Facing their pleading gazes,
Sengoku simply turned his head slightly, avoiding their eyes.
His face remained expressionless, clearly tacitly agreeing with Akainu's proposal.
Compared to Hibari and Kujaku—whose importance was far-reaching—
Ain, Tina, and the others… were indeed expendable bargaining chips.
As for Zephyr…
That wasn't important.
Could he really be more important than Tsuru?
Besides, one was a granddaughter, the other merely disciples. The difference was obvious.
Seeing Sengoku's silent approval,
The last trace of color drained from Ain, Tina, Tashigi, and the others' faces, leaving them deathly pale.
They looked at each other.
In each other's eyes, they saw the same despair.
And something else…
A mocking realization.
Almost simultaneously, they forced out bitter smiles—more painful than crying.
"So… that's how it is… We should have realized earlier…"
In the eyes of the true powerholders,
People like them—without background or connections—
Were nothing more than disposable chess pieces.
And now they finally understood why Leno had chosen to leave the Navy.
Wasn't it obvious?
And now…
It was their turn to taste that bitterness.
They almost felt like they understood Leno's feelings.
Leno: Pfft. Understand my ass.
The changes in their expressions didn't escape Leno's notice. He found it rather amusing.
"Tsk, tsk… what a colorful show," he thought with a grin.
Blue, white, red—
Even Sichuan opera face-changing wasn't this smooth.
Standing beside Leno, Domino and Hancock looked at Sengoku and Akainu with undisguised contempt and disgust.
Domino snorted coldly.
"As expected. A Navy capable of driving Lord Leno away is rotten from top to bottom."
Hancock glanced at Sengoku and Akainu as if they were garbage.
This was the Navy?
Even she, a pirate, felt superior.
At least she wouldn't abandon her comrades so easily.
"Truly revolting behavior."
Right now, she even felt that being a Warlord of the Sea was an insult to her identity as a pirate.
Leno's other crewmates felt even more sympathy for him.
A Navy like this didn't deserve their captain.
Even Kujaku and Hibari hadn't expected that—
To save them,
Akainu and Sengoku would make such a decision.
Their reactions didn't escape the two men either.
But knowing they were in the wrong, neither tried to explain.
Right now, Hibari and Kujaku's safety mattered more.
Everything else was irrelevant.
When Leno still hadn't responded,
Akainu grew increasingly anxious.
Every extra second meant another second of danger for his precious daughter.
Unable to hold back, he asked again in a low voice:
"Leno! Are you trading or not?!"
What none of them expected—
Not Akainu,
Not Sengoku,
Not even Hibari or the others—
Was Leno's answer.
Without hesitation, he spat out two words.
"Not trading."
"Nani?!" Akainu's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had never expected Leno to refuse.
In his mind, trading a group of now-worthless female Marines for two crucial hostages—
Was a profitable deal.
And Leno had no reason to refuse.
Two for four!
Leno should be making a killing!
How dare he refuse?!
"You… you refused?!"
A surge of humiliation and anger rose within him.
Damn it—if you were going to refuse, why not say so earlier?!
Why waste his time?!
Akainu demanded angrily:
"Why, Leno?!"
Not only him—
Even Ain, Tina, and the others who had been offered as bargaining chips felt a strange mix of humiliation and anger after their initial shock.
They wanted to question Leno too.
Why refuse?!
Were they not worthy?
Four for two—and still not valuable enough?
In what way were they worse than Hibari and Kujaku?
Their figures? Looks? Strength?
If Leno knew what they were thinking, he'd probably be completely confused.
What kind of logic was that?
Objectively speaking—
Ain, Tina, Tashigi, and the others each had their own charms and abilities.
They were not inferior to Hibari and Kujaku.
But Leno simply refused.
So what?
The initiative was in his hands.
Looking at the grim expressions of Akainu and Sengoku—and the complicated gazes of Ain and the others—
Leno had his own calculations.
Keeping them inside the Navy was far more valuable than taking them away.
Much better than trading for a few useless people he'd have to feed.
Today they had personally experienced what it felt like to be abandoned by Akainu and Sengoku.
Once they returned to the Navy—
Even if fear kept them from speaking openly—
This incident would remain like a thorn buried deep in their hearts.
They would inevitably develop intense resentment toward the Navy.
Especially toward Akainu and Sengoku.
"Waste not, want not," Leno thought.
"Let them stir some internal discord."
Besides, what good were good looks alone?
The two hostages he held were far more valuable.
Not everyone could make Sengoku and Akainu hesitate like this.
Whether his small scheme would work remained to be seen.
First, they had to survive and return.
Of course—
What Leno could think of, Sengoku—the Navy's strategist—could also understand.
Would Sengoku and Akainu have the resolve to silence these witnesses to protect the secret?
Leno was curious.
Facing Akainu's questioning and everyone's confused gazes,
Leno merely shrugged casually.
With a cocky expression that said I do whatever I want, he replied:
"No special reason."
"I just don't feel like it."
"Got a problem with that?"
Even if they did—
They'd have to swallow it.
With leverage in hand, his words carried weight.
"…." Akainu was momentarily speechless, his face turning red.
Sengoku's gaze darkened further.
Leno's refusal made the atmosphere even more tense and oppressive.
The air seemed filled with gunpowder—
Ready to explode at any moment.
However—
All of this was being watched from afar by Blackbeard.
If they started fighting now, it would be fantastic news.
"Zehahaha!!!"
Blackbeard chuckled excitedly through his telescope.
"Come on! Fight! Turn the world upside down!"
He desperately wanted Leno and the Navy to tear each other apart.
The more chaotic the battlefield—
The greater his chances of stealing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
But he waited.
And waited.
The tension kept rising, yet neither side made the first move.
Blackbeard waited until he was practically bored to death.
His patience wore thin.
"Damn it! A bunch of cowards! Just start fighting already!!"
His expression twisted with irritation and cruelty.
Since they wouldn't fight…
"Then I'll step in and give them a push!"
The tension in the air was already explosive.
All it needed was one spark.
And Blackbeard intended to provide it.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/CanonBreaker