simply didn't understand the meaning of fear.
As for Hancock, that went without saying. She listened to Leno unquestioningly. Whatever he said was law to her—no thoughts of her own at all.
What truly caught them off guard was Nojiko. Normally gentle and mild, yet now there was clear fighting intent burning in her eyes.
Most incomprehensible of all was Nami. She was staring at Leno with an unmistakably malicious grin, looking downright pleased at his misfortune.
Has she completely lost it? Does she not know her own strength? The way she looks, it's like she's already convinced they've won!
Mad. Completely mad!
Just as despair began to set in, that devil's voice drifted over once more.
"Alright. Since no one has any objections, the trial will begin after the meal."
"Hey—don't just ignore us, you bastard!"
Carmen and Chopper were furious. This was outright bullying—completely disregarding their opinions.
But Leno knew these two far too well. Hearing their protests, he paused briefly, then continued calmly.
"Vivi and Mikita are newcomers. This trial isn't suitable for them, so they won't be participating."
"As for later, I'll arrange separate training plans for them. For now, stay back and observe carefully."
Turning around, Leno smiled and nodded at the two of them.
That single gesture made Chopper and Carmen green with envy.
"You two really have it good…"
"Damn it, I'm so jealous I could die!"
Vivi and Mikita gladly accepted Leno's arrangement without any objections.
Under Chopper and Carmen's tear-filled gazes of envy, the two women smiled shyly.
They knew very well that, at their current level, this was not a battle they could take part in.
If nothing else, this was a perfect opportunity to observe the fight and deepen their understanding of the others.
Once the participants were decided, everyone began eating. No one spoke, and the atmosphere grew quiet.
Those who would be fighting, however, were stuffing themselves without restraint, storing up energy for the battle to come.
Time slipped by quietly under the tension…
After everyone had eaten their fill, Leno finally rose unhurriedly to his feet. With a casual wave of his hand, the Gale, floating in midair, swiftly flew away from the island.
He turned to glance at the group one last time before his body transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished, leaving only a single sentence echoing in their ears.
"I'll be waiting at the center of the island."
"Hmph—arrogant jerk. This time, we're definitely teaching him a lesson!"
Watching Leno disappear, Nami clicked her tongue in irritation. She quickly turned to the others and suggested,
"Let's discuss our strategy first. We can't let that idiot pick us off one by one!"
"W-Will that even work?"
Chopper timidly voiced his concern, only to be met with a sharp glare from Nami that instantly shut him up.
"Either way, we can't just charge in blindly…"
Nami had been fed up with that bastard Leno for a long time. Today was the perfect chance—an opportunity for payback.
Their side was filled with powerful fighters. She refused to believe that so many of them couldn't take down that idiot.
After some time, once their plan was finalized, they finally arrived at the battlefield Leno had chosen—the island's center.
Seeing that Leno had already been waiting for them, they quickly spread out and formed three groups.
Each group was led by Hancock, Yamato, and Kuina respectively, with three people following behind each of them. They surrounded Leno in a triangular formation.
Leno glanced around, then nodded in satisfaction, a look of approval crossing his face.
"Nice formation."
"Since that's the case, I hope none of you hold back. Go all out."
"Only an idiot would hold back…"
Chopper muttered under his breath from behind Yamato. Going all out against you just means getting beaten senseless—who would be stupid enough to hold back in front of you?
Beside him, Uta nodded in agreement, her expression tense as she stared ahead.
She had witnessed Leno's strength before. Even the famed Shanks had nearly been cut down by him.
Facing someone like that, feeling nervous was only natural.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Leno didn't waste words. He launched instantly—no delay at all—as his Conqueror's Haki surged skyward like a raging tide, engulfing the entire battlefield.
"Buzz—"
Purple lightning filled the air, accompanied by crushing pressure that drained the color from everyone's faces, forcing their bodies to bend unconsciously.
Seeing this, Yamato and the other two immediately released their own Conqueror's Haki, striking at Leno's overwhelming presence from three directions.
Crack—crack—crack—
The four waves of Conqueror's Haki collided and ground against one another, causing the ground beneath them to tremble violently as the very air twisted and warped.
Black and violet lightning erupted alongside rings of white shockwaves, and the suffocating pressure made it difficult for everyone to breathe.
Protected behind the three leaders, the others all activated their Devil Fruit abilities to withstand the immense force generated by the clash of Haki.
Far away, aboard the Gale floating in the sky, Mikita, Vivi, and the others stared at the island as the weather shifted in an instant, their eyes wide with shock.
"What… what is that? Even from this far away, the pressure is still so intense!"
Pointing ahead, Vivi's voice trembled. She felt as though she had heard Pell mention something like this before.
Back then, it was this very state—surrounded by black and red lightning—that had knocked all the rebels unconscious. But she had never known what it truly was.
At that moment, a slightly childish yet oddly smug voice spoke up beside her.
"Oi—that's Conqueror's Haki!"