On the vast ocean of the New World, an unprecedented fleet sailed together. Towering giants stood tens of meters tall alongside the Red Force, the flagship of the Four Emperors, the Red Hair Pirates. After immense effort, Red-Haired Shanks had finally convinced Prince Loki and the warriors of the Giant Race to set sail to confront Kaido of the Beasts. However, the arrival of the News Coo shortly after their departure shattered the atmosphere, turning the alliance brittle and suspicious.
"Hey, hey, this can't be true, Red Hair. You… you're actually a Celestial Dragon?"
A crack of thunder echoed through the sky. On the giant warship, Prince Loki, his body wreathed in lightning as he gripped his weapon, Iron Thunder, stared furiously at Shanks. Ordinarily, the Giant warriors would have defended their ally, but now they stood frozen, their eyes locked on the newspaper with expressions of growing betrayal. Even among the Red Hair Pirates' rank-and-file crew, morale faltered; they had never imagined their captain, whom they followed into the heart of the New World, shared the lineage of the Celestial Dragons—the very people they despised most.
A white-haired old man stepped forward, his presence commanding the attention of the entire fleet. "That's right!" he barked.
The crew recognized him instantly: the man Shanks had invited from Elbaf, the legendary right arm of the Pirate King Roger, known as "Mountain Eater": Scopper Gaban.
"Shanks is indeed a Celestial Dragon!" Gaban's confirmation caused a collective tremor to run through the fleet.
"Thirty-eight years ago, during the battle of God Valley, we joined forces with the Marines to stop Rocks from ruling the sea as a dictator," Gaban continued, his voice booming across the deck. "We found Red Hair in a box at God Valley. We were curious whose child he was, but when he grew up and we saw that familiar face, we realized the truth: he was a Celestial Dragon".
The realization stunned the crew, but Gaban quickly rallied them. "But what if he is? Roger knew the truth and chose to raise him anyway because he believed a person's destiny shouldn't be bound by a surname. You have known Shanks for years—judge him by his heart, not by his bloodline!".
The Giant warriors hesitated, caught between their inherent hatred for the Celestial Dragons and their respect for the men before them. Prince Hairdr looked toward his younger brother, Loki, and Shanks, struggling with the implications of the report. The Giants had always revered the legend of the Sun God—a heroic savior with a white body—and Loki had claimed the legendary Devil Fruit from their treasury as his own.
Loki was the most agitated. "Don't joke around! What I possess is the true power of the Sun God; that 'Rubber' boy is no Sun God at all!".
Shanks finally spoke, his grip tight on the newspaper. "The Devil Fruit Loki ate was not the legendary fruit; it was swapped".
The revelation threw the Giants into fury. Shanks explained that after Roger surrendered, he had returned to Mary Geoise and reclaimed his status as a Celestial Dragon. There, he learned of the Sun God legend and discovered the World Government had stolen the true fruit from the former King of Elbaf, Harald, replacing it with a decoy. Shanks had intercepted the genuine Mythical Zoan Nika fruit from World Government agents, only for Luffy to accidentally consume it.
"I'm sorry," Shanks said, kneeling before the stunned assembly—a gesture of profound humility for one of the Four Emperors. "I know this is hard to accept, but if anyone can change this world, it is Luffy. I saw the Captain's shadow in him, and I am willing to stake everything on that. Once this is over, I will return to Elbaf and apologize to the Giant Race with thorns on my back".
The Giant warriors exchanged glances. Dorry and Brogy were the first to relent. "I don't care about any Sun God; I only care about that kid Luffy and his companions. I like him very much". Jaguar D. Saul agreed, pledging to fight alongside them for the sake of Robin and her crew.
Prince Hairdr, however, remained cautious. "I'm sorry, Shanks, but I must return to Elbaf and consult with the elders regarding this matter".
Loki roared, his pride wounded. "Hairdr, you're useless! Shanks, I don't care if that report is true or false—take me to that Straw Hat! I will prove who the true Sun God is!".
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