At the same time.
The Henry Family.
Upon hearing that his daughter had obtained the Flare-Flare Fruit ability, Chairman Henry immediately handed over his affairs to his subordinates and rushed home.
"Leo!"
Seeing his daughter, Chairman Henry hurriedly asked, "Did you really get the Flare-Flare Fruit?"
Leo had already regained her composure. She nodded calmly and said, "To be precise, this Flare-Flare Fruit didn't originally belong to me. A classmate gave it to me."
Chairman Henry already knew all about his daughter's affairs; after all, it was on television.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Leo, are you and that classmate Ben… dating?"
As a father, Chairman Henry cared deeply about his daughter. When disaster struck years ago, he had not been by his wife and daughter's side, which ultimately led to his wife's tragic death. This matter had always been a painful scar in Chairman Henry's heart. Especially seeing his young daughter tearfully vow to eliminate the monster responsible in front of the camera—it only deepened his feelings of guilt.
Chairman Henry had not remarried all these years, as a way to devote himself fully to making it up to his daughter.
Now that his daughter seemed to be developing a romantic connection, it was only natural for him, as an old father, to inquire about it.
But Leo's answer surprised him.
"No," Leo shook her head.
"No?"
Chairman Henry was visibly surprised. "Then why would he give you the Flare-Flare Fruit?"
It wasn't that Chairman Henry didn't believe his daughter; it was just that this situation was unbelievable!
A Flare-Flare Fruit—one of the most precious abilities—handed over just like that?
"Dad, you know I would never lie to you. If I say no, then it's really no," Leo said, her face calm yet puzzled. "As for why Ben would do this, I... I don't know."
This was the truth.
Until now, she hadn't figured out Ben's behavior.
Although they had been classmates for three years, she had never even spoken to Ben. Could it be that Ben had secretly liked her all this time? But even if he did, such a great sacrifice was unimaginable!
That was a Logia-type Devil Fruit!
Chairman Henry, seeing that his daughter seemed honest, grew even more confused.
They weren't dating?
What was Ben after then? Just pure admiration? Were there really such foolish people in the world?
It had to be said, Ben's behavior left many people scratching their heads.
The father and daughter discussed it for a long time but could not guess Ben's true motives. In the end, they could only conclude that he liked Leo too much and had made an irrational decision because of it.
"Now that things have come to this, we can only try to compensate him as much as possible," Chairman Henry finally said. "If he can come out of the Spirit Realm alive, I'll guarantee him a lifetime of wealth!"
This wasn't an exaggeration.
As the chairman of the Transcendent Association (Chicago Branch), Chairman Henry had access to unimaginable resources and social networks.
If Ben survived the Spirit Realm, Chairman Henry indeed had the means to ensure he lived a luxurious, comfortable life.
Leo glanced at her father and calmly said, "The reason why the Kryptonian bloodline is called a waste talent is because it provides no enhancement to humans. That means Ben is just an ordinary person. Entering the Spirit Realm as an ordinary person is as hard as ascending to the heavens! Moreover, now all Transcendent Universities no longer recruit students with waste talents. He can't even go to university."
Chairman Henry frowned, pondering this, then said, "I know a few principals of Transcendent Academies. Leo, go ask Ben if he needs help. If he does, I can arrange for him to enter a Transcendent Academy with my influence."
He paused before adding, "But as for top universities... that's difficult. Their admission rules are strict."
Transcendent Universities and Transcendent Academies might differ by only a word, but the gap between them was huge—like that between a prestigious university and a vocational school.
"No need," Leo replied calmly. "I've already resolved his education."
"What?"
Chairman Henry was stunned. "How did you manage that?"
Leo explained, "At school, after I ate the Flare-Flare Fruit, many universities tried to recruit me."
Chairman Henry nodded. "That's expected. There are only a handful of Logia-type Devil Fruit users each year. Every school wants one. Could it be that you…?"
He suddenly widened his eyes as realization struck.
Sure enough, Leo continued, "I made a request to those admissions officers: if they wanted to recruit me, they had to accept Ben too."
"Many schools couldn't agree due to strict rules. In the end, only six universities accepted. I chose the best among them—Chicago University."
"Presumably, the admission notice should have already reached Ben."
Chairman Henry opened his mouth but couldn't find words to respond.
Scolding her felt wrong. She was only repaying a huge favor.
Compared to Ben giving away a Flare-Flare Fruit, Leo's condition really wasn't that much.
After a long pause, Chairman Henry gave a bitter smile and said, "Leo, I understand that you want to repay Ben, and I don't object. But Chicago University is one of the top ten prestigious schools. Even if it ranks tenth, it's still highly selective! Every student there is a prodigy!"
"You forcing Ben in might actually hurt him. No one will want to team up with someone who has a waste talent! He'll be forced to brave the Spirit Realm alone. The risk is unimaginable..."
Chairman Henry stopped mid-sentence, his expression grim, as an even worse possibility flashed through his mind.
He turned sharply to look at Leo.
But Leo didn't disappoint her old man.
"He has a teammate," she said calmly.
"I am his teammate."
Though her tone was steady, it carried an unshakable determination.
Chairman Henry nearly fainted.
"Daughter, don't act recklessly! The Spirit Realm is extremely dangerous. With a burden like him, you're putting yourself at risk too!"
"Didn't you swear to destroy that monster? With the Flare-Flare Fruit, you have the power to achieve it! You must find a powerful team to survive and grow quickly. This early stage is crucial!"
"If you misstep in the Spirit Realm, you might never become strong enough to fulfill your oath!"
"I know you want to repay Ben, but there are countless ways to repay someone—you don't have to risk your life!"
The once dignified Chairman Henry transformed into a nagging old mother, trying his best to persuade his stubborn daughter.
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