After completing the necessary repairs, they abandoned Alvida's underlings on a small, uninhabitable island near the marine base, taking the battered ship for themselves as they sailed toward their destination.
The marine base was larger than Leo's hometown. It had taken them half a day to reach it, and the sun still hung high in the afternoon sky.
Civilians moved about peacefully, tending to their daily routines, while marines patrolled in their regular routes. Luffy, Coby, and Leo disembarked from Alvida's pirate ship in an isolated sea shore without drawing immediate attention.
They docked far from the main port and walked into town, though their presence quickly drew curious stares.
"What will you do now, Coby?" Luffy asked.
"I—I'll head to the marine base and apply to join them," Coby replied, gathering his resolve. "What about you, Luffy?"
"Man, I'm starving. I'll grab lunch first, then go find that pirate hunter guy and see if he'll join my crew." At that, Leo's interest drew.
"What about you, Leo?" Luffy asked.
"I'll infiltrate the marine base," Leo said calmly. "I need materials to repair the ship you broke." With that, the group split.
While Luffy and Coby headed off in search of food, Leo moved alone toward the towering marine base in the distance.
His appearance didn't go unnoticed. Some civilians quickly recognized him and stepped aside, avoiding him altogether, while others simply stared, stunned by his unique looks.
Leo ignored them, deliberately steering clear of marine patrols but word of his presence spread regardless.
***
"What? That brat who almost killed Captain Nezumi is on this base?" Marine Captain Axe-Hand Morgan frowned as he processed the report. "We heard Vice Admiral Garp captured him… did he escape?"
"Yes, Captain," the soldier replied. "He's wearing cuffs on both hands and appears injured. He's been seen wandering the island, searching for something." A slow smile spread across Morgan's face.
"What a magnificent day," he shouted. "First, I'll capture the criminal who escaped Vice Admiral Garp… then execute him along with that pirate hunter Zoro, whose fame has spread more than mine and finally install my statue on top of this marine base."
"And tomorrow, my name will echo across the East Blue." He slammed his right axe-hand against the table, splitting it in two.
"All soldiers! Search every inch of this town. Find him but do not kill him. Report to me immediately."
Morgan stepped out of the base himself, leading a separate squad as marines scattered through the town in all directions.
***
Meanwhile, Leo had already slipped inside through a rear entrance.
He paused briefly, frowning.
The security here was too lax.
Pushing open another locked door with ease, he stepped inside, only to find the room completely empty.
"Another bad hunch… At this rate, it'll take me the entire day to check every room in this base myself. I should find someone who knows this place in detail."
Leo turned his head, his gaze landing on a blond boy walking at the far end of the floor.
"Hey, who are you? How did you get inside?" The slim blonde boy froze before pointing at Leo, shouting.
"I'm Leo. A pirate. Who are you?" Leo replied casually.
At the blunt admission, the boy's eyes widened in terror as he stumbled back, colliding with the wall.
"D-Don't come near me! I'm Helmeppo—the only son of Captain Morgan! If you touch me, I'll tell my daddy on you!" A faint, unsettling smile spread across Leo's face, his eyes narrowing.
In the next instant, he vanished.
Before Helmeppo could react, Leo appeared right in front of him, gripping his blond hair and yanking his head back.
"That makes us enemies… Should I kill you?"
The words were spoken lightly, almost lazily but terror flooded Helmeppo's face, his eyes turning watery.
"N-No! Don't! I'll do anything you say!"
For a fleeting moment, a cunning glint passed through Helmeppo's lips but Leo had already sensed the marine presence behind him.
He turned, dragging Helmeppo in front of him as a shield.
"D-Don't shoot! It's Helmeppo!" The soldiers hesitated, weapons raised but trembling from the fear of Captain Morgan.
"Dear Helmeppo," Leo said softly, his voice laced with a trace of killing intent, "take me to the treasury of this base… or I'll snap your neck." The threat alone was enough to shake Helmeppo to his core.
"D-Do as he says!" he shouted desperately. "Drop your weapons and back away!" The marines reluctantly obeyed.
The moment they did, Leo struck two swift blows. Both soldiers collapsed before they could react.
Dragging his hostage along, Leo moved deeper into the base, heading toward the basement where the valuables were stored.
***
Meanwhile, the marines had begun sweeping the town, threatening civilians and searching every corner but found no trace of intruders.
"Captain Morgan, bad news!" a soldier reported urgently. "An unknown pirate is wreaking havoc inside the base where we have imprisoned Pirate Hunter Zoro. None of our attacks are working on him… he seems to have strange powers!"
Morgan grabbed the soldier by the head, shoving a wanted poster in front of his face.
"Are you sure it isn't him?" he demanded.
"N-No, Captain!" the soldier stammered.
Morgan's expression darkened.
"What is wrong today? One pirate after another crawling into my town…" His grip tightened. "Fine. I'll kill them all." He turned sharply.
