Straw Hat boy, Sun God Nika, Monkey D. Luffy…
Storm originally thought the declaration "I'm gonna be the Pirate King" was the relentless pursuit of freedom by a dreamer.
But later.
Storm came to realize.
This was never a romantic adventure story about "a man's dream never dying."
The so-called "I'm gonna be the Pirate King."
That statement could hardly even be called a "dream."
It was, in fact, a divinely chosen one's eerily precise prophecy about his own future!
Storm had initially believed.
That when Monkey D. Luffy ate the [Rubber Fruit], it was like a monkey picking up a stick from the ground.
That monkey would use his stick to venture, struggle, and fight his way toward a dazzling, brilliant life.
But later, he learned—
Not all monkeys are the same.
The story of the Straw Hat boy.
Was never about "some idiot eating a joke of a Devil Fruit."
This was the crown prince finally reclaiming the heaven-mandated imperial seal that was rightfully his!
How ironic?
In Storm's eyes.
The moment the [Rubber Fruit] became the [Sun God Nika Fruit].
The story of the Straw Hat boy ceased to be about a passionate youth chasing his dreams.
The turbulent era of the Great Pirate Age.
The Straw Hat crew setting sail from Windmill Village in the East Blue, defeating countless powerful foes along the way, until they rose to become Emperors of the New World…
This story only served to declare one brutal truth of the seas to the world—
To survive in this world, you need influence. You need backing.
Monkey D. Luffy, son of the Revolutionary Dragon, grandson of the Navy hero, heir to Red-Haired Shanks and the Pirate King, wielder of the [Sun God Nika Fruit], reincarnation of the savior from eight hundred years ago…
How could any small-time thug or rookie pirate ever compare?
In Storm's view.
Among all of Luffy's "powerful connections," the one who influenced him most profoundly wasn't his father Dragon or his Grandpa Garp—but the man who wasn't his father yet played the role better than anyone:
Red-Haired Shanks!
Red-Haired Shanks was an extraordinarily fascinating man, shrouded in countless, countless mysteries.
As both the "youngest" and the "oldest" of the Four Emperors.
Shanks' life was equally legendary.
He was a cabin boy on the Roger Pirates, captain of the Red Hair Pirates, and the fourth Emperor of the New World.
And after the Summit War concluded.
As the old-era Emperor crews fell one after another—
The Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Beast Pirates…
Each fading into history.
Red-Haired Shanks, the last "Emperor of the old era," led his Red Hair Pirates into the final battle for the "ONE PIECE."
This was a man who inherited history while shaping the future.
For the longest time.
Storm struggled to understand Red-Haired Shanks' actions.
What puzzled him most was Shanks' attitude toward the [Rubber Fruit].
Roughly six years prior.
In the year 1512 of the Sea Calendar.
Red-Haired Shanks led his crew in a brazen assault on a World Government treasure ship, seizing that peculiar [Rubber Fruit] from its hold.
From the circumstances at the time, it was absolutely clear that Red-Haired Shanks knew about the unique properties of the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit]. That's why he deliberately carried out this precise ambush operation, forcibly seizing this Devil Fruit from the World Government.
Because of that attack incident.
Fukurou, the former CP9 agent of the World Government who was originally responsible for escorting the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit], was punished by the World Government and imprisoned. He later ended up becoming one of the Flying Six of the Beast Pirates...
What kind of state was Red-Haired Shanks in six years ago?
Twenty-seven years old—practically at the golden peak of human physical condition, and with both arms intact!
This was the stuff of pure fantasy—
"Two-Armed Red Hair"!
Even if Red-Haired Shanks had eaten the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit] on the spot and instantly evolved into the "Sun God Nika"...
Storm wouldn't have found it the least bit strange.
But oddly enough.
After the Red Hair Pirates' precise ambush and forcible theft of the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit], they did nothing with it.
The Red Hair Pirates simply sailed to the East Blue, to Dawn Island, to Foosha Village...
And then stayed there for an entire year!
What happened afterward is common knowledge...
The [Rubber-Rubber Fruit] was eaten by a brat, Red-Haired Shanks "bet" his arm on the new era, and at the same time, entrusted the straw hat inherited from Gol D. Roger to the kid who ate the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit].
In the entire sequence of events.
What puzzled Storm the most wasn't—
Why Red-Haired Shanks came to the East Blue;
Why Red-Haired Shanks didn't eat the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit] himself;
Or why Red-Haired Shanks lost to the Lord of the Coast and even had his arm bitten off by it.
Instead, it was...
Why Monkey D. Luffy?
Before this.
Red-Haired Shanks' life trajectory was also quite clear.
Aside from his time on the Roger Pirates.
Red-Haired Shanks had no connection whatsoever with the Navy Hero Garp—at least, no known interactions.
This meant.
Red-Haired Shanks and Monkey D. Garp were not close!
One was a pirate, the other a marine—their factions were outright "enemies."
By this logic.
When the Red Hair Pirates arrived in the East Blue and settled in Foosha Village.
