Leno fully supported Aileen and her little team.
He believed that with a group of childhood friends by her side, Aileen's journey ahead would be much smoother.
After officially appointing the captain and vice-captain of the "lord's Squad," Leno launched into a fiery, impassioned speech.
Fueled by his grand promises, the young members' eyes blazed with excitement—they could barely wait to become warriors who fought for their "lord."
When he finally finished feeding their dreams with a final round of inspirational talk, Leno declared the meeting over with great satisfaction.
Just as he turned back toward his deck chair to continue sunbathing, Robin, Kuina, and the others surrounded him.
"Leno, we've been on Skypiea for quite a while now. Isn't it time to set sail again?"
"Yeah. A while back, you used Nami's lessons as an excuse, but you can't keep fobbing us off forever."
Seeing their eager expressions, Leno froze for a moment. He realized he'd been indulging himself lately and hadn't considered their feelings.
"I was about to bring that up," he said, scratching his head. "There's not much left for us to do here. Let's prepare for a few days and then leave—continue our voyage."
"Really, Leno? That's great! We can go sailing again!" Yamato shouted, nearly jumping into the air.
Leno raised a brow at her. "What's wrong, getting tired of Skypiea already?"
"A little! It's beautiful here, sure, but I want to see the world outside too—and I still need to get stronger."
Her wide, determined eyes shone as she spoke. Skypiea was wonderful, but lately even the Sky Island Guard refused to spar with her. Life had become boring.
When the warriors of Amazon Lily joined the guard some time ago, Yamato had immediately gone to challenge them—but they didn't take her lightly.
Instead, they swarmed her in groups, their Armament Haki–coated arrows raining down like a storm.
Even Yamato had been overwhelmed in the end and had no choice but to retreat.
She had sparred with Leno a few times recently, but he always held back—afraid of destroying what few islands Skypiea had left.
Because of that, Yamato had started avoiding training with him altogether.
"Alright then," Leno said finally, "everyone go prepare. We'll set sail in one week!"
He turned to Hancock and Kaya. "You two ready? Especially you, Hancock—make sure everything on Amazon Lily is in order."
"I'll leave the final arrangements to Merry," Kaya replied.
"Rest assured, Lord Leno. I already told them I would be going to sea with you and have already made the necessary arrangements."
Seeing that both were prepared, Leno turned to Nami and Robin. They nodded with gentle smiles.
Over the following days, they kept their upcoming departure a secret to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Preparations for supplies and coordination were quietly handled between the Sky Island Guard and Amazon Lily's warriors. Everything proceeded smoothly.
Before long, the day of departure arrived.
At the edge of the White Sea, the Sky Island Guard and Aileen's "Lord's Squad" stood in formation, gathered to see off their "lord."
Belle-Mère and her family were there as well. Beside the Gale, she gave her two daughters some final words of advice.
Nearby, Amazon Lily's warriors—including Sandasonia, Marigold, and Elder Nyon—were bidding Hancock farewell.
Leno looked down at the two red-eyed girls before him and gently patted their shoulders with a smile.
"Not bad—you've both got the look of captains now. And you too, Aileen—you're not the little crybaby you used to be."
He turned to Aisa. "You're doing great too. Keep working on your Observation Haki. When you're older, I'll build you both a big ship—so you can lead your crew and conquer the seas yourselves."
That last part backfired instantly—before he could even finish, the girls burst into tears.
They flung themselves into his arms, voices trembling. "Brother, we don't want you to go!"
Though they'd only been together for a few months, Aisa truly felt Leno's kindness. She adored him like a real brother, and parting now was unbearable.
Leno chuckled softly and wiped away their tears.
He really did see them as his little sisters. He'd often trained Aileen and Aisa personally, telling them stories of the sea to inspire their growth.
"Come on, no more tears. You're captains now—don't let your crew see you crying," he said, then straightened his face, his tone suddenly serious.
"Lord's Squad! Listen to my command!"
"While I'm gone, you must fully cooperate with the Sky Island Guard. Maintain order and protect the safety of Skypiea!"
"Can you do that?!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Their voices rang out like the roars of young tigers—still immature, but already showing fangs of ambition.
"Set sail!"
Leno's cloak fluttered as he turned and strode toward the Gale.
"Goodbye, everyone! We'll be back again!"
As the ship lifted off, Yamato, Chopper, and the others leaned over the railing, waving excitedly at the massive crowd below. None of them had ever been sent off with such grandeur before.
"Farewell to the Lord!"
"Farewell to the Lord!"
"Farewell to the Empress!"
...
Time flowed by. This time, Leno's crew passed directly through the Calm Belt, heading straight toward their interrupted route—the South Blue.
During this period, Kaya had fully recovered under Chopper's careful medical care and had grown accustomed to life at sea.
Since the death of her parents and her own long illness, she'd resolved to study medicine.
So, from the moment the voyage began, she had sought out Chopper as her teacher.
Under Leno's playful encouragement, Chopper couldn't resist the constant flattery of being called a "genius doctor." Before long, he was hopelessly hooked.
Perhaps it was a bit manipulative, but hey—they were all crewmates. If he didn't fall for it, who else would?
Besides, with a student as eager as Kaya, Chopper was secretly thrilled to play the role of teacher.
Everyone was happy.
As they entered the South Blue, the Gale switched from "flight mode" to riding the waves, chasing the wind and sea once more.
"Hey, Leno! There's an island ahead—come quick!" Yamato shouted from the bow.
The ship burst into excitement. Everyone rushed to the railing to look.
"Whoa! That island's huge!"
"Hey, what's with that tree? It's enormous!"
"Wait—is that a tree or an island?!"
As they drew closer, the towering tree at the island's center became more and more awe-inspiring.
Suddenly, Chopper pointed to the sky in horror and shouted,
"Look! What is that?!"