Leo gripped the railing tightly, afraid that the boat would capsize and fling him into the void. Will seemed to have freed himself from his restraints, and if Leo hadn't shot him a warning glance, it looked like the little fatty was about to let go.
"Will… glub… please… glub… don't let go… glub…" Leo spat bubbles with all his strength as he called out.
The dizzying state didn't last long. When they regained their senses, the boat had flipped over again—but what lay before them left them speechless. The entire world was inverted. White clouds flowed silently beneath the boat, while the sky above churned like a raging sea.
After securing Captain Fanny again, Will eagerly asked, "Brother, where is this place? Where are we going next?"
Leo tried to activate his powers, but it seemed he had returned to his normal state. Even if he still had his abilities, he couldn't manipulate the waves to move the boat—they weren't even on the sea. "I don't know… maybe this is a rift in the world. Let's see where it leads."
They hadn't waited long before the voice in Leo's mind echoed again. "Hehe… welcome to my home…" Leo listened intently. The voice fell silent again, yet the little boat seemed to be drawn forward, gliding through a sea of clouds.
"Who's there? Who's speaking?" Leo's eyes widened as he scanned the surroundings. Silence reigned; even the wind seemed to vanish. The world felt strange—dreamlike, yet lifeless.
Just as Leo was about to give up, the voice spoke again: "I am always in your heart…"
"Heart? Heart… what is this? Devil Fruit? Are you a Devil Fruit?" Leo suddenly recalled the lore about Devil Fruits. If someone consumed one, the demon resided in the user's heart.
"This is not a Devil Fruit. Call me Jesus." The voice sounded childlike, with a strange, almost whimsical tone.
"Yes… Jesus? Why did you bring me here?" Leo tried to ask more, but the voice no longer responded. No matter how loudly he called, there was no answer.
"Brother, what are you doing? You've been frowning this whole time."
"Quiet. I'm speaking to someone in my heart."
Will's expression turned fearful. "Brother… don't scare me! Why is there a voice in my heart? Are we seeing ghosts?"
Bang! Before Will could finish, Leo slapped him on the head. "You think you're seeing ghosts, you coward! How does a little fatty like you have such a vivid imagination?"
After Leo scolded him, Will fell silent, sitting next to him with a pout. Eventually, his head nodded slightly, drifting into sleep.
The boat sailed forward slowly. Leo curled his legs on the deck, the boy's lone figure and the eerie silence creating a cold, almost surreal scene. The fog gradually lifted, and ahead, a black shadow stretched across the heavens.
Leo could sense Will's breathing becoming rapid—he too was frightened. Gently patting Will's belly to calm him, Leo rose to his feet. Whatever that shadow was, he had to face it calmly.
The boat steered directly toward the black silhouette as the veil lifted. It revealed a towering tree, its roots plunging deep into the cloud-sea. Its canopy seemed to merge with the ocean above. The trunk was extraordinary, braided like intertwining vines, branching into four limbs on each side. The branches bore no leaves, but their tips curved into circular rings.
The tree looked oddly familiar—like the Tree of Life from Baraka. If Leo's guess was correct, the roots and crown had two more layers each, and the branches' rings totaled ten. Legend said this was the residence of the archangel. Beneath the clouds, the roots numbered 22, symbolizing 22 meditative journeys. Leo chuckled at his own imagination. How could there be another Tree of Life in the One Piece world? Damn…
Before he could indulge in further thoughts, his body began to glow.
"Ah! Brother, you're glowing! Are you a robot too?"
"Hey, stop talking nonsense! Stay back and find cover to protect yourself."
At the same time, the voice in his mind spoke again. "Hehe… welcome to the heart of the world, young one. You are the first being to arrive here."
"Good heavens, that's rude. Do you think my brother Will is worthless?"
"Hehe, don't let it hear the next part."
"Wait… what are you doing?" Leo barely had time to react when snoring came from behind. Apparently, if Will didn't hear the snoring, he would fall asleep.
Suddenly, a vine thicker than their boat rose from beneath them. Its tip swayed, beckoning Leo upward.
Without hesitation, Leo climbed aboard. The vine lifted him steadily, and he looked around, muttering, "The Tree of Life is considerate… I thought I'd have to climb like a hermit, but they actually provided an elevator."
The vine carried Leo to a circular branch at the tree's top. Before he could react, a blue light emerged from his body, floating toward the circular branch and hovering at its center.
"Hello, young one. Welcome to the heart of the world. Thank you for returning me to see my mother."
Leo was stunned. He didn't register a single word from the light. His mind was consumed with one thought: Has my demon left? Am I still a special envoy with abilities?
Leo trembled. "Jesus… are you the demon living in my heart? If you leave, can I return to being normal?"
"I told you before—it's not a Devil Fruit, that's just what humans call it. As for that power… haven't you prayed not to die at sea? That's why I made a pact with you."
"Wait… are you saying I possess a human-form Devil Fruit?" Leo's face reflected confusion. The demon in his heart appeared as a deity. It said it fulfilled his wish, granting him control over the ocean. The most terrifying part—he made a pact with a god. But at what cost? Selling his body?
"Then even if you leave my body, I can still use the power?" Leo cautiously asked Jesus.
"Human-form Devil Fruit? Interesting. The power I gave you belongs to you. Even if I am not within you, you can still use it. Don't worry, I won't take it back. My power is creation—I can grant myself anything I desire. I've also given my siblings much power."
"The Devil Fruit was your creation?"
"Hehe, yes."
"What about the contract? You're so powerful—what can't you do?"
"Simple. Help me find all my siblings. My mother is dying; I cannot leave her."
"Your siblings? Devil Fruit? Oh no… what… should I call them?"
"That's up to you. If you like calling them Devil Fruits, then call them that."
"What should I do?"
"Use the power I gave you to subdue my siblings. You may forcibly take their power from their hosts. When the time is right, cast their souls into the sea—the extra power becomes your reward."
Leo's eyes lit up. "You mean I can steal other Devil Fruit powers? Then I could gain many abilities!"
"That's wishful thinking. The powers will merge with your existing abilities. The more you absorb, the stronger your control over the sea—but you won't gain new powers."
Leo felt a twinge of disappointment, silently cursing his greed. Absorbing others' strength to enhance his own was already incredible—yet he was still insatiable.
"When the power reaches a certain level, could it awaken?"
The light flickered. Jesus's form transformed into a question mark before Leo. "What is awakening?"
Caught off guard, Leo instinctively answered, "Uh… probably absorbing surrounding things, or greatly enhancing your abilities… something like that."
Jesus thought for a moment, then said, "I understand. That is not awakening. How did you learn of this?"
"Uh… I heard some people could use Devil Fruit powers to absorb surrounding things."
"Hehe… what you speak of is merely my siblings awakening. After entering a host, they sleep automatically. Only a few hosts can synchronize with my siblings' minds and awaken them."
"Mental synchronization? You mean those who have awakened fruits gradually have their minds taken over by your siblings, right?"
"Hmm… who knows? After all, the host is only borrowing the power. How could they compare to the true owner?"
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there