After arranging work for Ah-Dai and his crew, Ritter set sail straight for Foosha Village.
Robin had written to him a while ago, saying she wanted to go out and see the world. Ritter had agreed, so he hadn't prepared a gift for her this time.
As he stepped onto the familiar shore, the sea breeze brushed past his cloak, carrying with it the scent of earth and blooming flowers. His gaze swept over the peaceful village, finally settling on a small cottage not far away where a little girl with golden hair stood quietly, staring right at him.
Anne was wearing a light blue dress, holding tightly onto her favorite sunflower doll.
Her expression was calm, almost unreadable, but the corners of her lips curved ever so slightly, revealing the faintest trace of a smile. She didn't shout or run forward. She simply stood there, eyes fixed on him, unwavering.
Ritter's face softened into a smile as he strode forward. "Anne! Uncle's home!" he said warmly, spreading his arms wide, ready for his niece to jump into his embrace.
After all, in every letter he'd received, Anne's words outnumbered Ace's by at least four times. In Ritter's imagination, she had already become a cheerful, lively little girl who would come running into his arms yelling, 'Uncle Ritter! I missed you so much! You're my favorite uncle in the whole world!'
He even pictured her giggling and spinning around, her laughter echoing through the air.
Ritter chuckled to himself, wiping away a line of drool from the corner of his mouth. "Heh… time to turn that beautiful fantasy into reality."
But instead of running to him, Anne simply stood where she was. When Ritter reached her, she slowly extended one hand and gently wrapped her tiny fingers around his. Still silent, still smiling faintly.
Anne: ▼_▼
Ritter froze for a second, crouching down to meet her eyes. "Anne? You don't recognize your uncle? I'm pretty famous, you know. Didn't Mayor Mork send over any newspapers?"
He waved his hand in front of her eyes. "What happened? Did that old man Garp not take care of you properly? Did you hurt your throat? Tell me, sweetheart."
As he spoke, blood mist flickered faintly around his fingertips as he gently touched Anne's shoulder, trying to send her some of his vitality to check for injuries.
But Anne shook her head silently, tightening her grip on his finger.
"No… that can't be right." Ritter frowned. "Her body's perfectly healthy, heart rate and breathing all normal. Garp! You old fossil! What kind of injury is this that even I can't detect?"
Without another word, Ritter shoved a piece of pure gold into Anne's arms.
"Uncle, I "
Anne: O_O?
Before she could react, Ritter pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's okay, sweetheart," he murmured. "That gold will stabilize your energy flow. Uncle will definitely find a way to heal you."
His eyes hardened. "Now tell me who did this? Was it someone from the Goa Kingdom? Those fools must have a death wish!"
He drew the great black blade Blacktide from his back, turning toward the direction of the royal city, his aura flaring like a storm.
Anne didn't quite understand what was happening, but she knew enough to grab onto his pinky finger, trying desperately to stop him.
Anne: (???)?
Just then, a familiar voice came shouting from afar.
"Uncle! Let's fight! I'm super strong now!" Ace came charging down the hill, waving a wooden stick with fiery enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, his timing couldn't have been worse.
Ritter turned to look at the boisterous Ace, then back to the silent Anne and his temper flared again.
Blood mist swirled violently around him. "Garp! Get out here right now and see what you've done! You turned my bright, cheerful niece into this quiet little statue! Give me back the old Anne!"
He was already dialing the Den Den Mushi, ready to tell Tesoro to track down Garp's current location, when
A gentle but firm hand pinched his ear.
"Ow ow ow! Sis! Let go, that hurts!" Ritter instantly deflated, crouching down with a pitiful expression, looking more like a scolded child than a feared pirate.
Rouge Ace and Anne's mother tapped him lightly on the head. Her tone was kind but carried quiet authority. "Ritter, Anne has always been quiet. She just prefers writing to talking. That's how she is not because she's shy, not because someone hurt her."
