"Hey, Buggy!"
Leo walked over and gently patted the stunned Buggy on the shoulder.
"Leo, you're way too strong!"
Buggy snapped out of it, staring at Leo like he was some strange new creature. Then, as if something suddenly crossed his mind, he turned away a bit dejectedly and walked off.
While walking, he muttered to himself,
"Monsters, monsters... Is there even a normal person left on this pirate ship? Shanks is like that, and now Leo too!"
"Uh… yeah, looks like he took that kind of hard," Leo said, rubbing his forehead helplessly.
"Hahaha, don't worry, Leo. That guy Buggy will bounce back soon," came Jabba's voice from behind.
"Really? He'll be okay?"
"Yeah. Honestly, he's been hit with this kind of blow so many times he's used to it by now."
(ー_ー)!!
Buggy: Mr. Jabba, thank you so much. Truly, you're a great guy.
Achievement unlocked: A world where only one person gets hurt!
Three days later, somewhere on an unnamed island in the Grand Line, the Jackson was docked by the shore. The Roger Pirates were preparing to resupply here, knowing they wouldn't have many more chances to relax once they continued on their journey.
"Alright, everyone, make it quick—we're only staying here for three hours!"
Roger stood at the bow, loudly calling out to the crew.
"Tch, Captain, you say that every time, but you're always the last one back on the ship..." ┐(′-｀)┌
Roger had barely finished speaking before his crew gave him blank, exasperated stares, expressions full of disdain.
"Ahem, alright, let's go then," Roger said with a calm cough, clearly used to the routine, and then dashed off at lightning speed toward the nearby town.
"Wonder if there's good booze here."
Seeing the captain charge off ahead, the rest of the crew split up into groups to start gathering supplies as planned.
"Leo, wanna come with us? I heard the ramen here is amazing!"
Buggy called out to Leo, who hadn't set off yet. Shanks also turned his head to look—they were the only three kids on the ship, after all.
"No thanks. I'm planning to check out the weapon shop. I still haven't found a good weapon that suits me," Leo replied, shaking his head. If he went with them, he wouldn't have a good excuse to casually pull out the Fangtian Halberd.
"Alright, guess we'll go on ahead then."
Buggy looked a bit disappointed but still waved before running off toward town with Shanks.
Leo strolled along at a relaxed pace, enjoying the scenery and interesting sights of the island.
"Whoa, this cotton candy is super sweet!"
"Oooh, this venison is so flavorful!"
"Is this... cherry pie? Eh, pretty mid."
…
Eating his way through the island, Leo eventually checked the time and decided it was about time to head back—when suddenly, something unexpected happened.
"Get lost!"
"Yame! Don't hit my husband!"
"Let go of my Dad, you jerk"
"Cough... cough..."
A group of brutal pirates had cornered a family, their leader—a hulking man with a jagged scar—grinning as he raised his fist.
Leo's eyes narrowed.
Guess shopping's on hold.
"Hmph, who do you think you are, standing in my way?! You've got a death wish!"
Hearing the commotion up ahead, Leo glanced over and saw Barrett in a violent scuffle. Before him lay an ordinary man, bloodied and beaten.
As for the cause?
Apparently, the man's child had accidentally bumped into Barrett.
"Barrett, let them go! They're just ordinary people."
Leo furrowed his brows slightly and sighed, but still stepped forward, unable to hold back. Standing before Barrett's towering figure—over four meters tall—Leo's 1.5-meter frame looked downright tiny.
"Leo?! Step aside. Are you trying to teach me how to act?"
Barrett's face darkened when he saw Leo blocking his way, his tone furious.
Although Leo was a member of the Roger Pirates, Barrett had never considered them his family. Perhaps due to betrayal in his youth by someone he trusted most, the only reason he stayed on the Jackson was to challenge Roger himself.
As for the others?
Barrett didn't care about them in the slightest.
"Let them go. Truly strong people never bully the weak."
Leo met Barrett's fierce eyes without a trace of fear, standing tall and unmoving as he looked up at him.
"You three, go!"
Leo waved his hand, signaling the frightened family behind him to flee.
"You arrogant brat!"
Barrett's rage exploded. He suddenly raised his arm and launched a punch straight toward Leo's head, intending to teach him a lesson.
He wanted Leo to understand—not everyone is someone you can afford to provoke!
Boom!
A fist the size of a sandbag, roaring with wind pressure, smashed into Leo's head. The terrifying force blasted his small frame nearly a hundred meters away.
Looking at Leo, who didn't even have a chance to fight back, Barrett scoffed.
So-called genius kid? Worthless before absolute strength.
"Too weak!"
"...Is that so?"
A calm voice suddenly rang out behind Barrett. The Leo he had just sent flying exploded with a "puff"—turning into a chunk of wood.
It had been a Wood Clone from the very start.
"You… now that's interesting."
[+10 Dimensional Points from Douglas Barrett]
Barrett narrowed his eyes and let out a cold sneer. He didn't care much for Leo's trickery—but he was intrigued.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
In the next instant, Barrett's figure disappeared—no, he moved so fast that to the average person, it looked as if he had turned invisible.
However, with Beginner Observation Haki, Leo could barely sense Barrett's position.
And just moments ago, he had secretly placed the Flying Thunder God seal on Barrett.
"Wood Style: Bursting Spear Trees!"
Feeling an immense and oppressive force descend on him, Leo calmly raised his arm. Wooden vines instantly sprouted from his arm, forming into giant trees that writhed and lashed in every direction, trying to ensnare everything nearby.
RUMBLE—!
A deafening crashing sound echoed out. Just over a meter away from Leo, one tree after another was violently snapped apart. For now, the thick forest of vines managed to keep the unstoppable Barrett at bay.
Seeing Leo's calm expression, Barrett grew even more furious. This time, an invisible layer of Armament Haki wrapped around his arms like a translucent suit of armor, making them as hard as iron.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Punch after punch landed with metallic clangs. Finally, in a split second, Barrett found an opening and launched a massive...