Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Fraud Pill

[AN: Wasn't feeling to well last week so I couldn't finish up this chapter in time. I placed the rest of my message at the end to let you guys read the chapter first and I would appreciate it if you could give me your opinion/options regarding it.]

[Third Person's Point of View]

Night fell upon the Island once more and the wave were as quiet as always however, the thunderous festivities did not subside this night nor the next, for the people had all endured for this moment. They had endured everything in order to laugh again.

Leo participated in the festivities along with the rest. He ate and drank for a while. When he had some alone time, Leo used the item [Random upgrade Ticket] and hoped something good would happen.

[*Ding!* Item -Random upgrade Ticket- has been used!]

[Something belonging to Host, chosen at random, will be upgraded to a random degree.]

[*Ding!* Random selection has begun!]

[*Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik*..*Tik*..*Tik*...*Tik*....*Tik*...*Tik*]

[*Ding!* Item -Album memory- has been selected!]

[*Ding!* Degree of upgrade has begun!]

[*Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik**Tik*..*Tik*..*Tik*...*Tik*....*Tik*...*Tik*]

[*Ding!* Highest degree of upgrade has been selected!]

[*Ding!* Item -Album memory- has been upgraded into a new item!]

[*Ding! * Host has acquired Item: Timcanpy]

{Items:

- Timcanpy: Timcanpy is a golem created through the upgrade of an item known as Album memory at the highest degree via the use of another item known as a Random upgrade Ticket. Due to its base form, Timcanpy is naturally capable of flight and can go to up an extreme level of speed.

Being a golem, Timcanpy records all that he sees, and can later play it back in holographic projections from his mouth. He can also replay audio clips. Timcanpy can also change his size and weight at will. He is also able to change his form into anything that he has seen before.

Timcanpy can survive all types of injuries including being severed, and eaten. It is even able to regenerate itself even if is crushed. The only way for it to die is if its master orders it to die otherwise, it will regenerate from anything.

Timcanpy also shares a psychic link with its master and thus can follow orders from its master regardless of the distance. Due to the psychic link, Timcanpy can use some of its master's skills. Though due to the Random upgrade Ticket, the skills used might have additional effects.

Those additional effects can be seen as the possible upgraded version of the skill used. On a side note, the system highly recommends spending money on upgrading those skills. Timcanpy can also store things in the user's inventory due to the System's influence.

Although Timcanpy is a golem, it can still eat food like any other sentient being. The food eaten is converted into energy which is stored inside it. Once the stored energy reaches a threshold, Timcanpy's tail falls off before he then begins to change forms uncontrollably.

Timcanpy eventually spins a cocoon and eventually emerges from the cocoon, along with another smaller version of itself. Due to having received the highest degree of upgrades, Timcanpy can also evolve through this process.}

After reading the item's information, Leo noticed something in front of him. It was a small, golden ball-like creature with four, stubby legs, the front two of which he can form little "fingers" with, a long tail that ends in a thick swirl, and two feathered wings.

A cross fleury adorns its "face", and above it are two small horns. It also has a mouth, teeth, and tongue. Before Leo could say anything, the creature flew towards his face like a bullet and rubbed itself on Leo's cheek like a dog out of affection that Leo picked up due to the psychic link they shared.

"You got to be hungry so let's get you something to eat."

Leo gave Timcanpy a warm smile as they went back to rejoin the festivities. Timcanpy ate a lot and would have caught the attention of the others if they were not too busy enjoying their newfound freedom.

As he was going around, he saw Usopp singing a song about being a great warrior but the latter tripped and fell midway through the song. Leo managed to catch him before he injured himself since he had fallen from a high place.

Leo placed Usopp in a safe place for the latter to sleep and was about to leave when the villagers wanted to hear a song from him due to Usopp not finishing his. Feeling festive and wanting to test a theory he had about Timcanpy, Leo agreed before he nodded at Timcanpy who was stuffing his little mouth with food.

In an instant, Timcanpy started glowing and transformed into a guitar, and a microphone both attached to a speaker. As he had guessed, since they shared a psychic link that meant that he could share images with Timcanpy.

This also meant that Timcanpy could also change into what the images that Leo showed him through their link. He jumped on the makeshift pedestal that Usopp had fallen from and started playing the guitar which got the villagers into the beat he was setting up then he started to sing.

