Raising Legends in Roger’s Shadow

Waves crashed rhythmically against the hull of the "Fake Oro Jackson," and muffled thuds echoed across the deck. Thankfully, the ship was a simple sailboat barely enough for the three of them to operate, but it managed.

And the slaves? Naturally, they were handed over to our ever-so-just Navy. The trio docked at a Marine base, dropped the slaves off, and immediately fled the scene. After all, they were pirates. Sure, Roger and Rayleigh didn't have bounties on their heads yet, but that didn't make them saints.

Ritter was finally beginning to understand just how formidable the Roger Pirates truly were. What kind of crew sends out men whose power level is basically admiral-tier right from the start? Both of these guys were easily at that level.

Everyone knows that in a classic shounen adventure, the protagonist's enemies grow stronger in stages. So what was this? The villain of the starter village suddenly bumping into a hero who'd just returned from slaying the Demon King???

Ritter felt a little smug. He'd latched on to the thickest thighs in the world of pirates. Was this what being the child of destiny felt like? The second-gen of strength? Just the thought of being mentored by the right-hand man of the Pirate King, the legendary Dark King Rayleigh Ritter could practically taste the victory. Life was good.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ritter stood shirtless, sweat pouring down his body. His fists, wrapped in a faint layer of black Armament Haki, pounded again and again against an iron pillar. His knuckles were already split and bloody, mixing with sweat as droplets splattered the deck. And yet, the pillar bore only shallow dents.

"Still not enough..." he panted, staring at his trembling hands. "I can't even maintain Haki for thirty seconds."

A few paces away, Rayleigh leaned casually against the railing, sipping from a bottle. Behind the gleam of his glasses, his eyes were sharp as a hawk's.

"Kid, if you keep going like this, you're gonna wreck your hands."

"I don't care!" Ritter gritted his teeth. "Next time I run into someone strong, I want to at least survive!"

Rayleigh sighed, walked over, and placed a firm hand on Ritter's shoulder.

"The problem isn't your Haki," he said, squeezing Ritter's arm. "It's your body. Your stamina is impressive, sure but your muscle density and bone strength are nowhere near ready. You've made ridiculous progress for your age, but this is like trying to pour molten iron into a bamboo tube. The container's too fragile to hold the power."

Ritter fell silent.

He knew Rayleigh was right. No matter how hard he trained, his Haki remained at the most basic level. Every time he tried to push it further, his body gave out first.

That night, in the captain's cabin

"So I'm just doomed to be a 'half-baked weakling'?" Ritter stared at his palms, voice laced with frustration.

Roger sat cross-legged on the floor, grinning broadly. "What kind of mindset is that? You're four years old and already trying to become the strongest in the world? Planning to conquer the seas by next year?"

He reached out and flicked Ritter on the forehead. "Your body's still growing. Push too hard and you'll just break it. Honestly, I've never seen a four-year-old as gifted as you. What's the rush, huh? Trying to save the world already?"

After flicking him, Roger casually picked his nose and muttered, "Besides, who said strength only comes from Haki?" He pointed to Ritter's chest. "How far have you gotten with your Fog-Fog Fruit?"

"Can you not do that disgusting thing right after flicking me?" Ritter snapped, baring his shark-like teeth. "So far, I can create illusions, mess with Observation Haki, and the mist can corrode enemies…"

"Too conservative!" Roger suddenly leapt to his feet, gesturing wildly. "I once saw a Magma Fruit user turn an entire island into a volcano! (Not Akainu, by the way.) What about your fog? Can you blanket an entire ocean in mist? Make people pass out after just one breath? Or maybe your fog's corrosive why not dissolve your enemies completely when they're inside it?"

Rayleigh chuckled, his smile laced with meaning. "Imagine this, little Ritter. One day, when you're strong enough, people won't even be able to enter your fog unless they meet a certain level of power. And with illusions to hide your presence, and the ability to nullify Observation Haki... You'll be like a demon in the mist. Just thinking about trying to fight you would give people a headache. As long as they can't blow your fog away, you'll be practically untouchable."

