The salty sea breeze gently rocked the Going Merry as the ship sailed through the Grand Line. The sound of soft waves breaking against the hull was interrupted only by the chatter on the deck. Sanji was in the kitchen, a steaming pot in hand, while Luffy hovered around him with hungry eyes.
"Sanji, where's the meat? I'm starving!"
"Hold on, Captain, it's not ready yet. If you eat now, you'll ruin all the work I've put into it."
"But I need meat now!"
Luffy stretched his arm toward a tray next to the stove, but Sanji spun around with precision and delivered a swift kick, sending Luffy flying to the other side of the kitchen.
"No meat before it's time, Luffy!"
Luffy landed on his backside, hands on his head, frustration written all over his face.
"This is unfair! A Captain needs meat to stay strong!"
Outside, Riser leaned against the railing, watching the scene through the slightly open door, a playful smile on his lips. He approached Luffy, who was still sitting and grumbling.
"Luffy, if you have so much energy, why not use it for something useful?"
"Like what? Nothing is more important than meat!"
"Stories of adventures on the high seas. How about hearing about places you never imagined existed?"
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up.
"Stories? About adventures? I want to hear! Shishishishi!"
Riser nodded and began to walk away, his voice low but confident.
"Gather whoever wants to listen. Let's head to the deck."
---
A short while later, Riser was sitting on a barrel in the center of the deck, surrounded by a small group. Luffy was in front of him, eyes fixed on him like a child ready to hear a bedtime story. Usopp, Alvida, Vivi, Igaram, and even Zoro were present, each with expressions ranging from curiosity to skepticism. Karoo was beside Vivi, looking at Riser as if equally intrigued.
"So, Riser, what's the story?" Luffy swung his legs as if he couldn't contain his excitement.
"Patience, Captain. Let's start slow." Riser leaned slightly forward, his eyes glinting under the starlight.
Zoro adjusted the swords at his waist, his expression neutral.
"I hope this is better than a children's story."
Riser ignored the comment, leaning forward as he began. His voice was steady but filled with mystery.
"Many years ago, on a remote island in the middle of the ocean, lived a small family. An ambitious man, his devoted wife, and a newborn daughter. They were happy, but like all stories, that happiness came with a price."
Luffy, with shining eyes, nodded as if urging Riser to go faster. "And what was the price?"
"The man's ambition." Riser paused, letting the silence sink in. "He was a scientist obsessed with creating something grand, something that would change the world. His dream was to create monsters."
Zoro raised an eyebrow, his face expressionless. "And did he succeed?"
Riser smiled faintly, but there was something dark in his gaze. "Not immediately. He failed for years, each attempt bringing more frustration and consuming the family's resources. His wife, patient and devoted, took care of the house and their daughter while he worked in his makeshift laboratory."
"Wasn't she mad?" Luffy asked, leaning even further forward.
"She loved her husband and believed in his dream, even as everything seemed to crumble. But time is cruel, and her health began to deteriorate." Riser paused, looking at the horizon. "By the time the man finally succeeded, she had already passed away. He was left alone with his daughter and... his creation."
Vivi bit her lip, visibly disturbed. "And what was the monster?"
Riser leaned forward, the starlight dancing in his eyes. "Something he claimed was perfect. A being that combined strength, intelligence, and obedience. He called his creation 'a new era.' But deep down, he knew he had paid a heavy price."
Alvida frowned, her fingers tapping lightly on her club. "So, he lost his wife for the sake of creating something like that?"
"Exactly. But he didn't stop there." Riser took a deep breath, as if reflecting on something distant. "As the years passed, he began to spend the money he earned from his first creation. He bought a dog to keep his daughter company, but his obsession with creating something even greater never left him."
"Did he try to create another monster?" Vivi asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes," Riser replied, his voice heavy with gravity. "But he kept failing. Meanwhile, his daughter grew up, lonely and neglected. Until one day, a blond boy visiting the island heard about the 'Creator of Monsters' and decided to meet him."
Usopp raised his hand, confused. "And the boy? What did he do when he got there?"
"He found a bitter man and a lonely girl. The original monster had already died, leaving the scientist's laboratory as a shadow of what it once was." Riser paused, his eyes observing the group intently. "The boy stayed on the island for a while, befriending the girl and the dog. They played together, especially since her father spent hours locked in the laboratory."
