"My future!?"
Hearing those words, Ace's face instantly filled with shock and confusion.
But because of everything Red had done over this period, he didn't immediately speak—he simply turned his questioning gaze toward him.
Red nodded firmly, expression serious.
"That's right.This is another ability granted to me as a Trainer."
As usual, Red pushed anything difficult to explain onto the one thing even he couldn't explain—his cheat-like golden finger.
He continued,"This ability is complicated to explain.In short… I can see a different path of development in a world where I don't exist."
"You might not understand right away. But all you need to know is…"
"In the future I saw—you, and your old man Whitebeard, both die in the near future."
"Impossible!!!" ×2!
The moment Red's words fell, two explosive shouts rang out simultaneously.
Ace and Luffy leapt to their feet, yelling:
"There's no way Pops would die!!!"
"There's no way Ace would die!!!"
They cared about different people—but their expressions were exactly the same: fists clenched, eyes wide, faces disbelieving, their emotions trembling beneath the surface.
No one can stay calm after hearing that someone they love is destined to die.
And because Luffy knew Red never lied about these kinds of things, he panicked first.
The more he knew, the more he believed—and the more it hurt.
He stumbled forward, grabbing Red's shoulders, tears filling his eyes.
"It's not true! It's impossible! Red!!! Tell me!!!"
He shook Red violently.
"Luffy!"
The Straw Hats rushed forward at once.
The ever-gentle Sanji quickly tried to calm him:
"Get a hold of yourself, Luffy! Ace is alive and fine right now!"
"That's right, Luffy!" Usopp shouted, cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
Even though he had panicked the moment he learned Blackbeard—the man who vowed to kill him—was still alive…
Right now he still grabbed Luffy's arm and said:
"Don't forget, Luffy!"
"Red saw a timeline without him—another world!"
"But Red is right here with us!"
"Trust Red! He definitely won't let Ace die!"
"..."
"..."
Under the voices of his crewmates, Luffy's consciousness gradually steadied.
Red patted his shoulder and spoke in a reassuring, convincing tone:
"Relax, Luffy.From the beginning, I never intended to let Ace die."
"And Ace…"
Red turned to him again.
"Even though I can't fully guess all the preparations Blackbeard has made…If possible, I'll also try my best to prevent Whitebeard's death."
"But that requires your cooperation."
"Can you do that?"
Red's gaze was sharp, locking onto Ace.
The truth was—what Red feared most…
Was that Ace, upon hearing his father might suffer because of Blackbeard's betrayal, would get angry and immediately charge toward the New World using his unique method of travel.
If that happened, he'd fall right into Blackbeard's trap, get captured by the Navy,and become the fuse for the Marineford War, just like in the anime.
To Red, both emotionally and logically, he could never allow that tragedy to repeat.
That was why he revealed Whitebeard's predicted death immediately—to shock Ace into listening to his plans.
And judging from the results… it worked.
Seeing Luffy's shaken expression, as if convinced Ace truly would die, Ace finally understood—
Red really could see his future.
"…I… I can…"
Ace, thrown into confusion, nodded stiffly.
Red nodded in satisfaction.
"Good.Your cooperation is crucial.Because the real reason Hina was sent here… is most likely you, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"..."
"..."
Under the crew's puzzled looks, Red spoke at length, explaining everything he had deduced about Blackbeard's intentions and ultimate objective.
...
...
The truth was—God's-perspective Red had guessed nearly all of Blackbeard's plan.
Except for one thing:
Blackbeard's final target wasn't only Whitebeard…
But also the Vice Captain of the Ace Brothers Pirates—Red himself.
...
...
"Zehahahaha…"
"As long as I capture Ace… and have the Navy execute him publicly…"
"With Straw Hat's reckless personality, he'll definitely bring his crew to rescue him."
Blackbeard had read Luffy the moment he saw him.
And that was the key piece that made his plan viable.
"With the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates combined, they still won't be a match for the Navy's three Admirals!"
"Not to mention Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Hero Garp!"
"Their defeat is guaranteed!"
"And when that time comes… whether it's the Float-Float Fruit or the Quake-Quake Fruit… they will all belong to me!!!"
"My era—will finally arrive!!!"
