[002]Security Officer Lafitte
West Blue – Venier Town.
Leo Wong and Saori appeared in a quiet alley.
Saori inhaled deeply.
"It's been so long since I saw a real town…"
The sounds, the smells, the life — so different from the uninhabited island.
For over a decade, they had lived in isolation.
Leo trained. Saori followed.
Now, surrounded by bustling streets and noisy merchants, she could barely contain her excitement.
They found a shop. Bought clean clothes.
In an instant, they transformed — from wanderers into warriors with presence.
Next: a meal.
As they walked, Saori asked softly:
"Leo… are we going to keep moving like this?"
"I think a ship should be prepared," Saori said gently.
Though she trusted Leo Wong completely, he hadn't shared the full plan with her yet.
She only knew bits and pieces—just enough to sense how grand it was.
Leo Wong nodded calmly.
> "If we want to seize the world and claim the throne, we'll need an army. Not just any army—**the best soldiers the seas have to offer.**"
> "We'll scour the world and gather those with true potential."
Saori already knew this.
She had heard the phrase many times in their training sessions: **"The sea chooses the worthy. We'll choose the strongest."**
---
### **Venier Town - Local Security Division**
At that moment, elsewhere in Venier Town…
> "Lafitte! You've used violence again for no reason!"
The mayor was furious. Standing in the town hall, hands clenched, face red with frustration.
> "I've warned you, again and again. This isn't justice—it's brutality."
Another townsperson shouted from the crowd:
> "He's not a protector! He's just a thug in a uniform!"
> "I saw him beat someone senseless yesterday—bloodied the poor guy!"
> "Mayor, he's a danger! If we let him stay, he'll destroy the town from within!"
The complaints came one after another.
The room was loud, tense. But despite their anger, the townspeople didn't dare approach him.
Because they knew the truth: **Lafitte was dangerous.**
Too dangerous to remove.
If he left, who would protect the town from pirates?
The mayor sighed, worn and conflicted.
> "Lafitte... I'll give you one more chance. But you must restrain yourself."
---
Leaning back in his chair, cane twirling lazily in hand, Lafitte smiled with aristocratic calm.
> "Well then, I suppose I'll stay… just a little longer. Hehe…"
He understood perfectly.
They hated him—but they feared him more.
He was the strongest man in Venier.
No pirate dared come near while **Lafitte the White Dove** remained.
But deep down, **Lafitte was waiting**. Waiting for something greater. For the spark that would launch him to the real seas.
---
Then—**a voice rang out** from beyond the building.
> "Then come with me."
> "Follow me, Lafitte. Together, we'll conquer these seas."
A man with black hair and a sharp, composed face strode forward.
Every step he took felt like thunder—measured, deliberate, commanding.
Behind him stood Saori—silent, but confident.
This was not an ordinary man.
Lafitte rose slowly, pulling his hat down with one hand, spinning his cane with the other.
His smirk widened.
> "You're no commoner, are you?"
Lafitte could feel it. An overwhelming pressure radiated from Leo Wong—**like a predator before the kill.**
He bowed slightly.
> "It would be my honor… to serve under your flag."
> "From now on, please guide me well, Captain."
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
With a single glance, Lafitte understood—**this man would shake the world.**
---
Leo nodded.
> "Then let's go. We set sail immediately."
> "Our next target is **Capone 'Gang' Bege**—the Underworld Godfather of West Blue."
---
Lafitte's eyes lit up in surprise.
> "Ah… the mafia boss of the West Blue underground. You intend to recruit him?"
Leo replied,
> "His Devil Fruit has potential. His army, influence, and fortress-body form are valuable. I want him."
> "Lafitte, secure a basic ship. We'll upgrade later."
Without a word, Lafitte turned.
Suddenly—**white wings** burst from his back.
Saori stared in awe.
> "He's a Zoan user… just like me."
Lafitte's form soared into the sky, vanishing into the clouds.
---
### **Flashback – Saori's Awakening**
In silence, Saori murmured,
> "Back then… I didn't even understand the advantages of Devil Fruits…"
It was Leo who had taught her—who explained the difference between **Paramecia**, **Zoan**, and **Logia**.
She had eaten a **common Zoan-type: Rabbit Model**, and now, through awakening and distortion training, she had pushed her power to its **peak potential**.
Leo once told her:
> "If you'd eaten a Mythical Zoan or Ancient Zoan, you could surpass even an Admiral."
But still—through Leo's **Distorted Time Velocity**, she had trained for what equated to **decades**.
A regular maid, now strong enough to stand among the elite.
> "It's not easy," she whispered to herself, "to reach the strength of a Yonko Commander… not with a basic Zoan…"
> "And yet… I've done it."
---