Chapter 26 the Hand of Fate
The shockwaves of the Haki collision had not yet completely subsided, gravel was still slowly falling from the sky, cracks in the remaining walls of the port were making faint noises, and the air seemed to be hit by a hammer.
Shanks slowly retracted his stance, his figure still standing tall like a mountain.
His red hair fluttered, his windbreaker fluttered, and he looked out at the still-still sea, his tone calm yet exceptionally steady:
"Once we're done resupplying, we'll leave."
"It's not the time for us to get involved in this sea yet."
This doesn't seem like a retreat, but more like the decision of a veteran on the battlefield to put away his sword.
It is a threat, but also respect.
Beckman was silent for a moment, raised his hand to clamp the cigarette holder, looked up and sighed: "...wise."
Then follow up.
Yasopp and Lachi Lu also retreated without saying a single harsh word, as if they both understood that the young Commodore's edge was not something to be underestimated.
——They never really bowed their heads, but this time, they did not choose to fight head-on.
The black wind is howling and the cold tide is rolling.
Rogge stood quietly among the rubble, his black cloak blown high by the sea breeze, his profile as cold as carved iron.
He didn't take another step.
No order to "pursue" was given.
It was as if all his anger and murderous intent had been sheathed in that instant - while he was staring at the red-haired man.
Rhett's grip on the brass knuckles tightened slightly, and his eyes still showed reluctance and fear.
He gritted his teeth and whispered hoarsely:
"…Just let them go like that?"
"We can fight."
Rogge glanced back at him.
His eyes were calm, but his tone was as cold as iron:
"Do it now."
"You will die."
As he finished speaking, Rhett's throat choked and his brass knuckles tightened with a "click". He seemed to want to argue, but no sound came out.
Enel stood beside him, his hands tucked into his battle robe, his face heavier than ever.
The air pressure at that moment was like a thunder hammer hitting his brain.
That's not Lei—
It was the overwhelming bombardment brought about by "will" itself.
Just like when he faced the sky, he understood for the first time what it meant to "look up."
He whispered to himself, his tone carrying a rare...admiration:
"I hate this feeling."
"It's like a thundercloud being pinched off."
"If I had that kind of oppressive power... no, that kind of aura—"
He paused, his eyes becoming extremely firm:
"…I don't believe that there is anyone in heaven who can suppress me."
Rhett was silent.
He also lowered his head and murmured:
"Me too."
"One day, I will win."
The two men stood behind Rogge, their eyes fiery and stubborn.
At that moment, they didn't say much, but they had already made a silent vow in their hearts:
——Catch up with Rogge!
——I want to have another fist bump with that man named Shanks, in a fair and square manner.
Even if the front is the nest of the Four Emperors, the most powerful of the Pirates, the city of the gods——
They must also follow closely and never fall behind!
[Windmill Village·Tavern·15 minutes later]
The night breeze blows gently, and the sea tide hits the reefs.
The red-haired group had just finished their "clash of justice" with Rogge. With unfinished fighting spirit and fatigue, they pushed the door and returned to the familiar tavern.
"Hey~ Makino, we're back."
Lachi Lu greeted him with a chicken leg in his mouth, and took another bite before sitting down.
Makino was walking out of the kitchen, holding a towel, and said with a smile, "Welcome back—the water is ready."
Shanks had just walked to the bar when he suddenly frowned and felt a slow gear in his mind "click" and stop abruptly.
"...Wait."
He turned around suddenly and glanced at the corner of the wine cabinet.
Beckman's face darkened, his eyes darted like a hawk, and his voice suddenly became low:
"And the box?"
The atmosphere in the whole venue froze in an instant!
——The small wooden box that originally contained "that fruit" was lying quietly behind the wine cabinet.
The lid of the box was open, the bottom was empty, and there was even a trace of "bite marks" left...
Shanks's mouth twitched, and the next second—
"…咈咈咈咈咈咈!!"
He kicked the chair in front of him with a sudden kick. The chair flew into the ceiling with a "crash" and got stuck in the beam, shaking non-stop!
"Who touched the fruit!?!?"
"We actually forgot to take that thing with us!?"
Beckman took a long drag on his cigarette and gritted his teeth. "Damn it... I was so focused on confronting that guy! I actually forgot about this?!"
Makino quickly raised his hand and spoke rapidly: "Yes, yes, it's Luffy! He said he was hungry, and then he saw a 'strange-looking fruit' lying there, and then…"
"Just eat it."
The entire row of people's faces began to twitch.
"have eaten??"
"Devil Fruit!?"
Yasopp's nose was about to burst: "...and you said it tasted bad???"
Lachi Lu's chicken leg fell to the ground with a clatter.
The next second, everyone heard——
"Bang!"
Outside the door, there was a crisp sound of falling! Then came——
"Ahhhhhhhh! My body… feels like it's bouncing back!!!"
Shanks stormed out the door.
