Chapter [247]

The silence inside Laboon's belly was broken only by the gentle sound of waves against the hull of the Going Merry, now anchored in the whale's internal lake. A gigantic metallic structure dominated the view ahead, with a smaller door indicating some sort of passage.

"Riser, this is insane," said Alvida, crossing her arms as she looked at the construction skeptically. "How the hell are we supposed to get out of a whale? And what is that? A door? Who would put something like this here?"

Riser, leaning against the Going Merry's railing, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the structure. Ignoring Alvida's complaints, he closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. A faint glow enveloped his body as he activated Observation Haki.

'Interesting... two presences near the smaller door. One of them... it's her,' thought Riser, a cryptic smile forming on his lips. 'Princess Vivi is here.'

Without further explanation, Riser opened his eyes and leaped into the air.

"Geppou!"

WHOOSH!

The force of his movement created a gust of wind, making Alvida stumble backward. "Riser, what do you think you're doing?!" she shouted, but her words were ignored as he swiftly advanced toward the smaller door.

On the island where the Straw Hats were gathered with Crocus, the sound of Riser's movement caught everyone's attention.

"Hey, why is he heading for that door?" asked Luffy, pointing at Riser with an excited expression. "Is there something cool there?"

"Probably something dangerous," replied Nami, crossing her arms and watching cautiously. "But with Riser, you never know. He just does whatever he wants."

Crocus narrowed his eyes, observing Riser's agile approach toward the metallic structure. "That one is different from the rest," he murmured, his tone laden with interest.

Zoro, leaning against the island's railing, glanced at Crocus. "You seem to know more than you're saying, old man. What's behind that door?"

"That door is Laboon's exit," Crocus answered calmly, not taking his eyes off Riser. "But judging by how he's acting, I'd say he already knows that too."

---

Riser moved swiftly through the air, his eyes fixed on the massive metallic structure dominating the cavern. His movement was precise, and the sound of his steps echoed as he landed on the metal platform in front of the smaller door.

THUD!

The impact reverberated through the structure, drawing the attention of those on the other side. He walked calmly to the door, ignoring the waves crashing against the base of the platform. From inside, muffled voices could be heard.

"Is everything ready, Miss Wednesday?" asked a male voice, impatient.

"Yes, Mr. 9," replied a woman in a dry tone. "The count will be simple. On three, we open the door and eliminate any threat. We cannot fail."

Riser stopped in front of the door, his posture relaxed but his eyes fixed on the sounds coming from within. He lightly tapped his fingers on the metal, producing a hollow sound.

TINK! TINK!

The sound of Riser's fingers tapping on the door echoed faintly through the metallic structure. On the other side, the movements of the two individuals paused for a moment.

"Did you hear that?" asked Mr. 9 in a lower tone, his voice still carrying arrogance.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter," replied Miss Wednesday, her voice firm and cold. "Get ready. We'll count to three and open the door. Let's end whoever is on the other side."

Riser stood still, his arms crossed as he listened to the count begin.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One!"

CLANG!

Before Mr. 9 or Miss Wednesday could act, Riser opened the door with a swift motion, the metallic sound echoing loudly through the cavern. He entered without hesitation, his eyes fixed on the two before him.

"Lower your weapons," said Riser in a calm yet authoritative tone, staring at the bazookas pointed at him.

Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 froze momentarily, surprised by his sudden entrance. However, Mr. 9 quickly regained his composure, flashing an arrogant smile.

"Do you think you can intimidate us? We are agents of Baroque Works! We fear no one!" said Mr. 9, adjusting the position of his bazooka.

"Interesting," replied Riser, ignoring the threat as he took a step forward, his posture still relaxed. "Do you really think you can stop me with that?"

"We don't need to stop you," retorted Miss Wednesday, her cold gaze unwavering. "We just need to finish what we came to do."

"Finish what? Use the whale as a communal dinner?" Riser teased, raising an eyebrow while crossing his arms again.

"Exactly," said Mr. 9 with a cruel smile. "This giant whale will be enough to feed our entire village for months! A necessary sacrifice."

Miss Wednesday nodded in agreement, showing no trace of empathy in her expression. "It's just a creature. Nothing more than meat with a useful destiny."

CLACK!

