Maybe it only lasted for a moment, but to Leo it felt like time had completely stopped—until the icy seawater flooded into his mouth and dragged him back to reality.
Gulu… gulu gulu…
His whole body turned numb with cold, and breathing became unbearably difficult. In that moment, only one thought echoed in his mind:
I don't want to die!
Bubbles escaped his lips as his final breath left him, and he slowly sank into the depths. Just before consciousness slipped away, he seemed to hear a joyful laugh.
"Hehe… my dear master, I will grant your wish…"
—
A seagull glided across the sky. The clear blue sea reflected the heavens like a mirror.
There, floating on the water, lay a small boy. His golden hair shimmered under the sun, and as the warm light touched him, his eyelids twitched. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, then slowly opened them.
The golden pupils he once had had now become a deep, clear blue. His gaze seemed to flow endlessly like the tides.
Leo stared blankly at the back of his hand for a long time before his mind finally returned. Two warm tears rolled silently down his cheeks.
"…Mother."
He lay motionless on the water, hands covering his eyes. At first his cries were faint, but soon they burst out uncontrollably. His mind was filled only with his mother's gentle face.
"Why…? Why would my invincible mother die in battle…? Uuu… what am I supposed to do…"
The sudden tragedy nearly broke him. For Leo, the image of Suzanna—strong, warm, unbeatable—was deeply etched in his heart. He always believed that with both parents protecting him, he would grow up safely.
Since arriving in this world, Leo had treated Sphinx Island like a beginner's village, his parents merely NPC guardians for his early game. Only today did he finally realize how wrong he was.
This was not a fictional world. There were no cheats, no invincible protagonists. Leo, who had never truly respected the danger of this world, finally understood reality.
He remembered his mother's words:
"In this world, ordinary people have no time to heal."
That thought snapped him awake. Leo sat up abruptly—only then realizing he had been lying on top of the sea this entire time.
This had nothing to do with buoyancy.
He could feel it: the ocean itself had become a part of him.
He raised a hand tentatively. The moment he did, the water nearby swelled upward, forming a five-meter-tall wave that stood motionless on the surface.
Leo's eyes widened."So… this is my Devil Fruit ability? I finally became a power-user…"
He let out a bitter laugh and punched the water.
If only I awakened earlier… If I had this power then… Mother would—
He fell silent.There were no "ifs" in this world.
He swallowed his grief, stood up firmly, checked the direction with his Log Pose, and began walking along his own waves toward Sphinx Island.
As he traveled, his hand brushed against the dagger at his waist—the very one Suzanna had strapped to him before throwing him off the pirate ship. Feeling the cold metal, Leo silently vowed:
I will save Sphinx… and avenge my mother.
Using the waves, he arrived back at the island in just an hour. Along the way, he found many scattered survivors. When they saw Leo's newfound power, they looked to him as their pillar of hope.
"Hide here," Leo told the children. "I'll sneak back to the village and check the situation. Don't come out until I return."
Then he dove back underwater, planning to reach the beach through the ocean floor.
Before long, he arrived. Peeking above the surface, he saw two ships docked—one belonging to the Buffalo Pirates.
Pirates moved back and forth along the shore, carrying corpses. Leo's face tightened.
Did… Father and the others lose?
His heart sank.
But before he could move closer, a sharp voice shouted:
"Who's in the water!?"
Leo panicked and tried to dive, but a hand grabbed his collar first.
"Marco-nii?"Marco stared at him. "Are you Leo? Why do your eyes—"
Leo's golden pupils had turned into deep blue, almost making Marco mistake him for someone else.
Marco transformed into a phoenix, blue flames spreading across his wings as he carried Leo to the shore. Normally Leo would have been thrilled, but right now he felt nothing but dread.
"Where were you hiding? Your father's been looking for you everywhere."
Leo ignored the question and asked quietly:"Marco-nii… where is my father?"
Marco hesitated, then spoke softly, "Uncle Rick… died in battle."
"Your father was a great warrior. When we found him, over thirty corpses lay at his feet—including that bastard George. He died standing."
