Chapter 18
Departure
Maxwell wasn't going to question where Kokoro was taking them. She was old enough to remember many of the secrets around the City of Water. However, Maxwell did have some minor protests about trekking around the local dump. Despite the wind, the cold, and the rain, he could still smell the city's rotten garbage. It was like a bitter vapour teasing at Maxwell's nose. He supposed it could be worse. The cities of this world were certainly a lot cleanlier then his world, and more fantastic. However, that did not mean Maxwell missed the smell.
Kokoro had opened a pair of steel doors, leading into one of the warehouses. They were a collection of brick buildings interconnected by steel pipes. Tin sheets rose above the walls atop brick bases, probably built to handle greater piles. That didn't mean they were going in there though. Their entrance was a smaller warehouse with a tiled roof, and a painted label saying, "No2" above the door.
"Hey, it's underground!" Luffy yelled excitedly as they went inside. The warehouse was the entrance to a tunnel.
"This warehouse has been abandoned for 8 years. The train hasn't been touched in 12. It might not work anymore, Nagagaga!" Kokoro explained to them as they walked down the steps.
"Hey, that's bad!" Nami scolded the drunk. They needed this thing to take them out to sea!
"…Least you don't smell anything down here, beyond maybe some mold," Maxwell rubbed his nose. He noticed that the red brick had switched to stone masonry, as they descended through the tunnel. It lead to a pair of wooden gates, held together by iron struts.
"I have a key for the lock on the front door…" Kokoro trailed off as she saw a sliver of light through the doors, "Hm? It's open?"
That was all the invitation Luffy and Chopper needed to run on ahead and barge in, "Whoa! There it is! It's so cool!" Maxwell could practically hear the stars in Luffy's eyes.
Kokoro stared like she hadn't already blinked, "…First off, that's not a good thing! It's called the Rocket Man. It can't carry any passengers on it, 'cause it's a runaway sea train."
"Runaway sea train!?" Luffy didn't seem to care. It just made the Rocket Man sound a lot cooler.
The Rocket Man was certainly a locomotive. It was a giant of a machine, with all the same bells and whistles as the Puffing Tom. Smoke stack, iron grate, giant lamp… However, Maxwell did notice some dissimilarities. The shell wasn't as streamlined as the Puffing Tom. Maxwell could see the bolts and seams along the cylinder. The freight car behind it was intact, but the paint was pealing in some places.
Maxwell could see this thing working in their favour. Although, he did raise an eyebrow at what was painted at the front.
"The shark's head was just a joke," Kokoro explained. The face of the train had been tapered into a cone shape, angling up. A row of painted teeth and angry eyes had been painted on, to give it that humorous edge.
"It looks so fast~!" "Wow!" *Nya! Nya!*
Then a figure walked out of the pilot's room, "Hey!? It's Ice Pops!"
It was indeed Iceberg, the most important man on the island. The shipwright noticed them as he walked down the stepladder. He was out of the business suit, wearing flannel, along with a bandana on his head, and a tool case in one hand. Apparently, he was well enough to walk, considering Maxwell last saw him struggling on his bedroom floor.
"Straw-Hat… So you were safe… Just like the pirate girl said."
Maxwell frowned as he just realized Nami wasn't with them in the cavern anymore. Where did she run off too?
Iceberg looked at the conductor, "Kokoro, you brought them here?"
"I see you're still alive, Iceberg." Kokoro had a relieved expression, even with her usual smiling dimples, "What're you doing here?"
Iceberg let out an amused huff, "If I'm here, I must've had the same idea you had… We just can't leave idiots be."
"Nagagagaga!" Kokoro laughed in agreement.
Iceberg then sat down on a crate, "Use it. It has water and it has coal. It's starting to gather steam now."
"Ice Pops prepared it for us!" Luffy cheered.
"Celebrate after you survive," Iceberg told the captain. He took off his bandana, "The Rocket Man is a failure prototype that was built before the Puffing Tom. No matter how much you adjust the steam rate, you just can't slow it down, so… You'll easily lose control. I can't guarantee your safety."
