Chapter 17

In the Wake

"Nagagaga! Normally, I ain't one to share, but you look like you need a drink," Kokoro, offers her rum bottle to the downed mage.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Maxwell sits on his haunches and accepts the bottle. "Thanks," he takes a swig of the amber liquid. It was strong, rum probably wasn't even the best choice at the moment, but he needed something to drink after fighting the waves like that.

"Hmm…" Kokoro notices something out over the ocean. The water was receding, "The stronger the ebbing, the larger the waves are that will come back... If you look at the ebbing of the water, you can tell the size of the high tide."

"I'm flying~!" *Nya~!*

Maxwell is startled when he sees Kokomo's granddaughter hanging onto a rope, on the stone buttress, like a flag, "Chimney! What in Andrate's name are you doing out here!?" Her pet cat (rabbit), Gonbe, was also holding onto her shoe as an extension of the human flag.

"Hi, Mr. Pirate!"

"I wouldn't be to worried, big boy. Chimney's a smart girl." Kokomo's lack of concern did not assure Maxwell of anything. Wind and rain still cut through them like dust in a stampede. The old lady kept looking at the sea however, "Now I wonder how many meters it's fallen this year… Hoh~ Take a look boys and girls."

Maxwell frowned but steadily stood up, "…It looks as though the sea has completely up. Nagagagaga!

"Wow! It's amazing~!" *Nya nya.*

"Grk!" Maxwell personally found the sight both mystifying and horrifying. The entire lower city of Water 7 was empty. But it wasn't just empty! The entire ocean around Water 7 had disappeared! Maxwell could see the sea soaked ruins of older buildings built under the modern ones. Stranded fish, and scuttling crabs crawled along the muddy surface of the once former bay. Maxwell could even see old shipwrecks on the seabed, visible only by the absence of the ocean. He had just spent who knows how long trying to fight those waves? And they all just disappeared!?

"…In all my years, even I've never witnessed such a scene as this," said Kokoro

"…And you said this was just an ebbing?" Maxwell's voice nearly came out as a squeak.

"Yeah. Looks like we're going to get a rather large wave, Nagagaga!"

That wasn't just going to be a wave. It was going to be a tsunami!

"Eh~!?" *Nya nya nya~!?*

Chimney started jumping up and down trying to catch the adults attention, "Grandma, Mr. Pirate, lookie, lookie! Something's over there~!" Both adults look at the child confused, "There's something in between the houses~!"

Maxwell then heard the sound of clicking of heels and panting behind him, "Nami!"

Nami's head shot up in suprise, "Maxwell!" She then hugged the mage, "Thank God you're alright!"

Maxwell hugged back, human body heat seemed rather comfortable right now. However, Nami drew back as she realized something. The navigator looked around, "…Where's Robin?"

Maxwell looked down, ashamed, "I'm… sorry, Nami. I… She got away."

Nami cupped her face in horror, "Oh no!"

Maxwell winced, that was certainly one reaction he was expecting, "…I—"

"Well, at least Sanji is with her."

"I—Wait, what?" Maxwell jerks his head up to look at her, dumbly. How was that possible!?

"Sanji left a note, saying he found Robin at the train station. He got onboard just before it left."

Maxwell's eyes widened, "Really!? Then—!"

"Hey! Ms. Pirate Lady! Hey!" Chimney waved to get their attention. The smiling pigtails girl then pointed over the barriers, "Look over there! Something's over there~!"

"Chimney! Ms. Kokoro!" Nami came up to the stone railing, "What are you talking about?"

"What've you been looking at all this time, Chimney…?" Kokoro asked her granddaughter.

"Over there! Over there!"

"Just a second…" Nami looked over the edge, "What!? The ocean's dried up… Wait, what!?"

Maxwell also looks at what Chimney was pointing at. Down in the lower quarter were two building built side by side. Between them was a small gap, with something wedged inside. Maxwell stared up I'll he recognized that spec. It was a person!

"LUFFY!"

"HOW IN ANDRASTE'S MERRY UNDERPANTS DID HE GET STUCK IN THERE!?"

