Far from Marineford, on the Thousand Sunny sailing toward the New World, Luffy and his crew were celebrating their escape.

  But their celebration was about to be interrupted in the worst possible way.

  "We did it!" Luffy's grin threatened to split his face. "We saved Ace!"

  Usopp and Chopper hugged each other and cried. "We made it alive!"

  "You idiot!" Nami hit Luffy again, though her tears were from joy now. "You almost died! Multiple times!"

  Luffy clutched his head. "Oww! What's that for Nami!"

  Ace sat against the mast, still in shock. Seastone shackles had been removed, and he could feel his Devil Fruit power returning. "I... I can't believe you guys came for me. All of you. Risking your lives..."

  "Of course we did!" Luffy sat down beside him with a grin. "You're my brother! "

  Zoro leaned against the railing, his hand on his swords. "Though Robin's friends who helped us did most of the work. They are really strong."

  "Kokabiel-san seemed nice," Chopper said in his small form. "He healed Whitebeard's injuries without any medicine!"

  "That teleportation was amazing!" Franky struck a pose. "SUPER technology! I need to ask him to teach me that."

  "Yohohoho!" Brook played a cheerful tune on his violin. "Though I was too scared to properly thank them! Not that I have a heart to be scared with! Skull joke!"

  Sanji lit a cigarette, his expression thoughtful. "They saved us. We owe them our lives."

  "Yeah," Luffy nodded seriously. "I'll definitely thank them properly later! We'll throw a party when Robin returns with them."

  Ace looked at his younger brother, seeing how much he'd grown. "Luffy... thank you. And tell your friends I said thank you too."

  "They're your friends now too!" Luffy grinned. "Anyone who saves my brother is my friend!"

  Nami spoke quietly. "Will Robin be safe? She is still there in Marineford. The world government will try anything to catch her."

  Zoro reassured her. "She will be fine. Her friends would protect her. Not even an admiral would dare harm her with that guy present."

  Ace asked curiously. "Do you know where did these guys come from? And how did Robin meet them? Such strong people shouldn't be able to exist without the government trying to enlist or catch them."

  Nami sighed. "We don't know much. Only that Robin met them before meeting us. They feel dangerous but kind to friends."

  Luffy slapped her back, making her cough. "Come on Nami! Don't worry about it! They are our comrades! I'll ask them to join our crew!"

  Nami punched Luffy showing off shark teeth. "You stupid idiot! Even the weakest of them can beat you, why the hell would they join us!"

  Ace sighed. "I only hope pops and the others make it safely. I want to go back and help them."

  Sanji blew a puff of smoke. "The whole war to rescue you. They would care more for your safety. All we can do is hope for the best."

  They were celebrating as the ship sailed towards Sabaody. As they were passing by a cluster of islands, the air around the ship suddenly changed.

  Usopp, manning the crow's nest, screamed. "GUYS! WE'VE GOT COMPANY! LOTS OF COMPANY!"

  Figures appeared around the ship, materializing from nothing. Men and women in white suits and masks. CP0, the World Government's strongest intelligence agency.

  And standing at their head was a tall man in ornate armor, a sword at his hip, radiating power that made the air feel heavy. His hair and beard were shaped like a crescent moon.

  Saint Figarland Garling, leader of the God Knights.

  His voice was cold, authoritative, absolutely certain of his superiority. "Strawhat Luffy. Fire Fist Ace. You are to be captured and publicly executed for your crimes immediately. The rest of you will be killed for harboring criminals. Surrender now, and your deaths will be quick."

  "Like hell, you weird haired bastard!" Luffy's fists clenched, Haki already coating them. "We just escaped! We're not getting caught again!"

  The Straw Hats immediately took battle positions. Zoro drew his swords. Sanji's leg ignited. Nami readied her Staff. Usopp loaded his slingshot. Chopper transformed into his Guard Point. Franky's weapons emerged. Brook drew his sword.

