The Straw Hat captain's too absorbed in his own thoughts to pay any mind to either their surroundings or the startled fishmen and merfolk who stop to stare when they recognize the pirates marching through their midst, so he doesn't hear the low-pitched argument occurring behind him.

"Where the hell are we going? I thought he wanted to head straight for Impel Down!"

"I don't know, but I really don't think he's fooling around sightseeing, especially not after last night," Nami hisses back at the sniper. "We'll just have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

They're all exhausted and slightly ill-tempered, because after waking panic-stricken and teary-eyed for the third night in a row, Luffy spent the time until sunrise pacing the room and making enough noise to keep everyone else from sleeping, and as soon as the first rays of light broke the horizon, he insisted on leaving immediately for their destination, even as the coating mechanic applied the last finishing touches to the ship. He's been anxious and unusually terse all morning, demanding that they make a brief detour because there's somebody he needs to find.

The crew's been wandering around Coral Hill for nearly an hour now, but the younger pirate's repeatedly ignored their repeated questions about exactly who he's trying to find, and the navigator - sympathetic to his moodiness but still starting to lose her patience - is seconds away from grabbing the collar of the rubber man's vest, intending to shake some answers out of him if necessary, when he finally spots a familiar face gaping at him and bolts towards it.

"Luffy-chin? What are you doing here?"

"Keimi! We've been looking for you!"

Nami blinks, wondering what in the world their captain could possibly want with the mermaid. She's certainly sweet enough but not exactly the brightest fish in the sea, and the navigator's not quite sure what Luffy's got in mind, but he's pulled the girl aside for what looks like an entirely serious conversation, his face shadowed by his straw hat as he gestures animatedly in the direction they've docked the Sunny.

She and Usopp watch as Keimi reacts to what she's just been told, her large expressive eyes glistening as she throws both arms around their nakama's shoulders and hugs him tightly. She stiffens when he mutters something in her ear, eyes going even wider, and when she pulls back to hold him at arm's length, both of them start chattering excitedly.

"What's he up to?" The sniper murmurs as the mermaid grabs Luffy's hand, the rubber man beckoning frantically for his waiting crewmates to follow before he darts back the way they've come, dragging Keimi with him.

"I don't know, but I think we're about to find out. Come on!"

xxx

Zoro doesn't know where he is when he regains consciousness, squinting blearily at the light shining in his eye, which seems exceptionally bright after the darkness of his cell, but he does know that he aches all over, including somewhere he'd rather not think about right now.

It takes a few minutes for his vision to adjust, but eventually he's able to see that he's in a large room filled with monitors and other equipment, and there's white-coated doctors bustling back and forth carrying clipboards, some of them accompanied by bored-looking guards, but no one's paying any attention to him.

The swordsman's lying on his side, surrounded by beeping, flashing contraptions similar to what he saw in that clinic back before everything went to shit, and when his left hand - he's surprised to find that he's not cuffed - moves automatically to his belly, he finds a broad belt-like band strapped around his midsection and connected with wires to one of the chirping boxes. There's a small screen on one side, and for several moments he stares transfixed at the green line bouncing across it, not quite sure what he's looking at.

When he tries to sit up, pain flares through his rear and lower back, and he bites the inside of his cheek to muffle a gasp as he hunches over, groping for the IV pole beside him. His movement pulls free a few cables connecting him to the nearby machines, which start emitting high-pitched shrills of alarm, but he doesn't notice, because he's too busy fighting to keep his balance.

Who knew that just a couple of missing fingers would make it so damn hard to hold onto something?

Because the Chief Guard wanted to cause as much pain as possible, opting to sever them one joint at a time, she only got through his pinky, ring finger and the very tip of his middle finger before losing her temper, instead of doing his whole hand - both hands - like she intended. He's probably lucky, he thinks numbly as he's grabbed and pushed back onto the table before he can fall to the floor.

If he manages to survive long enough to get out of here, and if Sadi-chan doesn't decide to finish the job, maybe he'll eventually be able to hold a sword in his right hand again.

xxx

"Let's go, let's go, let's go," Luffy chants impatiently from the Sunny's figurehead where he's planted himself after herding the crew back onto the ship and chasing Franky into the energy room to replace their spent barrels of cola. To his nakama's relief, he's been a lot more like himself since his meeting with Keimi, hounding Sanji for food like he hasn't done for weeks - and for once, the cook doesn't argue, because they're all going to need their strength for what's ahead - and begging a surprised Usopp to repaint the Jolly Roger they've been too dispirited to hoist.

