Akainu, moments after Leo's system-triggered flash, had already forgotten the strange soldier. His target was the fleeing body of Monkey D. Luffy. He melted the ice, creating massive, flowing rivers of lava to block the escape routes, roaring with an insatiable hunger for justice.
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were a wall of desperation. Marco, his body wrapped in blue flames, shouted orders to his men, his eyes fixed on the retreating figure of Jinbe carrying Luffy. "Save Ace's brother! That was Pops' final command!"
The Surgeon's Surprise
As the Whitebeard commanders desperately fought to keep Akainu contained, another disruption tore through the chaos. A strange, spotted submarine, the Polar Tang, surfaced near the edge of the bay. Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death, stood on its deck.
Leo watched the scene unfold with a detached sense of cinematic inevitability. Law's here. Buggy's flying in, carrying Jinbe and Luffy. It's the final sequence. The escape is happening.
Sure enough, Buggy the Clown, driven by his sheer cowardice and misunderstanding, flew overhead, clutching a terrified Jinbe and an unconscious Luffy. The frantic flight path was perfectly on script, leading them right toward Law's submarine.
Just a few more minutes, and Shanks will arrive, the war will stop, and I'm safe. I just need to blend in, Leo thought, clutching the Guardian Shield on his wrist.
The Icon is Breaking
It was then he saw Koby.
Koby wasn't scrambling for cover; he was standing still, frozen in a state of paralyzing emotional shock after witnessing the Deadly war. Tears were streaming down his face, and his body was shaking uncontrollably. He was in the exact spot where Leo had just been moments ago.
Leo's mind flashed back to the anime—Koby's defining moment, his sudden surge of thoughts that allowed him to see the waste and destruction, forcing him to stand against Akainu.
Wait... Koby is crying. He's panicking. That means the scene is about to happen!
Leo started shouting, "Hey, Koby! Koby, are you okay? Snap out of it!"
But the young Marine was too far gone. With a sudden, desperate surge, Koby started running, his small figure heading directly toward the lava-clad behemoth who was slaughtering the last of the pirates.
"Hey! Wait!" Leo yelled.
Koby reached the Admiral's massive leg and threw out his arms, tears streaming down his face as he screamed his iconic plea. "Admiral Akainu! Please stop this war! We have accomplished our objective! Continuing to fight only throws away the lives of Marines who still have families waiting for them!"
Akainu stopped dead, his massive magma fist raised. He slowly turned his head, his gaze colder than the surrounding ice. He looked at the sniveling, low-ranking Marine who dared to question the will of the World Government.
"We have no use for a soldier who doesn't believe in Justice, you worthless piece of trash!" Akainu roared, the magma fist descending toward Koby's tiny, exposed form. "DAHHH!"
Leo's breath seized. No, no, NO!
He had always expected the dramatic arrival of Shanks at this very moment. In the story, the Emperor's sword clashes with Akainu's fist, saving Koby.
Leo frantically scanned the bay—past the Polar Tang, past the remnants of the Whitebeard fleet, toward the horizon where the Red Force should have been visible.
Where is he? Where is Shanks?
The horizon was empty. No massive Red Force ship. No familiar pirate flag. The calming, overwhelming pressure that heralded an Emperor's arrival was absent.
"He's not here!" Leo screamed internally, a wave of cold dread washing over him. The plot had finally, fatally, broken. The Game Master was late.
Koby was seconds from becoming a pile of ash.
I survived a hit from Akainu because the plot didn't recognize me. Koby is about to die because the plot isn't here to save him.
Leo gripped the Guardian Shield on his wrist. His entire body, fully healed but now filled with a new surge of adrenaline, snapped into motion.
"Wait, Koby!" Leo screamed, throwing himself forward, his strange shield now his only lifeline. He activated his first true ability in the new world. "USE ONE!"
Note: you worthless piece of trash!" This was not in the anime. I have adjusted this scene lol..