Ritter gulped.

That… sounded incredible. Uncle Rayleigh's dream-pitch was delicious. This fog-filled fantasy he painted? Way better than the empty promises Ritter's old bosses used to make in his past life. He couldn't lie he wanted that. He loved the idea of just standing there while his enemies flailed helplessly, unable to touch him.

The next morning

Ritter stood at the bow of the ship, eyes closed, letting the sea breeze wash over him.

If his body couldn't handle stronger Haki for now...

"Then I'll make the fog stronger."

He suddenly threw open his arms, and thick, white mist burst out from his body, enveloping the entire ship. But this time, the fog didn't disperse. It moved with eerie purpose, squirming and condensing into thousands of minuscule droplets.

"Fog Breathing: Neurotoxin!"

Whoosh—

A few seagulls that had been sneaking bites of food on deck suddenly froze, then dropped like stones.

Roger's eyes went wide. "What the hell did you do?"

"I adjusted the fog's composition," Ritter said, lips curled into a smirk. "Laced it with a trace neurotoxin. Causes muscle paralysis without being lethal."

A glint flashed in Rayleigh's eyes. "Interesting… If you combine that with your Observation Haki, you could incapacitate your enemies before they even realize what's happening."

"Not just that." Ritter clenched his fist, and the mist gathered into a semi-transparent long blade in his hand. "It's not as hard as Haki weaponization, but—"

Swish swish swish!

The wooden practice targets in the distance were instantly shredded.

Let's not forget Roger and Rayleigh in the future weren't just masters of Haki. They were also top-tier swordsmen.

But then—

"Pfft—hahahahahaha!"

"What the hell are you doing, little Ritter?"

The two of them burst out laughing, clearly trying and failing to hold it in.

Face turning red for once, Ritter shouted, "I'm only four years old! Of course I haven't learned swordsmanship yet! What are you two laughing at, you jerks!"

Roger wiped away a tear from laughing too hard. "Want me to teach you?"

He drew his saber—Ace—and unleashed a flying slash that tore through the air with overwhelming force.

Ritter stared, slack-jawed. That slash… it really did feel like it could split the sea.

Was that the prototype of Roger's signature move, Divine Departure?

Roger sheathed his blade and ruffled Ritter's hair.

"Don't let yourself get boxed in. Your fog's strength lies in its formlessness."

He pointed at the mist blade in Ritter's hand. "Why be bound by the shape of a sword? Don't worry, we'll find you a real one eventually. And did you notice? When you form a weapon out of the mist, the rest of your fog gets thinner."

Rayleigh added, "Still, the fundamentals matter. Starting tomorrow, a thousand sword swings a day."

Ritter thought to himself: being a 'strength second-gen' really was the way to go.

The reason he figured out how to forge a fog blade was because he remembered the light sword wielded by Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino, and the ice sword of Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan.

But there was something he hadn't considered. Kizaru and Aokiji didn't need to blanket entire battlefields. Even though Ritter's fog field could move with him...

You might ask, "Well, what if I just run away from your fog?"

To which Ritter would reply: naive. I'll just cover the entire island in fog. How's that for scary?

Even now, as long as an opponent's strength wasn't far beyond his, Ritter's mist wouldn't just be blown away. And thanks to his monstrous stamina, he could keep his fog going indefinitely. It was like a passive skill that drained mana but his mana bar was bottomless.

Of course, the awkward truth was, right now he could trap enemies in his fog... but when it came to real monsters, he still had to run.

People say having elders at home is like having treasure. Their experience lets them spot problems before you even realize them.

And right now, Ritter had two of these treasures two "young old men" by his side.

"Rayleigh-sensei for three years is nothing compared to Kaido-sensei's three clubs," he muttered under his breath.