The last ashes of Imu still floated in the air when Riser remained motionless before the shattered throne. Silence filled every corner of the Pristine Room, broken only by the faint sound of burnt fragments settling on the floor.
The doors burst open at once.
BAM
The Gorosei rushed in, nearly tripping over each other. None of them expected to see what they saw.
Scattered ashes.
Charred tentacles.
The mark of black fire still consuming the far wall.
And Riser standing before the empty throne.
They froze.
The tallest one raised a hand to his face.
The eldest collapsed to his knees without realizing.
The long-haired one opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to form a single word.
"Imu-sama…?"
The voice failed before finishing the sentence.
Riser didn't answer. He simply observed the ground as if Imu's death were just another item on his checklist.
Another Gorosei stepped forward, trembling.
"This… this can't… he can't have…"
The phrase died the moment his eyes found the mound of ashes. Terror widened them so far the rest of his body seemed to collapse under the weight.
The shortest of the five attempted to speak, clinging to dignity.
"Please… forgive us for Alabasta. It was a mistake. We… we didn't know—"
One of the others shoved him lightly, panicked.
"Shut up! Not now! Think!"
They began talking over each other, stumbling through excuses, explanations, lies—
anything that could justify what they were seeing.
Nothing came out right.
Nothing helped.
Nothing mattered.
Riser finally moved.
A single step forward.
Their voices vanished instantly, as if someone had stolen their breath.
Riser looked at the empty throne. Then at the five. There was no anger or satisfaction—only acknowledgment.
"Fix this. When I return, I want everything in order."
The words fell like a sentence.
He raised his hand. Kamui began tearing open the space around his body, consuming him piece by piece in calm silence. The Gorosei stepped back, as if watching an earthquake erupt before them.
Riser's face vanished first.
Then his shoulder.
Then his arm.
And the last thing remaining visible was a single gesture.
His middle finger raised at the five.
Then his body disappeared completely.
ZUUUUM
Silence.
The Gorosei remained still, petrified. The eldest fell sitting onto the floor without noticing. The tallest ran a hand through his hair, desperate. Two of them whispered at each other in trembling panic. The fifth stared at the broken throne, unable to understand what he felt.
Reality finally caught up with them.
Imu was dead.
The throne had no owner.
The world had no leadership.
And the responsible party was one man who treated it as a minor inconvenience.
The shortest whispered, barely audible:
"And now… who rules…?"
No one answered.
Riser watched the scene from above, through Kamui, observing each broken expression like someone watching a bad stage play. Five terrified old men, the floor in ruins, the ashes of their 'god' scattered across the hall.
'Unbelievable… they truly are useless.'
One fell to his knees trembling. Another gasped for air, trying to stop his heart from seizing. The third stared at the throne as if expecting Imu to rise again.
Riser shook his head, amused by their collapse.
'They can't even breathe without someone telling them to.'
The fourth opened his mouth but only a raspy sound escaped. The fifth attempted to order reinforcements—
but no one moved.
No soldiers.
No servants.
Nothing.
The Pristine Room was now only ruin, silence, and fear.
Riser let out a short laugh.
"Pathetic."
The word echoed inside Kamui, even if they couldn't hear it.
The System's voice appeared at once—direct, clear, undeniable.
[HOST.]
The space around him vibrated slightly, as if the dimension itself were listening.
[ELIMINATION CONFIRMED.]
[IMU — ANCHOR-ENTITY OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT.]
[CALCULATING REWARD.]
Riser lifted his chin, curious.
The metallic sound struck with finality.
[REWARD: +16,000 DESTINY POINTS.]
He smiled.
"Now we're talking."
The sensation was pleasing. Warm. The sum echoed in his mind like a perfect snap.
[CURRENT BALANCE: 45,800 DESTINY POINTS.]
Riser let out a satisfied, low laugh.
"Almost fifty thousand… excellent."
But the smile faded.
A sudden memory returned like a short shadow.
"The portal."
He crossed his arms.
"I killed Imu… but I didn't absorb that thing."
