Water Seven.
Night had fully descended, and the wind carried a damp chill through the city. Streetlights reflected off the canals, their rippling glow spreading across the water like broken shards of light.
In the narrow streets, two figures moved quickly forward.
Nami and Chopper.
They had left the Going Merry not long ago, and tension was written clearly on both their faces.
"Are you sure this is the right direction?" Chopper asked nervously, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nami nodded without slowing down. "Yes. The informant said they were seen around here."
Chopper swallowed hard.
"I… I don't like this place…"
The alleys around them were cramped and dimly lit. Moist stone walls closed in on both sides, and the air felt heavy—oppressive in a way that made breathing uncomfortable.
Nami tightened her grip on her staff.
"Stay close to me."
Chopper nodded hurriedly.
"I will!"
They took only a few more steps before—
Clack.
Clack.
Footsteps echoed behind them.
The sound was wrong.
Too measured.
Too deliberate.
Nami stopped abruptly. Chopper nearly ran into her back.
"W-what's wrong?" he whispered.
She didn't answer. Her eyes scanned the darkness ahead.
"Someone's here."
Chopper's fur stood on end.
"Huh?!"
A shadow emerged behind them.
"So you really came."
The calm voice sliced cleanly through the silence.
Nami spun around, heart lurching.
Standing a short distance away was a man in a black suit—tall and slender, wearing a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Those eyes were cold, sharp, and utterly devoid of warmth.
"Who are you?!" Nami demanded, raising her staff.
The man smiled faintly.
"Relax. I'm just here to talk."
Chopper trembled.
"Y-you don't look like a good guy…"
The man chuckled softly.
"That hurts. But you're right."
Nami's heart sank.
This man wasn't just dangerous—
He was terrifying.
He took a step forward.
"My name isn't important. What matters is you two."
"What do you want?" Nami snapped.
"Information," he replied calmly. "About your crew."
Her expression hardened instantly.
"We won't tell you anything."
The man sighed, almost regretfully.
"That's a shame."
He lifted his gaze.
And in that instant—
It felt like the temperature dropped.
Not because the air changed—
But because his intent did.
An overwhelming pressure born of trained murderous intent pressed down on them, so sharp it made their instincts scream.
Chopper gasped.
"I—I can't…!"
His legs went weak as if his body had forgotten how to move. He trembled violently, eyes wide, breath coming in broken pieces.
Nami's fingers stiffened around her staff. Her heartbeat spiked so hard it made her vision blur.
"What… is this?!" she forced out.
"Fear," the man said quietly. "The kind your body understands before your mind does."
Nami's pupils shook as memories surged violently into her mind—
Her village.
Blood-soaked streets.
Arlong's grin.
Her mother's gentle smile.
Her breathing turned frantic.
"No… stop…"
Chopper's voice cracked.
"Make it stop!"
Tears streamed down his face as he collapsed, curling into himself.
"I'm scared… I don't want this…"
The man looked down at them without emotion.
"This is only the beginning. Compared to what comes next…"
He paused.
"…this is mercy."
Nami bit her lip until blood welled up, forcing herself to stay conscious.
"Why… why are you doing this?!"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Because you're important."
Her heart dropped.
Important.
That word meant only one thing—
Extreme danger.
"You don't need to resist," he continued. "The more you struggle, the deeper you'll sink."
"Nami…" Chopper sobbed weakly. "I'm scared…"
She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.
"Don't listen to him… don't give in…"
Even her own voice was shaking.
The pressure intensified—cold, precise, deliberate—until their thoughts felt like they were being squeezed into silence.
Far away—
On a rooftop, Raifeng's eyes snapped open.
"This feeling…" he muttered. "…So that's where it is."
His gaze sharpened dangerously.
"A nightmare that targets the weak first."
He clenched his fist.
"CP9…"
His voice turned cold.
"You've crossed the line."
The wind roared.
Raifeng's figure vanished into the night.
Back in the alley, Nami's awareness flickered. Chopper was already on the brink of collapse. The man in black watched quietly.
"Enjoy it," he said softly. "This nightmare will completely dominate you."
Darkness swallowed everything.
And the disaster—
Had officially begun.
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