Just as the island was about to enter a new round of battle, the people aboard the Gale were still immersed in the shocking scene they had just witnessed, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
After seeing the enormous mushroom cloud rise abruptly from the island, along with that blazing white light brighter than the sun itself, everyone felt their minds and bodies trembling, their legs nearly giving way.
The violent shockwave that burst outward from the island caused their ship to sway violently, even from such a great distance.
They were already far away, yet it was still like this. It was hard to imagine what kind of terrifying power those on the island were actually enduring.
Mikita, Vivi, and the others aboard the ship could barely keep their footing, instinctively leaning against the railing, their hands gripping it tighter and tighter.
"W-What… what just happened?"
Vivi swallowed, her voice dry and hoarse. It sounded like a question, yet also like she was talking to herself. Her eyes were filled with shock and confusion.
Looking at the distant island, which looked as if it had been plowed over from end to end, turbulent waves surged in her heart.
It made her doubt—was this level of destructive power really something humans could achieve?
Yet the facts were right there in front of her, leaving no room for disbelief.
So just how strong were Leno and the others? Every time she thought she had already grasped their limits, they shattered her understanding all over again.
As if suddenly remembering something, Vivi hurriedly turned to Olga beside her and asked in a slightly anxious tone:
"Huh? That was him going all out?"
Olga, who was tightly hugging her father's arm, looked as though she had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
She stared at Vivi with an exaggerated expression, as if to say: Are you kidding me?
"Isn't… isn't it?"
In Vivi's view, someone capable of causing destruction on that scale was already more than worthy of Leno's reputation.
But judging from Olga's attitude, Vivi suddenly wasn't so sure anymore. Still, she couldn't even imagine what it would look like if he were any stronger than this.
Olga curled her lips in disdain. Even though she had never seen Leno fight at full power herself, she had seen scenes far more terrifying than this.
"A small scene. Just a warm-up."
Hearing Olga toss out those words so casually, Vivi was left utterly dumbfounded. What was she even saying?
Vivi felt like her brain was starting to malfunction. She knew every word Olga had said, yet when they were put together, they somehow stopped making sense.
Seeing Vivi's over-the-top reaction, Olga sighed helplessly.
"You still haven't noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
Looking at Vivi's confused little expression, Olga slapped her forehead, speechless.
Is this princess really that dense? She usually looks so sharp—how did she freeze up at such a critical moment?
"Haven't you realized that up until now, Leno has only used a single ability?"
"You should remember, he has three Devil Fruit abilities. Just imagine what it would look like if he used all of them at once."
Vivi sucked in a sharp breath. This time, it finally clicked.
She had been so stunned by the unprecedented spectacle earlier that she hadn't even thought about that angle at all.
Now that Olga mentioned it, she remembered—Leno also had that resounding title: Thunder God.
She clearly recalled that when Leno caused that massive commotion earlier, he hadn't even used any Devil Fruit abilities yet.
Once that realization hit her, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.
He was already this terrifying without using any abilities—if all three came out at once…
She didn't even dare to imagine it anymore. Now she finally understood why everyone on the ship called him a "monster" and a "total freak." She had to admit, the descriptions were painfully accurate.
She shifted her gaze back to the island, now partially shattered, thick plumes of smoke rising everywhere—a clear sign of how intense the battle had become.
Looking at that ferocious, scale-covered figure, she couldn't help but worry about her close friends on the island. She could only hope he wouldn't go too hard on them.
Compared to the peaceful calm aboard the Gale, the battle on the island had already reached a fever pitch.
After transforming into the dragon-man, Leno's reaction speed, strength, and defense had all increased dramatically, forcing everyone else to go all out and use every trick they had to surround and attack him.
Trapped in the middle, charging left and right while constantly enduring all kinds of attacks, Leno looked just like a stage boss being swarmed by countless players in a game.
All sorts of dazzling skills were being hurled at him nonstop, as if they were determined to finish him in one decisive burst.
Yet despite how chaotic it looked, the coordination was extremely clear—some focused on direct offense, some on restraining him, and others on distracting his attention.
The various weapons formed from musical notes that Uta summoned caused Leno no small amount of trouble. Those weapons seemed to carry a strange power that could interfere with the mind.
The clouds Nami controlled occasionally dropped bolts of lightning, but they didn't even scratch Leno's skin, causing her to curse him as a freak over and over again.
Kaya, transformed into a snow woman, finally managed to summon a raging blizzard to attack Leno. But with a true dragon tail sweep, the terrifying shockwave from his tail directly dispersed her blizzard.
Carmen, who had previously been thrown away by Leno, had also returned. Relying on the paper wings on her back, she hovered in midair, preparing to use "Rain of Pear Blossoms" on him. (T/N: where is Nico Robin?)
Leno took in all of his companions' performances and nodded inwardly, feeling they had done enough.
With that thought, he swung his blade to force Kuina and Nojiko back, then followed up with "Sweep the Thousand Armies," a massive slash that directly blasted the two of them out of the battle zone.
Next, his figure appeared in front of Yamato, and he brought his blade down in a powerful cleave!
Yamato raised her kanabo to block, but the overwhelming force crushed her to one knee. The ground beneath her instantly shattered and collapsed, forming a massive crater.
The violent shockwave forced the others nearby to retreat. Just as Yamato was about to launch a counterattack, Leno's figure vanished.
At the same time, Carmen, who was still in midair, was startled by Leno suddenly appearing in front of her. Before she could react, Leno extended a finger toward her forehead.
A crisp flick echoed out. Accompanied by a scream, Carmen's figure disappeared once again.
In the distance, Nami, who was crouching low while looking for cover, suddenly froze. Staring at the shadow in front of her, she stiffly raised her head.
What awaited her was the same single finger.
She forced a smile that looked worse than crying and said in a dry voice:
"Y-You big idiot… can you be a little gentler? I'm scared…"