"You, who once gave up on your own dream..."
"Don't think you can just take someone else's dream away!!"
Even though Luffy had awakened Conqueror's Haki infusion in battle, to the rejuvenated Redfield, it was nothing more than an unexpected hit—just a minor injury.
What truly left Redfield speechless as he sat up from the rubble wasn't the damage...
It was Luffy's unyielding will.
It was the stark contrast between them.
"Don't deny the captain's dream!"
At that moment, the little tanuki, Pato, ran in front of Redfield, facing Luffy.
Redfield remained silent, but Pato couldn't hold back.
"Boss always says: Those people were more than what the world remembers them as..."
The man who had just claimed the title of Pirate King surrendered to the Marines because of an incurable disease—only to be executed in his hometown...
The so-called 'strongest man in the world'—he left no great battle record at Marineford, and in the end, he was beaten to death in a one-sided fight...
"He couldn't even fight at full strength before he died... Boss couldn't accept that!"
"That's why Boss... never let go of what truly mattered!!"
To the Red the Aloof, the most important thing was "friends."
He was just unwilling to accept the fate that had befallen them.
"That's enough, Pato."
The Red the Aloof slowly stood up and took a step forward, looking at the old, frail Luffy in front of him. Even though Luffy was barely able to stand, his eyes remained as determined as ever. Compared to that, his own youthful body suddenly felt weak.
"I tried to chase after a 'borrowed' dream…"
"With a 'borrowed' youth…"
The Red the Aloof placed his hand on the aged Luffy's head, who could only stand by supporting himself on his knees. The Straw Hat Crew immediately tensed up! But before they could act, Roman stretched out his arm to stop them—because:
Buzz—
It was as if time was rewinding. Luffy's frail body became strong again, his wrinkles smoothed out, and his silver hair turned black once more—
"…He's back to normal…?"
"I was the one who forced my dream onto them, and after they were gone, I selfishly chose to carry on their dreams…"
While Luffy was still in shock, the Red the Aloof had already turned and walked toward another victim.
"I gave up fighting against 'aging' and chose the easy way out—'eternal youth.'"
The Red the Aloof crouched in front of the innkeeper girl, Adoa, whose lifespan he had stolen. He placed his hand over her aged face.
Buzz—
As the girl returned to her youthful self, the Red the Aloof, in contrast, reverted to his original form—a sinister-looking old man.
"I understand now, Straw Hat Luffy."
The old man turned, flipping his cape as he did. The anger and unwillingness from before were gone, replaced by calmness and pride.
"The title of Pirate King isn't something you can get with borrowed youth or borrowed dreams."
He spread his arms wide and took a bold step toward Luffy.
"I will surpass Newgate, Roger—surpass them all with this aging body!"
"Even if I have to do it alone…"
"I will become the Pirate King!!"
As the Red the Aloof made his declaration, a crimson Haki surged from his body, shooting straight into the sky!
The Haki was so intense that it became visible—a deep red aura filled with pride, confidence, dominance, and an unyielding spirit. It spread out like countless arrows piercing in all directions, like tidal waves of blood crashing upon everyone present.
Under the overwhelming pressure, the weaker members of the Straw Hat Crew instinctively took a step back, hiding behind their stronger crewmates. Only the main fighters stood their ground, facing the Red the Aloof head-on.
"Hey, hey… with that kind of presence, he sure doesn't look old at all."
Zoro rested his hand on his sword, speaking in a sharp tone, but there was a grin on his face. The others also relaxed. No matter what, it seemed today's conflict would end 'peacefully.'
Phew—
Roman, who had been tense the whole time, finally let out a breath of relief.
As expected of Luffy… Even a top-tier fighter like the Red the Aloof had been swayed by his spirit.
"You're not alone!"
At that moment, Pato rushed to the Red the Aloof's side, standing next to him.
"Boss Red, I'll stay with you! I'll help you!"
"It doesn't matter if I get abandoned or kicked aside—I'll never give up! Because this is my freedom, my dream!!"
"…Heh, looks like my plan to leave you with the Straw Hat Crew failed."
From the very beginning, the Red the Aloof had deliberately sent Pato onto the Straw Hats' path. Because if he wanted to fight for the Pirate King's throne and face that invincible force that had ruled for 800 years, he needed to prepare an escape route in advance…
"Well then,"
"This is the journey of 'a man and a tanuki' to becoming Pirate King! Pato, come along with this old man!"
"Yes, Boss Red!!"
"Hehehe~~ See? As long as you stick with it, things will work out."
Seeing Luffy grinning, the little tanuki smiled too.
"Thank you, Luffy! Tanuki~"
"But—"
A morning sea breeze blew through, making the fancy captain's coat left behind by the 'copy Luffy' flutter loudly. That coat wasn't an illusion—it was something the 'copy Luffy' had somehow gotten. Even after disappearing, the coat representing the 'Pirate King' remained.
