No matter her past, no matter her reason for leaving them, Luffy wouldn't allow her to die. And especially not carrying the guilt of Luffy's supposed death. Paulie got their attention to introduce them to how Enies Lobby looked and functioned. Where everything was, and where they should head to get to Robin and Franky.
Luffy curbed his amazement with the waterfall and the land that sticked out of it. The last place they could get her back was before the Gates of Justice opened and took her away. Then she'd be taken to Impel Down and they'd never get her back. Get her before the Gates of Justice opened. They would do it, Luffy knew that.
"I've seen how strong you all are on the way here. If anyone can save them and take down those traitors, it's you," Paulie said strongly. Zambai said they'd be the backup to help get them there. They weren't in fighting shape at the moment and knew they weren't on par with them. But they were strong in their own ways!
Really, Usopp shouldn't be fighting either, but Sogeking was determined. "Okay. We've done this before. We've saved friends before. And this doesn't involve stopping a war," Luffy said. "All we're doing is getting Robin and Franky back alive. We'll figure out what to do after that."
The others nodded. "We'll be fine. Maybe hurt afterwards, but nobody is dying," Zoro said firmly.
"Of course not, idiot. I'll be there for Nami-san~"
"Well it's different since we don't have Usopp this time…" Chopper said sadly. Luffy said they had Usopp's friend, Sogeking. "Still…" Luffy snuggled him. "Let's not think of that now. It's all about Robin - and Franky. Sanji said Franky helped them, so we're saving that guy as well." Chopper sniffled, but nodded.
"Thanks Luffy," Chopper said happily. Luffy beamed and nodded.
Luffy was listening to the plan, but it was too long. He just wanted to get there to Robin fast. Just for her to see him. See he was alive.
"So you guys should wait for 5 minutes at the beach. Then charge in on rocketmen, straight through the gates and onto the island itself. Before that, the rest of us will go in," Zambai explained seriously. "Open up the main gate and the front gate before you enter through on rocketman. No matter how many of us die, don't stop! Keep going. There are only 60 of us, and thousands of enemies, so you should all avoid unnecessary fights. Just focus on CP9!"
"Yeah! I got it!" Luffy said firmly. He turned and kissed Zoro sweetly. Kokoro told them they were now in sight of their destination. They went to the windows and saw the massive doorway, the Gates of Justice. "How do those open? Are they attached to the floor?" Luffy wondered.
"They're bolted to the ground, and have been in place for a long time. They never completely open all the way, even when ships are passing through. They only open a little. Behind them is a windless area like the clam belts, but there's a huge whirlpool that goes to Impel Down, Marineford and Enies Lobby. Sea kings live in the whirlpool, so it's almost impossible for any other ship unprepared for the journey to go in," she explained in detail.
"Only marine ships can enter. I see. But how did they manage that?!" Nami asked in shock and awe. It was clever, and strange. Making doors into a whirlpool. "But… that means we definitely can't follow Robin if she passes through the gate."
"We were never planning on drawing this out, anyways," Zoro said, though he was very serious now.
"There's no time for chatting!" Kokoro said. They got ready to go, and Luffy contemplated leaving without them, but… he wanted to stay together. They were all getting to Robin. And he was captured once, he wouldn't get captured again and cause more problems. Plus, Zoro was holding onto his arm tightly, probably knowing he would have the urge to go on first. He didn't tell Zoro to stop or let go.
The sea kings pulled the Franky Family sea craft slammed into the gates and onto the island, just as planned. Kokoro warned them that they had four minutes until the Rocketman would breach the gate and get onto the island. Zoro asked Sogeking how his wounds were. "It's fine, for I am Sogeking."
Luffy looked away and back out the window, and Chopper wondered why Luffy was being cold towards Sogeking. "He just has a lot to think about, we all do," Sanji said patiently. Luffy heard an awkward shuffle from Sogeking. Zoro made sure Luffy had his bottles, and Luffy showed them both tucked snugly in his biggest shorts' pockets.
"Is it safe to be around you if you go all out?" Sanji asked lightly.