The sniper's initially confused by the request, because it seems a somewhat trivial matter compared to the other necessary preparations, but when his steely-eyed captain insists that he wants the Marines to know exactly who they're dealing with because this is the last time they're messing with his nakama or his family, Usopp merely nods and heads for the men's quarters to retrieve his paint and brushes.

When they run the finished flag up the mast, he declares it's not his best work - along with the rest of the ship, his art supplies haven't fared too well, and he's been forced to use a darker shade of yellow than he'd like because the contents of several paint tubes had exploded all over the inside of his locker from the fire's heat - but Luffy takes one look and proclaims it perfect.

"I want Zoro to see it when we walk back out the front gate."

xxx

No one will answer his questions when he eventually gets irritated and worried enough to ask; they're far more interested in talking about him than to him, but the swordsman finally learns from the doctors' conversations that the bitch actually succeeded in giving him a concussion in addition to making it damn near impossible for him to sit upright for more than a few minutes at a time, and he's been unconscious for nearly three days.

Beyond that he's not entirely sure what's going on, because they use a lot of advanced technical and medical jargon that he doesn't understand, and it's not like he can ask them to repeat it in layman's terms. He's pretty sure they're discussing the baby; he recognizes some of their phrases from Chopper and Robin's coaching, although the doctors continually refer to it as a fetus, which is kind of ridiculous at this point because that term makes him think of something the size of a peanut or possibly a mikan, but the kid's a hell of a lot bigger than that now.

Usopp might've unwittingly hit the nail on the head with that stupid cannon ball joke, because Zoro swears he's actually gotten rounder since the last time he got a good look at himself.

While he's not exactly comfortable, because it's already hard enough to breathe without being sprawled on his side with his hands now securely re-cuffed behind him, and there always seems to be someone prodding at his belly or taking blood samples, the padded table in the medical bay's a thousand times better than the hard concrete of his Level Six cell.

He doesn't like the doctors touching him and abrades them with verbal abuse when their gloved fingers poke his abdomen too hard or get a little too close to places where he most definitely doesn't want them, but at least they go about it in a cold and clinical fashion which is nothing like the bitch's crude advances, so that's mostly tolerable too - no worse than anything his own doctor was already doing - although their intense interest in the "fetus" bothers him for reasons he can't explain.

It's more than just curiousity for a highly unusual case, and despite all the constant monitoring - he feels like one of those squiggly bacterium-things that he knows Chopper likes to peer at through his microscope when he's researching new medicines - they're obviously far more concerned with the baby he's carrying than the swordsman himself, and he thinks it seems almost as though he's missing an important piece of some strange puzzle.

xxx

The captain initially wants to go through the G-1 Gate because it's closer, but the crew - after much arguing and a black eye or two - finally manages to convince him that it's a bad idea. Ever since the former Marine Headquarters was rebuilt, there's been an excess of ships docked in its harbors, and Keimi's already warned the Straw Hats that the base's residents have been gaining a reputation for firing first and asking questions later because they're determined to prevent their settlement from suffering the same destruction and humiliation as Marineford.

Luffy, who's impatient and anxious and spoiling for a fight, declares that he'll gladly kick all their asses, no matter how many ships the G-1 Marines want to send after them, but he eventually agrees to using the Enies Lobby Gate because Robin promises him that, by using Nami's navigation skills to ride the edge of the Tarai Current, they'll reach their target faster without being drawn into pointless exchanges of cannon fire or having overeager recruits attempting to board them in hopes of making names for themselves.

Besides, although the World Government's been quick to establish a new stronghold and rebuild their maximum security prison, they've been less concerned with the remaining point on their triangle of power - it's always been little more than a pretense anyway, as they've never had much use for fair trials - so Enies Lobby is still under heavy construction, thanks to the Straw Hat pirates' last visit, even though it's now more than two years later.

Fewer opponents, a faster route, and although he's been mysteriously tight-lipped about his plans, Luffy's assured them repeatedly that they'll have absolutely no trouble getting through the Gate itself, so what could possibly go wrong?