"Return to the base. That white-haired brat must be there if he's not in the town."
With that, all forty-five marines, led by Captain Morgan himself, marched back toward the base.
***
Unaware or perhaps unconcerned, Leo stepped into the treasury or to be specific Captain Morgan's office.
The room was partially filled with weapons and armor, alongside decorative items. A few bags of berries were locked inside a safe, while racks of axe handles lined one side of the wall.
Leo's eyes swept across the hoard, unimpressed at first until something caught his attention.
Three distinct swords rested apart from the others in the corner.
"Your father seems even more corrupt than Captain Nezumi," he said looking at five bags filled with berries.
"Is there any other place where you store treasure? And what are those swords?" Leo asked.
Helmeppo, his face swollen from repeated blows, flinched before answering.
"There's no other place. There used to be more cash, but Father used most of it to build a huge statue on top of the base." He swallowed, glancing nervously at Leo. "And those three swords… they belong to Pirate Hunter Zoro. He's imprisoned in the backyard for the past few days."
"Take these five bags. You're coming with me."
Helmeppo didn't dare reject. He quickly held the bags in both his arms, dragging them along while Leo slung the three swords across his back.
Instead of heading for the exit, Leo moved upward toward the top of the marine base.
There, towering over everything, laid a massive eight-meter stone statue of Captain Morgan broad, imposing with an axe handle replacing his right arm.
"Hm… He does look imposing, not as weak as Nezumi," he muttered. "Might be worth fighting."
When he turned, Helmeppo was gone, having slipped away but leaving the bags near the terrace entrance.
Leo didn't bother chasing him because a sudden commotion below drew his attention.
Looking down, he spotted a green-haired man tied to a wooden cross—Zoro. Nearby, Coby struggled to free him, while Luffy stood facing a group of marines… and Captain Axe-Hand Morgan himself.
The fight had already begun.
Bullets proved useless against Luffy's rubber body, forcing Morgan to step forward personally. His axe arm slashed through the air again and again, but Luffy dodged each strike, countering while keeping Zoro and Coby safe from marine assault.
Leo watched for a moment then a mischievous idea formed in his head.
Stepping back, he placed both hands below the massive statue lifting it.
His wrists were still bound by seastone cuffs, suppressing his abilities and cutting his strength in half but even then, he forced his body to exert more strength.
The statue trembled then slowly lifted into the air.
Holding the enormous weight above him, Leo carried it to the edge of the rooftop and looked down at the battle below.
They appeared too focused, 'Perfect.'
With a sharp motion, Leo hurled the statue down, only when its shadow swallowed them did Luffy and Morgan look up.
Too late, the statue crashed down with devastating force.
The ground shook, cracking beneath the impact as dust and debris exploded outward, swallowing both of them.
***
Leo adjusted the swords on his back, grabbed the bags of berries and stepped off the edge of the base jumping below.
From five stories high, he dropped without hesitation.
His legs, hardened with armament, absorbed the impact as he landed heavily near the wooden cross sending a shockwave through the ground.
"Hey Leo… did you throw that statue from the top?! Are you crazy? You killed Luffy!" Coby shouted, tears streaming beneath his glasses.
"Don't be dramatic, he won't die from this…" Leo replied.
"Hey… those are my swords." At Zoro's remark, Leo glanced at him, then unsheathed one of the blades and cut through the ropes binding him.
Leo handed the sword back before pulling away, his gaze curious as to how he would use three swords.
'A backup sword… maybe?' he wondered. Before he could think further, movement stirred beneath the shattered statue.
Two rubbery arms burst out, stretching unnaturally as they tore through the rubble.
A boy no older than Leo leapt out, clutching his straw hat, his body covered in dust.
"Are you trying to kill me?! What was that for?!" Luffy grabbed Leo by the collar, shaking him.
Leo looked away, casually whistling as his eyes flicked toward the stunned marines.
"Relax," he said lightly. "I knew it wouldn't hurt you…"
It was a lie but Luffy believed him anyway, releasing him without suspicion.
"Thanks for bringing my swords," Zoro said, stepping forward. "Are you part of his crew?"
He picked up two swords, one in each hand, his stance shifting. Only then did Leo notice the small girl behind the wooden cross, trembling.
"No," Leo replied calmly. "I'm not part of his crew. But I am interested in your fame… and your swordsmanship, Pirate Hunter Zoro…" A grin spread across Zoro's face as he stepped past Luffy.
Swing!
The remaining chunk of the fallen statue split cleanly in half.
From within, a large figure rose bleeding from the head and jaw, fury blazing in his eyes. Captain Morgan stood tall, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"How dare you destroy my statue…!" he roared. "I'll kill you all! What are you standing around for?! Attack them!" Zoro moved first.
Steel met iron as his twin blades clashed against Morgan's axe, deflecting the heavy strike despite their difference in size.
