After his confrontation with Captain Fanny, Leo wanted to test how much his abilities had improved. He stretched out his hand toward the ocean. As his power activated, a massive wave over fifty meters high surged into the sky. Leo waved his hand, and the wave surged forward like a miniature tsunami.
"Damn, my power has grown so much. Before, I couldn't even create a small wave with a flick of my hand. Now… it's like a cow that's been steamed—absolutely incredible."
Leo then tried to sense the moisture in the air again. He had once wished he could extract water from the air at any time to activate his abilities. Previously, he could only sense moisture, not control it. Now that his power had improved, Leo decided to try again.
As expected, he could clearly sense the tiny water molecules in the air. His eyes focused as he drew a dagger, and he saw the water molecules begin to gather along its blade. Feeling the weight perfectly balanced, he swung the dagger with all his might, unleashing the Deep Blue Blade.
A deep blue water blade appeared fifty meters ahead of the ship. It cut through the air, slicing across the ocean surface.
"Perfect! It worked! Though I'll need more practice—the initial speed is still a bit slow." Despite some imperfections, Leo nodded in satisfaction.
After experimenting with various abilities, Leo planned to return home. With the power of his Divine Vessel activated, the small boat surged along the waves as if surfing, heading toward Shampoo Island.
Despite all the chaos, Will was still sound asleep, but Captain Fanny had been awakened. She looked around, saw the ropes binding her, and cursed loudly: "You despicable wretch! You dare let me go, and now you challenge me one-on-one?"
Leo, looking annoyed yet nonchalant, replied, "Haha, I wouldn't dare. Why would I duel a prisoner?"
Fanny shouted angrily, "Look me in the eyes!" But nothing happened. She stared at him motionlessly, and after a moment, fear appeared on her face.
"Why… why is this happening? Why has my Devil Fruit power failed? What did you do to me?" Her words became her last.
Leo suddenly realized his mistake. He had forcibly taken Fanny's Devil Fruit power but completely ignored her value as a human. Naively, he had thought to trade Fanny for her bounty. If the Marines discovered her powers had vanished, he would become a suspect, and perhaps even CP0 would be called in to investigate.
Cursing his own carelessness, Leo glared fiercely at Fanny. She recoiled in fear, kicking her legs backward, but the deck was too small—there was nowhere to escape. A blue blade slashed across her neck; her head jerked violently, and she was dead.
Moonlight shone brightly, stars sparse. By the time they returned to Shampoo Island, it was evening. Will was awakened by his rumbling stomach. The little fatty seemed to have forgotten the previous events and immediately clamored for food. Seeing there was still half a bag of provisions on the ship, Leo didn't disembark. They ate on deck.
Watching Will eat enthusiastically, Leo smiled like a father and pushed all the food toward him. "Son, eat slowly. Don't choke."
"Huh? What did you say, brother?" The boy was too focused on eating to hear him.
"Ah, never mind. Will, how old are you this year?" Leo cleared his throat, masking his embarrassment, then quickly changed the subject.
"I'm twelve. Brother, look at my teeth. I have thirty-six now. When I grow to forty-eight, I'll be an adult. Hehehe."
As expected, he was still a child. Leo seemed to forget that he himself was only eleven. Having lived two lives, he didn't consider himself an adult when facing Will. Will's pure personality made him very fond of him. Leo looked at him even more gently: "Come on, Will, eat more. You're even cuter when you're chubby."
"Really? Thank you, brother. You're so good to me. Yeah, yeah." Will's bright smile made him even hungrier.
"Will, do you want to be the boss?"
"Pfft! Ah, brother, what are you saying? Me, the boss? No, no, I'll always be your brother. I'll never betray you."
"See how scared you look? I just want you to pretend. You act like a bounty hunter, and I'll be your assistant. We'll take Fanny's head to the Marines to claim the bounty."
"Why don't you go? You're the real boss anyway." Hearing that it was just pretend, Will stopped worrying and continued eating.
Leo draped his arm over Will's shoulders. "If the Marines knew a five-billion-berry bounty pirate was taken down by a child, it'd be too flashy. We need to stay low-profile. So you act like a bounty hunter. You're big enough; I'll dress you up, and the Marines won't suspect anything. We'll say we're a bounty hunter duo."
"But I can't pretend to be a bounty hunter."
"You don't have to speak. Just hum a few words when the Marines ask questions. I'll answer the rest."
"Okay, brother, I'll follow your lead." Will nodded dumbly.
