Support me on P @t r e o n it helps alot.
P @t r e o n.com/Darking099
For 30+ Advance Chapters
---
The morning sun rose over the desert town, casting golden hues across the buildings and painting the cliffs in shades of amber. The wind was dry but carried a subtle calm. It was the kind of morning that made the world feel like it hadn't yet woken up.
Rael stood at the edge of the rooftop, shirtless, arms crossed as he stared into the distance. His gaze scanned the horizon—watchful, prepared. Kaya stirred in bed, her golden hair spread across the pillow, a soft smile lingering on her lips from the night before. She sat up slowly, covering herself with the sheet and watching Rael with eyes full of warmth.
"You're already awake," she said, voice still heavy with sleep.
"I never really slept," Rael replied without turning. "Something feels off today."
Kaya pulled the sheet tighter around her and joined him by the window. "Is it Crocodile?"
Rael nodded. "Or something connected to him."
In the next room, Vivi had already dressed. Her face was flushed slightly, but she wore a composed expression. She adjusted her robes, trying to ignore the lingering memories of the previous night. She opened the door and found Kaya at the hallway window.
"Morning," Vivi said casually, trying not to meet her eyes.
Kaya turned to her with a knowing smile. "Morning."
Rael stepped away from the edge. "We should move."
The three of them left the inn after a quick breakfast and made their way through the bustling town. The market had begun to awaken. Merchants shouted prices, camels groaned, and children darted between stalls. But there was a tension lingering under the surface—a quiet unease.
Rael picked up on it instantly.
They reached a small blacksmith's shop where an old man, wrinkled and dark from the sun, handed Rael a freshly sharpened blade wrapped in cloth.
"It's as you requested," the man said. "Light, but dense. Not something I usually craft."
Rael nodded in thanks. "Perfect."
As they left, a shadow slipped from an alleyway.
"You're being watched," Robin's voice echoed softly.
They turned to find Miss Sunday leaning against a sunlit wall, her arms crossed and a neutral expression on her face.
"Again?" Kaya muttered, folding her arms.
Vivi narrowed her eyes. "What is it this time?"
Robin stepped forward. "Crocodile is already moving. Your window to act is closing."
Rael studied her face. "And you? Still playing the middle?"
Robin gave a small smirk. "I prefer to think of myself as observing fate."
Kaya rolled her eyes, but Vivi looked more serious. "Why are you really helping us?"
Robin met her gaze. "Because someone has to stop him. And because I believe you can."
Rael stepped forward. "Where is he?"
Robin handed him a worn parchment. "There's an ancient temple buried beneath the next canyon. He's sending agents there—not just to guard it, but to search. For something dangerous."
"Pluton," Kaya murmured.
Robin nodded. "He believes the final piece is there. If he gets it, he won't just control Alabasta. He'll threaten the balance of the world."
Vivi looked to Rael. "Then we stop him there."
Rael pocketed the map. "Let's move."
The journey to the canyon was brutal.
The sandstorm hit by midday. Blades of wind whipped against their clothes, and the heat was suffocating. Still, Rael led them onward, eyes fixed on the path ahead.
By nightfall, they reached a small ridge overlooking a sunken ruin—half-buried in sand, ancient stone walls and weathered statues jutting from the earth like bones.
Rael crouched low. "There. Guards."
Vivi squinted. "Baroque Works. They're guarding every entrance."
Kaya checked her gear. "We go in quiet, or loud?"
Rael stood. "Quiet won't last. We make it fast."
The fight began with silence—a blur of motion as Rael appeared behind the first guard, disabling him with a blow to the neck. Kaya fired her pistol twice, precise and clean. Vivi threw sand into the eyes of another before knocking him out with a strike from her staff.
But then the alarm was raised.
Dozens of Baroque Works agents flooded from the temple entrance. Torches were lit, and shouting filled the canyon.
Rael was a storm.
He moved with deadly precision, every strike calculated. Fists met steel, and his aura alone seemed to shake the very ground. Kaya backed him up with deadly shots, and Vivi defended their flanks, moving with royal grace and resolve.
But as they fought, a rumble echoed from below.
Rael looked toward the temple doors.
Robin's warning rang in his ears.
"He's already inside."
They didn't wait.
They pushed forward, deeper into the ruins, through collapsing corridors and halls lined with ancient writing. The air grew colder. More... unnatural.
Rael stopped at a sealed door.
A strange energy pulsed behind it.
Kaya stepped beside him, panting. "Do you feel that?"
Rael placed his hand on the stone. "Whatever it is... he's close."
And with a heavy push, the door cracked open—revealing the forgotten chamber where fate, history, and war were about to collide.
---
Support me on P @t r e o n
join my patreon for more frequent upload.
P @t r e o n.com/Darking099
For 30+ Advance Chapters
---
GIVE ME 40 powerstones for extra chapter