Night Talk

In the New World, on an Unnamed Isolated Island, in the dead of night, a campfire crackles and pops.

Unlike the other three Great Sea Emperors, Red Hair has always been homeless and has no fixed territory, and this isolated island is his temporary residence.

On the island, the members of the Red Hair Pirates were already asleep, their faces still showing signs of fatigue. The continuous high-intensity battles of the past few days had kept them in a state of extreme mental tension, but even so, they dared not sleep too soundly. Dreams were the enemy's domain, and if they were to become too deeply immersed in them, they might never wake up again.

A sense of despair and pessimism had already permeated the hearts of the Red Hair Pirates. They had faced difficulties and suffered crushing defeats before, but never had they experienced anything as difficult as today. The enemy's strength had completely exceeded their expectations, not to mention that they had already suffered heavy casualties in the battle at Golden City and had not yet recovered.

If they hadn't been infected by their captain's optimistic and open-minded attitude, many of them would probably have already collapsed.

However, in the stillness of the night, even the Red Hair couldn't help but show a hint of weariness. For someone like him who treated the crew members like family, he had already been suffering inwardly, but he had only shown his strength and not his weakness in front of them.

"Do you regret it?" Hawkeye looked at the man who had remained calm despite losing an arm, now showing signs of pain, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"No, I don't regret it. Some things are difficult, but someone has to step up and do them." Only the weak regret things. Red Hair is in pain is that he is not strong enough and does not have enough power to protect everything he cherishes.

"You should have already received the intelligence, right? Nightmare True Body has appeared, and the final battle may be just around the corner... I don't mean to discourage you, but in my opinion, even if you've made contact with Kaido, you're still at a significant disadvantage," Hawkeye said pointedly.

Red Hair naturally understood Hawkeye's meaning, shaking his head and smiling bitterly, "I know that monster's strength better than you do. The reason I decided to attack him last time was not only to avenge Oden, but also because of some clues that led me to discover his hidden power. Even just the tip of the Iceberg was enough to terrify me. This man is far too dangerous. What he truly wants is not to become the Pirate Kings, but to overthrow the world. He wants to destroy the existing order of this world and then rebuild his era on the ruins."

Hawkeye remained outwardly calm and expressionless, but inwardly he was in turmoil. Had Nightmare not yet revealed his full power? Moreover, the Red Hair he remembered was always calm and composed no matter what happened, yet now he openly admitted to being afraid of Nightmare's true power. This was simply unimaginable to him.

"Moreover, I have no way out now. That monster is the master of dreams. We may be able to avoid his attacks in dreams, but Yasopp and the others cannot. Unless I abandon them or take them with me and completely leave the New World, that monster will eventually come after Yasopp and the others."

Perhaps sensing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Red Hair smiled calmly and said, "Besides, until the very last moment, no one knows how it will end. Just like the Edd War, everyone thought that Golden Lion would undoubtedly win, but in the end, a sudden storm destroyed his ambition and laid the foundation for Captain Roger to become the Pirate Kings. Maybe I will become the second Captain Roger!"

Hawkeye, however, said quietly from the side, "Even if you are Roger, Nightmare is definitely not Golden Lion. That guy is more terrifying than Golden Lion."

"Ahem..." The Red Hair gave a helpless wry smile, "Don't try to discourage me at a time like this."

Hawkeye paused for a moment, then said, "Tomorrow I will help you stop Doflamingo and Jinbe, but as for the other battles, I cannot interfere."

Actually, for Hawkeye, the enemy he most wants to challenge is Nightmare, but he also knows that the protagonists of tomorrow's battle will only be the man with the missing arm in front of him and the monster that is rushing to the battlefield.

He disdained to engage in a pincer attack, and of course, Nightmare's allies and subordinates wouldn't give him that opportunity. This wasn't the Golden City; back then, it was Red Hair's side that held the advantage in top-tier combat power, allowing them to join forces with Scopper Gaban without restraint. But this time, the situation was completely reversed. He was at a disadvantage in both strength and influence, which was why he held a pessimistic view of Red Hair.

Moreover, although he was confident that he could defeat either Doflamingo or Jinbe, it was not an easy task to fight both of them at the same time. He had already done more than enough.

"Thank you!" Red Hair a deep breath. Adversity reveals true character. At the most critical moment, only his "Sword Friend" Hawkeye and his nemesis Kaido were willing to lend a helping hand. Although he knew that ordinary people would not have the courage to face a monster like Nightmare, he still felt a lump in his throat.

The next day, a bright red sun hung in the sky, tearing through the Cloud Layer and bursting forth with countless rays of light. The dappled sunlight sprinkled onto the sea, creating shimmering golden spots.

The members of the Red Hair Pirates rubbed their sleepy eyes, yawning incessantly, all looking like they had overindulged in excessive pleasure. There was no way around it; the enemy was a monster that could manipulate dreams, and they dared not enter a deep sleep. Those who placed their hopes on the enemy were mostly short-lived.

Suddenly, a roar came from the distant sea, instantly turning the peaceful island into a noisy mess.

"Captain, it's Kaido." As a sniper, Yasopp was naturally the first to spot the target and whispered to Red Hair.

Upon hearing that the person who had arrived was Kaido, the hearts of the Red Hair Pirates, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled down. Although they knew that the final battle was inevitable, they still subconsciously did not want to hear that person's name and held onto a last sliver of hope.

Seeing this scene, Red Hair also felt a sense of unspeakable sorrow and desolation. Once upon a time, only others were terrified at the mere mention of his name. When did his pirate crew also suffer from "Nightmare Phobia"?

"Red Hair, I never thought you'd be so pathetic, hahaha." Kaido landed on the island like a cannonball, Great Earthquake and the ground to crack. Seeing the Red Hair Pirates' miserable state, he gloated and mocked them.

"Kaido, if you're here to fight me, I'll gladly oblige. If not, then shut up." Red Hair' attitude was firm.

"Are you looking for death, you brat?" Kaido was naturally not in a good mood either, and there was a clear indication that he would start a fight at the slightest provocation.

Both the Red Hair Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were in a bind. It was one thing for these two big shots to dislike each other, but now that a formidable enemy was at hand, it would be a real joke if they started fighting amongst themselves before the battle and the enemy ended up getting the upper hand.

Fortunately, the tense atmosphere between the two was broken by a horn sounding in the distant sea.

"The Nightmare has truly arrived..."