The children's mouths hung open. Their eyes were wide, as if frozen in place by an invisible shockwave.
On the screens projected by the surveillance Den Den Mushi, the aftershocks of the battle seemed to tear apart the sky and the sea.
Marco's blue flames clashed with Perospero's candy colossus, exploding and scattering debris like rain. Then there was the normally carefree Shanks and the equally carefree Buggy. Their seemingly foolish but terrifyingly powerful physical duel. Every collision created tsunami-like waves.
The sea: You're so noble.
It was no wonder the children were shocked. They knew that their Uncle Rhett, Uncle Shanks, and Uncle Buggy were very strong. But the three of them had one thing in common: they were very carefree and usually very unreliable.
As everyone knows, ordinary people can't watch battles between top-tier fighters in One Piece. That meant Rhett, Shanks, and Buggy had never shown their true strength in front of the children. This had given the children the feeling that they could rule the seas themselves. That they could catch up if they worked hard.
And the shock didn't stop there.
Doflamingo's strings cut through the air. This was the awakening of a Paramecia. Mihawk casually slashed the sea apart with his world-class slash.
Ann: I can fight him!
Germa's technological brute force. The Navy warship's unexpectedly strong entry. Every moment refreshed the children's understanding. That sea was no longer calm. That sea was full of destruction and death. The suffocating pressure of the top fighters came through the Den Den Mushi.
This was the advantage and disadvantage of being second-generation powerhouses. But fortunately, they had Rhett. Rhett had given them extremely strong hearts. The King of Preschool Teachers was no joke.
Ace: "A-Amazing... This is what Uncle Buggy meant by the strong in the New World who can destroy you with a wave of their hand?"
Ann silently gripped the hilt of her heavy sword. Her face was tight. "I can fight him. Good. I'm fired up." She started to charge forward with her sword.
"Ann~" Rouge called her from a distance. She seemed to have lost track of her.
Ann: What fight? This fried cutlet is delicious.
Kuina stared intently at the slash that split the sea and the Conqueror's Haki lightning on Shanks' Gryphon. "Cutting... everything..." She whispered to herself.
Reiju elegantly stirred her pudding with a small spoon. "Father's technology unit... compared to this pure, monster-level individual strength..." She once again doubted the absolute superiority of Germa's technology.
Shirahoshi was so scared she curled up her giant fish tail, leaving only her tearful big eyes visible. "Sob... so scary... why is everyone fighting so fiercely..."
Hiyori and Hizumi pressed close together. As daughters of Wano, they had seen strong samurai. But this chaotic scene of natural forces turned into personal power still exceeded their imagination. "This is what Father meant by... the vastness of the sea..." Hiyori said softly, her voice filled with awe.
Without realizing it, they all turned their gaze to the figure seated high on the blood-red throne. He was sitting with his legs crossed, picking his nose, and using a blood mist clone to steal doughnuts from Garp. Their Uncle Rhett.
This was the man who seemed carefree and unserious. Who liked to use his blood mist to make strange things to amuse them. Who they secretly called a "durian heart" behind his back. He had casually thrown out five billion berries and started this chaotic battle involving Emperors, the world's greatest swordsman, legendary pirates, future kings, and the Navy's top fighters.
This was the uncle who could put his arm around Whitebeard's shoulder and joke with him. Who could make the Navy Hero chase after him.
Rhett: You don't need to mention that.
Who could make the infamous "Heavenly Demon" Doflamingo restrain his arrogance. Who could make the proud Empress Hancock obediently call him "uncle."
They remembered Rhett's usual behavior. Using his blood mist as a slide for them. Making small horns to annoy people. Yelling when Rouge grabbed his ear. Drinking and joking with Shanks and Buggy. Then eating bitter melon together.
Rhett: You don't need to mention that either.
Comparing that to the destruction on the screens, a ridiculous but very real realization hit the children like a tidal wave.
The strong fighters they had thought were so powerful were fighting desperately for the "game prize" Rhett had casually thrown out. They were even fighting each other.
And Uncle Rhett himself was sitting high above like nothing was happening, watching the storm he had created. He even had the leisure to steal Garp's doughnuts.
His usual carefree demeanor wasn't weakness or mediocrity. It was a kind of absolute ease and power that was above all the noise and conflict.
His "playfulness" was because most things in the world weren't worth his seriousness.
His "casualness" was because he had the power to control any situation.
"Uncle Rhett, he..."
"...how strong is he really?"
This question now appeared in every child's mind. They thought they knew their uncle well. But they also felt he was a stranger.
Their gazes toward the figure on the throne completely changed. Their familiar closeness and dependence remained. But now it was mixed with unprecedented awe and shock.
For the first time, they truly felt that beneath his usual joking exterior, the "Uncle Rhett" they relied on was one of the top "monsters" on the seas.
"THWACK!" x8
"THWACK!" x8
"THWACK!" x24
Forty crisp flicks landed precisely on each child's head.
(Don't do the math. Each person got flicked five times.)
The force wasn't strong, but it was enough to break their increasingly exaggerated looks of awe.
"Ow!"
"That hurts!"
"Sob..."
"Uncle Rhett!"
The children covered their heads. The awe and fear were instantly replaced by familiar pain and annoyance. They all glared at the culprit on the throne.
Ace even turned into a shark mouth. "You bastard uncle! Why did you hit us?!"
Rhett picked his nose carelessly. "The looks on your faces were making me uncomfortable."
"Then you couldn't have just said something?! Why did you have to do it like this?!" Ace shouted at Rhett with shark teeth.
"What was that? You said Rouge's cooking is bad?! Rouge, listen to Ace!" Rhett completely ignored what Ace had said.