Observation Haki, Level A!
Leno could clearly feel the new power merging with his body.
He closed his eyes, remaining calm.
What he could "see" became wider and more precise, and the sounds he heard grew more detailed, mixed with many whispers.
Images and sounds flooded his mind like a tide.
For ordinary people, such a barrage would lead to a splitting headache, their spirit and will unable to bear the strain.
But Leno, blessed with Shanks' gifted Conqueror's Haki, combined with the "Fearless" bonus from [Lord of Gluttony], had a stronger will and spirit, capable of withstanding the pressure.
Leno's understanding deepened.
The three kinds of Haki—Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's—weren't separate; they complemented and reinforced each other.
The perception effect of A-level Observation Haki had increased tenfold!
[Spider's Voice], fused with his Observation Haki, not only amplified its power but also expanded its reach. It was no longer limited to spiders—now it included insects.
Leno had heard that spiders aren't technically insects, but in this world of Pirates, distinctions were made differently.
Who cares!
What mattered was that the range of insects was broader than that of spiders.
Leno could now distinguish the voices of various insects amidst the cacophony of whispers.
Mosquito: "Blood, I want blood!"
Fly: "Buzz, fly, buzz!"
Ant: "Food, food, food, find more food for the empire!"
...
Most voices were monotonous and repetitive, lacking in substantial information, and primarily concerned with food. They were all creatures struggling to survive.
Leno was about to tap into his newfound powers when he overheard something intriguing.
"Have you heard? What happened in Ruen's casino!"
"Kuro? The liar?"
Leno raised an eyebrow.
He "saw" two crew members walking across the pier, holding wine bottles, shoulder to shoulder.
"Kuro and his accomplices killed Ruen, ransacked the casino, stole one billion Belly, Dragon Gold, and are now wanted by Marine!"
The crew walked away.
Leno opened his eyes, slightly dazed.
Kuro?
Wasn't he Ruen's right-hand man, the captain of the killer team?
How did it become that Kuro and his accomplices were responsible?
Wait.
Kuro's accomplices—weren't they talking about him, Kuina, and Luwell?
Inexplicably, they had become accomplices?
A hundred counts?
Leno suddenly realized something.
That 25-year-old with glasses?
The captain of the Black Cat Pirates?
Leno rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He quickly pieced things together.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—a scheme where Kuro made the most profit.
"This guy!"
Leno gritted his teeth. It seemed he had unknowingly become Kuro's lackey, tainted with the infamy of being "Kuro's associate"?
No!
He had to regain control!
When Luwell, who had just come back with the money, heard the news about Leno, she was outraged.
"Revenge, we must have revenge!"
"A billion Belly!"
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it for justice!"
Leno thought deeply, then said, "Yes, we're doing this for justice. But where will he hide?"
He stared at Luwell.
"I don't know him well."
Luwell hesitated slightly, then said, "However, I know a few possible hiding places."
She found a map of Glass Ball Island and marked the places she thought Kuro might be hiding.
Leno shook his head and said, "Kuro is known as a hundred plans. If you can think of these places, others can too, and so will he. Is there a place you think is the least likely hiding spot, where no one would search?"
Luwell stared at the map, frowning.
Suddenly, her blue pupils widened as she recalled something, "Yes! Marine Base!"
"Marine Base?"
Kuina was surprised.
"Isn't that too risky?"
Luwell pointed to the Marine Base and said, "Two years ago, Marine built a new base, and the old one was abandoned!"
"Who would think to search there?"
The people on Glass Ball Island went crazy after learning about the "one billion Belly."
A large number of bounty hunters surged out, searching everywhere for Kuro and his crew, hoping to claim his wealth.
As the auction approached, the island's unrest worried the Fashion Council.
After discussions with the Colonel at Marine Base, Marines took to the streets, patrolling to maintain order.
At dusk, in a quiet, abandoned dock, Kuro sat in a chair, reading a book, waiting patiently. He was a man of great patience.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed.
A strong man walked in with a dozen others.
"Got the boat?" Kuro asked.
"Yes, but..."
The strong man grinned, eyeing the box at Kuro's feet greedily, "We need more money!"
Kuro closed his book, gently pushed his glasses up with his palm, and glanced coldly at the man, speaking in a chilling tone, "Didn't we agree on the price?"
"No, the previous price is no longer acceptable. People are looking for you everywhere, and Marine has enforced martial law."
"A billion Belly and Dragon's Gold, who wouldn't want that?"
"So, an additional one hundred million!"
Kuro sneered, noticing that many of the people surrounding him were his former subordinates.
"Fools!"
The strong man snorted coldly and said, "People look out for themselves, Kuro. Don't force our hand."
"Those who betray me deserve death!"
Kuro was enraged, the veins on his forehead bulging.
"Kill him! One billion Belly, it's ours!" the strong man shouted.
"Kill!"
...
"Are we late?"
Luwell's face was pale.
Corpses littered the ground, blood staining everything.
The claw marks on the walls, ground, and bodies were gruesome, leaving a scene of carnage.
Leno and Kuina felt uneasy in such a field.
"I need to step outside."
Luwell couldn't take it anymore and ran out.
Seeing Kuina struggling, Leno told her to go outside too.
He had seen too much of such horrors.
It would haunt him in his nightmares for days.
Leno endured the discomfort, observed carefully, and noticed something. He approached the door, noting no signs of forced entry.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a spider's web.
"Got it!"
When he stepped outside, he took a deep breath, but the scent of blood still lingered.
Luwell had just finished vomiting and wiped her mouth, embarrassed to see that Kuina and Leno appeared unaffected.
"Did you find anything?"
"Yes, it's not that we were late; they fought among themselves. But if someone had attacked from outside, there would be signs of a struggle at the door, yet there are none."
Leno looked up.
The shipyard was part of Marine's abandoned base.
"Kuro is still hiding here!"
Luwell frowned, "It's getting dark soon; it'll be hard to find him!"
Leno extended his hand, holding a spider the size of a thumb, and said, "We have a witness, and it will lead us to Kuro."
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