Let us return to the timeline where Ritter was currently located.
The spacecraft flew smoothly through the clouds, leaving the war-torn capital of Pilkka Kingdom far behind.
From the horizon, the kingdom had already become nothing more than a blurry black dot.
Inside the cabin...
Ritter lazily leaned against a soft cushion, watching the girl beside him nibble quietly on her snacks.
After leaving that suffocating machine and the noisy battlefield behind, her ice-blue eyes seemed to carry a little more ease.
But those eyes were still exactly the same as when they had first met.
They remained firmly locked onto him.
Ritter knew.
It was time.
He could not disappear without a word like he had when he left the Roger Pirates.
And he certainly could not silently vanish from the life of this little girl who regarded him as her entire world.
He let out a quiet breath.
"Little one."
Ritter's voice was much gentler than usual.
There was no helping it.
According to Ritter's original plan, this little girl should have grown up to be just as shameless and troublesome as him.
If that happened, her ability to endure things would naturally become much stronger.
But now...
It seemed his time was running out.
There was no other choice.
He could only bite the bullet and say it.
"We... might have to be apart for a while."
The girl's chewing instantly stopped.
Her ice-blue eyes shot upward, and she stared blankly at him.
The eyes that had just been filled with the satisfaction of a full stomach quickly became covered in mist.
Then, large tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
She did not make a sound.
She merely bit her lower lip tightly and reached out with her little hand.
With all the strength in her body, she grabbed Ritter's clothes.
"Don't go."
Her voice was choked with tears.
Ritter's heart felt as if someone had violently grabbed it.
He understood her far too well.
He had pulled her out of that cold prison called Pilkka.
In her world, he had practically become her only connection to the outside world.
He was her entire sense of security.
This was different from Hancock.
Hancock still had her sisters and a family that loved her.
But this girl had nothing.
Ritter firmly believed that if he dared to leave without a word, she would turn around and die right where she stood.
He sighed.
Then he reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face with his fingertip.
"Hey, don't start crying so quickly."
"It's not like I'm abandoning you."
"It's just... I don't actually belong to this era."
"I'm from the future, and I can't stay in this timeline forever."
The girl's sobbing grew quieter.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she looked at him, clearly trying her best to understand what his words meant.
"I have a way to let you live until my era."
Ritter's voice was firm.
"We'll meet again in the future."
"I promise."
The girl blinked.
Tears still clung to her eyelashes as she carefully studied Ritter's expression.
She seemed to be checking whether he was telling the truth.
Several seconds later...
Her hand still did not release his clothes.
"Really?"
Her voice was soft.
"Really!"
Ritter nodded firmly.
Then he could not help poking her cheek.
"Hey, hey."
"Your emotions recovered way too quickly."
"You believed me just like that?"
The girl obediently nodded.
Then she picked up another piece of pastry and took a small bite.
"Mm."
"You won't lie to me."
Ritter could only laugh and shake his head.
"Fine... you win."
That simple and absolute trust warmed Ritter's heart.
He could not help reaching out and ruffling her hair.
The girl's complete and unquestioning trust made him feel warm.
At the same time, it also made the weight on his shoulders feel a little heavier.
After quietly eating a few more pieces of pastry...
The girl seemed to grow curious about that strange future.
She raised her head.
"Captain..."
"What are you like in the future?"
When the subject turned to his era and his companions, a warm smile naturally appeared on Ritter's face.
He puffed out his chest.
Then, with an exaggerated tone, he introduced himself.
"Standing..."
"Erm, sitting in front of you is the future ruler of the sea!"
"'Lord of Mist' Ritter!"
"Captain of the Scarlet Dawn Pirates!"
"Let me tell you something."
"Our vice captain is Tesoro."
"That guy is an absolute genius when it comes to managing accounts."
"A real genius."
"Especially when it comes to counter-surveillance and anti-theft measures."
Ritter's face twitched slightly as a few very unpleasant memories surfaced.
But he continued anyway.
"Although he's thinking about making money all day long, he's incredibly reliable when it matters."
"Ah, no."
"He's the most reliable person on our ship."
"Always reliable~"
"You probably don't understand how valuable his reliability is yet."
"Once you get on the ship, you'll understand."
"Stella is always by his side."
"She is his wife."
"They also have a daughter named Little Lati."
"When I left, she was only this big."
Ritter held his fingers a tiny distance apart.
"Stella is our ship's doctor."
"She is gentle and incredibly capable."
"Together, she and Tesoro take very good care of everyone."
"Moria is our combatant."
"Don't let his gloomy appearance fool you."
"He's known as the 'Shadow Mage', but he's actually a pretty reliable guy."
"Especially when it comes to protecting Perona."
"Those two are more like father and daughter."
"Moria found little Perona when she was very young."
"She loves ghosts and teddy bears."
"She is a mischievous little girl."
"I believe you two will get along really well."
Ritter paused.
Then he remembered a certain boy who was always exploding with anger.
"Enel."
"Our sniper."
"'God of Thunder.'"
"He's a chuuni tsundere brat."
"He's sharp-tongued, but he's not a bad person."
"You know, when I first met him, he was still just a little brat."
"The moment he saw me, he immediately realized that I possessed the aura of a king."
"He was so overwhelmed by my majestic presence that he immediately begged to join my ship."
"Of course, I am Ritter."
"Do you think I accept just anyone?"
"He followed me."
"Then he walked until the soles of his feet were bleeding."
"He kept walking until he collapsed."
"I couldn't bear to watch anymore, so I reluctantly allowed him to join the ship."
The girl looked a little confused.
"Captain..."
"Aren't we pirates?"
"Why were we walking on the road?"
Ritter instantly realized something was wrong.
Damn it.
He had used the wrong formula.
But who was Ritter?
Ritter was famous for having an absurdly thick face.
He smoothly continued.
"And then there's Lina, our navigator."
"Don't let her soft voice fool you."
"The moment navigation is involved, she instantly transforms into the 'Eye of the Storm'."
"She becomes incredibly strict when giving orders."
"But she is extremely capable."
"Ah, right."
"We also have a little guy named Laboon."
"He's an Island Whale."
"He ate a Devil Fruit that allows him to control his size."
"He's especially well-behaved."
"An incredibly worry-free little guy."
"Don't let me calling him Little Laboon fool you."
"By age, Laboon is actually older than everyone on our entire ship."
The girl quietly listened.
Ritter's animated face was reflected in her ice-blue eyes.
She did not really understand what "chuuni tsundere" meant.
But she clearly felt the silent approval and affection in Ritter's voice whenever he mentioned those names.
It was not the way a captain spoke about his subordinates.
It was the way family spoke about one another.
That place...
Sounded incredibly warm.
The girl gently rested her head against Ritter's arm.
Then, in a soft voice filled with a hint of anticipation, she said:
"I want... to go to the future soon."
Ritter lowered his head and looked at her dependent expression.
His smile grew even warmer.
"Alright."
"I'll be waiting for you in the future."
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