The sky was clear and cloudless, a perfect stretch of endless blue above the vast ocean. Judging by the weather, there was no need to worry about rain any time soon.
A small boat drifted slowly across the calm sea. Luffy leaned lazily over the railing, visibly bored out of his mind.
"Ugh... this is so boring! Leo, how long until we get there~?"
Above the boat, a white sail fluttered in the wind, catching a steady breeze tinted faintly green—a sign of Leo's magic at work.
"At this pace, we should reach Shells Town in about an hour," Leo replied. He was seated comfortably with one hand supporting his cheek, also feeling the boredom of uneventful sailing. With the direction set and wind maintained by his magic, there wasn't much for him to do.
"Coby~ do you have any games or something? I'm dying of boredom~~" Luffy groaned dramatically.
Leo didn't respond. Annoyed by the silence, Luffy slithered over to Coby like a limp noodle and clung to him.
"Uh... hey, Leo," Coby said, seizing the chance to ask something that had been on his mind for a while. "What exactly is the difference between a magician and someone with a Devil Fruit power? I've never seen either up close before. It's incredible!"
Leo's expression shifted slightly, the dullness in his eyes fading. He was a little irritated with the slow pace of their voyage, but talking about his magic? That was something he could get into.
"Oh! Oh! Yeah, tell us, Leo!" Luffy perked up instantly. "Magicians can do anything, right? So why not just teleport us to Shells Town?"
Leo gave Luffy a pointed look before smiling slightly.
"Sure, I could do that. But if you get used to teleporting everywhere, what will you do if I'm not around one day? Part of being a pirate is embracing the journey. This slow sailing? That's the true experience."
"Huh... I guess that makes sense," Luffy muttered, visibly disappointed but not arguing further.
"To make it up to you both, let me give you a demonstration of what a magician can really do."
Leo stood up, lifting his staff dramatically. The dull glint in his eyes was replaced with excitement. This was his moment to shine.
"I'm what you'd call a traditional magician. I practice many kinds of magic—elemental, nature, creation... let me show you."
He pointed his cane toward the sea.
"Frost!"
With a soft pulse of magic, the tip of the cane touched the surface of the water. Instantly, a loud crackling sound erupted as icy energy burst forth. Within moments, the ocean around the boat froze solid. The ice spread rapidly in all directions, glistening under the sunlight, and in less than twenty seconds, the sea within a ten-mile radius was locked in a shimmering layer of ice.
Far off in the distance, another small boat could be seen stuck in the newly formed ice sheet.
"Wooooah!" Luffy gasped. "This is real! It's not just some trick!"
He and Coby rushed off the boat, jumping onto the frozen sea and slipping across the smooth surface with wide eyes and childlike glee.
Leo smiled with satisfaction. Their reactions were exactly what he had hoped for.
"And that's just the beginning. Watch carefully!"
He spun his cane in the air.
"Creation! Clouds and Rain! Song of the Forest!"
In the blink of an eye, clouds began to form above them, despite the previously clear sky. The clouds twisted and shaped themselves into fantastical animals—lions, deer, birds—who began to trot through the air, their hooves splashing gentle rain below.
Tiny saplings emerged from the ice, growing at an astonishing speed under the magical downpour. In less than half a minute, a lush green forest had sprouted on top of the frozen sea. Bright red fruits glittered on the branches, and the magical cloud-animals jumped joyfully among the trees, watering the forest and playing with each other.
Leo waved his cane again. The trees bent and reshaped themselves, forming a beautiful wooden table and several chairs nearby. The table filled with fresh, ripe fruit of all kinds, their colors vibrant and inviting.
"Whaaaaat!?" Luffy's jaw dropped. "This is awesome! Can we eat the fruit?"
Leo chuckled, puffing out his chest with pride. "Heh... it's just average~"
Before he could say more, there was a loud crunching sound—Luffy had already run to the table and grabbed a fruit, chomping into it with pure joy. Coby followed right behind, picking up a fruit in each hand and digging in eagerly.
Leo sighed and gave up trying to explain further. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over to try one of his own magical creations. The fruit was juicy and sweet, bursting with flavor unlike anything from the ordinary world.
There they were—three figures sitting in a conjured forest on the sea, surrounded by magical animals, eating enchanted fruit. The scene was strange, almost dreamlike, but full of joy.
Far off in the distance, a small silhouette was visible—someone pulling a tiny boat with great effort, looking utterly confused.
Nami squinted at the surreal sight ahead. A forest? On the sea? Her brain struggled to make sense of what she was seeing.
"Did I fall asleep somewhere?" she muttered, wiping her eyes. "What the hell is going on?"
Back in the forest, Luffy finished another fruit and wiped his mouth.
"Leo, this fruit is amazing! But... I still like meat better. Can you grow a meat tree?"
Leo froze mid-bite.
"…A tree that grows meat?" He stared at Luffy in disbelief.
"That's... no. That's not how plants work, Luffy!"
He pointed his cane downward in frustration. "Time to clean up!"
With a pulse of magic, the forest, animals, and ice began to fade. The table and chairs disappeared, the trees melted back into water, and the vast sea reappeared. Coby and Leo floated gently back onto the boat.
"Gulp—gulp—HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!"
Luffy, however, had fallen off the edge during the transition and was now thrashing in the water.
Coby looked at Leo with panic. "Um—aren't Devil Fruit users unable to swim? He's gonna drown!"
Leo casually flicked his cane, and Luffy was lifted from the water with a splash, landing back on the boat coughing and sputtering.
"Next time," Leo said dryly, "don't ask for meat trees."
Just then, a thud echoed from the other side of the boat. Nami, completely soaked, climbed aboard, collapsing in a heap.
"Okay… I'm definitely dreaming. Yup. No other explanation."
Leo turned, surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone approaching during his magical showcase. He narrowed his eyes at the drenched woman.
That face... He recognized her.
"Wait a second," Leo murmured to himself. "That's Nami, isn't it? But... she's not supposed to meet Luffy yet. At least, not according to the original timeline..."
But then again, the manga never really explained what she was doing before she ran into Luffy. Stealing from pirates all across East Blue... It wasn't impossible that they'd run into her early.
"Well, well," Leo muttered with a smirk. "Looks like the story's about to take a turn."