"I believe it is necessary to abolish the Warlord of the Sea system." Akainu's voice was firm and resolute as he scanned the room.
As the representative of the Marine hardliners, he had always been deeply dissatisfied with the Warlord system. He had only kept silent due to pressure from the higher-ups. The Summit War had exposed the fatal flaws of this system in the starkest terms: the inherent unreliability of pirates.
Bartholomew Kuma and Marshall D. Teach had vanished without a trace at the critical moment. Boa Hancock had defected, her actions directly leading to the deaths of Garp and Kizaru. The others who participated in the war were largely ineffective. Donquixote Doflamingo had only managed to kill Little Oars Jr.—and that was considered a standout performance. The swordsman Hawkeye Mihawk had barely participated, his only significant action being a testing strike against Whitebeard; the rest of the time, he was either sparring with Vista or cutting down insignificant foot soldiers. Gecko Morilla was solely focused on scavenging corpses. By the war's end, aside from Leo, he was the one who had gained the most, arriving alone and leaving with an army.
Thinking about their performance at Marineford made Akainu's blood boil. The Marines publicly legitimized these pirates, allowing them to roam the seas freely. But when they were needed, they either disobeyed orders or put in minimal effort. Pirates were pirates; their word was worthless.
The Five Elder Stars exchanged glances, seriously considering Akainu's proposal. It was true. Hancock's betrayal had crossed a line. The inaction of Mihawk and the others was also deeply frustrating. Not a single one of those pirates was trustworthy.
"Return to your duties for now," the blond Elder Star said after a moment's thought, waving a dismissive hand at Sengoku and the others. "We will deliberate on this matter and inform you of our decision."
Regardless, the Warlord system had been in place for over twenty years and had far-reaching implications. Abolishing it was not a decision to be made lightly.
Hearing this, Akainu nodded, a sense of grim satisfaction in his eyes. He could see the Elder Stars were beginning to waver. After all, once something happened once, it was bound to happen again. Rather than constantly being on guard, it was better to cut the problem off at the root.
After Kong, Sengoku, and the others departed, the Five Elder Stars launched into a more detailed discussion on whether to abolish the Warlord system and how to deal with the threat of Leo.
Two Days Later. 10,000 Meters High. The Luxury Ship.
After returning to the ship, Leo had engaged in a day and night-long, exhilarating "battle" with Hancock, Sadi, Domino, Isuka, and Tashigi. It only concluded once the five women had thoroughly shared and absorbed all of his... concentrated energy.
The next day, Leo used his cloud powers to lift the entire island of Amazon Lily and, utilizing his teleportation ability, relocated it to the Sky Island. While it was unlikely the Marines would attack Amazon Lily anytime soon, it was better to be safe. He wouldn't be returning for a long time. Though Hancock and the other Kuja warriors were sad to leave their home of decades, the choice between sentiment and survival was an easy one. To prevent conflict, Leo specifically spoke with the old Sky Islanders and Enel's former forces. After understanding the situation, the three parties guaranteed they would not clash with each other.
With that settled, Leo left Skypiea.
His original plan was to head to Fish-Man Island at the bottom of the sea to recruit the mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, before entering the New World. However, since Sleepy Town was located in the first half of the Grand Line, he had to change his plans. He would first follow the Eternal Pose to Sleepy Town to acquire the Bat-Bat Fruit, and then proceed to Fish-Man Island.
"Captain, your new bounty poster is out," the mature, provocatively dressed Robin said, walking over to Leo on her long, slender legs and handing him a newspaper.
Leo removed his right hand from where it had been toying with Tashigi and took the paper, simultaneously giving Robin's shapely rear a sharp, crisp smack. Robin, though used to it, still shot him a look of mock reproach.
Hearing about the new bounties, the other women gathered around with interest. Leo had been the star of the Summit War, but Nami and the others had also shone brightly. They were curious to see how much their bounties had increased.
Opening the newspaper, a stack of bounty posters spilled out. The one on top was, of course, Leo's.
LEO
Captain of the Leo Pirates
User of All Three Haki Types, Top-Tier Great Swordsman, Weather-Weather Fruit User
Bounty: 5,000,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
After killing the Celestial Dragon Charlos, Leo's bounty had reached a new, staggering height. It also meant he had become only the third man in the world to have a bounty exceeding five billion Berries, second only to Pirate King Gol D. Roger (5,564,800,000) and Whitebeard (5,046,000,000).
BOOM!
The women stared at the poster, stunned.
