Seagulls soared across the blue sky, and the sea was calm. Today was one of those rare peaceful days on their great voyage.
"Leo, you're so boring. Haven't you found that island yet?"A girl dressed in tight beast-skin hunting attire sat on the deck, legs dangling over the railing as she kicked playfully at the air.
"Please call me captain. Lina, if you're bored, go practice the Sphinx Battle Dance, or try fishing. Just do something. Look at me—I'm steering the ship while training at the same time."
Leo wore a sailor hat and held a pipe between his lips as he manned the helm. A closer look revealed the pipe wasn't even lit; he was just posing with it.
The ship wasn't moving by wind, either—the sail wasn't even raised. It was Leo who was using the power of Shenzhou to propel the vessel forward. He had discovered this technique by accident, and it had since become a valuable part of his training. Steering the ship with seawater sharpened his control tremendously. Compared to before, manipulating the ocean felt far more natural.
After being scolded, Lina gave up resisting. She flopped down on the deck, stared up at the drifting clouds, let her mind wander, and before long, fell asleep.
Leo shook his head helplessly. For someone as energetic as Lina, this peaceful voyage was torture. Confirming the course on the Log Pose, he decided he was done posing at the helm.
He went into the small galley, poured two cups of chilled fruit juice, and returned to the deck. Seeing the girl asleep, he suddenly felt the urge to play a prank.
"Aah! So cold!"Lina shot up like a startled kitten, shivering. Before she could complain, the icy drink stole her attention.
She downed it in a single gulp—then immediately clutched her head."Aah… ow, ow! My head! It hurts!"She punched her temples with tiny fists.
Leo snatched the empty cup away, annoyed."Why were you drinking so fast? No one's stealing it from you."
"I'm thirsty. Do we have more?"
"No. We're running low on fruit. We can't use everything just to make juice. Be patient. We'll reach the island today—once we land, you can drink as much as you want."
"Leo, are you a devil? How can you let such a cute girl die of thirst? I don't care, I don't care, I want more water! Ice water!"
She threw a fit on the deck like a spoiled child.
Then she clutched her head again. "Uuuh… please? I haven't had enough…"Leo sighed. Ever since they set sail, he had become more and more like a babysitter. How had he never realized how troublesome this girl was?
"Fine. No more juice. How about fresh water?"Before Lina could answer, Leo waved a hand toward the sea, lifting a sphere of seawater into the air. He showed her how to separate it into two balls—one salty blue, one crystal clear.
"Try this. Leo's special purified water."This too was a result of his training. Controlling seawater wasn't just about tossing waves around—he could even separate fresh water from salt with ease.
Lina shoved her whole head into the water sphere. Not only did she ignore the mistake she was making, she even peered through the water and winked at him.
Soon, she started flailing—and nearly drowned herself in drinking water.
Leo frowned, pulled the water sphere off her head, and tossed it overboard in disgust.
"Lina, are you stupid? How do you drown yourself while drinking water?"
"Cough! S-sorry… I'll be more careful next time."She stuck out her tongue in a cutesy apology.
Leo reluctantly made her another sphere of purified water.Lina's eyes suddenly sparkled."Let's drink together!"
"No. Sharing a drink like that would be an indirect kiss."
"W-What!? Leo! You pervert! Why are you suddenly talking about kissing…"Her face turned red as she peeked sideways at him.
If Leo had a visible rage meter above his head, it would have been full."You're the one blushing like a boiling kettle. Don't act like I'm the weird one here."
He finally poured the water into a cup and handed it to her. Thankfully, Lina calmed down.
…
Night fell, and they finally spotted land. Leo and his companion had reached their first destination—Grana Island.
Unlike the primitive Sphinx Island, Grana was a lively commercial island, with ships constantly coming and going. Leo steered his vessel into the harbor and tucked it away in a quiet corner.
"Lina, once we're on the island, stay close to me. Don't run around, don't touch anything, and if you want something, tell me first. Don't pick fights. Got it?"
To Leo, Lina was still a child who hadn't grown up, and he subconsciously treated her as though he were her parent.
But Lina's attention was already fixed on the massive ships around them. She replied to him half-heartedly.
"You're so naggy… Fine, fine, I'll behave. Why are you glaring at me?"She puffed her cheeks angrily.
After tying the ship securely, Leo led her ashore. Grana Island was more than five times the size of Sphinx. It had a medium-sized town full of bustling trade. Even Leo—who prided himself on his knowledge from a previous life—felt overwhelmed by the variety of races walking the streets.
As they walked deeper in, the streets became livelier, vendors shouting from both sides. Lina's head had been constantly turning since they arrived—everything seemed fascinating to her.
Then, the smell of grilled food drifted toward them. Lina's nose twitched, and drool almost leaked from the corner of her mouth.
"Freshly grilled seafood! A hundred-year-old family recipe! One bite and you'll be hooked! Come on, little lady, want to try some? Today's treasure conch and sun-moon clams are top-notch!"
"Mister, your seafood smells amazing!"
"Of course! It's made with my secret sauce! You won't find this anywhere else!"
"Then I'll take five orders of sun-moon clams, two octopus plates, and… that giant sea conch looks good too—five more!"
Leo cut her off quickly."You're ordering all that just for yourself? What did you promise me when we got off the ship—"
Before he could finish, Lina shoved a grilled octopus tentacle into his mouth. Leo's eyes widened, then he chewed a few times and raised his brows in satisfaction.
They walked while eating. Leo lectured between bites:"I'll let it slide this time. But next time, tell me before you run off. After we eat, we're getting you some clothes. That beast-skin outfit is too flashy. We need to stay low-profile. Did you hear me? Lina… Lina?"
He realized after talking for a while that Lina was gone again.
Panic rose in his chest. He tossed the food aside and hurried down the street, searching frantically.
At that moment, Lina was lying across the counter of a weapon shop, gesturing at the owner.
"Boss, do you have any scabbards? Around this long."
"Of course. But at that length, it's more like a dagger. I have two types—deep-sea sharkskin or jungle banana-gator hide. Which one do you want?"
In the end, Lina chose the sharkskin scabbard. Just as the owner handed it to her, she heard Leo shouting her name. She bolted out of the shop.
"Leo! Over here! Hurry!"
Following her voice, Leo finally spotted her and rushed over, furious.
"Why did you run off again!? What if you got lost? I swear I should've left you on the ship!"
Lina froze, then her lips trembled and her eyes welled up."I saw that your dagger didn't have a proper scabbard… so I wanted to buy one for you. Look… does it fit?"
She held out the scabbard with both hands.
Leo was moved—deeply so. For a moment, he didn't know whether to scold her or forgive her.
Seeing her head lowering more and more, he finally took the gift and slid it onto his dagger.
"You've got good taste. Thank you, Lina. I really like it."
He took her hand and led her away from the shop.
Once Leo held her hand, Lina's mood instantly brightened.She giggled."Hehe… I won't run off anymore. I'll listen to you from now on."
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there