Seeing Robin's posture, Leno knew he wouldn't get any peace tonight unless he explained everything clearly.
Since things had come this far, there was no point hiding anything. He simply told them the truth about Monkey D. Luffy.
"What? That loudmouth who keeps shouting about becoming Pirate King? Him, the Sun God?"
Nami, Kuina, and the others had all met Luffy before. They still remembered Leno fighting Luffy's grandpa back then.
And that was precisely why they reacted so strongly—some even looking outright baffled.
Mainly because associating a radiant, divine image with that little brat felt… wrong on every possible level.
"You all met him? Then what kind of person is he?"
Their reactions made Robin curious. What had this "chosen one" done to elicit such expressions—and even a hint of disdain?
Nami curled her lip, resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she let out a sigh.
"An idiot, plain and simple."
"If he is the Sun God, then the fate of the 'D' clan is in real trouble."
Her tone was filled with helplessness. With a Marine hero as a grandfather, Luffy could've walked a shining path as a Marine—one so smooth it would've been practically paved in gold.
And yet he refused all that, insisting on becoming Pirate King instead. If that wasn't idiotic, what was?
After mercilessly roasting Luffy, Nami caught sight of a certain beautiful Marine woman. Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she leaned in with a wicked smile.
"Hey~ Hina, your Marine Vice Admiral Garp is pretty famous, right?"
Feeling the girl nudging her repeatedly with an elbow, Hina suddenly felt a sense of unease for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
Still, she decided to answer seriously.
"Vice Admiral Garp is one of our Marine veterans. Not only is he powerful, he's also a hero of the Marines."
"I see. Well… that makes things complicated, doesn't it?"
Nami let out an exaggerated sigh, though the grin tugging at her lips made it clear she was enjoying this far too much.
Those who knew her—Nojiko and the others—exchanged strange looks. They knew she was up to something again.
But they also knew she wasn't malicious, so they simply let her continue.
Hina, unaware she was being led into a trap, followed along in confusion.
"Is there a problem? Hina is curious."
"It's just… the 'Sun God' I mentioned? He's actually Vice Admiral Garp's biological grandson."
"And that big idiot said he'll be going out to sea as a pirate soon. So tell me—what's a Marine grandpa supposed to do when his grandson becomes a pirate?"
Nami stared wide-eyed at Hina, eagerly waiting for her shocked expression.
And she got exactly what she wanted. Hina's body trembled as she took a step back, disbelief filling her eyes.
"No way… is everything you said true?"
She turned toward Leno, lips trembling, clearly seeking confirmation.
Vice Admiral Garp was practically the Marines' last shining symbol. Their reputation was already scraping the bottom. If this symbol got tarnished…
And the man responsible was sitting right in front of her—and also happened to be her man.
But that didn't stop the shock from hitting her hard. The Marines' situation at sea was already dire.
Meeting her gaze, Leno gave a helpless nod, confirming Nami's words.
Hina's last bit of hope crumbled. She shut her eyes, trying to calm her turbulent emotions.
"Well… don't worry too much. The Marine top brass will handle it. For them, this isn't a big issue."
What issue? The Admirals, the Fleet Admiral, and all the high command already knew Luffy's identity. Didn't stop them from slacking off or turning a blind eye whenever needed.
But Leno didn't say that. He respected Hina's belief in her own sense of justice.
He simply pulled her into his arms and comforted her gently.
Hina hit him a few times in frustration, looking up with teary eyes full of blame.
It was his fault—the Marines' morale had just been punched in the gut. But she couldn't really blame him either.
After all, it was the Marines who had taken his family hostage first. They weren't exactly in the right.
Still, not satisfied, she bit him—hard.
"Ah—!"
"What are you, a dog? Why are you biting me?!"
The soft warmth in his arms had been distracting, but the sudden sting snapped him right back. She'd really gone all-in.
Nami, who had been giggling moments ago, stopped immediately. She'd meant to tease Hina, not get force-fed a serving of couple's affection.
Seeing Hina's voluptuous figure pressed against Leno, then comparing it to her own still-developing curves, Nami felt suffocated.
Seriously?! So she's more developed—big deal!
And Leno, that idiot—what's with his obsession with big ones?! Small ones can be cute too!
Sulking, she returned to the table and started shoveling food into her mouth. She occasionally whispered a few things to Carmen, doubt flickering in her eyes.
She'd been eating that "bust-enhancing diet" religiously… why was there still no effect?
"Grrr—"
Someone's stomach growled.
That finally reminded everyone—they hadn't eaten all night.
Not their fault though. Every revelation tonight had been more shocking than the last. Their minds were too fried to think about food.
Once things settled, hunger finally kicked in.
Hina pulled away from Leno, cheeks burning as she sat down, not daring to raise her head.
Feeling everyone's glances—curious or amused—only made her hands tremble as she held her utensils.
Eventually, dinner ended. Just when Hina thought she could finally breathe again, Leno opened his mouth.
"Hina is leaving tomorrow. Who knows when we'll meet again? I'll stay with her tonight."
"W-wait—no!"
Thinking about Leno's… stamina, Hina's expression collapsed. She hurried to refuse.
But before she could finish, Leno had already picked her up.
He nodded to the others, then vanished with her into the night.
"That shameless pervert! Rogue!"
...
Aboard the Gale, on the second floor…
"Maybe we should stop… Hina is still sore…"
"Be good. Just kneel like this…"
"..."
"..."