"Oh my god, Leo! Your bounty is five billion Berries!" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes wide, unconsciously swallowing hard. Countrious famous pirates sailed their whole lives without ever reaching one billion. And Leo? He'd been sailing for three months and had casually racked up five billion.
"The Marines now view you as a threat on the same level as Whitebeard and Roger," Tashigi remarked, pulling her slipped strap back into place to cover her exposed shoulder with a small smile.
The other women nodded in agreement.
Leo looked calmly at the astronomical figure on the poster, his heart utterly unmoved.
"There are more. These should be yours," he said, setting his poster aside and spreading the others out.
BOA HANCOCK
Former Warlord of the Sea, Love-Love Fruit User
Bounty: 2,500,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
NAMI
Fruit Unknown, Wields Control over Lightning and Clouds
Bounty: 1,500,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
NICO ROBIN
Flower-Flower Fruit User
Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
TASHIGI
Great Swordsman
Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
PERONA
Ghost-Ghost Fruit User
Bounty: 600,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
DOLL
Master of Rokushiki and Haki
Bounty: 600,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
KALIFA
Master of Rokushiki and Haki
Bounty: 600,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
MARGARET
Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Black Leopard
Bounty: 300,000,000 Berries!
Dead or Alive!
Every single poster was marked "Dead or Alive!"
"Everyone is over a hundred million! Aside from the Captain, Empress Hancock is the highest at two and a half billion!" Domino chirped, clinging to Hancock like a limpet and gazing at her with worshipful eyes.
Hancock massaged her temples in exasperation. Domino was like sticky glue, impossible to shake off. The more Hancock tried to discipline her, the more excited Domino became, apologizing profusely in the moment, only to become even more attached afterward.
"This Queen is not that powerful. It is all because of the Heavenly Arrow," Hancock said with self-awareness. Her own strength was comparable to Nami's. The 1 billion Berry difference was entirely due to the power of the bow and the fact that she was the one who had technically killed Admiral Kizaru.
"Captain, do you have any other treasures like the Heavenly Arrow? I want one too!"
"Leo, you can't play favorites!"
"Captain, you just gave Doll the Glint-Glint Fruit yesterday! We work very hard to please you too!"
Kalifa, Tashigi, Sadi, and the others looked at Leo with pitiful, pleading expressions on their exquisite faces.
Leo spread his hands helplessly. What he could give everyone were the Haki Fruits, the Rokushiki manual, and the Haki training manuals. Everything else had to be assigned on a case-by-case basis.
"Captain, the radar is picking up an anomaly 50 kilometers away."
Just as the women were about to ramp up their撒娇 (acting spoiled), Sarah hurried in from the doorway, her expression serious.
"Hmm?!" Everyone, including Leo, stopped their playful banter. Since the ship's radar could accurately detect situations thousands of kilometers away, allowing them to avoid risks preemptively, they usually didn't keep their Observation Haki active. Hearing this, Leo immediately unleashed his, his powerful Haki sweeping outwards.
"So, it's him," Leo said a moment later, retracting his awareness, a playful smirk curling his lips.
"Leo, it's not another one of your female acquaintances, is it?" Nami asked, placing her hands on her hips and looking at him with a knowing smile.
The other women's expressions turned similarly suspicious.
"It's Shiki," Leo said, not beating around the bush.
"Shiki?! He's still alive?!" Hancock was shocked. After Shiki escaped from Impel Down, he had completely vanished. For years, there had been no trace of him, and eventually, rumors spread that he had died in some remote part of the sea.
"Shiki the Golden Lion... He was a truly famous pirate in his day," Robin mused, recalling the history.
"Leo, are you after Shiki's Float-Float Fruit?" Vivi guessed with a playful smile, hitting the nail on the head.
Leo nodded. "Correct. The Float-Float Fruit is one of the top-tier Paramecia-type fruits. Since we've run into him, we can't just let it go."
Sky Island, Virgo, The Opulent Palace.
As was his routine, melodious music played from a radio, and Shiki's body began to sway and shuffle to the rhythm. Dr. Indigo provided the obligatory applause and cheers. It was, unfortunately, part of his job description.
As the song ended, so did Shiki's... unique... dance performance. However, before Indigo could bring his hands together again, the sound of slow, mocking clapping echoed through the hall.
"Keehahahaha! Alright, Indigo, I know that performance was perfect, but there's no need to clap so enthusiastically. You're making me blush," Shiki said, waving a hand dismissively as he reached into his pocket for a cigar.
Suddenly, his movement froze.
Because he saw that Indigo wasn't the one clapping.
"Who's there?!" Shiki's face darkened as he looked toward the source of the sound.
