It was well known that the first time someone awakened the Conqueror's Haki, they would usually faint the sheer strain on the body was too great. Still, this was progress. With just this single emotional shock, the three kids had been forced to awaken their Haki.
Ritter had originally thought that if this didn't work, he'd have to take them to meet a Celestial Dragon. Those creatures, born of power and privilege, were the perfect catalysts for awakening a king's will.
He muttered to himself, half amused, half exasperated. You three didn't say you were running low on stamina...
Fine then, Uncle Ritter will help you out.
Crimson mist swirled from Ritter's body, flooding toward the three kids. The blood mist seeped into their skin, reigniting the strength that had nearly burnt out. Their eyes snapped open once again they weren't done yet.
Go on, my little hunters... let the hunt begin.
Domain Expansion.
Ritter's voice echoed softly, yet the air itself trembled. He extended his hand toward the foggy battlefield as if drawing cards from an invisible deck.
"I summon Ace," he murmured playfully, his tone carrying the rhythm of a card game announcer. "When a member of the Ritter family stands on the field, I can special summon two more from my hand. I choose Sabo and Anne, in attack mode."
He paused dramatically. "And that's not all. I activate the Commander's Effect! When Ritter is the leader on the field, I can add one 'Blood Mist Descent' card from the deck to my hand."
Ritter grinned. "And now I'll play my soul my trump card Blood Mist Descent!"
The very air quaked as the scarlet fog surged outward. Its effect: all members of the Ritter family gained two thousand points of strength and defense. They could no longer be harmed by weapons, magic, or traps. Each turn, the enemy's life force would drain by a thousand, while Ritter's side recovered the same amount.
The mist rolled across the rocky shore like a living tide, swallowing everything in its path. In the space of a heartbeat, the laughter and shouting of the marines and pirates vanished into silence.
"What's going on?! Formation! Hurry!" the major barked, gripping the hilt of his saber.
"R-report, sir," a trembling soldier stammered, "there's… something in the fog…"
Ritter smirked from the distance. Oh, still doing reports, are we? Cute.
A shadow flashed by.
A single, strangled scream tore through the stillness. The one-eyed pirate's throat bore a thin red line, and his body hit the sand before his mind could even process pain. Anne's figure melted back into the mist, her greatsword clean, her expression calm.
"Enemy attack! Defensive formation!" the major shouted, but his men could barely hear him over their own pounding hearts. They huddled together, backs to each other, muskets shaking.
A gunshot cracked through the fog. One pirate's knee exploded in a burst of blood. Before anyone could react, Ace emerged from the mist, his flintlock still smoking, a feral grin twisting his lips.
"Number two," he said coldly.
Ritter sighed. Kids these days… always playing with people's heads.
Sabo moved next silent as a ghost. His silver blade glinted once before striking like a serpent. Two marines managed to raise their swords, but they snapped like brittle sticks. Neither of them even saw Sabo's face before darkness took them.
"Damn it! Devil Fruit users!" roared the scarred pirate captain, swinging his machete wildly. "Come out and fight like men!"
A heavy sound answered him.
Anne's sword came crashing down on his spine. The crack of shattering bone echoed across the shore. The captain spat blood, falling to his knees. Before he could even turn, Ace pressed the muzzle of his gun to the back of his head.
"When you killed those villagers," Ace said in a voice trembling with fury, "did they get to beg for mercy?"
The major finally snapped. He slashed at the mist around him like a madman, screaming, "Come out, you filthy little "
A blade touched his throat. Cold and unyielding. Sabo's face appeared before him, calm as the moon.
"We're not pirates," Sabo whispered. "We're your ferrymen to hell."
When the fog finally cleared, the rocky shore was silent. Only bodies remained, scattered like broken dolls.
Ritter stood at the edge of the carnage, watching as the three kids walked back toward him faces calm, eyes bright, not a drop of blood on them.
"Good teamwork," Ritter said with a hint of pride. He ruffled Anne's hair. "Anne, you handled the ambush perfectly. Ace provided long-range cover, Sabo cleaned up the stragglers… but next time, leave one alive, will you? I still want to know where they hide the money. That's part of our income, you know."
Ace scratched his head. "They were scum anyway. Weren't we gonna give the money back to the villagers?"
"Of course," Ritter said lightly. "We'll return what they stole but whatever's left? That's our payment. Think of it as the villagers hiring you to avenge them."
Sabo stared at his blade, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do they even deserve to wear that uniform?"
Ritter didn't answer. He looked toward the horizon, where dawn was breaking, the first pale light brushing against the sea. "It's almost morning. Time to go home."
By the time the sun rose, the four figures had vanished into the mist. Only the sea breeze remained, sighing across the rocks, carrying away the last trace of blood.
They rode hard through the morning back to Windmill Village. Ritter couldn't afford to linger Rouge had already called through the Den Den Mushi several times. They were supposed to be gone for just a few days. It had been nearly a week.
Rouge wasn't angry, just worried. No mother could stay calm when her children were missing that long.
When the four finally appeared at the end of the dirt road, Rouge was already waiting at the door. Her eyes widened, relief flooding her face as she hurried toward them.
"What took you so long?" she scolded gently, kneeling to check each child. "Are you hurt? Hungry?"
Ace beamed and proudly held up a bulging pouch. "Look, Mom! We made tons of money!" He shook it so the coins clinked merrily.
Sabo smiled shyly. "We also helped chase away some bad pirates."
Anne quietly pulled a small shell wind chime from her pocket and handed it to Rouge. "For you, Mom. We found it in town."
Rouge's eyes softened as she accepted it. "Oh, it's beautiful! But you three honestly!" She turned to Ritter and lightly tapped his forehead. "You! Keeping them out this late?"
Ritter raised his hands in mock surrender. "My bad, my bad! Just wanted them to see the world outside the village."
He winked at the kids. "And they did great, didn't they?"
At dinner, Ace animatedly retold their "adventure," his hands flying everywhere. "That pirate captain didn't even see us coming! Anne smashed him flat! Then Sabo and I finished him off bam, bam!" He laughed, leaving out every trace of blood.
Sabo sipped his warm milk and added, "The grilled fish in that town was amazing." His eyes sparkled with genuine delight, as if that had been the highlight of the trip.
Anne ate quietly, occasionally nodding along. When Rouge looked her way, she raised a tiny fist and smiled, "Victory!"
They didn't speak of corpses, of screams, or of the darkness that had swallowed that coastal town.
Ritter smiled faintly. These were children who only reported joy, never sorrow and maybe, just maybe, that was enough.