The captain nodded, sure of it. "I didn't hurt anybody even in the seastone. At least, not Usopp, Franky or Robin. And I'm not in seastone, so we don't gotta worry," Luffy said simply. "Even when I was around somebody else in that state, they were fine as long as they weren't an enemy."
Nami said she'd been around him like that and he'd been fine. "I wasn't insinuating he was dangerous, I was just asking if we should give him some space," Sanji explained, lighting a new cigarette. "If you need a refill on the bottles at all, I'm fine to do it."
Nami agreed. Chopper didn't, due to having the blood of an animal. "Remember not to drink from Lucci. He's a zoan, we don't know if that counts as an animal," Chopper reminded him.
"Yeah, I won't. Besides, he tasted nasty when I bit a chunk off of his arm. Blueno was just as bad when I ripped his finger off. I can't remember what they looked like when it happened too clearly, but I know they were shocked! Shishishi, they'll be even more when I am seen, perfectly healed. I don't have those wounds anymore from the fights before.
"Though I think them knowing something is off will make things harder afterwards."
"There's no benefit to speculating about what will happen after. If we pull this off, we'll be targeted regardless of whether you're human or not," Zoro said. He climbed out onto the front of the Rocketman to bust down the gate for them to shoot in. It had been five minutes. They had enough time that the two gates should be open by now.
"Hey, Sogeking, I wanted to ask about the cool ball rod of this?"
"I an Sogeking, how should I know about this? Usopp-san knows the smart things, I am the brave one."
"Sogeking is so amazing!" Chopper said.
Luffy almost smiled at it all, though it pissed Nami off. Then Luffy heard Zoro call to Kokoro that the first gate was closed. She relayed this information before Luffy could. "Change of plan! The gate's been closed!"
"What?!" Nami and Sogeking asked. "Now what!?"
"Frog, push the fence forward!" Zoro called.
"No! Doing that at this speed, the Rocketman-!" and it ran off of the fence and catapulted up with the upwards tilt of the bent fence. They were all screaming, and Luffy wrapped himself around everyone so they didn't all hit the walls as they all screamed. Luffy heard shouts of shock from below, on the island. He hoped their allies were not hurt too badly. It had been six minutes, but a lot could happen in that amount of time, after all.
"How are we going to land?!" Nami screamed.
"Leave it to luck!" Zoro said stoically, sitting on the front of the rocketman, still. Sanji didn't like being wrapped in Luffy's rubbery arms or that he was also around Nami, but when they crash landed into something hard and then onto the stone ground, Luffy moved so his back was what hit the floor, and it negated any possible injuries they could have gotten.
He unwrapped himself, and Nami, Sogeking and Chopper were crying about how scary it was while Sanji targeted Zoro with anger. Luffy jumped out, feeling his blood bottles were just fine, he walked out with the two who weren't arguing anymore. "Ne, there's a lot of people here already," Luffy said, his hand on his Straw Hat.
"The others have been causing trouble, so it's only natural," Sanji replied coolly. The Franky Family and Galley-La Company all cheered for them arriving. Many were already injured, but Luffy didn't see anyone dead. Though most weren't in perfect shape to begin with. After the boys stormed their hideout, that is. But Luffy forgave them. They wanted to save their brother, and he could respect that a lot.
"Straw Hat Luffy?! He's supposed to be dead!" someone called.
"Neehee, I'm back! Robin! We're coming for you! And Franky, too!" Luffy shouted. He smelled deeply and said he knew the fastest way to get to her. Both of them. Zoro grinned. That should make things a lot easier. Chopper, Nami and Sogeking were pulling themselves out of the train, and caught the attention of the marines.
"There's more criminals inside! Blow 'em to bits along with the train!" a marine shouted, and shot a cannon at the train, before Luffy reacted. But they were safe, and Nami was already forming an awesome cloud above them. She'd only used her weapon work once or so, and Usopp made her a new version, so he looked forward to seeing how it worked.
Guns were pointed at them until Kokoro and Chimney came out. "Help us! I'm just an old lady with a child!" she said with a grin, still drunk and holding her bottle of booze. Luffy snorted "We're defenseless!" she insisted. The enemies believed her, and didn't continue to shoot the train.
"They had hostages!"