"Okay!" Luffy smiled, despite the warning, "Thank Ice Pops!"
The pirate captain moved the stepladder to one of the doors of the passenger box, "Yeah! Let's go, guys, get on! Granny, let's go as soon as Nami get's here!"
Luffy moved to climbe the steps, but then suddenly fell on one knee, "Ung… Oops…"
"Luffy, are you okay!? You've been wobbly since earlier," Chopper fretted, looking up at his captain.
"You've lost to much blood," Zoro deadpanned.
"Blood? Blood!? What do you mean by that!?" Maxwell yelled marching up to his captain. The mage checked Luffy over, noticing a would through Luffy's red vest, "When the blighted hell was this!?" Maxwell immediately conjured a spell around his hands and start emanating healing energies around the wound.
"It was that damn Pigeon Guy," Luffy hissed as he felt the magic knit his skin back together, "Bastard could turn into a cat and got me with one of those finger pokes." Maxwell could feel the muscles start to relax. His captain had been holding back the blood in his torso with pure muscle until now.
Luffy seemed to sag with relief he didn't knew he needed, "…Yeah, I can't maintain my strength right now… If only I had some meat…"
Maxwell deadpanned as he heard that last comment, "Luffy… Do you know how disturbing it is to hear you treat meat like a damn health potion?"
"No. Why?" Luffy then blinked, having a thought, "Hey wait. Is there a potion that tastes like meat?"
"…I believe it's called a blender…?" Maxwell had heard Sanji mention it a few times. Apparently it was used in cooking. Most potions he knew of were bitter, disgusting, or putrid beverages made with plants, roots, and mushrooms. Plus a few other things.
"Hurry, this way!" "Why can't you eat it here?" "Why would I eat that much!?"
Maxwell looked back at the doors as he heard the clacking of shoes and the squeaky axel of a wheel. Nami then came running through the door, "SORRY I'M LATE! Wow, is that a the sea train!?"
Nami didn't alone though. Two men, dressed as train conductors, were following behind her. The were pulling a cart with a giant sack inside.
"There's another one!?" "…I'm just as surprised as you!"
Luffy just ignored those guys, "Nami! Hey what're you doing!? Get on, stupid! Where were you!? Who's the one who said there wasn't any time!? What is all that stuff!?"
"Here," Nami dragged the sack out of the cart, then opened the flap, "Meat and sake."
"SORRY I COMPLAINED!" Luffy immediately started stuffing his face, grabbing every piece of ham, lamb, beef he could. Zoro just smirked, collecting the bottles of booze. He had apparently been distracted back Galley-La HQ and one of the assassins had gotten in a cheap shot.
Maxwell just stared, swearing if he wasn't already used to this kind of stuff, he would have had an aneurism a weeks ago. "…Eh, what the hell. Zoro pass me that drumstick," he was famished anyways.
Iceberg was talking to Kokoro through the window, "If you go through the water tunnel, out to sea, and latch onto the rails, you'll make it."
"It's alright. I'm the more veteran pilot. You just rest for now," Kokoro assured him.
"…Thanks a lot."
"Chimney should be playing around here, so take care of them." Even Kokoro knew not to bring a child to a battlefield.
"STRAW-HAT!" A new voice called from the doors. It was Zambai, from the Franky Family, and the thug wasn't alone. Maxwell counted at least 10 people behind him.
"These guys…" "The Franky Family!" "At a time like this…!"
Zambai straightened up before bursting into tears, "PLEASE! TAKE US WITH YOU! We heard from the guys at Galley-La that bro's going to Enies Lobby! He's being escorted by the Government! We want to go after them but… WE CAN'T GET PAST AQUA LAGUNA!"
"You'd be going against the World Government though…" Kokoro warned the street gang.
"WE DON'T CARE WHO IT IS!" "We're getting our bro back!" "WE'D THROW AWAY OUR LIVES AWAY FRO OUR BRO!" "Please!"
