The scene had descended into chaos.
Kaido clutched Yamato, crying like a child. Together, they weighed roughly 400 pounds Kaido himself around 300, and Yamato about 70–80. Yamato sobbed in sadness as her spiked club had been thrown away.
Ritter stood off to the side, expressionless, while Enel and Moria stared at the sky and floor, respectively, pretending they didn't exist.
Weren't they supposed to have battled for three days straight and finally achieved victory?
In the end, King could no longer tolerate it.
"Ahem…" he cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Lord Ritter, now that you're here, perhaps we should… have a meal first?"
Ritter raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The Beasts Pirates still have the energy for a feast?"
King's expression remained unchanged. "Kaido rarely shows joy. So… we thought we might humor him. Since you've come and Kaido is in this state, we can't refuse."
Ritter remained silent.
This, he thought, was actually kind of interesting. He glanced at Kaido and Yamato still crying, then at the expectant King, and finally sighed.
"Fine, since I'm already here."
And so, a most peculiar feast began.
Inside the Banquet Hall
Kaido was forcibly seated at the main table by King, drunk and hugging a barrel of sake. Between sobs, he muttered, "Ritter… I will absolutely kill you…"
Ritter sat across from him, expressionless, chewing on a piece of roasted meat, completely ignoring Kaido's whining.
Yamato sat next to Kaido, eyes red from crying, but soon her gaze was captured by the meat in Ritter's hand.
Ritter noticed and deliberately waved it. "Want some?"
Yamato swallowed hard, stubbornly turning her head away. "Hmph! I won't accept gifts from my enemy!"
Ritter: "Oh, then never mind." He popped the meat into his own mouth.
Yamato: "…"
At that moment, her stomach growled.
Ritter smiled and held out a piece. "Here. Number Two of the Sea."
Yamato hesitated, then could resist no longer. She grabbed it and devoured it. "Mmm… delicious!"
Kaido was moved to tears. "Son… you actually accepted food from an enemy… I… I feel relieved… this is our temporary patience…"
Ritter: "…This dad is ridiculous."
At that moment, the banquet hall doors swung open. A group of young people entered, all clearly still quite young.
Ritter: Thanks to me, you don't need to thank me.
The leader's voice rang out. "Ritter is here?" The young boy grinned, revealing pointed teeth. "I am the captain of the Flying Six! Who's who!"
Ritter glanced at them. Familiar faces, yes but much younger than he remembered.
Black Maria was still a young girl, wearing a kimono and smoking a pipe, smiling politely. "I've heard of you long ago, Lord Ritter~"
Sasaki, standing 3.2 meters tall, was also experienced but silent.
Ulti and Page One were children: one proudly raising an arm, the other timidly hiding behind his sister.
Ritter observed them. These two little ones, so young already… oh, they weren't yet Flying Six members, which made sense.
After all, they were too young. In canon, the older sister is 22, the younger brother just 20.
Ritter: Hmph, little brats~
Ritter: "…Besides Drake, how are all of you gathered together this early?"
King explained, "Kaido has been recruiting new talent recently, and they… all have potential."
Ritter nodded, saying nothing, and casually offered another piece of meat to the eager first reporter. "Here, kid."
Page One froze, then whispered, "Thank you." Ulti snatched it. "Idiot! You can't eat enemy food!"
Ritter: "…Were these siblings like this from childhood? And with such a mix of ages and strengths, how am I supposed to fight you all?"
Halfway through the feast, Kaido had drunk himself into a stupor, his head heavy on the table, snoring like thunder.
Yamato, full and sleepy, nodded off, finally curling up in King's arms.
Ritter watched this scene and found it a bit amusing.
He stood and said to King, "Alright, I've eaten and seen the show. Prepare a room. Tomorrow, I'll spar with Kaido."
"Prosperity!"
The morning calm was shattered by a tremendous crash. Ritter's room walls were obliterated as Kaido, eyes bloodshot, stormed in. His spiked club crackled with Conqueror's Haki as he smashed toward the bed.
"Ritter! Get up! You dared spend the night on my island! Wait until I wake up!"
But the bed instantly turned to dust.
"Good morning, Kaido." Ritter's voice came from the ceiling beam. He sat cross-legged, holding a cup of hot tea. "Fully awake?"
Ritter: In terms of elegance, I'm flawless.
Kaido's face twisted between purple and pale, his whiskers trembling with rage. "Forget what happened last night!"
Ritter sipped his tea slowly. "Forget what? Forget that you held me and cried? Or that your daughter called me your nemesis?"
Ritter (Kaido version): You are my lifelong rival.
"SHUT UP!" Kaido's Conqueror's Haki exploded, shaking the entire castle. "Today I'll kill you!"
Ritter sighed, setting down the tea cup. "Fine, I could use some stretching."
Blood mist surged, filling the room. Kaido leapt back, swinging his spiked club to disperse the approaching haze.
"Don't even think about it!"
Boom!
Kaido's great black blade clashed with Ritter's weapon, sending shockwaves that demolished the remaining castle walls. The battle raged from the castle to the cliffside. Everywhere they went, the earth cracked, and mountains crumbled.
"Wahaha! Now we're talking!" Kaido laughed maniacally, covered in dragon scales. "Let me show you my true power!"
Ritter casually replied, "You've already gone all out several times."
Kaido's face turned beet red. "Damn you."
Elsewhere in the castle, Yamato was awakened by the explosions. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up.
"What's happening…"
King grabbed her. "Quick! Kaido and Ritter are fighting!"
"What?!" Yamato instantly woke, excitedly pumping her tiny fists. "I want to watch!"
Queen shouted as he ran after her. "Watch what?! Those two monsters are fighting. Being that close is suicidal!"
But Yamato had already broken free of King's grip and dashed toward the battlefield.
"Dad! Let's go! You're not allowed to become Kaido the First before me!"