"Whoa, Robin, you actually beat Rob Lucci?" x2
Both Nami and Usopp, who was lying on a spider stretcher, looked shocked. After all, Lucci was the guy who pushed Luffy to the limit, forcing him to 'cheat' just to win. And Robin... well, as much as it sounded rude, she was never known for her one-on-one combat skills. The fact that she defeated Lucci alone was nothing short of a miracle!
"To be precise, Lucci let me win."
Even without Haki, Lucci's mastery of the Six Powers made him one of the most feared close-combat fighters on the seas. Even the Lucci from two years ago wouldn't have been an easy opponent. And most importantly...
"From start to finish, Lucci never used his Devil Fruit powers."
"So the one I defeated was just a version of Lucci without Devil Fruit abilities or Haki. But even though it was just a replica, it felt just like the real Lucci."
To be fair, the Straw Hat Crew knew that Rob Lucci and CP9 weren't really "bad guys." Plus, they were currently working for Roman. Especially with the fight against Big Mom coming up, Roman had already sent them to East Blue to protect their families, just in case.
"I was wondering why I was back at Enies Lobby and why Mr. Lucci was attacking me. So it was all just an illusion?"
"Even though it's an illusion, it's real until it's broken. If you fall into the sea, you'll drown. If you fall into lava, you'll burn. So don't let your guard down."
As the group moved forward, the surroundings suddenly changed.
"Hey, isn't this Fish-Man Island?"
They had just been there not long ago, so the familiar underwater scenery and colorful coral buildings were easy to recognize.
At the same time—
"Roman, Nami, Zoro, Robin!"
From a distance, Luffy waved excitedly.
"I'm so glad you guys are okay!"
"What about me?!"
Usopp, who had been lying weakly on a "Paper Dance - Spider Stretcher," suddenly sat up in protest.
"I bled, I got hurt, and no one even cares—"
"Hehehe, well, you look pretty lively to me!"
"...Looks like you've gathered quite a few friends."
Behind Luffy stood a soot-covered Franky, a dejected-looking Carrot, and Pedro, calmly smoking a cigarette.
Curious, Nami asked, "Who did you guys run into?"
"Nami!"
Carrot threw herself into Nami's arms, teary-eyed.
"I ran into Wanda, and she beat me up so bad!"
"Hmph, and you call yourself a warrior of Zou? You couldn't even fight back against an enemy you knew was fake?"
Pedro, the one-eyed jaguar warrior, shot Carrot a sharp look. If he hadn't shown up in time, Carrot, who was too busy dodging to fight back against "Wanda," would have been in serious trouble.
"If it was Wanda, it makes sense that Carrot couldn't win."
Wanda was like an older sister to Carrot. Even if Carrot had the strength, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to fight back.
"What about you two, Franky, Pedro?"
Franky shrugged, looking relaxed.
"I ran into Punk Hazard's Caesar Clown. That guy is seriously annoying."
"I faced off against Baron Tamago from Big Mom's crew."
Pedro touched the left side of his face, where his bangs covered his eye.
"Even if it was just a copy, I guess I finally got some payback for this eye."
"That means we're still missing Sanji, Pudding, Chopper, Brook, and Jinbe…"
As Luffy counted on his fingers, a steady voice came from a large piece of coral nearby.
"I'm here."
Jinbe leaped down from the coral, scanning his crewmates.
Sanji was missing, but Jinbe had already guessed why. After all, he had just encountered someone who shouldn't even be here.
"This isn't really Fish-Man Island, is it?"
"That's right. And anyone we meet here might just be an illusion…"
Roman gave Jinbe a quick explanation, and Jinbe nodded.
"I see. No wonder Sanji did something so out of character… But—"
Jinbe looked at the group.
"How do I know if you're real? Based on what Roman said, these illusions have the same thoughts, abilities, and even memories as the originals."
"You just gotta *feel* it!"
Luffy's answer was immediate.
Roman waved his hand, dismissing that idea.
"Sure, *you* can do that because of your ability to 'hear the voice of all things.' But the rest of us don't have that luxury."
Boom—
A powerful aura erupted from Roman.