  Ace stood beside them, flames flickering to life around his fists. "If you think I'm going back, you're crazy!"

  "How touching," Garling's expression was utterly disdainful. "CP0, begin the capture."

  The white-suited agents charged.

  The battle that erupted was desperate and chaotic. The Straw Hats fought with everything they had, but they were tired from the battle and their escape, their energy depleted. And each CP-0 soldiers were stronger than them.

  Zoro's swords clashed with CP0 blades, his Haki barely holding against their superior technique. "These guys are strong!"

  "Diable Jambe!" Sanji's flaming kicks connected with one agent, but two more appeared to replace them.

  "Fire Fist!" Ace's flames erupted in a massive column, forcing several CP0 agents back. But more kept coming.

  Ussopp yelled with tears and snots coming. "Tabasco shot!"

  Brook and Franky also joined in, holding them off.

  Garling watched with bored disinterest, not even bothering to draw his sword. "How pointless."

  The battle was turning against them slowly. Cp-0 not only outnumbered them, they were stronger.

  Then Usopp, scanning the horizon desperately, saw something. "Guys! Ships! There are marine ships approaching fast! We're screwed!"

  "More enemies?!" Nami's voice cracked with despair.

  "I... I don't know! They're not flying World Government flags! Aren't marine ships suppose to fly them?"

  The ships got closer. Five of them, sleek and fast. And as they approached, a wave of Conqueror's Haki crashed across the water, targeting Garling specifically.

  Garling's eyes narrowed. His own Haki erupted to counter, the two wills colliding with visible force.

  Usopp shouted. "wait! They are flying a jolly roger! They are pirates!" Then his vision locked onto a figure in one of the ships, his binocular fell off from above on top of Sanji's head who yelled, "Oi!"

  But Usopp wasn't listening as his mind going through a bunch of emotions. "Dad..."

  Luffy's face lit up with recognition and joy as he sensed the presence. "Don't worry guys! They're friends!" His grin was massive. "I'd never forget that presence!"

  The ships pulled alongside, and standing at the bow of the lead vessel was a man in a black cloak, red hair flowing in the wind, a sword at his hip.

  "Yo, Luffy!" Shanks waved casually, his smile warm. "Long time no see! You've grown quite a bit! Isee you kept the hat safe."

  "SHANKS!" Luffy practically vibrated with excitement. "How have you been! It's so good to see you!"

  Shanks' eyes found Ace, and his smile softened. "I'm glad you were rescued, Ace. Whitebeard's a lucky man to have sons like you. My captain would have been happy to see the man you've become."

  "Red Hair Shanks..." Ace's voice was thick with emotion. "You came too?"

  "Of course. Couldn't let you kids handle everything alone." Shanks looked back at Garling, his expression hardening. "Besides, it looks like you've got some unwanted company."

  The Red Hair Pirates disembarked, immediately engaging the CP0 agents. Ben Beckman's Haki-coated bullets dropped three agents before they could react. Yasopp's perfect shots disabled another five. Lucky Roux moved with surprising speed, his massive form crushing agents who got too close.

  Within seconds, the CP0 forces were scattered, the Red Hair Pirates' overwhelming strength turning the tide completely.

  Yasopp smiled sheepishly at his son. "Hello there, son. Looks like you have grown a lot."

  Usopp nodded with a complex look. "I have good friends who helped. Unlike you who never came back!"

  Yasopp sighed. " I know you must be angry son, but we will talk after this battle. Depite everything... I'm proud of you."

  Usopp looked away, trying to hide his tears. Chopper patted him to comfort.

  Garling remained standing on the water's surface, his expression cold. He stepped forward, walking across the ocean like it was solid ground, his attention fixed on Shanks.

  "Shanks," Garling's voice was ice. "Are you really going to defy your father? Have you truly forgotten who you are?"

  The words hung in the air like a bomb.

