Amazon Lily
The silence in the room was heavy.
Riser stood, hands clasped behind his back. Before him, Alvida, Mikita, Zala, Kaya, and Nojiko occupied their places.
No one spoke.
The late afternoon light streamed through the high windows, casting a soft, golden, indifferent glow.
"You noticed the explosion that tore through the sky days ago."
Riser didn't turn his face.
"It was the fall of Skypiea. And with it… every Straw Hat perished."
The impact of the words didn't erupt. They sank like a stone into a lake.
Alvida lowered her head slightly.
Mikita furrowed her brows but said nothing.
Zala crossed her arms.
Kaya let out a breath, her eyes welling for a moment.
Nojiko shut her eyes tightly.
Her chest heaved.
Her hands trembled.
"No…"
She took a step back, then another.
"You're lying."
Her voice quivered.
"You're lying!"
Riser turned his face slightly.
"I'm not."
Nojiko took a step forward.
"Nami… she… she was there?"
"She was."
The words came cold.
"And she died?"
"Yes."
The sound was blunt.
Like a verdict.
Nojiko fell to her knees.
Her hands covered her face.
Her body rocked back and forth.
Tears came uncontrollably.
"She… she… was my sister…"
Her voice faded into muffled sobs.
Kaya swallowed hard.
Her eyes were misty but steady.
"Usopp… he died too, didn't he?"
"Yes."
She nodded slowly.
"I knew it. Ever since the sky changed… I felt it."
Riser approached Nojiko.
But he didn't touch her.
He just stood there.
Watching.
The marble floor reflected the young woman's tears.
The others didn't move.
Zala looked away.
Mikita rubbed her arm.
Alvida remained still, her eyes lowered.
"It was the World Government."
The statement cut through the air like a blade.
Nojiko stopped moving.
Her hands slowly slid from her face.
"What?"
Her voice was choked, faint, as if the air were sand in her throat.
Riser stood tall.
"That explosion… that light that shattered the skies…"
His golden eyes narrowed.
"…was the result of an attack designed to destroy me."
The runes on the ceiling vibrated faintly.
"Skypiea served me as an arena. A stage for judgment. When the Government realized my presence there, they authorized an experimental test of a celestial weapon."
The silence reclaimed the space for a moment.
Mikita pursed her lips. Zala clenched her fists. Kaya watched in silence, eyes wide.
"And the Straw Hats…?"
Kaya's murmured words echoed through the entire room.
"Collateral damage."
Riser didn't hesitate.
"They were on the island. They tried to fight. Tried to survive. But they couldn't stop it."
The sound of uneven breathing filled the void.
Nojiko stared at the floor, no longer crying.
Her tears had dried, replaced by something hotter, more solid.
"So Nami…"
Her voice was cold.
"…died for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?"
"No."
Riser walked to the base of the throne.
"They died for being near me."
The words were spat like embers.
"That's why…"
He turned, his eyes fixed on the wall where the Phoenix crest blazed.
"…I swore vengeance."
The runes glowed.
"The Marines authorized the attack. The Government hushed up the losses. The press called it a celestial event. But it was genocide. And I will answer in kind."
His voice reverberated among the columns.
"Not in secret. Not in the shadows."
"You're going to… declare war?"
The question slipped from Zala's lips.
Riser nodded.
"Marineford will be the stage. I will kill an admiral. I will bring down Whitebeard. And amidst the chaos, I will take everything they consider balance."
Mikita's breathing quickened. Kaya clenched her fists tightly. Alvida gave a faint smile, her gaze sharp as a razor.
But it was Nojiko who stepped forward.
"Then take me."
The statement sounded more like a command than a request.
"Let me fight."
Riser didn't move.
"You want revenge for your sister."
"I want them to feel it. I want them to fear. I want them to know that even the flowers of a forgotten village can kill a giant."
She spoke with wet eyes but a steady voice.
Riser watched her for long seconds.
Then he took a step forward.
"You will go."
Nojiko's eyes widened, surprised by the swift response.
"But not with me."
The impact was blunt.
"What do you mean…?"
"You all have a different role. A crucial one."
He turned, facing all the women before him.
"You think Marineford is the end… but it's only the beginning. While I make the world bleed, you will hunt the invisible hand behind it all."
