Seven days after the smoke of war had finally faded, the Kozuki mansion was alive with laughter for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
"Lord Ritter! It's really Lord Ritter!"
Two small figures darted down the wooden corridor. Hiyori, dressed in a pink kimono, nearly tripped over her wooden sandals before being caught by her older sister, Nizumi. The girls peeked from behind a pillar, their bright eyes sparkling with curiosity as they stared at the approaching pirates.
Ritter chuckled. "Well, well. Little Nizumi, little Hiyori have I finally evolved from an evil villain into a great hero?"
Hiyori puffed her cheeks, pretending to pout. "Lord Ritter isn't a big, bad villain! You're teasing again! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
But her gaze betrayed her words, sneaking shy glances at Ritter every few seconds.
Oden laughed heartily as he strode forward. "Hahaha! A visit from an honored guest should be celebrated with noise and cheer!" His left shoulder was still wrapped in bandages seeping through with blood, but he paid it no mind. "Come, come! Three barrels of sake before we talk business!"
Before Ritter could respond, something soft latched onto his leg two somethings, to be exact.
He arched a brow, glancing down to find the two little girls clinging to him. Hiyori was trying with all her might to lift his massive black greatsword, her face red from the effort.
Nizumi, meanwhile, tugged on the edge of Ritter's cloak and declared boldly, "I'm going to be an even greater swordswoman than you, Lord Ritter!"
"Oh?" Ritter crouched down, a small smile touching his lips. In his palm, the blood mist condensed into two tiny crimson dragons. The miniature creatures coiled around the girls' fingers and brushed their noses affectionately, making them giggle uncontrollably.
"Then you'll have to start by learning this," Ritter said with mock seriousness. He snapped his fingers, and the two little dragons suddenly transformed into a chibi version of Oden complete with the ridiculous hairstyle doing flips in midair.
"Wow!" Hiyori clapped excitedly, hopping on her toes. "Lord Ritter is even more amazing than when he's fighting!"
Ritter laughed softly. This this was why he loved spending time with children. Their worlds were small, their joy simple. To them, defeating two future emperors of the sea was nothing compared to conjuring a tiny, flipping Oden from thin air.
So this was what adults called innocence.
"Of course," Ritter replied with a grin. "But if you two want to become heroes as strong as me, you'll have to work hard!" He reached out and poked Nizumi's neatly tied bun. "You're both still tiny. Strong warriors need to eat well first. You should be finishing at least one big bowl of rice every day."
"I can eat five bowls!" Nizumi shouted proudly, raising her hand.
"Really now?" Ritter teased. "Little Hiyori, I'm not sure you're even five bowls tall yet. You might hurt your stomach if you try that."
The mansion filled with warm laughter.
Lady Toki watched from the tea seat, her serene smile never fading. "Lord Ritter certainly has a way with children," she said softly. "Such a gentle soul."
She noticed the subtle shift in Ritter's expression earlier how his eyes glimmered faintly when Hiyori declared she wanted to be a hero who could protect everyone.
The girls' chatter was wild and unfiltered, often nonsensical, yet Ritter answered each word with patience, never once breaking their rhythm. To him, being the kind of adult who never spoiled a child's wonder that was its own kind of romance.
"Ah, that's because…" Ritter caught Nizumi mid-leap and swung her up to sit on his shoulder. "I've taken care of many children over the years. Who knows maybe one day they'll call me the 'Daycare King!'"
He puffed out his chest dramatically, earning a round of giggles. "Yes! The mighty 'Daycare King' Ritter has arrived!"
His voice lowered, almost tender. "A child's dream deserves to be treated seriously."
Steam rose gently from Lady Toki's teacup, sealing this peaceful moment in time. Until, suddenly, Nizumi tugged on Ritter's earring and shouted, "Then what about you, Lord Ritter? What's your dream?"
The courtyard fell quiet.
Ritter turned toward the veranda, where cherry blossoms had begun to fall in the soft wind. He smiled faintly. "My dream, huh…"
He slowly set the two girls down.
"Rather than a dream," he said at last, straightening his back, "I'd call it a request."
He stood up, and the lighthearted air around him shifted. The humor vanished, replaced by a rare gravity in his tone.
"Lady Toki," he said solemnly, "I have a request one that means everything to me."
Toki rose gracefully, bowing her head slightly. "Lord Ritter, you speak too formally. Even if my abilities are limited, I'll do all I can."
Ritter took a slow breath. "Your Devil Fruit power do you believe it could ever awaken to reverse time? Could you, one day, gain the ability to turn back the past?"
"Reverse time…" she whispered, her fingers absently tracing the ancient bracelet around her wrist. "As I am now, no. My power can only send people forward into the future."
The air in the courtyard grew heavy. Tesoro's face tensed; he was afraid his captain wouldn't take the answer well.
But then Toki spoke again, her voice calm and resolute.
"However," she said, lifting her gaze to meet Ritter's, her eyes glimmering with quiet strength, "if it's your request… I'm willing to try."
Ritter's body trembled so faintly it could have been the wind.
He pressed a hand over his chest and bent deeply at the waist. "If it doesn't endanger your life… please. I beg you." His voice was rough, breaking. "No matter how long it takes, no matter what it costs…"
The entire Blood Dawn crew followed their captain's lead, bowing deeply in unison.
"Please."
Oden looked at his wife and grinned through tears. "Hahaha! I told you Ritter's quicker on the uptake than I am! Lady Toki, my old captain was Gol D. Roger himself, and I've always felt I owed him a debt. This too… is my request. Please."
He, too, bowed deeply. And seeing their leader do so, the Nine Red Scabbards immediately followed, their foreheads nearly touching the floor.
Only the two little girls, bewildered by the sight of so many adults bowing, stood there clutching each other's hands.
Lady Toki looked upon the wounded warriors before her and slowly extended her hand, as if to help Ritter rise.
But just before her fingers touched him, she hesitated and drew her hand back.
"The day you said goodbye…" Her voice was soft, fragile as falling petals. "It must have hurt you deeply, didn't it?"
The blood mist flared around Ritter, swirling like a living storm. He remained bowed, his figure half-shrouded in crimson haze.
"You and my elder sister," Ritter murmured, his voice breaking, "would have gotten along… so very well."
The blood mist churned violently, wrapping around him until his form was barely visible.
"As long as it doesn't cost your life," he said hoarsely, "please… I beg you."
Lady Toki closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. When she opened them again, a determined flame burned within.
"I will grow stronger," she vowed, her voice steady. "You've done so much for us already. I will train until the day comes when I can take you all back to the dawn we lost."
As her words echoed through the courtyard, the blood mist gradually thinned.
Ritter's figure reappeared, still bent in a deep bow. His voice rang out, clear and unwavering.
"Lady Toki Kozuki… I will remember this kindness for as long as I live."
As she turned to leave, the crimson mist followed her down the corridor.
Beneath the ancient cherry tree, a single green bud had begun to break through the charred bark. Ritter looked down at that fragile new leaf.
Perhaps, he thought, it was the first sign of rebirth.
The first sign of hope.
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