While Leo was still on Amazon Lily, enjoying the... attentive company of both Hancock and Margaret, the outside world had already exploded into chaos.
After the reporter brought the news of the Celestial Dragon's capture back to the World Economic News Paper, Morgans was so he nearly flipped his desk. He immediately commanded his most capable staff to draft the copy, develop the photos, and run the presses!
In just three hours, a flock of newsbirds carrying the freshly printed newspapers took flight from the headquarters, winging their way to every corner of the globe.
As people everywhere bought up the papers, the seas—erupted into a frenzy.
["SHOCK! AFTER KILLING CROCODILE AND DESTROYING ENIES LOBBY, LEO PUBLICLY KIDNAPS CELESTIAL DRAGON CHARLOS ON SABAODY ARCHIPELAGO!"]
["IS LEO PREPARING FOR WAR WITH THE MARINES AND THE WORLD GOVERNMENT?!"]
["IS A NEW AGE DAWNING ON THE SEAS?!"]
["WILL LEO BECOME THE NEXT RULER OF THE SEAS, SUCCEEDING ROCKS?!"]
["HOW WILL THE MARINES AND WORLD GOVERNMENT RESPOND?!"]
["THE 800-YEAR RULE OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT IS BEING CHALLENGED!"]
["WHAT WILL THE FUTURE OF THE GRAND LINE LOOK LIKE?!"]
Morgans had crammed the front page with dozens of such headlines, each more eye-catching than the last. While there was an element of sensationalism, the core fact—Leo's kidnapping of a Celestial Dragon—was undeniable. Leo had become the first man in decades, since Rocks himself, to dare lay hands on a World Noble publicly.
Wano Country, Onigashima.
"UROORORORORO! Leo, you make me like you more and more!!" A hearty, booming laugh echoed through the skull-shaped castle.
Kaido stared intently at the newspaper in his hand, a strange light shining in his eyes. If killing Crocodile and destroying Enies Lobby hadn't been enough to earn his serious attention, then kidnapping a Celestial Dragon elevated Leo several tiers in his regard.
A worthless fool like Charlos meant nothing; if a Celestial Dragon dared trouble him, Kaido would simply roast them to ash with a blast of Boro Breath. But the act of actively provoking them was a different matter entirely. As an Emperor, Kaido wasn't afraid to pick fights with the Marines, but he had never considered directly challenging the Celestial Dragons. The reasons were obvious. In the 800-year history of the World Government, no one but that madman Rocks had dared to do it.
"Lord Kaido, should we still send people to find him?!" King, the lead Calamity, asked, his brow furrowed.
Before this, he would have been all for bringing Leo to Onigashima to strengthen the Beast Pirates. But now, with this act, Leo was undoubtedly on the Marines' and the World Government's top-priority execution list. Associating with him further would likely bring that heat down upon the Beast Pirates as well.
"URORORORORO! King, since when did your balls shrink so small?!" Kaido roared with laughter, glancing sideways at his right-hand man.
"Lord Kaido, do you still wish to recruit him?!" Queen, the bulky Plague Calamity, waddled forward, his face also showing concern.
"Correct." Kaido suddenly stood up, his draconic eyes gleaming with intensity. "As long as Leo can make it to the New World alive, I will have him join the Beast Pirates."
"Lord Kaido... what if... what if he refuses?"
"Refuses?!" Kaido's laughter grew even louder. "URORORORORO! No one refuses me!"
Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.
Big Mom had been in a foul mood for days, her usual... conjugal activities with her husbands even decreasing. The reason was simple: she hadn't seen any news about Leo for a while, and her useless children had still failed to find him.
"MAMAMAMAMA! To even dare to capture a Celestial Dragon... as expected of the man I've set my sights on!"
Big Mom looked at the photo of Leo brutalizing Charlos, her eyes gradually growing dreamy. The ministers below exchanged glances, seeing the mutual helplessness on each other's faces. But knowing their mother's temperament, none dared to say a word. Crossing Big Mom when she was like this was no joking matter. Their mother was ruthless enough to kill her own sons.
Ahem, ahem! Perospero, under the insistent stares of his siblings, stepped forward with a grimace. "Mama... should we still..."
Hmm?! Before he could finish, Big Mom's intimidating gaze snapped onto him. Perospero froze, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
"You useless good-for-nothings! What do I keep you around for?!" Big Mom spat viciously before looking down at the bounty poster on her table, muttering to herself, "First Enies Lobby, now Sabaody... Leo... you're getting closer and closer to me."
She was determined to have him.
