The air on the Grand Line was thick with a pressure that had nothing to do with the weather. Benn Beckman stood on the churning sea as if it were solid ground, his Haki a calm, crushing weight that silenced the waves themselves. It was the antithesis of Ace's fiery, explosive aura—a quiet, absolute authority that was, in its own way, even more terrifying.
Douglas Bullet, a man who respected nothing but pure, overwhelming strength, instinctively moved to attack. He saw another legend, another obstacle to overcome. Before he could launch himself, a thin, almost invisible sheet of ice spread across the deck in front of his feet, causing his charge to break as he slipped, catching himself just before he fell.
"Ara ra... let's hear the man out," Kuzan said, not even looking at him.
Zeff, a veteran of Roger's era, recognized the quiet, absolute power of a true Yonko's right hand. He went silent, his gruff demeanor replaced by a wary respect.
Benn Beckman's gaze passed over the bizarre collection of monsters Ace had assembled before settling back on him. The use of his father's name was not an insult; it was an acknowledgment, a sign that he was being seen not just as Whitebeard's heir, but as the son of the Pirate King.
"My captain has been watching your progress with great interest, Gol D. Ace," Beckman said, his voice calm. "He doesn't wish to interfere with your... game... with Big Mom. But there are things you need to know. He asks that you join him aboard our ship, the Red Force. It is anchored just beyond the mist."
The tone was an invitation, but the underlying message was not a request. Ace looked at his volatile companions, then back at the First Mate. He gave a single, sharp nod. "Lead the way."
The Red Force was a vessel that hummed with a relaxed, yet immense power. As Ace, a wary Kuzan, and a fuming Bullet stepped aboard, they were greeted by the sight of the Red-Hair Pirates. Lucky Roux was gnawing on a massive leg of meat, Yasopp was polishing his rifle, and every single one of them radiated a Haki so potent it felt like the air was vibrating.
And there, sitting at a table with a massive bottle of sake, was the man himself. "Red-Haired" Shanks looked up, and a warm, genuine smile spread across his face.
"You've got his fire," he said, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he looked at Ace. "But you've got your mother's eyes I think. It's good to finally meet you, Ace." He then gave Kuzan a respectful nod. "I heard you quit your job. A man's got to follow his own justice. Garp must be... complicatedly proud."
Before anyone else could speak, a low, guttural growl came from the third guest. Douglas Bullet stepped forward, his massive frame casting a shadow over the table, his eyes filled with a mixture of contempt and disbelief.
"Shanks," Bullet snarled, the name an insult. "Still playing pirate with your little friends? I thought a cabin boy like you would have been swallowed by the New World by now. You've gotten soft."
Shanks's smile didn't falter, but his eyes lost their warmth, becoming as hard and deep as the sea. He looked Bullet up and down, not with anger, but with a profound sense of pity.
"And you, Bullet," Shanks replied, his voice calm and even. "Still chasing a dead man's ghost. You were there. You saw the end of our journey. And you still don't understand what true strength is." He gestured around at his crew, at the relaxed camaraderie. "This is strength. The will you carry is just a lonely, empty echo."
Bullet's fists clenched, his Haki flaring with rage. "Words are for the weak! The strong stand alone at the top!"
"And die alone at the bottom," Shanks finished, his gaze unwavering. He then dismissed Bullet completely, as if he were nothing more than a ghost, turning his full, warm attention back to Ace.
Shanks poured three large cups of sake. "Drink with me," he said. It was not a request.
As they sat, the friendly atmosphere slowly shifted. Shanks's expression turned deadly serious. He pointed a finger to the three scars over his eye.
"I got these from Teach," he said, his voice low and hard. "A some time ago, I wasn't being careless. He was just that dangerous, even then. I warned Whitebeard about him. He didn't listen. Do not make the same mistake, Ace. Do not take Blackbeard lightly."
Ace listened, the warning from a Yonko sinking in deep.
"But that's not why I called you here," Shanks continued. "I'm here to talk about Elbaf. And a certain Devil Fruit."
He leaned forward, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "The giants are an honorable race. They value legends, especially those tied to their gods. One of their most ancient legends is of a sun god... a warrior of liberation who brought smiles to the faces of slaves."
Ace felt a strange sense of deja vu, a feeling that the world was about to tilt on its axis.
"Years ago," Shanks said, "my crew learned that a secret World Government assassin, a man named Who's-Who, was transporting a Devil Fruit they had stolen. A fruit they had been chasing for 800 years. We intercepted their ship and took it. We were going to guard it, to keep its true nature hidden from the world."
Shanks looked at Ace, his expression a mixture of grim resolve and fond amusement. "And then a stupid little kid from your hometown ate it by mistake."
Ace froze. His mind, a fusion of two worlds, began to race, connecting a thousand different dots at once. Luffy. The way he brought joy, laughter... liberation...
"Why are you telling me about that Devil Fruit?" Ace asked, his voice a strained whisper, though he already knew the answer. "Wait... don't tell me, Lu..."
Shanks's smile was sad, but proud. "That's right. The fruit your brother ate... it wasn't the Gomu Gomu no Mi. That was a name the World Government made up to hide its true power, to lower its threat level and keep people from searching for it."
He took a deep breath, and delivered the truth that would change everything.
"Its real name is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan model of the Sun God."
The world stopped. The roar of the sea, the creak of the ship, the boisterous laughter of the pirates—it all faded away into a deafening silence. Ace's mind wasn't blank. It was a chaotic storm. The name—Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika— he already knew, a piece of knowledge,but this was a fan theory from Kenji's world that he had always filed away as 'insane possible'. To hear it spoken aloud, here, by a Yonko, confirming it as fact... that was the first shock. But the second was the context. Elbaf. The Sun God legend. The World Government's 800-year chase. It wasn't just a ridiculous power-up anymore. It was a legacy. A destiny. His brother. His stupid, reckless, meat-headed little brother.... He was a prophecy.
He was silent for a long, heavy moment. Then, he slowly raised his cup, took a long drink of sake, and set it down with a soft clink.
He looked Shanks dead in the eye, his expression a perfect, comical mask of pure, unadulterated shock.
"Well," Ace said, the single word carrying the weight of a thousand new problems. "Shit."
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