Two unidentified men were having an animated conversation about becoming the King of the Pirates. Judging by their tone, they had no doubt they could do it!
Did they even understand how difficult it was to become the King of the Pirates?
It's not just about sailing across the vast oceans. The journey is littered with unimaginable dangers—raging storms, mysterious islands, fearsome sea kings, and powerful pirates at every turn. Countless dreamers had set sail on this path, only to meet their doom.
What lunatics!
Leo, however, remained calm despite Coby's shocked expression. He gently tapped his cane on the wooden floor of the cabin, a small smile forming on his lips.
He had decided long ago to join the Straw Hat Pirates. Still, he hadn't expected things to fall into place this smoothly. Not only for the sake of reliving the passion of youth but for the spirit of free adventure—joining the Straw Hat crew was undoubtedly the best path.
In the world of One Piece, the choices are few and far between.
Pirates, bounty hunters, the Revolutionary Army, or the Marines.
The bounty hunter route was quickly dismissed. In the anime, there had never been many truly powerful bounty hunters. Even the ones that did exist often worked alone.
And Leo was no lone wolf. As a social creature, he knew isolation wasn't for him. His initial solo voyage had only been a bridge to something bigger.
The Revolutionary Army had its appeal, but its mission was too rigid and ideological. Leo wasn't opposed to change, but he wasn't ready to spend his life shackled to a political cause. In a world like this—so wild, so full of mystery and potential—he wanted freedom, not another structure.
Maybe one day, when the time was right, he might assist the Revolutionary Army in their reforms. But for now? That was a decision for the future.
As for the Marines? Not a chance.
The very thought of taking orders from pompous, arrogant Celestial Dragons—those so-called gods—made his skin crawl. He couldn't imagine anything worse than bowing to one of those spoiled tyrants. It would be the ultimate betrayal of everything he stood for.
That left only one option.
Pirates.
Yes, the word "pirate" often conjured up images of brutal thugs and remorseless killers. But not all pirates were the same. Many were adventurers at heart—people chasing dreams under the Jolly Roger. The Straw Hat Pirates were the perfect example.
Leo had always believed that if you were going to enter a world like this, you had to chase the story from the center. And Luffy was the center—the one destined to reshape everything.
So, the moment Leo realized he had crossed into the world of One Piece, his mind was made up.
He would follow Luffy.
"By the way, Leo," Luffy asked, turning toward him, his grin fading into a look of curiosity. He placed a hand on his treasured straw hat. "What's your goal on the sea?"
Leo paused at the question, then smiled, eyes glowing with excitement.
"My goal?" he repeated. "Of course—it's to have a journey filled with adventure! I want to be the freest traveler in the world!"
He raised his cane and pointed toward the horizon beyond the cabin wall.
"From East Blue to the Red Line, from the Grand Line to the Sky Island—I want to leave traces of my presence everywhere I go!"
In a world built on freedom, Leo could think of no greater goal than to live that freedom to the fullest. To sail, explore, and embrace every experience the sea had to offer.
"The freest traveler?" Luffy repeated, his expression lighting up with admiration. "Hahaha, that sounds amazing!"
It was a dream so simple and pure, yet bold and romantic. It reminded Luffy of his own ambition.
"You really are the right person to be my crewmate!"
"But Captain," Leo said with a grin, tilting his head toward the door, "what's our next move?"
Outside, they could hear the faint creaking of wood and the soft thumps of approaching footsteps.
Luffy scratched his head and thought for a moment. "Next move? Hmm… Well, we need a ship. Then we hold a party!"
He nodded to himself, then added, "And we need more crewmates! I don't want too many, but I must have a musician. That's a must."
Leo chuckled softly. Of all the roles Luffy could have insisted on, a musician was his top priority. But Leo understood. To Luffy, pirates weren't just fighters—they were a family on a journey. And every good journey needed music.
"Well, you've got a clear idea, Captain," Leo said, walking to the door. "But before anything else… we need to get out of here."
He gripped his cane tighter.
"And take care of the pests standing in our way."
He flung open the door.
Bang!
A large figure tumbled through the doorway and crashed hard onto the floorboards, making the entire cabin shake.
"Ahh! It hurts!!" wailed a shrill, grating female voice, like metal scraping across a chalkboard.
Coby's face turned pale as fear gripped him. He trembled, eyes wide in horror.
"K-Kirby!"
The enormous woman clambered to her feet with the help of a massive iron mace, her heavy steps thudding ominously. Her girth barely fit through the doorway. It was Captain Alvida, in all her terrifying glory.
"So this is where you've been hiding!" she bellowed. "I was wondering why it was so quiet down here. Planning something, were you?! Traitor!"
Boom!
Her spiked mace slammed onto the floor beside her with a sickening thud. Coby flinched.
"No, no, I wasn't!" he cried, waving his hands in panic.
Alvida squinted her beady eyes and looked around, as if calculating how to punish him.
Then came her infamous line.
"Kirby! Who is the most beautiful woman in East Blue?!"
Coby's teeth chattered as he answered in a high-pitched voice, "Of course it's Miss Alvida! The most beautiful woman is you, Lady Alvida!"
Luffy groaned and stepped forward.
"Be strong, boy!" he said, punching Coby lightly on the head. "You're gonna bow down to this fat aunt forever?!"
Coby blinked at Luffy, stunned. Just moments ago, they had been talking about their dreams—something Coby hadn't even dared to voice himself.
"Coby, I want to be the King of the Pirates," Luffy said with conviction, "even if I die trying! What about you? What's your dream?"
Coby clenched his fists.
"King of the Pirates... Do I get to have my own dream too?"
He looked between Luffy and Leo. Their passion—so pure and unwavering—ignited something in him.
"I want to be a Marine and catch all the bad guys!" he shouted suddenly, his voice cracking but firm.
Leo, still standing at the door, smiled proudly.
But Alvida wasn't impressed.
"Kirby, what did you say?!"
She raised her mace again, furious. "I'll ask you one last time! Who is the most beautiful—"
Bang!
Leo interrupted her with a swift strike of his cane—direct to the face.
Alvida's body lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall where she had originally fallen.
"You fat old hag," Leo said, adjusting his collar coolly. "Stop asking me that idiotic question."
He pointed his cane at her.
"Everyone knows the most beautiful woman is definitely NOT a bloated pig like you."
Alvida lay sprawled on the ground, rage boiling over. Her lip quivered, and her tiny eyes narrowed with pure hatred.
"You… I'll kill you!!"
She stood up shakily, her mace crackling with menace.
Leo and Luffy exchanged a glance. Then they grinned in unison.
"Captain," Leo said, twirling his cane once, "I'll leave the lady to you."
He stepped into the hallway, facing the approaching minions.
"I'll take care of the riff-raff."