A Desolate Island in the New World.
Upon seeing the latest news about Leo, every member of the Red Hair Pirates, including Shanks himself, had shed their previous casual disregard. Their minds were still occupied by Mihawk's exceptionally high praise of the man.
'Very strong.'
For the perpetually arrogant Hawk-Eyes to utter those two words meant the substance of Leo's strength far outweighed his 3 billion Beri bounty.
"Boss, you don't think Leo could really become the next Rocks, do you?!" Lucky Roux asked, a frown on his face. He wasn't just influenced by the headlines; every action Leo had taken since setting out to sea, whether intentional or not, had been aimed against the Marines and the World Government. Other pirates were content with pillaging or small skirmishes with the Navy. But Leo? Lucky Roux even had the feeling that the next time he saw Leo in the papers, it would be for storming Holy Land Mariejois.
"What's your take on this?" Shanks didn't answer immediately, instead turning to look at Benn Beckman, who was wreathed in cigarette smoke. When in doubt, ask Beckman. As the crew's strategist, no one could see further or think more deeply.
As Shanks spoke, the crew's attention unanimously shifted to their vice-captain.
Beckman calmly exhaled a plume of smoke and shook his head. "I can't tell yet." The only things he could confirm for sure were that Leo was lustful, powerful, and had immense guts. But whether Leo harbored ambition on the scale of Rocks... that was still unclear. Just as the others looked disappointed, he added, "We'll know for sure once he reaches the New World." He then turned the question back on his captain. "Shanks, if Leo does become the next Rocks, what will you do?"
Shanks remained silent, offering no answer.
The Moby Dick, somewhere in the latter half of the New World.
Recently, the Whitebeard Pirates, including all sixteen division commanders and fifty-two allied fleet captains, had been mobilized, running themselves ragged. They had long since stopped paying attention to outside events. Everyone was focused on a single task: finding Fire Fist Ace. Ace had been chasing Blackbeard across the world, and with still no news, Whitebeard's sense of foreboding only grew.
The Calm Belt, Amazon Lily. [Implied Intimate Scene - Handled per Revised Rule 7]
In Hancock's private chambers, the air was warm and intimate. Hancock and Margaret lay on either side of Leo, nestled against his chest, as docile as a pair of kittens. However, compared to Hancock, Margaret was visibly more tense. On one hand, this was her first time. More importantly, her first time was shared with the Empress herself, both serving Leo. Even now, Margaret felt dazed, the situation surreal. Her mind kept replaying the image of Hancock's intensely—strikingly different—behavior. Margaret even wondered if the woman beside her was truly the same aloof and arrogant Empress she had always known.
"You two, rest well," Leo said softly, looking at them.
Hancock and Margaret nodded in unison, their obedience absolute.
Only after Leo had left did Margaret dare to speak up, her voice a careful whisper. "Empress... Empress..."
Hancock let out a soft sigh, her voice gentle. "From now on, you may address me as 'Sister,' same as Sandersonia and Marigold."
Meanwhile, aboard the Airship.
Leo teleported directly onto the deck.
Time to claim his reward.
[Congratulations, Host, on successfully recruiting crew member Margaret. Ready to receive the reward?]
Leo immediately affirmed. This was his System Lady—never late, never absent.
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining the reward: Heaven's Punishment Arrow!]
[System optimization in progress...]
Heaven's Punishment Arrow?! Leo's interest was piqued. The name alone sounded formidable.
Seeing the familiar name, Leo's first thought was of the Divine Beast 'Heaven's Punishment' from a certain childhood show. Its original form was a giant bat that could transform into a divine bow, capable of firing nine arrows separately or as one, with devastating, earth-shattering power. Even the great villains of that story had held it in high regard.
As he pondered this, the system's prompt sounded again.
[Congratulations, Host. The Heaven's Punishment Arrow optimization is complete. Please receive your reward.]
As the voice faded, a bat-shaped ring materialized before him. Leo focused on the system's annotations.
The Heaven's Punishment Arrow can transform into a ring for convenient wear. It has no Divine Beast form.
As the user is in the world of One Piece, Haki and Devil Fruit powers can be channeled through the arrows, drastically increasing their destructive force.
After all nine arrows are used, there is a one-day cooldown period before they replenish.
Leo played with the small, intricately crafted ring. With a thought, it vanished from his palm and reappeared in his hand as a sleek, purple longbow, a quiver of nine faintly glowing purple arrows materializing across his back.
