Let's rewind time a little.
The golden bell, silent for centuries, tolled once again, its resonance splitting the skies.
(I was originally planning to skim over Montblanc Cricket's reaction but I just can't. Cricket's a real man. Even if he never fully believed in the existence of the Golden City, even if people mocked him, he never gave up. That kind of stubborn resolve is incredibly charismatic. He deserves more than a passing mention.)
The thunderous chime of the golden bell pierced the sea of clouds, echoing above Mock Town.
Cricket had made a bet with the monkey that the pirate crew wouldn't laugh at his dream. The result? Well, no surprise he lost again, down to his last pair of prized banana-print boxers.
Pounding the ground in frustration, venting his unwillingness to give in, he was just about to ask his crewmates for an emergency pair of underpants when
"Boss! Did you hear that !" the monkey was leaping around in front of him, arms flailing.
But Cricket stood frozen like he'd been struck by lightning, eyes wide as saucers. "That sound... That sound is…"
DONG—!
The second toll of the bell seemed to confirm what Cricket already knew deep in his heart.
He remembered Ritter waving him off, telling him to listen for the ringing of the bell.
"You actually did it, you bastard!!! Damn, that's so cool!!"
With a sudden yell, Cricket dove headfirst into the sea, scaring the monkeys half to death.
"Boss is trying to drown himself!!"
Three seconds later, he burst from the water with a dripping wet measuring instrument in hand, laughing like a madman. "It's real! It's not my imagination! Hahaha!!"
Cricket scrambled up the cliffside and stood at the summit, shouting toward the town below: "You hear that, you bastards?! Hahaha! I'm not a liar! My ancestor wasn't a liar!! HAHAHAHAHA!! Listen to that bell!!"
But even that didn't release all the emotion in his chest so he took off running straight toward town.
In the tavern, a bunch of card-playing thugs were startled when a soaking wet blond madman burst in.
Cricket grabbed the bartender by the collar. "Did you hear it?! That's the golden bell! Say it out loud tell me it's real!"
"What the hell is wrong with you—"
DONG—!
The third toll silenced the entire tavern.
Cricket let go and dropped to the ground, wailing. "Four hundred years… Norland… We finally…"
When the monkeys arrived, they found their boss sobbing on the floor. One look at him, and they all burst into tears too, no hesitation at all.
"Stop crying, stop crying!" Cricket wiped his face and jumped to his feet. "Get my damn ship ready!"
He tore off his shirt as he ran. "I'm going to Sky Island! Right now! Sky Island is real!!"
(Sidenote: You might be wondering if even Tom the shipwright could get dials, why wouldn't Cricket know about them? In this story's setting, dials are treated like black-market tech no one knows where they come from.)
"But Boss… your underwear…"
"Who cares about underwear?! The Golden City is calling!!"
At the same time, the residents of Mock Town were all staring up at the sky.
"Um…" A little girl tugged on her mother's skirt. "Is that thunder?"
The mother gazed at the bright white mass in the clouds and gently covered her daughter's eyes. "No, sweetie… Mommy just realized she's been doing something really stupid…
"I made fun of a true man of the sea. But remember this, honey: anyone who runs around town naked is still a pervert."
Behind the bar, the bartender calmly adjusted his rumpled shirt, polishing a glass slowly as if deep in thought. "Hey, old drunks… that Montblanc family lunatic the one who's always shouting about Sky Island uh… he might've actually been right."
Up above the clouds, Perona gazed at the golden bell ringing in the distance. "Lord Ritter~ That blond uncle must be super happy right now!"
Ritter glanced at her. "Who knows."
Enel scoffed. "Foolish Blue Sea people."
"Fufufufu…" Moriah turned to Ritter. "Are we leaving now?"
"No need," Ritter said, heading back to the ship's cabin with a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Let him go wild… When a four-hundred-year-old dream comes true, anyone would lose it a little. We've still got business to wrap up on Sky Island."
Time returned to normal.
It was finally time for the Blood Dawn Pirates to set sail.
Enel stood at the stern. "Is that enough?"
Ritter didn't even turn around. "Hatred takes time to fade. History tells us so long as the people are fed and clothed, they don't care who rules them."
Perona giggled and chimed in, "And that would be us~"
Ritter ruffled her head. "Little Perona, once they get used to living safely and comfortably, they'll start supporting me without even realizing it."
Moriah chuckled with his trademark fufufu. "What an interesting development."
Back on the Blue Sea, the crew drifted without a destination. Ritter had already seen everything he wanted to see now it was just wherever the wind took them.
"Damn it, Captain, are you ever gonna stop?!" Enel shouted at Ritter.
Perona and Laboon Jr. turned to look at Enel, munching on snacks.
You might remember our ship the Bruma Jackson can fire long, thick, devastating cannon blasts when charged. Ritter's blood mist has excellent corrosive effects and looks cool as hell too. But why is Enel called the Thunder God? Because he can charge the ship's weapons with lightning, of course! The Blood Dawn Portable Battery universally acclaimed!
But let's be real Ritter's the captain. Having him do it himself? Totally ruins the vibe.
Ritter realized he was acting a little more unhinged lately. Whether it was Tesoro or Enel, if he were still on Roger's ship, he'd be way more composed like a younger brother trying to prove to his big bro that he's grown up and reliable.
Now? Ritter was finally doing things his own way. If it looked fun, he did it. No hesitation.
We've all imagined ourselves as lone, cold-blooded killers or the last man standing against an army of a million. Ritter's just fully role-playing that fantasy. Maybe one day, when he gets bored of this, "Cold-Blooded Ritter" will be shelved for good.
But no time to mourn because the next time he shows up, it might be as "Emperor Ritter." Once you've got power, the real fun begins.
These days, Ritter was constantly getting Enel to blast a charge after all, that steel beast's roar was even more satisfying than a well-polished carpet.
At first, Enel was too traumatized by his earlier beatdown to object. But over time, he realized the captain's everyday behavior was nothing like the scary demon he remembered. And today, he finally snapped.
"You trying to suck me dry, Captain?!"
Perona and Laboon Jr. turned to Ritter this time.
"Oh, c'mon, just sleep it off. You're our ship's Thunder God this is your destiny!"
Moriah finally had enough. His shadow split into extra hands and quietly covered Perona and Laboon Jr.'s ears.
Moriah: vein popping, one tic mark added to forehead
The two idiots were still bickering, now pulling each other's hair and faces. Ritter yanked Enel's earlobe; Enel bit down on Ritter's hair.
As Moriah's forehead filled with stress veins
BANG! BANG!
Moriah punched them both.
"You two better watch your damn language! You trying to corrupt Perona or what?!"
"Sorry, Moriah-san!" the two of them crouched in front of him, holding their heads in pain and earnestly apologizing.
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