Inside the most luxurious weapon shop in High Town, the owner was bowing and scraping behind Rhett, tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The Emperor of the Sea casually tossed a black card onto the counter.
Rhett in his rich CEO mode — back before he crossed over, when he read those rich CEO novels, they were all like (in that deep, breathy voice): "Woman, aren't you going to use my card? Do you want to be punished~~~~~"
He shook his head. What a greasy character he was being.
But hey, he had a black card now. Rhett used his blood mist to levitate various weapons in the air, showing them to the three children.
"How about this one?" Rhett pointed at a short sword embedded with gemstones. "It's flashy, but the quality is actually pretty good."
Not everyone was named Rhett, after all. Not everyone could walk into a blacksmith's shop and find a Supreme Grade sword lying around.
Ace pouted. "Too flashy. It looks just like the ones those people at the gate were wearing."
Sabo touched the blade curiously. "But it's very sharp..."
Ann, however, walked straight to the corner. Her small hand gripped a plain, unadorned heavy iron sword. The blade was taller than her entire body, but she lifted it with ease and swung it through the air in a smooth arc.
"THUD!"
The heavy sword hit the floor, making the weapons on the racks rattle. The shop owner nearly dropped to his knees. "L-Little miss! What incredible strength!"
Rhett's eyes lit up. "Ann, you want this one?"
Ann nodded. Her small hand brushed across the cold blade, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.
"Done!" Rhett snapped his fingers. "It's yours. Practice with this sword for now. Once you've mastered it, you can get an even better one."
"You two go pick out a weapon too. Something to use outside," Rhett said to the two boys.
Why did Ace need to buy one? Didn't he already have the Ace sword and the Ann gun?
An eight-year-old kid carrying a top-grade famous blade like Ace? Even Rhett would have to fight someone for it. The three kids couldn't protect weapons like that yet. They needed to train with their weapons first, get used to them.
At first, Sabo maintained the proper etiquette expected of a noble.
"I don't need anything. Please don't spend any more money on me, Uncle. I've already imposed on you too much. Sorry for the trouble." Sabo gave Rhett a deep bow.
Ace saw this and thought, Wow, that's so cool, and tried to copy him.
"Thank you very much for teaching us all this time, Uncle—"
"THWACK, THWACK."
Two crisp sounds. A good head means a good sound.
After those two knocks, both boys' eyes became noticeably clearer.
"You kids don't know anything. Go pick something out." Rhett rubbed his wrist, which didn't actually hurt, and shrugged. "You've been staring at the weapon racks this whole time. I could tell you wanted something. Think of it as a loan if you want. You can pay me back later."
Ace and Sabo immediately pounced on the weapon racks.
"I want this one!" Ace grabbed a pitch-black longsword with a red cord wrapped around the scabbard.
Sabo chose a silver-white longsword with wave patterns carved into the hilt. "Is this... okay?"
Rhett waved his hand grandly. "I'll take all of them!"
He turned to the shop owner. "Get me three sets of protective gear too. The best quality."
The owner swallowed hard. "Sir, the total for all of this comes to..."
A bag of berries slammed onto the counter. The heavy thud immediately shut the owner up. Rhett leaned in with a smile. "Enough?"
"Enough! More than enough!" The owner wiped his sweat. "I'll wrap it all up for you right away!"
By the time they left the weapon shop, the sun was already sinking in the west. The three children excitedly gestured with their new weapons. Ace and Sabo's longswords glinted coldly in the twilight. Ann carried her heavy sword steadily on her back. Ace also had the Ann flintlock slung behind his back.
Rhett couldn't help but make a comment. The Ann flintlock was exquisitely made, definitely one of the finer ones out there.
But that didn't change the fact that it was still a flintlock. The world of One Piece was supposed to be eight hundred years ahead of its time — no, even back in Joy Boy's era, it was already ahead of its time. And yet, here they still were with wooden sailboats and flintlock pistols. Sigh.
If we're talking about weapon manufacturing, there was one person who came to mind: Vinsmoke Judge.
Hmph. He'd take him down sooner or later anyway.
Back to the present.
"Where to next?" Sabo asked, his eyes full of anticipation.
Rhett stroked his chin. "Let's go buy groceries. We're having hot pot tonight."
"Hot pot?" The three kids said in unison.
"That's right," Rhett grinned. "Let me show you what real hot pot is all about."
Time passed as they went on their shopping spree.
Back at the small house in Windmill Village, the setting sun painted the wooden cottage a warm orange-red. Rhett pushed the door open, the three children following behind him, their new weapons gleaming on their backs.
"Big sister, we're home," Rhett called into the house. "Also, we brought a new member. He's a good kid too."
Rouge poked her head out of the kitchen, a ladle still in her hand. "A new member? Let me see, let me see."
Ace immediately jumped forward, gesturing wildly. "Mom! Today we met Sabo! His dad is super—duper—evil!"
Ann also spoke up, which she rarely did on her own initiative. Her little hand tugged at Rouge's apron. "Using a belt... was going to hit Sabo..."
Rouge's gaze fell on Sabo, standing a bit nervously at the doorway, his blonde hair still dusted with dirt.
Her eyes instantly softened. She crouched down and gently pulled Sabo into her arms. "Oh, child... but I know you don't need anyone's pity right now. Welcome to this family."
Sabo froze. The hug was so warm it made him feel lost. His small hands hovered in the air, unsure whether to hug back.
"From today on, this is your home." Rouge released him and gently smoothed down the upturned collar of his shirt. "You must be hungry. I'll go make dinner."
She stood up, then suddenly remembered something and started bustling upstairs. "I need to clean out a room quickly! Sabo, what do you like to eat? Do you like seafood? Do you want a thicker blanket or..."
Sabo's face turned bright red. He stammered, "A-Anything is fine..."
But Rouge wasn't even listening to what Sabo was saying. "Little brother, did you buy new blankets?"
Rhett froze. He had been so focused on buying food and weapons that he had completely forgotten.
All Rhett could do was scratch his head and let out an awkward laugh to cover his embarrassment.
One look at Rhett's face told Rouge everything she needed to know. He definitely hadn't bought any.
"Honestly. You're so unreliable." Rouge thought for a moment, then turned to Ace. "Ace, is it alright if I give some of our blankets to Sabo?"
"Of course, Mom! Sabo and I already agreed — we're sleeping together tonight!" Ace said, then nudged Sabo with his elbow. "Mom's like this sometimes. She gets way too excited!"
Sabo had never felt this kind of warmth before. It made him not know how to react.
---
Night fell. The small house in Windmill Village was filled with wonderful aromas. The dining table was covered with a generous spread of ingredients. The copper pot in the center bubbled and steamed, the spicy red broth rolling with tempting, bubbling swirls.
"This is hot pot?" Sabo's eyes went wide. He poked curiously at a floating slice of meat.
"Idiot! This is how you eat it!" Ace impatiently grabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks, dipped it in the pot for a second, and shoved it straight into his mouth. Immediately, he started hopping around. "Hot, hot, hot, hot, HOT!!!"
Ann silently handed him a glass of cold water.
Rhett laughed and shook his head. "You're supposed to dip it in sauce first."
Rouge carefully prepared a dipping bowl for Sabo. "Want to give it a try?"
Sabo carefully picked up a slice of beef with his chopsticks, copied Rouge's dipping motion, swirled it in the pot for a few seconds, then coated it in sauce and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a burst of savory, spicy, numbing flavor exploded on his tongue. His eyes lit up. "This is good!"
"See?!" Ace had already forgotten about the heat and was grabbing another big pile of meat. "Uncle's hot pot is the best!"