"Shiki. Is this how you've been spending your years in hiding? You certainly have... interesting tastes."
Leo walked into the hall, flanked by Hancock and Doll, who were both equipped for battle. The other women had remained on the ship, where they could watch everything unfold via the monitoring screens.
"Brat, you are... LEO!!!" Shiki's voice rose sharply, becoming a shrill cry by the end. He'd just seen Leo's photo two days ago; even with a bad memory, he wouldn't have forgotten so soon.
"Oh? You know who I am?" Leo sounded mildly surprised. It was normal for others to know him, but Shiki had been hiding 10,000 meters in the sky. Did the news coo even fly up here? He must have seen the paper during his last supply run.
"Brat, what do you want with me?!" Shiki demanded,暗中戒备 (secretly on guard) while giving Indigo a subtle signal with his eyes.
Indigo, understanding perfectly, began to carefully back out of the main hall.
Leo glanced at him but didn't bother to stop him. What could the doctor do besides summon those useless monsters?
"Leo, you haven't come to propose an alliance against the World Government, have you?" Shiki asked, raising an eyebrow, assuming this was the reason. His history was no secret on the seas, and Leo was a sworn enemy of the Marines and the World Government. They had a common foe. The enemy of my enemy, and all that.
"An alliance?" Leo let out a derisive laugh. "You think a decrepit old lion like you is worthy of allying with me?"
Did Shiki still think he was the man who once roamed the seas, roaring his dominance to the world?
"Leo, what did you say?!" Shiki's gaze turned icy, a murderous intent beginning to radiate from him. "You brat, when I was ruling the seas, you were still in di—" He took a closer look at Leo and amended his insult, "—You weren't even born yet!!"
"How dare you!"
"You senile old fool, perish for me!"
"Pistol Kiss!"
Hancock's face turned cold. She touched her lips, blew a kiss, and formed a pink heart. In the next instant, a dense volley of heart-shaped projectiles shot toward Shiki, carrying her petrifying power.
"Pathetic tricks!" Shiki snorted. Activating his Float-Float Fruit power, he levitated away, dodging all the projectiles. With a scissor-like motion of his legs, he sent a flying slash tearing through the palace roof and shot out into the open sky.
"Hancock, Doll, finish him off," Leo ordered dismissively. Given Shiki's current level of power, he couldn't be bothered to intervene himself. But for the two women, this was a valuable whetstone.
"Understood."
"Leave it to us, Leo."
Doll and Hancock acknowledged the order and shot out of the palace after him.
"Keehahahahaha! It seems I've been out of the spotlight for too long! Now even little girls dare to challenge me!" Shiki hovered in the air, his muscles bulging. If that was the case, he wouldn't hold back!
"Lion's Throne: Thousand Ravine Cuts!"
Shiki swung the legendary swords, "Oto" and "Kogarashi," embedded in his legs. Dozens of sharp, golden flying slashes screamed toward the women. Then, moving faster and faster, he seemed to merge with the blades. In the space of a breath, another dozen sword beams shot forth, each one powerful enough to split the sea and shatter mountains.
"I'll handle this!"
"Glint Barrage!"
Doll's eyes narrowed. Her body began to glow with a golden light as numerous small orbs of light condensed around her.
"Destroy them!"
As if receiving a command, the dense swarm of light orbs surged forward to meet the onslaught of golden slashes. The first orb detonated, triggering a chain reaction. A series of massive explosions erupted in the sky, utterly consuming and obliterating Shiki's attacks in a sea of fire.
"You're not done yet! Perfume Femur!"
Hancock seized the opening, closing the distance in an instant. Her leg, hardened black with Armament Haki, swept viciously toward Shiki's head.
Shiki's face changed dramatically. A humming sound filled the air as his two swords also turned jet black. He crossed his legs, blocking Hancock's kick, and used the force to propel himself higher into the sky.
Having dodged the attack, Shiki's expression shifted between doubt and fury. He was starting to question everything. Were they too strong, or had he become too weak?! How could some nobody block his slashes?!
Wait.
Shiki's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Doll.
Wasn't that the Glint-Glint Fruit ability of the late Marine Admiral Kizaru?! Was it a coincidence? Had the reborn fruit just happened to be found by her?!
"Leo! We have no grudge! I can let bygones be bygones for your earlier disrespect! How about we call a truce?!" Shiki proposed after a moment of internal struggle, effectively surrendering. It wasn't Hancock and Doll he feared; it was the man watching the show from below, Leo.
"Save your breath. You're dying today!"
"Glint Scythe: Reaper's Harvest!"
"Pistol Kiss!"
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T/N :
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