On Leno's side, he was a little surprised to see Hancock and Jinbe suddenly make a move to protect Robin and the others.
Hancock's actions were understandable, but as for Jinbe, he had never had any dealings with him, not to mention the tens of thousands of people who had just landed.
Even now, he was completely bewildered as to who was helping him. However, now was not the time to think about such things.
Across from him, Aokiji and Kizaru coordinated seamlessly, their attacks complementing each other as they tried to pin him down.
"Eternal Freeze!"
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Leno's body was instantly frozen in place. A moment later, a storm of golden light bullets rained down, engulfing the spot where he stood.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Explosions roared. Ice mist and smoke billowed across the plaza.
"Big brother!"
From atop the platform, Aileen's terrified cry cut through the chaos as she saw her brother swallowed by the violent blast.
Then, from within the icy haze, came a calm, teasing voice.
"Hey, hey—what a scary attack! Almost hurt me there!"
Whoosh!
Aokiji's frost spread rapidly along the ground, creeping toward Nami and the others. Leno's blade swung in a clean arc.
Crack! Crack!
A massive rift tore through the plaza, splitting the battlefield in two. He stepped forward toward the two Admirals.
Aokiji's eyes narrowed as he noticed something strange—Leno was walking directly over his frozen domain, yet completely unaffected. Then he realized why.
Leno's feet weren't touching the ground at all. Each step hovered just above the ice, electric arcs flickering beneath his soles to hold him suspended.
"This guy…"
"Scaaarry~ 'Thunder God' really lives up to the name! He's pushed his Fruit ability this far!"
Even Kizaru sounded rattled.
Leno, however, looked utterly calm. Since awakening his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he could manipulate lightning with casual precision. Electromagnetic levitation like this? Mere child's play.
He cast a reassuring glance toward Aileen on the platform before turning back to the two Admirals.
"Listen, you two—we can keep this up all day, but it won't get us anywhere. How about you let my people go, and we walk away? No need to keep fighting. It's pointless for both sides."
The Admirals said nothing, faces grim.
Below, Akainu rose from his seat, fury twisting his features.
"Damn criminals… You think Marine Headquarters is a playground?!"
Glaring at the slaughter raging among the Marines below, he raised both magma-coated fists high.
"Go repent in hell! Meteor Vol—"
"Falling Thunder!"
BOOM!
A blazing white lightning bolt crashed down before Akainu could finish, detonating where he stood. The magma general rolled aside, smoke trailing from his shoulders, eyes blazing as he glared at Leno.
"You damned bastard! I was going to save you for last, but since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll send you on your way first!"
Just moments earlier, Leno's Observation Haki had glimpsed the future—Akainu's impending Meteor Volcano would have annihilated dozens of their new allies. They had come to help him; he couldn't just watch them die. That's why he'd intervened with the thunderstrike.
Kizaru and Aokiji both grimaced. For Leno to interfere with another Admiral's attack right under their noses—an insult they couldn't ignore.
"Scaaarry~ 'Thunder God'! Don't you think that's a bit rude?" Kizaru called mockingly.
Before Leno could answer, Akainu was already on him, magma fist blazing.
"Great Eruption: Red Lotus Bite!"
Leno raised his blade to block, but before the clash could land, Aokiji's cold voice rang out—
"Ice Ball."
A freezing gust swept past. Leno's body froze solid just as the molten fist smashed into him.
BOOM!
Shards of ice exploded across the square.
The Admirals held their ground, not daring to relax. Moments later, sparks crackled among the scattered ice fragments.
Zzzz—
Leno reformed in a burst of lightning, unharmed, his eyes now sharp and focused.
"Ara ara… Logias really are troublesome," Aokiji muttered, ruffling his hair with irritation.
Behind Leno, Kizaru's voice grew serious. "Scaaarry~ So that's the rumored dual-fruit power, huh?"
The three Admirals shifted into a triangle formation, surrounding him. The air thickened as their combined killing intent locked on.
Crack… crack…
Leno adjusted his grip on his sword, tilting his head with a faint smirk. Armament Haki coated the blade in black gloss as his aura flared.
"Let's see then—whether the Marines' top three powers are really as legendary as they say!"
Whoosh!
Before the words even faded, Leno vanished. He reappeared before Akainu, blade cleaving down.
Clang!
A magma-arm hardened with Haki caught the strike. Before Akainu could counter, Leno blinked away—then struck at Aokiji.
Clang!
Then again at Kizaru. Lightning flashed, steel screamed. The plaza erupted with shockwaves, winds howling outward. No one could get close.
To see one man holding off all three Admirals alone—the sight made Sengoku's expression twist with rage. The Den Den Mushi receiver in his hand creaked under his grip.
"That damned brat! We took our eyes off him for one moment, and now he's this strong!"
"If we can't bring him down today, the Navy's pride will be worth less than the dirt beneath our boots!"
He clenched his teeth. All three Admirals tied up. The Vice Admirals were struggling against Leno's crew. The Marines' rank and file still hadn't recovered from his Conqueror's Haki—and the waves of mercenaries were cutting through them like a storm.
"I'll handle it."
Garp's gravelly voice broke the chaos. The old hero stood, his expression darkening. He couldn't just sit and watch any longer.
As Garp rose, a flicker of red flashed in Leno's eyes.
"So… the old man's finally moving."
He'd been waiting for this opening. A grin curled at his lips.
From the start, his plan had been to strike the platform in a lightning-fast rescue. But with both Sengoku and Garp stationed there, he'd been forced to hold back.
Now, with the battlefield in chaos and his allies tying down the Admirals, that chance had finally come.
High above, Garp's booming voice thundered through the plaza.
"Leno, brat! Let this old man see how much you've grown!"
"Galaxy Impact!"