Night fell, and the sea was as dark and deep as an abyss, a sight that could instill fear in any heart. In the distance, a high-spec Marine warship cut through the water.
On the deck.
"Hahahaha! Wiping out the Silver Wolf Pirates is another great achievement for our branch!" one Marine soldier said happily.
"Yeah, when we report to Headquarters, we're sure to be rewarded," his companion immediately replied. After all, the Silver Wolf Pirates' captain, Silver Wolf, was a notorious fiend with a bounty of over 200 million Berries, known for burning, killing, and plundering without remorse. Marines who had pursued him in the past had all died by his hand, resulting in heavy losses for the Navy.
"Are you so pleased with yourselves for catching a mere Silver Wolf?" A stern voice came from behind. The soldiers turned to see a woman in a Marine justice cloak walking towards them.
The soldiers straightened up, their smiles fading as they looked at the newcomer. She had practical, short black hair, blue eyes that were slightly unusual, and large golden hoop earrings. But what sparked the most curiosity was the spiked collar around her neck.
"Commodore Doll!"
"Commodore Doll!"
The soldiers greeted her with serious expressions.
Commodore Doll gave a slight nod, her voice softening a bit as she approached. "You coordinated well in this operation. When we return to the branch, I will see that you are rewarded accordingly." She paused, her tone firming. "But don't get cocky. Our enemies aren't just the Silver Wolf Pirates."
The soldiers smiled at the promise of reward and readily agreed.
The woman before them was the supreme commander of Marine Base G-14, Commodore Doll. Their direct superior.
"How long until we return to the Marine base?" Commodore Doll gazed out at the ink-black sea, her question casual.
"Commodore, at our current speed, approximately two hours," the helmsman responded promptly.
Doll nodded and said nothing more.
Elsewhere, Leo had followed the virtual map's guidance to the sea where the Giant Lantern Fish resided. Based on the flashing red dot on the map, he had located its general activity area.
Leo stared at the red dot constantly changing position on the map. The Lantern Fish was frantically weaving through the deep sea, seemingly unable to sleep.
"Captain, is the thing you're looking for here?" Robin looked around, seeing nothing but empty ocean.
"Leo, there's nothing here. Are you sure you have the right place?" Nami expanded her Observation Haki but also detected nothing.
"No need to search. That thing is hiding deep below. Everyone, move to the edges of the deck. I'm going to fish it out," Leo instructed.
Though puzzled, the women retreated to the railings, clearing the center of the deck. In the next moment, Leo waved his hand, and a massive quantity of gold instantly covered the flying ship's deck. It glittered brilliantly, almost blinding in the pitch-black night.
Nami's eyes immediately morphed into the shape of Berries. If Tashigi hadn't been holding her back, she would have lunged for it.
Leo kept his eyes on the virtual map, his Observation Haki fully activated. He knew the Lantern Fish was attracted to shiny objects; it had been drawn by the light of Pure Gold long ago, swallowing both the people and the island whole. While gold couldn't match Pure Gold's radiance, the sheer quantity created a wider, more tempting glow. He refused to believe an insomniac Lantern Fish could resist taking a look.
Just as Leo focused entirely on the fish, Commodore Doll, still on her warship, was the first to notice something amiss.
"What is that?!" Doll frowned. She had kept her Observation Haki active to prevent surprises, but the distance made the image she detected very blurry.
"Commodore, something seems off!" a well-trained Marine soldier followed her gaze and vaguely spotted ten faint, small points of light. Though small, their presence in the utterly dark sea was conspicuous.
"Head over and investigate." Driven by curiosity, Doll immediately gave the order.
The helmsman turned the wheel, steering the Marine warship towards the source of the light.
Back on the deck, Leo waited patiently for the fish to take the bait.
A minute passed.
A full five minutes passed.
The red dot on the map grew brighter, its trajectory almost a straight line heading directly for the surface.
"Finally," Leo thought, his heart surging with excitement. The Pure Gold that promised eternal youth and halted aging was within reach. Even he found it hard to suppress his thrill.
"Everyone, be careful! Something's coming up!!" Nami's attention shifted from the gold as she seriously warned the others. In her Observation Haki perception, a colossal entity was rapidly approaching from the depths.
The other girls nodded nervously. As the Lantern Fish drew closer, they could all sense it now.
