"An interesting theory," Hancock mused. She leaned back against her massive serpent, Salome, her eyes narrowing as she studied the man before her.
"However, my kingdom is safe. No matter how the winds of change blow outside, they cannot breach the Calm Belt to reach Amazon Lily. We live in a paradise, untouched by the world's filth. What right do you have to ask me to leave? Why should I abandon my people to fight and bleed for strangers?"
Her words were cold, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Leo offered a bittersweet smile.
He knew the reality. Men who fought for abstract ideals—men who sacrificed everything for a people they had never met—were rare. They were the outliers of history. Most people only cared when the fire reached their own doorstep.
He couldn't force her to care.
But Gloriosa, watching from the side, was stunned. She knew Hancock better than anyone. If the Empress had truly been uninterested, she would have looked down on him with her trademark arrogance and ordered him thrown to Bacura, the giant panther, for execution. The fact that she was asking why meant she was wavering. She was looking for a reason to be convinced.
Leo let out a long breath and scratched his temple, falling into a pensive silence.
"I used to think like that too," he said quietly. "When others were taken as slaves, I said nothing, because it didn't involve me. When the slaves were tortured, I said nothing, because I was the favored steward."
"When the other favorites were sold off or killed, I still said nothing, because I was the one the Celestial Dragons relied on."
He looked up, his voice taking on a haunting, rhythmic quality. "But when they finally turned their eyes on me, looking to discard me like trash... there was no one left to speak for me."
The weight of the adapted poem hung heavy in the air. It wasn't a threat; it was a prophecy. Hancock and Gloriosa remained silent, the logic of the "price of silence" sinking in.
Leo didn't give them time to dwell on it. He lowered his head, his voice turning humble yet intense.
"In the end, this world is ruled by raw power. I can mock the Emperors and the Admirals all I want, but if I stood before them now, I wouldn't even have the courage to speak. I am weak. I cannot fight, and I cannot lead a charge."
"Because I lack that power, I have to be a hundred times more cautious. I have to spend decades planting seeds, hiding in the shadows, and spreading ideas—hoping that one day, people will wake up and run toward the sea of freedom, just as Roger intended."
He gripped his knees so hard his knuckles turned white. "But I'm not satisfied with just 'planting seeds.' I'm twenty-eight years old. I have fifty years of life left in me. I want to see the World Government fall before I die."
"I can't train a world-class warrior in a day. That takes a lifetime. That's why I need you. I need your strength, your beauty, and your command. I am here to recruit you, not just because of your title, but because you are the 'High-End Power' I need to make this dream a reality."
"Oh?" Hancock propped her chin on her hand, an unreadable sound escaping her lips. "So, I am 'High-End Power' to you?"
"In the New World, you would be a force to be reckoned with," Leo replied.
He knew her worth. She might not surpass the 'Calamities' of Kaido or the 'Sweet Commanders' of Big Mom in a direct brawl, but in the first half of the Grand Line, she was untouchable. With her three types of Haki and the Love-Love Fruit, she could wipe out entire fleets of 'trash' soldiers in seconds. Even the Navy feared her; one look at her, and an entire squad of potential elite Marines could be turned to stone and held hostage.
"That is enough for today," Hancock suddenly waved a dismissive hand. "I am tired. I wish to bathe. Leave us."
Leo blinked, his head snapping up in confusion.
What?
Was that a yes? A no? Was "enough for today" a rejection, or just a pause? Was he being kicked off the island, or just out of the bedroom?
Before he could ask, Gloriosa's staff caught him in the ribs, jolting him to his feet. The old woman's strength was deceptive; the strike stung as if his bones might snap. Without a word, she began herding him out.
"Wait, we haven't finished—" Leo started, but he was already through the doors.
Gloriosa ignored him, signaling the guards outside. "Take him away."
Leo stood in the palace courtyard, his mind a mess of unanswered questions. He looked at the Kuja warrior assigned to him, who seemed equally confused. No one had told her whether he was a prisoner or a guest.
Left to his own devices in the middle of the capital, Leo's mind began to shift. If he couldn't flip the Empress yet, he had to start somewhere else.
His eyes drifted to the other Kuja warriors patrolling the streets. If he couldn't convince the Queen... he would start with her army.