Kokoro squints at the buildings in the distance, "Hm? That straw hat… Hey, girl, big boy, isn't that your easygoing pirate king—Huh!?" Kokoro balked as she saw both Nami and Maxwell race over to the stairs, "Hey where do you think you're going!? Don't you know you can't go back into the backstreets now!?"

"Did she say backstreets!?" "Hey, somebody stop those two!" "COME BACK HERE! DON'T YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE!? AQUA LAGUNA IS COMING!"

A crowd came forth from the city. However, Maxwell and Nami couldn't stop for that. They had to get Luffy out of there!

As they raced down the steps though, one of Maxwell's legs cramped and he tripped. The mage tumbled down the rain soaked steps until he rolled onto the flat, "MAXWELL!"

Maxwell growled through the pain, "Don't worry about me! Get to Luffy! GO!" Maxwell waved Nami off. They didn't have time to worry about him, he can sort himself out.

"Alright!" Nami reached the half of the stairwell and jumped off it, leaping onto the building below.

Maxwell scowled as he brought his hands to his leg. He channeled healing energies into his stiff leg, trying restore and relax the muscles inside.

"ZORO!" Maxwell barely had time to see Chopper race past him like a speeding bullet. The doctor was in his reindeer form. But why did he have one of Zoro's katanas on his back?"

Maxwell massaged his leg to make sure it would be fine, for now, but then he heard the distant hiss of falling water. It was barely audible over the pecking sound of the rain, but it was there. The water was still absent from the bay, but then he looked towards the horizon, "Maker, Andraste…!"

A giant wave was coming. A tsunami! It was cresting over the horizon and coming straight for them! If they didn't get out of there now, they were going to die!

Maxwell quickly jumped up onto his feet and scanned around him. His head whipped back and forth to see where everyone was. Nami was near the building where Luffy was stuck. She stood in front of it on another building not to far away. Chopper had gone off the other side of the bridge and was on a tall house with a chimney. A chimney that had a weird sea anemone sticking out of—wait a sec! "WHAT THE HELL IS ZORO DOING STUCK IN A CHIMNEY!?"

That wasn't some sea creature sticking out of it. Those were legs! Zoro's legs!

"Crap!" There was nothing he could do, not at this distance. He had already been delayed falling down the steps. Max was going to have to wait until the got out of their predicaments. Only then would he be helpful.

Maxwell energized his three foci and spun them around, aiming back at the top of the staircase, "Mordred! Mineive! Salem! Help me stabilize a Winter glyph! We're going to need a quick exit!"

The spirits possessed their mediums and begun spinning faster and faster, pouring their own energies into the circle. They understood the urgency of the situation. Even with the crew's capabilities there was no way they could reach the top all together. They'll likely land on the bridge, the highest they could go. Hopefully this Fade Step would get them out in time. If they weren't hit with the wave, that is.

Man and spirit worked in tandem to keep the glyph in manifest. Still, Maxwell couldn't help but look behind him to see how much time they had. That had been a mistake. Maxwell felt his stomach drop and his face pale. The tsunami was so close now. It easily towered over him, even on this giant bridge!

Maxwell then heard the breaking of stone in the distance and glanced to either side of him. The two buildings holding Luffy had been pushed apart. That probably meant Luffy had stopped fooling around. The building holding Zoro had been split apart. Zoro was free!

He heard the sounds of his crew landing and turned around. Luffy had grabbed Nami, using his arm like a lasso. Chopper was in his Jump-Point, and Zoro had skidded against the pavement. Still, that didn't stop Maxwell from briefly freezing in terror as the tsunami crashed around them. The wave had only faltered by the collection of buildings and debris it had gather at the base. It didn't hit their plateau, but that didn't mean the wave was done.

"THROUGH THE CIRCLE! NOW!" Maxwell yelled in terror as he saw the swell backlash.

The crew didn't question the mage and immediately rushed for the spinning glyph. Crewmate after crewmate disappeared through the circle and turned into billowing gusts blue smoke. Maxwell too disappeared, the foci returning to their harnesses. Blue comets of magic shot up the stairwell trying to outrun the crashing wake.

Water nipped at the comet trails. Like a shower of needles it tried to encompass their forms, the swell threatening them like a hammer. The magic faltered and disappeared, but they still kept running! They had escaped the wave, but that wasn't enough. The stairwell was breaking under the ton of water crashing down and the bridge was going to collapse.