Both positioned their bazookas, pointing directly at Riser.

"Now, get out of our way," said Mr. 9 confidently. "Or you'll regret stepping in here."

Riser remained motionless, observing the two with an enigmatic smile.

"You seem confident," he said, tilting his head slightly.

The air around them grew heavy, as if the atmosphere itself had shifted. The glow in Riser's eyes intensified as he took another step forward.

An invisible wave surged through the space. The sound of the bazookas being gripped tightly echoed briefly before everything fell silent.

THUD!

Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Their weapons slipped from their hands, sliding across the metal platform.

Riser stood still for a few seconds, watching the inert bodies before him. He then calmly crouched down, lifting both effortlessly—one on each shoulder.

Without a word, he turned and walked back through the door he had so confidently opened moments earlier.

CLANG!

The metallic door shut behind him, its sound echoing through the silent cavern.

Riser approached the edge of the metal platform. With an agile leap, he jumped into the air.

"Geppou!"

Using the technique to propel himself, Riser advanced toward the island where the Straw Hats were gathered with Crocus. Landing smoothly, he placed the two on the ground, drawing curious and concerned looks.

"Who are these two?" Nami asked, frowning.

Crocus, upon seeing the faces of the newcomers, narrowed his eyes.

"I recognize them. They're the hunters who tried to attack Laboon earlier."

Sanji, noticing Miss Wednesday unconscious, clenched his fists, visibly irritated.

"Riser, what did you do to her? You didn't need to be so rough!"

Riser raised an eyebrow, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"They and their partner were armed and ready to attack. I just neutralized them before they caused any trouble."

Luffy, ever curious, stepped closer and tilted his head to look at the two on the ground.

"So, what are we going to do with them?"

Crocus sighed, crossing his arms.

"Let them wake up. We need to understand what motivated them to return here and what their intentions are."

Meanwhile, Sanji lit a cigarette, still casting disapproving looks at Riser.

"Next time, try to be gentler with the ladies, even if they're enemies."

Riser simply shrugged, turning his gaze to the horizon inside Laboon, as they waited for the two to awaken.

The tension in the air was palpable, but the crew knew that together, they could face any challenge that arose.

Gradually, Miss Wednesday began to regain consciousness, blinking her eyes as she adjusted to the cave's soft light.

"Ugh... where am I?" she murmured, trying to sit up.

Luffy leaned in closer, smiling.

"Hi! You're inside a giant whale named Laboon!"

Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion.

"A... giant whale?"

"Yes, a giant whale," said Crocus, crossing his arms. "And I want to know why you came back here, especially after what you tried to do before."

"We had no choice," Miss Wednesday replied, her tone hesitant but firm. "The meat from this whale is valuable. It can sustain many people. We didn't come here because we wanted to."

Luffy stepped forward, his expression, previously carefree, now serious. "You think you can hurt Laboon just because you need meat? That's wrong!"

"Let's not argue," Riser interrupted, his voice cutting through the tense air like a blade. Crossing his arms, he directed a sharp look at Crocus and the Straw Hats. "I'm tired of staying here. Let's leave and take these two to the Grand Line."

Luffy blinked, confused, but quickly broke into a wide smile. "Ahahahaha! Great idea, Riser! Let's head to the Grand Line right now!"

"You're too straightforward, you know that?" Nami complained, crossing her arms and glaring at Riser irritably. "And what are we going to do with these two? We can't just take them like that."

"Why not?" Riser said with a shrug. "They're no threat to us. We just keep them under control."

Sanji stepped forward, lighting a cigarette with a serious expression. "Hey, we're not tying up the lady. That would be disrespectful. We can just talk to her."

WHACK!

The sound of Nami's slap echoed through the cave as she struck Sanji hard on the head. "You're an idiot! We're talking about security, not your obsession with women!"

Sanji fell to the ground, holding his head with a pained expression. "Nami-swan, why so cruel to me?"

Zoro chuckled softly, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "You never learn, curly brows. Always getting slapped for obvious things."

Sanji slowly got up, dusting off his clothes. "Shut up, moss head. At least I have good intentions, unlike you, who only knows how to criticize."

"This isn't a competition, idiots," Nami cut in, pointing at the two with a stern look. "Let's settle this now. They'll be tied up and kept under watch."

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