Maxwell took a good look at them. Their leader was Franky, who had already been captured. Franky was also the formerly known as Cutty Flam, a former apprentice studying alongside Iceberg. These guys clearly held some deep loyalty to the man. Maxwell could also see that the Franky Family were all injured. Not from when Maxwell and the others had raided their hideout, though. These injuries and bandages looked recent. They were probably attacked by the CP9 trying to defend Franky.
"You've got to be joking!" Nami protested, "Do you realize what you've done to us!?" They had attacked their ship. Stolen from them, twice. Beat up one of their crew. And broken that crew member's pride enough to make him irrational and leave the crew! The Franky Family may as well been the catalyst for all of their problems they've had, since arriving on this island.
Zambai fell to his knees a prostrated himself before them, "We're begging you!" He knew all the sins they had committed. But he was here, throwing away his pride so they could have a chance. Tears still ran from his eyes, "We want to save our bro!"
Luffy finished the bone he was chewing on. "Get on!" Luffy accepted their pleas, "Hurry!"
Tears welled in the Franky Family eyes at Luffy's decision, "…Straw-Hat…! Ooo…"
"HEY, LUFFY!"
"It's fine," Luffy smiled back at Nami.
"THANK YOU! WE'LL REMEMBER THIS!" Zambai lowered his head to the ground in gratitude. However, none of the Franky Family moved. Zambai got up, "We don't have to get on! We'll meet you outside with our King Bulls. We just need to get attached to the back of the train! Thank you! Later!"
The Franky Family then ran back out the doors. "…Nagagagaga. Then, let's go!"
There was a shudder that ran through the whole train. *Shf shf… Shf shf…* Steam and smoke poured from the stacks along the engine. It was time to clime aboard.
Zoro and Nami climbed into the passenger car. Maxwell and Chopper joined Kokoro in the cockpit. Chopper shoveled coal while Maxwell controlled the flame. Luffy, of course, climbed onto the top of the locomotive.
"You pirates better not get thrown off!" Iceberg called out to them.
Both the conductors saluted, "Now leaving Water 7; destination: Enies Lobby. Runaway sea train, Rocket Man!
"Good! Let's go!" Luffy then stood on top of Rocket Man a it surged forward.
"WE'RE GONNA GET EVERYONE BACK!"
Maxwell smirked at Luffy's enthusiasm. There was no going back now. He kept the flame in the furnace alight. More flame, meant more speed, and this machine already knew how to go fast. He could see the pattern in the stone rush by them as they sped up.
"ROCKET MAN IS LEAVING THE CANAL!" Kokoro yelled into out the window, "READY YOURSELVES, EVERYONE!" Maxwell grabbed onto a bar and one of the window sills in the cockpit.
*WOO~! WOOO~!*
The Rocket Man sea train shot out of the tunnel like an arrow, "WOOHOOHOO!" "Luffy! Get your rubber butt in here!" They were almost flying into the storm. However they still had to land. The train miraculously still remained afloat as it headed off into the ocean. The waves were still turbulent, but they landed safely enough.
*BRIIHIIHIIHII~!* "WOO!"
Maxwell looked out the window and gaped at what was coming up behind them. He could hear Luffy exclaim in suprise, "What the heck is that!? Something's flying right towards us!"
It was the Franky Family alright. They were going to catch up and latch on like they said they would. However, when the Franky Family said King Bulls, they meant KING bulls! They're miniature floating fortress was being pulled by two giant sized Yagura Bulls. They were even bigger than the sea train! And their carriage was practically an artillery unit, with all the cannons they had on.
"STRAW-HAT! THE FRANKY FAMILY HAS A TOTAL OF 50 MEMBERS! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE!"
"WOW~! SUCH HUGE YAGURA BULLS!"
"They're king bulls!" Kokoro called out to Luffy, "Top quality bulls that can roam in even the most violent of waves."
"FIRE THE LINK CANNONS!" Maxwell watched as a giant bar, with two hooks latched onto the passenger box. The hooks and bar were connected to chains that retracted into their rail car. They pulled themselves closer to the train, and the bulls held onto the bar.
