"Interesting argument,"
Boa Hancock said coolly, lounging against her giant pet snake, Salome, as she narrowed her eyes at the man before her.
"But Amazon Lily is perfectly safe. No storm can breach the Calm Belt, and no enemy can reach us on Kuja Island. We live in paradise, untouched by the outside world. So what gives you the right to ask me to leave my homeland, abandon my people, and go fight for strangers?"
Her words sounded heartless—but they struck at the heart of the matter.
Leo gave a bitter smile.
She was right. That was the core issue.
No matter what ideals you preached, the truth remained:
People like Robert Capa, or Hans Scholl—those who fought and even died in foreign lands for the sake of others—were the rarest of rare. People who understood systemic oppression were already few… those who acted on it were even fewer.
He couldn't demand that of Hancock. It wouldn't be fair.
But Gloriosa, the former Empress who had raised Hancock from childhood and brought her back to Amazon Lily, turned and looked at her in surprise.
Leo didn't know her well.
But she knew Hancock intimately. And she could tell—Hancock had been moved.
If she hadn't, she would've already refused coldly… or had him thrown to that giant leopard.
Instead, she'd voiced doubt, not dismissal.
She might not have fully agreed—but she was listening.
Leo gave a soft sigh and rubbed his temple before falling into silence.
"I used to think like you," he said quietly.
He opened his palms, voice low and poetic.
"When I was free, I said nothing—because the slaves of the Celestial Dragons had nothing to do with me."
"When I became a slave, I still said nothing—because I was favored."
"When other favored slaves were sold off, I said nothing—because by then, I was a trusted steward."
"But when the Celestial Dragons finally decided to discard me—there was no one left to speak up."
He spoke softly, almost like reciting a poem.
It was, in fact, a subtle adaptation of the famous "First They Came…" poem by Martin Niemöller, written under Nazi Germany—often taught in schools across the world as a warning against apathy in the face of oppression.
Leo used it now, not as a threat—but as a quiet warning.
Both Hancock and Gloriosa were visibly shaken.
And before the silence could settle, Leo bowed his head deeply.
"Let's be honest… this world runs on high-level combat power," he said.
"I talk big about dismissing the Four Emperors and the Three Admirals. But if I ever faced them in reality, I probably wouldn't even have the courage to speak."
"I have no strength. No power. So I must rely on caution, strategy, and time—evading the Marines, hiding from enemies."
"Maybe I'll only ever be the one who lays the foundation. The one who spreads the seeds of thought.
Maybe I'm just another Roger—a man who awakens others to the call of freedom."
"But I'm not satisfied with that."
His fists clenched tightly against his knees, veins bulging.
"I'm only twenty-eight. I still have at least fifty years left. I can live to see the fall of the World Government."
"But I need power. And true power—true combat strength—takes decades to nurture.
I can't train that fast. But you…"
He looked up at Hancock.
"You already have it. So all I can offer you… is my words. My thoughts. My sincerity."
"You're saying… I'm top-tier combat strength?"
Hancock raised one hand to support her chin, letting out a soft, ambiguous hum.
"Absolutely. Even in the New World, your strength ranks near the top."
She might not match the likes of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders or Kaido's All-Stars, but against anyone else, she was a terrifying opponent. In the first half of the Grand Line, she was virtually unstoppable.
Crocodile or Gecko Moria might not even beat her.
Against Doflamingo, Bartholomew Kuma, or Jinbe, she was probably on par—fifty-fifty odds either way.
She was a rare fighter who wielded all three types of Haki—Conqueror's, Armament, and Observation—and had the Love-Love Fruit, capable of instantly petrifying foes.
Her ability to crush lower-tier enemies made her a nightmare for armies.
Even the Marines feared her—because countless young Marines might be turned to stone before they could even draw their swords.
This… was probably why the World Government wanted her as a Warlord.
"That's enough for now. I'm tired."
Hancock waved her hand with a trace of annoyance.
"I'm going to bathe and change. Leave."
Leo blinked in confusion.
Wait—what?
Was that a yes or a no?
Did "leave" mean she agreed?
Did it mean she was rejecting him?
Did it mean leave the room… or leave the island?
He was completely lost.
Before he could ask, Gloriosa wordlessly tapped him with her cane—once, hard enough to make his arm feel like it was splitting in two.
The frail old woman moved surprisingly fast, whacking him out of the chamber without breaking stride.
Leo, powerless to resist, was shoved all the way out.
At the door, Gloriosa casually instructed the Amazons to escort him away.
And so, still dazed and full of unanswered questions, Leo was led out of the Empress's chamber… and into the civilian areas of Amazon Lily.
The guards, equally confused, frowned.
Neither Hancock nor Gloriosa had said whether Leo was to be watched or left alone. Should he be allowed to wander the kingdom freely?
Leo, for his part, had already given up on trying to seduce the Empress.
But his eyes shifted, and his focus changed.
Now… he was eyeing the other Amazon warriors.