The warship's speed had already been pushed to the limit.
But even so, it would still take time to reach Amazon Lily.
"Faster!!"
Sengoku stood at the bow, roaring anxiously.
He was terrified something might happen to Kujaku. She was his old friend's granddaughter.
If anything went wrong, he had no idea how Tsuru would blame him.
That sense of helplessness drove him nearly mad. All he could do was rage uselessly aboard the battleship.
Meanwhile, the battle in the waters near Amazon Lily had grown increasingly intense.
Both Leno and Akainu were top-tier powerhouses. A clash between them would never be decided in a short time.
Never underestimate the stamina of the monsters in this pirate world.
The longer they fought, the more shocked Akainu became.
Only now, truly facing Leno in battle, did he fully grasp the man's strength.
It seemed he had misunderstood Aokiji before.
"So Aokiji being heavily injured by a single move… wasn't an act after all…"
Blocking Leno's attack, Akainu felt a chill in his heart.
"This brat is ridiculously strong… I should've stepped in to help him that day!"
He believed that if he had spoken up for Leno back then, the Navy's hawkish faction would have gained a formidable general.
But there were no "what ifs."
Had he fought Leno at Marineford, he would have realized even more clearly—
In just these short days, Leno's strength had grown again.
Leno, of course, had no idea what Akainu was thinking. He simply continued attacking relentlessly.
That said, compared to Aokiji, Akainu's strength was indeed more overwhelming.
The most offensive Devil Fruit wasn't a lie.
The Ice-Ice Fruit leaned more toward control; in terms of pure destructive power, it truly couldn't compare to magma.
"Great Eruption!"
"Hound Bite: Crimson Lotus!"
Akainu's assault showed no signs of weakening.
If you regret something, then just kill the one who makes you regret it—no more regret.
While dealing with Akainu's attacks, Leno also spared part of his attention to observe the others' situations.
Fortunately, things seemed to be going well.
Two years ago, Tashigi, Kujaku, Ain, and the others had been fairly mediocre.
They were far inferior to Domino, Robin, and the others who had followed Leno, received his personal guidance, and been instilled with vast knowledge.
Domino and the others weren't in much trouble.
Leno's greater concern was Little Alice.
At this moment, Alice had already entered her full Siren form!
She hovered in midair, tall and graceful.
That wasn't important.
What mattered was that her crimson lips parted slightly, releasing an ethereal, melodious song.
Centered on her, the sound spread outward like ripples.
As a Siren, song was her power.
This was no ordinary melody. Though not as powerful as the Song-Song Fruit, it was far from weak—after all, Sirens possessed more than just their voices.
Leno could clearly feel it.
Upon hearing the song, his spirit lifted, and his reactions and strength subtly increased.
Obviously, this was a powerful buff for allies.
On the Navy's side, however, the song sounded like demonic whispers invading their ears.
Some ordinary Marines noticeably slowed down after hearing it, their eyes glazing over briefly.
A few even began drifting unconsciously toward Alice.
Clearly, it was a potent debuff against enemies.
Even Tashigi seemed somewhat dazed.
And Alice was still young—she had only obtained her fruit a few days ago.
One could imagine the value of that Devil Fruit.
"Good job. You didn't disappoint me."
A flicker of praise passed through Leno's eyes—
But Akainu noticed it.
"Damn you, Leno!!!"
A surge of humiliation flooded him.
What the hell did that mean? He dared to lose focus while fighting him?!
"You dare get distracted?! You think I'm made of clay?!"
"Hell Hound!!!"
Enraged, Akainu's punch came swift and vicious.
A blood-red magma hound roared forth, jaws wide open, carrying a scorching aura that seemed capable of incinerating everything as it lunged straight at Leno's face!
Faced with the violent strike, Leno calmly raised his hand.
Clenched his fist.
And struck back.
"Annihilation of All Things."
Sorry—this move was just too useful.
Boom—!!!
Amid a thunderous explosion, the Hell Hound was disintegrated by a single punch and dissipated into nothingness.
Seeing Leno once again neutralize his attack with the same move, Akainu's expression turned incredibly ugly.
"Damn it! That move again!!" He nearly spat blood.
No matter how powerful his attacks were, Leno always responded with that "Annihilation of All Things."
The technique was utterly disgusting.
It could attack, defend, and even devour his power to replenish Leno's own.
If this continued, Akainu knew full well—he would lose without question.
His stamina would be steadily drained, while Leno only grew stronger the longer they fought.
By this point, Akainu also realized that this operation had been far too rash.
It was just that Garp hadn't told him what had happened last time when he brought these female Marines along.
Earlier, he had questioned Tashigi and Ain. They had explained.
But Akainu had assumed they were simply speaking up for Leno.
Even in such circumstances, they were still defending him—so Leno must still care about them.
Who would've thought things were like this?
If he and those female Marines died, then so be it.
The problem was…
His precious daughter, Hibari, was here too!!
Every time Akainu thought about his beloved little cotton-padded jacket falling into Leno's hands—
Imagining what might happen—
His heart convulsed painfully.
No.
Not that.
He couldn't accept it!
But now, there was no turning back.
The arrow was already nocked; it had to be fired.
If there was no solution to the problem, then eliminate the person causing it.
Kill Leno here and now, and this predicament would end!
"Red Dog, you don't seem very impressive."
Leno continued attacking while still having the leisure to taunt him.
"Why do I feel like you're even weaker than that ice chicken Aokiji? There's barely any pressure fighting you."
He was fighting seriously—nothing about his actual combat was careless.
But that didn't stop him from running his mouth.
"Fight seriously, Sakazuki."
A wicked smile curled at Leno's lips.
"Otherwise, once I catch Hibari… I'll work a little harder and send you a few chubby grandsons to play with soon."
It wasn't that Akainu didn't know how to trash-talk.
The problem was, he was at a disadvantage. He was agitated and furious—he had no mood for it.
And Leno's words struck directly at his most sensitive nerve!
"Bastard!!! Shut your mouth!!!"
Veins bulged across Akainu's forehead, his eyes bloodshot.
Truly blood-red.
His attacks became even more ferocious.
Talking about having children right in front of him—the father?!
Unforgivable!
He had only one thought now: kill Leno and protect his daughter.
Not far away—
Hibari seemed to faintly hear Leno's none-too-quiet provocation.
A blush rose across her round, youthful cheeks.
Whether it was from the intensity of battle—
Or from that embarrassing remark—
no one could quite tell.
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