The gentle sea breeze swept across the ground, kicking up dust and forming a small whirlwind that passed by everyone.
As soon as Leo's words fell, time seemed to come to a standstill across the entire world. Only the clouds high above continued their slow drift.
The sun shone on the faces of the Whitebeard Pirates, revealing their stunned and shocked expressions.
"Wait... wait a moment!"
Marco, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Sir Leo, what do you mean by 'eternal youth'?"
"Hmm?"
Leo looked at him with a hint of confusion, his eyes twinkling like the starry sky. "Eternal youth... It's quite literal. It means restoring both your body and soul to their peak condition. Is that difficult to understand?"
"No, not at all..."
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Marco's forehead, and he quickly shook his head. He understood the literal meaning, of course; that's exactly why he was so excited.
After another brief pause, Marco's eyes lit up with excitement. Taking a deep breath, he asked earnestly, "Are you saying you can return our father's body to the state of his youth? Not just in appearance, but in every way—strength, health, everything?"
Aware of the dimensional merchant's capabilities, Marco couldn't help but use honorifics when addressing Leo now. Still, he didn't completely lose his composure. He was aware that the former Navy Admiral Zefa had a Devil Fruit ability that could keep people looking young. However, it only restored one's appearance, not their lifespan or strength. To be sure, Marco had to clarify.
"Haha..."
Leo seemed to see right through Marco's thoughts. His eyes sparkled like the starry sky, and he replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Marco. Reversing time for the body—how difficult could that be?"
As he spoke, Leo smiled softly, as if suggesting that turning back time was just a trivial matter.
"Gulp."
Leo's words were spoken casually, but they left a profound impact on the listeners. The captains of the Whitebeard Pirates were stunned, their eyes filled with astonishment. If reversing time was a mere triviality, they couldn't begin to imagine what Leo considered a truly "big deal."
Leo chuckled and continued, "In the countless dimensions under the control of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, there are innumerable abilities. What may seem impossible in the world of pirates could be as simple as eating or drinking in other worlds."
"Now that Mr. Whitebeard is a VIP6 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber is obliged to use special means to fulfill any of his requests." Leo paused for emphasis, "Of course, provided he has enough points."
Leo smiled mysteriously at Whitebeard after saying this. At that moment, everyone present couldn't help but look at Leo's hand resting casually on his chest. Although his open palm appeared empty, they felt as if the entire planet was spinning between his fingers.
The Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, dimensional merchants... truly terrifying!
Ace, too, looked stunned. Even though he'd interacted with Leo a few times, he never knew what astonishing feat Leo would accomplish next. Manipulating time as if it were as simple as eating or drinking... What kind of world was this? Ace was filled with a desire to see it for himself.
His excitement, sparked by recently acquiring the power of the Bond Flame, was suddenly tempered. His newfound strength still fell short of the goal he envisioned!
"Gurararararara!!!"
"Gurararararara!!!"
A burst of hearty laughter suddenly echoed through the quiet open space. It snapped everyone out of the daze caused by Leo's words, and they all looked up.
Whitebeard, grinning widely, his crescent-shaped mustache quivering, chuckled, "Reversing time?" His voice sounded like he was both asking Leo and talking to himself. His usually dull, cloudy eyes suddenly shone with clarity and vigor.
A different aura emanated from Whitebeard's body, a mix of excitement and anticipation, tempered with a hint of caution as if he feared this was all a fleeting dream.
He looked directly at Leo and asked, "Sir Leo, what price must I pay to return to my 40-year-old self?"
Whitebeard, who hadn't initially cared much about the transaction's outcome, now spoke with a newfound seriousness. No one could resist the allure of youth, especially in this turbulent new era. If possible, Whitebeard wanted to see the world with fresh eyes once more and allow the world to see him anew.
Age 40 was when he was at the peak of his strength!
Leo smiled at Whitebeard's eagerness, quietly congratulating himself on his approach. Even someone like Whitebeard, who had lived a full life, couldn't resist the promise of youth. With the customer's desires piqued, all that remained was to finalize the transaction.
After pondering briefly, Leo replied, "The cost to turn back time is fixed and is calculated in ten-year increments. To turn back ten years, it costs 10,000 points. So, to go back thirty years, it would be 30,000 points."