Paulie had apparently been waiting on them up the step, "HURRY! Head for Zousenjima!"

They ran. Luffy still carried Nami. Zoro and Chopper had switched positions and now the swordsman was carrying the little doctor. Albeit, Chopper clung to Zoro's face in sure terror. Paulie and Maxwell just kept running as fast as their legs could carry them. Maxwell didn't have time to conjure another glyph. If they paused, or got distracted, they would die! They had to do this on their own.

Thankfully they leaped onto the top of the stairwell, just as the second wave hit. Maxwell rolled across the ground as the tailwind caught them and they tumbled into the city. The wave was gone… but the water was slowly beginning to ebb again.

Maxwell caught his breath as he listened to the people around him.

"…That was one scary wave!" "I can't believe the sea rose all the way to Zousenjima…!" "We're in danger, even standing up here…!" "The tide is subsiding again!" "Of course… It'll keep repeating for a second time, and a third time. It'll keep coming back! We should head inland for safety…"

"…So the upper city was called Zousenjima?" Maxwell breath out, "Go figure…"

Paulie let out a sigh at the mage's words. He was laying right beside him, "You're all crazy…!"

"How terrifying!" Nami had sat up, looking back out at the ocean, "So that was Aqua Laguna… I'm still shaking from the fright…!"

"No," Paulie corrected the navigator, "Were it like that every year, this island would've disappeared long ago. Aqua Laguna's abnormally strong this year."

Kokoro walked up, drinking from her bottle of rum, "Even I was scared for you… You're lucky to have survived that."

Luffy sat up after catching his breath, "Ah! Monster Granny! You're here too?"

"Of course. If I'd stayed at sea, I'd have drowned and became fish bait already. Nagagagaga!" Kokoro laughed joyously.

Even Chimney cheered, "Pirate Bro was so cool!"

"BUHAAH!" Zoro took a breath as he finally got Chopper off his face, "I ALMOST SUFFOCATED!" He then looked at the little doctor in his arms, "You idiot! Don't grab onto my head and then pass out!" It seemed Chopper had fainted in terror having watched the wave come after them.

Luffy smiled as he noticed his crew's swordsman, "Ah, Zoro!? Why were you about to be swallowed by the wave? Were you down there too?"

Zoro blinks then looks at Luffy, "…Ah… Not exactly…"

"He got stuck in a chimney! Grk—!" Chopper had woken up from his fainting spell and was suddenly being treated as a plush toy by a pissed off Zoro.

"You got stuck in a chimney!? AAAHAHAHAHA! Zoro, that's so stupid! You're so funny!"

Nami then pinched and grabbed his cheek, "YOU WEREN'T ANY BETTER! YOU'RE ALL IDIOTS!"

"Ah well, at least we got out of there. Thanks for the boost Max!" Maxwell waved his arm in acknowledgment. He had already been put through the wringer enough today. Luffy looked around, despite still having his face pulled by Nami, "Where's Sanji and U… I mean, where's Sanji?"

Nami let go of his cheek, "Oh yeah… Luffy, I have something to tell you… Zoro, Max, you should listen in too."

O O O

"…So Robin traded her life for ours… Dammit!" Maxwell punched the cement beneath their feet. He was frustrated at what Nami had explained.

The spies had been after a certain set of blueprints on this island. Schematics to an ancient warship called "Pluton." It was a ship that could destroy entire islands by itself; Only one instance of it's creation had ever been recorded. The ship had long since disappeared, but it was anointed as one of the "Ancient Weapons," with two other weapons of unknown origins. Water 7 had been in charge of guarding the blueprints of Pluton for generations, fearing they'd fall into the wrong hands. The most recent guardian, being Iceberg.

However, even if the World Government had obtained the plans, they were apparently written in a dead language no one could understand.

No one, except Nico Robin.

