Red Hair's Ability

Dressrosa, the Tontatta Kingdom.

"Shanks, it's great to see you again..." Luffy was so excited he couldn't contain himself.

"Yeah, twelve years have passed. I never imagined that the little brat who only knew how to sniffle back then would grow into such a formidable pirate!" Red Hair said with great emotion, then laughed and scolded, "What is Beckman up to? He actually told you where I was. Meeting him now is not the same as our agreement back then..."

"Hehe..." Luffy just kept scratching the back of his head and grinning foolishly.

"Alright, you've gone through all that trouble to find me, what do you want to say?" the Red Hair said helplessly.

"I... I don't know what to say. The idea first came to me after I learned about the great battle two years ago. I was in a daze and just desperately wanted to see you..."

Red Hair was touched, but still laughed and scolded, "Do you think I need a brat like you to comfort me?"

Luffy shook his head. "At first, I didn't quite understand that feeling. It wasn't until I lost my own crewmates, lost the most important person to me, that I realized it was the helplessness that comes with weakness. So, I vowed to work hard to become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone I cherish..."

Red Hair placed his hand on Luffy's Straw Hat, filled with emotion. "Luffy, you've really grown up!"

"Um, I..." Luffy nodded vigorously, then suddenly noticed that the arm pressing on his head seemed to be faintly reflecting light, and exclaimed in surprise, "Shan... Shanks, your arm isn't..."

Red Hair made no attempt to hide anything, instead boldly placing his left arm in front of Luffy's eyes. "Now you don't have to feel guilty anymore, right? I've found an arm that's even stronger than before."

Luffy, however, was incredibly excited, "How could this be the same? You're completely..."

"Alright, alright, you little brat, nothing else has changed, but you've become much more talkative than before." Red Hair quickly interrupted, "Now that you've seen the person, can't you go back?"

"No!" Luffy refused decisively. "I want to go with you!"

"You brat, do you know what I'm going to do next?" the Red Hair said, frowning.

"Shanks, you've returned to the New World to seek revenge on Nightmare, right? I can help you!"

"Hahahaha!" Red Hair suddenly burst into laughter, tears and snot almost streaming down his face. "What nonsense are you spouting, you brat? Are you planning to feed me like you used to?"

"Shanks, don't underestimate me. I've become very strong now!" Luffy said defiantly.

Red Hair suddenly became serious and said solemnly, "Luffy, I know you trained under Rayleigh for two years, and in terms of strength, many well-known pirates might not be able to compare to you. However, since you also experienced the Summit War two years ago, you should know just how powerful that man was!"

"Don't even mention you, even if Rayleigh and I combined, we might not be a match for him."

"Since you know you're no match for him, why are you here in the first place?"

"Because I'm always unwilling to accept defeat... Besides, I'm not without a chance. If, as Beckman guessed, the Nightmare's true form has significant limitations, and considering the clone from the Golden City two years ago, I wouldn't be afraid at all, even if I were alone. In that case, there would be even more I could do!"

"In that case, I should help you even more. I've already lost my grandfather, Chopper, and Vivi. I can't afford to lose any more people who are so important to me!"

Red Hair Shanks pondered for a long time before shaking his head and saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? With your strength, what can you possibly help me with? Wait until you've grown into a true great pirate before you say such things."

"I'm already..."

"Oh no, how did that guy suddenly appear here..." The Red Hair man's expression changed drastically. Encountering Nightmare so early was not part of his plan.

"Huh? Shanks, what's wrong?"

"There's no time to explain..." Red Hair his right fist, which was wreathed in darkness, and punched Luffy in a Luffy.

Darkness spread, encroaching on space, and in an instant, a dark vortex appeared, completely swallowing Luffy.

"Strive to live on, Luffy. Only by tasting victory and defeat, experiencing desperate situations, and shedding tears of heartbreak can you become a true man!"

"The Dark-Dark Fruit? I never expected it to fall into your hands. However, what surprises me even more is that a man like you would choose to eat it!" The voice came from afar, one moment it was far away, the next it was right in front of you.

There was no noise outside, only blood flowing in along the ground. The Red Hair fell silent, knowing that the tragedy of the Tontatta Tribe was now unavoidable.

"However, you clearly had the opportunity to escape with him, so why did you choose to stay? Are you unwilling to run away like you did two years ago, or... do you think you're strong enough to stand before me?" Roy walked in with an indifferent expression, as if the carnage outside had nothing to do with him.

"Who knows? I've been fantasizing about standing in front of you again day and night, but just now, I was lost again." The Red Hair chuckled self-deprecatingly, then said solemnly, "However, one thing I'm very clear about is that if I run away again, I will never have the chance to stand in front of you again. Rather than pinning my hopes on an uncertain future, I might as well take a gamble now."

"Compete? What do you have to compete with me with? Swordsmanship, Haki, mechanical arms, or even the power of your Dark-Dark Fruit?" Roy shook his head and mocked.

"How will I know if I don't try? At least this time I won't have any regrets."

"Very well, I hope you can let me have some fun. After all, the Dark-Dark Fruit said something very similar to what you said!"

Upon hearing Red Hair, Shanks' pupils contracted sharply. "Blackbeard died by your hand?"

"Otherwise, who else do you think could truly kill him besides me?"

Even with Red Hair's strong will, he couldn't help but feel somewhat negative and dejected after hearing this news. This was the ultimate power he could only obtain after betraying his own beliefs and eating the Devil Fruit!

Fortunately, Red Hair quickly recovered and, seemingly to tell Roy, or perhaps to encourage himself, muttered to himself, "Blackbeard is Blackbeard, and I am me. Besides, Blackbeard has only had this Devil Fruit for a few months, but I have had it for two whole years and have brought its power to its fullest potential."

"I will never lose this battle!"