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"Past and future?"
Red chuckled, then casually admitted,
"To be precise, what I saw were fragments of the past and the future—ones that have already been altered."
Zoro froze for a moment, processing the words before murmuring in awe,
"That sounds pretty damn incredible..."
Nami looked just as stunned.
Seeing the future?
Was that even possible?
She had only been with the Straw Hats for a little over a day, yet her worldview had already been shattered multiple times.
At this point, she was beginning to wonder if she had lost her mind after years of living under Arlong's oppression.
Was this all some elaborate hallucination?
Out of everyone on deck, only Luffy remained completely lost.
"Huh? What are you guys talking about?"
Tilting his head, he felt like there was an impenetrable wall—called a brain—separating him from his crew.
Zoro let out an exasperated sigh before turning back to Red.
"So... what you and Buggy were talking about—was that really the future?"
"Luffy's future… Will he actually overthrow the World Government!?"
"Who can say for certain what the future holds?"
Red smiled, his tone light but certain.
"After all, the moment I observe the future, it's already starting to change."
"But one thing is definite..."
He met their gazes with unwavering confidence.
"As long as Luffy keeps growing, he will become a target of the World Government."
"After all, he ate a very special Devil Fruit."
Zoro immediately latched onto that detail.
"What do you mean? Luffy's fruit—what's so special about it?"
Even Luffy perked up at that, turning to Red with genuine curiosity.
"Yeah, Red? I just ate the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, right? What's so special about that?"
"Heh."
Red chuckled, reaching out to grab Luffy's stretchy cheek before explaining.
"'Rubber-Rubber Fruit'? That's just the World Government's cover-up to erase history."
"The true name of the fruit you ate is…"
"Mythical Zoan—Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika!"
"HUH!?"
Luffy blinked in shock.
He had been calling it the Rubber-Rubber Fruit for nearly ten years.
And now, Red was telling him that wasn't even its real name?
That it wasn't even a Paramecia!?
He barely understood what a "Mythical Zoan" was, but those two facts alone were enough to send his mind spinning.
Zoro and Nami, however, were even more shaken.
"Wait a second!" Nami suddenly cut in.
"Why would the World Government hide that? What exactly are they trying to cover up?!"
A chill ran down her spine.
She had just joined a rookie pirate crew—why was she suddenly hearing talk about challenging the World Government?!
Not long ago, she was being exploited by Arlong's gang…
And now they were talking about enemies on a global scale?!
But Red's next words shook her even further.
"I believe… the reason the World Government fears this fruit so much…"
"Is because their greatest enemy, 800 years ago—Joy Boy—was also a user of the Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika."
"And according to the legends from ancient times…"
"Every Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika awakener seems destined to become the World Government's greatest enemy!"
"..."
"..."
Silence fell over the deck.
The weight of Red's words hung in the air, sinking into everyone's minds.
Then, after what felt like forever…
Luffy casually picked his nose, rolled up a big ball of booger, flicked it into the distance, and asked blankly,
"Who's Joy Boy?"
"Hahahaha!" Red burst into laughter.
"Honestly? I have no idea!"
"But who cares?!"
Grinning, he turned to look at Zoro and Nami.
"So, my dear crew members—any more questions?"
"..."
Zoro and Nami exchanged glances.
After a moment, Nami spoke up.
"Red… you know so much about us. Is it because you've seen parts of our past?"
"That's right."
Red's expression softened, his voice calm yet certain.
"It's because I know your past that I believe…"
"You're the perfect people to be my crewmates."
"Heh~"
Zoro smirked, full of his usual confidence.
"You've got a good eye for people."
"Then, tell me—do I become the world's greatest swordsman?"
Red didn't answer.
Instead, he turned to Luffy with a playful smile.
"Luffy, do you want to know if you become the Pirate King? I can tell you right now."
"NO!"
Luffy pouted, crossing his arms.
"I don't wanna know the ending before the adventure even starts! That'd be boring!"
"Hmm~"
Red chuckled before shifting his gaze back to Zoro.
"So, Zoro, still want to know?"
Zoro's smirk widened, but he didn't press further.
"Interesting."
However, he then gave Red a knowing look and added,
"But… if I don't become the world's greatest swordsman in the future, it's your fault as my trainer."
"That's right."
Red's red eyes gleamed with amusement.
Seeing that there were no more questions, he stretched and spoke casually,
"Alright, it's getting late."
"There are new adventures waiting for us tomorrow~"
"So let's call it a night."
"I know you still have questions, but trust me—on this journey, the answers will come naturally."
"Luffy, be ready. I'm taking you into the game world in a moment!"
"Oh~!!! I'm ready!!!"
Luffy cheered as he ran into the cabin.
Red followed behind him.
And just like that, the deck fell into silence once more.
Bathed in moonlight, Zoro leaned on the hilt of his sword and muttered—perhaps to Nami, or perhaps just to himself—
"Seems like we've boarded one hell of a ship."
With that, he turned and walked away.
But instead of heading to the cabin, he made his way to the training area on deck.
After a brief warm-up, he hoisted a massive dumbbell onto his shoulders and began his rigorous training once more.
"That's right."
Watching him, a soft smile curved Nami's lips.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but after hearing Red talk about Joy Boy and the World Government, the Arlong Pirates no longer felt like such an overwhelming obstacle.
For the first time in a long time, the weight on her shoulders lifted.
Perhaps even Red himself didn't realize—
But his words had unknowingly freed Nami from her chains long before she even knew she needed saving.
—
—
Ten minutes later.
Game World – Exit of Mt. Moon Cave.
"Shishishi~ POKÉMON WORLD…"
"I'M BACK!!!"