The warm desert breeze carried the scent of dust and salt as the Going Merry rested on the sand like a ghost ship. The night was thick, the distant lights of Rainbase barely illuminating the horizon. On the deck, Robin observed the city with a distant gaze, arms crossed, her mind restless.
"Robin."
She turned. Riser was leaning against the mast, his golden eyes glinting in the faint torchlight. His posture was relaxed, but something in his tone made her hold her breath.
"The Marines are coming."
Her heart stopped for a moment. Her fingers tightened around her own arms. 'Damn it… I can't be caught. Not now.'
Her feet were already moving toward the plank when a warm hand grasped her wrist. The grip was firm but not aggressive.
"Where do you think you're going?"
She met those predatory eyes, a playful glint dancing in his gaze. Her body stiffened. The urge to run burned within her, a reflex honed by years of fleeing.
"Riser, you don't understand. I can't be captured."
"Wrong."
The word cut through the air like a blade.
"You don't need to run anymore."
She blinked, surprised.
"Now you're with me."
Silence hung between them. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as if battling her own instincts. But something in his gaze held her in place.
'He speaks as if the Marines mean nothing. As if I never had to run.'
The tension within her slowly dissolved. The fear was replaced by an emotion she couldn't name.
"So, what are we going to do?"
Riser smiled.
"You're going to hide."
Robin frowned, surprise etched on her face.
"Hide? You don't want me to fight?"
"No."
His voice was firm. His golden eyes gleamed under the moonlight.
"Smoker's coming. He wants Crocodile. You and Miss Doublefinger will stay in the cabin until I decide what to do."
The Marine captain's name sent a shiver down her spine. Smoker wasn't an ordinary opponent. He hunted pirates with relentless determination.
"You want to use him."
"Yes."
Riser crossed his arms, his lazy expression masking something far sharper.
"If Crocodile is handed over to the Marines as a defeated prisoner, someone will need to take his place as a Shichibukai."
Robin understood immediately.
'He wants the position.'
If Riser were recognized as a Shichibukai, his standing in the game would shift. He wouldn't just be a rising pirate—he'd be one of the world's official powers.
"Understood."
Robin turned without arguing. Miss Doublefinger was still unconscious, but Riser didn't care. She wasn't relevant now.
Before stepping into the cabin, she heard an irritated sigh from the deck.
"You weren't as nice to me as you are to her."
Alvida was leaning against the mast, twirling her club between her fingers, her eyes narrowed. Irritation was plain on her face.
Riser stared at her for a moment.
"Quiet down, Alvida. After I'm done here, I'll check how smooth you get with that Devil Fruit of yours."
Her face flushed. Anger, frustration, something more.
"Tch. Idiot."
She looked away but didn't argue.
Silence settled over the deck. Robin closed the cabin door behind her, her dark eyes reflecting the faint torchlight. The Going Merry swayed slightly in the sand, a lone ship amidst the Alabasta desert.
The wind carried a bitter scent.
Riser narrowed his eyes at the horizon.
Atop the dunes, silhouettes emerged, outlined against the pale moon. The muffled sound of hooves on sand filled the silence, accompanied by the metallic clink of weapons being readied.
Camels.
The Marines had arrived.
Riser smiled.
'Finally.'
The first to appear at the front was Smoker, astride a sturdy dark-furred camel. His white coat billowed in the wind, cigars burning slowly between his teeth. His gaze was cold, brimming with fury.
Beside him, Tashigi gripped the reins tightly, her expression unreadable. The soldiers behind them held their weapons raised, ready to act.
Smoker's eyes flared as they landed on the blond figure on the deck.
"Bastard."
He dismounted in a leap, his feet sinking into the sand.
"Riser."
The blond's smile widened.
"I was expecting someone more important."
Smoker's fist clenched around the new Jitte at his belt.
"You should be in chains."
Riser chuckled softly, his golden eyes glinting with amusement.
"You really think anything in this world can keep me locked up, Smoker?"
Thick smoke poured from the Marine's cigars, mingling with the desert dust. The new Jitte at his waist looked heavy, its Sea Prism Stone-reinforced wood gleaming in the night.
"After what you did in Loguetown, I should break every bone in your body."
Riser's smile grew wider.
"Ah, Loguetown… Good times. Tell me, do you still miss your Jitte? I liked it."
Smoker's eyes burned with rage. His body tensed before he even realized it. The memory of the day Riser made a fool of him seared his mind.
Tashigi swallowed hard as she saw Smoker's jaw tighten.
"Captain… Our target is Crocodile."
Her eyes slid across the deck to the limp body of the former Shichibukai. Crocodile lay sprawled on the wood, bound in Sea Prism Stone shackles. His breathing was uneven, but he was still alive.
Riser tilted his head, following the swordswoman's gaze.
"Well, there he is. No need to thank me."
Smoker didn't move.
"You really think I'll just take Crocodile and ignore the fact that you're standing here?"
Riser shrugged.
"Be smart. You came for Crocodile, and he's served to you on a platter. Arrest him, and the Marines will sing your praises."
Smoker didn't reply. He simply took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaling slowly, his gaze fixed on the blond.
Tashigi glanced between them, feeling the tension in the air thicken.
"Riser… Why did you defeat Crocodile?"
The blond let out a lazy laugh.
"Because I wanted to."
The simple answer sent a chill down the Marine's spine. There was something in his tone that felt empty, as if the world's motivations were irrelevant to him.
Smoker drew the Jitte from his belt.
"That doesn't change anything. You're still a criminal."
