Lina had been missing for three days. During that time, Leo had searched nearly every corner of the town. On the day of the incident, many merchant ships had left the island, leaving Leo with only one hope: that Lina had hidden on one of them and, unbeknownst to the convoy, had been carried out to sea.
If this were true, at least it meant she was still safe. With no other choice, Leo sought the aid of the Whitebeard Pirates, asking them to help search for Lina, while he stayed behind on Granar Island, waiting for news.
Half a month passed, yet there was still no word of Lina. Leo had nearly given up hope. All he could do now was pray that she was safe.
Mistakes had been made, and hesitation would solve nothing. Deep down, Leo felt certain that Lina was still alive. "If I can't find you, then let your name echo across the seas, so Lina can come to find you." He firmly believed that one day, they would meet again.
Suddenly, Leo understood his mother's words: "Ordinary people don't have time to heal." With renewed determination, he set out once more on his journey.
The New World's climate was unpredictable, yet the howling winds and raging waves could not stop the greed of pirates.
Two pirate ships clashed on the open sea, firing at each other as they closed in. Boarding battles erupted, and the decks were soaked in blood.
From a distance, Leo observed silently. Miraculously, the waters around him remained calm, shielding him from the wind and waves. Tossing aside the sunflower seeds in his hand, he sighed. Pirates, indeed, were desperate fools.
Leo wasn't there just for spectacle. He was waiting for the weaker side to be defeated, ready to profit from the aftermath. Encounters between evenly matched pirate crews were rare, and no matter the danger, Leo would never miss such an opportunity.
He had been at sea for six months, and the money he had taken from the human traffickers was almost gone. Now he needed to replenish his funds. There was no faster way to earn from scratch than piracy—but he refused to rob merchant convoys. His solution? Hunt pirates instead.
Over the past six months, Leo's abilities had improved greatly. He estimated that as long as he didn't encounter pirates of billion-berry strength, he could still defeat moderately powerful crews like the Yin Clan using his Devil Fruit powers.
Finally, the pirate crews reached the point of decisive battle. One crew was surrounded, on the brink of total annihilation. Leo knew it was time to act.
The Divine Vessel activated, and his ship began to submerge. Descending to around thirty meters below the surface, it moved toward the pirate ship.
The Deep Blue Blade had become stronger as well, with an attack range of fifty meters and a maximum length of thirty meters. It resembled a giant sword strike, though the similarity was only superficial.
Against these small-time pirates, it was more than enough. Whether real or water blades, the sharp, deep-blue edge could cut through the hull with precision, as easily as hot butter slicing through.
"Hahaha, lads! Quick, clear the battlefield and loot every last bit of treasure from these short-lived fools," the victorious pirate captain cheered. He loved collecting spoils.
As the pirates celebrated, the deck trembled beneath them. The ship tilted from bow to stern and began to sink. Those too focused on looting fell into the sea before they could stabilize themselves.
Exactly as Leo intended. With the pirates in the water, it was like he had reclaimed his own territory. The sea amplified his abilities: with a thought, all the pirates were trapped in the Abyssal Cage. Their recently looted treasures scattered everywhere. Leo maneuvered his small boat under the sinking ship, scooping up the treasures as if playing a game of Monopoly.
"Mordo Modo! What a haul! These pirates are filthy rich," Leo hummed, loading treasure into boxes until controlling the boat became a little difficult, then he stopped.
He added a couple of slashes to the floating wreckage, completing his work.
The battle lasted less than an hour. All pirates had returned to the sea, and the sixth pirate Leo had targeted had already vanished without a trace.
The New World's waters remained chaotic, likely because the Navy had yet to arrive. During his solo travels, Leo mostly encountered pirate crews, some extremely powerful. His most thrilling and dangerous encounter was with the Beasts Pirates.
Terrified, Leo immediately activated the Divine Vessel, plunging a hundred meters beneath the surface. Only when he sensed that the opposing force had retreated did he resurface.
Leo had discovered this ability to sense targets through water by chance. It was incredibly powerful. While submerged, he could detect all objects within a ten-nautical-mile radius, almost as if his perception had been amplified. Focusing, the images of everything within that range would appear in his mind. He didn't know this was like Observation Haki, but he found it invaluable at sea.
His journey continued, though recently a frustrating problem arose: he realized he had purchased a faulty recording compass. It worked near the island, but once at sea, it malfunctioned.
Without a compass, Leo drifted, relying on luck. Fortunately, he had enough food and fresh water. However, after eating fish for days, he felt nauseous and realized he hadn't had vitamins in a long time. His body might not hold up much longer.
Fortune finally smiled. After ten days adrift, he spotted a ship.
That day, Leo lay idly on the deck, radiating a sense of despondence. Suddenly, cannon fire rang out in the distance, catching his attention.
"Another pirate ship, perhaps? So much trash at sea. After I deal with them, I need to check my compass," he muttered, and activated the Divine Vessel, stealthily approaching the target.
He soon realized the pirates were attacking a merchant ship. Their usual tactics: firing warning shots and shouting threats, demanding the convoy stop or be killed. Nothing new.
As the ships neared, the merchant ship unleashed a massive flying blade, slicing the pirate ship in half, which quickly sank into a whirlpool.
Leo was stunned. A skilled swordsman was aboard the merchant ship. If he approached recklessly, he might be mistaken for an enemy. A lone boy at sea was suspicious enough.
He needed a subtler approach. Quietly, he accelerated to catch up to the merchant ship. When he judged the distance right, Leo floated to the surface with an empty barrel, while his small boat remained submerged, dormant.
Disguised as a shipwreck survivor, he drifted along the merchant ship's path, planning to make contact this way.
Most embarrassingly, no one noticed him at first. Leo was furious. "These careless idiots! Can't you see a huge barrel floating right here? How many treasures have you missed?"
After circling the ship several times, his presence was finally noticed. A few sympathetic sailors lifted him and the barrel aboard.
Leo subtly opened his eyes, observing the deck. When someone approached, he quickly closed them again, playing dead.
Suddenly, a large hand pinched his nose, and he felt warm breath. Panicked, he thought, Is he trying to give me mouth-to-mouth? He spat water and coughed violently.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, confused and vulnerable, finally locking gaze with the sailor before him.
"You alright, young man? You must have been in a shipwreck," the sailor asked.
"Waaah… where are my mom and dad? Our ship sank… waaah…" Leo worried his poor acting might fail, but the sailors seemed simple-minded. Hopefully, it would work…
After a brief inquiry, the sailors confirmed that the boy's ship had been attacked by pirates, sank, and he had miraculously survived.
"Where's your hometown?" they asked.
Leo worried they might try to send him back. "Sir, I came from Sabaody," he said, adopting a fearful, childish tone rather than fabricating a longer story.
"Oh, what a poor yet lucky child! Come with me to meet the captain."
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