The next moment, the calm sea surface began to churn violently as if boiling. Fierce waves radiated outwards in all directions. The disturbance underwater grew越来越大, as if some leviathan was about to breach the surface.
"That fish is coming out!!" The girls were on high alert. They had already detected the Lantern Fish; their tension now was solely due to its immense size.
"ROAR!!!"
With a deep, muffled roar, the Lantern Fish finally broke the surface, revealing just a fraction of its body. Yet, even that was enough to make the girls' eyes widen in shock.
"It's so huge?!"
"What did this thing eat to get so big?!"
"Captain, is this what you were looking for?!"
Faced with the colossal creature, the women were utterly stunned. Its size dwarfed even large islands.
"It's finally out!" Leo felt both relief and暗喜 (secret joy). He wasn't afraid of its size; he was just worried it wouldn't show up at all.
ROAR~
Another roar. The Lantern Fish ignored everyone, its eyes locked firmly on the gold piled on the deck. So shiny. It loved it. It spoke to its very soul.
ROAR~
With an excited bellow, the Lantern Fish opened its massive maw. Its gigantic body surged from the sea, lunging at the flying ship like a starving tiger. If it swallowed the ship, the gold would naturally be theirs.
Most of the Lantern Fish's body was now above water, revealing a golden lantern-like organ that shone even brighter than the gold. Its light illuminated the area for hundreds of meters, turning night into day and completely overshadowing the glow from the gold.
On the warship deck, Commodore Doll stared in disbelief at the scene, her mind reeling. Despite her vast experience, she had never seen anything so brilliant. It outshone gold itself.
Her gaze shifted. A flying ship?! She was utterly bewildered.
"Increase speed! Get closer to them!" Doll's voice was now urgent.
The helmsman pushed the engines to their limit, driving the warship forward at top speed.
The Lantern Fish, having leaped from the sea, opened its cavernous mouth and swallowed the flying ship whole.
CRUNCH
Huh?!
There was nothing there?!
Its small eyes conveyed immense confusion. The failed lunge extinguished its joy instantly, sending it into a violent rage. It roared and bellowed in frustration.
Just as it was about to sink back into the depths,不甘心 (unwilling)...
"Leave the lantern behind before you go~" Leo, holding the Wado Ichimonji, smirked and instantly teleported to the side of the Lantern Fish.
"Flying Slash: Severing Wave!!!!"
Leo's eyes sharpened. A powerful aura erupted from him as he swung his sword fiercely towards the connection point between the Lantern Fish and its glowing lantern.
SWOOSH—
A flying slash over a hundred meters long shot out like lightning. The slash swept across the sea, splitting the ocean in two and churning up waves dozens of meters high.
Countless Sea Kings resting in the depths were caught in the aftermath, torn apart instantly. Vast amounts of blood stained the sea red.
Not far away, on her warship deck, Commodore Doll unconsciously swallowed, her lips dry. He split the sea with a single sword stroke?! How terrifying was this man's power?!
When she clearly saw the face of the man who had struck, a chill shot straight to the top of Doll's skull.
"Turn the ship around! Now! Get us away from here!" she hissed at the helmsman, her voice low and urgent. The helmsman, sweating profusely, immediately changed course, steering the warship away from the area at full speed.
ROAR~
Simultaneously, the connecting tissue was severed. After a second of numbness, the Lantern Fish let out a shrill, agonized scream. The intense pain made it thrash uncontrollably, its body churning the sea and sending violent waves spreading outwards.
The massive golden lantern plummeted downward.
Leo teleported again, catching the lantern and storing it safely in his system warehouse just before it hit the water.
The Lantern Fish sank beneath the waves and vanished, though low, pained groans could still be heard from the deep.
"Get inside the ship. I'll be right back," Leo instructed the women before instantly teleporting away.
Meanwhile, the Marine warship, having put some distance between them, was now at full throttle, its powerful engines roaring as it carved through the waves, fleeing into the distance.
Leo! It was actually Leo!!
Commodore Doll's chest heaved. She had encountered Leo here?! The man who had killed a Warlord of the Sea and had a bounty of 500 million Berries?!
A wave of fear washed over her. As the commander of G-14, capturing pirates was her duty. But that前提 (prerequisite) was being able to defeat them! She was no match for a pirate who could easily obliterate a Warlord. In this situation, running was the only correct choice!