Marco paused, then frowned."Leo… was Aunt Suzanna with you?"
Leo didn't speak. But the tears streaming down his face answered clearly.
After half a day of counting, only one-tenth of Sphinx Island's population survived. Only twenty-plus elders and a few children remained.
When Whitebeard heard the final death tally, his fury shook the sea itself.
Thirty years ago, Sphinx had suffered the same fate, leaving only a handful of children alive—including a young Newgate. He had left to seek strength so that tragedies like this would never happen again…
Yet thirty years later, nothing had changed.
—
The next day, atop the seaside cliff, Leo knelt alone before two graves. He had buried his parents together—though Suzanna's body was never found, so he built her a cenotaph.
He stared blankly at the stone marker. In his past life, he had taken warmth and family for granted. In this world, he finally felt what he had once lacked. Now, with grief fading, only emptiness remained.
Then heavy footsteps approached.Whitebeard stood beside him, placing a bottle of alcohol before the grave and sitting down silently.
After a long time, he spoke:
"Leo… become my son. From today on, inherit my name and sail the seas."
Leo thought for a moment, then replied:
"I'm sorry… Dad. I can't accept. Even if Mother is gone, I must follow her teachings. Someday I'll go to sea—but I will never become a pirate."
Whitebeard looked at him for a long, long time—then suddenly laughed.
"Gura-ra-ra… you're a stubborn kid. But don't ignore the goodwill of your elders. If you ever face danger at sea… tell them my name. Remember—staying alive is the most important thing."
"…Yes, Dad."
—
Peace gradually returned to the world, though one difference remained: a new pirate crew now patrolled the surrounding waters.
Once Leo confirmed his Devil Fruit ability, he spent nearly all his time mastering it. He knew he needed techniques for attack, restraint, and escape.
First, the escape technique.
Walking on waves was easy for him now. He tried using water to push a fishing boat forward—it worked quickly, but didn't meet his needs. So he created a hollow sphere of seawater around the boat and submerged it.
He trained repeatedly until he could dive 100 meters deep. Only then did he consider the technique complete.
Giving the technique a name was the best part. After rejecting dozens of options, he finally chose a name reminiscent of his homeland:
Shenzhou.
Next was the restraining technique.
Inspired by the Water Prison Jutsu, Leo attempted to throw spheres of water at enemies. At first, the water volume was too small. He tried harder, using both hands, and recalled the prayer-like voice he heard upon awakening his powers.
So he put his palms together and whispered a silent prayer to the sea.
A miracle happened.
Seven or eight thick water streams erupted like cannons, forming massive water bullets over two meters wide.
Not only had he recreated the water prison, he had created a new crowd-control technique.
He named it after the helplessness he felt while drowning:
Abyssal Cage.
Finally, the attack technique.
He tried many methods—shaping water into blades, firing droplets like bullets—but none were powerful enough.
Then he saw Suzanna's dagger.
His eyes lit up.
He coated the blade in seawater and swung. Nothing happened—until he compressed more and more water onto the edge. When the dagger suddenly grew heavier, he tried again.
A deep-blue water blade two meters long burst forth. As it flew, it expanded like spraying water.
Its maximum range was 20 meters, spreading up to 10 meters wide. If it missed, it dissipated midair. Within range, it was powerful enough to slice a fishing boat—and even carve grooves into solid rock.
Leo nodded in satisfaction and named the technique:
Azure Blade.
With this, all of Leo's abilities were fully developed. Five years passed.
—
On a morning in Year 1495 of the Sea Calendar, three youths stood before an old wooden hut.
The only girl among them, Lina, grabbed Leo's arm, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Do you really have to do this?"
Leo turned, gave her a comforting smile, gently moved her hand aside, and faced the house again. His eyes were resolute.
He tossed a torch inside. Flames immediately roared to life, swallowing the hut as if devouring years of memories. But Leo was not trying to erase the past—he was engraving it into his heart.
By the firelight, Leo drew Suzanna's dagger.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there