Sabaody Archipelago
BZZZZZT.
Light tore through the sky like a divine whip.
A golden beam crashed into the central plaza of Sabaody, blasting the ground into a perfect crater. The bubbles around it evaporated before touching the figure forming at the center of the glare.
Kizaru.
Standing. Motionless. Hands in pockets. His gaze hidden behind gleaming sunglasses.
"Ooh… looks like I'm late for the auction."
The ground still smoked.
The few pirates left in the area—thieves, bounty hunters, or just foolish enough to linger—stared in shock.
One tried to run.
BZZZZZZZT!
A ray of light sliced through the air.
The body was cut into three pieces before it could comprehend what hit it.
Kizaru turned his head slowly.
"Such bad manners… fleeing from justice like that?"
Another pirate drew a weapon.
"TOO SLOW."
The man's arm vanished. Literally. A flash of light enveloped his shoulder, leaving only a scream behind.
Kizaru floated above the destruction, effortless, his body half-luminous, his aura vibrating with concentrated power.
"The Government sent me… to clean up."
A third pirate tried to shout for reinforcements.
Kizaru raised a finger.
PIUUUUN!
A laser blast obliterated a watchtower 500 meters away, along with the man inside. Half the plaza shook with the impact.
"If there are survivors of the attack here… pirates, thieves, revolutionaries…"
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"…they'll have to run much faster than that."
He tapped the ground with the tip of his toe. Light exploded around him. Ten beams shot in different directions.
Pirates hiding in alleys were struck without warning.
Sound. Light. Death.
All at once.
Government agents on the scene arrived running.
"Admiral Kizaru! Sir, we should investigate the magical traces left by—"
"Oohh…"
He glanced over his sunglasses.
His eyes narrowed.
"I came to hunt."
The agent fell silent.
"Whatever killed the Tenryuubito is already gone. It left no footprints."
He turned his face eastward.
"But there are still rats hiding around here. I want a list of every fugitive in Sabaody from the last two days."
His hand glowed like the midday sun.
"If I don't catch the assassin… I'll catch everyone else."
The air grew heavy.
"The Government wants an answer. So…"
He vanished in a burst of light.
"…I'll give them bodies."
FWOOSH.
---
Marineford
The waters around Marineford shimmered under the sun. Cannons raised, flags waving, the fleet aligned like the teeth of a sea dragon waiting to bite.
The ship glided through the main channel. White, ornate, guided by marines with tense faces.
On the deck, her.
Boa Hancock stood motionless. Her red cape flowed down her back, her dress clinging to her body as if the wind obeyed her. Her eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.
Inside, her heart pounded with restrained force.
'Marineford…'
The massive walls rose like a barrier against the sky.
And behind her, invisible to the world, Merlin floated in absolute silence. No ripple in the air. No distortion. Just the subtle presence of a magical shadow grazing the surface of reality with reverence.
The ship stopped.
An officer shouted from the port.
"Boa Hancock, Shichibukai. Authorized to disembark."
She didn't respond.
She descended the plank with her chin held high.
The marines' eyes averted instantly. Some fell to their knees. Others simply turned away, flushed and terrified.
'Fools.'
She crossed the gate. The sound of her heels echoed like a command.
On the other side, from an elevated balcony, the other Shichibukai were already gathered.
Mihawk.
Doflamingo.
Kuma.
Gekko Moriah.
All watching.
Doflamingo smirked, his glasses hiding any intent.
"Look who came to light up the execution grounds."
Mihawk didn't blink.
"Her presence could disrupt focus… or heighten the spectacle."
Hancock didn't reply.
She stopped at the center of the courtyard. Her eyes shot straight to the empty execution throne.
'They think I'm here for them.'
One step.
'But I'm here for him.'
Merlin stayed close, invisible but vigilant.
'If anyone gets too close… they'll be reduced to ashes before they can blink.'
The protocol officer tried to intervene.
"Lady Hancock, please—"
She raised her gaze.
The man turned to stone before he could finish his sentence.
Doflamingo burst into laughter.
"That woman's a tragic poem… and a nuclear weapon."
Moriah took a step aside.
"I don't want to be a statue."
Merlin watched everything. Silent.
But her runes were already active.
