(A note before we begin: Yes, Ritter will end up raising a kid. Roger raises Ritter, Ritter later takes care of Ace. If that's a dealbreaker for you—if you're about to shout "nanny fic!" and flex those few vocabulary words you've memorized—then maybe stop here. No need to ruin the warm, wholesome atmosphere of this story or disturb my dear readers' experience. This message is for the trolls, not for my beloved readers. To my readers: I promise you, this book is all about heartwarming moments. I don't usually snap like this, but some people just keep coming at me even after I explain everything in detail. They don't read, they don't listen, they just keep yelling about things I've already clarified. Enough. Now, let's begin our pirate adventure, shall we?)
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Ritter was stunned.
Not in a mind-blown, transcendent way. Just plain confused. The kind of confusion that doesn't hurt your brain but leaves you blinking at the absurdity of it all.
An orphan at the start. Isekai via metaphorical truck. A classic, top-tier time traveler setup.
Welcome to One Piece.
And then, out of nowhere, a silver-haired mini river god appeared, claiming to be the "Will of the World."
"Youthful Ritter," the river god said serenely, "do you wish to enter the Golden One Piece world? Or the Silver One Piece world? Or perhaps the plain, ordinary One Piece world?"
Ritter gave him a deadpan look. "Aren't river gods supposed to stay in rivers? Did you take a wrong turn? You're not even from this anime genre."
Still smiling with squinting eyes, the river god replied, "Even river gods have to eat, you know. Besides, crossing the River of Time is kind of my thing."
It was weird, but Ritter went along with it. Everyone always talks about being greeted by some cute, silver-haired sprite when they cross worlds, right?
"So, do I get a starter pack or what? Don't scam me. If I'm not the main character of a power fantasy, I'll drop dead on the spot. Also, what's the actual difference between gold, silver, and normal?"
"Youthful Ritter, there's no real difference," the river god said. "They all come with guaranteed victory." He paused, pretending to scroll through something. "Let's check your starter perks..."
"Ah yes, here we go—one Devil Fruit, innate Haki talent in all three colors, and... enhanced stamina at monster level (beginner version)." His voice trailed off into a whisper.
Ritter narrowed his eyes, shark teeth showing. "You mumbled something shady just now, didn't you?"
"Well," the river god coughed, "if you were too strong from the start, the Supreme Will wouldn't have anything to write about. You'd break the plot."
Ritter asked, "Can I pick any fruit I want?"
"Eh-heh."
Thunk. Ritter hurled a shoe at his head. "What the hell is 'eh-heh' supposed to mean?"
Adjusting his glowing little halo, the river god said, "You can choose one of three fruits."
He held out three options. "Will it be this shiny gold Mist Mist Fruit, this silver Dog Dog Fruit, or this plain old Pathetic Simp Fruit?"
Ritter grabbed him by the neck and shook him violently. "Excuse me? Are those really my only options? Don't pretend this is a real choice!"
"Understood. Gold Mist Mist Fruit selected. Processing transfer now. Have a great journey!"
The moment Ritter opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a barren island.
"Could you at least have dropped me somewhere with people?!"
"Uninhabited islands are standard starting locations. Enjoy your journey~"
Left with no choice, Ritter accepted his new reality and began assessing his powers. As expected, it was all beginner-tier stuff.
His Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku) heightened his awareness. And... that was it. Seriously? That's considered beginner level?
His Armament Haki (Busoshoku) could barely coat his hands.
But the one he was really excited about? Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku). You know, the one Shanks uses—black and red lightning flaring, and people just collapse from his presence.
Ritter put his hands in his pockets and struck a dramatic pose. One second. Two seconds. Three...
Nothing.
"River god, come back here. We need to talk."
His Conqueror's Haki was basically where Luffy's was when he first awakened it—completely uncontrollable. Like a baby version, still in prenatal development.
Looking at his tiny arms, Ritter estimated his age at about three years old.
"Three?!"
"You bastard river god! Who sends a toddler into the One Piece world?! No wonder you gave me monster stamina. Without it, I wouldn't survive the week."
Still, he admired his reflection in the water. Messy black hair, long and straight, with a bit of an edge. A delinquent-looking little heartthrob. Black-haired beauty boy? He could live with that.
Finally, he pulled out the last item from his starter kit: a Devil Fruit.
A white, spiral-shaped fruit that looked suspiciously like a... "mihou tao"—aka me hou tao—peach-like in shape.
Ritter stared at it with suspicion. He'd heard that Devil Fruits were legendarily disgusting. Time for a taste test.
One bite. Chewed. Swallowed.
Nothing much. Just bland.
Second bite. Chewed. Swallowed.
Sweet, kind of. Could've been worse.
No food around, so Ritter shrugged and ate the whole thing.
That was a mistake.
His face went from healthy red to green, then to purple, then to ghostly white.
That flavor—it was a grotesque symphony of sweat, rotten tofu, foot stink, and something that had been fermenting in a toilet pit for eighty-one days.
But Ritter was no ordinary toddler. He was a man who would one day become the Pirate King. Even if there was no one around to see him, he couldn't let his dignity slip.
With trembling fingers, he wiped his pale lips and solemnly declared:
"On a scale of awful, I'd rate this a solid quantum stink."
Then he felt it—the power awakening.
A light fog formed around him as he tensed his muscles. It drained his stamina, but it worked.
His first thought was: "Smoker's Moku Moku no Mi?"
But Smoker had always been... underwhelming in the series. A solid mid-tier at best.
So far, Ritter's power allowed him to mist-ify parts of his body. Not much else. He'd have to figure out the rest on his own.
Then came a roar from the jungle.
Ritter grinned.
In the world of One Piece, a three-year-old with monster stamina, innate Haki in all three types, and a Logia-type Devil Fruit was already terrifying.
"A prodigy."
He stood tall on the beach, hands on his hips, and laughed like a lunatic.
So this was the power of a chosen one.
For now, the fastest way to get stronger was to develop his Devil Fruit ability. Sure, physical training was important—but a strong Fruit could boost his combat power quickly.
The problem? He had zero knowledge of how to train physically. All he had was general fan knowledge as a One Piece nerd.
And let's be real, you don't think watching a few episodes of One Piece is enough to learn the Six Powers, do you?
Answer me.
Look into my eyes.
Ritter's plan was to master his Fruit first—because Ritter wasn't fighting alone.
Never underestimate the imagination of forum nerds. People on message boards had developed theoretical powers for things like the Poop Poop Fruit. Their creativity? Terrifying.
Time passed day by day.
(Don't ask what year it is in the One Piece timeline. The canon's a mess. Even the author can't keep track.)
A ponytailed boy darted through the jungle, now wearing a skirt made of leaves. The oversized shorts the river god gave him had long since worn out.
Standing on the shore, Ritter stared at a tree with coconuts way out of reach.
Being three years old had more downsides than expected. No matter how strong his stamina was, without corresponding strength, he couldn't even lift a big log.