CP9, the World Government agents they encountered, had taken the opportunity to use Robin as soon as she landed on Water 7's shores. They had threatened to enact the "Buster Call," unless she cooperated the them. The Buster Call tactical formation, only permissible by marines admirals and their superiors. It was a protocol that literally destroyed islands. Summoning 5 Vice Admirals and 10 warships, they would rain cannon fire on whoever was the target and destroy the island along with it. The attack could not be rescinded, it could not be canceled, and it wouldn't be finished until everything was destroyed. And CP9 had threatened to aim it at the Strawhat Pirates.

Robin went along with them, colaberating with the assassination, obscuring the theft, in order to spare their lives. But that wasn't life, that was bullshit! And Maxwell had let her gone with them! The only consolation they had was that they knew Robin had taken the sea train, Sanji had stowed aboard, and that it's destination was an island called Enies Lobby!

"What's there to think about!?" Luffy cracked his knuckles, "Let's set sail and go after them!"

Zoro's hand tightened around the grip of one of his katanas. He wasn't to happy about the news either, "There's no other way."

Luffy turned to Paulie, "Hey! Rope guy! Lend us a boat! By the way, is there another sea train?"

The Galley-La employee just looked at them, "There's only one sea train in the world, the Puffing Tom. It's a miracle that the Legendary Carpenters of Water 7 spent 10 years cooperating to create it."

"Then let us borrow a ship!" Luffy suggested, "Give us your strongest and fastest ship!" If the train idea wasn't going to work, they were just going to have to sail after them.

"Are you all brainless or something!?" Paulie yelled back, "Don't you see how rough it is out there!?"

Some of the search party backed Paulie up. Apparently Iceberg and Paulie had convinced the workers of Galley-La of their innocence, "Yeah! You can't set sail in this weather!" "It'd be suicide!"

Paulie continued to explain, "In the past it had always been impossible to set sail during the Aqua Laguna. And now, look at the ruins beneath us," he was referring to the destroyed bridge they were just on, "Before tonight, Aqua Laguna has never caused even close to this much damage! Even if we give you the biggest warship we have, it will shatter into pieces against these monstrous waves! I won't give you a ship just so you can die out there!"

Maxwell narrowed his eyes at the shipwright. He liked to think his handling of a ship could possibly get they through it. His magic could reinforce the haul and the Static Cage helped against losing crewmates.

…Still this wasn't some random storm, between islands, on the Grandline. This was a cycling event for this island.

"Wait 'til morning. After the tides subside, I'll give you a ship." Paulie then looked back at his men, "The rest of you, go to the shelters. We're done with the search." The carpenter then turned around, prepared to leave, as the worker slowly started heading towards inland.

"…If we wait till morning, won't it be to late?"

Paulie paused as he looked back at Nami.

"I know what kind of place Enies Lobby is… I remember you said it was a Government-owned island."

Nami's face was unreadable as she looked at the carpenter, "Isn't that where the 'Gates of Justice' are?"

…

…

…

…That name was not encouraging.

"What's that?" Zoro asked.

"Enies Lobby is the Government-owned judicial island," Nami explained, "However, what's there is a court in name only. Being taken to Enies Lobby, itself, is considered to be proof of guilt. The accused would simply be taken through an empty courthouse to a giant, cold iron gate. After the criminal passes through those doors, they will never see the light of day again. Because, there are only two places that you can go from that harbour."

"One is the Heart of Justice… The Marine Headquarters. The world's largest military force. Then there is the other island. Covered with interrogation chambers and execution rooms, housing all kinds of dangerous criminals from all around the world, there is the great prison of the deep blue… Impel Down."

Maxwell could imagine them now. A military base swarming with marines, the entire place painted white and blue. Each face condemning and stoic as the person was taken to the execution platform. The other, an abyssal tower built into the sea floor. He could imagine prisoners wearing uniforms with murderous expressions, as they were tortured day in and day out.

"Enies Lobby has no sympathy for criminals. They're sent directly to jail. It's a place that's judicial in name alone! Am I right!?" Nami yelled at the carpenter. Paulie didn't say anything.

"Robin is a wanted criminal! No matter where she's taken, only hell awaits her! While we're waiting time here, she's getting closer and closer to the Gates of Justice! HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL MORNING!?"

…

…

…

Paulie finally spoke, after listening to Nami's rant.

