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"My future?!"
When Ace heard this, his face immediately showed surprise and confusion. Based on what he had witnessed of Red's abilities during their time together, he didn't immediately dismiss the claim, instead casting a questioning look at him.
Red nodded seriously. "That's right! This is another ability granted to me as a Pokémon Trainer!"
He habitually attributed unexplainable phenomena to his mysterious powers.
"This ability is complicated to explain," Red continued. "In short, I can see an alternate timeline—a world without my presence! You may not understand immediately, but all you need to know is... in the future I've seen, both you and your father Whitebeard will die in the near future!"
"Impossible!!!" Two voices shouted simultaneously.
Ace and Luffy suddenly jumped to their feet.
"How could Pops die?!" Ace cried.
"How could Ace die?!" Luffy shouted.
Though concerned about different people, their expressions were remarkably similar—both clenched their fists and stared at Red with wide, disbelieving eyes. Deep within those eyes, a flicker of fear betrayed their unsettled hearts.
No one maintains emotional balance when told their loved ones are about to die.
Luffy, who knew Red would never lie about something so serious, was the first to panic completely. The more you know, the more you believe—and consequently, the more painful it becomes!
He rushed forward, grasped Red's shoulders, and asked with tears forming in his eyes: "This isn't true! This can't be true! Red!!! Tell me quickly!!!"
Luffy shook Red violently.
"Luffy!" The Straw Hat crew immediately stepped forward.
The gentle Sanji quickly attempted to calm him: "Take it easy, Luffy! Ace is still alive and well!"
"That's right, Luffy!" Usopp added, sweat beading on his forehead. Though already nervous and panicked after learning that Blackbeard—who had nearly killed him—was still alive, he still pulled Luffy's arm and reasoned:
"Don't forget, Luffy. Red saw a timeline without him! That's a reality from another world! Red is right here with us! Believe in Red—he won't let Ace die!"
Under his companions' persuasion, Luffy gradually regained his composure.
Red patted Luffy's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Luffy! I never intended to let Ace die from the beginning! And Ace..." He turned his gaze toward Fire Fist. "Though I can't fully predict what preparations Blackbeard has made... I'll do everything possible to prevent Whitebeard's death too! But you must cooperate with us! Can you do that?"
Red's eyes blazed intensely as he stared at Ace.
His greatest fear now was that Ace, upon learning his father might be in danger because of Blackbeard's betrayal, would head directly toward the New World in a rage.
If that happened, he would likely fall into Blackbeard's trap and be captured by Marines who had long prepared for this eventuality. Then, just as in the original timeline, he would become the catalyst for the Marineford War.
For Red, both emotionally and rationally, he couldn't bear to see such events unfold again!
That's why he had directly revealed Ace's potential death at the outset—hoping to shock him enough to listen to his suggestions. From the current response, his strategy had worked.
When Ace saw Luffy's devastated expression, as though already grieving his brother's death, he realized—Red truly could see his future!
"I... I can..." Ace, already overwhelmed, nodded in stunned agreement.
"Excellent!" Red replied with satisfaction. "Your cooperation is crucial to how this situation unfolds! Blackbeard's real purpose in sending Hina here was likely to find you, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Under everyone's attentive gaze, Red explained in detail Blackbeard's purpose and ultimate goal as he had just deduced them.
...
...
In truth, Red, with his knowledge of future events, had indeed guessed most of Blackbeard's intentions correctly.
But he hadn't anticipated one thing—that Blackbeard's ultimate goal wasn't just Whitebeard, whose power could reshape the world, but also the vice-captain of Ace's brother's pirate crew: Red himself!
...
...
"Zehahaha!"
"Once Ace is captured and the Marines publicly announce his execution... knowing Straw Hat's reckless character, he'll definitely lead his crew to rescue his brother!"
From the first moment he saw Luffy, Blackbeard had recognized his nature—a crucial element for his plan's continued implementation!
"With their combined strength, the Whitebeard Pirates and Straw Hat Pirates cannot possibly challenge the Marines with their three Admirals! Not to mention Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Hero Garp! Their defeat is inevitable!"
"At that time... whether it's the Float-Float Fruit or the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, they'll all become mine!!! My time is coming!!! Zehahaha!!!"
On the boundless sea, Blackbeard removed his simple, tattered clothing and donned an elegant Marine uniform. The outfit, normally synonymous with simplicity and neatness, somehow emanated an aura of cheap brass when he wore it.
