Chapter Summaries

Leo made a deal with William’s pirates to lead them out of the Calm Belt, then discovered that William possessed the Flame-Flame Fruit. The discovery led Leo to suspect he would soon encounter Ace before Ace became known as Fire Fist.

• Leo offered to spare William’s pirates and guide them out of the Calm Belt if they obeyed his orders until they escaped.
• William and his crew agreed to let Leo act as their temporary captain.
• Leo asked William to show him the Devil Fruit and learned that William had not eaten it.
• William opened a chest, revealing the Flame-Flame Fruit, which Leo recognized as the fruit belonging to Ace.
• Leo reasoned that Ace might have been a potential Shichibukai recruit and anticipated meeting him after leaving the Calm Belt.

Leo spared the Cutlass Pirates and took their ship, cargo, and weapons after they surrendered. The Kuja Pirates towed the stripped vessel onward, while the surviving pirates celebrated their chance to live.

• William explained that he had kept the Devil Fruit uneaten because selling it could earn the crew enough money to return home and marry.
• Ran arranged ropes to tow the Cutlass Pirates' ship, and Leo had the prisoners carry their supplies onto the Kuja Pirates' vessel.
• William told Leo that his crew had lost more than thirty men in the battle and described their ship, tactics, and hopes of returning home.
• Leo watched the prisoners and concluded that sparing them had been the right choice after learning that most sought wealth and a quiet life rather than great ambitions.
• The Kuja Pirates' warship moved forward under Yuda's pull as the Cutlass Pirates cheered at having kept their lives.

The Cutlass Pirates celebrated surviving the Kuja Pirates’ attack, while Leo wrestled with whether he was ready to eat the Flame-Flame Fruit. He kept the fruit and trained harder, then brought food to the pirates as Rindou began to understand how his arrangements kept them dependent.

• William and the Cutlass Pirates celebrated their survival, then realized that the man who had spared them was connected to their escape.
• Leo agonized over eating the Flame-Flame Fruit, decided he was not worthy of it yet, and put it back in its chest.
• Leo increased his training, then went to the Cutlass Pirates with food at around three in the afternoon.
• Rindou told Leo that controlling when the pirates received their food let the Kuja keep them weak and make them feel like prisoners.
• Leo asked Rindou what else she understood.

Leo explained how supplies and strict routines could improve his safety and discipline the captured pirates. He began organizing the Cutlass Pirates into an orderly meal line, seeing them as a potential force against the World Government.

• Leo told Rindou that training the pirates’ obedience and controlling their meals would help keep them dependent and increase his safety aboard their ship.
• The pirates hauled Leo and Rindou’s lifeboat onto their ship, but Rindou used her cannon to stop the crew from crowding forward.
• Leo ordered William to prepare clean tables and knives, then made the pirates form two lines.
• Leo concluded that the Cutlass Pirates represented ordinary pirates who might be persuaded to join a larger struggle against the World Government.
• Leo instructed the pirates to collect bread, salted meat, and rum from separate tables, warning that anyone who broke order would go hungry.

Leo distributed food and rum fairly to William’s pirates, then challenged them to send their weakest fighter so he could test his strength. The pirates laughed and started nominating Todd, who protested that he was not the weakest.

• Leo ordered Wood to saw the hard bread and had William carve the meat for the meal.
• Leo distributed food and rum among the pirates, opening each bottle so no one could hide or steal it.
• Rindou watched Leo closely as he managed the crew and considered whether he could tame the pirates.
• After the meal, Leo challenged the pirates to send their weakest fighter to face him.
• The pirates laughed at Leo’s challenge and called on Todd, who denied being the weakest.

Leo challenged the pirates to test his combat ability against the weakest fighter aboard the ship. After he easily outmaneuvered Todlin, Longarm Wood knocked Todlin aside and confronted him, revealing that the pirates were still dangerous Grand Line fighters.

• Great Bay Blade William ordered Todlin to fight Leo after none of the pirates volunteered.
• Todlin charged Leo with a punch, but Leo dodged and tripped him onto the deck.
• Todlin repeatedly attacked Leo and fell without landing a hit, injuring himself in the process.
• Leo asked William to choose another opponent, but Todlin stubbornly tried to continue.
• Longarm Wood stepped between them and sent Todlin flying with one punch.
• Longarm Wood rebuked Todlin for ignoring Leo's request to change opponents.

Leo faced Barbaro in a fight and was quickly beaten, but he accepted his weakness without discouragement. Rindou stopped Barbaro from attacking further and asked to examine Leo’s injury.

• Leo realized the Cutlass Pirates’ captain and first mate were only humble because they feared the Kuja Pirates’ strength.
• Longarm Wood chose Barbaro to fight Leo, and Leo prepared with the boxing stance he had learned in modern society.
• Barbaro struck Leo’s guard, exploited his exposed abdomen with a roundhouse kick, and knocked him to the ground.
• Rindou’s killing intent made Barbaro stop his follow-up attack and return to the crowd.
• Leo got back up, told Rindou he could improve by recognizing his weakness, and she asked to see his injury.

