Leo woke up the next morning with a renewed sense of purpose, but also a simmering frustration. He packed the remaining 70 million Berries securely into his heavy canvas bag, tucking it deep beneath Shakky's floorboards for safekeeping. He had funds, but money was proving useless for his primary goal.
He sought out Shakky, who was wiping down the bar top. Leo adjusted the simple, dark robe he now wore, covering his distinctive white hair and scarred face completely. He didn't tell her about his change of tactics, instead letting his internal monologue run.
Leo's Inner Monologue: I'm done trying to buy the Noble Katana. It's a waste of time and Berries. There's nothing of 'Noble Quality' to be found in the shops here. That kind of item isn't sold to rookies. The only way to get a real Meito-grade weapon is to take it from someone who already stole it.
The memory of the low-level pirate fight in the inn solidified his plan. Why waste time in shops when he could farm valuable loot directly from mid-tier enemies? The problem wasn't finding a strong person; the problem was finding a strong person with the right loot.
"I am going, Shakky-chan," Leo said, turning towards the door.
"Good luck, and be safe," Shakky replied, a warm smile in her voice, already back to polishing her glass.
He left the bar, moving quickly through the bubbling groves until he reached the dangerous, chaotic atmosphere of Grove 1. This area, the outermost ring of the Archipelago, was far rougher than the shopping district. It was filled with aggressive-looking pirates, ruthless bounty hunters, and suspicious black market dealings. The air hummed with barely contained violence.
Leo moved with calculated stealth. using his Observation Haki to filter the intentions of everyone he passed. He ignored the casual threats, the drunken brawls, and the illicit deals happening around every tree root. He was searching only for a specific signature—the feeling of a legendary or named object that radiated power.
He spent nearly an hour doing nothing but observing, weaving through the crowded docks and shadowy warehouses. He spotted several blades. But his sense never once sparked the recognition he craved. They were all common steel.
His search was interrupted by a sudden, frantic surge of movement.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
A pirate, eyes wide with terror, burst around a corner, clutching a small, bundled object wrapped in dirty cloth. He was running for his life. Directly behind him, a pack of six vicious-looking bounty hunters—armed with rifles and swords—were gaining fast.
"Hey! Give us that thing back!" one of the bounty hunters roared, his voice thick with malicious excitement. "You don't know its value! We chased you far enough!"
Leo froze, melting instantly into the deep shadow of a mangrove root.
His eyes flared, not at the runners, but at the object itself. Through a slight tear in the wrapping, Leo saw it—a sliver of an unmistakable, patterned object.
FWOOOM!
A shockwave of pure recognition hit Leo. Wait a minute. That pattern... I've seen that before! If that thing is what I think it is, then my luck is straight from the heavens!
The frantic chase ended in a dead-end alley. The pirate, cornered, spun around, panting heavily. He looked down at the cloth-wrapped object in his hands. He hadn't known what it was, only that it was valuable enough for a high-speed chase.
"This thing?" the desperate pirate shouted at his pursuers, his voice shaking. "I thought it was just a normal object! Why are there many pirates chasing me? Should I just throw this here and run for my life? Yes, that will be a good option!"
The bounty hunters exchanged delighted glances, their greed palpable. "Good! Throw it here, and we'll let you live!"
The pirate didn't need telling twice. He hurled the cloth-wrapped bundle onto the cobblestones and scrambled over a nearby fence, disappearing instantly, choosing freedom over a mysterious treasure.
One of the bounty hunters, a massive man with a scarred face, rushed forward, his eyes fixed on the loot. He bent down, his hand reaching for the cloth.
Leo acted in the split-second window of distraction. His mind screamed: This is it! High-Risk, High-Reward action!
WHOOSH!
A blur of white robe and dark intent shot out of the shadows. Leo's right arm, armored by his focused Armament Haki (though the black coating was barely visible in the dark alley), delivered a focused, devastating punch. He didn't use the full force. He used just enough to inflict a clean, decisive K.O. The move was fast, efficient, and lethal—a perfect application of his training.
CRACK!
The sound was shockingly loud in the alley. The bounty hunter's face imploded, his head snapping back with impossible velocity. The sheer force sent his large body hurtling backward, slamming into the wall before collapsing unconscious. The impact noise was loud enough to turn heads down the length of the grove.
The remaining five bounty hunters stared, paralyzed with shock, dropping their swords and pistols. "What was that?! Who—?"
Leo didn't look at them. He knelt, his eyes fixed on the object on the ground. He snatched it up, the weight feeling curiously light, and with a single, decisive motion, he ripped the cloth free.
DING!
A message, loud and triumphant, flashed directly in his vision, signaling an unscripted, high-tier loot acquisition.
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