  Everyone froze. Straw Hats, Red Hair Pirates, even the CP0 agents stopped fighting, staring in shock."F-Father?!" Usopp's jaw dropped. "Shanks' father is that guy?!"

  Shanks' expression went completely cold, all warmth vanishing. "I never considered you a father, Saint Figarland. You killed my mother and abandoned me. Captain Roger raised me. He was my father. Not you."

  "I see." Garling drew his sword, the blade emanating power that made the air shimmer. "Then it's about time to end this stain on my name once and for all."

  Luffy turned to Ben Beckman, confusion evident on his face. "Ben san! What's he talking about? Why is that guy claiming to be Shanks' dad?"

  Ben Beckman sighed, his expression grim. He took a long drag from his cigarette. "Shanks was born as the son of Saint Figarland Garling, a Celestial Dragon and God Knight. But during the God Valley Incident, Captain Roger found him and took him in, raised him as his own son. Shanks rejected his Celestial Dragon heritage and chose to be a pirate instead."

  "A... Celestial Dragon?" Nami whispered, her voice shaking. "The yonko Shanks is a Celestial Dragon?"

  "Was," Ben Beckman corrected. "He gave up on that life, more like he was never one of them. When Captain Roger revealed where he found him, and his heritage, he chose freedom. That's why Garling considers him a stain. A Celestial Dragon who became a pirate is the ultimate betrayal in their eyes."

  Ace looked at Shanks with new understanding. "You gave up everything... and became a pirate?"

  "I gained everything," Shanks said simply, his hand on his sword. "A real family and friends. Real freedom. The Celestial Dragons can keep their slavery and arrogance."

  Garling's killing intent erupted like a physical force. "Then die knowing you failed."

  *****Shanks stepped off his ship slowly.

  "Ben," Shanks said quietly, his voice carrying to his crew despite the distance. "Take care of the Luffy and Ace. I sense more CP-0 units approaching. And Pacifistas. Probably thirty or forty units total.""Captain—" Ben Beckman started to protest.

  "That's an order." Shanks' voice was firm but gentle. "This is between me and him. It's been coming for a long time."

  Ben Beckman's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Understood. Don't die, Captain. That's an order from your crew."

  Shanks grinned slightly. "I'll do my best."

  The ocean between the ships went silent. Even the waves seemed to still, as if nature itself was holding its breath.

  Shanks stood in front of Garling. "I'll end this here, once and for all."

  Garling's killing intent erupted like a physical force, pressing down on everyone present. His hand rested on his sword's hilt, the blade still sheathed but radiating power that made the air shimmer with distortion."Then die as a pirate, boy. Just like your foolish captain did."

  Shanks' expression remained cold, unmoved by the threat. His hand moved to his own sword, Gryphon. "Captain Roger died smiling, fulfilled, knowing he'd changed the world. If I die like him, I'd consider it an honor."

  The two most powerful swordsmen on the ocean prepared to clash. Father against son, Celestial Dragon against Yonko, the sins of the past coming due in blood and steel.

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  Luffy watched the exchange, his expression serious despite his usual carefree nature. "Shanks... be careful."

  "Don't worry, Luffy," Shanks glanced back at him. "I haven't forgotten my promise. I still need to see what kind of pirate you've become. Can't die before that."

  Garling stood fifty feet away across the water's surface, his ornate armor gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. He drew his sword slowly, a magnificent blade that radiated power beyond normal steel. The weapon was inscribed with words that glowed with eerie white light, symbols that hurt to look at directly.

  "Finally," Garling's voice carried absolute certainty, the tone of someone who'd never lost a fight. "After all these years, I can erase the mistake I should have killed decades ago at God Valley."

  "I was never your mistake," Shanks drew Gryphon in one smooth motion, the blade singing as it left its sheath. "I was your son. But you never saw me as anything more than property. Another possession for a Celestial Dragon to own."

