Chapter 19: Farewell and a Promise
What followed unfolded with a strange, almost scripted inevitability. Satoru didn't interfere. He observed.
Luffy, burning with shame over the earlier humiliation, stormed off alone to confront Higuma. Predictably, he was captured.
Shanks led his crew to the rescue. Benn Beckman alone made short, brutal work of the bandits. In a final act of desperation, Higuma threw a smoke bomb and, in the chaos, fled to the sea in a small dinghy with Luffy as his hostage.
It was a fatal miscalculation. The sea was a pirate's domain.
A shadow rose from the depths—a colossal Sea King. Its maw opened, swallowing Higuma whole in one gulp. As it turned its hungry gaze toward the terrified Luffy in the water, Shanks moved.
In a blur of speed that still strained even Satoru's Six Eyes to follow, Shanks was there. He scooped Luffy from the water with his right arm. The beast's jaws snapped shut.
A spray of crimson stained the sea.
Shanks landed back on the dinghy, clutching a shocked Luffy. His left arm was gone, bitten clean off at the shoulder.
Then, Shanks looked at the Sea King. It wasn't just a look. A terrifying, invisible pressure erupted from him—Haoshoku Haki, Conqueror's Spirit.
The monstrous beast's eyes rolled back in its head. It went limp, sinking beneath the waves unconscious.
In that moment, as the Haki washed over the area, Satoru's Six Eyes saw it clearly: a wave of pure, coercive willpower, a force that didn't just push physically but dominated spirit itself.
This power... it could likely bypass Infinity, Satoru realized. In the world of jujutsu, a Domain Expansion's sure-hit effect could pierce his ultimate defense. Here, it seemed Conqueror's Haki—a force that targeted the very essence of a being—might serve a similar, fundamental purpose.
It was a revelation. Before this, he'd wondered if he might become functionally untouchable in this world. But now he had an answer. There were forces here—Haki, especially the rarest kind—that could challenge even his most absolute defenses.
Good, he thought, a spark of genuine excitement igniting. That means this world won't be boring.
Days later, with his wound bandaged and his spirit unbroken, Shanks prepared to depart. The Red-Haired Pirates had stayed far longer than planned. The risk of a visit from Garp grew with each passing day. It was time to chase the horizon again.
"Luffy," Shanks said, kneeling before the tearful boy. He placed his precious straw hat gently on Luffy's head. "I'm leaving this with you. Keep it safe. Bring it back to me someday... when you've become a great pirate."
Luffy clutched the hat's brim, his voice thick with emotion. "I will, Shanks! I'll become the best pirate! I'll give it back to you, I promise!"
"I'll be waiting for that day," Shanks said, his smile warm.
Then, he turned to Satoru. One last time. "Kid... you're sure? The offer's still open."
"I have my own path," Satoru replied, his tone final but not unkind.
Shanks sighed, a melodramatic slump in his shoulders. "You break my heart."
"But," Satoru added, a faint, challenging smile touching his lips, "since we've been friends this long... next time we meet, I might just go easy on you."
The dramatic sorrow vanished from Shanks's face, replaced by a brilliant, competitive grin. "Is that so? Next time, we'll see who's going easy on who!"
In the crowd of villagers, Makino stood, her eyes shimmering. She quickly wiped a tear away before it could fall. Their bond was a secret, a tender thing growing in the shadow of his Jolly Roger. She was a village girl; he was a pirate sailing toward an unknown destiny. For now, their worlds could only touch, not merge.
"Goodbye, everyone!" Shanks shouted from the stern of the Red Force as it began to pull away. "I'll be back! I promise!"
"Don't you dare come back, you good-for-nothing pirates!" the Mayor bellowed back, shaking his fist. "We don't want your kind here!"
The insult was met with a roar of laughter from both the villagers and the pirates on the ship. Everyone knew the truth. The Mayor's heart was as soft as his words were rough. If the Red-Haired Pirates ever did sail back into their bay, he'd be the first to grumble loudly... and the first to open a barrel of the best ale.
As the ship became a speck on the vast blue, Satoru stood beside a sniffling Luffy, who was clutching the straw hat like a lifeline. The calm of Windmill Village returned, but it was a different calm now. It held the echoes of laughter, the memory of a red-haired man's sacrifice, and the silent, growing strength of two boys who had, in their own ways, been forever changed.
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
✨✨ I'll release an extra chapter for every 5 reviews! ✨✨🥳🥳 For every 50 power stones! 🥳🥳
Lets hit the goal of 100 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕
We are at 86 members right now.