The slaughter had happened only a few kilometers away, yet the spray of blood and seawater had hit the Kuja flagship with the force of a tropical storm. Leo stood frozen at the railing, soaked to the bone.
This world was far more terrifying than any manga panel could ever convey. The sheer scale of life and death in the Calm Belt was staggering.
"Here. Dry yourself off."
A shadow fell over him. A woman stood there, holding an oil-paper umbrella against the "rain" of seawater, a cigarette dangling from her lips. She handed him a thick towel.
"Thanks, Rindo," Leo muttered. He wasn't in the mood for formalities. He took the towel and began scrubbing the salt and copper-smelling blood from his hair.
He looked up at her. Rindo was a striking figure—hair tied in a neat bun, wearing a top that left little to the imagination, and carrying a massive heavy-artillery cannon slung across her back. "Is the Calm Belt always this... eventful?"
"Not usually," Rindo replied, her cigarette glowing as she took a long drag. She exhaled a cloud of smoke that swirled into the humid air. "You just have strange luck. Seeing a predation like that the moment we leave port? It's a bit of a spectacle."
Rindo and Ran were the true operational hearts of the Kuja Pirates, second only to the Gorgon sisters. They were the veterans who kept the ship running while Hancock played the role of the distant Empress.
Leo finished drying his arms and draped the towel over his shoulders. "You have something to say to me, don't you?"
Rindo closed the distance, her umbrella now shielding both of them. "You're smart, Leo. I'll give you that." Her voice dropped an octave, and for a second, a needle-like killing intent pricked at Leo's skin. "The Empress might be infatuated with you, but I won't let you lead this crew into an abyss."
She stared him down for a beat, then pressed the handle of the umbrella into his hand. "Watch your step."
She turned to walk away, her cold elegance intact.
"Hey, Rindo!"
She stopped on the stairs, looking back at the man leaning against the railing.
"I want to see this world," Leo said, a bright, genuine smile breaking across his face. "I want to show all of you what's actually out there. No matter how much I talk, my understanding of this place is as limited as yours. Let's go see the truth together."
He chuckled, resting his chin on his arms. "Besides, look at me. I'm the weakest person on this boat. I'm not exactly a threat, am I?"
Rindo let out a short puff of smoke, tossed her cigarette into the sea, and continued up the stairs without looking back. "For your sake, I hope so."
Leo watched her go, then turned his gaze back to the water. The two-hundred-meter Sea King and its killer had already vanished beneath the waves. The surface was sparkling and clear again, looking as peaceful as a postcard from a tropical resort.
He knew better now. Beneath that blue mirror lay a world of monsters.
He stripped off his soaked shirt and began his daily exercises on the deck. He didn't dare miss a single rep. Gloriosa had given him the keys to Haki, but without a physical vessel to hold that power, the keys were useless. He wasn't going to be like the modern "couch potatoes" of his old life. He had pressure, he had goals, and he had a ticking clock.
High above, in the palace windows, the sisters watched him.
"He's at it again," Sandersonia murmured, her flicking tongue tasting the air. "He never lets up."
"He's got drive," Marigold added, looking down at the "frail" man mimicking the Kuja's elite training forms. "He'll be a formidable man one day."
Sandersonia frowned, her serpentine senses tingling. "I still feel like he's hiding something. I can taste the lies in the air."
"What does it matter?" Marigold countered. "Everyone has secrets. We have our past, don't we? As long as he isn't trying to hurt us, let him have his mysteries."
Sandersonia fell silent. Inside the room, they could hear Hancock humming a cheerful tune. The Empress, who had never touched a kitchen in her life, was currently obsessed with learning how to cook Leo's favorite meals.
"She's completely gone for him," Sandersonia whispered. "I just hope he's worth it."
"I wonder what story he'll tell tonight," Marigold said, resting her chin in her hands, her eyes bright with anticipation.
Indeed, Leo's version of The Thousand and One Nights had been running for over thirty days, and the crew was still hooked. The secret to his success? The art of the perfect cliffhanger. He knew exactly when to stop to keep them coming back for more—a trick as old as time, and just as effective on the Grand Line as it was anywhere else.