Shanks looked at Ace, who was kneeling on the ground in tears, then shifted his gaze to the body of Silvers Rayleigh lying in the distance. A trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes as he spoke quietly, "Mr. Rayleigh..."
The Red Hair Pirates remained silent. Shanks removed his cloak and gently covered Rayleigh's body, preparing to take him back to Sabaody Archipelago for burial.
"By the way, Red Hair, how did you find your way here?" Marco asked.
Shanks answered without hesitation, "Luffy and I met eleven years ago. Back then, I made a Vivre Card for him, he just didn't know about it."
"So that's it." Marco nodded in understanding.
After all, Monkey D. Luffy was the future Shanks had entrusted his arm to. In many ways, he had guided Luffy onto the path of becoming a pirate.
Marco then looked at Ace, who was still crying on the ground. "Ace, decide quickly. Luffy only has two hours left. Are you going to let him pass like this, or should I use my flames to help him recover enough to speak? At the very least, he shouldn't leave with regrets."
Hearing this, Ace wiped his tears. The reality was cruel, but he had no choice but to face it. Since he could not change the outcome, he had to make the most of the time left.
"I'm counting on you, Marco," Ace said, his voice firm despite the grief.
Marco gave a slight nod and stepped forward. He knelt beside Luffy and sent a stream of his blue flames into Luffy's body.
In the darkness that surrounded him, Luffy seemed to find a faint light. As the flames entered him, his body reacted as if stirred by a sudden surge of energy. His aged face twitched slightly, and his eyes slowly opened.
"Luffy… Luffy…" Ace called out, his voice trembling with hope.
"A…" Luffy tried to speak, but no words followed.
He could feel how weak his body had become, even lifting a finger was beyond him.
Seeing this, Marco increased the intensity of his flames. Gradually, Luffy's condition improved just enough for him to speak. His hazy eyes gained a bit of clarity, though his body remained fragile.
Luffy could clearly feel his life slipping away. He turned his gaze toward Shanks and spoke weakly, "I'm sorry, Shanks… I think I won't be able to keep my promise."
Tears welled up in Shanks' eyes, but he quickly wiped them away and forced a smile. "No, Luffy. You've already become a great pirate."
A faint, bittersweet smile appeared on Luffy's face. He looked at Ace, who was crying uncontrollably, and spoke with difficulty, "Ace… my crew and I agreed to meet at Sabaody in two years. I'll leave them to you."
Ace broke down again. "I'm sorry, Luffy… it's my fault. I wasn't strong enough…" He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to steady his voice. "Don't worry. I'll take care of them."
Luffy nodded slightly, then continued, "Also… tell Grandpa I'm sorry. I didn't become a Marine like he wanted… but I don't regret it."
Ace cried even harder. "Okay… I'll tell him."
"Then… I'm counting on you…"
With those final words, Luffy's voice faded. The last of his attachments to the world slipped away, and his eyes slowly closed.
As his consciousness drifted, Luffy felt his body grow lighter, as if he were floating. Memories surfaced one after another, his days with Ace and Sabo, and the adventures he shared with his crew. Though his journey had been short, it was filled with joy.
His only regret was that he could not become the Pirate King.
A few minutes later, his heart stopped.
Ace held Luffy's body tightly and cried out in grief. Members of the Red Hair Pirates who had known Luffy also lowered their heads, unable to hide their sorrow.
Thus, the life of Monkey D. Luffy came to an end on Amazon Lily at the age of 18.
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