  "Celestial Dragons don't have sons," Garling's voice was cold, emotionless, like he was stating a simple fact. "We have heirs. Tools to continue our bloodline and maintain our power over the world. You failed in that duty when Roger stole you."

  "Roger didn't steal me," Shanks' grip tightened on his sword. "He saved me. Gave me a real family. Real freedom and love. Everything you never could."

  "Love?" Garling laughed, a harsh sound without humor. "Love is what weak people tell themselves to justify their failures. Power is all that matters. The Celestial Dragons rule because we have power. Roger died because he lacked it in the end. And you'll die for the same reason."

  "Roger died because he chose to," Shanks corrected quietly. "He could have lived on longer, fought longer, but he chose to start something greater than himself. He put his faith on the new era he started. That's something you'll never understand."

  "Enough talk." Garling's Conqueror's Haki erupted, white and gold energy that crashed across the water like a tidal wave. "Die."

  Shanks' own Haki rose to meet it, powerful and refined, the Haki of someone who'd fought at the highest level for decades.

  The two wills collided in the space between them with visible force.

  Lightning crackled across the sky where they met. The ocean beneath them rippled and churned. Both crews grabbed onto their ships' rails, the pressure making it hard to breathe, hard to stand.

  Ace dropped to one knee, his eyes wide. "What... what is this pressure? I've never felt such power other than pops."

  "Conqueror's Haki," Zoro gritted his teeth, his hand on his swords to steady himself. "Both of them at full strength. So this is what it means to stand at the top."

  Then both swordsmen moved.

  They vanished simultaneously with speed that left afterimages. Their blades met in the exact center point between them, and the sound was like a thunderclap amplified a thousand times.

  The shockwave that resulted was catastrophic.

  The ocean split beneath them, water pushed away in a massive circular pattern that created a temporary void fifty feet across. The air itself rippled with visible distortions, reality bending under the pressure of their clash.

  Both crews were thrown backward despite bracing themselves, sailors grabbing onto anything solid to avoid being swept away.

  Shanks' blade pressed against Garling's, both swords coated in Haki so thick it looked like solid black armor. Lightning crackled where the blades met, creating arcs of energy that scorched the air and left burning afterimages.

  For a moment, neither moved. Both pushed with every ounce of strength they possessed, their Haki crackling, their eyes locked.

  Then they separated, both sliding backward across the water's surface, their feet carving wakes.

  "Crescent Moon!" Garling's sword glowed with white light that hurt to look at directly. He swung, and a massive flying slash erupted from his blade, not just a normal sword strike, but something enhanced by whatever power the Holy Knights possessed.

  The slash carved through the ocean, creating a trench thirty feet deep that stretched for hundreds of yards. The attack came at Shanks with devastating speed.

  Shanks planted his feet and swung to meet it. "Divine Departure!"

  His own slash erupted. Crimson red, infused with Conqueror's Haki so powerful it was visible as crackling energy around the attack. The two slashes collided mid-flight.

  The explosion was massive. Water erupted into the air in huge columns. Steam filled the area, obscuring vision. When it cleared, both swordsmen were already moving again.

  They clashed multiple times in rapid succession, each impact creating shockwaves. Shanks' one-armed fighting style was refined to perfection. Every movement efficient, every strike precise. He'd spent years compensating for his missing arm, turning a weakness into strength.

  Garling fought with two hands, his technique flawless, classical swordsmanship refined over centuries of Celestial Dragon martial tradition. His strikes came from perfect angles, his defense was impenetrable, his footwork was textbook precision.

  "Celestial Judgment!" Garling's sword came down in an overhead strike, white light trailing behind it. The attack carried the weight of his conviction, his certainty that he was right, that Celestial Dragons were superior.

  Shanks blocked with his sword horizontal, Haki flaring to absorb the impact. The force drove him down, his feet sinking into the water's surface. But he held, muscles straining, Haki crackling.

