Ptooey, ptooey!
Leon spat out the hard object lodged in his mouth. Only after he let a faint light shine from his hand could he make it out: mixed in with the food was a solid-gold ring studded with gems!
Back on the Red Line, he had wagered everything, unleashing all his Nuclear Energy in a move like a self-destruct attack.
Its terrifying energy had forced the Five Elders back, and he'd seized the chance to turn human and leap off the Red Line, successfully escaping Mary Geoise.
In midair, Leon had passed out from exhaustion. He didn't wake until hunger gnawing at his stomach roused him.
To his surprise, though the place he was in was dim and dark, it was filled with wild roasted meat!
At first, Leon had stuck to his cautious approach and only tried a small bite.
After one bite, Leon was delighted to discover that this wild roasted meat really was extraordinary.
It tasted like chicken and was crunchy, with dozens of times the nutrients of beef.
As expected of the world of One Piece—even a place like this had meat!
This was Leon's first meal since crossing over. He dug in with gusto, eventually not even bothering to chew, and only stopped when his belly was swollen round.
After his hearty meal, Leon happily collapsed onto the soft ground.
This place was paradise!
Leon's paradise became a nightmare for the serpentine Sea King that happened to pass by.
The not-too-bright creature had been happily stuffing itself, even swallowing something especially delicious along with its meal. It hadn't tasted much, since it had gulped it down whole.
But perhaps it was just its imagination; its body seemed to have grown warm all over.
The joy didn't last long. Suddenly, its stomach began churning violently.
Instinct drove it to flee back to its old home—the Calm Belt.
Unfortunately, this time the enemy was coming from within. Worse still, whatever was inside it seemed to have an incredibly powerful attraction for Sea Kings.
At first, only a few Sea Kings nearby were drawn in. But after they fought, the commotion became so great that, little by little, every Sea King in the surrounding waters was drawn over. The scene descended into chaos as they tore into one another without reason.
Until a warship arrived...
Leon, who had been swallowed by the Sea King, was left dizzy by the sudden tumbling and spinning.
Only then did he realize that the so-called soft ground was actually the flesh of some unknown creature.
He was trapped inside the belly of some gigantic beast!
At a loss for what to do, Leon picked a spot and started digging with both hands.
As the Marines aboard the warship watched, the enormous serpentine Sea King writhed across the surface in its death throes. At last, it let out an unwilling wail and its head crashed down.
Then a blood-soaked boy leaped out of its belly!
Seeing the sun for the second time, Leon excitedly threw his head back and howled. Then he turned and spotted the dumbfounded people aboard the warship nearby...
"So you went out to sea alone to fish, got swallowed by this Sea King, and survived by eating its meat?"
Sengoku gave the mysterious boy before him a scrutinizing look. The wounds on him didn't look like they could have been caused by a Sea King...
"Yeah, yeah."
"Where's your hometown?"
"Skull Island."
"Hmm? Is there such a place?"
"There is, there is. It's pretty isolated, and there aren't many people, but there are lots of monkeys."
"And your parents?"
"I'm an orphan."
Sengoku nodded, suspicion deepening in his eyes. Beside him, Garp was starting to get impatient.
"Sengoku, you're too tense. He's just a kid!"
"What's your name?"
"Leon."
"Hey, Leon, have you eaten yet?"
"I have..."
"Can you eat some more?"
"Sure."
"Then that settles it. Come on, let's eat!"
Garp burst out laughing. He ignored Sengoku and took Leon straight to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the Marines had already finished eating, but none of them had left. They stared in horror at the two humanoid monsters hunched over the dining table.
Plate after plate piled high with food was brought over, only to be devoured in no time.
Only when Leon grabbed the last meaty bone, stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, and spat out the spotless bone did the meal finally come to an end.
It wasn't that they couldn't eat any more. The two of them had devoured all the provisions aboard the ship.
Luckily, they'd just caught plenty of Sea Kings, so they wouldn't have to worry about a food shortage...
"It's been ages since I've eaten this much!"
Garp burst out laughing again. He'd only meant to share a simple meal, but who could have guessed the kid would eat like a perpetual-motion machine...
How could I, Hero Garp, lose to a kid?
Garp began secretly competing with Leon, and only stopped when no more food was brought out.
Garp's swollen belly visibly shrank before their eyes.
Was this the ultimate secret of mastering the Six Powers—Life Return?
Leon watched Garp enviously, then followed him with a full belly when Garp gestured for him to come along.
The two of them went to the ship's infirmary. Garp found a neat bed and lay down with practiced ease.
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