"If you're finished, let me remind you of something… Even if the sea calms down long enough for you to sail away… You shouldn't go there! Don't forget that you are pirates yourselves! Enies Lobby is the front door to the center of the World Government, there has to be very strong military forces defending it. No matter what kind of pirates you are, there is no way you can go and get your friends out of there successfully."

Paulie then scowled, "Knowing what will definitely happen if you go… DO YOU STILL PLAN TO WAGE WAR IN THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!?"

Some of the workers spoke up, supporting their superior, "Yeah! Just forget it!" "Aqua Laguna's too strong, you won't be able to set sail before morning!" "Even if you make it there, you're still doomed!" "You'll never make it!"

Maxwell eyed his captain. He knew Luffy wasn't going to quit just because others said so. His problems were the crew's problems, and vice versa.

"In that case…" Luffy stomped a foot, shifting into a fighter's stance, "WE'LL TAKE A SHIP BY FORCE!" Another wave crashed against the city, sending works flying and spraying water, "WE'RE LEAVING, NOW!"

The crowd looked at Luffy, stunned. Some were recovering from the rogue wave. Others were simply surprised. However, none of them could deny Luffy's resolve. He was willing to fight against it all— "OUR FRIENDS ARE WAITING FOR US! DON'T GET IN OUR WAY!" —and he wasn't afraid to go through them as well.

Paulie shifted his weight, taking out a vine of rope, "Fine. Then you'll have to get through me first." Most of coworkers looked at him shocked. How could consider that!?

Zoro was a man that could cut a building in half. He was already drawing his sword. Luffy could destroy entire buildings. He was already itching for a fight. Chopper was a reindeer-tanuki-gorilla thing and was dragging his hoof against the pavement. They already knew Nami was a crazy red-head. And Maxwell was a freaking sorcerer! They had no idea what they were going to pull out! Paulie stood no chance!

"Hold it right there!" A voice cut through the rain.

Paulie and the Strawhats all looked behind them. It was Kokoro who had interrupted them.

"Paulie is right. You're not thinking straight, Strawhats."

"Butt out!" Luffy retorted to the old woman, "This is none of your—!"

"This is none of my business?" Kokoro cut him off, "Hear me out first. If we let you go like this, you'll just end up dead in a flash. Listen carefully, if there's anything that can sail through Aqua Laguna, it's the sea train, made by the legendary—"

Maxwell was personally more curious about these "legendary carpenters" the locals kept mentioning, but Luffy wasn't having it, "Yeah, but the train isn't here! We have to use a ship—"

"If you're determined to put your lives on the line for this…" Kokoro had already turned around. But then the old woman then looked back at them, "Then follow me. I'll start 'the sea train' for you."

The Strawhat all look at each other. They weren't sure whether or not to follow the portly old woman. Wasn't there only one sea train in the world?

Still, they followed Kokoro into town. If she was willing to show them a way to sail in this storm, then it was worth checking out.

O O O

"This is my biggest chance yet!" A man cackled at his desk.

He was wearing a leather mask around his face. It wasn't a pretty mask either. The mask was like a harness, either keeping his face together or hiding scars overtop his nose and left cheek.

He was eating a steak, surrounded by the room's regalia and four agents standing by as his honour guard, "It's all thanks to Aokiji, who gave us permission to use the Buster Call…!"

*BRREEEEE…!*

"Right, Funkfreed?" There was a littler elephant in the room. A circus elephant with black metal adornment. "5 Vice Admirals from Marineford and a fleet of 10 warships! There's no greater force than that!"

Funkfreed tussled the man's hair with the end of it's trunk, but the Phantom of the Opera knock-off didn't seem to mind, "Nico Robin, whom the Government has sought after for 20 years, has fallen into the hands of CP9 so easily. Along with that Tom's Disciple, Cutty Flam… Urm," he was still eating, "—who has the blueprints of Pluton, is also being escorted."

"They say the world is vast… But I have in my custody, the only two people able to resurrect the Ancient Weapon! They're there, on the sea train… AND ARE COMING STRAIGHT TO ME!"

Cipher Pol No.9 Commander in Chief, Spandam, laughed a maniacal laugh, "A weapon that can destroy the world is coming…! And it's all mine! Wahahahahah! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH—! Achoo! …Urgh."