[AN: I got the lyrics from 「English Dub」Blood Blockade Battlefront "Hello World"[Sam Luff] - Studio Yuraki in case this counts as plagiarism or if someone wants to hear it. You can skip it if you don't like but I would like to know for the future, should I just write a single verse then say that the MC sang whatever song the verse came from or should do it like I did below and paint a picture of what is going on.]

"When I open up the door

Is it evening, or late afternoon?

How I got home's just a blur and

now my body's all that's certain

So, good morning to you all

But I'm lost somewhere in between

the familiar, and unknown

This scenery before me"

Leo's voice carried out and was heard not just by those around him but through the whole town. He played his guitar louder which caused more villagers to gather.

"Ever since I was convinced that

it was impossible, I found a way

I'm strong enough to keep on living

I'm embarrassed to admit it

And if I try to forget

What it is I'm meant to do next

All the pain and remorse would

just fill me with regret"

The Villagers gathered and started dancing, Sanji who was chasing girls arrived here first due to the girls he was chasing coming to hear Leo's song.

"Now lift your head up high

With the darkness in your eyes

Once again the light was born

When you looked above and saw it!"

Leo started to put more drive in his song and played the guitar even more.

"Now the world is brightly painted

With colors that I chose for it

But I wonder what the scars I didn't choose would even mean

Thinking I'm the only hero

The center of the world I know

But until the end, and without rest, up on the stage I'll be

What can I do? I can't even pretend that I'm empty..."

Sanji seemed pissed that the girls he was flirting with were now entranced by Leo's perfomance.

"Hello, world, I'm standing right here!

Hello, world, I'm standing right here!"

Zoro got lost on his way to get another drink and found himself near the pedestal that Leo was standing on.

"What my senses have remembered

is so different from all my memories

Many tears that have been shed within my arms

While I hold the weight of my aching heart

I try to understand enough

But still it never changes

If it's not that, then I can't

see anything at all!"

Usopp woke up due to the music and was shocked to see Leo singing but quickly got over it and joined in the festivities.

"So take a deeper breath

Keep on living with your strength

When your heart has beat its last

I will fight to drag it back here!"

Once more Leo put more drive into the song while playing the guitar.

"Plugged my ears to hear it faintly

A rainbow-colored melody

Inside, there is a feeling so unbreakable that sings

Try to hide it like a hero

The thing that I have held so close

It scares me that I must protect it with my everything"

He played a few key notes a couple of time before he resumed singing.

"When I open up the door

There's a lie that's twisted into truth

Now my body's all that's sure

Trying to pretend it's empty

So, good morning, now I know

This ain't even close to over

I will shout it out aloud-

Hello, world, I'm right here!"

He played the guitar for a couple dozen of seconds before he sang to the next verse.

"Now open up your eyes

With your strength to realize

And see that everything was born

When you looked around and saw it!"

Leo stopped playing which caused confusion from his spectators that brought a deafening silence. The whole town's streets were already filled with spectators. Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro who had already got dragged into the festivities were also confused.

Nami had arrive just as the silence began and was now wondering what was going on. Leo smiled before he resumed his song with even more vigor than he had previously shown.

"Now the world is brightly painted

With colors that I chose for it

But I wonder what the scars I didn't choose would even mean

Thinking I'm the only hero

There's something I have held so close

It scares me when I think about how much it's worth to me"

The crowd started cheering again and became even more hyped due to the sudden pause that Leo did.

"Plugged my ears to hear it faintly

A rainbow-colored melody

Inside, there is a feeling so unbreakable that sings

Screaming loudly as a hero

I stood atop the world I know

But until the end, and without rest, up on the stage I'll be

No meaning left, pretending that I am dead, so…"

Leo sang the next four lines as his spectators joined him.

"Hello, world, I'm standing right here!

Hello, world, I'm standing right here!

Hello, world, I'm standing right here!"

When the song ended, Timcanpy transformed back to his original but looked skinny and like it was about to die of starvation. Leo was shocked to see this and immediately fed Timcanpy while those around him wondered what kind of creature Timcanpy was.