Cold and proud. Protective and warm.
Two opposing forces mixed together as a metallic glow spread across his entire body.
"Clones don't have Haki unless the mastermind behind all this, 'Red the Aloof,' grants it himself. But that kind of Haki wouldn't match the original owner's aura, and anyone paying attention could sense the difference."
"I see..."
Jinbe nodded, and at the same time, a metallic sheen appeared on his body. It was obvious—he was proving he was the real one.
"Hehehe, welcome back, Jinbe!"
"By the way, the opponent you faced here was..."
"Just a madman blinded by fake hatred." Jinbe waved his hand calmly. No matter how many drugs Hody Jones took, he was never going to be a match for him. As the 'boss' of this area, Jinbe had taken him down with ease.
"Then, let's keep moving—"
"Impressive."
?!
Swoosh!
In an instant, Luffy, Roman, and Zoro all spun around, throwing a punch, a longsword, and a katana behind them without hesitation! But—
Their attacks hit nothing but air!
"Don't be so jumpy, young ones."
?!!
This time, the voice came from—
"In front!"
When the three powerhouses turned back around, they saw a tall man standing a short distance away from the Straw Hat Crew.
He wore a red suit with long pants, a flowing red cape, and a massive blue rose on his chest. Though his hair was already white, the confident smirk on his face carried a sinister charm.
"You are..."
"Captain Red!"
Chopper ran up to him happily, making it clear to everyone who this old man was.
'Red the Aloof' Patrick Redfield!
"So, it's you..."
Zoro pointed his katana at the man.
"You're the one who set up all these ridiculous fights along the way?"
"What's your goal?!"
Luffy, as always, skipped straight to the point. If he didn't understand something, he'd just ask.
"What I want is the 'things' inside your brains."
"Huh?!"
Luffy clutched his head in horror. Someone wanted his brain...?!
"You think he's trying to eat 'monkey brains' or something?"
Roman couldn't help but roast him. "It's obvious he's after our 'memories'!"
"That's right."
As per pirate tradition, Red the Aloof introduced his abilities first.
"I was born with incredibly strong Observation Haki. It's like constant noise... I can hear the voices inside people's hearts. And then—"
In a flash, the scene shifted!
Roman instinctively summoned The White Knight, covering himself in armor.
Before anyone else could react, Luffy suddenly dodged to the side!
But—
A hand still landed on his head.
"Observation Haki that can see the future, huh?"
Luffy had indeed 'seen' Red the Aloof's attack coming.
But at the same time, Red the Aloof had 'read' the very moment Luffy foresaw the attack.
And his speed was insane!
Even though Luffy dodged in advance, Red the Aloof simply changed course mid-movement and still managed to touch the top of his head.
Of course, it was just speed—there was no harm in that touch.
But it was already enough.
Even if—
"One-Sword Style Iai: Death Lion Song!"
"More More: 60x Electromagnetic Boosted Blade!"
Swoosh—
Two fierce, violent attacks slashed through the space in front of Luffy!
They carved two massive sword marks into the ground in the shape of an 'X,' stretching hundreds of meters.
But their target—
Had already retreated back to his original position.
"It's just like this—I can even read a person's memories."
"The environment and enemies you encountered were all created by writing your memories onto the leaves and changing them."
...So fast!
"What exactly is your goal?"
Facing Luffy's serious expression, the Red the Aloof, leaning on his umbrella, gently patted his cloak.
"The answer is simple—I just wanted to test my 'tool.'"
?
"For a rookie, you've been through quite a lot of major events, Straw Hat Luffy."
"Thanks to you, I've also gained important figures like 'Neptune,' 'Vivi,' and 'King Riku'—great material..."
?! "This is bad... He could easily recreate Alabasta's—"
Robin was the first to react. Back when she was in 'Baroque Works,' Bon Clay's 'Clone-Clone Fruit' was a key reason Crocodile's plan could have succeeded. But the Red the Aloof's ability was on another level—creating 'copies' so perfect that even the closest people wouldn't notice...
Terrifying! "What exactly are you planning?"