Leo continued fighting Barbaro to gain combat experience and earned his respect despite losing. He then invited the pirates to fish and cook dinner, using the gathering to begin infiltrating their crew.

• Leo rested briefly, then challenged Barbaro to fight again while Rindou watched.
• Leo used boxing footwork and fast jabs, but Barbaro eventually grappled him and won the messy fight.
• Barbaro helped Leo to his feet and said he respected him, while the pirates jeered at their reconciliation.
• William quieted the pirates and asked Leo whether he was satisfied with the battle.
• Leo pulled fishing rods from beneath the lifeboat and told the pirates to catch their own dinner, planning to observe them as he infiltrated the crew.

Leo used fishing to relieve the captured pirates’ boredom and ease tensions aboard the ship, explaining to Rindou that shared excitement could reduce their hostility toward him. Great Bay Blade William acknowledged Leo’s efforts and offered to help him.

• Leo gave the pirates fishing rods and hooks, and they began catching fish in the Calm Belt with polished hooks used as lures.
• The pirates worked together to knock out dangerous fish, prepare them, and share bait and catches with those who had caught nothing.
• Rindou asked Leo why he had given the pirates fishing gear, and William remarked that he had never seen the crew so lively.
• Leo explained that fishing and fighting provided stimulation, helped the pirates associate him with enjoyment, and eased the strain of life aboard the ship.
• William thanked Leo and asked whether there was anything else he could do for him.

Leo won William’s trust and used the fishing trip to earn the Cutlass Pirates’ cooperation, but the arrival of two Yuda reminded everyone of their captivity and the power gap. He announced that he would turn the surviving pirates into disciplined warriors through harsh training.

• William accepted Leo’s goodwill and asked how he could help, while Leo told him to watch.
• Leo organized the pirates into groups to fish and prepare their catch, and the activity continued until a giant seal attacked the ship.
• The two Yuda tore apart and devoured the seal, then returned to pulling the Kuja Pirates’ Perfume Yuda after Rindou ordered them back.
• Leo reminded the frightened pirates that recognizing their weakness would let them survive and grow, and explained why he had spared them.
• Leo declared that he would reshape the pirates into disciplined warriors to fight the Marines, using absolute authority to transform their bodies and minds.

After realizing that winning over the Cutlass Pirates required decisive action as well as ideals, Leo changed his approach and prepared to rule them through force. The next morning, he confronted the pirates aboard their ship and ordered them to obey him unconditionally.

• Leo abandoned his plan to win the pirates over through accommodation and decided to use the Kuja Pirates and the Shichibukai as leverage.
• The Empress treated Leo's bruises and offered to teach the Amazon warrior women a lesson, but Leo declined and planned a different approach.
• The next morning, Rindou, Ran, and Sandersonia accompanied Leo onto the Cutlass Pirates' ship.
• Leo told the pirates their food and ship belonged to their captors, then ordered them to speak only when called on and obey him unconditionally.

Leo began drilling the pirates aboard the ship, using Sandersonia to punish hecklers and forcing the crew through squats to expose their neglected lower-body strength. He picked up a wooden stick as the crooked ranks stood waiting for what he would do next.

• A heckler mocked Leo, and Sandersonia used her snake-like hair to identify and hoist him into the air.
• Leo ordered the heckler hung from the mast, then made the crew form eight-person rows within twenty seconds.
• After several men laughed at Leo's squat demonstration, Sandersonia hung three more men from the mast.
• Leo had each row perform twenty squats and observed the crew's weak lower-body muscles.
• Leo picked up a wooden stick and swung it toward the crew as they stood in crooked lines.

Leo drilled William’s pirate crew in formation under the blazing sun, explaining that discipline and coordinated musket fire could make them dangerous even without Haki. The crew began to understand that their training was preparing them to use a three-stage firing tactic in boarding battles.

• Leo forced the pirates to hold painful standing positions, and Ran tried the exercise herself before giving up after five minutes.
• Leo explained that the drills built physical strength and discipline, then described Haki as beyond the crew’s current abilities.
• Todlin questioned the purpose of the training, and Leo admitted it would not teach them Haki.
• Leo argued that a disciplined formation with one musket per pirate could unleash enough firepower to defeat even their captain William.
• Leo revealed that the crew was practicing three-stage firing, a tactic designed to compensate for muskets’ poor accuracy.

The starving Spade Pirates decided to raid Iska’s warship for its Log Pose, but the Kuja Pirates arrived before they could act. The Kuja warriors aimed their Haki-infused arrows at Ace’s crew, setting up a confrontation.

• With no navigator, food, or water, the Spade Pirates drifted far from their last island while Iska pursued them.
• Ace decided to raid Iska’s warship and take her Log Pose, and the crew eagerly agreed.
• The Perfume Yuda, drawn by two Yuda, appeared before the Spade Pirates’ ship.
• Masked Deuce recognized the Kuja Pirates as a Shichibukai crew as Amazon warriors raised their bows and aimed at the Spade Pirates.

