"I'm not a barbecue, I'm a reindeer!"
Chopper yelped and scrambled away as fast as his hooves could carry him, fleeing from Luffy, who had suddenly sprung up like a madman.
He had only tried to help—he'd healed Luffy out of kindness, after all! But now, instead of gratitude, he was about to be eaten!
"Leo! Look at Luffy!" Chopper cried, half-hiding behind Leo's legs, peeking out with an aggrieved little face.
Behind them, Robin observed the scene and couldn't help but laugh, her hand gently covering her mouth.
These people… they were just like the information she had once read about the Straw Hat Pirates. Genuine. Chaotic. Ridiculous. But undeniably warm-hearted.
Leo smiled, crouching slightly to ruffle Chopper's fuzzy head. He handed the little reindeer a soft marshmallow to calm him down, then turned and casually waved his hand.
A massive chunk of barbecue appeared in his palm—and with perfect aim, he stuffed it directly into Luffy's gaping mouth.
"Chew first, talk later," Leo said with a smirk.
Only after dealing with Luffy's raging hunger did Leo turn back to face the others.
"You're all here," he noted, scanning the group. "Has the situation in the city been taken care of?"
From the looks of them, no one seemed particularly worse for wear. Had they… handled everything that quickly?
"Yes," Vivi said, stepping forward. "It's completely over. All the agents of Baroque Works have been rounded up by the Marines who arrived earlier."
Once the chaos in the palace subsided, Vivi had taken the initiative. With the help of Usopp and her royal guards, she led the operation to arrest any remaining rebels and track down Crocodile's agents.
Now, everything was finally under control.
Leo nodded, visibly satisfied. "You've all grown stronger. Much more than I expected."
He remembered the original events. In the true history of things, Nami and the others had been seriously injured during the fight. But this time, they'd handled things far better. The timeline had shifted—for the better.
Later, under King Cobra's invitation, Luffy and the crew were welcomed to the palace.
Exhausted, they were each given a room to rest. For the first time in what felt like forever, they allowed their bodies to collapse into deep, undisturbed sleep.
During that brief peace, Leo found Zoro—who had, predictably, gotten lost—and shared with everyone the full story of Robin's arrival.
To no one's surprise, Luffy was the first to accept her.
"She knows about the Poneglyphs, right? We need those to get to the final island!" he said with a grin, completely unbothered.
With Luffy and Leo in agreement, the rest of the crew followed. They still had their reservations, especially considering Robin's past, but no one raised any strong objections.
And so, for the moment, peace returned.
---
That night, when the moonlight bathed the palace in silver and most had fallen asleep, Weilis quietly stepped into Leo's room.
Leo sat on the windowsill, his gaze fixed on the sleeping city of Albana. The lights had dimmed. A gentle wind stirred the curtains. The silence of a healing city was strangely comforting.
"Creator, I've completed the task you gave me," Weilis said softly, standing a few steps behind him.
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a thick stack of documents, which she offered to Leo.
But he didn't even glance at them.
"That's not important," he said, casually taking the papers and setting them aside. "What I want to know is—how do you feel now?"
He turned slightly, his golden eyes glinting in the moonlight.
"I can sense it. You upgraded your internal components. What stage are you at?"
"Thank you for your concern. I've successfully reached the third stage," Weilis said with a soft smile. Her fingers gently brushed back her silver hair.
She stepped forward, her smile growing more genuine.
"Creator, I'm ready to leave Alabasta."
Leo was silent for a while.
He studied her carefully, then slowly nodded. "You've earned that freedom. At your current level, there aren't many who can truly threaten you. As long as you don't provoke the top-tier monsters in the New World, you'll be fine."
Weilis bowed her head slightly in gratitude. "Then I'll wait for you in the New World."
She lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a graceful, machine-like curtsy—a gesture so elegant, it could rival the nobility.
But just as she turned to leave—
"Wait," Leo said.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a glowing scroll and several heavy books, then tossed them to her.
Weilis caught them neatly and stared at them, puzzled. "What is this?"
"It's what you've always been seeking," Leo replied. "Theories, manuscripts, and formulas… related to divine engineering and creation."
"The secrets of gods."
Her eyes widened. She clutched the items to her chest as if they were the most sacred treasures in the world.
"Before you go," Leo added, "find a way to deliver the rest of the books to those we talked about."
"Oh—and say goodbye to the others. They may not show it, but they care about you."
Weilis nodded quietly. "Understood."
She gave one last bow, then stepped outside, gently closing the door behind her.
The breeze returned. Soft and cool.
Leo turned his attention back to the city.
Albana slept peacefully, for the first time in years. But he knew what was coming. At dawn, King Cobra would stand before the people and reveal the truth—about Crocodile, about the drought, about everything.
Even if most already suspected the truth… hearing it publicly mattered.
Leo flipped through the stack of documents on the windowsill.
Poneglyphs. Pluton. Revolutionary Army.
So many threads. So many futures.
---
Morning came, and the palace was filled with life.
After a full night's rest, Luffy and the crew were back to their usual selves—loud, energetic, and very hungry.
To celebrate the end of the war, King Cobra hosted a grand feast. The palace staff brought out all kinds of rare and extravagant dishes—meats, fruits, cakes, and dishes Alabasta hadn't seen in years due to the drought.
The Straw Hat crew dug in like starving beasts.
Luffy, in particular, devoured plate after plate. When he ran out of meat, he lunged at Chopper, mouth wide open.
"AAH! MEAT! I NEED MEAT!"
"I'm not meat!!" Chopper screamed, flailing his little arms as the others desperately tried to pull him out of Luffy's mouth.
Even Zoro woke up and stared in disbelief. "That's... not okay."
The whole table burst into laughter.
Though Chopper may have developed a mild trauma, it was still one of the happiest moments they'd had in ages.
Later, the group was invited to enjoy the palace baths.
Of course, Sanji tried to sneak a peek at Nami and Vivi, only to be caught red-handed.
Before he could get away, Leo appeared behind him like a ghost and smacked him so hard, he landed face-first in the palace garden.
"Pervert."
"Waaah! But it was a noble cause!" Sanji wailed from the mud.
---
"Are you ready?"
After the bath, Leo stood at the palace square beside Vivi. Behind them, the entire Straw Hat crew had gathered, along with King Cobra and his guards.
"Yeah," Vivi said with a firm nod. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
So had everyone in Alabasta.
The drought had lasted too long. This rain—this blessing—was the final healing touch the kingdom needed.
Leo raised his right hand slowly.
A brilliant magic circle spread out from his palm, expanding rapidly until it engulfed the entire palace. Ethereal blue and white glyphs spiraled into the sky and vanished into the heavens.
CRACK!
A roar of thunder echoed above.
Dark clouds rapidly gathered. Wind howled through the square. Then—
Rain.
Cool, heavy raindrops poured from the sky, soaking the streets, the palace, the sands, and the hearts of every person in Alabasta.
The people cheered. Children danced in the puddles. Mothers and fathers cried openly, holding basins and buckets to catch every drop.
The dry, cracked land greedily drank every bit of it.
Vivi stared upward, her eyes glassy as tears mixed with rain.
The drought was over. At last.
Unable to hold back her emotions, she threw herself into Leo's arms and sobbed openly, her cries muffled by his chest.
She had carried the weight of her country for so long—battled lies, fought betrayal, and almost lost everything.
And now… it was finally over.
Let her cry.
Let her feel everything.
She had earned it.
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