"So this is the bow even the great villains feared?" Leo murmured, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he examined it. While he wasn't yet certain of its exact power, he had absolute faith in the system's products. They were always top-tier.
The Next Day
Leo led all the women, including Hancock, to a large, deserted island a few nautical miles from Amazon Lily.
"Leo, why did you bring us here?" Nami asked, puzzled, looking at the barren landscape dominated by ancient, dense forests and stark, rocky peaks.
The others also looked to him for an explanation.
Leo smiled. "We're not going anywhere else for a while. Hancock is going to oversee your training here." With that, he summoned the massive Gravity Training Room from his inventory.
While his raw power now surpassed Hancock's, his practical combat experience and foundational training methods paled in comparison. Her strength was built step by step over years; his was often a gift from the system. Her guidance would be invaluable.
Once the training room was placed, Leo continued, "All designated combatants of the Leo Pirates, step forward."
Immediately, Nami, Robin, Tashigi, Kalifa, Perona, Margaret, and the Marine officer Doll stepped out from the group.
"Vivi, Kaya, the rest of you," Leo said, his gaze sweeping over Makino, Nojiko, and the others, "the choice is yours. You can train if you wish, or focus on your own interests." He didn't force the issue. He couldn't personally train everyone at once, and he needed to be selective. Besides, women like Vivi, Kaya, and Makino had no real inclination for fighting.
"Understood, Captain Leo."
"Don't worry, Captain, we'll manage."
Satisfied with their responses, Leo then took the bat-shaped ring from his finger and offered it to Hancock. "Hancock, a gift for you."
A ring?!
Hancock blinked, a blush rising to her cheeks. One moment he was talking about serious training, the next he was being so... forward? Wait, something was off. Hadn't he already given her a ring last night? The one with that strange, rectangular object inside it? What was he playing at now?
"Leo, you already gave me a ring," she said, her voice a mix of refusal and curiosity, though her eyes remained locked on the proffered jewelry.
The other women watched with a mixture of amusement and envy. Was this the privilege of the World's Most Beautiful Woman? Such blatant favoritism right in front of them?
Leo fought back a sigh of exasperation.
"Just take it and focus. Feel it," he insisted, pressing the ring into her palm, his tone serious.
Seeing his stern expression, Hancock shelved her romantic assumptions. She closed her hand around the ring and focused. A flicker of surprise crossed her face. The ring shimmered and transformed, shifting and expanding in her grip until she held the sleek, purple longbow, the quiver of nine arrows appearing on her back.
"Leo, this is...?" Hancock stared at the bow, utterly astonished.
"Your second gift from me," Leo explained patiently. "Its name is the Heaven's Punishment Arrow."
"Heaven's Punishment...?" Hancock repeated, touched by the gesture, but inwardly skeptical. A bow with only nine arrows? Its utility in a prolonged battle seemed limited. Her Love-Love Fruit abilities allowed her to unleash a near-endless barrage of heart-shaped projectiles with a mere gesture.
"Thank you, Leo, I love it," she said, leaning in to give him a grateful kiss. Even if it was a bit redundant, she wouldn't reject his thoughtful gift.
Leo, perceptive as ever, caught her hidden doubt. "Test its power first before you judge," he said with a chuckle. "Aim... there." He pointed towards a distant mountain peak several hundred meters high.
"Leo, are you serious?" Hancock followed his finger, one eyebrow arched in semi-belief.
"Dead serious," he confirmed, his voice filled with absolute confidence.
No longer hesitating, Hancock nocked one of the purple arrows, drew the string, took aim, and let it fly.
Shoom!
The arrow tore through the air, crossing the kilometer of distance in an instant and striking the mountainside. A moment of silence was followed by a cataclysmic explosion.
BOOOOM!
The entire top half of the mountain vanished in a flash of violet light, shattered into countless fragments. The resulting shockwave sent massive boulders tumbling down the slopes, the ground shaking violently enough to be felt where they stood. The forests below erupted as thousands of birds and animals fled in terror.
"This... this is impossible!" Hancock gasped, her composure shattered. She stared, wide-eyed and disbelieving, at the bow in her hands. The power contained in that single arrow was staggering.
Even Leo, who had expected something impressive, was taken aback. The raw destructive force was on par with his own 'Brogun' technique, at least without any additional enhancements layered onto it.
The power of Heaven's Punishment was truly terrifying.
"Hancock," Leo said, pulling her from her stunned reverie. "When you face a powerful enemy, try channeling your Haki or your Love-Love Fruit power through the arrows. With this, you'll have the power to stand your ground against even a Marine Admiral."
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T/N :
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