Leo recognized Ace’s arrival as proof that the world’s future could be traced, while the Kuja Pirates fought the Spade Pirates under his order not to kill anyone. After Hancock protected Leo from a sneak attack, she incapacitated Ace and his crew, leaving Leo to realize she had used Conqueror’s Haki.

• Leo told the Kuja Pirates warriors not to kill anyone as Ace and the Spade Pirates prepared to fight.
• Wores leapt into the air and was badly wounded by the Amazon archers, while Michael shot and knocked down one of the women.
• The Spade Pirates charged from the masts, but the Kuja archers pinned them with arrows.
• A Spade Pirates member fired at Leo, and Hancock blocked the bullet with her Haki-coated hair.
• Hancock’s Conqueror’s Haki knocked the wounded crew unconscious, and she kicked Ace unconscious before asking Leo if he was all right.

After Hancock defeated Ace and the Spade Pirates, Leo revealed that he knew Ace was Roger’s son and asked him to help overthrow the Marines, the World Government, and the Great Pirate Era. Ace and his crew remained bound as he considered Leo’s unexpected knowledge and proposal.

• Hancock knocked out Ace and subdued the injured Spade Pirates, then checked on Leo.
• Sandersonia and Marigold praised Leo for resisting Hancock’s Conqueror’s Haki, while Leo reflected on his own Haki and shared a quiet moment with Hancock.
• Ace woke up and saw that his companions were alive, though the Spade Pirates had been completely defeated.
• Leo identified Ace as Roger’s son, shocking both the Spade Pirates and the Kuja Pirates.
• Ace suspected Leo was connected to the Marines, but Leo denied it and asked Ace to join his cause against the Marines, the World Government, and the Great Pirate Era.

Leo tried to recruit Ace to help create a new world by arguing that Roger’s Great Age of Pirates had changed nothing and that the World Government remained the root of the world’s suffering. Ace asked what Leo intended to do, and Leo proposed uniting dissatisfied Marines and other forces to oppose the World Government.

• Leo told Ace he needed strong allies to create a new world and argued that the world had not fundamentally changed since Roger’s death.
• Scar angrily defended Roger, but Ace ordered him to be quiet because his feelings about his father were complicated.
• Leo revealed that Roger had been terminally ill, left secrets on Raftel, and ignited a spark for a new era.
• Leo reminded Ace that people like his brother Sabo would continue to die while the World Government remained in power.
• Ace asked Leo what he planned to do, and Leo said he would unite every force he could, beginning with Marines and officers dissatisfied with the World Government.

On the Perfume Yuda, Leo discussed bringing the Cutlass Pirates into his force and urged the Spade Pirates to strengthen themselves, while correcting their dismissive view of the Navy. He ended by deciding to teach them how the Navy operated and trained its next generation.

• The Spade Pirates ate with the Kuja Pirates, and their wounds began healing as they recovered.
• Leo explained that the Cutlass Pirates had been rescued from the Calm Belt and that he wanted to recruit them, though they were difficult to tame.
• Ace fell asleep face-first in his bowl, while Leo recognized Teacher Michael as the sniper who had injured a Kuja warrior.
• Leo told the Spade Pirates to master Observation Haki and Armament Haki so they could face high-ranking Navy enemies.
• Wores and the others dismissed the Navy as weak based on their past encounters, so Leo resolved to teach them how the Navy operated and trained its next generation.

Leo explained to Ace and the others that the Marines used their vast organization to let promising officers grow through pursuing powerful pirates, then joined forces to defeat those pirates. He suggested Iska might be one such Marine seed, though her role remained uncertain.

• Leo confirmed that Iska was pursuing the Spade Pirates and that she seemed interested in Ace.
• Leo reminded Ace that Roger had entrusted Ace and his mother to Garp, explaining that Roger and Garp had trusted each other despite being enemies.
• Leo described his theory that powerful pirates spurred Marines to grow, after which the Marines used their superior numbers and resources to crush them.
• The Spade Pirates wondered whether Iska was a Marine seed assigned to grow stronger while pursuing them, and Leo said they could not know for sure.

Leo planned for the Cutlass Pirates and Ace’s group to face the Marines pursuing the Spade Pirates, using the encounter to test his crew. As the two ships closed for battle, Leo ordered Michael to shoot the Marine lookout without killing him.

• Leo explained that the Navy would capture the pirates and urged Ace to defeat and capture the Marines following him.
• The Marines aboard a ship with over a hundred crewmen and twenty cannons spotted the Spade Pirates’ ship and prepared to attack.
• Ace and the others questioned whether the Cutlass Pirates could match the Marines, while Leo told his crew to stand by and watch.
• The Marine lookout spotted the Cutlass Pirates waiting in formation on deck as the ships drew within two hundred meters.
• Leo ordered Michael to shoot the lookout without killing him.