Luffy smiled. "What did they play? Hide and seek?"
"Maybe," Riser replied with a slight smile before continuing. "One day, the boy went to the spot where he always met the girl, but she didn't show up. Worried, he decided to go to her house to say goodbye before leaving the island."
"Did he find something?" Zoro asked, his eyes half-closed.
"Yes." Riser's voice grew lower, darker. "He found the scientist shouting and celebrating. 'It's alive! It's alive!'"
Vivi covered her mouth, already feeling the weight of the story.
"The boy, curious, hid and watched the man. He saw something he would never forget." Riser stopped for a moment, letting the silence weigh heavily. "The scientist had created another monster. A four-legged creature with a girl's hair, looking at him and calling him 'daddy.'"
The silence on the deck was deafening. Vivi looked down, her hands trembling slightly. Usopp, wide-eyed, seemed at a loss for words.
"And the girl?" Alvida asked, her tone grave.
Riser looked directly at her. "The boy realized what had happened. The monster was the scientist's own daughter. He had sacrificed her life to continue his obsession."
Nami, who had quietly approached to listen, gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "That's horrible."
Sanji appeared at the door, holding a tray. "The meat's ready. Anyone hungry?"
No one responded. The weight of the story hung over everyone, except Luffy, who stood up excitedly. "Meat! Finally!"
He ran to Sanji, grabbing a piece and starting to eat, oblivious to the heavy silence around him. The others remained quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.
Riser crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. "In the end, the boy made a decision that would change his life forever."
"What did he do?" Vivi asked, almost whispering.
"He killed the man. And the monster. And set the laboratory on fire." Riser looked at the group, his voice heavy. "He chose to end the cycle of obsession and suffering before more lives were destroyed."
Silence returned to the deck. Vivi looked away, wiping a discreet tear. Usopp clenched his fists, unable to contain his sadness.
Luffy, now with his mouth full of meat, looked at the others, confused. "Why is everyone so serious? The meat's great!"
Riser stood up, adjusting his coat. "Sometimes, Captain, stories don't end the way we expect." He turned to face the sea, leaving the group to reflect on what they had heard.
At that moment, no one but Luffy had an appetite for meat.
...
The Going Merry glided smoothly through the crystal-clear waters of the Grand Line, surrounded by the hypnotic sound of the waves. The air carried a touch of humid heat, as if something wild lurked beyond the horizon.
On the deck, the silence hung heavy since Riser's last story. Vivi, sitting beside Karoo, stroked the giant duck's feathers, her gaze fixed on the vast ocean.
"Why did you tell that story, Riser?"
Vivi's voice broke the silence, drawing everyone's attention. Riser was leaning against the railing, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Because some truths are necessary to understand the world we live in."
Sanji lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "That was dark, even for you."
"Not all lessons come from light, Sanji." Riser twirled the Jitte in his hands, thoughtful. "Sometimes, it's in the shadows that we find the answers."
Zoro, sitting with his swords at his side, frowned. "You seem to know a lot about what lies beyond the Grand Line."
Riser simply smiled.
The sound of strange birds echoed in the distance, interrupting the conversation. Luffy ran to the bow, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Look! Land ahead!"
The others slowly approached, spotting a lush island emerging in the distance. Towering trees reached for the sky, and massive shapes moved among them.
"Dinosaurs!" Luffy jumped up and down, laughing. "I knew it was going to be awesome!"
Nami narrowed her eyes, adjusting the Log Pose on her wrist. "Looks like it's Little Garden. But that doesn't make sense... The pointer will take a while to stabilize here."
"How long?" Zoro crossed his arms.
"Depends," Nami replied. "It could take days or even weeks."
Sanji smiled, shrugging. "If we're stuck here, we might as well enjoy the exotic environment. Maybe I can find some interesting ingredients."
"I want to explore!" Luffy was already at the edge of the ship, ready to jump.
"Luffy, wait!" Nami shouted, her expression irritated. "This island is dangerous! We can't just run off."
"Dangerous or not, we're here," Riser said, his tone nonchalant. He looked toward the horizon, where two massive figures moved through the vegetation.
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