Rainbase
The air was still thick with the fine dust of the desert. Crocodile's body lay motionless on the ground, and the Baroque Works agents stood in utter silence. The city, once held hostage by the Warlord's rule, seemed to have stopped to witness the impossible.
Riser walked slowly, his golden eyes shining with a mix of boredom and interest. His gaze met Luffy's, who was rubbing his hands as if still trying to understand what had just happened.
"You and Zoro will find the others."
Luffy blinked, tilting his head.
"Huh? But there's still a fight going on here!"
Zoro crossed his arms, watching Mr. 1 struggle to get back up. His instincts told him something had shifted.
'He wants us away from here.'
"You defeated Crocodile. So, what's the plan now?"
Riser's eyes lazily drifted to him.
"The hard part is over. Now it's time to take control."
Alvida smiled in the background, resting her club on her shoulder.
"Ahahah! So we're gonna rule over this little empire?"
Riser ignored the provocation. His gaze returned to Zoro.
"Luffy can't stay here."
Zoro narrowed his eyes.
"Doesn't sound like a request."
Luffy clenched his fists, his expression defiant.
"Hey, I'm the captain!"
Riser answered with a simple raised eyebrow.
"Exactly. That's why you should go where your crew needs you."
Silence fell.
Luffy huffed, stretching his arms and yawning.
"Fine! Fine! I'll go! But don't think I'll let you have all the fun, Riser!"
Zoro let out a quiet sigh before turning to Mr. 1's fallen body. His eyes analyzed the man.
'I cut him... but how?'
His eyes went back to Riser.
'He knows.'
But this wasn't the time for questions.
Zoro turned, grabbing Luffy by the collar.
"Let's go."
Luffy grumbled, but didn't resist.
The two disappeared in the direction of the palace.
Riser watched until they were gone.
Alvida smiled beside him, the desert's warm breeze making her black hair sway.
"You just took them out of the game. Now tell me… what comes next?"
Mr. 2 wiped the blood from his lip and let out a nervous laugh.
"Ahhh, the tension in the air! I can't wait to know our role in this play!"
Mr. 1 finally managed to get on one knee, breathing heavily.
"If you're going to kill us, do it already."
Riser sighed, running his fingers through his golden hair.
The cold glint in his eyes showed he wasn't in a rush, nor had any intention of responding to provocation.
He ignored weak enemies. Always.
His gaze slid over to Crocodile, still fallen, immobilized by his broken body.
'Too early to kill, too late to save.'
The system lit up in his mind.
[Shop Opened.]
A translucent interface floated before him.
'Kairoseki Handcuffs. Five units.'
[Confirm purchase? Cost: 2500 Luck Points.]
'Confirm.'
[Purchase completed. Items sent to inventory.]
That familiar sensation of something invisible being transferred washed over him. In an instant, five Kairoseki handcuffs were now stored, ready to be used.
[Updated balance: 63,500 Luck Points.]
Alvida tilted her head, noticing Riser's distant look.
"Something interesting going on in that blonde head of yours?"
The smile he gave her was pure mystery.
"Something like that."
Mr. 1 was still watching him, tension visible in his clenched jaw.
"If you're not going to kill us, then what do you want?"
Riser walked slowly, his boots creaking against the cracked ground of the square.
The silence was thick.
Fear hung in the air.
The Baroque Works agents could pretend all they wanted, but their bodies betrayed their tension. The fire that had consumed their allies still burned in their minds.
Crocodile, even while down, gritted his teeth, refusing to show weakness. But his eyes trembled.
Mr. 1 didn't blink. Every muscle in his body screamed for action, but he knew any move would be useless.
Mr. 2 swallowed hard. His theatrics had vanished, leaving only hesitant silence.
Miss Doublefinger was still unconscious.
Riser stopped.
His golden eyes swept over each of them, analyzing them like a scientist observing insects under glass.
'Everyone feels fear.'
Even the cruelest of assassins.
And he was curious.
Mr. 1. A man who rarely spoke. Who always seemed unshakable. And now, there he was, trying to hide the tension.
'Interesting.'
Riser raised his hand, fingers curling slightly.