In the end, however, the smaller currents sweeping off the Tarai are stronger than either the historian or the navigator expected, and when the gyres start pushing the Sunny far enough away that Nami's afraid she'll lose her bearings entirely, Franky's forced to pull some drastic stunts that leave everyone clinging to the ship and each other as the cyborg fights to hold the ship's wheel steady.

Utilizing the paddle wheels while alternating between half-powered Coup de Burst and Chicken Voyage blasts to weave back and forth through the powerful currents makes for a very bumpy and nauseating ride.

"Franky, if you ever do that again-" Nami moans from where she's bent over, struggling valiantly not to vomit down the portside, after they've finally bounced around the last turn and found themselves skirting the Judicial Island. "-I swear I'm going to stuff you in one of your own cola bottles and toss you out to sea."

Usopp slowly releases the stairwell railing by the foremast, takes one wobbling step back and promptly falls on his rear, nearly sitting on Chopper, who's sprawled spread-eagle on the grass, whimpering for the sky to stop spinning. "He got us here, didn't he? Oh god, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Moving unsteadily, they gather along the railing to stare at the tall fence between them and the hazy outline of the gigantic door they'll need to breach once they get inside Enies Lobby.

"Gaon Cannon?" Franky inquires, glancing over at the captain, who's peering down into the shadowy depths below them, squinting and shielding his eyes from the sun's glare reflecting off the water. "Ship's still not in terrific shape and we might loose a bit more paneling, but we'll hold together."

"Nah, save the fuel, 'cause we got company," Luffy laughs suddenly, and when he looks up his eyes are dancing with excitement. "Just watch!"

"Company-?"

To their surprise, the nearest section of fence quivers, twists and crumples in on itself and then abruptly vanishes from sight as it's yanked beneath water that's suddenly churning violently, leaving an empty gap far wider than the Sunny actually needs.

The younger pirate smirks at the stunned expression on Franky's face, spins on his heel and heads for the Sunny's bow to gleefully take his customary seat on the lion's head, gesturing towards the giant doors awaiting them. "Okay, now get us over there!"

"What the hell? What just happened?"

"Luffy, what the hell's going on here?" Sanji calls up from the lawn deck. "You still haven't told us-"

"Come on, come on!" The captain urges impatiently, flailing both arms in agitation. "I guess it took Keimi a lot longer to find him than she thought it would, but he's here now, so we can go!"

Robin closes her eyes briefly, concentrating, and utters a surprised chuckle as she finally comprehends why Luffy's waved away their questions about exactly how they're going to open both sets of doors and been so unconcerned about pitting a meager eight people and one battered ship against whatever's waiting for them on the other side of the Impel Down Gate. Ah, good thinking, Sencho.

"Wha- he? Who's down there?" Nami demands, tightening her grip on the railing as Franky reaches for the controls, but Luffy just grins over his shoulder at her and erupts into wild laughter, grabbing a tight hold on the figurehead and clapping a hand to his hat to prevent it from flying off his head when the ship lunges forward.

Thanks to the danger posed by the waterfall ring, there's currently no vessels anchored inside the now defunct fence, but they're using a full-strength, three-barrel-powered maneuver this time, and the resulting noise of the blast - as well as the sight of a brig sloop sailing unexpectedly through the air - catches the attention of the few ships stationed near the scaffold-laden entrance gates of the island.

"Oi, there, what do you think you're-? OI, IT'S MUGIWARA!"

There's a frenzy of activity as the startled Marines race to turn their ships after the invading pirates, but no one onboard the Sunny pays them much mind, because the Coup de Burst's set them down only feet from the waterfall, and they're being swept along by the water cascading down the sides of the precipice.

"Franky, we're too close to the edge!" Nami shrieks, ducking as several empty cola barrels bounce past her to disappear into the seemingly bottomless chasm and flinging out an arm to catch Chopper's scrabbling, wailing form before he can follow. "We need to-!"

"NO! HOLD IT STEADY!" Luffy screams at the cyborg, flinging his arms in tight coils around the figurehead to prevent himself from being thrown free as the Sunny lists more violently, tilting nearly sideways over the sink hole, and for a moment the navigator's convinced that they're going over. But then there's a sharp bump against the hull and the ship rights itself, timbers groaning, and shoots into the slightly calmer waters beyond.