Shampoo Village Bases 60–69 are Marine bases; foreign ships can only dock at 60. Leo gave Will a large bamboo hat with a veil, a stolen dual-hand sword at his waist, and the black cloak he wore when coming to the island. Will looked like a knight from martial arts tales—though Leo wondered if knights even existed in this world.
After repeatedly reminding Will to wear a stern expression and speak little, Leo carried the bag containing Captain Fanny's head toward the base gate.
"Stop! What are you doing? Unauthorized personnel may not enter the Marine base!"
Leo put on his mask. No wonder the Marines looked suspiciously at him. "Officer, we're bounty hunters, here to claim a reward." He shook the bag.
The soldiers remained alert. "Whose bounty is this?"
"She's Captain Fanny of the Illusion Pirates. Her bounty is 500 million Berries."
The Marine soldier was clearly startled. "A pirate with a 50-million bounty? One moment, I'll report to my superiors." They didn't dare underestimate a bounty hunter capable of handling such a pirate, speaking politely without realizing it.
As soon as the soldier entered, a team escorted him and Will inside. At that time, the Marine Rear Admiral stationed at Shampoo Village was Huo Shaoshan. Leo knew him to be a strong yet kind uncle—a young man with ideals.
They were led to an office and guarded at the door. Instead of the commander, they were greeted by his deputy, Lieutenant Ryan.
"Hello, I'm Lt. Lils Ryan. I heard you captured a pirate from the Illusion Pirates, nicknamed 'Nightmare Fanny'?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Ryan, but we only brought back Fanny's head." Leo placed the bag on the table.
Ryan compared the head to the wanted poster in a thick stack of documents and ordered it taken away.
"You're very strong, capable of killing a 50-million-bounty pirate. Interested in joining the Marines?" Ryan's admiration was obvious, especially toward Will, whom he assumed was the main force in the capture.
"Thanks for the offer, Lieutenant Ryan, but my superior and I are used to freedom. We have no intention of joining the Marines."
Ryan didn't comment. Offering positions to strong bounty hunters was standard, and refusal was common. Failing to recruit them, Ryan became curious about their identities.
"I don't know your names. I'll record them for future bounty claims."
Leo thought for a moment. "Call us the Sea Knights."
"Ha! That sounds impressive. Can you show yourselves?"
Leo felt awkward. "Our identities aren't suitable to be shown publicly in Shampoo Village." He lifted part of Will's veil, revealing the fishman's true face. Will sneered, vividly expressing the resentment of a long-oppressed fishman.
Seeing Will was a fishman, Ryan understood why he hid his face and smiled awkwardly. There was nothing he could do. Fishmen were highly valued here, and even stationed Marines understood the situation.
Perhaps out of sympathy, the kind Marine quickly completed the bounty procedure, handing Leo a chest containing 50 million Berries.
After receiving the reward, Leo decided to take Will to the finest restaurant in the archipelago, reserving a private room and paying extra. Leo wasn't showing off—he wanted to prevent disturbances due to Will's fishman identity. Even so, the waiters' disdainful glances still hurt Will.
"Will, don't mind trivial people. With me here, no one can bully you."
"Thank you, brother. I understand… I understand everything now."
"Alright, let's eat. You've been hungry for a long time. Let's celebrate today's successful hunt."
After the meal, they returned to the ship. During dinner, Leo reflected on his long stay in Shampoo Village. He had come to earn money but achieved it effortlessly. It was time to continue his journey.
The original plan was to head to Water City to change ships and then pass through Reverse Mountain to the Four Seas. But now, with Will, he wanted to visit Fishman Island.
Having set the course, Leo let Will take the helm. He activated his Divine Vessel ability, wrapping the ship in a hollow water sphere and submerging into the sea.
Since it was nighttime, Leo couldn't see the dreamlike shallow waters of the bay, which disappointed him. Fortunately, Will led the way, allowing them to dive safely in the dark.
Fishmen don't need to look at the surface—they instinctively navigate to Fishman Island. However, Will's eyelids drooped with sleepiness. Leo feared he'd fall asleep, so he stuffed an ultra-spicy takoyaki into his mouth, jolting him fully awake.
The underwater world of the pirate realm was breathtaking. Descending beyond 5,000 meters, the surroundings gradually shifted from black to deep blue, and visibility improved dramatically.
Leo sensed the world teeming with life. Large sea creatures swam nearby, some brushing past his small boat.
With the help of the Divine Vessel, the boat descended quickly, soon reaching an underwater waterfall. Following it downward for 1,000 meters, the view opened up. Fishman Island, like a pearl in the sea, appeared before Leo's eyes.
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