And anyone who dared touch Hancock… would have their soul crushed by Riser's will.
---
Enies Lobby
The sky above Enies Lobby was artificially bright.
The sun never set there.
And at the top of the Tower of Justice, Spandam spun in circles, his empty wine mug clanging metal against metal each time it grazed the table's edge.
"Listen, you useless lot! I should be in Marineford too! ME!"
Funkfreed, in hybrid mode, let out a low, frustrated noise. Its trunk swayed as if embarrassed.
"But no, no, no… they sidelined me here like I don't matter!"
Jabra snorted, arms crossed.
"You don't."
Spandam spun with a leap.
"Silence, talking dog!"
Kumadori struck a dramatic pose near the bookshelf.
"YOYOYO, BUT WE MUST HONOR OUR ROLE IN THE GRAND THEATER OF JUSTICE—YOYOYO!"
Fukurou spun in the air, his body still round.
"Chapapa: CP9 should be at the war. Chapapa: Robbed of the spotlight."
"You owe me loyalty!" Spandam kicked a stack of papers.
"I sent three reports! THREE! Saying it'd be a strategic advantage to have someone with my level of experience—"
"Incompetence," Jabra muttered.
Spandam ignored him.
"I could very well capture that so-called Riser myself!"
Silence fell for a second.
A second too long.
At the circular window behind the command chair, space subtly swirled.
Like water being sucked into a drain that didn't exist.
The glass didn't crack.
It made no sound.
But reality bent.
FWOOSH.
Riser emerged from behind the curtain of folded light.
His boots touched the floor like weightless shadow.
His coat swayed with contained energy.
The Mangekyō spun slowly, like a clock waiting to chime.
No one noticed.
Until the heat shifted.
Jabra was the first to turn.
His body stiffened.
His eyes widened on instinct.
"Wha—"
It was all he managed to say.
A serpent of fire sliced the air with absolute precision. It sprang from Riser's palm without theatrical flourish. A line of golden embers, as thin as a sewing needle.
It pierced Jabra's neck like wet paper.
No sound. No shock.
The body fell with a heavy thud. The smell of burning filled the room before the screams began.
Fukurou swallowed hard.
"Ch-Chapap—"
His zipper was sealed by a subtle burst of heat. His head spun, and his body toppled sideways, eyes still trying to comprehend what happened.
Kumadori leaped back, already conjuring a theatrical mantra of defense.
"YOYOYO, I—"
The floor exploded beneath his feet.
A flower of fire bloomed under him like an inverted crown. His body was flung upward, crashing into the ceiling and falling in silence.
Spandam stumbled back against the table.
His body shook.
Sweat streamed down his temple in rivulets.
The sword-Zoan switched to full form—an elephant trying to protect its master.
Riser tilted his hand slightly to the side.
The Kamui swirled like liquid shadow.
Funkfreed vanished in silence, swallowed by a spatial fold. No sound, no flash. Just gone.
Spandam fell backward, his breathing failing.
His eyes met Riser's.
"Y-you… you're the new Shichibukai… the one supposed to be at the war…"
Riser took a step forward.
"I am."
His voice filled the room.
Cold.
Certain.
Spandam tried to crawl back.
"But you were supposed… supposed to be in Marineford… not here!"
"I was."
He approached the command chair. Charred paper scraps still fluttered in the air.
"But then I remembered Enies Lobby has too many ghosts."
Spandam hit his head on the table's edge. He whimpered softly but didn't dare beg for help.
"You killed them all… without hesitating…"
"Because there was no need to hesitate."
Riser turned and sat in the CP9 director's chair.
His body settled naturally. His posture relaxed. One arm over the armrest. His left eye still active, glowing like a dimmed sun.
"I understand why the Government likes you."
Spandam's eyes widened.
"What?"
Riser crossed his legs.
"You're useless. Weak. Arrogant. But… you know how to obey."
Spandam didn't respond.
His throat locked between fear and confusion.
"You'll stay alive, Spandam."
Riser leaned forward. The Sharingan's light reflected in the fallen man's eyes.
"Because you still have a role to play."
Silence fell like a curtain.
Riser leaned back, his fingers drumming on the chair's arm.
"Let's talk."
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