"Gurararara… brat, what's your plan for sailing next?" Newgate asked casually, swirling the barrel of wine in his massive hand.
Ritter chewed on a hunk of meat, speaking between bites. "Lately, I've been thinking about Oden. I plan to head to Wano and take a look."
Newgate shot him a sharp glance, his tone suddenly serious. "Brat, you've never told me why you suddenly care about Oden. That guy should be living comfortably as daimyo of Wano by now, right?"
Ritter's jaw stilled. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Oh? You really believe that?"
"What do you mean?" Newgate frowned.
Ritter lowered the meat, and blood-mist gathered at his palm. With a twist of his fingers, the haze wove itself into an image Kaido in his colossal azure dragon form, coiled above Wano's skies.
"I saw the future," Ritter said quietly. "Your brother… is nothing more than that eel's pet right now."
Crack!
The barrel in Newgate's grip exploded into splinters, wine pouring down his arm. The feast around them fell silent. The air itself seemed to grow heavy, pressed down by the storm of killing intent radiating from the Whitebeard Pirates' captain.
"Brat… explain. Now." Newgate's voice was low, rumbling like an earthquake.
Ritter sighed. "I saw Oden tricked into humiliating himself, forced to dance naked in the Flower Capital. Later… boiled alive by Kaido. That's all I know."
Of course, Ritter knew far more. But telling Whitebeard just that much was more than enough to ignite a fire.
As the fog shifted, Newgate's expression grew darker and darker.
When he heard the words boiled alive, he suddenly rose to his feet. The mighty naginata, Murakumogiri, slammed against the floor with a thunderous crash.
"That idiot!!!" Newgate roared. "Why didn't he come to me?! Did he not see us as family at all?!"
Ritter spread his hands helplessly. "It was his country, his burden. That's how he saw it."
"Bullshit!" Newgate's voice thundered. "We don't sit back while our family suffers! Never!"
"Calm down, Pops!" Marco rushed in, pressing on Newgate's massive arm. "Oden… Oden must have had his reasons!"
"Gurararara…" Whitebeard let out a chilling laugh. "Fine. Good. Brat, you didn't just come here to tell me this story, did you?"
Ritter grinned, exhausted yet eyes burning bright. "Of course not. I'm heading to Wano myself, to confirm whether Oden is truly dead. That fool has a way of surviving the impossible. I warned him once, but knowing him, I need to see it with my own eyes. And if he's really out there embarrassing the Roger Pirates… I'll cut him down myself."
He rose unsteadily, stretching out a hand toward Newgate. "Care to join me? I don't trust myself not to kill him the moment I see him."
Newgate stared at that outstretched hand for a long moment. Then he laughed like a mountain splitting apart. "Gurararara! Interesting!"
With one enormous fist, he clasped Ritter's hand and hauled him up. "I'll see for myself what kind of fool thinks he can make a dog out of my brother. And if Kaido dares to stand in our way I'll crush him!"
The sea fog rolled thick and heavy, swallowing moonlight. Two titanic ships, the Nirvana and the Moby Dick, glided like ghosts toward Wano's coastline.
At the prow of the Nirvana, Ritter let his blood mist expand, shrouding both ships from prying eyes.
"We're here." His gaze narrowed toward the distant smoke of small village chimneys. "That's Ebisu Village. Judging by the state of things, Kaido's factories haven't spread here yet."
Whitebeard strode forward, Murakumogiri slung casually across his shoulder, his white cloak snapping in the sea breeze. "Gurarara… looks peaceful enough, brat. Maybe you're being too cautious."
Marco soared above in phoenix form, circling once before descending. "No Beast Pirates flags in sight. The villagers seem… normal."
"Then why wait?" Enel groaned, digging a finger in his ear. "Let's storm Onigashima already! A single Thunder Welcome from this god, and the place is ash!"
"Shut it." Ritter and Newgate snapped in unison.
Perona drifted over, poking Enel with her umbrella. "Idiot thunder god, we're scouting. Not starting a war~."
"If Oden listened to me and wised up," Ritter smirked, blood mist forming a bridge from ship to shore, "then this trip might just be a celebration."
Inside the village tavern, the villagers could hardly conceal their unease. Whitebeard hunched awkwardly beneath the rafters, his giant frame nearly breaking them. Ritter sprawled across the counter, idly tracing patterns in spilled sake with his finger.
"Boss, another jug!" Ritter called, his tone flat and dangerous. "Tell me… do you know Kaido?"
It was no surprise the Wano locals were suspicious of outsiders. Their nation had long been sealed off, steeped in pride and wariness. Ask politely, and no samurai would give you an honest word.
The tavern keeper's hand trembled as he drew a short blade. "As a samurai, it's my duty to protect my homeland. Pirates, leave our country."
Ritter caught the man's daughter by the collar, lifting her with one hand, fingers pressing against her throat.
"Talk, or she dies."
The keeper's face blanched. His voice shook with desperation. "Please! Don't harm her! I'll tell you! The Flower Capital… it's been seized by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido…"
Bang!
Whitebeard slammed his cup down so hard the counter shuddered. The keeper nearly collapsed.
Ritter quickly pressed down on Newgate's arm, his own voice calm but edged like a blade. "Oden returned to Wano, didn't he? Why didn't he stop it?"
"Don't don't say that name!" the tavern keeper stammered. "Lord Oden… he… he dances naked in the Flower Capital. Every week…"
Crack!
Whitebeard's cup shattered to dust in his grip. Ritter flicked his hand, blood mist catching the shards before they could cut anyone. He smiled thinly. "Interesting. Tell me more."
By the time the villager finished his trembling account, Whitebeard had snapped a tree trunk in half with a single fist. "That idiot!!!"
The keeper dared to whisper, "My lord… will you release my daughter now?"
"What daughter?" Ritter snapped his fingers. The girl dissolved into mist.
The keeper blinked in confusion. He had never married, had no children. His memories had been nudged, twisted for just a moment. A small trick, nothing more.
Ritter leaned against the wall, his expression dark as night. "So it's true. Oden's already dancing like a fool in the capital?"
The keeper nodded, shaking. "Y-yes… rumor is Kaido promised to leave us alone if Lord Oden kept dancing… and Orochi swore to uphold that deal."
"Leave us alone?" Whitebeard barked a bitter laugh. His Conqueror's Haki surged uncontrollably, rattling the tavern. "Gurarara… what a joke!"
Ritter sneered. "I warned him not to trust pirates. And yet he believed Orochi of all people…"
"Pops, calm down!" Marco shouted, throwing his wings wide to shield the terrified villagers. "There are civilians here!"
Ritter inhaled deeply, letting the blood mist dissipate. He tossed a heavy sack onto the counter. "Sorry for the scare. This should cover repairs and ten more taverns like it."
The keeper stared at the fortune in disbelief. By the time he looked up, the terrifying pirates were already gone, striding toward the Flower Capital, their fury barely leashed.
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