Whoosh—
The wind carried the coat, sending it flying toward Luffy. He grabbed it in one motion and threw it over his shoulders!
"I'm the one who's going to be the Pirate King!"
..."Then come and prove it!"
The Red the Aloof, with the little tanuki perched on his shoulder, pointed his umbrella at the Straw Hat Crew. In response, the crew stepped up behind Luffy, who was now wearing the Pirate King's coat.
"Roman, that wind just now..."
"Heh, don't you think that captain's coat suits Luffy perfectly?"
"...If it makes you happy."
Of course, it suited him—it was something the 'copy Luffy' had picked, which meant Luffy had essentially chosen it himself.
Even though he usually doesn't care about appearances, his sense of style is actually pretty solid.
Well, except for his obsession with lasers and transformations...
"Let's go—"
This time, there were no distractions.
It was pure battle:
The White Knight's armor whipped up fierce winds, crackling with lightning, as his black-and-white sword slashed through the air. Three katanas, infused with Haki, eerie energy, and killing intent, turned pitch-black as they cut through everything. Legs, hardened with Haki, delivered relentless kicks, burning with heat and power. Waves rippled as fists, honed over decades, struck with unwavering force.
There were storms, lightning, plant bullets, seven-stage transformations, ice swords, laser cannons, and blossoming arms—
And then:
"Gomu Gomu no... Supreme Lion Bazooka!"
Luffy's Gear Fourth fist, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, spun through the air, trailing a streak of black lightning before slamming into the Red the Aloof's chest.
The crimson figure was sent flying—marking the end of this battle for the title of 'Pirate King'.
Boom!
Defeated.
So, in the end, this era really does belong to you.
Catching their breath, the Straw Hat Crew watched as the Red the Aloof slowly stood up, adjusting his bright red scarf and the ruffles on his purple collar.
With a soft thud, the old man dropped to one knee.
"Boss Red..."
Seeing Pato, who had transformed back from a pen into a little tanuki, looking at him with worried eyes, the Red the Aloof gently patted his head.
"In the end... I was just out of practice for too long."
After spending decades comfortably locked away in Impel Down, fighting with his own body again...
Maybe losing to these young ones wasn't so bad after all.
Clang, clang~~
The moment the Red the Aloof admitted defeat, the entire Straw Hat Crew collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.
"Tch, if you call that 'out of practice,' then what does that make us...?"
Sitting on the ground, Roman glanced at the Red the Aloof, who still had the energy to tidy up his appearance, and smirked at himself.
"You old guys on the sea are all as strong as monsters, yet you still have the nerve to say you're getting old..."
"Heh, let's call it a day then."
The Red the Aloof stood up, placing the little tanuki, Pato, on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Brook, who had finally caught his breath, sheathed his Soul-Slaying Sword and looked at the sinister old man in front of him. That face overlapped with the memory of a lonely boy from long ago.
"So it was you, Patrick Redfield."
———
Back when he was still human, the Rumbar Pirates once passed through a village. Their carefree and joyful music caught the attention of a lonely boy.
"Why is it that your hearts are filled only with joy?"
Hearing the question, a man with a thick afro, small sunglasses, and a scar on his forehead let out his signature laugh.
"Why does there need to be a reason? Isn't music meant to bring people happiness?"
"Can I be like you too?"
"Of course! On this vast ocean, no matter who you are, you'll definitely find friends you can truly connect with! And you'll definitely have moments where you laugh from the bottom of your heart!"
———
"So you eventually set sail too."
Brook looked at his former junior with emotion—the legendary pirate who now had a head full of white hair. Things had changed, but...
"'Pato' was your title when you were a rookie, and you gave your name to him—"
His gaze shifted to the little tanuki on the Red the Aloof's shoulder.
"From the very start, you never truly let go of anything."
And that was the origin of the tanuki's name.
"I never expected to run into you here either, 'Humming Brook'."
Although Brook usually acted like a perverted and goofy skeleton, in truth, he was already 90 years old... well, as a skeleton.
"Bahaha~~~"
The crimson-clad old man threw his head back and laughed. Today had turned out to be quite an interesting day.
As the sun leaped over the horizon, golden light bathed the island. The Red the Aloof opened his umbrella to shield his face, leaving only the curve of a smirk visible.
"Let's go, Pato."
"Our journey is only just beginning—"
As they watched the old man walk away toward the rising sun, the Straw Hat crew all smiled—except for one.
"Red the Aloof, make sure you don't use our copies to cause trouble, okay? And if possible, please don't attack the Marines either—you know the reason."
"Hey, hey, way to ruin the mood!"
"Roman, seriously..."
"After fighting all night, I feel like I'm falling apart."
"When in trouble, take a nap!"
"Sanji, I need meat—I'm starving..."
...
"Where am I?"
When the innkeeper, the bespectacled girl Adoya, woke up, she was met with the sight of a battlefield in ruins—and a group of Straw Hats snoring away nearby.
The only one still sitting alert was Roman.
(End of Chapter)
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