"What!? 30,000 points?!"
Whitebeard was taken aback, his face showing surprise. He had braced himself to pay a hefty price and was ready to redeem more points. However, to regain his youth only required 30,000 points?!
The price was so low that he could hardly believe it. Thirty thousand points, equivalent to 15 billion Berries. While this might be an unfathomable sum to most, it was a negligible price for Whitebeard.
"This..."
Whitebeard blinked, still in disbelief. "Then, Sir Leo, please help me return to my 40-year-old self."
"No problem," Leo replied easily, with a casual wave of his hand. The mysterious power of the world's origin turned into the power of time, forming clusters of starlight that wrapped around Whitebeard.
In an instant, an astonishing scene unfolded before everyone's eyes. Whitebeard, who had entered old age and was riddled with hidden ailments, began to change under the glowing starlight.
Golden, wavy hair sprouted from his head, pushing off his black round hat. His wrinkled skin, marked with age spots, tightened and smoothed, encasing muscles harder than steel. His crescent-shaped mustache grew thicker, its ends curling slightly upwards.
In the blink of an eye, a man radiating a powerful and formidable aura stood before everyone.
"Fath... Father!" Marco, seeing a Whitebeard who looked even younger than him, called out in a trembling voice.
Huff!
Two streams of white mist shot from Whitebeard's nostrils, extending several meters like spears. The next moment, Whitebeard slowly opened his eyes, which were now clear and devoid of the dullness of age.
Boom!
He abruptly raised his arm, feeling unused to his regained strength, causing a gust of wind to rise with the movement.
"This... Is this my body?" Whitebeard said, his voice youthful and unfamiliar. He looked at his calloused hands, now filled with pulsing blood vessels and immense power.
Without any need for confirmation, Whitebeard could feel it—he was truly young again!
"GURARARARARARA!!!"
He threw his head back and laughed towards the sky. His powerful voice turned into a gale, surging upwards and scattering the clouds. In an instant, the sky, once filled with clouds, became clear and open.
The warm sunlight beamed down, illuminating Whitebeard's smiling face.
He gazed at the sea with excitement, spreading his arms wide and laughing heartily: "GURARARARA!!!"
"The sea... I, Whitebeard is back!!!"
Then, with a sudden burst of strength, he wielded his naginata. The heavy weapon felt as light as a twig in his hands, spinning wildly and causing powerful gusts of wind to sweep around him.
Bang!
After brandishing the naginata a few times and relishing the return of his power, Whitebeard planted the weapon firmly on the ground. His face was a mix of excitement and disbelief.
He slowly lowered his gaze to Leo.
"Thank you, Sir Leo!"
He did not forget the kindness of those who helped him. Instead of looking at his children first, Whitebeard offered his deepest gratitude to Leo.
Leo smiled gently, responding with calm indifference: "There's no need for thanks, Mr. Whitebeard."
"This is merely a transaction."
"Yes..."
Whitebeard looked into Leo's eyes, noticing that his expression remained unchanged, without a hint of emotion. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking: "To you, this is just a regular transaction..."
"But for me, it's a chance to start a new chapter in my life!!!"
"Sir Leo!"
Whitebeard tightened his grip on his naginata, suddenly feeling a bit anxious:
"I have an impertinent request. Might you satisfy my curiosity?"
"Oh?"
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"...Well..." Whitebeard hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering before he slowly spoke:
"I want to witness your power!"
"Would you grant me the honor of a sparring match?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Whitebeard's face displayed a hint of nervousness.
One second he was expressing gratitude, and now he was challenging the very person who had helped him. It might seem rude, but Whitebeard couldn't help himself.
If he were still in his seventies, he might not have made such a request. But now, rejuvenated, his spirit was back to when he used to battle the greatest on the seas.
He was eager to see how powerful Leo truly was, the one who could bend the world to his will!
"A spar?"
Leo smiled, nodding without a trace of hesitation.
"Alright!"
After all, Whitebeard was one of his most valuable clients. Leo felt he should oblige him.
Besides, letting the other party experience greater power firsthand would only fuel his desire for more, right?
Upon hearing Leo's agreement, Whitebeard's face lit up with joy.
