In Skypiea—
Cocoyasi Village had been relocated beside Angel Island, and Kaya's villa was placed next to the village by Leno himself.
Nami arrived on Angel Island accompanied by a large group of elderly scientists. Seeing the island's breathtaking scenery, the old men flailed their arms like excited children.
Leno had assumed that, since they were all from the sky, these scientists must have visited this particular Sky Island before—but apparently not.
This part of the sky was far higher in altitude, and with the thick sea of clouds covering it, it was almost impossible to spot with the naked eye.
So, Leno had no choice but to assign some guides for this group of "elderly children," leading them around to sightsee across the island.
The last time Nami came here, her eyes had been filled with nothing but gold. This time, she finally had the leisure to enjoy herself.
She grabbed her close friend Kaya, who was still awestruck by the floating scenery, and pulled her off to explore.
As for Cocoyasi Village's relocation, Leno went right back to being a hands-off boss. After giving his orders, he returned to Amazon Lily with Hancock.
—Amazon Lily, Royal Palace Hall—
Facing Hancock's sisters and Elder Nyon, Leno spoke seriously.
"I plan to have a group of warriors from Amazon Lily join the patrol and guard forces on Skypiea," he proposed. "That way, the Sky Island natives can become familiar with Amazon Lily sooner, without misunderstanding or fear."
"Also, the number of people living in Skypiea has increased lately. The patrols are stretched thin. Having Amazon Lily join in would be the perfect support."
Seeing Elder Nyon deep in thought, Leno continued,
"My goal is for everyone to manage Skypiea together. After all, this island will be our home from now on."
When he finished, the hall fell silent.
Leno glanced around in exasperation.
Sandersonia and Marigold kept glancing back and forth between their elder sister and Elder Nyon, clearly waiting for one of them to make the decision.
And Hancock—she was even worse. She had completely zoned out, gazing dreamily at Leno's serious face, utterly oblivious to his words.
Feeling his gaze, Elder Nyon cleared her throat, glanced at Hancock—whose eyes were sparkling like peach blossoms—and then at the two clueless younger sisters.
She sighed deeply. So in the end, it's still up to this old woman to keep things together.
After a short pause, Elder Nyon nodded. "This proposal is in Amazon Lily's best interest. I have no objections. Besides, since Amazon Lily is now part of Skypiea, it's only natural."
Having said that, she still turned toward the current Empress.
"Snake Princess, what do you think?"
"Eh? Cough, cough…" Hancock snapped back to reality, cheeks flushing crimson. She coughed lightly, then looked at Leno with starry eyes.
"Of course… I, I agree with Lord Leno's proposal," she said shyly. "And this is entirely beneficial to Amazon Lily, isn't it? Lord Leno, you've done so much for me—I can never repay you…"
…
Once the matter was settled, Leno left Hancock behind on Amazon Lily and returned alone to Angel Island.
As Empress, Hancock would have a much easier time selecting candidates. Her influence there was unmatched.
Back at the temple, with no one else around, Leno summoned the elder of Cloud Village and Gan Fall, instructing them to construct a trading market.
Both the Blue Sea and Sky Island residents were fascinated by each other's goods, so Leno decided to create a space where they could trade freely.
After giving his orders, he realized just how little there was for him to do now. He'd practically become a divine mascot—a "lord" in name only.
A sweep of his Observation Haki told him that Nami and the others were relaxing at the White Sea beach. Nami, in particular, had found herself a new toy—the Waver—and was having the time of her life.
A flash of lightning flickered, and Leno appeared on the soft, fluffy beach. Kaya noticed his arrival and hurried over.
"Mr. Leno, you're here!" she greeted politely.
Seeing her still acting reserved, Leno gently patted her head. "Didn't I tell you? You don't have to be so formal. Just call me by name."
"O-okay, Le… Leno." Kaya's face turned pink as she lowered her gaze, heart pounding wildly. She had never been this close to a boy before.
"So, how is it here? Are you settling in?"
Hearing his question, Kaya's eyes lit up. "Yes! It's so beautiful here—I love it!"
"Brother~ heehee…"
Just as Leno was about to speak again, Aileen's cheerful voice echoed from afar.
He looked up to see her running toward him, hand-in-hand with a little boy.
"Huh? A blond kid?"
At that moment, Leno felt… complicated. Like an old father watching the daughter he'd raised finally get "snatched away" by an outsider.
Aileen stopped before him, pushing the "boy" forward excitedly.
"Brother, this is my new friend, Aisa! You don't know how amazing she is!"
"Aisa?"
Leno studied the small figure carefully—a child with light brown hair under a head wrap, big round eyes, and a soft, babyish face.
Wait, isn't she the girl born with Observation Haki?
"Greetings, Lord!" the little girl said eagerly, bowing in excitement.
Leno crouched down, patting her head with curiosity. "Aisa, are you living in Cloud Village now?"
"!!!"
"You—you know me, my Lord?" she stammered in awe.
"Of course," Leno said with a faint smile. "I also know you can hear things happening far away, right?"
Naturally, he wasn't some creep using Observation Haki to spy on residents—he simply knew things...
And someone born with innate Observation Haki? He'd be a fool not to… recruit her.
Aileen pouted, a little disappointed. "What, you already knew? I wanted to surprise you!"
Aisa, meanwhile, was frozen in reverent awe. "Lord really is all-knowing and all-powerful!"
Looking at the little girl's worshipful eyes, Leno thought for a moment, then said gently, "Aisa, how about moving to the temple and living here with Aileen? Would you like that?"
Noticing her hesitation, he added, "Don't worry. You can talk to your family first and get their permission. You'll still be able to visit home anytime—and you'll have Aileen with you."
Hearing that, Aileen practically jumped for joy. She grabbed Aisa's hand and spun around.
"That's great! Aisa, we can play together all the time now!"
"Ah? Oh! Ohhh~" Aisa blinked dreamily. The idea of living in the temple—being near the "lord" every day—felt surreal.
"Come on, Aisa, let's go ask your family! I'm sure they'll say yes!"
As the two little girls ran off into the distance, Leno stood silently for a moment.
"If Aisa has already appeared… then why hasn't Enel shown himself yet?"