"What was that thing?!" Doll, thinking she was safe, recalled the scene. Leo had clearly been after that glowing lantern. Unable to figure it out, she gave up. The immediate priority was to return to the Marine base, report Leo's whereabouts to Headquarters, and let Fleet Admiral Sengoku decide. They could dispatch a Marine Admiral. Capturing Leo would be easy then.
Her wish was beautiful, but reality had other plans.
"Watched for so long, and only now thinking of leaving?" A voice full of mockery suddenly drifted into her ears.
Commodore Doll's pupils constricted violently, and her body froze on the spot.
The Marines on deck were equally startled by Leo's sudden appearance.
"Leo! What do you want?!" After a second of shock, Doll reacted instantly. Her Observation Haki locked onto Leo, and Armament Haki covered her body, her guard raised to the maximum. The Marine soldiers aimed their flintlock rifles at him.
"I'm surprised Commodore Doll knows who I am," Leo said, looking the short-haired,性感 (alluring) woman over with interest. He had come here for the Pure Gold, but this was an unexpected delight. This Commodore Doll was also on his mental list of storyline beauties. He was determined to have her. Luck was on his side today; two birds with one stone.
Hearing Leo accurately call her by name, Doll's heart sank. Being targeted by a pirate was bad news. Especially a pirate captain known for recruiting only beautiful women. It filled her with dread.
"You're no match for me. Come with me," Leo said to Doll, his voice calm and measured.
"Bastard! I am the base commander of Marine Base G-14! How could I ever yield to a pirate?!" Doll glared coldly at Leo, her sense of justice momentarily overpowering her fear. She knew she was no match for Leo, but she would never bow to a pirate.
"Everyone, attack!!"
"Soru!!"
Doll shouted and vanished in a burst of speed.
Simultaneously, the well-trained Marines aimed and opened fire.
Countless bullets, like a storm of lead, shot towards Leo.
"Annoying." Leo's face darkened. In a flash of lightning, bolts of electricity as thick as bowls精准地 (precisely) struck the several dozen Marines. Before they could even react, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed to the deck.
In the blink of an eye, Doll closed in, her fist coated in Armament Haki smashing toward Leo.
"Commodore Doll, stop messing around." Leo effortlessly caught her striking arm.
Doll's face changed. She tried to pull her arm back, but it was held in an iron grip. A sense of powerlessness washed over her. She could only grit her teeth and glare furiously at Leo. The gap in their strength was just too vast.
"Leo, kill me! Give me a clean death!!" A look of resolve flashed in Doll's eyes. As a Marine Commodore, she had her pride. Even in death, she would never associate with pirates.
Leo shook his head, smiling. "I don't kill beautiful women."
"Let's go. To the ship." Ignoring Doll's fury, Leo held onto her and teleported them both back to the flying ship.
In the spacious, brightly lit lounge, Doll was visibly ill at ease. Because... she was being stared at by over a dozen beautiful women.
"You... what do you want with me?!" Her voice trembled.
"Leo, is she the Marine from that warship?" Nami looked Doll up and down. She had noticed the Marine ship earlier but ignored it.
"Correct," Leo nodded, not hiding it.
"Leo, are you planning to have this sister join the crew too?!" Vivi blinked her big eyes, her gaze lingering on Doll's ample chest. What a great figure. Curvy, with long, beautiful legs. No wonder Leo was interested.
"You're wearing a collar around your neck... do you have particular preferences?" Robin asked Doll curiously. Is she a submissive?
Doll's face flushed red, but she continued to glare coldly at everyone.
"Captain, this Marine doesn't look like she'll be very顺从 (obedient)," Nojiko said, shaking her head with some regret. Their alignments were opposite, and Doll didn't seem as easily flustered as Tashigi.
"You... you despicable pirates! I will never yield to you!!" Doll shouted, her face crimson with anger and embarrassment.
"Don't speak so absolutely. It's easy to be proven wrong." Leo smiled as he walked towards Doll. If this were before, it might have been troublesome. But he had a specific tool for dealing with stubborn Marine beauties like her: the Brand of Obedience. If not now, when?
To successfully brand someone, two conditions were needed. First, their willing consent. Second, the host's power far surpassing the target's. The second condition was met. Time to act!!
"Leo, you... what are you going to do?!" As Leo drew closer, a look of unprecedented panic spread across Doll's face. She didn't know what he intended, but she was truly terrified!!
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T/N :
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