Still, the celebration continued while some came to Leo to ask what kind of creature Timcanpy was as well as where Leo found him. Leo simply said that Timcanpy was Timcanpy before he changed the subject by insisting that the celebration needed a drinking contest.

Once the contest began, Leo left to a different part of the village to eat and wallow in peace. The fact that he had one hundred million Beli scammed out of him was still a hard pill to swallow. Anyway, as all good things end so did the celebration and the day of the departure was upon the Straw Hat pirates.

Leo was not feeling good due to what he heard the villagers saying. The money in Arlong's safe amounted to almost five hundred million Beli which caused him an emotional and financial blow due to having failed to get it.

Now some may think that it is impossible for Arlong to have so much money but one must remember how much money Arlong was demanding from the twenty villages under his tyrannical reign.

He demanded a 100,000 beli payment per adult,50,000 per child, each month. Considering that he made twenty-five million Beli on the day he conquered Cocoyashi Village, the fact that it was only one out of the twenty villages that he had under control, and the fact that this continued for eight years as well as bribing the Navy, five hundred million Beli is a reasonable amount.

Leo had lifeless eyes as he stared at the horizon completely missing the fact that the ship was sailing, that Nami was running towards the ship, and that she was stealing the wallets of the villagers that wanted to thank her.

'Hold on a moment, I could sneak away and grab a few hundred Beli and none would be the wiser!'

Leo thought as he turned to look at the dock only to realize that the ship had sailed and Cocoyashi was no longer in his view.

"Oh right! Leo, I heard that you can sing and play music! How about you the musician of the crew?!"

*Thud*

Luffy said as he suddenly came into Leo's point of view. Leo almost coughed blood when he fell down.

"Leo!"

At Luffy's scream, everyone came to see what was going on only to see Leo being knocked out being shaken by Luffy's hands. As they were about to ask what happened, Timcanpy flew in and sat on the deck before opening his mouth then a holographic projection came up.

It showed several villagers talking about the five hundred million Beli being played on a loop. Seeing this, they looked at Leo and then back at the loop before giving him a deadpan stare and then returning to what they were doing while Luffy stared at Timcanpy with excitement.

Leo eventually woke up and refused stating that his role on the crew should be the wild card of the crew. Luffy argued for a moment but eventually stopped when Leo said that he would be the musician of the crew if he got paid hourly.

A news-coo arrived and Nami got a newspaper though she was not happy about the price.

"Another price increase? Don't you think it's getting a bit too expensive?"

"CAWW..."

The News-Coo said feeling helpless in this situation due to this being outside his control while giving an apologetic salute.

"Raise the price again and I won't be buying your papers anymore."

*Clink*

Nami warned while paying for the newspaper.

"What're you getting so riled up about? It's just a newspaper."

Usopp said behind Nami while being busy mixing up liquids with a chemical setup. Leo was right beside him mixing up some liquids as well with his own chemical setup, one of the things he got for free from the villagers.

Although he did not have enough ingredients to make a full set of Dying Will Pills, he had enough to create a different kind of Pill using his [Alchemist] skill. He called it the Fraud Pill. He named it so due to the effects of the Pill.

Upon being ingested the pill will irregularly increase the heart rate of its consumer as well as subtly causing their facial muscle to adopt a specific facial expression. This would make the consumer look intimidating while their heart is beating rapidly and loudly... Yep, he created a Pill that faked King's Engine.

Some might ask why and the answer to this question was boredom. Leo had nothing to do at the moment so he figured that he would test his newly acquired skill as well as get used before starting to create Dying Will Pills which would be a hurdle in and out of itself.

Due to his [Nemean Lion's skin] skill, Leo had very little ways to make himself bleed. He decided to put that problem on the back of his mind for the time being. Once Leo made ten Fraud Pills, he decided that it was enough for now and put his chemical setup back in his inventory.

"CAWW"

At the same time as the News-Coo flew away, Nami turned around and spoke to Usopp.

"Daily expenses all add up, don't you know!?"

To which Usopp responds with.

"I thought you were done with saving up money?"

Nami points at Usopp, increasing her tone as she speaks.

"Don't be stupid. From now on, I'm going to be saving up money for no one but me alone. There's no way I'm going to be a penniless Pirate."

"That's the spirit!"

