During their time living on Sabaody, the three little sisters kept pouring over the newspapers of the past few months. The more they read, the more their admiration for Ritter grew.
It wasn't the shallow admiration of strangers reading about a hero it was the kind of unshakable pride a younger sibling feels toward an older brother.
After Shanks and Perona, Ritter had somehow collected three more little fans. Of course, it was all innocent. Only a fool would believe Ritter would ever harbor questionable thoughts about children.
The morning sun had only just climbed onto the branches of Sabaody's massive mangroves when a piercingly clear voice shattered the quiet of Shakky's bar.
"Raaay leeiigh saan!"
Rayleigh's daily suffering began. He jolted so hard he rolled off his hammock, nearly dropping the half-empty bottle of rum onto his own foot.
Bleary-eyed, he squinted at the three small figures lined up in front of him: Hancock stood front and center with her hands on her hips, while Sanda Sonia and Marigold flanked her like guards.
"It's only…" Rayleigh pulled out his pocket watch and groaned. "Six in the morning? Do kids not sleep in anymore?"
From the corner, Ritter smirked. Look at this guy when he trained me, he was a demon. Now with them, he acts like a kind old man. Two-faced Rayleigh indeed.
"Uncle Rayleigh! We're ready!" Hancock declared, her childish voice ringing with authority. "Please start our Haki training!"
But before the solemn moment could sink in
"Gurururuuuu…"
Sanda Sonia's stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. The little girl flushed scarlet, clapping her hands to her belly in embarrassment.
Rayleigh rubbed his temples and pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. "Alright… how about this? I'll shuffle these cards and pretend to make a move. If you can tell me exactly which card I'm aiming for, breakfast will come with double eggs."
He completely withdrew his Haki and aura, keeping himself at the level of an ordinary man to lower the difficulty for the kids.
Marigold's eyes sparkled. She shot up her hand immediately. "I'll go first!"
She stared intently at the deck, her eyes narrowing. "The third one from the left!"
"No way!" Hancock shoved forward. "It's the one in the bottom right corner!"
The problem, of course, was that Rayleigh hadn't even moved.
"How is that possible…" Hancock scowled, glaring at him like he'd cheated.
Rayleigh wilted under the combined pressure of three accusing little faces. With a helpless sigh, he spun on his heel and shoved the cards into Ritter's hands. "Forget it. I'm broke again. If I don't sell myself for work, I'll never get enough money for liquor."
And just like that, the responsibility of training the three little sisters in Observation Haki fell squarely onto Ritter.
Three small rabbits made of condensed mist hopped on Hancock's head, each bouncing in different directions.
"Focus," Ritter drawled from where he sat lazily on the table. "Whoever can sense the exact location of all three rabbits at once gets tonight's pudding and an extra egg."
He released a thin fog into the room. Interwoven within it was his Conqueror's Haki. The air grew heavy, swallowing up the light until the room darkened unnaturally.
The sisters huddled close together. Though they'd only just begun to grasp Observation Haki, their instincts screamed that something terrifying was drawing near.
"Observation Haki isn't for finding rabbits, little Hancock," Ritter's voice cut through the gloom like a blade. "It's for sensing pressure like this when a storm is about to break."
The three nodded with grave faces, determined to learn. Hancock even clenched her fists and looked Ritter in the eye. "Brother Ritter, we can feel it clearly!"
Ritter ruffled each of their heads in turn. His smile was gentle, but his words cut like a hammer. "Feel it, my foot. I already pulled my aura back long ago. You weren't sensing me at all."
The girls froze, mouths agape.
Ritter sighed. Do I say they're learning fast? They didn't even notice when I cut off my aura. Do I say they're hopeless? They actually picked up on another presence that I leaked on purpose just to remind them…
"Brother Ritter…" Sanda Sonia whispered, her big eyes round with fear. "Is it the Great Sea King Demon come to invade Sabaody?"
She was referring to the bedtime story Ritter had spun for them the night before.
From behind the counter, Shakky muttered, "And why didn't I get a bedtime story, huh?"
Ritter chuckled and swirled his glass of wine. "Something far more interesting than a sea monster."
As if to prove his words, footsteps began echoing down the cobblestone street outside the bar. One set… then a second… then more, drawing closer with every step.
"Who's coming?" Marigold squeaked, darting behind Hancock. The eldest quickly shepherded her sisters to Ritter's side for protection.
Ritter finally set down his drink. His eyes flicked to Ginny, and he teased her with a sly grin. "Your sweetheart is here."
The last footstep stopped just outside the door. The wind itself seemed to hold its breath.
"Come in," Ritter called casually toward the empty doorway. "Or does the leader of the Revolutionary Army prefer playing hide-and-seek?"
A tall figure stepped inside, his green cloak brushing the floor. He pulled back his hood to reveal sharp, weathered features eyes that burned with a deeper conviction than years past.
Monkey D. Dragon.
Behind him loomed the massive form of Bartholomew Kuma, clutching his heavy Bible. His gaze softened when it fell on Ginny, though he said nothing.
Hancock gasped sharply. She recognized him instantly. This was the man the newspapers called the most dangerous criminal in the world.
And yet, here he was, bowing his head respectfully to Ritter.
"Teacher," Dragon said, his voice more steady and mature than ever. "I've come to turn in my assignment."
"…Teacher?" Ritter blinked, utterly dumbfounded. What the hell? Since when was I his teacher?
Somewhere in the ether, the other time travelers would be clutching their sides, laughing. Not seniors anymore, huh, Ritter? Looks like you've got yourself a student. Well then, young master Ritter, care for a foot massage from your little apprentice?
Behind the bar, Shakky's cigarette slipped from his lips and fell with a faint hiss to the floor. His shock was plain he never imagined Dragon knew Ritter, let alone respected him. Ritter's depths were clearly far greater than he'd guessed.
Ritter's gaze swept lazily from Kuma to Ginny, then back. He grinned, sharp and knowing. "Kuma… I hear you've been doing quite well in the Revolutionary Army?"
Kuma snapped his Bible shut with a thud. His eyes, usually distant, now glowed with gratitude. "…I owe it all to your guidance."
"In that case " Ritter stretched and let a rod of blood-red mist form into a pointer in his hand. "Dragon, hold your horses. I'll handle Ginny's request first. As for you, Kuma… your attitude, while polite, is really pissing me off."
For anyone else, it might have seemed ridiculous. But Ritter remembered all too well the path Kuma would one day tread. The gentle giant who once cherished his promise to Bonney would be turned into a soulless machine. Ritter had cried rivers over that scene in the original timeline.
If things were left alone, Kuma would be doomed to repeat that fate.
But Ritter was not the kind of man to stand by.
Sometimes, the only way to deal with a stubborn fool who won't speak his heart… is to beat it out of him.
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