"Zehahahahaha!!!"
Out on the open sea, Blackbeard had abandoned his shabby rags and cheap cloth shoes, replacing them with a luxurious Navy uniform.
A uniform meant to symbolize simplicity and justicelooked greasy and cheap on him.
Even the cloak with "Justice" written on the back fluttered behind him at an awkward, ridiculous angle.
But Blackbeard, standing proudly at the bow, felt none of that.
When the cloak didn't flutter dramatically enough, he simply turned himself to adjust the angle.
At that moment, a fierce-looking "Marine" ran up behind him.
He saluted sharply:
"Colonel Blackbeard! Up ahead is the base of the Heavy Hammer Adam Pirates—bounty 200 million Beli!"
"Please give the attack order!"
"So it's finally here?"
Blackbeard's gaze flashed with malice.
He raised his arm and roared toward the island:
"Men! Bring the ship in!!!"
"Today, I'll show these pirates the power of Colonel Blackbeard!!!"
"YES, SIR!!!"
Shameless as ever, Blackbeard flawlessly played the role of a Marine.
But inside, he was cackling wildly:
"Zehahaha~ Once I capture this crew, get a few newspapers to hype it up, and pressure the Navy through public opinion, I'll get another promotion!"
"As long as I reach the rank of Admiral, I'll have the right to enter Impel Down!"
His face twisted in greed.
"Damn Straw Hats! You'll never guess…"
"The next time we meet—my new subordinates will be unimaginably powerful!!!"
"Zehahahahaha…"
His terrible laughter echoed across the sea.
But the dark aura that surged with it…made the whole world tremble.
...
...
Meanwhile, inside Pokémon Paradise—
Red pointed to a whiteboard crammed with dense writing.
"Impel Down."
"The criminals in the lowest levels—the worst of the worst—those are Blackbeard's targets."
Blackbeard, cunning as he was, would never imagine…
That the person facing him this time wasn't a normal protagonist,but a transmigrator with a handsome face and a heart full of schemes—Red.
While Blackbeard smugly advanced his plans, Red had already mapped out everything on the whiteboard, explaining each detail to the crew.
He tapped the board forcefully.
"Our first priority is to make the Navy aware of Blackbeard's plot—no matter what, we cannot let him enter Impel Down."
"Nami, I'm entrusting this to you."
"Tell Smoker. He may only be a Captain, but he's one of the Marines' key development targets. He can reach people at the top."
A direct strike at the root:cut off Blackbeard's chance to rise again.
He escaped once by luck.Next time Red saw him, it would be his death.
No more opportunities.
"And next… the matter of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Red stared at the board, thinking deeply.
Whether Whitebeard died or not didn't really affect him directly.
He respected Whitebeard's pride and loyalty,but he also respected the destiny each person walked.
However—Whitebeard's fate affected Ace.Ace affected Luffy.
So Red now had a reason to intervene.
And based on Hina's description, the Navy's willingness to tolerate Blackbeard meant he had already provided valuable intel.
Sengoku and the upper ranks weren't fools.If the deal wasn't worth it, they wouldn't let Blackbeard run around freely inside their organization.
Now the Whitebeard Pirates' communications were being intercepted.
It was completely possible the Navy, using Blackbeard's information, would strike Whitebeard's territories to weaken his forces.
"We'll have to find a way to keep the Navy occupied…"
His eyes flashed fiercely.
Countless pieces of anime knowledge blurred through his mind.
Then suddenly—his gaze sharpened, and he slammed the marker against the board.
"Got it!!!"
"I've found a way to quickly tie up the Navy's frontline strength!"
He swept his gaze across the crew—and finally locked onto Luffy and Ace.
"With the current situation, whether we choose to rush to the New World to help the Whitebeard Pirates, or wait for news from them—neither is a good choice."
"The Navy's plan to destroy the Whitebeard Pirates isn't new.Now that they finally have Blackbeard and an intel advantage, they'll never pass up this chance."
"So instead of waiting to be hit…"
Red grinned, eyes burning with madness.
"If war is inevitable…then why should we wait for the Navy to fire the first shot?"
"Let us be the ones to start the war!"
(End of Chapter)