The "Justice" cloak billowed behind him, creating an oddly incongruous sight. Yet Blackbeard, standing at the warship's bow, clearly didn't notice. Finding the angle at which his cloak fluttered unsatisfactory, he deliberately adjusted it before continuing to survey the distant horizon.
At that moment, a fierce-looking Marine officer—whose appearance contradicted everything "justice" stood for—rushed forward. Standing behind Blackbeard, he saluted sharply before reporting:
"Captain Blackbeard, just ahead is the territory of the Hammer Adam Pirates, with a bounty of 200 million Berries! Please give the order to attack!"
"Finally here?!" Upon hearing this, Blackbeard's eyes gleamed ferociously. He waved his arm dramatically toward the island ahead. "Men, bring the ship around! Today, these pirates will taste the power of Captain Blackbeard!!!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
Blackbeard perfectly portrayed his Marine identity while inwardly chuckling with greedy arrogance: "Zehahaha! After capturing these pirates, I'll contact some newspapers for coverage and use public opinion to pressure Marine leadership. I'll soon be promoted again!"
"Once I reach Admiral rank, I'll have the opportunity to enter Impel Down!"
At this thought, Blackbeard's expression turned savage. "Damn Straw Hat Pirates! You couldn't possibly guess... how powerful my new subordinates will be when we next meet!!! Zehahaha!"
His ugly laughter echoed across the sea, followed by an aura of power that made the world seem to tremble.
...
...
Meanwhile, inside Pokémon Park, Red pointed to a whiteboard covered with detailed notes.
"Impel Down!" he declared to everyone. "Those vicious criminals at the lowest level! They're the ones Blackbeard wants to recruit!!!"
The cunning Blackbeard could never have imagined he was facing a time-traveler who appeared handsome but harbored equally devious intentions—Red!
While Blackbeard remained satisfied with his plans, Red had marked all relevant information on the whiteboard, explaining everything to his companions.
"Our top priority!" Red emphasized, tapping his pen forcefully on the board, "is to make the Marines aware of Blackbeard's conspiracy. We cannot allow him to enter Impel Down under any circumstances!"
"Nami, I'm entrusting this to you. Inform Smoker about this. Though he's only a Captain, he's one of the Marines' key development prospects and can contact high-ranking officials."
Red planned to extinguish Blackbeard's hopes with a single move, cutting off any chance of resurgence. Blackbeard had escaped by sheer luck once—the next encounter would certainly be his last!
"Next, regarding the Whitebeard Pirates..." Red stared at the notes on the whiteboard, his tone shifting as his eyes revealed deep contemplation.
Truthfully, Whitebeard's fate didn't significantly impact Red personally. While he respected Whitebeard's heroic spirit and emphasis on love and righteousness, he also acknowledged everyone's unique destiny.
However... Whitebeard's life or death affected Ace, and Ace affected Luffy...
This alone gave Red reason to intervene.
Additionally, based on Hina's account, for the Marines to tolerate Blackbeard's presence and actions, he must have offered them extraordinarily valuable information. Neither Fleet Admiral Sengoku nor the Marine leadership were fools—they wouldn't allow someone with such obvious malicious intent to operate freely within their ranks without substantial compensation.
Now that communication with Whitebeard had been intercepted by the Marines, it seemed likely they would attack Whitebeard's territories based on Blackbeard's intelligence, aiming to reduce the Whitebeard Pirates' power.
"We must find a way to contain the Marines!" Red thought.
Countless memories from the original storyline emerged in his mind. After prolonged contemplation, his eyes suddenly flashed with inspiration. He tapped his pen against the whiteboard and laughed triumphantly.
"I've got it!!! I know how to quickly neutralize the Marines' combat effectiveness!"
His gaze swept across his companions, finally settling on Luffy and Ace.
"In our current situation, neither traveling to the New World to help the Whitebeard Pirates nor waiting for them to contact us is effective!"
The Marines' plan to destroy the Whitebeard Pirates had been developing for years. Now that they had finally gained Blackbeard's cooperation and could fill their intelligence gaps, they wouldn't miss this opportunity.
"Rather than waiting helplessly, we should take the initiative!" The smile on Red's face grew increasingly wild, reflecting his excitement. "If war is inevitable, why should we wait for the Marines to strike first? War... wouldn't it be better if WE started it?!"