DXD: The Awakening Of Phenex

Luffy, atop the rubble, cast a determined gaze at Riser. Arlong lay buried beneath the debris of Arlong Park, while the rest of the Straw Hat crew stood facing Luffy, and Riser was slightly behind the village citizens.

"No one decides what I should do," Luffy responded, his voice laden with resolve. "I'm the captain, and only I decide the fate of my enemies."

"Do you think you have the strength to uphold your words?" Riser asked, looking at Luffy with a casual yet clearly challenging expression.

Meanwhile, Nojiko approached Nami, leaning in discreetly to whisper something in her ear.

"Nami, take the Straw Hats away from here. I'll stay with Riser and finish off Arlong."

Nami visibly tensed but slowly nodded. She then stepped away and shouted to Riser, who was farther off.

"Please, Riser... forget this. Luffy has already helped me enough; we don't need anything more."

Riser observed Nami for a moment, and an enigmatic smile appeared on his face. He sighed, as if pondering her words, then nodded slightly.

"Very well, Nami. I'll let you handle this your way."

Nami felt a wave of relief wash over her. She gave a genuine smile and, with tears in her eyes, made a slight bow in gratitude.

"Thank you, Riser. Truly, thank you for everything."

Genzo, the mayor of Cocoyasi Village, watched the scene closely. Sensing the end of the tension, he stepped forward, raising his voice to get the citizens' attention. "Everyone, let's return to the village! Today we'll have a party! Let's celebrate our freedom from Arlong's oppression!"

The citizens began to disperse, their once worried faces now lit with smiles of hope and joy. The villagers started organizing, and soon the atmosphere was filled with an energy of celebration and relief.

Nami approached her friends, her expression still marked by fatigue but with visible relief. "Let's get out of here, everyone. We've done what we needed to do." They all nodded, ready to follow her, but noticed that Luffy remained still, staring at Riser.

The momentary silence seemed to carry unresolved tension between the two. Luffy, still with a serious expression, took a step forward. He looked intently into Riser's eyes, as if evaluating his intentions one last time.

"Hey, you idiot! Didn't you hear Gen-san? There's going to be a celebration in the village, and there'll be plenty of meat!" shouted Nami, trying to snap Luffy out of his serious state.

"Meat!"

Luffy immediately stopped staring at Riser, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Without wasting time, he turned and began running toward the village, completely forgetting the previous confrontation.

Zoro and Sanji passed by Riser next, casting challenging looks at him. Sanji maintained a serious expression, while Zoro gripped the hilt of one of his swords. Usopp, on the other hand, hid behind Zoro, trying to avoid any eye contact with Riser.

Riser watched the scene and couldn't help but smile in amusement. He found it all funny—the challenging looks, Usopp's exaggerated reaction, the way Luffy had set aside all tension upon hearing about meat.

Nami also approached, waving to Nojiko before passing by Riser.

"Take care of my sister," she said, her tone serious but with a touch of confidence in her voice.

Riser nodded slightly, maintaining the same enigmatic smile.

Riser entered Arlong Park, walking calmly through the rubble until he approached Nojiko. He observed her for a moment, and his demeanor softened slightly.

"I don't think we've had the chance to formally introduce ourselves. I'm Riser."

Nojiko felt a chill upon hearing his words. She was nervous, now alone with the man who had demonstrated so much power and control. She tried to maintain composure but couldn't prevent her body from tensing in the face of Riser's imposing presence.

"I'm Nojiko," she replied, her voice almost inaudible but firm. "Thank you for everything you've done for the village."

Riser noticed Nojiko's nervousness, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. His eyes observed her with gentle curiosity, and he paused before speaking again.

"Have you ever seen magic?"

Nojiko frowned, clearly confused by the sudden change of subject. "Magic?"

Riser nodded slightly, as if about to demonstrate something simple yet significant. He turned to the debris, extending a hand. Flames began to form in his palm, increasing in intensity until they became a blazing fire.

FWOOSH!

The flame grew, and with a smooth motion, he cast it onto the debris, which quickly ignited. The fire enveloped the remains of Arlong Park, turning rubble into ashes, while the crackling of the flames echoed through the area. The heat was intense, and Nojiko took a step back, surprised but unable to look away from the spectacle before her.

Riser turned his gaze to Nojiko, his eyes reflecting the glow of the flames. "Sometimes, it's necessary to burn the past to ensure it no longer holds power over us. It's a hard lesson, but a necessary one."

Nojiko watched him, speechless, absorbing the meaning behind his words. She looked at the debris being consumed by fire and felt a mix of relief and sadness. It was the materialization of the end of a cycle of pain, a literal closure of the chapter that represented Arlong's oppression.

She nodded slowly, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. "You're right. We need to move forward, without fear of what we leave behind."

Nojiko hesitated for a moment before raising her eyes to Riser, curiosity evident on her face.

"Do you have powers like Luffy's? I mean, a Devil Fruit?"

Riser smiled slightly at her question and leaned in slightly toward her.

"No, my powers don't come from a Devil Fruit. I obtained them another way." He paused and, with a suggestive look, added, "Are you interested in doing similar things?"

"I'm just a village girl," Nojiko said, trying to hide the frustration in her voice. "All I'm good at is taking care of oranges."

Riser observed her, his expression becoming serious and even a bit harsh. "Tending to oranges your whole life in a world where people dream of being kings, sea navigators, and conquerors of the impossible is lamentable. You're limiting what you can be."

Nojiko, visibly irritated, narrowed her eyes. "You have no right to judge my work. My adoptive mother, Bell-Mère, dedicated her life to raising us, and she also cultivated oranges. That was never lamentable. Growing oranges is about caring, nurturing, building a life, and you have no idea what that means to me and my sister."

Riser observed her for a moment before letting out a low, disdainful laugh.

"You have courage for a village girl. I've killed many fish-men, just used a devastating fire power, and yet you still dared to reprimand me."

Nojiko turned pale, and nervousness took over her expression as she remembered everything the man before her had done. She realized the danger of her impulsiveness and the consequences that could come from it.

Riser, noticing the change in Nojiko's expression, gave a sarcastic smile.

"Or maybe you're just an idiot. But we'll find that out later. Let's head to the village." Riser turned and began walking calmly.

"Riser, I... I'm sor—"

"I said we're going to the village to celebrate. I don't need your apologies, just your obedience. Don't tell the Straw Hats about what happened here. From today on, you work for me," Riser said without turning around.

Nojiko felt a wave of frustration and anger at herself for being so impulsive. She cursed herself internally and, without further words, began to follow Riser toward the village, resigned to the new reality he had imposed.

Before they completely left the rubble, Riser paused, a contemplative look on his face. He opened his hand, and a magical holographic interface appeared before him, visible only to his eyes. He accessed his system and selected a specific item.

A small vial appeared in his palm, containing a pulsating red liquid that emanated a mysterious energy.

Riser observed the vial for a moment and then approached Nojiko. He held the vial out to her, his eyes meeting hers with penetrating intensity.

"Drink."

Nojiko was paralyzed for a moment, surprised by the sudden command and the enigmatic nature of the liquid. She looked at Riser, trying to decipher his intentions, but his demeanor remained inscrutable, cold, and authoritative.

"What... what is this?" she asked, her voice trembling but attempting to maintain firmness.

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