Sanji: "Wait, w-what did you say!?"
Sanji, who had been brimming with excitement, suddenly felt a sinking sensation as Leo revealed his true surname.
"What... what do you mean, Sir Leo?" he asked, a hint of unease creeping into his voice.
But as he noticed the vast, starry depths of Leo's gaze, Sanji fell silent for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh.
"Of course..." he muttered. "As expected from a mysterious dimensional merchant. There must be nothing in this world that I can hide from you..."
Leo smiled slightly but remained silent, acknowledging Sanji's realization with a nod.
However...
Sanji seemed to have misunderstood Leo's intentions.
Shaking his head slightly, Sanji said, "I'm sorry, Sir Leo. If you're trying to reach the Vinsmoke family through me, you might be disappointed. I've completely severed ties with them and will never return."
The memories of his childhood came flooding back—memories of his father, Vinsmoke Judge, the patriarch of the Vinsmoke family, who conducted bloodline experiments on his own children to create ruthless war machines. Sanji was the only failure in that experiment.
As a result, he was not only bullied by his family but was also disowned by his father. After his mother's death, he eventually found himself in the East Blue, studying cooking under Zeff.
The mention of "Vinsmoke" brought back the words his mother had whispered to him before she died, making his heart heavy with sadness and resentment.
But Sanji quickly composed himself, bowing apologetically to Leo.
Yet before he could speak, Leo smiled and said, "Wait!"
Stroking the little Eevee in his arms, Leo stepped forward and shook his head. "Mr. Sanji, I never said I wanted to contact the Vinsmoke family for a trade. I came to Baratie this time specifically to see you."
"M-me!?"
Sanji looked at Leo, baffled. "But..."
He tried to deny it, but Leo raised a finger to silence him, smiling as he continued, "To be honest, before coming here, I looked into your future."
"In the future I saw, your conflict with the Vinsmoke family is far from over~"
Under Sanji's confused gaze, Leo suddenly waved his hand.
Suddenly, a powerful, invisible force poured into Sanji's mind, revealing a memory.
It was a strange place Sanji had never seen before... everything around him, the environment and creatures, seemed unfamiliar and astonishing.
But from the atmosphere, he could tell that a grand wedding was taking place.
Soon, a newlywed couple appeared, walking slowly on clouds from the far end of the venue.
Sanji couldn't make out the bride's face, but the groom's appearance shocked him instantly!
Although his face looked older and different from the young man he was now, Sanji immediately recognized him—it was himself!
However...
Before he could process the idea of him getting married, he noticed something unexpected.
Among the guests, he saw his father, Judge, and his sister, Reiju!
Judge was casually drinking and chatting with a large, old woman.
Then, another piece of information flooded his mind.
He realized that he was being used as a pawn in a political marriage between Judge and one of the Four Emperors!
Although the thought of getting married was somewhat exciting, this revelation left him stunned.
Suddenly, a flash of white light brought Sanji's consciousness back to reality.
But his face had gone pale.
"Why... why is this happening? Why am I back with the Vinsmoke family!?"
Sanji seemed possessed, mumbling in disbelief, not knowing whether he was questioning Leo or himself.
For a moment, he found it difficult to accept what he had just seen.
But the memory Leo had implanted told him that it was all real!
Then, Leo's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Because you're weak!"
"What?"
Sanji's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto Leo's, desperate for an explanation.
Leo's expression was no longer calm; it was stern, almost parental.
"Mr. Sanji, you are someone with extraordinary character and willpower, far above most people." Leo declared. "Even in the eyes of a dimensional merchant like me, you are a remarkable genius!"
"But your mistake..."
"...is that you keep trying to run away from your past instead of facing it head-on."
Leo, well aware of Sanji's true motivations, but he chose not to reveal everything but instead framed his message in a way that wasn't misleading.
"I..."
Sanji's gaze faltered under Leo's serious stare.
Unlike the timid Usopp, Sanji was a proud man at heart. For Leo's words to make him avert his eyes, they must have struck a deep, vulnerable chord.
Sanji fell silent, lowering his head as he struggled with his thoughts.
After a moment, he muttered, "I... I don't know what to do..."
Having been branded a "failure" by Judge since childhood, Sanji harbored a deep-seated insecurity.
Despite his troubled past, he had developed a resilient spirit. His chivalry and love for cooking due to his mother, and his unwavering dreams had all driven him forward.
And these very traits were what Leo admired about Sanji.
Suddenly, a snap of fingers echoed in Sanji's ears.
A mysterious power seeped into his mind, locking away the weak part of his heart.
Leo smiled, "Mr. Sanji, understand that I'm not here to lecture you."
"In fact, if your soul wasn't already shining brightly, I wouldn't have chosen you as a trader."
"I just don't want to see my chosen trader be afraid of a little bug in his heart."
The tone of indifference in Leo's voice was even more stinging than contempt, as if the person he was talking about was nothing more than a common insect.
Sanji was shocked.
A little bug? Though Leo hadn't named anyone, Sanji knew he was referring to his father, Judge.
Whether it was Leo's influence or not, Sanji suddenly felt calm.
A strange thought crossed his mind: To a dimensional merchant, Judge might indeed be no different from a little bug.
His heart trembled, and as he recalled Leo's words, he realized something profound.
A powerful, mysterious dimensional merchant had recognized him as a genius?
Sanji had never doubted his own talent, but to be praised by someone like Leo was beyond his expectations!
"Sir Leo..." he stammered, struggling to find the right words.
The dimensional merchant had acknowledged him...
Yet his father had called him a "failure."
The contrast between these two perceptions shook Sanji to his core.
Under the influence of Leo's power, Sanji suddenly realized that he wasn't a "failure."
He was a genius who had never received the recognition he deserved!
A new fire ignited within Sanji, spreading through his entire body.
This wasn't just an illusion—the air around him began to heat up.
Sensing the sudden rise in temperature, Leo's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Leo (thinking): 'It's working!'
With just a few words, Sanji had awakened his latent abilities.
Truly, Leo was a dimensional merchant who understood the depths of human nature!
(End of this chapter)