  "You're strong," Garling acknowledged, pressing down harder. "Stronger than most. But you're still human. You are going to die here, boy."

  "Good thing I'm just human then," Shanks grinned, and his Haki exploded outward in a massive burst. The force threw Garling backward, breaking the clash. "Means I had to earn every bit of my strength!"

  He pressed forward, attacking relentlessly. His sword moved in blurs; horizontal slashes, vertical strikes, diagonal cuts, thrusts aimed at vital points. Each attack carried enough force to split steel, enough Haki to damage even Logia users.

  Garling defended perfectly, his sword meeting every strike. But he was being pushed back, forced onto the defensive for the first time. His eyes narrowed with something that might have been surprise.

  "Divine Departure- Red Emperor!" Shanks' sword glowed with red energy. Roger's technique, inherited and augmented with his own style. He swung with all his strength, all his Haki, all his will behind the strike.

  The slash that resulted was colossal. It carved through the ocean, split the air, created a shockwave that pushed the ships even further away. The attack came at Garling with overwhelming force.

  Garling raised his sword to block, but the impact drove him backward across the water's surface. His feet carved trenches through the ocean for a hundred feet before he managed to stop. His armor had cracks in it. His sword's glow flickered.

  "Impressive," Garling admitted, his voice still emotionless. "You've inherited Roger's technique. Perfected it even. You've become strong, boy. Stronger than I expected."

  "I had good teachers," Shanks replied, his breathing steady despite the intense combat. "Roger, Rayleigh, the entire crew. They taught me that strength isn't about power alone. It's about will. About the people you protect. About the dreams you carry."

  "Dreams," Garling scoffed. "Roger's dreams died with him on that execution platform. And yours will die here."

  His Haki flared even stronger, white and gold energy crackling around his entire body. "But I'll acknowledge you've earned the right to see my true form. The power that the God Knights possess."

  Then Garling began to transform.

  But unlike the other God Knights who'd become grotesque eldritch horrors, his transformation was different.

  His skin turned black, not diseased or corrupted, but like polished obsidian that reflected light strangely. His eyes grew in number. All six of them now, arranged in two rows of three across his face, were completely black, pupilless voids that seemed to absorb light.

  His white hair turned crimson red, the same shade as Shanks', flowing down his back in a mane. Four additional arms sprouted from his torso, each one fully formed and functional. Each hand gripped a sword identical to his original blade.

  He was humanoid still, recognizably the same person, but clearly something more. Something beyond human. The corruption was there, but refined, shaped by centuries of Celestial Dragon experimentation and power.

  "This is the truth the World Government hides," Garling's voice came from all six eyes simultaneously, creating an eerie echo effect. "The God Knights serve beings beyond your comprehension. In exchange, we receive power beyond human limits."

  His six swords moved in perfect synchronization, creating a defensive stance that covered every angle. "Now die, knowing you were never strong enough."

  He attacked with all six blades simultaneously.

  The assault was overwhelming. Each sword moved independently but in perfect coordination. Attacks came from every direction. Overhead, from the sides, low sweeps, thrusts aimed at vital points. The speed was incredible, far beyond what Garling had shown before.

  Shanks defended desperately, his single sword moving in a blur to intercept. But six blades against one was impossible odds. One slash got through his guard, cutting across his chest. Then another struck his leg. A third carved a deep wound in his shoulder.

  Blood sprayed across the water, turning it crimson.

  "Shanks!" Luffy screamed from the ship, trying to run forward. Ben Beckman grabbed him, holding him back despite Luffy's struggles.

  "Don't!" Ben's voice was strained. "You'll die if you interfere! This level of combat—one wrong move and you're dead!"

  Shanks gritted his teeth, his Haki flaring to slow the bleeding. But Garling pressed his advantage, attacking faster, harder, giving no time to recover.

  "Futile!" All six of Garling's swords glowed with white light. "Crescent Execution!"

