A few days later, the renowned "Nation of Love and Toys" in the New World welcomed a group of esteemed guests—adventurers.
When Leno and his crew disembarked and were met with thunderous cheers from the massive crowd, they were completely stunned.
The crewmates all gave Leno strange looks. Had this guy done something legendary here before?
Like at Fishman Island—was he seen as a hero or benefactor?
But to their disappointment, Leno was just as confused as they were.
As everyone stood there, unsure of what to do, a distinctive laugh rang out nearby.
"Fuffuffuffuffu…"
"Doflamingo?!"
Everyone turned toward the voice and immediately recognized him. After all, they'd crossed paths before.
But seriously, what was this guy playing at?
Putting on such a huge display—were they even on such friendly terms?
Although confused, they decided to wait and see what his intentions were.
Not far away, Doflamingo, draped in his iconic pink feathered coat and flashing his pearly whites, strode toward them with a crowd in tow.
"Welcome, Lord Leno and fellow adventurers, to my Dressrosa!"
"Right, I remember now—you're a king too, aren't you?"
Standing beside Leno, Hancock glanced around before speaking up, then gave Doflamingo a look of realization.
If not for the familiar scene in front of her, she would've forgotten that this man had another identity.
"Indeed, and I'm grateful the Empress still remembers~" After a polite compliment, Doflamingo turned to Leno and spoke respectfully:
"Lord Leno, you must be weary from your journey. I've prepared a banquet in your honor to welcome you—please, grant us the privilege…"
Leno raised an eyebrow, silently watching Doflamingo.
Only when sweat began to bead on Doflamingo's forehead and his grin faltered did Leno finally nod slightly.
"…Very well. Lead the way~"
"Please, this way, quickly~"
Seeing Leno finally relent, Doflamingo was overjoyed. He quickly gestured with a welcoming hand.
At the same time, he discreetly wiped his sweat, secretly cursing in relief.
'This damn monster is terrifying!'
Only when standing face-to-face with Leno could one truly feel the pressure—like a hand gripping your throat, as if your head might fly off at any moment!
Taking a deep breath, Doflamingo hurried to Leno's side, enthusiastically introducing the local customs and sights.
"Since it's your first time here, Lord Leno, you absolutely must—hm?"
He was abruptly interrupted by two figures in white appearing out of nowhere.
Frowning, he looked at the two CP agents, unsure why they were showing up now.
Weren't they supposed to let him handle everything? Why were they butting in?
"CP0, what are you doing here?"
The two agents ignored Doflamingo and instead knelt on one knee before Leno. From their robes, they retrieved a document and held it high above their heads.
With the utmost reverence, they declared, "Lord Leno, this is an official document jointly signed by the Five Elders, offering to induct you as a new World Noble!"
"???!!!"
The crowd exploded in disbelief, stunned by the earth-shattering announcement.
He—he was going to become a Celestial Dragon?!
How could that be? Weren't Celestial Dragons a hereditary title?
Could they even recruit new members like this?
Despite how absurd it sounded, it had clearly just happened right before their eyes!
Even Leno himself found it ridiculous, unable to fathom what those five old men were thinking.
He knew that recruiting new Celestial Dragons wasn't unheard of, but he never expected it would happen to him.
He stood in place for a moment, then gave a small smirk and asked with interest, "Any conditions?"
"My Lord, you would need to visit the Holy Land at a later date to formally accept the position…"
"I see~" Leno habitually rubbed his chin, the curve of his lips widening and his eyes turning playful.
"Sure, I accept!" He casually took the document and began to toy with it, then added, "I'll drop by Mary Geoise when I get the chance."
"Uh…" The kneeling CP agents hesitated. Their orders hadn't mentioned a specific timeline for when he had to report to the Holy Land.
In their minds, becoming a Celestial Dragon was the highest possible honor. Shouldn't he report immediately?
But under these circumstances… what were they supposed to do?
Urge him? They didn't dare! No matter their position, they wouldn't dream of questioning a Celestial Dragon's decisions.
Just as the two agents were at a loss, Leno's icy voice dropped down from above.
"Is there a problem?"
"N-No, not at all…"
Shivering at the absolute cold in his tone, the two agents collapsed into a full kneel, frantically shaking their heads.
Leno looked at them with disdain and waved them off.
"Then scram."
"Y-Yes, sir…"
Only after the two CP agents disappeared did the commotion resume—and then came the sound of a hundred people dropping to their knees.
In a blink, everyone except Leno's group was bowing.
"Congratulations, Lord Leno, on becoming one of the world's rulers—a Celestial Dragon!"
"Fuffuffuffu…"
Leno glanced at Doflamingo, whose face had stiffened despite still forcing a congratulatory smile.
His gaze turned meaningful before he said with a teasing grin:
"What, just congratulations? Why not kneel for me too?"
"..."
At that, Doflamingo's laughter cut off instantly, his lips twitching uncontrollably.
'This bastard is trying to humiliate me!'
When Doflamingo didn't move for several seconds, Leno lost interest and waved dismissively.
"Forget it. Let's move. I'm hungry."
Without waiting for a response, he took the lead, striding down the red carpet.
Behind him, Nami quickly caught up, reaching out eagerly for the document.
"You big dummy, where's that paper? Hand it over—I want to see what this is all about!"
"Fine, fine… it's just a piece of paper, what's so exciting?"
Annoyed by her fussing, Leno rolled his eyes and tossed the document her way.
Even now, he couldn't figure out the reason behind all this.
But he wasn't worried. Whatever moves they made, he'd deal with them head-on.
As long as he didn't have to face that mysterious monster Im, he feared no one!
…
…