He quickly added: "In that case, may I ask you to join me on a nearby deserted island?"
Given the magnitude of Whitebeard's power, unleashing it fully could easily destroy Leah Island.
Whitebeard instinctively suggested they find an uninhabited island to avoid causing trouble for others.
However, Leo slightly shook his head at Whitebeard's suggestion and replied:
"A deserted island? That's unnecessary; we can do it right here."
"Huh?"
Whitebeard was taken aback. He remembered hearing that the dimensional merchant was known for valuing life.
A full-blown fight on Leah Island could result in countless casualties.
Whitebeard was about to persuade Leo further, but Leo's next words stopped him in his tracks.
"With your level of power, you won't make much of an impact on me, nor will you affect the island's residents..."
"So go ahead and attack."
Leo's casual smile made it seem like he was talking about a mundane matter.
But to everyone present, his words were like a thunderclap.
"Isn't this... a bit too arrogant?"
Some of the Whitebeard Pirates' captains muttered in discontent.
Although they were awestruck by the dimensional merchant's abilities, this attitude seemed to belittle their captain too much.
Their captain, after all, was the world's strongest man—Whitebeard!
Now that he had regained his youth and power, how could anyone dare to underestimate him like this?
Even though Leo's manipulation of time had amazed them, in terms of sheer combat strength, Whitebeard remained the world's number one in their hearts!
"This..."
Hearing Leo's words, Whitebeard was momentarily stunned.
It had been decades since anyone had looked down on him like this.
Was he angry?
Not really.
Such a trivial matter wasn't worth getting upset over.
On the contrary, Whitebeard's curiosity about Leo's strength only grew. What kind of power did Leo possess to speak so confidently?
"If you say so, Sir... then..."
"Here I come!"
Whitebeard wasted no time. If the dimensional merchant had said so, he must have a reason.
Gripping the massive naginata with both hands, he raised it high above his head. A formidable aura surged from his body like ocean waves.
Armed Haki and Conqueror's Haki intertwined, sharpening the blade of the supreme-grade sword to its extreme.
Its edge exuded a chilling aura beneath the Haki coating.
And this was just the beginning!
Crack... crack...
The sound of shattering glass echoed as several transparent fissures appeared around Whitebeard, as if space itself were fracturing.
His Tremor-Tremor Fruit power activated, channeling its energy onto the blade under his control.
Since he was attacking, he held nothing back!
Whitebeard's muscles bulged, veins standing out as he swung the mighty naginata down with unmatched force.
"Be careful, Sir Leo!!!"
He hadn't been this young in so long, even Whitebeard wasn't sure of his full power!
The ground quaked beneath Whitebeard's feet, and the sky darkened under the weight of his blow.
This attack, imbued with terrifying power, left Ace and the other Whitebeard Pirates so terrified that they dared not move a muscle.
Power capable of destroying the world was unleashed in that instant.
The sharp blade's light soared into the sky, slashing down at Leo.
Not just one Leah Island, but ten connected islands would be cleaved by this violent slash.
Then...
Clang!
A crisp sound like a knife hitting a chopping board suddenly rang out.
For a moment, it was as if the world had hit the pause button, falling into silence.
All the visions vanished instantly.
The sky, the ground, and the air returned to normal.
Yet, in that moment, everyone in the open space wore expressions of utter shock.
Because...
The supreme-grade sword, Murakumogiri, which carried the might of the heavens, had been effortlessly caught between Leo's two fingers, immobilized.
All the power, all the offense vanished as if they had never existed.
"..."
Whitebeard's eyes trembled with disbelief, more so than when he had regained his youth.
Crack... crack!
Another crisp sound echoed.
But this time, it wasn't the power of Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit causing it...
It was the supreme-grade sword, Murakumogiri, in his hand.
The great naginata that Leo had so easily caught with just two fingers was now riddled with cracks, ready to shatter.
And to add to the despair...
Leo smiled apologetically as if he had accidentally damaged a customer's property.
He loosened his fingers slightly.
Immediately, the same power that had reversed time wrapped around the blade, instantly repairing Murakumogiri.
Its surface gleamed, like a polished mirror.
Leo chuckled and said: "I used a bit too much force there."
"My apologies, Mr. Whitebeard."
(End of this chapter)