  He struck with all six blades simultaneously in a coordinated pattern. The attacks formed a perfect killing formation, there was no angle to dodge, no way to block them all.

  Shanks crossed his sword and his remaining arm, Haki coating both in desperate defense. The impacts hit simultaneously, and the force was catastrophic.

  Shanks was driven backward across the water, his feet carving deep wakes. But he couldn't stop completely. The momentum carried him backward, faster and faster, until he crashed into a nearby island, a small landmass barely a mile across.

  The impact created a crater in the cliff face. Rocks and debris rained down. Shanks' body was embedded in the stone, blood pouring from multiple wounds.

  "CAPTAIN!" The Red Hair Pirates screamed as one. They moved as one, racing toward their fallen captain, weapons drawn, Haki flaring, ready to fight despite the impossible odds.

  Garling appeared above the island, hovering through whatever power his transformation granted. His Conqueror's Haki erupted with devastating force, not wide-spread like before, but concentrated.

  The wave of pressure hit the Red Hair Pirates like a physical wall.

  Ben Beckman, Lucky Roux, Yasopp, Limejuice, Bonk Punch, Hongo; all the strongest members of the Red Haired Pirates were thrown backward, their bodies ragdolling through the air.

  They crashed into the water and their ship, barely conscious, completely overwhelmed by the sheer power.

  The Straw Hats fared even worse. Zoro managed to stay barely conscious through sheer willpower, but couldn't move. Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Franky, Brook—all unconscious instantly.

  Ace collapsed, flames sputtering out, his body hitting the deck hard. He'd used everything fighting at Marineford, and his reserves were empty. He passed out, unable to even witness what came next.

  Only Luffy remained conscious, his own Conqueror's Haki rising instinctively to protect himself. But even he was on his knees, teeth gritted, struggling just to stay aware.

  "Weak," Garling's voice echoed across the water. "All of you. This is the difference between humans and gods."

  He looked at Luffy with a hint of approval. "You have potential, boy. I'll capture you and Ace and turn your into one of my soldiers. Maybe we can catch your father with that."

  He descended toward the crater where Shanks was embedded in stone. His six swords pointed downward, ready to finish this.

  Shanks pushed himself out of the stone with his remaining arm, falling to his knees on the rocky ground. Blood poured from his wounds. His breathing was labored, his vision blurry.

  But he still gripped Gryphon, still tried to stand, refusing to give up.

  "Still fighting?" Garling landed in front of him, looking down with his six black eyes. "Admirable. Foolish, but admirable."

  Shanks raised his sword with shaking arms. "I won't... give up... Not while I can still... fight..."

  "Then let me take that hope away."Garling's blade came down faster than Shanks could react.

  The sword cut clean through Shanks' remaining arm at the shoulder. The limb fell to the ground, still gripping Gryphon. Blood sprayed in an arterial arc, painting the rocks crimson.

  Shanks screamed, the pain overwhelming even his iron will. He collapsed forward, both arms gone now, unable to even catch himself as he hit the ground face-first.

  "How does it feel?" Garling asked, his voice clinical, detached. "To be completely helpless? To have nothing left? This is what happens to those who defy the Celestial Dragons. You never stood a chance."

  Shanks lay in his own blood, the crimson pool spreading beneath him on the rocky ground. Each breath sent spikes of pain through his chest where ribs were broken. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in from the edges like a curtain slowly closing.

  He tried to move, tried to push himself up with arms that were no longer there. The phantom sensation of his missing limbs was almost worse than the pain, his mind kept sending signals to hands that couldn't respond, to arm that lay severed on the ground nearby.

  Blood loss made everything feel distant, like he was floating away from his own body. The pain became background noise. His thoughts scattered, hard to hold onto.

  "It's time to end this mistake once and for all."

  Garling's voice sounded far away, distorted, like Shanks was hearing it from underwater. He looked up through failing vision and saw his father—no, not his father, never his father—standing above him with six swords raised.

