On the commercial street of the Sabaody Archipelago, Leo walked side by side with a burly stranger. The man wore a hat, a cloak draped over his body, and a two-handed sword at his waist. From his attire, he looked like a swordsman.
"Brother, I'm so hot. This outfit is really uncomfortable."
"Hey, stop complaining. If you don't want to get caught, you'll have to bear it. Did you forget how you even got to Shampoo Land?"
Poor Will, still a child, had to endure discomfort far beyond his age. To avoid attracting attention, Leo had dressed him up. The chubby little fish stood over three meters tall and weighed about a ton. His face was black and white, with two tiny teeth protruding from his lower lip, giving him a surprisingly cute appearance. After dressing him, Leo added a pair of round sunglasses, slightly different in color from Will's skin, so they appeared almost invisible once worn.
"Brother, when are we going to Shampoo Park… ah…"
Leo looked at Will with concern. "Are you feeling unwell? We've been walking for a while—why are you already so out of breath?"
"I feel a bit thirsty… weak all over," Will admitted, his voice betraying his fragility.
Leo patted his forehead. He had almost forgotten that Will was a fish-man, still wearing a black cloak. The poor fish had been baking under the sun for so long he probably felt like dried fish. Quickly, Leo grabbed Will's arm and activated his Devil Fruit ability. Soon, a cool sensation spread through Will's body, as if he were back in the ocean.
"Ah… Kimoji, your hands feel so nice," Will sighed with relief.
Leo, impatient, tapped Will's belly. "Stop making such weird noises. You were acting strange earlier. Hold on, we're almost at Sabaody Park."
Finally, Will obediently quieted down. Leo bought tickets and took him to the amusement park. Having been there before, Leo naturally assumed the role of guide. Will was no longer alone. They rode the pirate ship, the log flume, the carousel, the swinging ship, and even braved the haunted house. Seeing Will laugh from ear to ear, Leo secretly wanted to buy him some oranges. Eventually, Will reluctantly dragged Leo onto the Ferris wheel.
Looking down at the scenery, tears welled up in Will's eyes. "Brother Leo, thank you for bringing me here. Today is the happiest day of my life. You know, every fish-man dreams of visiting the Sabaody Archipelago amusement park. I'm the first to fulfill a dream that my kind never dared to imagine."
Seeing Will's excitement, Leo quickly told him to quiet down. He feared the little fish might blurt out something like, "It's already taken your shape."
After talking for a long time, Will's stomach growled loudly. The little fish looked at Leo with longing eyes. "Brother… I'm… hungry."
Tsk! This little guy was hard to please. But hearing him, Leo realized he was hungry too. After playing so much, he hadn't eaten, and now his stomach was empty. Suddenly, Leo thought of Shaki. Huh? Why was he thinking of her? Had he become addicted to being extorted?
After leaving the park, they went to Shaki's extortion bar. "Hey, Shaki, I'm back. I brought a guest today. Since we're old friends, how about a discount?" Leo didn't know Will's appetite yet, but he could tell at a glance that Will was a big eater.
"Changed careers, kid? No longer a pirate but a human trafficker? Oh, not bad—you're a fish-seller now. Hot merchandise indeed," Shaki said with interest, eyeing the fish-man duo.
Before Leo could respond, Will piped up anxiously: "I'm… not a slave! Fish-men are never slaves, you bad woman!"
Leo noticed a clear mark forming on Shaki's forehead. "Seems I misjudged. Leo, why are you being so polite today? Even bringing your own ingredients." Shaki's smile became dangerous as she began sharpening her knives.
Leo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Haha, Aunt Shaki, why are you teasing a kid? This one's my brother—can't you give him some leniency?"
Shaki rolled her eyes. "Friendship is friendship, but discounts? Forget it. What do you want to eat today?"
"Something filling. I'm worried this kid will eat all my money."
"Heh, looking out for a child, huh? Didn't expect you to be so caring." Shaki placed two glasses of lemonade in front of them.
Leo waved his hand, saying nothing. Will calmed down as well. Despite looking silly, the little fish was sensitive and could sense that Shaki bore no ill intent.
Soon, the aroma of food filled the air. Will's mouth watered as two large plates of seafood fried rice arrived. Shaki lit a cigarette. "We don't have much left, so you'll have to make do with what's here."
"I'm starting to eat! x2" Will and Leo grabbed their plates and dug in. Shaki's cooking was as amazing as ever. Will was completely captivated, eating and crying at the same time. The fried rice vanished visibly fast, as the poor kid hadn't had a proper meal in ages.