People filed out, overturning door sills, kicking trash cans, and even knocking over kettles.
The eight-year-old Monkey D. Luffy was bouncing like a ball without air, looking confused but excited as he shouted:
"Wow!! My stomach is bouncing!!"
"Can I, can I be a slingshot now!?"
"Shanks! Look at me!! I'm turning into Elasti-Man!!"
Shanks stood in front of the door, his fists slowly clenched, his face turning blue and red, as if he was trying hard to suppress the question marks and exclamation marks that popped up in his head.
Beckman rushed over and saw this scene. He almost choked to death when he took a puff of cigarette.
Everyone was petrified.
Luffy continued to cheer himself up, turning 180 degrees on the grass and rolling past Shanks: "Wahahahaha - am I stronger than you guys now?!"
for a long time.
Shanks finally sighed, raised his hand to his forehead, and sighed:
"…This must be fate."
"We didn't give it to him... He swallowed it himself."
He looked at the night sky, and Rogge's words echoed in his mind:
"You shouldn't have come. You're not only desecrating the land, but also the faith."
——The one who defiled the land was a naughty kid who ate without checking the box.
Beckman patted his shoulder: "Anyway...what's coming will come."
Shanks murmured a smile, and a hint of unclear and complex emotions suddenly appeared in his golden eyes:
"...Then it depends on whether he can become the rubber ball that can change 'this era'."
He looked at the aftermath of Haki that had not yet dissipated in the night and whispered to himself:
"That's the path you chose."
The wind blew the hem of his windbreaker, but his eyes were even more complicated than before:
It's not regret, but solemn resignation.
——Some destinies are indeed one step faster than us.
Windmill Village, Harbor, The Next Morning
The sea breeze is blowing gently and seabirds are singing.
The Red Hair Pirates' flagship, the Ludru, has been resupplied, the cables have been untied, and the sails are hoisted.
Shanks stood at the front of the deck, his red hair fluttering in the wind, and he had regained his former carefree look, as if the Haki confrontation yesterday had never happened.
Beckman leaned against the mast, lit a cigarette, glanced at the small warship docked in the distance, and said lightly:
"This trip comes at an inopportune time."
Shanks smiled and shook his head: "What is meant to come will come."
"Some things, even if you forget to take them away... they will find their way back to where they belong."
Beckman exhaled a puff of smoke and cast his gaze towards the warship in the distance, his expression more solemn than ever before.
"But, that kid—"
"In the future... sooner or later, they will come to kill me."
Shanks didn't deny it, but just threw his cloak:
"Then we'll see who wins."
The Red Hair Pirates set sail and slowly sailed out of East Blue Harbor.
The children of Windmill Village stood on the shore, waving. Luffy, snotty and trudging along, followed behind them, shouting:
"Shanks—next time, teach me some more powerful moves!!"
Shanks raised his arms and looked back, a smile on his face:
"If you want to be the King of Pirates, then surpass me!"
What he didn't say was—
If you can't surpass that man, you might not even be qualified to come to the New World.
[Windmill Village · Ten minutes later · East Street Alley]
Rogge stood under a tree, quietly watching the red-haired group's departing boat.
Lei Te leaned against the tree trunk and snorted coldly: "It's obvious that you can't win, but you just leave like this."
Enel rolled his eyes. "Didn't smoke come out of the bottom of your feet when you were shocked by the red-haired Conqueror's yesterday?"
"...Shut up."
At this moment, a young voice suddenly sounded:
"Hey—are you that cool soldier from yesterday!?"
The three of them turned their heads.
I saw a little kid wearing a straw hat, running towards me, wiping his nose and smiling.
Her clothes were bulging, and she could vaguely see her belly bouncing gently like a balloon.
——Monkey D. Luffy.
Lei Te frowned: "Whose child is this...?"
Enel looked at him and suddenly showed a surprised expression:
"Hey, this brat has the remnant of...the fruit."
"There's a bit of a strange smell."
Rogge's gaze fell on Luffy, and he remained silent for a long time.
That face, that straw hat, and that persistent, almost reckless "purity" in his eyes...
——He seemed to see in this child some kind of reincarnation that was repeated over and over again.
"May I have your name?"
"Luffy!!"
The child raised his fist and shouted.
"I'm going to be the King of Pirates!!!"
Rogge's expression changed slightly and his eyes fixed.
The wind blew up the hem of his cloak, and the sunlight shone on the silver eagle on his military uniform, cold as a mirror.
"...The Pirate King again?"
He whispered to himself.
At this moment, both Rhett and Enel keenly noticed that Rogge's expression, which had almost never wavered, had a slight crack.
Rogge turned and left, saying softly:
"Fate...how many times will this cycle repeat itself?"
The Red Force gradually went away, and the Su Zheng ship turned back the same way.
Windmill Village returned to peace again.
But no one knows that a brief intersection today is destined to cause huge waves in the future.
And the child who swallowed "fate" was now running happily at the end of the coastline.