Chapter 22: The Voyage to Deception
The voyage from the chemical-stained skies of Punk Hazard towards the vibrant, sun-drenched kingdom of Dressrosa was a journey from one kind of prison to another. On the Thousand Sunny, the mood was a mixture of grim resolve and frantic planning. The revelation of Caesar Clown's connection to the Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo, and the subsequent "fall" that triggered the black-market chaos, had set a ticking clock. They had to get to Dressrosa before the SMILE factory was destroyed, plunging the world into further disarray.
Arata observed the crew's dynamics with a quiet intensity. He saw the weight of leadership on Luffy's shoulders, a weight his captain bore not with grimness, but with a fierce, unshakeable focus. He saw the strategic gears turning in Law's mind, a man playing a dangerous, high-stakes game of chess. And he saw the concern in Robin's eyes, not just for the mission, but for the well-being of the samurai, Kin'emon and Momonosuke, whose past was inextricably tied to the coming conflict.
His own role was evolving. On Punk Hazard, he had been a scalpel, precisely neutralizing the greatest threat. For Dressrosa, he understood the mission required a far more subtle touch. A direct assault by a "Thunder God" would send Doflamingo's entire network scrambling and could endanger the countless civilians trapped in his gilded cage.
One evening, as the two ships sailed under a canopy of brilliant stars, Arata invited Robin to the Raiju. The ship was silent save for the low, resonant hum of its core. He led her to the prow, where they could look out at the dark, endless sea.
"This Doflamingo," Arata began, his voice soft. "Law spoke of him. A former Celestial Dragon who rules a kingdom with strings of fear. He is not a brute like Kaido. He is a puppeteer."
"A very accurate description," Robin replied, leaning against the railing. "His power, the Ito Ito no Mi, allows him to control people as literal puppets. It is a metaphor for his entire life. He believes the world is his to manipulate."
"A spider at the center of a web," Arata mused. "To strike at the spider directly is to risk tearing the whole web and harming those caught in it." He turned to her, his golden eyes reflecting the starlight. "My power is not subtle, Robin. A storm is not known for its discretion. If I am to be your shield in this, I cannot be a hammer. I must be a needle."
Robin studied his face, seeing the conflict there. He possessed world-ending power, yet he was willingly chaining it for the sake of their mission, for the sake of minimizing collateral damage. It was a level of restraint she found deeply compelling.
"What are you proposing?" she asked.
"I will be your shadow," he said. "I will not enter Dressrosa with you. My presence would be a beacon. Doflamingo would sense my Haki the moment I stepped foot on his island. Instead, the Raiju will remain at sea, just beyond the range of his observation. And I will be your unseen guardian."
He explained his plan. Using his mastery of Kenbunshoku Haki, he could extend his awareness over the entire island of Dressrosa from a distance, a feat he had been practicing during their voyages. He would be their ultimate lookout, tracking their movements, monitoring the enemy, and waiting.
"My promise to you," he said, his gaze intense, "is that no matter how deep you go undercover, no matter how trapped you may feel, you will never be alone. I will be watching. If the situation becomes truly dire, if your life is in imminent danger, I will be there. Not as a last resort, but as a guaranteed outcome. Doflamingo's strings may control the island, but I control the sky above it. All I need is a signal."
He handed her a small, smooth, obsidian-black stone, no larger than a marble. It was cool to the touch, but within it, she could feel a tiny, dormant spark of his energy.
"This is a piece of the Raiju's hull," he explained. "A fragment of my will. If you are in mortal peril, crush it. I will know. And I will come."
Robin closed her fingers around the stone. It was a tangible piece of his promise, a life-line. In her world of espionage and betrayal, such an absolute guarantee of rescue was unprecedented. It wasn't just a tool; it was a testament to his devotion.
"I understand," she said, slipping the stone into a hidden pocket. "We will be the needle on the inside. And you will be the sword hanging over Doflamingo's head, unseen but ever-present."
He reached out and gently took her hand. "Be careful, Robin. This puppeteer... he feels like a man who has already cut his own strings. He is capable of anything."
The following day, the green, flower-shaped island of Dressrosa came into view. It looked like a paradise. But to Arata's enhanced senses, it felt like a beautiful mask hiding a festering sickness. He watched as the Straw Hats, along with Law and Kin'emon, disembarked onto the sunny harbor, blending into the crowds of revelers and tourists.
The Raiju then descended, not into the water, but into the clouds themselves, becoming a silent, hidden fortress in the sky. Arata sat cross-legged on its deck, closing his eyes. His consciousness expanded, flowing over the island like a gentle, invisible fog. He could feel the vibrant, chaotic energy of the coliseum, the dark, oppressive aura of the royal palace, and the hundreds of thousands of individual lives playing out their parts in Doflamingo's grand tragedy.
He located Robin's calm, intelligent aura easily, a steady flame amidst the chaos. He found Luffy's blazing, untamable spirit entering the coliseum. He felt Zoro's sharp, focused power getting lost, and Sanji's chivalrous flame heading towards a confrontation.
The game was afoot. And high above, the ultimate arbiter had taken his seat, his golden eyes seeing all, waiting for the moment the puppeteer would overplay his hand. The peace of Dressrosa was a lie, and Arata was the truth waiting to shatter it.