The grand hall of the royal palace was filled with people, and the atmosphere had become far more relaxed than before. Laughter drifted through the air from time to time.
Nami, Robin, and the others were already in the mood to plan a proper outing. Ever since they arrived in Alabasta, they had barely stopped moving.
Now that all the problems had been resolved, the group was finally free to enjoy some leisure.
King Cobra rose from the main seat, looking at Leno and the rest with deep gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you all for helping Alabasta. Truly—thank you!!!"
From the way he acted, it looked as if he might drop to his knees any second. Yamato, Robin, and the others exchanged a smile, then shifted their attention toward Vivi, who seemed a little dazed.
"Your Majesty Cobra, you're too polite. We only came because Vivi asked us to~"
"And besides, we had our own score to settle with Crocodile. You really don't need to be so serious."
As they teased, Vivi's cheeks blushed scarlet, clearly knowing what they were hinting at. They obviously weren't taking the king's formality to heart.
In truth, even without Vivi, they had every intention of teaching Crocodile a lesson.
But Cobra certainly didn't see it that way.
He understood very well—if not for this group, his country might have already fallen to ruin.
"No, no, no, you can't say that. Without your help, Alabasta might have…"
The royal guards nearby all nodded in agreement. Pell in particular kept sweeping wide, curious eyes over every member of the Adventurers.
Their attitude toward this crew was nothing short of reverent.
He had witnessed that terrifying sight with his own eyes—three figures like demons carved into his memory forever.
And standing among them was the already-famous Captain Leno. The sheer power of this crew was undeniable.
Helping "just because," huh… Crocodile was terrifying, sure—but he was effortlessly crushed by them.
Seeing Cobra so serious, Leno hesitated for a moment, then gently took Robin's hand and spoke.
"In that case, Your Majesty, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Oh? Lord Leno, whatever it is, just say the word. I'll do everything I can!"
Cobra had been agonizing over how to express his gratitude. Hearing that Leno needed his help made him almost relieved—and curious.
What could they possibly need that they couldn't handle themselves?
Leno rubbed Robin's head, smiling as he said:
"As you know, Robin is the last survivor of Ohara. She can read the Poneglyphs."
"So I'd like to ask you to take her to see the one your royal family is guarding."
"What?!"
The moment Leno finished speaking, both Cobra and Robin turned to him in shock.
Cobra was stunned because he couldn't fathom how Leno knew about the Poneglyph at all.
This secret had been protected by generations of Alabasta's royal family—Vivi herself didn't even know about it.
How could an outsider possibly know?
Robin, meanwhile, was shocked simply because there was a Poneglyph here. She immediately turned toward Cobra, her eyes burning with anticipation.
From that gaze alone, she looked as if she wanted to go see it immediately—but ultimately the decision lay with Cobra.
Aside from Nami and the few who knew the story, everyone else stared blankly.
Poneglyph? What was that?
Cobra sighed deeply, his expression complicated as he looked at Robin. He never imagined he would meet someone who could read the ancient script.
"Very well. I can take you."
Then he turned to his bewildered daughter. "Vivi, you should come too. There are things you need to know."
He didn't waste time. Sensing Robin's urgency—barely held back—he immediately declared that they should leave now.
Moments later, before the rest of the group could react, Cobra and the others were already disappearing from view.
Watching their retreating figures, Leno suddenly recalled something: there was another Poneglyph hidden deep in the desert.
But that one was only discovered because Luffy got lost and stumbled upon it. Finding it on purpose would be much harder.
After the king and princess left, Nami and the others couldn't sit still either and excitedly began discussing their plans to go shopping.
Perhaps because Hina would soon be leaving, Leno had intentionally been kept behind—clearly with the idea that he should spend some proper time with the Navy officer.
Seeing how considerate they were, Leno felt warmth blossom in his chest.
To have such wives—what more could a man ask for?
He made up his mind then and there: he would keep Hina company until she was completely satisfied.
When everyone else had left and only the two of them remained, Leno stepped forward, gently taking Hina's soft, smooth hands in his own. He lowered his head, his gaze tender.
"How is it? Getting used to the atmosphere now?"
"You're asking that now? You could've warned me earlier—Hina was dying over there!"
Only now did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. She had been tense the entire time, barely managing to speak.
She, a Navy commodore—who had never backed down even when facing vicious pirates—yet somehow found herself shrinking back before a group of beautiful women.
"You were too nervous. You must've realized already—they're easy to talk to~"
"Yes… Hina noticed your relationships with them. Hina regrets coming now."
Smart as she was, of course she noticed.
This bastard's relationship with those gorgeous women was far too close—especially that empress…
She pulled her hands away and turned her back to him, not wanting to see his "shameless" face.
But Leno, naturally, didn't give her the chance.
He pressed close like a stubborn shadow, wrapping his arms around her slim waist from behind.
He rested his chin on her shoulder, warm breath brushing against her skin and sending tremors through her entire body.
"Once you leave… who knows when we'll meet again~"
"So… Hina, stay with me today. Please?"
Her whole body trembled violently, her ears turning scarlet. The normally stern navy officer's eyes now shook uncontrollably.
Such a bold, direct confession nearly overwhelmed her.
She had long reached adulthood and had seen her share of the world—but she had never experienced anything like this.
These past few days felt like a dream.
Caught in the tidal wave of Leno's fierce, overwhelming affection, she couldn't resist at all.
"…Mm~"
Her voice was soft, faint—barely even audible.
She collapsed weakly into Leno's arms, as if all her strength had drained away.
Leno's eyes sparkled with delight. Without hesitation, he swept her up into his arms and hurried toward his room.
"Y-You! It's still broad daylight—Hina refuses!"
Seeing how impatient he was, Hina finally lost her composure and tried to struggle.
The thought of this man wanting to… do that in broad daylight left her flustered beyond belief.
But by now, Leno wasn't giving her any chance to refuse.
The arrow was already nocked—and it would soon fly.
He kicked the door shut behind him, tossed Hina onto the bed, and lunged toward her like a wild beast hunting its prey…