Time had a way of flowing like the tide—steady, inevitable, and carrying change with each passing wave. Another full year had elapsed since the Red Hair Pirates' last extended visit, and much had transformed during that period.
Po's relentless training had borne extraordinary fruit. Under Garp's occasional guidance and his own unwavering discipline, he'd mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, elevating his combat abilities to what could only be described as Emperor-level. The gentle panda who'd once fled from the Lord of the Coast now possessed strength that could reshape battlefields.
The Red Hair Pirates had made multiple visits throughout the year, each departure followed inevitably by Garp's pursuit. Yet somehow, the Marine hero and the infamous Yonko never seemed to arrive or depart at the same time—a pattern so convenient that Gustave suspected some sort of private arrangement between the two legends.
But when the Red Hair Pirates returned one particular evening, something felt fundamentally different.
Luffy, with few customers to serve that night, had wandered to the beach for his usual recreational activities when he spotted the familiar red sails approaching their customary anchorage. Despite his dreams having evolved from "Pirate King" to "Greatest Hero," he still cherished his friendship with Shanks and his crew.
However, as the pirates disembarked one by one, Luffy's excitement turned to confusion.
"Shanks!" he called out anxiously. "Where's Uta? I don't see her anywhere!"
The red-haired captain knelt to Luffy's eye level, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by something more somber.
"Uta left the crew to pursue her musical dreams," Shanks explained gently, placing a hand on Luffy's head. "She wanted to become a professional singer."
"But I thought she was already the Red Hair Pirates' singer!" Luffy protested. "Why would she leave?"
"During our last voyage, we visited a kingdom dedicated entirely to music," Shanks continued, his voice carefully controlled. "Uta fell in love with the place immediately, so I encouraged her to stay and study there properly."
"Oh..." Luffy's disappointment was obvious. "I was really looking forward to playing with her again."
The simple boy failed to notice the unusual tension radiating from the Red Hair Pirates, or how their usual jovial energy seemed forced and hollow. He simply accepted the explanation and ran back to the Bamboo Staff Bistro to share the news.
Once Luffy was out of earshot, Shanks addressed his crew with quiet intensity.
"Regarding Uta's situation—don't show any unusual behavior around Gustave and the others. Especially not in front of Po and Tom. They don't need to carry this burden."
His crewmates exchanged meaningful glances, struggling to suppress their own grief while nodding in understanding. Then they followed their captain toward the restaurant, each step heavier than usual.
"Uncle Gustave!" Luffy announced upon his return. "Shanks and everyone are back, but Uta stayed behind to study music properly!"
"That's wonderful for her," Gustave replied without suspicion. "Uta's always been passionate about music, so formal training makes perfect sense. Though I'll certainly miss seeing her."
Po and Tom felt a pang of disappointment. Every visit from the Red Hair Pirates had meant Uta's enthusiastic attention and affection. The restaurant would feel a little emptier without her bright presence.
Soon after, the Red Hair Pirates arrived and placed their usual orders. Everything proceeded normally—or so it seemed.
Two days later, Ace received the morning newspaper from a delivery gull and immediately recognized something catastrophic.
"Gustave!" he shouted, sprinting toward the kitchen. "You need to see today's headlines!"
Gustave accepted the newspaper, and his blood turned to ice at the front-page story:
"MUSICAL KINGDOM OF ELEGIA DESTROYED - RED-HAIRED SHANKS, FORMER ROGER PIRATE, SUSPECTED OF MASSACRE"
The words hit like physical blows. Gustave's memory stirred—he vaguely recalled anime references to some major incident involving the Red Hair Pirates, something that had established Shanks' fearsome reputation. But he'd never seen Uta mentioned in any future storylines, and now...
She "left to study music" just before this tragedy, Gustave realized with growing horror. Something happened to Uta in Elegia, and Shanks destroyed an entire kingdom in response!
"It has to be connected," he whispered, crushing the newspaper in his fist.
"Ace," he commanded, his voice tight with barely controlled rage, "gather Po, Tom, and Luffy immediately. Tell them about this news. We need to confront Shanks together."
"Yes sir!" Ace rushed to comply.
Within minutes, Luffy burst into Gustave's room, tears already streaming down his face.
"Uncle Gustave! Ace told me Shanks killed a whole country of people! Please tell me it's not true!"
Despite being a pirate, Shanks had never displayed any villainous characteristics during their interactions. To everyone in Windmill Village, he was simply a friend who happened to sail the seas. The idea of him committing genocide was incomprehensible.
"That's what the newspaper reports," Gustave replied grimly, handing Luffy the crumpled pages.
"I contacted Garp for confirmation," he continued. "According to his sources, after Elegia's destruction, the Red Hair Pirates were seen leaving the area. All evidence points to Shanks and his crew as the perpetrators."
Initially, Gustave had hoped this was another example of the World Government's propaganda machine manufacturing convenient villains. But Garp's confirmation eliminated any possibility of misinformation.
The others who'd gathered in Gustave's room heard every word of his conversation with the Marine hero. A suffocating atmosphere of betrayal and disbelief settled over the group.
"We're going to find Shanks," Gustave declared finally. "We need to hear the truth directly from him."
No one voiced disagreement, but when Gustave headed for the door, they all followed in grim solidarity.
At the Red Hair Pirates' anchorage, Shanks spotted their approach and waved cheerfully.
"Hey, Gustave! You're all up early today! Come to challenge us to another friendly competition?"
His casual greeting felt like mockery in light of recent revelations.
Gustave ignored the pleasantries and hurled the newspaper at Shanks' feet.
"Did you destroy Elegia?" he demanded coldly.
Shanks retrieved the newspaper, his expression shifting as he realized their morning reading habits had exposed him. After scanning the headlines, he met Gustave's eyes and nodded slightly.
"Something happened to Uta there," Gustave continued, his voice growing dangerous. "So you destroyed an entire kingdom in revenge?"
Again, Shanks simply nodded.
The confirmation shattered Luffy's composure completely.
"SHANKS!" he screamed through his tears. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PIRATES!"
For Luffy, for all of them, the mathematics were simple and horrifying. If something had happened to Uta, the appropriate response was to find those responsible and deliver justice. But destroying an entire kingdom meant innocent people had died for someone else's crimes.
Harming innocents was Gustave's absolute moral boundary—a line that could never be crossed.
"We cannot be friends with pirates who have innocent blood on their hands," Gustave declared, electricity beginning to crackle around his body.
"If such pirates appear before us," he continued as storm clouds gathered overhead, "they will face the consequences!"
A massive lightning bolt erupted from the heavens toward Shanks, while simultaneously Po launched forward with a Conqueror's Haki-infused punch that could level mountains.