Fwosh!
A golden spark lit up in the air.
Flames danced in his palm, writhing like something alive.
The agents' eyes widened.
"You…!"
Before anyone could react—
Snap!
The snap of Riser's fingers echoed like thunder in the silent night.
FWOOSH!
The flames engulfed the four for a moment.
And when they dissipated…
Clank!
The cold sound of metal echoed through the air.
Crocodile, Mr. 1, Mr. 2, and Miss Doublefinger were now handcuffed, their wrists bound by Kairoseki shackles.
All eyes turned to them.
Despair was palpable.
Crocodile tried to move—
Nothing.
Weakness hit him like a physical blow. His body lost all strength, and he collapsed to the side, gasping.
Mr. 1 felt his body grow heavy, his muscles refusing to respond.
Mr. 2 looked at his own wrists, eyes wide in horror.
"What the…?!"
He tried to stand. His body barely responded.
"This can't be happening! My beautiful body, so strong, so flexible—!"
THUD!
He fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
Riser smiled slightly.
"The cuffs look good on you."
The three who were still conscious shivered.
That wasn't a compliment.
It was a sentence.
Crocodile gritted his teeth, his voice coming out hoarse.
"Bastard…"
Riser tilted his head slightly.
"Is that all you've got to say?"
The former Warlord clenched his fists, but couldn't even gather the strength to stand.
Mr. 1 remained silent.
Mr. 2 kept tugging at the shackles, but his body no longer moved like before.
Riser's fire vanished into the air, as if it had never existed.
The square was utterly silent.
The Baroque Works agents, watching from afar, took another step back.
They didn't know what Riser was planning.
But one thing was certain.
They didn't want to be next.
Riser's gaze lazily slid to Alvida.
"If any of them move too much while I'm on the Going Merry, hit them."
Alvida cracked her fingers, a wild grin on her lips.
"Ahahah! Finally, a fun job!"
The wicked glint in her eyes made the prisoners swallow hard.
Riser turned without haste, his boots echoing against the dry sand as he walked toward the ship.
The Going Merry was there.
In the middle of the desert.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Crocodile's eyes trembled.
'That doesn't make sense.'
No one asked.
But they all felt the same thing.
Ignorance could be just as terrifying as fear itself.
'He went to get something from the ship…'
Mr. 1 showed no reaction.
Crocodile, as much as he hated to admit it, felt a tightness in his chest.
Mr. 2…
His face couldn't hide the fear.
Only one thought echoed in all their minds.
'No one wants to be tortured.'
Silence suffocated them.
Riser's flames had disappeared, but the heat of his presence still burned their skin.
---
The deck of the Going Merry creaked under his feet.
The air inside the ship was thick, filled with dust and the faint smell of damp wood.
Riser walked toward the main mast of the Going Merry.
Unsteady breathing filled the space around him.
There he was.
Mr. 3.
Firmly tied to the mast, head hanging low, eyes half-open, still dazed.
The agent blinked slowly, trying to focus his vision.
Then he saw it.
The golden glow of Riser's eyes.
The lazy smile.
His heart raced.
"You… What—"
Fwosh!
Flames sparked from Riser's fingers, dancing in the air like they were alive.
Mr. 3 froze.
"N-no…!"
Snap!
The snap of Riser's fingers echoed.
Fwoosh!
Fire materialized around Mr. 3's wrists.
Clank!
The Kairoseki cuffs locked shut with a sharp metallic sound.
Mr. 3 gasped.
His body instantly lost all strength.
He collapsed forward, heavy as lead.
"W-what is this…?"
He tried to move, but it was useless.
His body no longer responded.
"L-let me go…"
Riser's gaze remained calm, almost bored.
"No."
Silence stretched out.
Mr. 3 felt despair take over.
He knew what this meant.
No Devil Fruit.
No power.
No chance.
Riser crossed his arms.
"Now, let's have some fun."
His voice was cold. Sharp.
And to Mr. 3, it sounded like a death sentence.
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Also, don't forget to check out my other fanfic:
Reincarnation in Smallville
A new life, a new Clark Kent — with all the memories of his past life intact.