"They really are pirates! Take them out!" Luffy kicked the faces of a long row of people in front of them with a gomu gomu whip. Nami's cloud took out a ton of others, also catching Luffy in the lightning, too. He was fine.
"The weapon is awesome but it hurts friend and foe!" Nami shouted and punched Sogeking. He claimed it was that she was using it too recklessly.
"You shocked Luffy, too! Seriously?!" Zoro shouted. At least his blood bottles were somehow undamaged. Luffy was fine though. Luffy said they should get going, though they were surrounded by enemies. They weren't supposed to fight all of them, right? He turned around and they all saw one of the sea king pets coming towards them, on land by being on a mechanical cart. It was smart!
For the second time in one day, Luffy rode a sea king (well, a king bull, but same thing really), all of the Straw Hats on its back. "This is awesome! We're following Robin's scent perfectly straight ahead!" Luffy cheered, standing on its head. "You're a brave guy, aren't you?" Luffy asked Sodom, the green king bull he was on.
It made a neighing sound, deeper than the ones the yagaras made. Chopper translated that, since his family trusted them, he did, too. "That's good. You're good fighters, bulldozing everyone down, aren't you?" Luffy praised.
The Franky Family got on the other king bull, Gamora. The Galley-La men were on the one one with the Straw Hats. This was really fun. And felt much safer than being on a wild sea king in the middle of a storm. He was still proud of that feat. It was awesome! Ace would think it was cool too, after he beat him up about it, of course.
They were followed by men on wolves, and Luffy slid down the neck and onto its back, hurrying to the edge and letting out that scary aura that had even the bravest dogs fleeing in the opposite directions. "Neehee!" Luffy grinned. The dogs were soon completely out of the area, and the marines were left confused and worried, as the dogs had been a heavy fighting force.
"You have to give them something to do, too," Zoro said, gesturing to the Galley-La men.
"What do you want to do?" Luffy asked before they came into another large group up ahead. Their allies got down to take on this group. Zoro promised to give them their message to their traitor friends and past coworkers. Luffy went back to Sodom's head and rubbed his big face. He really liked this guy! He looked like he was having a lot of fun, even on dry land.
The Straw Hats didn't get to fight any of them at the moment, as Gamora's passengers were shooting cannons and guns at those below. Luffy wished he got to fight, but knew he had to save up for his match against Lucci. He'd do a lot more this time than bite him. Maybe he could do that again, only much worse and not on the arm.
He kept checking to make sure he didn't lose any of his blood bottles, which would no doubt be very important later. His heart was beating fast in nerves, and also excitement. Adrenaline was present, too. So it felt weird just sitting and not doing anything about it.
"I'm going on ahead," Luffy said, and jumped off. Sanji called for him to wait, while Zoro said there was nothing they could do to stop him when he's bored.
"Still! We're all working to save Robin-chan!"
"You know he senses something up ahead he should take care of. And he's bored. We'll be fine and catch up to him." Nami was agreeing. They should just trust him to be fine. Not to stay out of trouble or anything, but to be fine. Luffy was glad he had such support and unwavering confidence in his strength from his crew.
He wouldn't be caught again. He ignored all the marine fodder, running and jumping from the roofs and over the next set of gates with a gomu gomu rocket. He stepped on faces, backs, everything to follow the scent of Robin and Franky. So easy to follow in a place where the other main smell was marines. They stuck out, as did Lucci the most. Probably because he could now smell the undercurrent of his devil fruit. He had believed them completely back at Water 7 when they were still undercover. They were spectacular liars and deceivers to trick people for five years, and Luffy's senses.
But he believed Kaku was honest about the state of Merry. If there was one thing he trusted their words of, it was her. Just nothing else, really. He couldn't wait to show them just how unbeatable he was. He patted his shorts again. It was good they were small sizes. He coon arrived at the second to last building. The one across from where he smelled Robin and Franky.
The CP9 members were there as well. But he heard and smelled Blueno before him and his devil fruit had a scent to it that he'd gotten a good whiff of before, being trapped in it. He jumped back, and looked upon the taller man with the funny hair do. And the missing finger, bandaged up. "How are you alive?" he asked, his voice low, and mostly bored. Though there was that current of anger and confusion.