Nami had already opened the book in her hands. Whether it was Vivi, Shirahoshi, or Rebecca, they were all allies of the Straw Hat Crew. They couldn't let another Alabasta incident happen.
"If I had to say... My goal is to become king."
The Red the Aloof spread his arms.
"In other words, the Pirate King!"
!
In that instant, Luffy didn't even think—he just charged forward! His clenched fist swung without hesitation.
"I'm the one who's going to be Pirate King—!"
"Your heart is too pure."
!?
The Red the Aloof's voice suddenly came from behind Luffy. At the same time, a merciless kick sent Luffy flying hundreds of meters away, crashing into a coral building.
"Three-Sword Style: Ultimate Bull Needle!"
Three swords charged forward like a raging beast, their blades extending into three long, greenish arcs over ten meters long. The overwhelming pressure and killing intent spread across the entire Fish-Man Island plaza, once filled with tens of thousands of people.
With a sharp whistling sound, the cold, horn-like blade edge pierced toward the Red the Aloof first, carrying a suffocating aura of death.
"Gun Wave: Torrential Rain!"
On the other side, Jinbe, who had the most advantage in this environment, grabbed at the air, instantly drawing the surrounding river water into countless high-pressure blasts, firing at the Red the Aloof from all directions, trying to limit his movement.
But—"Such weak attacks."
The Red the Aloof suddenly swung his umbrella horizontally, unleashing a sharp crimson sword wave that expanded outward in all directions like a massive ring.
*Splat—!!*
The enormous red slash effortlessly swallowed Zoro's sword attack and Jinbe's water cannons, then continued expanding without mercy. In an instant, it split the entire massive plaza—large enough to hold tens of thousands—right in half. But it didn't stop there. The slash extended even further, cutting through the ocean itself, carving out a deep trench that seemed bottomless. The next moment, seawater rushed into the gap, triggering violent whirlpools and massive waves...
With the attack closing in, Zoro and Jinbe had no choice but to block with their swords and arms, getting sent flying by the sheer force of the Red the Aloof's attack! If even they were struggling, the others—
"Paper Dance: Momo—10x Haki Compressed Wall!"
*Clang!!*
The defensive ability was indeed powerful, but the Straw Hat Crew's formation... They were spread out in a line. Roman couldn't shield everyone at once, so he had no choice but to create a double-layered Haki defense.
Luckily, the Red the Aloof's slash was a wide-area attack, so Roman could still manage. But unlike Zoro and Jinbe, who only had to protect themselves, Roman had to hold up an enormous "wall," increasing the impact he took. The moment the attack struck, his arms went numb from the sheer force.
"This is such a disappointment..."
With a single swing of the sword, the island was split, and the sea was torn apart!
Even without the so-called "copy" ability, the Red the Aloof was still one of the world's top fighters.
"I might as well just kill you all right here."
"?! Boss,"
The small tanuki beside him stepped forward in shock, trying to stop the Red the Aloof.
"There's no need to kill them..."
After spending so many days with the Straw Hat Crew, Pato had grown fond of their relaxed, united, and friendly atmosphere. He always thought his master was just "playing" with them, but now it seemed...
"Pato, come here."
The little tanuki ran toward the Red the Aloof, then transformed into a giant pen and landed in his hand. As the Red the Aloof wrote memories onto a leaf with the "pen," he ignored the Straw Hat Crew, who were now on full alert.
"To achieve my goal, I must abandon unrealistic things."
"The path I will take from now on... is the path of a 'Shura'..."
As the Straw Hat Crew looked on in confusion, the Red the Aloof tossed the leaf into the air. With a puff, it transformed into—
A tanuki wearing a pink hoodie!
It looked exactly like Pato.
The real Pato—
With a light toss, the pen in his hand fell to the ground and changed back into Pato.
"Boss...?"
"I only need him."
The Red the Aloof placed the copied "Pato" on his shoulder, then looked down at the little tanuki who had always been by his side.
"I don't need you on my path anymore."
"Huh?!"
"Goodbye, Pato."
With a flash of bright red light, the Red the Aloof disappeared with his "Pato."
(End of Chapter)
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