Insufficient Firepower Phobia

Firepower Deficiency Phobia

Hearing Kikyo's question, the others realized that there was no need for them to rack their own brains. Wasn't the smartest person right here?

Over the past few days, this had gradually become common knowledge throughout the Amazon Lily Kingdom.

Though this versatile man was not capable of everything, his intelligence had helped them solve quite a few problems.

If he had not spent so much time training outside the city, many Amazon warrior women would probably have come to him for help.

Compared with Empress Hancock, that irresponsible ruler, Leo was far more efficient at handling matters and seemed much more like a king.

Leo smiled faintly. "There's no way to solve something like this. Technological development is the primary productive force. Besides, the World Government has its member nations and the Celestial Dragons backing it. Its research funding is probably hundreds or even thousands of times greater than Nine Snake Island's. Amazon Lily cannot possibly surpass the World Government in this regard."

"That is also my goal. The World Government cannot possibly be defeated by one person or one force alone. Only by gathering more and more people dissatisfied with the World Government and the Navy can we join forces and overthrow their rule."

Targeting the Celestial Dragons was top-secret information. Even within the Kuja Pirates, they could not be certain whether government spy agencies had planted anyone among them. Thus, he had kept his mouth shut until now and had never revealed that the Celestial Dragons were also their target.

Targeting the World Government and targeting the Celestial Dragons were matters of entirely different importance. The Celestial Dragons were too weak and could easily be threatened, yet they were immensely significant. Hiding a single keyword could greatly increase his safety.

"Then what do we do?" Fiarandola asked with a frown. In her heart, this man with countless stories surely could think of a solution.

"First, we'll take it one step at a time."

He swept up every last bite of food. Though Haki was still far beyond his reach, his body had already recovered considerably.

Back when he was with the Celestial Dragons, he had not dared train openly. The only reason a slave would want to become stronger was to escape, so he neither grew stronger nor ate a Devil Fruit. Instead, he had maintained a harmless appearance to make the Celestial Dragons lower their guard.

Now, it was difficult for him to pick those things back up.

Take those so-called Eleven Supernovas. Which one of them had not undergone long, intensive training from childhood, building an excellent and solid foundation? That was why they had soared to greatness after obtaining Devil Fruits. In truth, they had already been very strong before eating them.

Dark King Rayleigh, Pirate King Roger, and Hawk Eyes Mihawk were even more extraordinary. They had not eaten Devil Fruits or taken shortcuts, yet had reached the pinnacle through effort hundreds or thousands of times greater than others'. Did anyone dare say they had never trained to the brink of death?

In Leo's understanding, stamina and physical constitution were like internal cultivation—things that had to be trained well and built solidly no matter what. Devil Fruits, on the other hand, were like techniques. Techniques could naturally be continuously improved and developed into something stronger, but internal cultivation was equally indispensable.

He had already fallen behind by many years. If he continued being this lazy, he would probably spend the rest of his life as someone too weak to even tie up a chicken.

However, Empress Hancock truly had become different after becoming one of the Shichibukai.

During that afternoon's training, he brought up leaving.

"Now may be the best time. At this stage, the World Government should have unprecedented confidence in you, and you will not provoke the World Government at a time like this. Likewise, the World Government will not attack you now. So, this is the best time to depart."

He could now go from thirty push-ups all the way to three hundred.

But even so, this level of physical fitness was neither enough to support Haki nor enough for him to gain a foothold in this world.

If he were merely an ordinary pirate or ordinary marine in the Four Seas—the East, West, South, and North Blues—this body would already be enough for him to fight and kill upon the seas.

But he was not.

He had witnessed the abilities of the World Government's Three Admirals and seen the strength of Dark King Rayleigh, Whitebeard, and others. He would not overestimate himself. In fact, he was deeply terrified by his own lack of strength.

In the words of a later generation, it was—

Firepower Deficiency Phobia.

And in the One Piece World, there was only one thing that represented firepower: top-tier combat power.

"It's time to recruit some top-tier combat power." He finished his final push-up and stood, drenched in sweat. Hancock immediately handed him a towel.

After wiping the sweat from his body and wrapping himself in the towel so the sea breeze would not chill him, he turned to Hancock with a smile. "Are you coming with me?"

"Since you're going, of course I'm coming with you. Otherwise, with your skills, you might die on the way," Hancock replied gently. Her feelings were almost painfully obvious. A woman who had fallen in love could be so blindly foolish.

Yet Leo did not accept her affection. To him, this was not love. Anyone who stood before her and said they intended to strike at the Celestial Dragons would receive this "love." It was merely her obsession.

It absolutely could not be called love.

Though he was somewhat despicably using the Empress's "love," he could not continue exploiting it so despicably to obtain her body.

Thus, no matter how often the Empress hinted at it, he continued living in the palace without ever touching her.

This was the last shred of his moral bottom line in this world.

Precisely because he had not made a move even with a peerless beauty like the Empress before him, Gloriosa, Sandersonia, and the others finally relaxed.

He appeared to be an honorable gentleman, and everything he had said had come true. Naturally, his status and prestige gradually rose.

With a single word from the Empress, all of Nine Snake Island sprang into action the next day. Everyone prepared fresh water and provisions to see the Empress and Leo off.

"Going straight to the East Blue?" Though Gloriosa did not oppose them following Leo to broaden their horizons, leaving the Grand Line for the East Blue still caught her somewhat by surprise.

"Do you have a plan and a route?" Although she was asking the Empress, she was actually looking at Leo.

"We'll start by traveling through the Grand Line. After reaching the Alabasta Kingdom, we'll cross the Calm Belt and enter the East Blue." Leo had already made up his mind. Though he lacked a world map of the One Piece World, having a rough plan in mind was far more reassuring than blindly stumbling ahead.

"In that case, I'll stay on Nine Snake Island." After thinking for a moment, Gloriosa raised her head and said firmly, "After all, the island can't be left unattended."

PS: The third update will be moved to tomorrow, so there will be two updates then. I'm still a little sleepy today, so I'm going to bed early. Good night, everyone.