"Ahh!" Rayleigh shook his head, sighing deeply. He seemed reluctant to say much more but then picked up his Den Den Mushi.
"Buru-buru-buru! Buru-buru-buru!" It rang for a moment until someone on the other side answered, "Hello?"
The voice was instantly recognizable to Luffy. It was Shanks—one of the Four Emperors and the most dignified among them. Luffy knew well from his previous life that Shanks had only ever shown a fraction of his real strength. The display of conquering Haki that sent Admiral Aramaki fleeing, the effortless defeat of Admiral Kizaru, and the single slash that obliterated Kid were all impressive. Yet Luffy understood that Shanks still held far more power in reserve.
Rayleigh interrupted Luffy's thoughts. "Let's switch to video mode. Are you okay with that?"
"Go ahead," came Shanks' calm reply.
The two adjusted the Den Den Mushi to video mode, and Luffy was pulled into view as well, watching the tall, formidable silhouette of Shanks appear on the screen.
Rayleigh's face grew serious as he addressed Shanks, "Look, can you see it clearly now? Luffy's Devil Fruit powers have completely vanished."
Shanks' reaction was far from calm; Luffy could sense a distinct tension in his tone—a rarity from the usually composed man. Shanks' breathing seemed to hitch slightly as he responded, "That's impossible. A Devil Fruit power doesn't just disappear. Something must have happened." After a moment's pause, Shanks directed his attention to Luffy, "Think carefully, Luffy. Did anything unusual happen recently? Try to recall anything that might explain this."
Luffy, of course, knew the answer—his powers were tied to the system that had brought him into this world. But there was no way he'd reveal such a secret, not even to Rayleigh or Shanks. So, he feigned confusion, saying, "Shanks, I don't know what happened. I was just following Rayleigh's training guidance, practicing Haki, and then… poof."
That part wasn't a lie. Before being transported, Luffy had been fully immersed in Haki training, exactly as Rayleigh had advised. Rayleigh confirmed this with a nod, acknowledging the truth in Luffy's words. However, Shanks seemed even more perplexed. He mulled it over, and, after a few more probing questions, he finally sighed and shook his head, seemingly conceding that Luffy wasn't lying.
"Something's definitely not right here," Shanks muttered, rubbing his temples. "This doesn't add up. I've sailed all over the world and never heard of anything remotely like this. Well then," he continued, his tone determined, "I'll set sail soon and head your way with my best ship doctor. Maybe seeing things in person will help us get a clearer picture."
With that, Shanks ended the call, and the image on the screen faded away.
In the New World, on a remote island, Shanks stood there, pondering in silence. "There's something very strange going on with Luffy," he murmured to himself. He recalled Luffy's unusual mannerisms, like the carefree shrug he'd given during their talk. It was so unlike the Luffy he remembered.
At that moment, Benn Beckman approached. "What's the word? Any progress on Luffy's situation?"
Shanks shook his head grimly, then elaborated on what he'd heard. Beckman nodded in understanding and commented, "Don't worry about it too much, Shanks. He's at a turbulent age, and he's had to endure Ace's death. People change under those circumstances."
Shanks nodded slowly. Perhaps he was overthinking things. But it wasn't Luffy's change in character that troubled him the most—it was the mystery of the Devil Fruit. He had entrusted Luffy with this power, hoping he would awaken it one day. But now the fruit's abilities had seemingly vanished. This wasn't about growth or maturity. This was something unprecedented.
"Alright then," he resolved. "All we can do for now is wait and see. We'll visit him soon."
Meanwhile, back on the island, Luffy let out a loud laugh, holding up a freshly grilled fish on a skewer. "Rayleigh, you've got to try this! It tastes amazing!"
But Rayleigh, still preoccupied, declined the offer with a wave of his hand. He looked at Luffy intently and said, "You've definitely changed, Luffy. This isn't like you."
Luffy blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. "Rayleigh, you can relax! No matter how much I change on the surface, I'm still the same kid with big dreams—Monkey D. Luffy! I'm going to become the Pirate King, no matter what. And I'll make sure Ace's sacrifice wasn't in vain. The Marines, the whole lot of them, won't be able to stop me!"
As Luffy spoke, that familiar fire seemed to reignite within him, and Rayleigh couldn't help but feel reassured. Maybe, just maybe, Luffy hadn't changed as much as he'd feared.
Luffy grinned, exuding the same energy he'd always had. "Don't worry, Rayleigh! I promise, my powers will return. I'll keep moving forward, and I'll make sure everything you all believe in will come true."
Rayleigh felt an unexpected calm wash over him as he listened to Luffy's determined words. He nodded, feeling his worry begin to fade.
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T/N:
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