"Captain Ritter!" Lina came running up, arms full of equipment. Before he could react, she shoved everything into his hands in one go. "This is a special Eternal Pose made on Skypiea it points straight to Windmill Village! And this is the updated East Blue current chart; I finished recalibrating it last night! Oh, and here's an emergency Cloud Shell life raft just press here and it'll inflate automatically!"
Ritter blinked, staring at the growing pile in his arms, sweat trickling down his temple. "Lina... I'm just going home to the East Blue, not sailing into the New World's storm belt."
Her eyes went wide as though she'd suddenly remembered something terrifying.
"But but Captain!" Lina's voice pitched up, her delicate hands wringing together in panic. "The currents around East Blue have been unstable lately, and the papers say a new whirlpool cluster appeared near the Red Line! It's well it's probably nothing serious, but still…" Her voice faded into a worried mumble. "At least take a medical kit with you."
"Just in case... you know, if the boat capsizes due to unforeseen circumstances," she added nervously. "You're a Devil Fruit user, Captain. You can't swim it's dangerous!"
"It'll be fine," Ritter said, trying to sound reassuring.
"It won't be fine!" Lina stomped her foot. "What if there's no island nearby when you're stranded at sea? No! You need a lifeboat. This little skiff isn't safe enough you should take a bigger one!"
She looked ready to burst into tears. "What if you get sick and run into pirates? What if you don't have the strength to fight? That's dangerous too!"
Somewhere behind her, a crewmate murmured, "Don't worry, he's Ritter, the Fog Lord himself an Emperor of the Sea."
But Lina kept shaking her head in defiance, her long hair fluttering as she fussed around him. Ritter could only smile weakly, cold sweat pouring down his back. Watching her argue with herself planning routes, checking supplies, drawing backup maps he couldn't help but feel a warm tug in his chest.
He cleared his throat softly, afraid to startle her. "Uh, Lina... I think maybe "
He didn't even finish before she cut in, her voice rising another notch. "Captain, you think so too, right? That having Mr. Tesoro go to unify the East Blue first would be the safest option?"
Ritter froze. Wait what?
How had this conversation gone from 'bring a first-aid kit' to 'unifying the East Blue'?
He suddenly felt like a weary parent trying to explain to his overprotective daughter that he just wanted to visit home alone. Technically, Lina was still a young woman, but somehow her nagging gave off the energy of a worried mother.
Enel leaned against the mast, lazily munching on an apple. "Hey, nervous girl," he drawled. "You act like the captain's some rookie on his first voyage."
"Mr. Enel!" Lina snapped, lifting her head with rare determination. Her glare was sharp enough to make even the self-proclaimed god pause mid-bite. "Even Captain Ritter can run into unexpected danger!"
Silence fell. Enel choked, the apple stuck in his throat as his face turned crimson.
Ritter, on the other hand, felt himself turning pale. "We're... all just trying our best to live," he muttered under his breath.
The whole scene looked absurdly domestic a grown man trying to explain to his twenty-something crew member that he just wanted a solo trip, and her hearing it as, 'See that sea? I'm going to jump in and die dramatically for you.'
As Ritter sighed in defeat, Tesoro and Stella passed by on their way to their ship. Ritter gave them a salute, the corner of his mouth twitching upward with each step they took away, reaching its peak the moment they boarded.
And what a ship it was an elegant golden cruiser gleaming above the clouds, majestic yet tastefully understated. Dozens of men in black suits lined up on the deck.
The moment Tesoro and Stella stepped onto the gangplank, a blaring broadcast echoed across the air:
"Attention, everyone!"
In perfect unison, thirty men dropped to one knee, pulling roses from their jackets. "Congratulations, Boss and Madam, on your honeymoon! Wishing you a hundred years of happiness and many healthy children!"
Stella's golden hair puffed up like a dandelion. Tesoro's smile froze, each word squeezing through clenched teeth. "Who... told... you... to do this?!"
The front guard saluted sharply. "Sir! You did! You said it had to be a surprise for you and Madam!"
Ritter collapsed onto the dock, laughing so hard he slapped his thigh. "Surprise! Unexpected, right? I trained them for three whole days!"
Tesoro's temple twitched violently. The golden deck began to ripple and twist under his feet. Stella quickly grabbed his arm, whispering, "D-dear, calm down! Captain Ritter... actually meant well..."
Before Tesoro could explode, Lina's voice drifted over again, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
"Captain Ritter! Don't zone out! Did you memorize all my safety instructions?"
"Ahaha... yes, yes, I did," Ritter replied, already sweating again.
"Then repeat what I said."
"Uh..."
"Captain Ritter!"
"All right, all right! I'll listen carefully next time!"
Watching this, Tesoro suddenly relaxed. He glanced at the calm blue sky and exhaled. "Ah... what a fine day. The air feels wonderful."
Ritter's little skiff drifted peacefully across the sea. He wasn't in any rush to reach Windmill Village. He wanted to take his time, visiting small islands along the way, collecting keepsakes, and reliving the thrill of adventure.
It felt almost symbolic like returning to the starting line after circling the entire world. His "Raftel" wasn't some legendary treasure island. It was simply home.
Leaning back, Ritter crossed his legs and flipped open the thick manual Lina had written for him, "Navigational Safety Guide for the East Blue." The thing was so dense it could've doubled as a Poneglyph.
"'In case of storms, use the Heat Shell cloak... If attacked by sea kings, use the special bait...'" Ritter chuckled as he read aloud. "She really thinks the East Blue is the New World. But honestly, even the New World doesn't scare me anymore."
Just then, the calm ocean began to ripple strangely.
"Hey, you in the little boat stop right there!"
"Hand over all your fresh water!"
A shabby pirate ship blocked his path. The figure on deck a tall, scruffy man with a rusted sword looked more like a fisherman than a threat.
Ritter squinted, intrigued. "Oh? Interesting."
He wasn't in a bad mood. In fact, he felt playful. Maybe a little warm-up wouldn't hurt.
Slowly, he raised his hands, putting on the most exaggerated performance he could muster. "P-please don't shoot, s-sir!"
The tall pirate blinked, turning to his three crewmates. "Hey, uh... do we even have a gun?"
A scrawny man named Ah-Ya scratched his head. "Captain Ah-Dai, I don't think so."
"Then why'd he say we do?"
"Maybe we do but just... lost it somewhere?"
"All right, we'll check later," Ah-Dai nodded seriously.
For the first time in years, Ritter found himself genuinely curious about a group of pirates. "So, big brothers, mind telling me your bounty amounts? I'd like to know what I'm dying for."
"Dying? Oh, no need for that!" Ah-Dai rummaged through his pockets and triumphantly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Wait a sec... here! My wanted poster look!"
Ritter took the paper and tried not to laugh. "...Sixty-five... and two... two point five Berries?"
Ah-Dai puffed up proudly. "That's right! Sixty-five Berries and twenty-five cents! Don't forget the cents, that's important!"
Ritter snorted, unable to help himself. "You guys are real dragons and phoenixes among men."
Ah-Dai blinked, confused. "Wait dragons and what now?"
Ritter grinned. For some reason, the warmth in his chest deepened. Maybe, he thought, even on the sea full of chaos and absurdity... there was still room for laughter.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolutionand stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.