Leno, who had been very quiet, suddenly spoke up, leaving everyone both surprised and curious.
It was just a simple question; why such a strong reaction?
Looking at everyone's confused faces, Leno could only give a bitter smile. He couldn't exactly tell them that Cobra's question had nearly cost him his life.
He turned to Cobra, who also looked puzzled, and said with certainty, "What you want to ask isn't just about Queen Lily's whereabouts, is it?"
At those words, Cobra's expression changed drastically. He seemed about to speak, but Leno cut him off.
"Have you ever considered that the question you're asking might get you killed?"
"Maybe you've already accepted the idea of dying. But what about your country? What about Vivi?"
The more Leno spoke, the more serious he became. Finally, he shifted his gaze to Vivi, who was already frozen in place.
"Sheltering a princess with the bloodline of one of the Twenty Kings… the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise would be very interested."
"You know what they're like. There's nothing they wouldn't do."
Silence fell instantly. Cobra's eyes trembled violently, and his body shivered from the fear slowly sinking in.
He hadn't thought that far. He had only wanted the truth—how had this suddenly become about Vivi's life?
After a long, suffocating moment, Cobra finally regained his voice, though it came out shaky.
"L-Leno… perhaps things aren't as serious as you think?"
"Besides, during the Reverie, with so many nations gathered… they can't just openly kill me, can they?"
"…How long has it been since you last dealt with the World Government?"
Leno stared at the king like he was an idiot, unable to believe this man had kept his throne for so long.
At this moment, he genuinely wanted to crack Cobra's skull open just to see what was inside.
Did he think everyone sat down and talked things out politely like him?
Please. This was Mary Geoise—the home nest of the Celestial Dragons. Even if they killed him in front of everyone, who would dare speak up?
Seeing Cobra's confusion, Leno could only sigh in defeat.
"Let's assume something for a moment. Just assume."
"Assume that you're killed by the Five Elders, and someone witnesses it. What do you think that person will do?"
He looked around the room for everyone's reactions.
"Run, obviously! As far as possible! And never tell anyone what they saw!"
Nami and Chopper chimed in without hesitation. If someone weak stumbled upon a world-shaking secret, of course they'd be scared of being silenced.
Leno spread his hands with a see? that's exactly it expression.
"But he's a king. If he dies mysteriously in Mary Geoise, how would the World Government explain it to the other nations?"
Vivi still looked doubtful. It was the World Government—how could they possibly do something so monstrous?
For the naïve girl who had never witnessed their darkness, Leno turned the question toward Robin.
"Robin. Tell her what happens next."
"Next, the World Government will pin the crime on some wanted criminal with a known identity, then increase their bounty."
Robin didn't even need to think about it. She knew their methods all too well.
"No way…"
The princess's worldview was shattering. She muttered blankly, unable to process it.
Seeing that his point had sunk in, Leno cleared his throat and continued:
"And here comes the main part. Since the king would already be dead, and to prevent any leaks, do you think they'd spare his close relatives?"
"Everyone, guess: what kind of fate awaits a fallen princess of noble blood?"
"A slave."
Hancock answered before anyone else, her face pale, her voice trembling with rage and fear.
Leno immediately pulled her into his arms to soothe her, knowing her childhood trauma had resurfaced.
On the other side, Vivi's legs had gone weak. Her face was completely drained of color.
Everything everyone said overturned her understanding of the world.
She had never imagined a king's life and death could be handled so carelessly. Even if this was only a hypothesis… something in her heart told her that this was exactly what would happen.
Seeing the father-daughter pair crumble into silence, Leno sighed inwardly. Poor family. But perhaps… also lucky. Lucky that they had never been touched by the true darkness of the world.
"King Cobra. Listen to me—stop chasing after Queen Lily's name or the meaning of the 'D'."
"The consequences are beyond anything you can bear."
"You… you, you…"
Before Leno could finish, Cobra shot up from his seat like a bolt. He pointed at Leno with a trembling hand, utterly speechless.
Who was this man? How did he know exactly what Cobra was thinking? As if he knew everything.
Was this… the power to foresee the future? A Devil Fruit?
The thought struck him like lightning. He stared at Leno in horror and stammered:
"So everything you just said wasn't a hypothesis… but the fate awaiting Vivi and me in the future?!"
"Huh?"
"Nani?!!!"
Everyone jumped to their feet in shock, dishes clattering to the ground unnoticed. All eyes locked onto Leno.
Even Nami and Nojiko stared intensely, trying to see something—anything—in him.
Thinking back to everything before:
Places he had never visited, yet acted familiar with.
People he had never met, yet recognized instantly.
Secrets no one should have known, yet he spoke as if reading a script.
They had always known Leno had secrets, but hadn't cared. Everyone had secrets.
But after Cobra's words… it all made sense.
If Leno could foresee the future, then everything aligned perfectly.
Everyone's expressions shifted as they recalled their first meeting with Leno—the strange trust, the instinctive closeness, that unexplainable sense of sorrow…
Without realizing it, some had tears welling up. Some were trembling with excitement. Some stayed silent.
Finally, Robin spoke. Her eyes shimmered with tears, filled with emotions she couldn't describe.
Her voice broke as she asked softly:
"Then… without your appearance… would all of our fates have been tragic?"