"I'm tough."
"You were thrown out the window with handcuffs on," he said. Luffy walked away and set his bottles down. "And now your wounds are gone. What are you?"
"Neehee! Your worst nightmare," Luffy said. It was something Zoro would say, and it got the guy's eye to twitch in annoyance. "I'll take more fingers, maybe." Blueno snapped at that, growing furious. After all, Luffy could see he'd taken an important finger, the right pointer one. He would take care of this guy quickly. Compared to Lucci, he didn't seem so strong or scary.
Plus, he had a cow haircut, which was funny.
"Do you realize what you're doing? This is an attack on the global scale," Blueno said, glaring but seeming to get at least his expression under control. Luffy asked what he was talking about, stretching, ready to attempt that promising attack he'd found on accident. As long as he didn't use it long, it should be fine.
"In the oceans of this world, we boast the influence of over 70 countries. The gigantic organization of the "World Government" owns this island. When you invaded this island, it meant you decided to revolt against all the countries!" Blueno explained dramatically. "The government decided you were criminals, and would take them down. You'll be given cruel deaths. At most, there are ten of you. What a small amount of power you have. You don't even know what you're up against. You got caught immediately. You know nothing of our power. So you will be killed easily. Especially you, we'll make sure you're never free again."
"I don't care about any of that. I just need to beat you all!" Luffy shot an arm behind him, twisting it into a gomu gomu rifle, which he slammed into Bleuno's gut, after he muttered, "Tekkai". "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I'll beat it regardless!"
The hit landed hard, against his hardened body, but it wasn't hard for Luffy and didn't hurt his rubber fist to slam into something hard. Blueno bent over, coughing blood and in shock and pain. He looked surprised at this. After all, he'd met Luffy when he was weak and injured. Luffy didn't waste time and started up a gatling gun.
It was easy to sense where he went at a fast speed, and he adjusted accordingly, throwing his fist at him and punching him in the jaw so hard he slammed into the wall. He was careful to avoid any of the areas near his bottled blood.
"I don't care about any of the world stuff, we just came to get Robin back!" Luffy said. "Don't get in our way!" Blueno got up, looking shaky, and mounted a counter attack that Luffy avoided each time. He kicked the guy in the nuts hard enough for him to grunt but not bend over. He kept trying to open doors around Luffy, but he refused to get near them and definitely not into them.
Blueno could be really fast, and when Luffy found he was getting closer to his blood bottles, he surged forward, landing a bullet in the face. But he came back, and seemed to give up on the door attempts. He was attacking with the same move that Luffy didn't really know its point. It was just attacking with his hand, like he was diving it into his body. Like he was shoving his hand through sand or dirt.
It didn't get Luffy. He could hear the king bulls crying out in pain, people crying, screaming, the sounds of gunfire and the clash of swords. He could hear the sounds of the giants as they walked. He could hear it all. The sounds of Robin crying out and being hit, the sounds of Franky being hit, too.
Luffy could hear everything but was still razor focused on getting to the Tower of Justice. Plus, he had to finish this before his crew got there, and they were getting very close. "Everyone is coming, I have to finish you off now," Luffy said. He'd stretched enough. "Just wait a few minutes and then you won't be a problem," he added quietly, and purposely pumped the blood in his legs to quicken the inner workings of his body to his advantage.
"Gear second."
His skin started to steam, and he was at Blueno immediately, so fast that his sense of smell couldn't keep up with his own movements before he slammed a hand into Blueno's gut. "Jet bullet!"
"Jet bazooka!"
"Jet rifle!"
"Jet pistol!
"Jet gatling!"
He hit him with all those attacks, his normal ones but only a hundred times faster and harder. Blueno attempted to use that "soru" move that could make him go someplace fast, but Luffy's was faster. He did get hit once, but he didn't slow or stop.
Again and again he hit the guy, him doing his best to use his tekkai, but it just wasn't enough in the end. He heard his crew below, but Blueno was still standing. Luffy didn't want to have to rely on the gear second anymore as it was draining, so he released it. So, he was going to try his next technique. Something, again, only his body could handle.