"Damn, that was close," Sanji groans, extricating himself from Usopp and Brook where they've all landed in a tangle of limbs at the base of the slide. Intent on reaching Nami, the cook doesn't notice when he accidentally treads on the sniper's nose, producing a string of curses. "Nami-san, are you-?"

"You should be more worried about yourself," the navigator scolds, waving away the hand he's offering as she struggles to her feet, giving the trembling reindeer in her arms a tight squeeze before she sets him on his feet. "I know those ribs aren't completely healed yet, not with the way you've been running around instead of resting like Chopper told you."

"Ha~ Nami-swan's so sweet being concerned about my-"

Usopp, sitting cross-legged beside Brook - who's just declared that he's sufficiently rattled, seeing as how he's nothing but bones - and clutching his face, interrupts both skeleton and cook as he glances up and immediately forgets all about his injured proboscis. "Uh, guys-?"

Several yards away but closing fast, the occupants of the first Marine vessel to pass the damaged fence stare dumbfounded as the Straw Hats realize their predicament and most of the pirates promptly panic, except for the raven-haired woman standing on the starboard stern and peering back at them with one arm raised to shadow her eyes from the sun, and the captain-

They can clearly hear Luffy's raised voice, shouting at his crew to keep going and stop freaking out because everything's going according to plan.

"What the hell is he thinking? The Gate's not going to open on its own!"

"I don't know, but I don't like this. Get on that Den Den Mushi and call-"

"-Clutch," Robin murmurs, the corner of her lips turning up in a grim smile as she watches disembodied limbs sprout to snap the necks of the unsuspecting Marine captain and his men.

Nami stares up at the barrier they're approaching far more quickly than she expected, knowing that they're going to plough headlong into the Gate unless they execute some kind of evasive maneuver in the next few seconds. "LUFFY!"

"I SAID HOLD!" The captain bellows, releasing his grip so he can rise to his feet, swaying dangerously as he glares up at the closed doors, straw hat flopping wildly behind him from the cord around his neck. No turning back now, just blind trust that their friend lurking below the surface won't let them down. "NOW, SURUME!"

Massive tentacles erupt from the depths surrounding them to slap against the Gate with a thunderous boom, and Robin laughs out loud, taking cover under the overhang of interlocking hands she's just sprouted from the outer dining hall wall, while the rest of the crew backs nervously towards the center of the lawn deck, soaked by the water cascading from the sky.

Luffy stands his ground as one enormous eye emerges beside the Sunny, grinning hugely although the orbit's glaring balefully as it rolls in his direction. It's debatable whether the creature's really happy to see him or just here because it fears his Haki, but he'd like to think it's helping them willingly.

"PULL!" The rubber man screams, staggering as the still-rising rubbery mass actually lifts the ship clear of the water, and only the slender hands blossoming from the lion's head to grab his ankles keep him from tumbling overboard. He barely notices, too absorbed by the sight above him, but Usopp mouths a silent thank-you to the historian as she joins the rest of them on the lawn deck.

There's a few deafening reports as several suction cups pop loose from the Gate's slick surface, but then the Kraken surges forwards, carrying the Sunny with it, and plasters the foremost portion of its body against the doors, tentacle tips groping along the crack down the center.

The Gate creaks ominously under the assault and Luffy utters a shout of approval, echoed by Franky, who shrugs at the incredulous look that Nami's giving him. "Oi, Calamari-bro's lendin' us some tentacles, right?"

"We need all the help we can get," the navigator agrees. "-but Luffy could've at least given us some warning! And you-! How long have you known?"

Robin raises her hands in silent appeal, laughing softly. "Not much longer than the rest of you, I promise."

"Look!" Chopper squeals, pointing to where Surume's efforts have finally paid off and a thin line of light's become visible down the center of the Gate. The doctor flings his arms around the historian's leg, adding his voice to Luffy's exuberant yelling and his crewmates' sudden excited exchanges, because there's no longer any doubt in his mind that they're doing it, they're really going to-

"Alright!" Franky roars, punching a fist into the air. "Next stop, Impel Down!"

"Let's go get Zoro and my kid!" Luffy barks down at them, looking back over his shoulder as the doors groan open before them, and Chopper falls momentarily silent amidst his embracing, cheering nakama at the sight of the captain's austere eyes gleaming brightly above his muted but determined grin, awed because he's dimly aware that he's being given a glimpse of the future Pirate King, the man Luffy's going to be.