Ritter and the others didn't have to wait long. Just as he expected, the Marine major returned. The peaceful calm that had finally settled over the small town was shattered once again by the sound of boots pounding against cobblestones.
The Marine unit had come back or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they had planned to return all along.
The major kicked open the tavern's oak doors, sending dust cascading down from the frame.
"Received a report!" his voice boomed through the night, sharp and grating. "There are pirate collaborators hiding in this town! I've been ordered to conduct a thorough reinspection!"
The elderly village chief hurried forward, panic written across his wrinkled face. "S-sir, that can't be! We're all honest folk here! The pirates were just driven off by you moments ago "
"Silence, old man." The major shoved him aside and barked to his men, "Search every house! Every cellar, every corner! Leave nothing unchecked!"
The Marines swarmed through the streets like wolves loosed upon sheep. The sounds of shattering pottery, women screaming, and children crying filled the night.
One soldier emerged from a cellar carrying a sack of grain the very same sack he himself had placed there only hours ago. But now, half of it was mysteriously missing.
How convenient.
The major squinted suspiciously. "And this?"
"Sir, please!" The old village chief dropped to his knees, clutching the man's boots. "These were hidden when the pirates came! We were only trying to survive, I swear!"
"Hiding stolen goods an additional crime!" The major kicked the old man away and drew his sword with a metallic hiss. "Confiscate everything!"
Under the flickering torches, the golden buttons on the Marines' uniforms gleamed coldly. To Ace, Sabo, and Anne, they no longer shone with justice but with the same chill as drawn blades.
Ace's fingers tightened around the flintlock trigger, eyes locked on the major's smug face. One twitch, and the bullet would tear through his skull.
Anne and Sabo both moved subtly into position, ready to leap forward.
But then came the faint ripple of mist Ritter's blood-red haze spreading silently around the three of them, cloaking them in shadow.
His calm, almost detached voice drifted through the night. "Watch closely. This is the real world. It isn't simply good or evil. That's why I keep telling you only strength can let you decide your own fate. Whether you trust pirates or Marines, powerless kindness is nothing but foolishness."
Ace's voice trembled with restrained fury. "Ritter… can we kill them now?"
One word from Ritter yes and that bullet would fly.
But Ritter merely shook his head. "Not yet. We're only halfway through the show."
The major eventually left, pockets heavy and expression smug. But this time, Ritter and the three children followed. With Ritter's power, there was no chance the Marines would ever sense them.
They trailed the unit through the forest until the Marines reached the coast. The soldiers were laughing and chatting, the discipline from earlier completely gone.
The major looked around as if searching for someone. A voice came from behind the rocks.
"Well, well, right on time as always. Made quite the haul, didn't you?"
From the shadows emerged the scarred pirate captain they had fought earlier, a cigar glowing between his lips. He tossed a heavy pouch of coins into the air and caught it lazily. "Same deal as before. I don't touch what you confiscate, and we split the rest fifty-fifty."
The major took the bag and loosened the drawstring. The faint jingling of gold echoed beneath the moonlight. His mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "Good quality this time… but nearly half a town dead will be hard to explain to my superiors."
The pirates burst out laughing. The scarred captain slapped his thigh. "Those old fools killed themselves! Death happens, Major. Don't get greedy now. You're not getting another coin from us."
The words hit Ace, Sabo, and Anne like a hammer. They had grown up near Windmill Village Garp's home. The East Blue was supposed to be the calmest of seas. They had never seen this kind of corruption before.
Yet Ritter stood beside them, his breathing steady and eyes cold, as though this was nothing new.
"Why are you looking at me?" he said lightly. "Look at them. Do you think the answers are written on my face?"
Behind the rocks, several Marines were now drinking rum shoulder-to-shoulder with pirates. One young soldier bragged loudly through his drunken haze. "That old hag tried to hide her jewelry. One hit with my rifle butt and "
Clack!
Sabo's sword sheath struck the rock beside him. His knuckles turned white, his body trembling.
Ritter's hand pressed down heavily on his shoulder. The touch was firm, almost suffocating. "Look carefully. This is what lies behind so-called 'justice.' These are the same men who curse your fathers for starting the Great Pirate Era… and call you the bloodline of sin."
Ace thrashed in rage. "Then why are you stopping us?! They're monsters "
"Because you're still weak," Ritter said flatly. His cloak whipped in the wind, his shadow engulfing all three children. "If you rush out now, you'll just become three more corpses on the ground. What's the point? So your anger gets to explode once? Is that worth your lives?"
He crouched down, scarlet eyes meeting theirs. "Remember this feeling. Remember what it's like to be powerless. Burn it into your hearts."
In the distance, a burst of laughter rang out. The major tossed a bag of jewels toward the pirates. "Next time, bring me more gems! I need a promotion!"
"Ha! Don't worry, Major we'll make sure you get one!"
Their vile laughter mixed with the crash of waves. Every word every boast about the people they'd killed seared into the children's minds.
Anne's hands shook around her greatsword. Her whisper grew louder and louder, trembling with rage. "Shut up… you filth… shut up…"
"Shut up, I SAID SHUT UP!"
A thunderous wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from her, followed instantly by Ace's and Sabo's. Three surges of raw will slammed across the beach, flattening most of the pirates and Marines where they stood.
Only the major and the scarred captain remained barely conscious, gasping in shock.
Ritter's lips curved upward. "Finally."
This this was what he had been waiting for.
He watched them with quiet pride. Three small figures trembling under the moonlight, surrounded by unconscious enemies, their power blazing like newborn stars.
They had the qualities of kings.
In a twisted world ruled by corruption, hierarchy, and bloodlines, such strength of will was rare nearly impossible.
Ritter thought to himself: perhaps that was why he'd come here. To teach them that freedom wasn't granted by birth or law it was seized by those who refused to kneel.
To live freely, to follow one's will wasn't that the true spirit of a king?
The night wind carried away the stench of blood. The torches flickered out one by one, and the ocean roared in the distance.
Ritter turned his gaze skyward, the corners of his mouth softening. "Come on, little ones," he murmured. "The world won't wait for you. Show it who you are."
And under that dark sky, Ace, Sabo, and Anne stood tall for the first time not as children, but as the future kings of a sea yet to be claimed.