The days slipped by in a rhythm of sea breeze, pursuit, and the occasional "restocking."
Ritter kept his word and actually started training his "crew." Though, strictly speaking, only his vice-captain counted. The other two were more like bonus attachments.
For A-Yang and A-Xing, his training style was simple and brutal. Build the body first.
Every morning, the deck of the rubber ship echoed with the sound of their labored breathing as they ran laps, did frog jumps, and cranked out push-ups. Ritter stood nearby, occasionally flicking a small whip formed from blood mist. It looked intimidating, but it was just for show. He never actually struck them.
The two kids would collapse from exhaustion, only to be scooped back up by Joy Boy's stretching arms and force-fed bowls of awful-tasting but filling meat soup.
"Come on, A-Yang! A-Xing! If you want better adventures, you've got to get stronger!" Joy Boy would cheer them on with a big grin.
Sometimes he even joined in, demonstrating exercises in his exaggerated, rubbery way. Completely useless as a reference, but hilarious enough to make the kids burst into laughter, easing the strain of training.
Ritter's training for the girl was far more precise.
He began teaching her the fundamentals of swordsmanship. How to channel strength, how to strike, how to block.
She learned seriously. Her movements were still a bit stiff, but her progress was obvious. Most of her time, however, was spent developing her ice-based Devil Fruit abilities.
Watching this lively training scene, Ritter occasionally drifted into thought.
Back when he was on Roger's ship, he had been chased all over the place by Garp. Then he crossed into the Void Century and ended up sailing with Joy Boy.
Now things had flipped. Garp was nowhere in sight, and instead, they were the ones being chased across the seas.
Sometimes, Ritter couldn't help but amuse himself with a thought.
If those Marines chasing them knew that the ship they were pursuing carried two future legends. One who would one day rule over much of the New World as the "Mist Sovereign," and another whose name would be etched into history as the "Warrior of Liberation," Joy Boy…
Would they feel honored? Chasing figures who would one day become legends?
The thought made him chuckle.
One day, their vegetable supply ran low, and the pouch of Beli had flattened considerably.
Ritter checked their inventory and called out to Joy Boy, who was currently playing "rubber trampoline" with the kids.
"Hey, rubber head. We're out of vegetables. And we're almost broke. Time to find somewhere to restock."
Joy Boy bounced to a stop and scratched his head. "Huh? Already? Then next time we dock, we'll buy some?"
Ritter followed up casually, "Oh, right. We're out of money too. Guess we'll have to take some."
Originally, Ritter had planned to just cover the expenses himself. At this point, money was just a number to him.
But Joy Boy had a surprising sense of principle about this. If they spent together, they earned together.
Right then, at the edge of Ritter's blood mist perception, a pirate ship appeared, sailing straight toward them. Its skull flag fluttered arrogantly, and judging by how deep it sat in the water, it had clearly just had a successful haul.
Almost at the same time, the Marine warships that had been persistently chasing them reappeared on the horizon.
Then something amusing happened.
The pirate ship spotted Joy Boy's unmistakable rubber vessel and the Marines behind it. It immediately slowed to a stop, hesitating between fighting or fleeing.
The Marines, in turn, also slowed down, maintaining distance and watching carefully.
Over time, an unspoken understanding had formed between Joy Boy and the Marines.
Joy Boy and Ritter did not go around killing indiscriminately. The Marines, on the other hand, did not seem entirely sure why they were even chasing them. Add to that their overwhelming strength, and things had settled into a strange balance.
There had once been an admiral named Gales, known as Black Hawk, who personally pursued them. A fearless man who even dared to openly argue with the higher-ups through a Den Den Mushi. That alone spoke volumes about the era. The Navy was not yet fully under the control of the World Government like it would be in the future.
From what Ritter had gathered through observation, Gales had grown frustrated.
"Is this really the best use of our time?" he had reportedly said. "There are real pirates out there we can't even catch, and I'm stuck here chasing these two? This is a waste."
He had even suggested leaving a ship behind just to monitor them while he returned to hunting actual pirates.
As for today, Black Hawk Gales was nowhere to be seen.
That was why both sides paused.
Pirates first. Then we continue.
No need to make things harder for each other. Everyone's just doing their job.
How did Ritter know all this?
Because the day before, he had "accidentally overheard" the conversation with his Observation Haki.
Now, Ritter glanced at the incoming pirate ship, then at the Marines behind them. A knowing, amused glint flashed in his crimson eyes.
He nudged Joy Boy with his elbow and tilted his chin toward the pirate ship.
"Well, look at that. We needed supplies, and supplies just came to us. What are you waiting for?"
Joy Boy froze for a second, then his face lit up in realization.
"Oh! Right! Hahaha! Got it!"
He turned to A-Yang, A-Xing, and the girl, raising his hand dramatically.
"Alright, everyone! Get ready!"
"Our vegetables and pocket money just delivered themselves to our door!"
"Time to restock!"
With that, his rubber legs compressed and launched, sending the ship bouncing forward with cheerful "duang duang" sounds as it sped straight toward the stunned pirate vessel.
The Marines in the distance watched the sudden development.
At this point, they were used to it.
No exaggeration. After following this ship for so long, they had taken down more pirates than they had as actual Marines. Sometimes, they even questioned which side they were really on.
In this era, bounties were not yet a standardized system. Which meant Ritter and Joy Boy would strip pirate ships clean, and then the Marines would swoop in and arrest whoever was left.
A perfectly efficient one-stop process.
Ritter stood at the bow, blood mist swirling faintly around him. Watching Joy Boy charge ahead in high spirits to "restock," he shook his head with a helpless smile.
This idiot.
When it comes to this kind of thing, he really learns fast.
Well then.
Looks like today's going to be another "bountiful" day.
-------------------------------------
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.