Leo said with a grin while giving Nami a thumbs up who replied with a grin of her own and a thumbs up. Usopp kept his eyes on his chemical setup and cautioned Nami to stay away as he spoke.

"OK, OK. I'm in the middle of developing my secret Tabasco Star so keep away! An enemy who gets this in their eye will be rendered completely helpl-"

Usopp stopped midway through his sentence due to Luffy falling on him with Sanji yelling in the background, which caused the contents of the bottle that he had in his hand to splash straight into his eyes.

*SPLASH!*

"Keep your hands off!"

"AGHH!"

Luffy exclaimed when he fell onto Usopp. Having experienced his own secret Tabasco Star in his eyes, Usopp could not help but scream in pain as his eyes were literally set ablaze.

"GYAAAAAAAA!"

"Oh come on! Can't I just have at least one?"

"Absolutely not!"

Sitting back up, Luffy bargained to which Sanji adamantly refused. Sanji then crossed his arms together, with orange trees behind him, then spoke.

"THESE ARE NAMI'S BELOVED ORANGE TREES! I WON'T ALLOW ANYONE TO LAY EVEN A SINGLE FINGER ON THEM!"

"Oh well. I'm in a good mood so I'll drop it then."

Luffy said smiling as he stopped trying to get an orange. Seeing this, Sanji then added.

"NAMI! REST ASSURED, MY DEFENSE POWERED BY LOVE IS INFALLIBLE!"

"Thanks a lot, Sanji!❤️"

Nami replied without even looking or paying attention to as she was reading the newspaper. Seeing this Leo could not help but comment.

"Damn Simpji, *NOM* you are not just whipped *NOM*. You are rope, saddled, and gelded *NOM*."

"WHAAA-"

Sanji yelled in surprise realizing that Leo, out of nowhere, was now sitting right next to him.

"-AAAAAA-"

His yell of surprise turned into shock when he realized that Leo was currently eating an orange from Nami's orange trees.

"-AAAT?!"

His yell now turned into one of anger as he brought his head, which now had a visible vein on it, towards Leo as if asking how dare he do such a thing. Note linked Sanji's yell, Leo decided to shut him up.

"Shut up."

*SLAP*

"EEK!"

Sanji exclaimed as blood comically flew out of his mouth due to Leo's slap. Meanwhile, Usopp was still wriggling on the ground and screaming his lungs out due to the pain that came from his eyes being on fire.

"GYAAAAAA!"

"We're finally on our way to the Grand Line!"

Luffy cheerfully exclaimed while ignoring Usopp's screams of agony.

"The World's in such turmoil. Another coup d'état in villa..? HM?"

Nami said as she was flipping through the newspaper but stopped when something came out of it.

*FLAP*

"Huh?"

Leo, Luffy, and Usopp muttered upon seeing what at first glance looked like a flyer coming out of the newspaper.

"It's a flyer."

Luffy incorrectly stated. It turned out to be a wanted poster dropped out onto the deck of the ship. When the crew saw it, with the exception of Zoro who was sleeping and Leo who remained calm, their eyes widened in shock.

It was Luffy's wanted poster with a bounty of Thirty million Beli! Luffy was extremely excited and proud of himself as he spoke while holding his own wanted poster.

"NAHAHAHAHA! Looks like we're wanted men now! It says 30 million Beli!"

Bringing her right hand to her forehead, Nami sighed as she tried to explain why this was not a laughing matter.

"Once again, you splendidly fail to understand the gravity of your situation... Don't you realize this means your life is at risk!? With that, I'm sure the marine HQ as well as other strong bounty hunters will come after you..."

Luffy did not listen as he continued to laugh while Usopp pointed at the wanted poster and started to brag to a pouting Sanji.

"Look! My picture's here for the whole world to see! I might be famous!"

"As if. That's just the back of your head."

Sanji retorted which caused Usopp to add.

"Don't be jealous now! Once we become more infamous, we might all get one!"

Zoro, who had been woken up by the commotion, spoke to Nami.

"I wouldn't worry about the Bounty Hunters since the two strongest and most infamous Bounty Hunters in all of East Blue are aboard this shi-... Hm?!"

*Thud*

"AH!"

Zoro stopped midway through his sentence when he pointed at Leo and realized he was no longer where Zoro had seen him. Upon looking around Zoro found where Leo was. Leo was currently tying up Luffy with a rope which caused the latter to exclaim a word of surprise as he fell down.