The runes on the columns flickered faintly.
"You will go after CP9."
Zala lifted her chin.
"Government agents."
"Assassins. Ghosts. They hide secrets, silences, buried projects. They're the blade before the sentence. I want them under your feet."
Kaya looked at the others.
"That's not… a small mission."
"It's not."
Riser walked slowly before the throne.
"They were involved in the attack on Ohara, spied on Skypiea, and they move technology that can bend seas. I want you to dismantle everything. Code by code."
Mikita cracked her knuckles, excited.
"Operation name?"
Riser glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"Silent Flames."
Alvida crossed her arms, her sly smile growing.
"I like it."
"You'll infiltrate through Water 7. They're operating there under the guise of engineers and merchants. The secondary target is a man named Franky."
Kaya tilted her head, confused.
"Franky…?"
"A builder. Possibly involved with secret projects. Maybe even celestial weapons."
Zala narrowed her eyes.
"And the CP9 members?"
Riser cracked the knuckles of his right hand.
"All must die."
The words fell like an axe.
"Rob Lucci, Blueno, Kaku, Jabra… all of them."
"Except Kalifa."
The name was left last, like a loose thread in the tapestry.
"Kalifa?"
Alvida narrowed her eyes.
"Why her?"
"Because I have plans."
The response came too smoothly.
Zala raised an eyebrow.
"Plans?"
"Yes."
Riser turned his back, starting to descend the steps.
"Alive, certain resources are worth more than dead."
'Especially when those resources are blonde, arrogant, and have a voice sharp as a razor.'
Inside, a smile formed. But outside, his face was stone.
'It'll be interesting to see Kalifa try to resist. But after a while… she'll love being tamed properly.'
Mikita scratched her head.
"Who's this Franky guy again?"
"You'll know when you find him. Tall, strong, bizarre hair. Looks like a refrigerator with legs. Exaggerated in everything. Eliminate him."
Kaya's eyes widened.
"A refrigerator with legs?"
"Exactly."
The image flashed in his mind. A walking wardrobe shouting "SUPER!" while kicking the air. It almost made Riser laugh for real.
'This world is pathetic… but it has its charm.'
Nojiko stepped forward. Her gaze no longer carried tears, but hunger.
"How many agents are operating?"
"Seven to nine. Kalifa is the only woman among them. The rest are monsters hiding in suits."
Zala snapped her fingers.
"And you want us to do this discreetly?"
"No. I want it done fast."
The runes on the wall flickered.
"Discretion is for those who fear consequences. You have nothing to hide from."
Alvida twirled her club between her fingers.
"We'll crush those bastards."
"But remember."
Riser stopped on the last step. The golden lights of the Phoenix crest above the throne reflected in his eyes.
"Franky may resist. He may shout. He may fight. It doesn't matter. He's not part of my future."
'Kalifa is.'
The memory of the blonde with a superior expression, those glasses on her face, and the posture of someone who believes no one controls her—it was almost amusing now.
'You'll hate me at first… but you'll learn.'
Mikita flashed a sadistic grin.
"This'll be fun."
"It'll be a lesson."
Zala was already preparing her bag with sealed weapons.
"We leave today?"
"Yes."
Nojiko lifted her chin.
"We'll make them pay."
Alvida snorted.
"We'll make them beg."
'Or at least train you properly.'
Riser crossed his arms, still with his back turned.
"The operation lasts until Marineford begins. You must eliminate all targets and return before the war."
Zala struck her fist against her chest.
"Understood."
Riser's left eye opened like a dark slit.
The Kamui swirled slowly, devouring the space around it.
FWOOSH.
The five women were swallowed by the distortion.
The air vibrated. The columns creaked faintly, as if the base felt their absence.
Riser remained, staring at the void left by the warp.
'Franky. CP9. Kalifa.'
Each name was a cog in the machinery of vengeance.
He raised his hand. The Sharingan's light still swirled softly.
'They'll leave trails of fire in Water 7. I'll head to Enies Lobby after that.'
The heat in the air grew. His breathing steadied.
'The world will wake up in a field of flames and won't even understand where the match came from.'
The Kamui's distortion opened again.
FWOOSH.
Riser vanished, taking with him the wind, the smoke, and the certainty that the world was no longer prepared.
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