Gunfire erupted.
Luffy stepped in front, his rubber body absorbing the bullets before snapping them back toward the marines.
Leo, using his heightened perception, weaved through the barrage with ease, the bullets unable to touch him.
Nearby, Coby rushed to shield the trembling girl, pulling her away from danger.
Zoro and Morgan clashed again and again, axes against swords, sparks flying as Zoro's technique forced the captain back step by step.
Meanwhile, Luffy handled the marines alone, turning their own attacks against while grinning enjoying the moment.
Seeing that bullets were ineffective, the marines switched to swords, rushing forward in a coordinated assault. Luffy met them head-on, his martial skill and absurd body movement on full display as he weaved through attacks and struck back without slowing.
Leo drew the revolver from his belt which he had taken from Garp's ship and began firing.
Gunshots rang out in rapid succession, forcing the advancing marines to scatter and dive for cover, their momentum completely broken.
Amid the chaos, Helmeppo, cunning as a fox attempted to sneak around from behind, aiming for Coby and the little girl to take them hostage.
But Leo's hunter senses flicked a small blade flashed from his hand.
Thud.
The knife pierced straight through Helmeppo's advancing hand, pinning it brutally to the wooden cross.
A sharp scream followed, drawing Coby's attention as he shielded the trembling girl.
***
"Two Sword Style: Demon Slash!"
Zoro moved.
In a single decisive strike, he cut through the air his blades carving deep across Morgan's chest while slicing down through the shoulder of his axe arm, Morgan staggered.
Then fell.
The remaining marines, shaken, raised their guns once more but a voice rang out from the gate.
"Stop!"
An injured officer stepped forward, his body still bearing fresh wounds.
"I apologize… on their behalf," he said, bowing slightly. "And thank you for taking down that tyrant."
From his story, it became clear, he had been cut down by Morgan himself for opposing Zoro's unjust execution and speaking out against Helmeppo's abuses.
But with the source of the chaos finally brought down, there was no reason to keep fighting.
The marines lowered their weapons, agreeing to take Morgan and his son into custody themselves. In return, they made no attempt to stop the pirates fully aware they stood no chance.
"Young man… aren't you going with them?" the officer asked, looking at Coby.
Luffy turned.
"He's not with us," he said plainly. "He just stepped in to protect that little girl. We don't know him but I heard he wants to be a marine." Coby froze.
Then tears burst out of his eyes like a fountain but he didn't correct Luffy.
The officer smiled faintly.
"That takes courage."
Leo picked up the bags of berries he had taken from the base, walking past the marines as if he owned the place. Not a single one dared to stop him, each remembering the moment he had lifted the massive statue and crushed their captain with it.
"So," Zoro began, glancing at Leo, "you're not part of Luffy's crew. And those cuffs… What are you? Some kind of runaway criminal?"
Leo exhaled, rolling his wrists slightly. The seastone cuffs weighed heavily, constantly draining his strength, an irritation he hadn't grown used to.
"No," he said flatly. "I'm not part of this idiot's crew. And aren't we all criminals?" A faint smirk appeared. "I was just careless enough to get caught."
Zoro studied him for a moment.
"Let me cut them," he said, raising one of his swords.
"It won't work," Leo said.
He raised his hand, armament haki forming around his fist before he struck the cuffs.
CLANG!!!
A sharp resonance rang out, sending a visible ripple through the air. Even Zoro felt it, the force behind that blow was no less than one of his three-sword style attacks.
Leo's haki coated hand trembled painfully. A faint dent marked the impact point… and judging by the stiffness in his fingers, a bone was likely fractured.
"It's made of seastone… mixed with something else," Leo continued calmly. "You can't even cut steel yet let alone this." Zoro's curiosity only deepened with his words.
"So you joined Luffy's crew, huh… May God be with you." Zoro frowned slightly, not quite understanding the remark.
"Hey! Don't say that!" Luffy protested loudly as they climbed back onto the stolen pirate vessel.
"By the way—where are we going next?"
Leo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he moved to the side of the ship and lowered the small wooden boat attached to it, a compact escape vessel already stocked with basic supplies.
Then he looked back.
"We're parting ways here, Luffy. I'll be going on my own." He paused, a faint smirk forming.
"I've had enough trouble with your family over the past two days."
"Hey, don't say that! Why don't you join my crew instead!" Luffy insisted.
Leo shook his head.
"Only if you make me captain." That ended the argument.
Luffy puffed his cheeks slightly, clearly unhappy.
"…Then at least give me your shark boat," he muttered.
"It isn't repaired yet and even if it were, I wouldn't give you one. For your own safety." Leo's answer came instantly.
Luffy grumbled under his breath as he and Zoro stepped into their boat, pushing off from the ship soon after.
Leo watched them go, the sea quiet around him.
Soon enough with a steady motion, he set sail, heading in the opposite direction from Luffy, toward an adventure of his own.