Seeing the ugly expressions on the faces of the surrounding crowd, Leno innocently spread his hands.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm just stating the facts."
"Shut your mouth! No one will think you're mute if you stop talking!"
Whitebeard finally couldn't take it anymore and roared angrily at Leno.
Right now he deeply regretted it. Picking a fight with this brat just for a few crates of wine was truly a terrible decision!
Seeing that Whitebeard was about to lose his composure, Leno blinked his clear eyes and hid to the side, muttering quietly.
"Fine, I won't say anything. Why are you getting so worked up..."
"Mr. Leno, please say a little less..."
Beside him, Jinbe quickly tried to persuade him, afraid that a fight might break out at any moment.
He was also speechless. In the past he had never noticed Leno's mouth being this irritating.
But the moment he came to the Whitebeard Pirates, it was like the two sides were destined to clash.
While the Whitebeard Pirates were still feeling miserable, the atmosphere aboard the Gale beside them was extremely cheerful.
Like welcoming a hero, everyone escorted Yamato back onto the ship, laughter and cheers constantly ringing out.
This only made the members of the Whitebeard Pirates feel even worse! The looks they gave the adventurers were incredibly complicated.
Occasionally someone couldn't help but want to say something, but their companions beside them shook their heads and pulled them back.
What could they say? Their side had lost in a fair fight.
If they continued to make trouble, the only ones who would lose face when the news spread would be the Whitebeard Pirates themselves.
On the deck of the Gale, after the girls checked Yamato and confirmed she wasn't seriously injured, they moved on to the next arrangement.
Kaya and Monet revealed their abilities and flew into the air, beginning to prepare the battlefield for the next sparring match.
Their powers were somewhat similar, both belonging to ice and snow types, making it easy for them to refreeze the shattered ice.
This scene attracted curious looks from the Whitebeard Pirates, and Leno once again felt that greedy, possessive gaze.
Turning his head, it was indeed that big black fat man again.
Did that guy really think his actions were well hidden? Staring so openly at these precious fruit abilities?
Was it because he had suddenly seen so many Devil Fruit abilities at once that he could no longer restrain himself?
After enduring for so many years, it must have been quite difficult for him.
Leno sneered and withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention. The dead didn't deserve too much of his energy.
After the two women finished repairing the battlefield, Kuina's figure flashed and appeared on the field.
The sharp aura rising from her body began to resonate with the sword-like presence belonging to the Whitebeard Pirates.
The fierce clash in Yamato's battle just now had made the blood in her body boil after a long time.
Her heart was already itching for action, hoping that today's opponent would allow her to fight to her heart's content.
Moments later, a tall figure wearing a cloak and a top hat stepped out from the crowd.
With several leaps, he landed not far across from Kuina.
The newcomer was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division, "Flower Sword" Vista.
Looking at the young figure across from him, Vista couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The adventurers were truly a group of monsters. Each member was incredibly young, yet unbelievably powerful.
Previously he had only heard rumors, but witnessing it in person was far more shocking.
Just by sensing her aura, he could tell that the girl's strength was formidable. Today's battle would probably be difficult.
For someone so young to have reached this level of swordsmanship... he couldn't imagine how she had trained.
Feeling the restrained yet ready-to-erupt aura from the other side, Vista's two rapiers suddenly left their scabbards.
Kuina held her pink blade, her eyes calm like a still ancient well, yet seeming to contain thunderous power.
The two silently confronted each other, but their auras were already clashing through the air, causing the surrounding airflow to slow and grow heavy.
The noise of the spectators abruptly stopped, even their breathing slowed slightly as everyone's attention was drawn to the two figures in the field.
In the next instant, the two figures moved at the same time.
With the ice beneath their feet shattering, the sword and blades moved so fast they left afterimages as they collided in midair.
Clang!
A harsh, piercing sound rang out. The high-frequency vibrations made people's bodies tremble involuntarily.
Kuina gripped her blade with both hands, crossing it against the two rapiers.
Feeling the force transmitted through the blade, her expression changed slightly. In raw strength, the opponent was stronger than her normal state.
Creak... creak...
As sparks scattered, the grating sound of blades grinding together made people's teeth ache.
Both of them twisted their wrists and forced the other away, then rushed toward each other again at an even faster speed.
As the blades swung, they seemed to tear through the air, producing waves of humming sounds.
Clang clang clang!
In the blink of an eye, the two had already clashed dozens, even hundreds of times.
The sound of blades striking never ceased, sparks occasionally flying everywhere.
Seemingly sensing the difference in strength, Vista increased the attack frequency of his twin rapiers, while Kuina's figure continued to retreat.
Until at a certain moment, a sweeping pink slash abruptly halted the advance of the rapiers.
"Enough!"
With a sharp shout, Kuina held her blade horizontally and slightly raised her chin as her golden eyes suddenly lit up.
Golden wings slowly unfolded behind her, and the aura around her body surged dramatically.
"Oh? A Devil Fruit user?"
Standing not far away, Vista raised an eyebrow and looked at Kuina's new form with interest.
The moment he noticed Kuina's change, his rich combat experience made him immediately retreat.
Without knowing the opponent's ability, it was better to adopt a cautious fighting style.
However, Kuina didn't give him much time to think. With a swing of her arm, another pink slash flew out instantly.
At the same time, she stomped heavily on the ice, her figure disappearing from the spot and arriving before Vista almost simultaneously with the slash.
The blade flashed with a cold light as it slashed diagonally downward, forming an X-shaped attack together with the earlier slash aimed at Vista.
"So fast!"
Vista's expression changed slightly. His twin blades moved in alternating rhythm, shattering the slash and immediately meeting Kuina's blade.
Clang!
But the moment their weapons collided, Vista's expression changed again.
Her strength was far greater than before!
Was this fruit ability really capable of boosting the body this much? It nearly caught him off guard.
Although he quickly made adjustments, he was still forced back several steps by Kuina's strike.
This scene immediately caused an uproar among the already worried members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Th-This is cheating!"
"Exactly! They're competing in swordsmanship. How can she use a fruit ability?"
"That's totally unfair!"
...
...