Chapter 17: Chapter 15: The Ringwaraith's Curse.
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The ground shook as the armoured figure charged, his massive sword gleaming with an eerie, unnatural glow. The sky darkened, thunder rumbling in the distance.
Buggy took a step back. "Welp. That's my cue to LEAVE!"
"OI! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" Nami shouted.
Buggy scrambled behind a rock. "I mean I'm not STUPID enough to fight a Nazgûl!"
The Straw Hats barely had time to process his words before the enemy swung his blade down.
"GET BACK!" Zoro shouted, drawing his swords.
Luffy leapt into action, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
His fist shot forward, stretching towards the armoured figure.
CLANG!
Luffy's punch collided with the knight's sword—but instead of sending the enemy flying, something terrifying happened.
Luffy's arm instantly turned ice-cold.
His skin turned pale.
A sudden weight pressed down on him, as if his very soul was being drained.
"AHH!" Luffy clutched his arm, stumbling backwards.
"Luffy!" Chopper cried out, rushing forward. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "That's no ordinary enemy…"
Robin's voice was calm, yet grave. "He's not just a knight. He's a Ringwraith."
The name sent a chill through the air.
Sanji lit his cigarette. "Tch. I've never heard of them."
Robin crossed her arms. "The Ringwraiths were the enforcers of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Middle-earth. Cursed to exist in an eternal half-life… neither dead nor alive." Her gaze turned sharp. "And now, they serve Imu."
Usopp turned pale. "T-That's cheating! Ghost warriors?! We're fighting ghosts now?!"
Luffy clenched his fist, shaking off the numbness. "So what? Ghost or not—I'LL KICK HIS ASS!"
The Ringwraith slowly raised his sword again. The air grew colder.
Buggy, still hiding behind a rock, poked his head out. "Yeahhh, Straw Hat? Fun fact—hitting a Ringwraith without magic is basically useless."
Luffy blinked. "Eh?"
The knight moved like lightning.
WHOOSH!
In the blink of an eye, the Ringwraith was in front of Luffy.
"Luffy, MOVE!" Zoro shouted.
But it was too late.
The Ringwraith slammed his palm into Luffy's chest.
For a split second, Luffy's eyes widened.
A pulse of black energy erupted—
—And Luffy collapsed.
Inside the Void
Luffy gasped.
The battlefield was gone.
Instead, he stood in a sea of shadows.
Everything was silent.
And then—he heard it.
A whisper.
"You are not ready."
Luffy turned.
Standing before him was the same cloaked figure from his vision. The one with burning red eyes.
Luffy clenched his fists. "Who the hell are you?!"
The figure stepped forward. His voice echoed with power.
"You carry the Ring… but you are still weak."
Luffy growled. "I'M NOT WEAK!"
The figure raised his hand.
Luffy suddenly felt the weight of the Ring grow heavier.
His breath hitched.
His body trembled.
It was as if the very essence of the world was crushing him.
The figure's voice was calm. "You seek the truth, yet you have not faced the price of knowing it."
Luffy gritted his teeth. "I don't care about the price! If it means finding the One Piece—if it means stopping Imu—I'LL PAY IT!"
The figure paused.
Then, for the first time, he smiled.
"Good."
Darkness swallowed Luffy whole—
Back in Reality
Luffy gasped awake.
The moment his eyes snapped open, the Ringwraith staggered back.
His body shook violently, as if something had just struck HIM instead.
The Straw Hats all turned toward Luffy.
Chopper cried out, "LUFFY!"
Luffy slowly got to his feet. His breathing was heavy.
But there was something different about him.
The air around him crackled.
The Ring on Buggy's finger suddenly shook violently.
Buggy's eyes widened. "No way…"
Zoro's grip on his sword tightened. "Luffy…?"
Luffy looked up. His eyes… were glowing.
A faint, golden aura surrounded his body.
The Ringwraith hissed. It was afraid.
Luffy tilted his head, cracking his knuckles.
Then he grinned.
"Round two?"
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To Be Continued in Chapter 16: The will of the First King.
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If you want to read more up to 3 or even 7 chapters .
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Thanks for the support. And please take a look for my second work Spider-Verse: The Web of Deception.