The System answered without delay.
[CORRECT.]
[THE PORTAL CLOSED ON ITS OWN BEFORE I COULD EXTRACT THE DIMENSIONAL ENERGY.]
Riser frowned slightly, tilting his head as the weight of the information settled over him.
"Great. Wonderful. I did all the hard work and that garbage ran away before I could pull anything useful from it."
The comment came out dry—not theatrical, just honest.
A real annoyance, small but real.
He exhaled slowly, arms still crossed.
"I was supposed to absorb it. The System keeps repeating that these portals are the real end of the world… and the first one that shows up escapes right in front of me."
Kamui's silence filled the space.
Nothing reacted without his command.
No energy pulsed without his will.
The dimension lived and died at his pace.
Riser rubbed his jaw, irritated at himself.
"It wasn't supposed to close. I should have—"
The System cut him off.
[HOST.]
A faint vibration moved through the space, like the entire dimension raising its head to listen.
[INTERFERENCE DETECTED.]
Riser narrowed his eyes.
"Interference?"
[CONFIRMED.]
A brief silence.
Then the System's tone shifted—not emotional, but heavier.
[DIMENSIONAL SIGNATURE ALTERED.]
[PORTALS ACROSS THE PLANET ARE CLOSING.]
The air felt denser—not physically, but as if the very information held weight.
Riser lifted his head, surprised enough to pause.
"…Closing?"
[YES.]
[THE PATTERN IS GLOBAL.]
[ALL INSTABILITY TRACES ARE VANISHING AT ONCE.]
Riser needed a moment to absorb it.
His earlier annoyance evaporated almost entirely.
"This is…"
His voice lowered.
Focused.
Almost pleased.
"…good."
Because he remembered perfectly.
He remembered the first time the System mentioned the true fate of that world.
Riser inhaled deeply as understanding aligned.
"The end of One Piece wasn't Luffy… wasn't the Government… wasn't any Yonko…"
He tilted his head slightly, nearly smiling.
"It was the portal."
[CORRECT.]
[EVERY DESTRUCTION SCENARIO ENDED WITH THE FULL OPENING OF THESE PORTALS.]
[WITHOUT PORTALS, THE PLANET'S FATE IS STABILIZED.]
Riser ran a hand through his hair, letting out a quiet laugh.
"So because of Amaterasu… they're collapsing."
[CONFIRMED.]
[THE BLACK FIRE INTERRUPTED DIMENSIONAL SUPPORT.]
[THE PRIMARY ANCHOR NO LONGER EXISTS.]
[WITHOUT IMU, WITHOUT LINK.]
[WITHOUT LINK, NO PORTAL CAN REMAIN ACTIVE.]
Riser clicked his tongue.
"I really killed the entire future of this world with a glance. Interesting."
The System continued, its tone cutting through the quiet.
[UPDATED FORECAST.]
[THE WORLD OF ONE PIECE WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BY DIMENSIONAL RIFTS.]
[TIMELINES STABILIZING.]
[COLLAPSE CANCELLED.]
Riser shook his head, almost amused.
"They almost destroyed the entire planet just because Imu was an extension of something else… and now they panic because I cut the main string."
He lifted his gaze toward the void of Kamui, where the images of the Gorosei still replayed like fading reflections.
"And they thought I was the problem…"
The memory of the raised middle finger flashed again.
Riser smirked slowly.
"Idiots."
The System didn't react—only continued the protocol.
[PROCESSING SECONDARY BENEFITS.]
[ANALYZING GLOBAL IMPACT OF IMU'S DEATH.]
[RECALCULATING WORLD AUTHORITY LAYERS.]
[UPDATING THREAT LEVEL.]
Riser raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
A soft sound rippled through Kamui, like a click settling into place.
[HOST.]
[CONGRATULATIONS.]
A brief pause.
[YOUR EXISTENCE IS NOW THE MOST DANGEROUS ENTITY ON THE PLANET.]
Riser smiled slowly.
"Now we're finally getting where I wanted."
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