"What the hell is this woman playing at…?"
Leon frowned deeply.
He truly couldn't understand how Buggy could be so affectionate last night—
then suddenly act like this the next morning.
"Is she… testing Nami and Zoro?"
Last night, Leon talked a lot about the meaning of companions.
Buggy clearly showed some resistance to that concept.
If she suddenly tied him up this morning,
then there was only one explanation—
She was testing them.
Aside from that, Leon couldn't figure out any logical reason for her behavior.
"What do we do? Should we save him?"
Hidden within the crowd, Nami and Zoro were secretly observing everything.
"Let's not. We barely even know him."
Nami folded her arms.
"We can sell the host van, split the money, and go our separate ways."
"You're right. Helping him isn't worth the risk." Zoro nodded.
"Buggy has so many underlings. Going up there would be suicide."
"I, Nami, am not doing anything stupid."
"I'm not either."
The two exchanged a glance—
then turned around and quietly slipped away in opposite directions.
"Three minutes till execution."
Buggy raised three fingers.
Leon swallowed.
Not from fear, but from anticipation.
Even if Buggy really meant to kill him—
none of her men could.
His Level 2 Damage Absorption could withstand five tons of continuous force.
Not five tons of muscle—
five tons of damage.
He could sit there and let people hammer him for minutes and come out unhurt.
Besides, if things truly got dangerous, he definitely wouldn't sit still and wait.
He just wanted to see:
Would Nami and Zoro come?
Would they rush in to save him?
One minute passed.
Buggy lowered one finger.
Two minutes left.
Another minute passed.
Buggy lowered the second finger.
One minute left.
"Those two really aren't going to come…?"
Leon muttered, slightly disappointed.
Buggy began a dramatic countdown.
Thirty!
Twenty-nine!
Twenty-eight!
…
Eighteen!
Seventeen!
By the time she reached ten, Leon prepared to break free himself.
When she reached three—
Just as Leon was about to act—
A figure suddenly leapt out from the east.
Nami.
Leon's eyes lit up.
"They came…!"
But while he felt joy rising in his chest—
he couldn't help feeling a bit worried for her.
Then—
Another uproar erupted from the opposite side.
Zoro had arrived too, holding a thick stick in each hand.
"Didn't you leave?"
"Didn't you leave too?"
The two women confronted each other right in front of Leon,
and the first thing they did was question each other.
"I'm so touched! You really came to save m—"
"SHUT UP, YOU SCUMBAG!" Nami yelled.
"SHUT UP, YOU PERVERT!" Zoro snapped.
Leon froze.
So they clearly overheard what he and Buggy talked about last night.
Especially that one line—
"We were sweating buckets last night!"
Any adult would understand what that implied.
"They really came."
Buggy finally stood up.
She stared down at Nami and Zoro,
eyes filled with a strangely complex emotion—
a mixture of surprise, nostalgia, and something softer.
The crowd swarmed around Nami and Zoro.
Nami was already overwhelmed, barely defending herself.
Zoro, on the other hand, was unstoppable—
fending off attackers while shielding Nami with one hand.
"That green-haired woman is insane! Who is she!?"
Buggy's men stared at Zoro in shock.
Her baseball bats swung with savage strength—
one hit was enough to send someone flying.
"I remember now!
She's Zoro—the biker gang maniac!"
The crowd collectively gasped.
Nami took advantage of the momentary chaos,
rushed to Leon, and quickly untied him.
"Thanks!" Leon said as he stood up—
then immediately pointed upward.
"Alright. You. Get down here."
"Oh?"
Buggy smirked meaningfully and slowly descended the steps.
She took just two steps toward Leon—
And Leon suddenly lunged forward—
Wrapped his arms around Buggy—
Pulled her into a full embrace—
And, in front of everyone, smacked her firmly on the butt.
"You little maniac—trying to trick me?"
"My companions didn't abandon me.
Satisfied now?"
Buggy blinked, stunned for half a second—
before her lips curled into an unreadable smile.
"You've redefined what a companion is, that's for sure…
But I can't go with you yet."
"I still have things to take care of.
When I'm done, I'll come find you."
"Oh—right."
Buggy paused.
"Didn't you say you wanted to become the Host King?"
"Beishan City is holding a Host Tournament soon."
She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear.
"If you're confident—
you should enter."
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T/N:
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