Riser slipped his hands into his pockets.
"So, are you going to arrest me?"
The black staff gleamed in the moonlight.
"If necessary."
The blond's smile faded, his golden eyes glinting coldly.
"You know that won't end well for you."
The sound of the wind cut through the silence.
The Marines exchanged hesitant glances. The Going Merry creaked faintly, as if sensing the tension in the air.
Alvida twirled her club between her fingers, watching the scene with a bored expression.
"If he fights you again, Smoker, I think you'll lose again."
The Marine captain's jaw tightened. The smoke from his cigars mingled with the dry desert wind. His gaze locked on the blond before him, the memory of Loguetown still burning in his mind.
Tashigi kept her hand on her katana's hilt. Cold sweat trickled down her neck. She knew what was about to happen.
Riser sighed, as if dealing with a stubborn child.
"You're not here for me, Smoker."
His voice carried a weight that made even the Marines hesitate.
"Your target is Crocodile. Your superiors want a full report on Alabasta's fall, and you want to be the one to deliver that victory. Don't throw your mission away over pride."
Smoker stood still.
The silence grew heavier.
Riser's golden eyes didn't blink, analyzing every reaction from the Marine.
"But if you want a fight, I can crush you now. Let's see if your new Jitte makes a difference."
The taunt snapped Smoker's patience.
The Marine moved.
Fwosh!
The Jitte swung forward, but—
BANG!
Crocodile's body flew through the air.
Smoker leapt back, dodging at the last second.
The former Shichibukai crashed into the sand, rolling a few times before stopping, his face buried in the dry ground.
The weight of weakness still suffocated him.
Alvida laughed.
"That was a great throw."
Tashigi's eyes widened.
"Crocodile…"
The sound of Sea Prism Stone chains clinking in the sand cut through the air.
The prisoner coughed, dust rising around him. His breathing was ragged, his mind still struggling to process what had happened.
He, Sir Crocodile, the tyrant of Alabasta, tossed like a sack of trash at the Marines' feet.
Smoker gripped the Jitte tighter.
Riser smiled, satisfied.
"There's your prize, Captain. A gift from the winner of this war."
The Marines exchanged confused glances. None of them expected the mission to resolve so easily.
Tashigi hesitated.
"Why… why are you handing him over like this?"
The blond shrugged.
"Because he lost."
Smoker gritted his teeth. Something inside him screamed that this wasn't an act of goodwill.
This was something far worse.
Manipulation.
"If you think this makes you look like a hero, you're mistaken."
Riser laughed.
"Heroes are fools. I'm just doing the Marines a favor."
Smoker ground his teeth.
"I don't need your pity."
The blond shook his head, as if dealing with a stubborn child.
"Then see it as a deal. You take Crocodile, and your reputation grows. In return…"
Smoker's eyes narrowed.
Tashigi held her breath.
"Tell your superiors I want the Shichibukai title."
The shock was immediate.
Tashigi blinked rapidly, trying to process what she'd just heard.
"You want… what?!"
The Marines behind them began to whisper.
Smoker didn't react right away. He just took a harder drag on his cigar, exhaling the smoke slowly.
Then he laughed.
Low at first.
Then louder.
"You really are a bastard, Riser."
The blond's smile didn't waver.
"I'm not an ordinary pirate."
Their gazes locked.
The world seemed to hang in that moment.
The soldiers waited. Robin, hidden in the cabin, listened to every word, her eyes analyzing every detail.
Crocodile, lying in the sand, clenched his teeth.
He understood.
Riser didn't just want to win.
He wanted to take his throne.
Smoker finally broke the silence.
"That's not my call to make."
"But it's your job to deliver the message."
The captain took another drag on his cigar, his eyes narrowing.
"You're not going to stop, are you?"
Riser shrugged.
"The weak stop. I'm not weak."
The response broke something inside Smoker. He couldn't argue.
Riser had beaten him once. Now, the blond was solidifying his position.
And Smoker could do nothing but watch.
The smoke in the air slowly dissipated.
He sheathed the Jitte.
"I'll deliver the message."
The tension in the sand eased slightly.
But the fire in Smoker's eyes didn't fade.
"But don't think this means you're untouchable. I'll still hunt you down."
Riser laughed.
"Good luck with that."
The soldiers stepped forward, seizing Crocodile. Extra Sea Prism Stone cuffs were fastened around his wrists and ankles. He didn't resist.
There was no fight left in him.
The weight of defeat was absolute.
Alvida watched with a lazy smile.
"That was pretty entertaining."
Tashigi still looked incredulous.
She glanced at Riser one last time.
"Do you really think they'll accept you?"
The blond tilted his head.
"They will, because they need to."
The conviction in those words made something tremble inside her.
Smoker turned.
"We're leaving."
Tashigi hesitated before following.
The soldiers marched off, dragging Crocodile with them.
Dust rose into the air, swallowing their silhouettes until they vanished into the desert.
The Going Merry creaked faintly.
Silence returned.
Robin emerged from the cabin, her eyes assessing the situation.
"Do you really think they'll accept you?"
Riser smiled.
"They will, because they need to."
She crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"You're rewriting the rules of the game."
"Someone has to."
Robin's eyes met his.
She saw something there.
Something dangerous.
Something that could change everything.
Alvida yawned.
"Well, if that's over, I think we can get out of this damn desert."
The blond gazed at the moon for a moment.
"Yeah. It's time."
The journey wasn't over yet.
But a new board had just been set.
And Riser was at its center.
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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.