A month had passed since they left Bluemarine Island.
During that month, Ritter could clearly feel it.
The killing intent buried deep within him was slowly awakening again, boiling hotter with every mile they sailed.
Now, don't get the wrong idea.
This wasn't some possession-by-an-evil-spirit nonsense.
He was simply furious enough to want to kill someone.
The reason was a bounty poster he had found on a supply island.
Not a bounty paid in Beli.
A bounty worth three tons of gold.
And the target wasn't the "Mist Lord" Ritter.
It was the quiet little Vice Captain beside him, who was currently nibbling away at a piece of cotton candy.
The bounty had been issued by the Kingdom of Pilurka.
The wording sounded noble enough.
They called the girl a "Lost Divine Maiden" and requested that she be "safely escorted" back to the royal capital.
If the king were standing in front of Ritter right now, Ritter could probably mince him into meat filling with a single swing.
And Ritter knew exactly what that so-called "escort" really meant.
Pilurka... your entire kingdom deserves to be wiped off the map.
This wasn't even the first time he'd seen one of these notices.
As Pilurka's influence expanded, their bounty posters had spread farther and farther across the seas.
Less than half an hour after arriving on this island for supplies, Ritter's keen Observation Haki had already picked up two suspicious figures hiding in an alley.
They were clutching a Den Den Mushi and whispering excitedly.
"Quick! Report it!"
"We've confirmed it! It's the girl from the bounty poster! She's traveling with that red-eyed man!"
"Just providing information gets us ten gold coins! We're rich!"
"Three tons of gold! We've hit the jackpot! This is our chance to change our lives!"
"Keep your voice down! What if they fin..."
The word never left his mouth.
Not because he stopped voluntarily.
But because thick blood mist had already spread through the alley, silently sealing it off from the outside world.
Ritter appeared at the alley entrance.
Then he began walking forward.
One slow step after another.
The sunlight behind him stretched a long shadow across the ground.
The girl in his arms continued eating her cotton candy peacefully, completely unconcerned with the surrounding situation.
After all, her captain was here.
She didn't need to do anything.
If he wanted her to train, he would put her down first.
"Gentlemen."
Ritter's voice was soft.
"In a hurry to get reincarnated?"
The two men turned around in terror.
The moment they met those emotionless crimson eyes, their souls nearly left their bodies.
Even the Den Den Mushi slipping from their hands went unnoticed.
Splatt.
The Den Den Mushi hit the ground.
"F-forgive us, sir! We were only..."
"Only planning to trade my Vice Captain for three tons of gold?"
Ritter interrupted them.
A cruel smile curled across his lips.
"Not a bad idea."
"Unfortunately..."
He slowly raised a hand.
"...in your next life, try opening your eyes before choosing your target."
The blood mist instantly contracted.
Solidified.
There were no screams.
No struggle.
The two men, along with the Den Den Mushi, vanished completely from the world.
Not even a speck of dust remained behind.
Den Den Mushi:
Fair enough.
Ritter's expression remained cold.
He understood.
The temptation of three tons of gold was enough to attract endless packs of hyenas.
Protecting the girl by himself wasn't difficult.
That wasn't the problem.
The problem was that he wouldn't remain in this world forever.
And if he wanted Pilurka to disappear from the face of the world...
One man wasn't enough.
Just as he finished cleaning up the scene and prepared to leave with the girl, a well-dressed man stepped into his path.
His clothing was elegant.
His movements resembled a puppet controlled by invisible strings.
With utmost respect, he presented a gold-trimmed invitation.
"Honorable Mist Lord Ritter."
The man's voice was completely devoid of emotion.
"My master sincerely invites you to visit the royal capital."
"Regarding the young lady accompanying you, my master may be able to provide information that interests you."
"Or perhaps..."
"A solution that removes all future troubles."
The invitation bore a faint insignia.
Blurred.
Ancient.
Yet carrying an overwhelming sense of supreme authority.
It was not the royal crest of Pilurka.
It was something older.
Something far more secretive.
"Oh?"
Ritter glanced at the emblem.
"I don't recognize this thing. Explain."
He had never enjoyed using his brain for political nonsense.
The man bowed slightly.
"Honorable Mr. Ritter."
"This seal was established by twenty royal families."
"It represents the collective will of twenty kings."
"As for your future, and the future of the young lady beside you..."
"Their Majesties hope to reach a mutual understanding with you."
"The royal capital, huh..."
Ritter narrowed his eyes as he accepted the sandalwood-scented letter.
He understood immediately.
This so-called royal capital was likely the predecessor of the organization that would eventually become the World Government eight hundred years later.
The prototype of the Twenty Kings.
They had noticed him.
Not only his strength.
But the girl's unique existence as well.
Were they trying to recruit him?
Eliminate him?
Or simply protect the foundations of their future rule?
Ritter sneered inwardly.
He was just about to reduce the invitation to ashes.
Then his movement stopped.
Abruptly.
His gaze pierced through the bustling crowd.
Locking onto a distant corner of the harbor.
Someone stood there.
A figure dressed in pure white robes.
Their face hidden behind a smooth white mask.
No patterns.
No markings.
Perfectly blank.
Like an eggshell.
The person stood silently amidst the crowd.
Completely out of place.
No aura.
No killing intent.
No curiosity.
Like a shadow that didn't belong to the world around it.
Yet Ritter's instincts were screaming.
Every sense in his soul erupted in warning.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
The last time he had felt this was when he first encountered Joy Boy.
Behind the mask, a hidden gaze rested calmly upon him.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
It felt as though it were observing an interesting object.
Or perhaps...
Confirming something.
Ritter's pupils contracted.
He wasn't at the level where he could kill Ritter instantly.
But if they fought?
It would undoubtedly become a brutal battle.
In terms of sheer presence, the figure felt only slightly weaker than Joy Boy.
Ritter recognized them immediately.
He needed no proof.
No introduction.
No explanation.
"Imu...!!"
The name exploded into his mind.
He could not be mistaken.
The figure in the white mask was unquestionably the same being who would sit upon the Empty Throne eight hundred years later.
The hidden ruler of the World Government.
The mysterious sovereign standing above the entire world.
Imu.
Ritter had never expected it.
Not this early.
Not in this era.
And certainly not in a manner like this.
To cross paths with one of the world's future final bosses.
Instantly, the blood mist around him condensed into a violent storm.
Behind him, Black Tide emitted a low, ominous hum from within the fog.
He pulled the girl behind his back.
His crimson eyes locked firmly onto the white-robed figure.
His battle intent and vigilance rose to their absolute peak.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
As though the entire world had fallen silent.