One Piece: Absolute Domination; Reborn as Luffy

At that moment, Luffy was seated on Lady Hancock, seemingly giving her a massage. It was quite an amusing sight.

"Lord Luffy! You've got a visitor!" called out Aimee.

Shanks followed her gaze, and in an instant, his mind went blank, like an explosion echoing in his head.

"What… what's going on?" Shanks was struck by a sudden sense of disbelief. Had Luffy really been sitting there the entire time? Why hadn't he noticed him upon entering the cabin? Those few seconds after he walked in, he had scanned every corner of the cabin. He was certain there had been no Luffy in sight. That's why he'd asked someone to locate him.

Now, seeing Luffy there, Shanks felt a strange, unnerving chill. He couldn't understand it, but in that moment, every hair on his body stood on end.

"No way," he muttered, shaking his head. "It must've just been me overlooking that spot… it's just a corner, after all. I only glanced over it quickly, not looking thoroughly. Otherwise, how could I have missed seeing someone right there? I'm not blind, am I?"

After thinking it over, Shanks slowly walked toward Luffy, who was now standing up, moving off Hancock, and wiping his hands as he smiled at Shanks.

"Shanks," Luffy greeted him warmly. "Long time no see. How've you been? I've missed you!"

These words were simple and straightforward, yet somehow, Shanks felt a strange sense of distance. Yes, right now, Luffy gave him the impression of a completely different person.

"You've grown taller," Shanks remarked as he drew closer, noticing that Luffy now stood at 1.99 meters—almost as tall as himself.

"Yeah, Rayleigh-sensei took good care of me. I mean, it's my growth phase; if I didn't shoot up a bit, it'd be odd, right?" Luffy chuckled and stepped forward to shake Shanks's hand.

In that moment, Luffy suddenly remembered that Shanks was missing an arm, and he nearly reached for an empty sleeve. He laughed awkwardly, covering his slip, but Shanks had already noticed it and took it as further proof that Luffy had truly changed. Shanks mulled it over, thinking about what Rayleigh had said: perhaps the loss of Ace in the war at Marineford had altered him profoundly. Though, of course, Shanks would never entertain the idea of "crossing dimensions" or any such notion.

"Shanks," Luffy said, "come, have some tea. I've got a special brew."

He handed Shanks a cup, who took it, nodded, and tasted it slowly. For some reason, he sensed an odd flavor.

"Luffy!" Shanks exclaimed. "What's in this tea? Something feels off. What's in your secret recipe?"

Before he could finish the sentence, Luffy's face froze in shock.

Or rather, he instantly went pale. He'd just remembered—the tea he gave Shanks was the same blend meant for the women, infused with his special essence.

"My apologies!" Luffy laughed sheepishly. "That tea is actually for my wives. Let me get you a fresh cup."

With that, Luffy took back the tea from Shanks and quickly poured him a new, plain cup. "Here, give this one a try."

Luffy gestured for Shanks to sit, then directed a few of the women to clean the table and chairs. Shanks, still frowning, was perplexed. Putting aside everything else, the word "wives" alone had utterly shocked him.

"What's going on here?" Shanks asked. "Luffy… are you married? Who's your wife?"

Luffy scratched his head and replied straightforwardly, "Shanks, well, you know, it's just to pass the time during training breaks, so… I married a few wives. Nothing too serious."

With that, Luffy started introducing them: Aimee, Lori, Lizzy,Amelia..... the swordswoman, and the archer. By this point, Shanks's face had frozen in sheer disbelief. Truthfully, not many things in this world could leave Shanks speechless. Yet here he was, astonished more than ten times over in mere seconds—this was far beyond anything he'd ever imagined.

By the time Luffy had introduced dozens of women, Shanks felt as though his very soul had frozen over. And when Lady Hancock was introduced, Shanks was completely dumbfounded.

Luffy burst into hearty laughter and said, "Shanks, that look on your face! I didn't think you even had expressions like that. What's wrong? Why are you so shocked? Aren't you happy for me?"

These simple words left Shanks utterly perplexed. "Luffy… what exactly have you been doing? Married? With dozens of wives? And even marrying the Empress herself? You've got to be joking!"

Yet as he looked at Luffy's serious expression, Shanks could tell he wasn't joking. This was all real.

Shanks blinked, trying to clear his mind—no, this wasn't some dream or illusion. Everything was undeniably real.

"Ah!"

Shanks sat there, utterly speechless, his mind at a loss. Suddenly, he chuckled and asked, "Luffy! What is your dream?"