"Leo... what are you doing?"

It did not take long for the rest of the crew to notice this and when Nami saw this, she could not help but to ask that question. Upon hearing Nami's question, Leo seemed to come out of a trance-like state and backed away from Luffy.

"I sort of zoned out when Luffy said that his head was worth 30 million Beli and my old bounty hunter habit kicked in. My bad guys, guess old habits die hard. Hahaha!"

Leo explained as the rope morphed into Timcanpy which caused Luffy to exclaim in Surprise.

"Timcanpy can transform! So Cool!"

"Focus you moron!"

Usopp, Zoro, Sanji and Nami yelled at Luffy. Luffy then looked at Leo with a serious expression and spoke. Tension seemed to rise as the silence settled in while Leo looked unbothered by this.

"Leo... What actually is Timcanpy? Also, when did you get a tattoo on your face?"

His question caused Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Nami to fall down in a comical fashion. Leo surprised by his question blinked a few times before he answered.

"Timcanpy is a magical golem that can do a lot of things as for my tattoo... it's something I got when I was a kid."

"Wow... magical golem."

Luffy repeated with stars in his eyes. Seeing this Usopp could not help but comment.

"That cheapskate would probably sell us out to the navy if our bounty were high enough... I suddenly don't want to be famous anymore."

Sanji and Zoro nodded at Usopp's comment. Nami on the other hand seemed to have been contemplating something once Luffy mentioned Leo's facial tattoo. She had heard from the villagers that Leo used to look up to the Sun Pirates which Arlong and Kisame were part of.

She was shocked to hear that when Leo mentioned the Sun Pirates and Fisher Tiger, most of the Fish-men that were still standing, which were only Arlong and his officers, had for a moment a look of remorse and guilt.

"Leo... I've been meaning to ask, what exactly were the Sun Pirates and who was Fisher Tiger?"

Her question caught the attention of everyone and Leo remained silent for a moment. As Timcanpy flew and landed on his shoulder, Leo spoke.

"Well, to explain who are the Sun Pirates, I will have to explain who was Fisher Tiger and to explain who Fisher Tiger is, I will have to ask you guys one question. Do you guys how much Beli are Fish-men and merfolks worth?"

His question seemed to confuse Luffy and Usopp while it disturbed the rest of the crew. Seeing that the rest had caught on to the implication that came with his question, Leo resumed.

"One million Beli for a Fish-men though depending on the age, that amount might vary as for Merfolks... If it's a female then you could get seventy million Beli while a male merfolk is one million Beli... Though that is just the starting price in most slave auctions for regarding Fish-men or Merfolks."

"Hold on, slavery has been prohibited by the World Government for over 200 years."

Sanji stated angry that a mermaid could be sold as a slave, his chivalrous heart could not stand the thought of that happening to any ladies. While Sanji was angry at hearing this, Zoro seemed far more composed as he spoke.

"Even if the World Government prohibits that it doesn't mean everyone is going to follow that law. You'd be surprised by the number of pirates I've seen trying to kidnap people to sell them as slaves."

Upon hearing Zoro's words, Leo could not help but laugh as he spoke.

"HAHAHA! That's so naive... though I supposed this is not as well known in East Blue as it is in West Blue."

Once again, Leo's word caught their attention, this time, however, the crew noticed that Leo sported a sinister look on his face as he continued.

"The primary source of income from the Slave Trading business comes from none other than the World Government themselves."

Usopp, Zoro, Sanji, and Nami were shocked at this while Luffy remained silent. Before anyone could speak, Leo added.

"You see, the World Government's main objective is not to protect civilians but to ensure the safety of Celestial Dragons. To give you context..."

Leo pointed at Nami then resumed.

"... Imagine every single bad thing Arlong and his crew did to your village for the past eight years, add basically every crime you can think of then multiply it by a thousand. Now wrap all of that in human skin and you got yourself the guideline of Celestial Dragons.

Arlong and his crew were basically acting like Celestial Dragons with the whole, superior being, can't harm one of them or they will be consequences and heavy taxing, thing but on a significantly lower scale.

