The Crimson Raiju cut through the night beneath a sky full of stars.
Yamato was asleep again. Her arms wrapped around Takeru like always. The ship creaked softly as it rode the waves. Everything was peaceful.
Kael sat alone at the bow, one hand resting against the dragon figurehead, the other holding a half-empty bottle of cider Makino had forced on him before they left Foosha Village.
He stared toward the horizon for a long moment.
Then he suddenly looked up.
Not at the sky.
At the readers.
"...Yeah."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I'm talking to you."
A crooked, slightly sheepish grin appeared on his face.
"Look, I know this is weird. Fourth wall and all that."
He raised the bottle.
"But the System's being annoying again."
A translucent window appeared before him.
[Current Era Summon Available]
Kael pointed at it.
"See?"
The notification vanished.
Then immediately reappeared.
[Current Era Summon Available]
Kael's eye twitched.
"Exactly."
He sighed and leaned back against the railing, his golden eyes locking onto the reader.
"So, I'm asking you."
He paused.
"Who the hell should I summon next?"
Kael raised one massive hand and began counting on his fingers.
"I've got a few options floating around in the Current Era list right now."
He held up one finger.
"Trafalgar D. Law. The Surgeon of Death."
He scratched his chin.
"Smart. Dangerous. Great doctor."
A pause.
"And he looks like he needs a vacation from being so damn serious all the time."
A second finger.
"Portgas D. Ace."
Kael's grin faded slightly.
"Yeah. I know."
He looked toward the sleeping Yamato.
"He's already out there living his life."
His expression softened.
"But the option's still there."
His fingers curled into a fist.
"And part of me really wants my brother back."
A third finger.
"Nojiko."
This time, Kael didn't joke.
"She's family."
His voice became quieter.
"But she deserves peace."
He looked toward the horizon.
"Not another war. Not another life where someone tells her what she can and can't have."
A fourth finger.
"Belo Betty."
Kael snorted.
"Revolutionary Army. Loud. Fiery."
He shook his head.
"She'd probably try to recruit the entire crew into the Revolutionary Army within a week."
He paused.
"...I'd probably let her."
Kael lowered his hand.
"But..."
His grin slowly disappeared.
"...then the list gets dangerous."
He glanced toward the System window.
"There are children of other Emperors sitting in there like landmines."
He raised one finger.
"Shanks' daughter."
A beat.
"Uta."
Kael whistled softly.
"I used to hang around Red-Hair back when Luffy and I were kids. The man's a walking legend..."
He rubbed his jaw.
"...and somehow still the most laid-back pirate I've ever met."
His expression twisted.
"But summoning his daughter?"
He pointed toward the reader.
"That's basically asking for a red-haired fist through the side of my ship the moment he finds out."
Kael shuddered.
"I'd rather fight a Sea King."
He scrolled farther.
Then stopped.
His expression changed.
"And then there's Big Mom's kids."
Kael stared at the list.
"There are so many of them."
He scrolled.
And scrolled.
And scrolled.
His face slowly became more horrified.
"Seriously."
Another scroll.
"How many children does this woman have?"
The System remained silent.
Kael stared at it.
"...I'm not asking."
He closed the menu halfway.
"Some of them are terrifying."
Pause.
"Some of them are..."
He frowned.
"...complicated."
Kael reopened the menu.
"One of them might actually fit with us."
His grin returned.
"But the second Charlotte Linlin finds out I took one of her children..."
He slowly looked toward the horizon.
"...we're going to have an entire fleet of candy-coated nightmares hunting us across the Grand Line."
Kael took another drink.
Then he froze.
His eyes moved lower on the System window.
"...Wait."
He scrolled.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
The smile disappeared.
"And then there's this."
A name sat at the bottom of the list.
It hadn't been there before.
Kael stared at it.
The System flickered.
For half a second, the name disappeared.
Then returned.
[Candidate Detected]
[Classification: Current Era]
[Origin: Unknown]
Kael's brow furrowed.
"That's not right."
He tapped the screen.
Nothing.
He tapped it again.
Nothing.
"System."
Silence.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Where did this come from?"
The interface flickered.
For the briefest instant, another line appeared beneath the name.
[Administrator Override Detected.]
Kael's expression went completely still.
"...Administrator?"
The message vanished.
[Current Era Summon Available.]
Kael stared at the screen.
Then slowly looked toward the reader.
"You saw that too, right?"
He pointed at the vast sea.
"Don't tell me I'm going crazy."
A nervous laugh escaped him.
"Because I've got a pretty good idea who might've done it."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"ROB."
The name hung in the night.
Kael took another drink.
"That bastard."
He shook his head.
"Of course he'd put something like this in the list."
A faint grin returned.
"But I'm not telling you who it is."
He pointed the bottle toward the reader.
"Not yet."
He leaned forward.
"So..."
His grin became sharp and challenging.
"What do you think?"
"Who should become the next member of the Thundering Dawn?"
He started counting again.
"A surgeon who talks too much?"
"My brother?"
"A revolutionary?"
"A Yonko's child who might get us killed before we even reach the Grand Line?"
He paused.
His eyes shifted toward the mysterious name.
"Or..."
"...the person ROB apparently decided to sneak into my System?"
Kael chuckled.
"That's your problem now."
He raised his bottle.
"Drop your votes."
"Argue about it."
"Make your case."
He pointed toward the reader.
"Threaten me if I pick the wrong person."
His grin widened.
"I can take it."
Then his expression softened.
"Just know this."
His voice became quieter.
"Whoever it is..."
Kael looked toward Yamato sleeping peacefully behind him.
"...they're joining a family."
He rested his hand against Fenrir.
"Not a crew that throws people away when things get hard."
His eyes hardened.
"Not a crew that lets the World Government..."
"...or any Emperor..."
"...take what's ours."
He looked directly at the reader one last time.
"So, choose carefully."
Kael smirked.
"I'll be waiting for your answers."
He turned back toward the horizon.
The Crimson Raiju sailed onward beneath the stars.
Captain Raen D. Kael
The Thundering Dawn