"Lord Ritter, look!" Perona suddenly pointed at a dessert shop. "That cotton candy is bigger than my ghosts!"

Ritter's lips curled into a small smile. "Want some?"

Perona nodded enthusiastically, her pink twin-tails bouncing with excitement. Ritter casually pulled out a wad of Berries and bought the entire cotton candy.

"You're the best, Lord Ritter!" she exclaimed, hugging the towering puff of sugar almost taller than she was and twirling with joy.

Passersby stared, dumbfounded, at the strange duo: a long-haired man wielding a massive black tide greatsword, and a ghostly girl floating mid-air while nibbling cotton candy.

What's that? You're asking why they're not trying to keep a low profile even though they're wanted by the World Government?

Well, here's Ritter's take: "The skin of a human, the shadow of a tree. I worked hard to raise my bounty this high being recognized saves a lot of trouble. This world ultimately respects power. If someone annoys me, I'll just go tear down a few Marine bases.

That's not a wanted poster it's a VIP pass. This way, I won't have to deal with brainless villains popping up to get screen time. Though yes, that will make it harder for the author to pad the word count."

As they strolled along, they passed a mask shop that immediately caught Perona's attention. She floated inside and gasped at the rows of cheap yet beautifully crafted masks.

"This one's perfect for Lord Ritter!" she said, picking up a silver wolf-shaped mask.

The shopkeeper, an elderly woman with a face full of wrinkles, squinted up at Ritter. "Young man, your daughter has good taste."

Ritter nearly choked. Daughter?! He was a pure-hearted, romance-challenged virgin! He'd grown up among burly men aboard Roger's ship dating wasn't even in the picture!

"Granny~" Perona called from the counter, "Do you have one that suits me too?"

Ten minutes later, the two of them were walking down the street: Ritter wearing a silver wolf mask, and Perona with a skull mask drawing curious glances from everyone they passed. Perona's fashion sense was, as always, delightfully unique.

The setting sun cast golden reflections over Water Seven's canals as they strolled beside the water. Perona, now holding an armful of newly bought plushies, suddenly paused.

"Lord Ritter… that man over there..." she pointed toward a shadowed figure at the bridge's edge.

A tall man in a dark brown cloak stood silently. His youthful face carried a gravity far beyond his years.

Ritter narrowed his eyes.

(Beat drop... whispered rap)

Monkey D. Dragon… Garp's son… the future leader of the Revolutionary Army… the legendary king of flip-flops...

"Can we talk?" Dragon's voice was deep and serious.

At an open-air café, Dragon got straight to the point:

"Mr. Ritter, don't you think this world is sick? The Celestial Dragons are born into superiority. They can take lives on a whim simply because of their status. I want to start an organization to overthrow the World Government and cure this rotten world."

Ritter sipped his tea unhurriedly. "Oh? And how do you plan to overthrow it?"

Honestly, Dragon was one passionate "Kings and Nobles, are they born to rule?" speech away from starting a historical drama.

"Rally the people of every nation. Spark revolts. Dismantle the rule of the nobility."

"And then what?" Ritter cut in. "After the Celestial Dragons fall, who becomes the new 'gods'? You?"

Ritter didn't doubt Dragon's character he knew the man would lead from the front. But the future Revolutionary leader still hadn't seen the deeper structure of the One Piece world. In canon, even when countries were overthrown, they just replaced one monarchy with another. Maybe the new king would rule wisely for a generation or two… but eventually, they'd become the next Celestial Dragons.

It wasn't about bad people it was about a bad system. And Dragon hadn't realized that yet.

Dragon frowned. "We'll create beautiful democratic nations places where people can live in peace and equality."

"Democracy? I'll admit, in a world like this, just having the idea of democracy is impressive," Ritter sneered. "But do you know why Goa Kingdom is called 'the most beautiful country in the East Blue'?"

Dragon froze.

"Because they burned the slums to the ground. Erased the poor like pests. That's the truth behind the 'beauty' you're protecting."

Dragon's fingers began tapping the table unconsciously. "Then what would you suggest?"

Ritter set his teacup down.

"First, revolution isn't a dinner party. How many people are you prepared to lose?"

"I'm ready to sacrifice what's necessary. I'll always lead from the front."

"Second," Ritter continued, "do you even understand how the global economy works? Do you know who controls the food trade?"

Sweat began to form on Dragon's brow.

"Third and this is key—" Ritter suddenly leaned in, "Dragon, you're too proud. You were born into the family of a Marine hero. You were an elite officer yourself. Do you realize how many lives your rank gave you power over? To the average civilian, you already look like a noble."

"What the people truly need right now isn't your vision of democracy or a utopia. They just want to survive. To eat. They don't care how noble your words sound."

Dragon had only recently left the Marines. After wandering the world a bit longer, he would come to understand this on his own. Ritter was simply giving him a head start.

And say what you want, but in front of Dragon, Ritter had every right to speak with confidence. He had been raised under the red flag. He might not have Dragon's lofty ideals, but hey who said you couldn't copy someone else's homework?

Perona clutched her plushies tightly. She looked like she'd just overheard something world-shaking. The sound of the canal water suddenly grew louder.

Dragon sat in silence for a long while. Finally, he looked up. "You're right… I've been too idealistic."

Ritter leaned back in his chair. "Listen, kid. If you want to change the world, you have to understand it first." He pointed toward the docks. "Do you know how many hours the workers in Water Seven toil each day? Do you know what they hate the most?"

Dragon shook his head.

"Then start there," Ritter said, standing. "Come back when you've got the answers."

As Dragon turned to leave, he suddenly asked, "Why do you know so much?"

Ritter gazed at the flower petals drifting along the canal. "Because… I've seen a world that was truly better."

Perona blinked in confusion. "Lord Ritter…"

"Come on," he said, picking her up. "We should go check on what kind of mess Tom's made of our ship. You'd think he'd show a bit more respect for his masterpiece while taking it apart."

Ritter tossed a few Berries on the table. "Here, a little homework for you."

He counted on his fingers:

"One: Go live undercover in the slums somewhere for a month."

"Two: Learn how the World Government controls global trade."

"Three…" He pointed to Dragon's chest. "Figure out who it is you're really fighting for."

Perona timidly added, "Um… and make sure to eat on time too…"

Behind them, Dragon stood at the edge of the bridge, his notebook already filled with dense scribbles. That night, the seed that would one day change the world was quietly planted.

Ritter was beaming inside. Family, I gave Dragon homework.

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