There was absolutely no way Red-Haired Shanks stayed there because of Monkey D. Luffy!
And that [Rubber-Rubber Fruit] definitely wasn't brought to Foosha Village just so Red-Haired Shanks could give it to Luffy to eat.
Unless Red-Haired Shanks had lost his mind.
Otherwise.
After going through all that trouble to steal the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit] from the World Government.
Would he really give such a fateful "Chosen Fruit" to the grandson of the Navy Hero—his enemy?
Storm had originally been deeply puzzled by Red-Haired Shanks' handling of the [Rubber-Rubber Fruit].
But the moment he saw Portgas D. Ace.
Storm suddenly realized something.
Red-Haired Shanks probably didn't linger in Foosha Village for Luffy.
Red-Haired Shanks was likely there for Ace!
Ace was Roger's son.
(Latest novel updates first on 69shuba.com!)
Red-Haired Shanks most likely came to Windmill Village in the East Blue with the intention of "entrusting both the [Gomu Gomu no Mi] and the [Straw Hat] to Ace."
As a former apprentice of the Roger Pirates, he was the "third-generation Straw Hat" following Joy Boy and Gol D. Roger.
It would make perfect sense for Red-Haired Shanks to pass down the [Straw Hat] entrusted to him by his captain, along with the [Gomu Gomu no Mi] symbolizing a new era, to the captain's son, Ace...
Alas.
The will of mortals cannot defy the gods.
From what Storm knew.
For the past eight hundred years.
The World Government had relentlessly pursued the [Gomu Gomu no Mi], seeking to reclaim and seal away this "divine fruit" that once posed a tremendous threat to them.
Yet they never succeeded.
Every Zoan-type Devil Fruit harbors a unique will.
The so-called [Gomu Gomu no Mi].
Was actually the [Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Sun God Nika].
The [Nika Fruit], bearing the name of a "god," seemed to possess its own will, actively evading the clutches of the World Government.
Red-Haired Shanks crossed the seas to Windmill Village, carrying the [Nika Fruit].
Perhaps he truly intended to entrust this "divine fruit" and the "Straw Hat" to Ace.
But the [Nika Fruit] did not choose the son of the Pirate King.
On the surface, it seemed like Monkey D. Luffy had eaten the [Gomu Gomu no Mi] by sheer coincidence.
In truth, it was the [Nika Fruit] that had chosen Monkey D. Luffy!
Storm descended upon a small, uninhabited island near Dawn Island, riding atop his Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
The corpse of the Lord of the Coast lay discarded on the shore like weeds.
Slowly drawing the [Goethite Sabre] from his waist, Storm prepared to process the remains of this Sea King.
To the people of the East Blue, this marine monstrosity was unimaginably massive.
Yet to Storm, it was a pitifully stunted runt of a Sea King...
Growing only to this size? What an embarrassment to its kind!
However.
Before Storm could raise his blade to butcher the fish.
Ace, who had remained silent the entire journey, finally spoke.
"What did you mean earlier by 'Straw Hat,' 'Red Hair,' and 'fate'...?"
Ace fixed his gaze on Storm, voicing the question that weighed heaviest on his mind.
"And what do they have to do with my little brother?"
"To put it simply, eight hundred years ago, there was a savior whose will has endured from ancient times to this day."
Storm swung his blade, draining the blood, scaling, skinning, deboning—methodically cleaning the fresh fish meat into neat cuts.
"That straw hat, along with the [Gomu Gomu no Mi], both belonged to that savior from eight centuries ago.
"Your father, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger;
"And your father's apprentice crewmate, now one of the Pirate Emperors of the New World, Red-Haired Shanks.
"Both of them inherited the 'Straw Hat' of that ancient savior—the former even inherited the 'D' name—yet neither inherited the savior's 'Devil Fruit power.'
"But now, both the 'Straw Hat' and the 'Fruit' have manifested in your little brother. On top of being a descendant of the 'D Clan,' he's obtained every key element."
"How amusing. Your brother, Monkey D. Luffy—he's destined to be the savior!"
"Destined, my ass..."
Ace clenched his fists tightly, staring at Storm with disbelief.
"Who would believe that?!"
"I certainly don't."
Storm shrugged, his face twisting into a mocking smirk.
"A guy who already failed once eight hundred years ago has somehow become the savior everyone's pinning their hopes on now."
"Doesn't that sound utterly ridiculous?!"
"But Portgas D. Ace, that's the reality."
"Your brother Luffy—he carries the 'D,' wears the 'Straw Hat,' wields the 'Devil Fruit'—so he's the Chosen One."
Storm swung his [Goethite Sabre], unleashing a flaming
slash that ignited a roaring blaze across the uninhabited island.
The seared meat of the Nearshore King released a rich aroma under the scorching flames.
The dazzling firelight illuminated Ace's face, revealing his conflicted expression.
"Portgas D. Ace."
Storm turned to Ace and extended another invitation.
"Why not join me in smashing this eight-century-old farce they call the 'Great Sea's Destiny'?"