DXD: The Awakening Of Phenex

Riser turned his attention to Luffy, who was still fighting Arlong. Both were so focused on the fight that they seemed oblivious to everything happening around them, as if they were the only ones left in the battle.

The fight between them was fierce, and Luffy moved with agility to avoid the attacks of the fish-man.

Arlong, full of rage, used his teeth as weapons, holding sharp rows in each hand as if they were daggers. He attacked Luffy repeatedly, trying to bite or stab the pirate with his powerful jaws.

SWOOSH!

Luffy dodged Arlong's attacks, his movements quick and precise. Riser watched it all with a slight smile, his eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

'This is comical, but if those teeth hit Luffy, they could take a piece out of him,' Riser thought as he watched the fight.

Arlong, furious at failing to hit Luffy, decided to throw one of his sharp rows of teeth as a weapon.

WHISH!

Luffy narrowly dodged, and the teeth embedded themselves in the column of Arlong Park with a loud snap.

"That was close!" exclaimed Luffy, grabbing the teeth that had stuck in the structure.

Arlong, however, was not concerned at all. He grabbed his own jaw and, with a quick movement, pulled his teeth out like dentures. Soon, another row of teeth grew in place, leaving Arlong ready to continue the attack.

With a mischievous smile, Luffy put Arlong's teeth in his own mouth.

"Now you're not the only one with these teeth!" Luffy said, speaking in a funny way because of the fake teeth.

Riser frowned, clearly finding what Luffy had done disgusting.

Zoro, on the other hand, found the situation hilarious and couldn't hold back his laughter.

Sanji just looked skeptically at Luffy, as if questioning his sanity.

Nami and Nojiko laughed together, the tension of the moment easing a little with Luffy's antics.

Arlong, however, was furious, feeling that Luffy was mocking him, which only served to further increase his anger.

"You think this is a game?!" Arlong roared, his eyes full of hatred as he lunged at Luffy. He opened his jaws at an almost impossible angle, ready to bite the pirate with all his strength.

Arlong attacked with speed, trying to bite Luffy repeatedly, but Luffy dodged skillfully, his agile movements keeping him out of reach of the sharp jaws. However, in a moment of carelessness, Arlong managed to hit Luffy with one of the teeth he held in his hand.

CRUNCH!

Luffy screamed in pain, his eyes widening as he felt the sharp teeth pierce his belly. Blood began to flow from the wound, staining his red shirt. Despite the intense pain, Luffy kept Arlong's teeth in his mouth, determined to keep fighting.

"This won't stop me!"

With a quick, determined move, Luffy approached Arlong and bit him back. He sank the fake teeth into Arlong's skin.

CRUNCH!

Arlong's teeth, now in Luffy's mouth, pierced the fish-man's shoulder, but Arlong showed no pain. On the contrary, he mocked the situation, showing contempt for Luffy's attempt to even things out.

"Do you really think this will work on me, human?!" said Arlong with a cruel smile.

Luffy held his bite for a few seconds before releasing him, pushing him back forcefully.

Arlong staggered slightly, holding the shoulder where he was bitten, his eyes filled with hatred. He couldn't believe that Luffy, a mere human, was willing to go that far.

CRACK!

The fake teeth in Luffy's mouth broke, falling to the ground in pieces. Arlong took advantage of the distraction and grabbed Luffy's head with both hands, his gaze full of rage.

"Weak human!" Arlong shouted before throwing Luffy with all his strength against the structure of Arlong Park.

BOOM!

Luffy crashed through the wall, his head stuck inside the building and his body hanging outside. He tried to free himself but was stuck in the wall, his arms and legs flailing as he tried to get out of that awkward position.

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted, his voice filled with despair at seeing his captain in that situation.

Nami was visibly worried, her heart pounding. "Luffy! Hang in there!" she shouted, stepping forward as if she wanted to run to him.

Zoro gripped the handle of his sword tightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched the scene. He was ready to step in at any moment.

Sanji, on the other hand, lit a cigarette, his expression serious as he watched Luffy.