This question left Luffy momentarily stunned. "My dream?" he repeated. "The treasure at the end of the Grand Line, in the New World… Raftel. Shanks, you know this just as well as I do. Why would you ask that?"

Luffy's innocent gaze was unwavering, his eyes full of pure confusion. Shanks took a long, thoughtful look at the young man before him, unsure of what to say.

"But you're married now," Shanks said. "The boy who once had a single-minded dream... married at such a young age? And not just one, but dozens of wives? Honestly, Luffy, your actions are hard for me to comprehend. You… you don't seem like the Luffy I know."

Luffy laughed and replied, "Shanks, if I'm not Luffy, then who else could I be, huh?"

Shanks was struck speechless. The guy in front of him was definitely Monkey D. Luffy; no one else could have that look, that spirit. Shanks knew him better than most. Yet somehow, Luffy seemed so different from before. Apart from his appearance, it was as if he'd become someone else.

"Shanks," Luffy began, "Ace's passing made me realize a lot about this world." He poured Shanks another cup of tea and continued, "At one point, I wanted to die."

As he said this, Luffy's gaze locked onto Shanks's, unflinchingly serious. Shanks could feel the depth of Luffy's sincerity, the weight of his words. In Luffy's eyes, he saw a profound sadness, a fierce determination.

"Hancock saved me," Luffy said quietly, gesturing for the Empress to sit beside him. "She helped me see that in this world, besides brothers, there are other things worth cherishing—things like love, like family. Do you understand, Shanks?"

This question hit Shanks like a bolt of lightning, leaving him silent and pensive.

"My life has reignited," Luffy said. "Can you believe it, Shanks? I found new strength, new motivation." He paused, his eyes glinting with fierce resolve. "So… I married them. To keep that fire alive. To protect them. Until the end of the world."

Shanks was taken aback, momentarily hesitant. On one level, Luffy's explanation seemed reasonable, even logical. But something about it still didn't sit right. Shanks shook his head and sipped his tea, feeling as though he were in a bizarre dream.

"Luffy!" Shanks finally said. "How did you become like this? Even if marriage doesn't have to be a one-time thing, having so many wives... I can't help but feel like it's disrespectful to women."

For a moment, Luffy looked taken aback before he stood up and replied, "Shanks, don't overthink it. Seriously, I might just get upset. My goal is to tear down their regime in the end"

"Shanks," Luffy continued, "I've thought long and hard about this. I know my actions aren't easy for you to understand, but it's all real. They all wanted to love me. How could I refuse them? I didn't want to hurt anyone, so I married them all, and they think it's perfect—one solution for everyone."

As if to back him up, Aimee spoke up, "Exactly, Emperor Shanks! We're all like sisters. Marrying Lord Luffy is a blessing for us. We take care of each other, and when Lord Luffy sets sail again, we won't be left behind, feeling lonely."

Lori nodded and added, "Emperor Shanks, rest assured. Lord Luffy speaks of you often. He calls you his guiding light. He swore not to let your sacrifice of an arm be in vain."

The swordswoman chimed in, "Emperor Shanks! Maybe Lord Luffy's personality has changed, but if it hadn't, he would have been lost in depression, consumed by regret over his brother's death. Would you want to see him like that?"

As each of them spoke, Shanks listened quietly, feeling a lingering discomfort. At least, he thought, Luffy hadn't been crushed by his brother's death. He wasn't broken or spiritless. If that had been the case, Shanks would've had no choice but to give up on him—no exaggeration. That would've been the worst possible outcome.

Ideally, Shanks hoped Luffy would remain the optimistic, courageous, and passionate young man he'd always known. As he studied the young man before him, Shanks felt both familiarity and estrangement. True, Luffy's approach was unconventional, but his spirit hadn't diminished. Yes, Shanks could see that same fire in Luffy's eyes—the flame that had always set him apart.

That was when Empress Hancock took her turn to speak.

"Shanks," she said confidently, "rest assured. Luffy is a good man. He'll fulfill his dreams and lift the whole world along with him. It's something we discuss every night. I am Luffy's primary wife, and I understand his heart better than anyone. Luffy is one of the rare few in this world worthy of trust, and I swear on my life that he is true."

The weight of her words left Shanks stunned. Truthfully, the idea of Luffy marrying dozens of women was still something he found hard to accept—it felt to him like Luffy was wasting his passion. But with so many people putting their faith in him, Shanks couldn't help but consider that maybe Luffy was simply different, that his core nature hadn't really changed.

And yet, even with this reassurance, Shanks couldn't shake his lingering discomfort.

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