One Piece: I'm not Roger

Aether's words made Shanks grin with excitement. The chance to fight the captain he had always admired was something he had wanted for years.

As a child, Shanks had dreamed of one day challenging the towering figure who had shaped his life. That desire had never faded.

A day after leaving Marineford, Shanks had already spoken with Aether. Their conversation had been brief, but he had accepted the explanation of resurrection. Even so, a trace of doubt had lingered. Becoming younger after death sounded too strange to fully believe.

Now that he understood the method behind it, that doubt disappeared. The fire of his youth returned, burning stronger than ever.

"Captain Roger, today I will show you how far I've come."

"I'm looking forward to it, Shanks."

Shanks drew his sword, his smile bright and almost childlike.

Beckman watched from the side, feeling genuinely happy. Seeing his captain finally fulfill a long-held dream was something special.

As Aether and the man known as the Pirate King prepared to fight, the entire banquet shifted in focus. Even the defeated members of the Whitebeard Pirates lifted their heads, their attention drawn to the coming clash. Everyone present was eager to see what would happen.

"Who do you think is stronger?"

"It should be Roger. He's the Pirate King."

"Red-Haired Shanks isn't inferior. He rules the seas in this era."

"Don't underestimate our captain. He's a monster too."

The debate spread quickly. Was it the legend of the past, or the emperor of the present?

Most had already seen Aether's power at Marineford. His clash with Garp had been even more terrifying than Whitebeard's battle with Sengoku.

"These guys are really making a scene."

Aether brushed crumbs off his coat. This fight would be useful, he could still gain something from the Red Hair Pirates.

As he walked away from Rayleigh, a familiar teasing voice called out.

"Be careful. Shanks isn't the kid from twenty-two years ago anymore. Underestimate him and you'll regret it."

Aether simply shrugged. He took the sword Hancock handed him, then lightly kissed her cheek.

Her composed, regal expression shattered instantly, replaced by flustered embarrassment.

"Don't worry. With Shanks' reputation, I won't take him lightly."

As he passed Ace and Luffy, Aether paused and handed something to Ace.

"This is the Resurrection Cross. It can revive a blood relative. Whether you want to bring your mother back is your choice. Just know that using it may cause unpredictable changes to your body."

The moment the item appeared, the crowd erupted.

"An item that can revive the dead?"

"Can we use it to bring Pops back?"

"We have to try, but only Roger has something like that."

Marco, who had been silent since the war, suddenly looked up. Hope flickered in his eyes.

Aether ignored Ace's stunned expression. If it had any use to him, he would have kept it. The only person Ace could revive was Portgas D. Rouge, the mother he had never known.

With his coat swaying behind him, Aether stepped into the open space, his fighting spirit rising. He was genuinely curious about Shanks' current strength.

Ace slowly regained his senses, gripping the cross tightly. His emotions were in turmoil.

Beside him, Luffy stared at it with wide eyes.

"Ace, can that really bring someone back?"

"Maybe… that's probably how Roger came back, right?"

"That's amazing. Then you can bring your mom back."

Ace didn't respond immediately. If it could truly revive the dead, then Whitebeard…

He shook his head. Aether had specifically told him to think about his mother. If he wanted to revive Whitebeard, he would need to ask Roger.

Thinking about Rouge, about everything she had sacrificed, his heart began to race.

Meanwhile, Aether and Shanks faced each other in the clearing. The noise around them faded as their eyes locked.

Both smiled.

Both tightened their grip on their weapons.

Then, without a word, the battle began.

A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept across the area.

Dark red lightning burst from both men as their Conqueror's Haki collided. Two overwhelming forces clashed like storms crashing into each other.

Crack. Boom. Crack.

The impact did not explode outward immediately. Instead, their Haki pushed against each other, locked in a fierce struggle.

The ground beneath them began to fracture. Pieces of stone rose into the air before being crushed into dust. Even the space around them seemed to warp under the pressure.

Above, the clouds churned violently.

Even those standing far away felt the weight pressing down on them. Weaker pirates began to lose consciousness.

Buggy had been boasting moments earlier, but the instant the Haki reached him, his expression changed completely. He scrambled backward in panic.

Pirates collapsed one after another. Even those with decent strength struggled to remain standing.

Buggy let out a helpless sigh.

"Roger is one thing, but even Shanks has become this terrifying…"

Though he had long abandoned his ambitions, seeing Shanks reach such heights stirred something deep inside him.

On the battlefield, the clash began to shift.

Aether's Conqueror's Haki slowly pushed forward, overpowering Shanks' until it was reduced to a fraction of its original strength.

The Red Hair Pirates turned pale.

"How is this possible? Even if Shanks isn't above Roger, he shouldn't be suppressed like this."

They had never seen their captain's Conqueror's Haki dominated so completely. Not even Whitebeard had done this.

Yasopp crossed his arms, his expression serious, though he still spoke with a hint of humor.

"Never thought I'd see the day the captain gets suppressed like this. After all that talk about his Haki too."

"Yeah, we're definitely bringing this up later."

Beckman, however, was focused on Rayleigh, who was calmly eating and watching as if everything was already decided.

"Rayleigh, who do you think will win?"

Rayleigh glanced at him, immediately understanding his confidence.

"I don't think Roger can lose. What about you?"

"I don't think Shanks will lose either."

The two exchanged a look, then laughed.

Neither doubted their captain.

"Haha, let's just watch."