Leno opened his drowsy eyes the next morning and stretched his slightly numb arms.
Hina, curled up in his embrace, let out a displeased murmur.
"Don't move, you're pulling my hair."
Her low, sleepy voice carried a lazy huskiness—less commanding than usual, yet somehow even more alluring.
Looking at her adorably pouty sleeping face, Leno chuckled softly and brushed aside a few strands of her hair before whispering by her ear.
"The sun's already up. Time to get out of bed."
"What?!"
Hina's eyes flew open. She instinctively tried to sit up—but the moment she moved, her brows pinched together and she let out a small hiss.
She shot an embarrassed, angry glare at the man beside her. She never should have agreed last night.
Figuring that this was their last chance to meet for a while—and after his endless coaxing—she had softened her heart and agreed to try a new position.
Only for this bastard to immediately unleash an entire set of moves that almost sent her straight to the afterlife.
Taking a deep breath, Hina turned her head away, determined to ignore him. She was never believing another word he said again, especially in bed.
Then—gurgle.
The sound made her snap her head back.
Her movements had been too sudden; the thin blanket had slipped, leaving two snowy expanses fully exposed…
And Leno, the bastard, was staring at her heaving chest and gulping like a starving beast. Hina flushed with rage and embarrassment. This man never had enough, did he?
They'd exhausted themselves for half the night—not that long ago—and now his eyes were red again. What an animal!
She hurriedly yanked the blanket up, only for Leno to sigh in disappointment.
But before long, a large hand drifted over again, accompanied by a tone that tried way too hard to sound sincere.
"Hina, why don't you… leave tomorrow instead?"
"No! Absolutely not! I can't delay any longer!"
She was genuinely afraid. If she stayed another day, she might not even be able to stand up.
Just thinking about all the humiliating positions from last night made her feel hot again. She must have been crazy to cooperate with him…
If anyone ever found out—her, a Marine Rear Admiral, the cold and untouchable goddess of the Marines—acting like that in bed… she'd have no face left to live.
She knew exactly what this bastard was thinking. She was not falling for it again.
Besides, she needed to report to Marine Headquarters soon. She had no reason to stay any longer.
Seeing her firm refusal, Leno's hopes were dashed. He reluctantly got out of bed—though that didn't stop him from sneaking in a few more gropes while he still could.
When they walked into the dining hall, countless eyes turned toward them.
Leno, thick-skinned as always, didn't care. Hina's face, however, instantly turned crimson. She wanted to crawl under the table.
Thankfully, Nojiko stepped over with a gentle smile and guided her to a seat, sparing her from further embarrassment.
Once everyone had gathered, Leno clapped his hands.
"Morning, everyone. So—any plans today?"
"I want to hold a concert here. Is that all right?"
To Leno's surprise, Uta was the first to respond. She wanted to share her songs with the people who had just survived the war—hoping her voice could bring them joy and rekindle their love for life.
"Of course! Everything's handled now. We've got plenty of time—do whatever you like."
"Oh, right—ask Vivi for help organizing it. Her princess status works wonders!"
"Mm! I'll go find her!"
Uta beamed. Sharing her music with the world and bringing joy to others had always been her dream.
Though she normally broadcast her songs through Den Den Mushi, she had never performed face-to-face before.
Thanks to Leno's warnings—and her friends' support—this version of Uta had never fallen into the negative emotions from the Den Den Mushi.
And after witnessing that earth-shattering fight between Leno and Shanks, she now understood her role clearly.
She was a musician, not a world savior. Singing well and bringing happiness—that was enough.
Robin wanted to visit the palace library but said she would still attend the concert.
Meanwhile, after last time's fiasco, Chopper and Yamato were unanimously banned from going shopping alone.
The two felt wronged, but they didn't argue. They had only themselves to blame.
Everyone soon settled their plans—some would stroll around, some would help Uta prepare.
After breakfast, Leno clung to Hina again for a while before reluctantly sending her off.
Before she left, he warned her seriously not to investigate or reveal the information she overheard last night—just focus on her duties.
He had his reasons. He wouldn't be by her side, and if she got into trouble, he couldn't come to her rescue immediately.
Elsewhere—Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
The meeting room was filled with a heavy atmosphere. A closer look revealed that every high-ranking officer wore a dark expression, anger simmering in their eyes.
Bang!
The table shook violently as Akainu slammed his palm against it. His face twisted with rage as he glared around the room, finally locking onto Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Pirates are pirates! Legal or not—what difference does it make? I propose abolishing the entire Seven Warlords system and putting them back on the Wanted list!"
"Calm down, Sakazuki!"
Sengoku shot the furious admiral a black look. If you've got the guts, go yell at the Celestial Dragons instead of barking at me.
Did he not know the risks of the Warlord system? If it were up to him, he would have scrapped it long ago. He didn't need Akainu reminding him.
His gaze swept past the three Admirals before settling on the gathered Marine officers.
"This incident—where a Warlord seized control of a country—has caused a massive uproar. I called this meeting to hear your thoughts."
"I agree. Abolish the Warlords. If there's one, there'll be a second. I doubt this was a coincidence."
Aokiji's sudden, forceful statement drew every eye in the room. None expected the man who always clashed with Akainu to side with him this time.
Thinking back to Aokiji's recent moves, many realized—this wasn't his usual 'Lazy Justice' acting up at all.