As he watched the fight between Luffy and Arlong from a distance, Riser began to lose interest in the fight. His gaze wandered over the scene as he reflected to himself:

'This will end the same way it did in the anime. I better go after that marine who stole Nami's money.'

Before leaving, Riser approached Zoro.

"If Luffy lacks the courage, kill Arlong yourself. Don't let him leave here alive."

Zoro raised his eyes, and a cold rage flickered in his gaze at Riser's words. He stepped closer, his hand already resting on the hilt of one of his swords.

"I don't take orders from you. I obey only my captain."

Riser, far from being intimidated, looked at Zoro with an amused, almost provocative smile. He seemed to appreciate the swordsman's defiant spirit.

"No need to get so aggressive. You're free to make your own choices."

Zoro remained silent, his expression hardened. Although he was unwilling to take orders from Riser, he knew that the village's survival depended on Arlong's defeat. No matter where the suggestion came from, he would make the right decision if Luffy didn't.

As Riser prepared to leave, Nami approached, her gaze full of apprehension. She knew of Riser's strength and had confidence that if he stayed, he could make a difference. However, there was a fear in letting him leave at such a critical moment.

Riser noticed Nami's hesitation.

"Don't worry. It may not seem like it, but in the end, Luffy will win. And if anything goes wrong, these two can help." He gestured towards Zoro and Sanji, suggesting the team's strength.

Nami nodded slowly, trying to reassure herself with Riser's words. "I trust Luffy... and your words," she said, looking at Riser with an expression that mixed hope and determination. She knew that, as terrible as the moment was, her friends were strong enough to overcome anything.

Riser turned to Nojiko and saw Usopp beside her, partially hiding behind his friend.

Riser smiled at Usopp, a light smile but full of intention. Without saying anything, he just kept looking.

A shiver ran down Usopp's spine, and he shrank even further behind Nojiko, clearly uncomfortable with Riser's smile.

'I don't know why, but something about this guy gives me the creeps,' Usopp thought, trying to avoid eye contact with Riser.

Riser looked away from Usopp and let his thoughts briefly wander to Kaya, the sweet girl from Syrup Village. He wondered what Usopp's expression would be if he saw Kaya turned into a cold, distant vampire, a distorted version of the kind girl he knew. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips as he imagined the scene.

'That marine Nezumi must still be in the village. I might be able to get the information I need about the other islands from him. If not, I'll have to scan Usopp's mind... and that's something I'd rather avoid.'

Riser didn't want to interfere with the minds of the Straw Hats, preferring other approaches to get what he wanted.

.....

Meanwhile, in another area of Cocoyasi Village, Nezumi was celebrating with his subordinates.

"Chi chi chi chi! We got 100 million Berries," Nezumi laughed, his voice full of malice.

One of Nezumi's subordinates looked at him and commented with a sarcastic smile.

"These fish-men, despite being disgusting, helped us make a lot of money."

Nezumi immediately changed his expression to something more serious and reprimanded the subordinate.

"Don't say that while we're in this village. It's dangerous; they might end up wanting to kill you... or even eat you."

The subordinate gulped.

GULP!

The subordinate thought Nezumi was just trying to scare them. However, upon looking at his superior's serious expression, he realized he wasn't joking.

Nezumi maintained his stern posture for another moment before relaxing and giving a cynical laugh.

"Now keep celebrating, enjoy while you can. Feel free to mock these villagers all you want, they can't do anything against us."

The others continued to celebrate, and Nezumi let out another laugh as he remembered Nami's desperate expression as she begged for the money.

"That stupid girl is really dumb to think she had a chance to escape Arlong's hands."

Suddenly, Riser emerged from the forest, appearing unexpectedly before the marines.

"Can you guys tell me what's so funny?" Riser asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he observed the group.

Nezumi's subordinates froze, fear written all over their faces, while Nezumi tried to mask his nervousness with a nervous laugh.

"Who... who are you?" Nezumi asked, trying to regain his composure.

Riser just smiled, his expression becoming dark as he took a step forward.

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