Watching Shanks draw his final breath, Ash let out a long sigh.
It was not the fall of a powerful figure that bothered him. What irritated him was that fool calling out Uta's name just before dying.
So the rumors about his careless nature were true. He really was reckless.
If Shanks had kept quiet, Ash had countless ways to let Uta remain in a deep sleep, unaware of everything. She would have woken up to a peaceful illusion.
But now, she had witnessed it all, the defeat and death of her adoptive father. That changed everything.
"Idiot."
Ash muttered under his breath.
At that moment, Uta rushed forward, collapsing onto Shanks's body. Her cries echoed across the battlefield, raw and broken.
Ash turned away. He had no interest in watching that scene.
Instead, he walked toward his crew.
Kirk and Saff had already returned to the Dawn ship, starting a fire and preparing food. Tsuki, Fidel, and the others had gathered the unconscious Red Hair executives into a pile.
Ash gave a small nod. Repetition had made them efficient.
Then his gaze shifted outward, sweeping across the island.
"They really came to watch the commotion. They have no sense of danger."
While others might surpass him in precision, Ash's Observation Haki covered a far wider range.
Pini and the others immediately focused their senses, compressing their Haki into narrow streams to extend their reach. Within moments, they detected two unfamiliar pirate crews and a News Coo circling nearby.
"Clear them out."
Ash pressed his temples as he gave the order.
Just as Pini and the others moved out, a gunshot rang through the air.
The bullet never reached him. It turned to ash mid-flight under intense heat.
Ash turned his head.
Uta stood there, trembling, tears streaming down her face, a flintlock pistol aimed straight at him.
She fired again and again, screaming with each shot. Even after the gun clicked empty, she kept pulling the trigger.
The others looked at Ash.
Ash looked at Uta.
"Is that your choice? Then I'll respect it."
His voice was quiet.
In the next instant, his Conqueror's Haki condensed into a focused strike and surged forward.
Uta's pupils widened.
Her heartbeat stopped.
Silence fell.
Ash exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair.
He had not felt this irritated in years.
No one spoke. No one knew what to say.
Then Youki descended from the sky.
He blinked at the scene. "What's going on here?"
Everyone rolled their eyes.
"Why are you back already?" Ash asked.
"Two random pirate crews tried to get close. The moment they saw the Dawn ship offshore, they ran. I sent a couple of sea tornadoes after them. Whether they live or die isn't my concern."
He glanced around. "Where's Pini?"
"Still chasing the bird," Ash replied. "He should be back soon."
A moment later, Pini landed with a thud.
He looked around, confused. "Why is everyone gathered here?"
"Waiting for dinner."
Pini paused. "And them?"
Ash glanced at the Red Hair Pirates.
"Keep Shanks and the executives' heads for bounty exchange. Dispose of the rest. Search their ship for anything useful."
The crew moved immediately.
Youki and Pini stepped forward to collect Shanks's head. Only then did they notice Uta's body.
They exchanged a brief look but said nothing.
After finishing their task, they dug a pit and buried Shanks and Uta together.
Ash remained where he stood, staring at the flames consuming the fallen.
Another sigh escaped him.
"Dinner's ready!"
Kirk's voice cut through the silence.
Ash's mood shifted instantly.
"I'm coming."
He moved first, heading straight toward the food.
The meal quickly turned into a lively feast. After the battle, everyone's appetite had doubled.
Kirk fought back with everything he had, gripping the ladle like a weapon. This was a battlefield of its own.
During the meal, Robin, Nojiko, and the others subtly asked about Uta and Shanks.
Ash answered in fragments between bites, telling the story of an adoptive father, a ruined nation, and the truth hidden behind it.
Once the food arrived, the conversation ended. Everyone focused on eating.
Seeing Ash devour food as usual, Pini and Youki assumed his earlier mood had simply been hunger.
After all, nothing mattered more to him than a full stomach.
Later that night, gathered around the bonfire, Ash began making arrangements.
Pini returned to Sky Island and brought back twenty reserve members.
Ash's plan was simple, maintain the illusion that the Red Hair Pirates still existed.
Just like he had done with the Beast Pirates.
He created four Paramecia-type Devil Fruits tailored for the roles:
The Face-Face Fruit for a fake Shanks.
The Freeze-Freeze Fruit for a fake Benn Beckman.
The Sure-Hit Fruit for a fake Yasopp.
And the Illusion-Illusion Fruit for a fake Lucky Roux.
The first three were straightforward.
The Illusion-Illusion Fruit, however, was the key.
It allowed the user to reshape a target's appearance into any image they desired. The illusion would remain unless the target suffered a strong attack or the user lost consciousness.
With that, even mismatched body types would go unnoticed.
As for being attacked, few would dare challenge a Yonko crew without reason.
And if necessary, he could always stage a clash between the fake Red Hair Pirates and the Beast Pirates.
Once the fruits were distributed, the new figures emerged.
A false Shanks.
A false Beckman.
A false Yasopp.
A false Lucky Roux.
The remaining recruits consumed enhancement fruits and were reshaped into the appearances of Red Hair executives.
Their mission was clear.
Maintain the illusion.
Collect Devil Fruits in secret.
Fortunately, the original Red Hair Pirates had always kept a low profile, making the act easier to maintain.
The only real threat was an unpredictable one.
Dracule Mihawk.
If that man decided to visit without warning, everything could fall apart.
Ash gave his final instruction.
"Keep track of Mihawk's movements. Avoid him at all costs."
The newly formed Red Hair Pirates nodded.