After a full day of investigation, Leo called Will and Charles, hoping to exchange information. But looking at the two dejected men, he sighed and said:
"Anna Belle's body should be somewhere inside the castle. The guards said it was her brother Tommy who found and brought back her body seven years ago. There are so many questions here. First, why did Tommy go to Moon Island alone? Second, Anna's soul had already left her body—how could he have accidentally found it? And he only said she had been lost at sea, never where he found her. Why would he hide the truth?"
Charles analyzed further, trying to cover his embarrassment: "Obviously, this Tommy person deliberately hid the truth to secure his inheritance. I've heard that Count Tommy publicly claimed to mourn the loss of his father and sister, but in recent years, he hasn't mentioned it at all—even their memorials weren't held."
"Really? I thought you hadn't found anything."
"Damn it, this kind of widely known information isn't something you can just ask about and get." Charles blushed, starting to argue.
Will, feeling wronged, said, "You lied. Nobody at the market told me anything, and all the adults there were so cute."
Leo and Charles "…"
Charles then asked Leo with curiosity, "We're not friends with Anna, so why are we helping them? Leo, you don't strike me as someone who meddles unless you have some interest in those two girls."
With that, he gave Leo an expression every man could understand.
"Charles, put away that disgusting look. A little girl and a toy make me think what? Helping them is a small thing. There are too many poor people in this world. I'm not the type to solve other people's problems for fun. If anyone blocks my way, I won't hesitate to kill them. So, Charles, are you disappointed in me?"
Charles' lips curled slightly. "No, quite the opposite, Captain. You're too kind—it gives me headaches." Charles had struggled in the lower class for years, suffering humiliation—not entirely from nobility, but also from civilians and peers. He wasn't the naive, morally constrained, soft-hearted fool some might think.
Will looked around, not understanding much of the conversation. But he had one advantage: he trusted Leo unconditionally and would never refuse anything Leo asked. Compared to Charles, life seemed easier that way.
"Alright, let's make the next plan. First, we need to locate Anna's grave. I want to confirm whether Tommy actually buried her. If Anna wasn't buried, we'll search the castle secretly. Our goal is to find Anna's body and return it to Moon Island."
With the plan set, Leo decided to act at night.
The three of them quietly approached the castle, planning to kidnap a guard to gather useful information.
A squad of guards patrolled outside the castle. Two streams of water, like tentacles, silently wrapped around the last soldier and dragged him into the bushes.
After a moment of shock, the guard saw three masked figures staring at him.
One was over three meters tall, his massive body exuding an intimidating presence. Terrifyingly, saliva dripped from behind his mask.
Another was tall and thin, with sleeves so long that a blade peeked out from them. He sneered and stabbed at himself with the knife.
The last was short, wearing a black cloak and a comical mask. The water trapping him flowed from his hands.
"Y-you… who are you? What are you doing? This is the Count's castle—don't… don't act rashly!" The guard nearly peed himself. Clearly, these weren't ordinary intruders. Who dares attack the Count's soldiers?
"Hehe. I ask questions, you answer. Don't talk too much, or else…"
Thunk! A knife lodged between the guard's legs. He couldn't hold it in, and a puddle formed. The long-armed figure quickly withdrew the knife.
cough cough—not sanitary.
"Where is Miss Annabelle's grave?"
"Next… beside the manor, in the back hill. That's the Count family cemetery." The guard nearly collapsed.
The three "monsters" were actually Leo and his friends in disguise. With the answer in hand, they hurried toward the manor.
After searching, they finally found Anna's grave in a corner of the cemetery.
It took great effort to dig up the coffin. When they pried it open, a foul, musty smell wafted out. Clearly, it had been buried for a long time.
"As expected, the grave is empty. Anna wasn't buried." This outcome was exactly what Leo anticipated.
The forcibly brought guard widened his eyes. "What… how can this be? Why is it empty? Miss Anna was buried seven years ago."
"Oh? How can you be sure?" Leo asked.
"Seven years ago, our team buried Miss Anna. Many people saw her resting peacefully in the coffin that day. Where is Anna's body?"
"It seems we have no choice but to return to the castle for clues. The important things must be hidden in the safest place."
As they prepared to return, the guard offered a hint: "The Count has a basement in the castle. No one is allowed in."
"Huh? You betrayed your lord so quickly? Why tell us this? Shouldn't you be loyal to your Count?"
The guard smiled wryly. "My family has served the Count for generations. Miss Anna treated us well. Since her body was stolen, I want to retrieve it too."
"Oh? You're not honest. Why did you immediately think of the Count's basement when we said we'd search the castle? That reaction is odd." Leo was not one to easily trust anyone, nor doubt his own instincts.
The guard laughed helplessly: "Haha, this isn't a secret among us anymore. The young lady passed suddenly, the old Count died of grief, and Tommy became Count. Among the castle guards, some rumors spread that are unfavorable to the current Count."
"Fine, I'll trust you for now. Take us to the castle basement." With a lead in hand, Leo wasn't going to waste time. Even if the guard was suspicious, Leo was confident he could handle it.
Inside the castle, three guards walked toward the basement. Leo decided he and Charles would disguise themselves as guards, leaving Will outside for support.
It was early morning; most of the castle was asleep. With guidance from someone familiar with the place, Leo and Charles quickly reached the basement entrance.
Charles deftly neutralized the guards, even taking down their guide.
Carefully, Leo descended the stairs until he reached a wooden door.
Just as Charles was about to open it, they heard movement inside. Both hid on either side of the door, ready to strike anyone who emerged.
After a moment with no one coming out, Leo cautiously cracked the door open and peered inside with Charles.
The room was large and lit. When they could clearly see, they shouted in unison: "Found it!"
Inside, a blond young man was yelling at a young girl:
"My dear sister, look at how prosperous the land is under my rule! The people will soon forget your existence. If you had agreed to marry me as a child, you wouldn't have to sleep here forever. You promised to marry me when you were young—why did you deceive me? Alas, it's all over. You will die soon. You will never enjoy these little games again."
The girl sat silently, unmoving. Leo and Charles, without much introduction, guessed the situation. Count Tommy had preserved Anna's body perfectly, treating it like a specimen, hidden in the basement.
"Charles, are all nobles this twisted?" Leo's worldview was shocked.
"I'm a poor noble. I struggle even to eat. I've never seen such a rare item before. It's…" Charles was visibly astonished.
Creak! Leo and Charles had been too focused and accidentally pushed the door open.
Seeing the guard at the door, Tommy froze mid-anger. Leo and Charles awkwardly waved.
"Y-you… how did you get in?"
"Do it!"
Leo threw a water ball, hitting Tommy in the face, but Charles immediately landed a punch, knocking him to the ground.
After carefully closing the door, Leo looked around. "So that's it. This is a life-support device. No wonder Anna's body has been preserved so long. That Tommy is impressive—he managed to get such advanced technology."
Leo carefully dressed Anna and placed her body back into the maintenance chamber. Having studied at MADS, he was familiar with such devices.
Once Anna's body was secure, Leo and Charles carried the repair chamber out without even hiding.
They found Will waiting outside and quickly returned to the Poseidon.
Meanwhile, lights in the Count's castle turned on, alarms blared, and Tommy, clutching his neck with a twisted face, shouted at his men: "Find those bastards! I want them dead!"
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there