The magical torches burned with golden reflections, casting living shadows across the walls of the Phoenix Nest's Throne Hall. The phoenix emblem pulsed behind Riser, projecting his supremacy through every inch of the chamber.
Kalifa and Robin kept their eyes fixed on him, motionless. Hancock, still in her master's arms, raised her face with a serious expression.
"Is she joking?"
Her voice rang firm, but her fingers trembled slightly against his black cloak.
Riser did not look away.
"No."
Silence fell like a blade. Robin drew in a deep breath, her mind aflame with the words she had just spoken.
"Do you know what's happening, Master?"
Riser's gaze turned to her, his face expressionless but the weight of his answer clear.
"I do."
Robin narrowed her eyes, studying every nuance.
"Then… do you know how to stop it?"
Riser leaned slightly back on the throne.
Haaa
The heavy sigh echoed before his next words.
"Perhaps."
Kalifa adjusted her glasses in complete silence. Hancock pressed tighter against his chest, seeking reassurance in the brief answer.
"I'll tell you."
The statement came firm, ending all doubt. The silence in the hall remained heavy, filled with truths that would not be spoken aloud.
The ruins of Zou still burned. Black flames devoured the edges of the unstable portal, roaring in spirals. The air reeked of death and twisted energy.
Merlin walked slowly among the wreckage, her purple cloak fluttering against the heat. Her eyes glowed with living runes, spinning in endless circles.
Before the rift, she raised her right hand.
FWOOM
Lines of purple energy unfolded in a spiral, compressing until they formed a complex seal. The spell took shape, launched toward the center of the portal.
The impact reverberated like thunder. The blue structure wavered, sparks flying in every direction, but no vision broke through the barrier.
Merlin kept her arm raised, the rune burning in her palm.
'Nothing… I can't see beyond the energy.'
The magic dissolved into violet sparks, leaving only the unending crackle of eternal fire.
Haaa
The sigh escaped her lips, heavy, while her eyes remained fixed on the rift.
Suddenly, the blue glow trembled. The color shifted slowly, turning crimson, until the entire portal pulsed with bright red light.
VUUUM
Merlin narrowed her eyes. She couldn't tell whether it was the result of her interference or another force entirely. She only took a step back, her mind already set on returning.
'Riser must know this immediately.'
The runes in her eyes spun in sync, preparing the teleportation.
The tension lingered in the Throne Hall. Robin broke the silence with a firm voice, her face marked by determination.
"What are you going to do, Master?"
The hall seemed to breathe, waiting for the answer.
Before Riser could speak, energy filled the space.
ZUUUUM
A purple spiral opened, and Merlin appeared before the throne. Her aura carried the trace of travel and revelation.
Riser tilted his head slightly but did not move his body. His voice cut through the air, low and grave.
"I'll do what I always do. Kill my enemies, whether they come from this universe or another."
His words echoed, heavy with absolute certainty.
Merlin stood still, but the runes in her eyes spun faster. The mental link opened instantly.
'Riser-sama, we need to speak in private.'
His eyes narrowed slightly, but his answer came at once.
'I've told them enough. You can speak here.'
Merlin drew in a steady breath, standing tall before the throne. The runes in her irises rotated more slowly now, as if measuring each word.
"I tried to inspect the portal with magic." Her voice was clear, direct. "But the energy blocked me. I couldn't see beyond it."
The hall remained still, the torches crackling against the silence.
"Then the color changed."
Robin's eyes widened slightly. Hancock stayed close to Riser, alert, while Kalifa didn't move a muscle.
"The blue vanished. It now pulses in bright red."
Riser stayed motionless on the throne after hearing Merlin's words. His gaze didn't change, but his mind turned in silent calculation.
'A portal changing color… red. That only confirms the situation keeps escalating.'
Robin, Kalifa, and Hancock stayed silent, their eyes fixed on him. The weight of Merlin's revelation hung heavy in the air, none daring to break the Emperor's calm.
BOOOOM
The explosion outside split the air like thunder. The walls trembled for a moment, the torches flickered, and the marble quivered under the impact.
Riser's Observation Haki expanded instantly, sweeping through the hall and beyond the walls. The flow of presences exposed the distortion. He sensed the pulse of energy forming in unstable circles—inside his own fortress.
'A new portal. Inside the Phoenix Nest.'
Without hesitation, his voice sliced through the silence.
"Merlin, teleport everyone to the top of the palace."
She didn't question. She only nodded firmly, raising her hand in controlled motion.
CLACK
The snap of her fingers resonated in unison with the runes that lit up around them.
In the next instant, their bodies materialized atop the Phoenix Nest Palace. The night air blew cold, heavy with magical pressure radiating from the walls. The red flame of the emblem burned in the distance, and now each of them could feel the distortion growing at the heart of the fortress that once seemed untouchable.
The icy wind swept across the rooftop, but Riser's presence filled the air with invisible heat. His eyes fixed ahead as the distortion began to take form.
'I cannot allow a portal to open in my domain.'
VUUUM
The blue glow expanded in spirals, trembling against the night. The walls reflected the unstable light, and murmurs rose from the courtyard below.
Hancock leaned over the parapet. Her eyes followed the Kuja pirates below, all standing ready with bows drawn. Worry crossed her expression like a blade.
Kalifa pursed her lips, eyes locked on the distortion.
"Damn it."
Robin, in contrast, stood tall, her crimson eyes reflecting the glare.
"Fascinating…"
Riser stepped forward. The deep red flared in his eyes, the flame beneath his skin answering the call.
"Kamui."
WHUUM
A second distortion opened before him, spinning opposite to the blue portal. Space folded like glass on the verge of shattering.
Blood trickled from the corner of Riser's eye, tracing a hot line down his face. He didn't move, didn't blink—his focus absolute.
ZHRRRMMM
The two distortions drew toward each other in twisted lines, colliding with invisible violence. The air quaked, the runes along the walls vibrated, and a deep hum rolled through every stone of the fortress.
Blue and black energy intertwined in a chaotic vortex, sparks bursting in all directions. The pressure grew so intense the ground beneath their feet rippled in waves.
KRRRAAASH
The collision exploded in a flash that lit up the entire island. The portal shattered into fragments of energy, sucked back into nothingness until only the night sky remained.
Hancock ran without hesitation. Her body threw itself against Riser, arms wrapping around him in a firm embrace. Her face pressed against his chest, breath quick and trembling.
'No matter how many portals try to open… he will always crush them.'
The blood trailing from Riser's eye evaporated slowly, dissolving into the warm air around him as if it had never existed.
In the courtyard below, the Kuja pirates broke the silence with applause and cries of victory. Their spears reflected the torchlight, and the celebration echoed against the walls of the Phoenix Nest, turning tension into a roar of devotion toward their master.
The contrast between imminent chaos and restored order was absolute. At the top, Riser stood still, his lone figure carrying the unshakable confidence of all who looked up to him.
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