"This is where we usually store our whetstones." Kuina pointed toward the side room beside the dojo, her tone a mixture of pride and shyness.
Ritter glanced at the stone steps nearby, then carefully looked up and down the entire structure.
In the world of One Piece, there were three legendary relics.
The Supreme Flip-Flops, the Supreme Straw Hat, and the Supreme Staircase.
These three absurd artifacts, for some reason, had become the ultimate treasures feared across the seas.
"Thanks, little Kuina." Ritter reached out and softly patted her head. A thin veil of blood mist flickered around her body and disappeared. Such a cheerful, sunny little girl. To think that in the original fate, she was taken out by a staircase. Among all the tragic ends in One Piece, she ranked right behind Kuma and that third old man who died pointlessly.
Once everyone was settled, days went by peacefully. Then a Den Den Mushi call came in from Tesoro.
Tesoro rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated. "Captain, where even are you right now?"
"In the East Blue. What is it, Mr. Tycoon?" Ritter casually munched a piece of fruit while watching the four kids train, his voice slow and unconcerned. "What is it? Miss your handsome captain?"
The Tesoro Den Den Mushi went dark with black lines across its face. "Captain, you better hide well. Garp is scouring the entire sea looking for you. He almost demolished our entire auction house on Sabaody. Lost a bunch of weapon stock too. Luckily he was only venting, but we still shed a whole layer of skin."
Ritter's Den Den Mushi nodded. "Reasonable."
Tesoro roared into the receiver. "Are you even listening? Damn it! Captain, go to the North Blue when you have time. I found the Germa Kingdom you told me to investigate."
Ritter casually waved a hand, completely unconcerned. "Yeah, yeah. Got it. If nothing else, I am hanging up."
(The author puts on a layer of armor first. Everything below is based on obscure scraps of lore and my personal interpretation. I connected the dots with my own speculation, crafting a second-creation version. It is logically sound, I promise, even if it lacks official confirmation. Since I am writing ahead of the canon anyway, might as well be bold. No one else has written this specific storyline as far as I know, so there is nothing for you all to compare or scold. Treat it as original.)
Tesoro had barely hung up when a puff of red hair sprouted from the Den Den Mushi again.
"Moshi moshi! Brother Ritter, can you hear me? Moshi moshi! Beckman, did you forget to feed it again? Did you starve it?"
"Idiot captain, I feed this Den Den Mushi every day. How could it die? Use your brain for once."
"Why is there no sound from the other side? Maybe we should feed it more."
Ritter immediately perked up. It had been years since he last received a call from the little red-haired kid Shanks. "What is it, Little Shanks? Need your handsome big brother Ritter to rescue you? Arrested by the Marines?"
A burst of snickering echoed from the Shanks Den Den Mushi. "Pfft. Little Shanks. So that was your childhood nickname, Captain."
"Shut up, you idiots!" The Den Den Mushi transformed into a toothy shark smile before clearing its throat and calling into the receiver. "Ahem. Ritter, where are you right now? I need to talk to you in person. It's important."
"Where are you guys? I am in East Blue, Frost Moon Village. Come over."
Shanks' voice lifted with relief. "Perfect. We are also in the East Blue. Frost Moon Village, Beckman. You know the place?"
"I do, Captain."
"Great. Ritter, we will meet in a few days. Move out, boys."
"Captain, hang up the Den Den Mushi."
"Oh. Right. My bad. See you soon, Brother Ritter."
The line disconnected.
Ritter tapped his chin thoughtfully. Nothing major should be happening around this time. Ah well. The ship will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.
Kuuuu! Whoooosh!
Several days later, at Frost Moon Village's small port, the Red Force slowly approached the pier. Shanks stood on the bow. His red coat billowed in the breeze as he pressed down on his straw hat.
"Captain, that should be Frost Moon Village." Beckman exhaled smoke as he studied the coastline. "Looks peaceful."
Shanks hopped off the ship. "Let's go meet the Ritter I told you all about."
Ritter lounged on a wooden chair, sunbathing with one leg crossed over the other. The three boys and Kuina were practicing not far away. His ear twitched. Several familiar presences had entered the range of his blood-sense.
"Well now, special guests." He sat up lazily. "Kids, we have visitors."
Ace halted mid-swing and wiped his forehead. "Who?"
Before he finished the question, the dojo door slid open. A red-haired man wearing a straw hat walked in alongside Koshiro. Behind him were Beckman, Lucky Roo, Yasopp, and a lively little girl with bright eyes.
Uta.
(Since Uta is two years older than Luffy, Ace is four years older than Luffy due to the adjusted timeline, which makes Ace two years older than Uta and one year older than Sabo.)
Shanks' gaze landed immediately on Ace and Ann. His pupils tightened for an instant but soon returned to calm.
Koshiro greeted Ritter. "Mr. Ritter, these gentlemen say they are your friends. I will leave you to it."
"Thank you, Koshiro."
"Brother Ritter!" Shanks opened his arms wide, face glowing with joy. "Sashi buri da na! Long time no see!"
Ritter stepped forward, pulling him into a firm embrace. Shanks lowered his voice. "Roger's child?"
Ritter patted his back. "Yes. Keep it quiet."
"This is Ann and Ace. The one with the hat is Sabo."
"Just like the captain. Truly his style."
Once they separated, Shanks crouched down to meet the kids at eye level. "So you three are Ace, Ann, and Sabo. I am Shanks. You can call me... hmm... call me Big Brother Shanks."
Ann clung to Ritter's sleeve, staring nervously at the red-haired pirate who seemed to look at them with complicated emotions. Ritter reached back and touched her shoulder.
"It's alright, Ann. If you ever can't find your uncle when you go to sea, you can go find Shanks."
Rouge stepped forward. "Hello. My husband told me about you. Shanks, right? I am Rouge, the mother of these three little troublemakers. Would you like some tea and cookies? I just baked a fresh batch."
Shanks' tone became respectful in an instant. He bowed deeply. "Rouge, it is an honor to finally meet you. Please take care of me."
Rouge smiled gently. "What a handsome young man."
Ace stepped closer, boldly observing him. "So you are Red-Haired Shanks? I heard you are really strong."
Shanks chuckled and bent down again. "You must be Ace. You have spirit."
Ace froze, then clenched his fists. "Do you know my dad?"
Shanks nodded, eyes softening with nostalgia. "Of course. He was the man I respected most."
Sabo removed his hat politely. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shanks."
Ann simply stared up at him, silent but curious.
Shanks stroked her head. "You three are remarkable."
Then Uta peeked out from behind him. "Shanks, who are they?"
Shanks laughed. "This is Uta, our musician. Uta, this is Uncle Ritter, Aunt Rouge, and these three kids: Ace, Sabo, and Ann."
Uta waved sweetly. "Hello."
Ace asked instantly, "Can you sing?"
Uta puffed up with pride. "Of course. I am going to be the world's greatest diva."
Sabo smiled. "That sounds amazing."
Ann stepped forward quietly and offered her a candy. "Here. For energy."
Uta beamed. "Thank you."