  The blades gleamed in the sunlight, each one positioned perfectly above his neck. Professional. Efficient. Cold.

  "Goodbye, boy. At least you'll die like Roger, knowing you lost."

  Shanks' eyes closed. Not from acceptance. Simply because he couldn't keep them open anymore. His body was shutting down, systems failing one by one as his life bled out onto the rocks.

  But I didn't lose, some part of him thought weakly. I lived free. I chose my own path. That's not losing.

  His life flashed before his eyes the way they said it would, moments crystallizing with perfect clarity even as everything else faded.

  Captain Roger's smile when he'd placed that straw hat on young Shanks' head, the warmth in his eyes when he'd said, "This hat means a lot to me. Take care of it." The feeling of being chosen, being loved by a man who'd become more of a father in a few years than Garling had been in Shanks' entire life.

  Buggy's stupid arguments about treasure maps, and whether the North Pole was cold enough to preserve meat indefinitely. The way they'd fought and bickered but always had each other's backs. His brother in all but blood, the one who he pushed away hoping he would be safer without following his dream.

  Rayleigh's patient teachings as he'd shown Shanks how to hold a sword properly, how to use Haki, how to fight. "Strength isn't about what you have, Shanks. It's about what you do with it." The old man's pride when Shanks had finally mastered the advanced techniques.

  His crew's laughter—Ben's dry jokes, Yasopp's terrible singing, Lucky Roux's food stealing that always started food fights. The way they'd followed him not because he was strong, but because they believed in him. Because they were family.

  Luffy's face flashed in his mind, that small boy in Windmill Village who'd eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit he stole, and declared he'd become Pirate King with such absolute certainty.

  The way his eyes had shone when Shanks had given him the straw hat, making him promise to return it someday when he'd become a great pirate. "I'll definitely give it back to you! After I become the Pirate King!"

  Makino's gentle smile as she'd waved goodbye the last time he'd visited Foosha Village, not knowing it would be the last time. Her kindness, her quiet strength, the way she'd taken care of Luffy like he was her own. "Be safe out there, Shanks. And come back to visit when you can."

  Uta. His daughter. Her smile, her songs, her laughter. The way she'd called him "dad" with such trust and love. The way he'd failed her, left her behind thinking it was for her own good. His biggest regret, being unable to save her.

  I'm sorry, Uta, his fading thoughts whispered. Dad will be seeing you soon...

  He smiled softly despite the pain. Despite dying on some random island with both arms severed. Because when he looked back at his life, even with all its mistakes and regrets and failures, it had been a good life.

  A life lived on his own terms.

  'I have lived a decent life,' he thought, the words forming slowly in his dimming consciousness. 'Although I have more regrets than I can count. Things I should have said. People I should have protected better. Promises I couldn't keep.'

  'I truly wished I could watch the new era Captain Roger ushered in with his death. Wished I could see Luffy reach Laugh Tale. Wished I could see what the One Piece really is. Wished I could see this broken world change.'

  'But I suppose... this is fine too. I'll die as I lived. Free. On the ocean. Fighting for what I believe in.'

  His thoughts turned to Luffy one final time. That reckless, brave, impossibly kind boy who'd grown into a man who could shake the world.

  'I'm sorry, Luffy,' the words echoed in his fading mind with genuine regret and sadness. 'I couldn't keep watching over you like I promised Captain Roger. Couldn't protect you from the shadows like I'd planned. Couldn't be there to see you achieve your dream.'

  'But you'll be fine. You're strong. Stronger than I ever was at your age. You have a good crew and friends. You'll reach the top. I know you will.'

  'Just... remember what it represents. Remember that you're never alone, even when it feels like you are.'

  'Sorry I won't be there when you need me.'

  The blade began to fall, a streak of silver descending toward his broken body.

  Shanks' consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind, about to go out.

  This was the end.

  The end of Red-Hair Shanks.

  The end of one of the Four Emperors.