"Heh, little fatty, eat slowly. No one will steal your food. Why are you crying? Is it really that good?"
"Shaki, your cooking is amazing! Brother Leo, Aunt Shaki, you're both so kind! No one's ever treated me this well… wow." Will wiped his tears and kept eating.
Leo glanced at his half-eaten plate and pushed it toward Will. "If you like it, eat more. I truly admire how well your parents raised you."
"Ha ha, bless Brother Leo with longevity. I never met my father, and my mother passed away when I was very young. I grew up eating in hundreds of restaurants in Fish-Man Street."
Leo didn't expect Will to answer seriously, nor did he expect the little fatty to also be an orphan. Perhaps out of sympathy—or maybe memories stirred—he suddenly went silent.
Shaki, noticing Leo's mood, teased: "Will, how did you end up with this guy? You didn't actually snatch him away from someone, did you?"
"No. I was captured by traffickers, then my big brother saved me. He destroyed the slavers' ship. As I escaped, I saw Brother Leo in the ocean waving his hand twice, and the ship sank. He's amazing."
Will's story came out in halting bursts, but Shaki could picture it all. Excited, he gestured as he spoke: "Brother did this and that… the ship split in two. After it sank, Brother said they were trapped in endless darkness, ordinary mortals! So cool."
"Do you think Brother Leo is handsome?" Will asked, mimicking Leo's pose, squinting at Shaki for approval.
Shaki paused, then laughed heartily. "Ha ha ha! Descend into… endless darkness… haha, Leo, you're the best!" She laughed so hard she fell back, slapping the table.
"Shut up, Will! What nonsense are you saying?" Leo's face flushed red. He jumped on the stool, pointing at Will, shouting, but the more he yelled, the louder Shaki laughed. Watching others die must have been fun for her.
As a socially awkward protagonist, Leo felt ashamed and overwhelmed.
Just as he felt blood rushing to his head, a laughter echoed in his mind: "Hehe, hehe, take me home." Leo felt dizzy, the world went black, and he collapsed from the chair.
"Huh? Huh?!!!" Will and Shaki were stunned. What had happened?
"Brother! Brother! Are you okay? Don't die!" Will quickly supported Leo. Seeing no response, he shook him frantically.
"This kid's skin is too thick! How can a few jokes make him faint? Stop shaking him, little fatty—put him on the sofa," Shaki ordered.
Despite repeated checks, they couldn't determine what had happened to Leo. Fortunately, his breathing remained stable, so they weren't too worried.
Leo felt himself sinking into endless darkness. Suddenly, a blue light appeared, growing brighter, accompanied by laughter:"Ha ha, rise with the sun. Let it guide you from birth to sunset. Take me home, take me home."
"Who are you?" Leo asked, receiving no answer. The blue light expanded, swallowing him completely.
Ah! Leo suddenly sat up, gasping.
"Brother, you're awake! How do you feel?" Will knelt by the sofa, tearful and anxious.
"Child, what's wrong? You fainted. I almost had to bury you."
"How long was I out?" Leo finally regained full awareness.
"Almost twelve hours. Didn't you notice it's dark outside?" Shaki said, annoyed.
"Sorry for troubling you, Aunt Shaki. I feel much better now. I'll take Will back first and come again another day."
"Alright, let's go. You always cause trouble when you come."
Leo smiled awkwardly, apologized, and left with Will. Back on the ship, he tossed and turned all night, thinking about the strange message he had heard. Was this still the world of One Piece he knew? How could he hear whispers from ancient gods?
Finally, Leo resolved to find out what it meant. As a time traveler, the word "home" always stirred an indescribable thrill in him.
The next morning, Leo went to a shipyard and swapped his submarine for a small sea-worthy boat. He stocked it with ample food. Though the log indicated only a day's voyage—from sunrise to sunset—Leo prepared for a long journey.
"Will, I'll take you on an adventure. When it's over, I'll return you to Fish-Man Island. If you don't want to go, leave you in Shaki's care."
"Brother, wherever you go, I go. I don't want to be apart from you. Please don't leave me behind." Will clutched Leo's leg anxiously, unaware that even lying down, he was taller than Leo.
At dawn the next day, Leo woke Will. After preparations, they stood at the bow waiting for the sun to rise.
As the first rays turned the sea golden, Leo activated his Devil Fruit ability, riding the waves, steering the small boat toward the rising sun:"Unknown summons? Call of home? Hmph. Whatever lies ahead, I, Leo, am here."
plz support me if you can
patreon.com/Hussain678
All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there