The Six Emperors of the Sea; Big Mom and Kaido Join Forces / Returning to the Holy Land; A Sword Beam Stretches Across the Sky

Red-Hair was called a Devil Fruit user with the power to make anyone give him face, but his true identity stirred even more curiosity. Some said he was the illegitimate son of the previous ruler of the seas, Rocks D. Zebek. Others said he was a Celestial Dragon.

Stories about his origins were all over the place. Dongze was curious too, of course, and had brought it up during their earlier conversation.

As it turned out, Shanks did have ties to the Celestial Dragons. He was a descendant of one, but he despised their ways, much like the Donquixote Family that had once turned its back on Mary Geoise.

After the battle at God Valley, Shanks had become an orphan. As the descendant of the island's highest-ranking leader, his identity had eventually been confirmed when the Five Elders investigated the incident.

By then, however, Shanks had formed his own Pirate Crew and intercepted the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika, while it was being sent to the Holy Land. That put him and the Holy Land at odds. Only after he and his crew became one of the Four Emperors of the New World did the five old men in Mary Geoise agree to contact him.

That was the real reason Shanks had later been able to sit down openly with the Five Elders in Mary Geoise while Luffy was wreaking havoc in the New World.

After hearing all that, Dongze said one last thing.

"Luffy's Devil Fruit power is close to Awakening! He should be in the Totto Land Kingdom right now. But it won't matter anymore! Even if he really becomes that person, he can't stop this world from moving forward!"

Dongze had spoken in riddles, but Shanks understood. He meant the sun god hidden in history—Joy Boy.