Chapter 4

"I've been through many battles with this straw hat and it's very important to me" said a distinct deep-crimsonish haired man. He is flinging the straw hat while looking serious. His hairstyle has a straight, middle-parted one kept loosely down to nape length, with shorter 'at eye level' curtained bangs in the front. "Luffy, I can't give this to you" he added.

This time, I am sorting the memories little Luffy had amassed in the passed. A year before there was a certain pirate group that docked in the Windmill Village. They stayed for a year in the village before and making it as their base of operation. They called themselves as 'Red Hair Pirates'. As for me, when I see the man right now that little Luffy met in his past memories, I was gobsmack, shock for a few seconds before I regain my bearing. This given me a huge bombshell.

"The hell!, if not for his triple set of vertically parallel, linear scars that pass at an angle over his left untouched eye I might mistaken him as Keanu Reeves wearing a red wig and putting a little of facial hair" I murmur to myself surprisingly. I really can't believe that this anime character are very different in personal. Now I'm very giddy to see the others appearance in the future.

The scene continued until I see the wooden door being kicked loudly. The man who entered was a tall, dark-skinned with black hair, a black goatee, and an X-shaped scar above his right eye. He wore a long red coat over a white shirt, black trousers, and a golden necklace. 'So this was Higuma, the first antagonist introduced in the series', I said to myself inwardly. The scene went exactly as the episode of romance dawn. Until I saw little Luffy being stepped down by the latter and was prepared to kill him. 'Crack' I clenched my fist hardly. It was very different from seeing it from the anime than experiencing the real feeling itself. Little Luffy emotions at that time flowed to me. I felt his anger and helplessness. The feeling that you want to fight back but you can't because your weak. I grit my teeth hardly that it started produce grating sounds. 'The norms and standards here are very different in my old world. People here won't hesitate to kill. While in the anime showed how Luffy saved people as pirates, but that's a different case like Whitebeard and Shanks. Most pirates here are ruthless even the so-called marines and especially the world government, they will purge a village if they want, loot and rob people, eradicate a whole island to cover some truths, ignore slavery being practiced and can frame and execute even an innocent person' I mentally thought while feeling displeasure and rage. But my thoughts were interrupted when a red haired man with a strawhat on his head appeared in the scene. He brought all of his crew and was behind the Mayor and Makino who were feeling distraught on the happenings infront of them.

"I was wondering why the bar was empty, looks like its those mountain bandits from before" Shanks slowly approached Luffy. Higuma feels like he was irritated and silently ordered his men to point the gun and threaten him but the former stop walking and hung his head down. "Bet your life on it. The moment you've use your pistol, put your life on the line". The bandit didn't even understand.

"Bang" a body fell on the ground. The atmosphere turned serious. Higuma was agitated and ordered his lackeys to fight but they were single-handedly beaten by a tall man carrying a gun and smoke in his mouth. His hair was long, black and pulled back in a pony tail. He is the the first mate of the Red Hair pirates, the right hand of Shanks, Ben Beckman. "Listen up, you can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me, you can even spit on me. I'll just laugh that stuff off. But, good reason or not nobody hurts a friend of mine"

Events ensued the same as the canon and Shanks gave up his arm to the local sea monster when saving little Luffy. He gave his sentimental object to little Luffy having a promise to become a great pirate and return it to him.

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This time the past scenes of memories little Luffy had suddenly break into pieces. Like a broken mirror falling one after another and this moment I open my eyes. Standing still infront of the mirror in the cabinet. The anger and hate I felt when thinking about the worst side of this world suddenly dissipated but instead replace with resolution and resolve. I steadily raise my head high while feeling the changes happening to me. My whole body relaxed, my hands that was clenched recently slowly loosen. It feels like my own soul experienced rejuvenation. My spirit is totally reborn this time, it is like I experienced nirvana itself. I turn my body facing the wooden rack where there is a strawhat on top of it. I open my mouth slowly and said the things within my heart.

"Shanks, the legacy you left to litle Luffy is a big goal and hard to achieve, carrying the next generation and era to his tiny shoulders. You are great man and I respect that. Even in my past, there were people who viewed you respectfully. At that moment, when little Luffy gave his dreams to me, his soul essence and memories merged with my own, at that time when he passed down his burning flames to me. His aspirations and goals have become a part of me. I was given a chance to live my life again. I don't plan in dying anytime soon. The moment I died in my last life and the moment I gave my oath here to my parents. The time I cried and grief in the memories that I experienced there. There are things that I don't want to happen, but have to accept. Things I don't want to know, but have to learn. And people I can't live without, but have to let go"

I'm just a normal person in my past life. I didn't experience war, I didn't see people getting killed with my own eyes personally, and most improtantly I haven't killed anyone. This life and this feeling they are all real. This world is not a fake, I will bleed when get hurt, and die when stab in the heart. I need to resolved myself in facing this world. 'Shanks you've given me a huge burden hoping that someday, someone will appear. Carrying the history of all those decades on his shoulders and challenge this whole world into a fight' I stop for a few seconds and open my mouth.

"Bring it on! From today onwards, Alex Mercer died. I'm Monkey D. Luffy" I had a huge grin on my face and a serious eyes. From this moment on, I'll see my dreams and goal till the end. But suddenly I fell down and created a huge 'Thud' sound in the wooden floor, my body feels weak all of a sudden.

"Grrrrrrrrrrr" my lips are pale and feel dry, I involuntarily lick them yet they seem to feel dry again a split second after I licked them. My stomach growls and aches then seem to stop but only for a few seconds.

"Ahhh, I'm hungry"

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"I neeeeed fooooooooooooood" I shouted on top of my lungs.