Basically, everything Arlong did to your village, the World Government is doing the same but on a bigger scale to many countries across the world. *Tsk* That fucker was just scared of attacking the real deal so he came here just to end up acting like them."

Nami seemed shaken by what Leo had said. She could not imagine anyone capable of the things Leo was implying through his description.

"C-Celestial Dragons."

Nami muttered under her breath and Leo further added upon hearing her.

"Or as my teacher describes them weak cunts of the highest order and lowest quality. Now to explain who Fisher Tiger, a Fish-men, is the guy that freed the slaves of the Celestial Dragons. He formed a pirate crew, the Sun Pirates, with the Fish-men that he freed along with other Fish-men like Arlong and most of his crew that decided to join his crew.

The World Government was not too happy about that so they put a bounty on his head which was two hundred and thirty million Beli. They also told the world that Fisher Tiger had stolen the properties of the Celestial Dragons to keep their image of being the good guys.

I heard that Fisher Tiger that every member of his crew gets a tattoo of the Sun so I decided to add a tattoo of the sun on top of my... mark."

After Leo finished his sentence silence reigned for a moment before Luffy spoke.

"So... Celestial Dragons are bad, that Fisher Tiger dude is awesome and the World Government is full of bad guys!"

Leo just nodded at the oversimplification that Luffy made before Usopp asked a question.

"So that teacher of yours, is he the one that taught you how to be as strong as your are now?"

Leo shook his head as he spoke.

"Nope, he never directly taught me anything that was remotely useful close to a fighting style or fighting technique."

Hearing this, Nami could not help but to ask.

"Then what did he teach you?"

Leo wore a peaceful expression as he smiled for a moment before that expression turned into a scowl and spoke as he used both his hands to make the universal sign for money.

"He taught me how to be a money-grabbing scumbag."

The entire crew fell face-first upon hearing this. Sanji, being the first one to stand up could not help but to yell.

"How is that a good thing?!"

Leo simply shrugged his shoulder as he answered.

"I never said it was a good thing though he did teach me his ultimate technique that if done right can get you out of any situation, no matter how strong or tough your enemy is."

Leo's face turns serious at the end of his sentence. Usopp gulped upon hearing such a technique and could not help but to ask.

"What is that technique?"

Leo stood up before he pointed his right index finger, while the other fingers were clenched, at Usopp then spoke in a serious tone with a thick English accent.

"Running away!"

Once more, the entire crew, save for Usopp and Leo, fell face-first onto the deck below their feet while Usopp could not help but nod at what Leo had just said and then spoke.

"Running away... huh... As I thought, it truly is the ultimate technique."

As he was thinking that a thought came into his mind and Usopp could not help but ask Leo another question.

"Wait a minute! How is it possible that we managed to defeat Arlong and his crew if they used to be in a crew whose captain was worth two hundred and thirty million beli?!"

Leo simply shrugged his shoulder before he answered.

"My guess is that East Blue made them weak."

"What?"

Sanji and Zoro seemed to take offense to that but Leo did not care and continued.

"Seriously think about it, they spent eight years terrorizing people weaker than them and bribing the Marines to make sure no one strong would be sent after them which meant they barely trained or fought someone remotely strong. How can they not have gotten weak- *Gasp*"

Leo realized that this also applied to him to a certain extent since it had been years since he had actually seriously fought someone.

'I better start training and not relying on this scamming system else I might one day end up like Arlong and his crew.'

Leo thought while Sanji and Zoro understood Leo's logic. Seeing that the atmosphere had gotten awkward and needing a guinea pig, Leo decided to change the subject. He took out a Fraud Pill from his inventory and showed it to the rest of the crew before he spoke.

"By the way guys, look at what I just made."

The crew looked at what was in Leo's hand and saw that it was a simple pill but before anyone could ask what it was, Leo spoke with a cocky smile.

"This is a pill that can make anyone invincible."

"Wow! Really! So Cool!"

Luffy exclaimed while the others were skeptical about it. Seeing this, Leo approached Usopp.

"Eat this."

"Are you crazy, there is no way I am eating something lik- Ah!?"

*Gulp*

Usopp was stopped midway through his sentence due to Leo shoving the pill down his mouth. A few seconds passed with nothing happening until everyone started hearing something. A sound that became louder as an ominous feeling was emanating from Usopp.