Ritter blinked, dumbfounded. "Wait… what? But in her letters, she "
"She writes a lot because that's how she expresses herself," Rouge said, smiling gently as she brushed Anne's hair. "Right, Anne?"
Anne nodded lightly, the faintest spark of mischief glimmering in her eyes.
Ritter stared, realization dawning on him. "So… she's always been like this?"
Rouge sighed with amusement. "Yes. And you after all these years you don't even remember your niece's personality anymore."
Ritter crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "Still… Garp's gotta be involved somehow. Maybe he smacked the joy out of her with one of his 'love punches'…"
"Ritter." Rouge's tone grew stern, though her expression remained kind. "Garp's done more for us than you realize. When Ace caused trouble, he was the one apologizing to the townsfolk. When Anne got sick, he crossed the mountains in the middle of the night to find a doctor."
She pointed toward the clothesline by the porch. "See those little bibs with the Marine insignia? He brings new ones every time he visits."
Ritter turned to look sure enough, rows of tiny bibs fluttered in the sea breeze, each embroidered with a seagull emblem.
He frowned. "Heh, I see your little plan, old man. I see it clear as day."
The sea wind blew gently, and the bibs swayed under the fading sunlight. The rage in Ritter's chest slowly melted away.
Then he noticed the same insignia stitched onto Anne's sleeve one that resembled an admiral's emblem.
Ritter gawked. "Photoshopped by Garp, I swear! You've gotta be kidding me!"
He slumped down in defeat, drawing circles in the sand with his finger.
Rouge chuckled and flicked his forehead. "Ace's energy gives me headaches sometimes, but Anne's quiet nature makes her easy to raise. You should be grateful."
Ritter blinked in confusion then felt his coat tugged from behind.
Anne was standing there, looking up at him with a warm, gentle smile.
"Welcome home, Uncle," she said softly.
Ritter froze. Then his heart nearly exploded from sheer joy. He lightly kicked Ace aside, ignoring the boy's protests, and started spinning Anne in the air with a laugh.
"Fine, fine! Uncle accepts this version of you too! A quiet, three-expression little girl is adorable in her own way!"
He grinned at Rouge. "But seriously, Sis, are you sure you and Makino didn't spoil Ace too much? That kid's louder than a Sea King during mating season "
Before he could finish, Rouge tapped his head again. "One more word about the children, and you're eating nothing but bitter gourd stew tonight."
By the time the sun sank fully into the horizon, the warm glow of the cottage spilled out across the fields. The smell of stew filled the air.
Ritter sat cross-legged at the dinner table, watching Ace devour meatballs with wild enthusiasm while Anne quietly pushed her share toward him.
Rouge ladled soup into bowls, then suddenly smiled and pulled something from her apron pocket a small charm.
"This," she said, placing it in Ritter's hand, "is a charm Anne made last year. It's been under your pillow ever since."
Ritter looked down. The amulet was clumsily stitched with the characters for "Peace" and "Safety." The "Peace" looked almost decent; the "Safety" was crooked beyond recognition but it was adorable all the same.
He looked up just in time to see Anne and Ace sneaking glances at him. When their eyes met, Anne ducked behind her sunflower doll while Ace pretended to focus on his food.
Ritter couldn't help but laugh until a meatball smacked him square in the mouth.
"Hey!" he said, swallowing it whole. "You little brat! I'll show you what Uncle's authority really means! Stand still and fight me!"
Ace grinned, wooden stick in hand. "If I can't beat you, I can at least run faster than you!"
Rouge clasped her hands and laughed softly as her brother and son started chasing each other around the room.
"Alright, everyone," she said, voice tender and full of warmth. "Let's eat before it gets cold."
Her gaze lingered on each of them on Ritter's grin, on Ace's boundless energy, on Anne's quiet smile.
Then she whispered, her voice as gentle as the sea breeze outside:
"Welcome home, little brother."
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