He went to push air into his thumb, but Blueno fell, reaching his limit finally, and was out of the game, covered in blood and no doubt terrible bruising. Luffy went to his bottles, opened one and took a mouthful enough to recharge him.
Only two minutes had passed in gear second. That was good, he didn't want to use it too much or for too long. He wanted to save everything for Lucci. And maybe for that guy that kept demeaning Robin. He could hear it and would never forgive him. He would never see how someone could be so cruel. It wasn't like Robin was being a terrible person.
Well, there was little point in getting overly upset about it this early in the game. He stuck his blood bottles back into his oversized pockets, and waited for his crew to come up.
"ROBIN! I'VE COME FOR YOU!" Luffy bellowed.
The people in the window in the room he sensed Robin in started freaking. Spandam, the annoying and abusive one, said, "He's supposed to be dead! You threw him into the ocean!"
"I lived!" Luffy shouted back loud enough for him to hear.
"He's a monster! Can he hear us!?" Luffy affirmed this, and said he knew all about how he'd been treating Robin. And he wouldn't tolerate it. "Ahh!" Then those in the room against the window, the reflection making it impossible for Luffy to see in, saw the state of Blueno. Spandam ordered his men in the room to get CP9 immediately.
It was starting. One enemy down, and at least three more to go. There were other CP9 agents. They only knew of four, and one was down already.
He heard Spandam telling his men he was planning on taking Robin straight to the Gates of Justice. "I'LL STILL FIND YOU THERE!" To be honest, Luffy was enjoying freaking him out. He was sure Robin would be enjoying it, too. And Franky. They were talking in low tones, but Luffy couldn't really hear them well. Spandam was shouting, so it was easy, but then suddenly Franky and Robin crashed through the wall, and onto the balcony.
Robin was a little bruised, but mostly unhurt. Good. "Robin! Yay, you're here! And you're not hurt!" Luffy cheered.
"Luffy…" Robin said. Franky was attacking the marines trying to recapture them with a weapons left, something he used against Luffy but had been mostly useless as it was bullets. The strong right move had gotten him the most. He was weak back then. He would make up for it here.
Luffy ran back a bit, and told her he'd be right over. He grabbed onto the roof, ready to do a rocket across the chasm and right into the Tower of Justice. His crew could get there on the way to lower the bridge. But it was taking too long for Luffy's liking. And he also knew he needed his crew to fight the other CP9 bastards off. He just wanted to take Robin away now.
"Wait!" she shouted. "I… I don't want you to rescue me! I came here because I didn't want to be with you all anymore!"
Luffy picked his nose. "You know I can tell you're lying this time? At least about not wanting to be with us. Maybe you don't want us to rescue you, but you want to be with us," he said lightly.
"Just go away! I never want to see any of your faces again! When did I ever ask you to rescue me! I'm happy you're alive but it doesn't mean I want to come back!" She paused, and finally said, "I want to die!" Luffy was shocked, because there was truth in her words. This he could tell very easily.
Maybe she meant it now, maybe not. It didn't mean he was just going to hand her away to die, even if she wanted to. "What about all of the amazing things we haven't discovered, yet?" Luffy asked. She bit her lip but didn't respond.
Spandam laughed about it, while Franky was getting mad at her about having them come so far only for her to say such a thing. Luffy looked around and grabbed a pebble. The CP9 guys were coming out at Spandam's request - demand. He was still laughing, and though he wasn't in sight, Luffy figured out where he was.
He pulled his arm back, and snapped it forward, sending it flying at him. It landed in a good place, his eye. "Ah! My eye!" he screamed. Luffy didn't know how bad it was, but he just wanted him to shut up and stop laughing.
"Shut up, you!" Luffy shouted. He screamed some more. Finally all the CP9 members came out. Six of them, seven including Blueno. Kalifa was the only woman. There was her, Kaku, Lucci and three others.
One was big and round with a zippered mouth, another one had long pink hair and a painted face, and the other had a sort of braid and long facial hair. They were all in black government clothes. The pigeon on Lucci's shoulder flew away when Luffy came into view. Spandam was holding a bleeding eye, hiding behind his CP9 dogs.