"Those damned idiots…!" Maxwell briefly watched Zoro stick his head out a window.
"We're depending on you guys now!" "DON'T BE SO COCKY!"
"Let's see…" Maxwell turned back inside as Kokoro looked out at the sea, "So the rails have gotten washed beneath the waves… But that's no problem. I've been monitoring the sea train since it was built, so don't underestimate me!" Both Maxwell and Chopper looked at each other, then stuck their heads out to also look for the tracks.
"Over there!" Kokoro had spotted them, then she spoke into a microphone, "Urgent Message from the Control Room! We will latch onto the rail soon, and that means our speed increase considerably! Please brace yourselves so you'll only receive minor injuries!"
"That not reassuring!" Both Maxwell and Chopper yell at the conductor. Still they braced themselves as the Rocket Man lined up with the oceanic rail road.
"A little more, Grandma! A little more to the right!" *Nya nya!*
Kokoro balked nearly climbing out the window, "CHIMNEY!? GONBE!? YOU TWO FOLLOWED US!?" Considering there was a child outside Maxwell also looked out the window. The girl and her rabbit were out on top the steam engine.
"Yeah, we did~! Ahahaha!" *Nya nya!*
"YOU TWO GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW! OR YOU'LL GET BLOWN AWAY!"
Maxwell ran to the back to try and catch them, but then he heard the wheels chink. The Rocket Man had latched onto the rails.
"…Oh-shit… WaaaaaAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
O O O
Everyone, or at least the more important people, had gathered inside the passenger car. You couldn't fit over 50 people in the box without it feeling a little cramped. The rest of the Franky Family was in their vehicle, but they were all safe. Kokoro wasn't kidding when she said the Rocket Man was going to get dangerous. When the train latched onto the track, Maxwell had been thrown into the coal car.
"Haa, aah…" "Oww…" "That was an amazing acceleration…!" "Nagaga! It's not acceleration, it's gone out of control!" "My back…" "That scared the hell outta me!"
Mostly everyone was panting, whether from exhaustion or adrenaline. Even Luffy had his tongue hanging out, "That wasn't a first class seat at all… I almost got blown away!"
"I COULD'VE TOLD YOU THAT, LUFFY!" Maxwell could've stared daggers into his captain's head. He didn't want to think of all the problems they could have had if Luffy had fallen into the sea. But no, Luffy insisted on sitting on the bow of the ship just like… Just like the Merry… Maxwell let out a sigh. He missed being on the Merry.
"…Wait a minute… There are some suspicious looking people here," Zoro pointed out.
"Oh?" "Who?" "YOU!"
"YOU TOO!" Zoro yelled at the last one.
Two of Galley-La's employees, Peepley Lulu and Tilestone, had snuck aboard the Rocket Man, along with Paulie. Tilestone certainly looked like a warrior. He had a rocket launcher on his back and a chain of ammunition strapped onto his torso. Lulu had came with two katana tied to his back. The guy looked like a professional, even if he was bare chested in an open flower print shirt. Maxwell had found them all hiding in the coal car when he fell in. So, he brought them inside.
Paulie looked unrepentant at being caught, "The 'enemy' that kidnapped your friends, also tried to assassinate Iceberg! Since I couldn't stop you guys… I might as well join you! This has nothing to do with Galley-La though. It's personal!"
Tilestone laughed a boisterous laugh, "Gahahah, Paulie! We wanted to see who Iceberg's 'enemies' are, so we followed you onto the train!"
Lulu pressed a strand of hair down, only for it to appear on his wrist, "It's as I thought… So what's going on? We're joining you, too!"
"Moreover," Zambai decided to but in on their conversation, "Those 'enemies' are the same as the people who kidnapped our bro…!"
Two other voices then spoke up, "That's right! And we know exactly who they are too!" "Galley-La! If anything happens to Bro, you're going to pay!"
They the Square Sisters, primarily known as Kiwi and Mozu. They were the only females in the whole of the Franky Family. Kiwi and Mozu were practically Franky's left and right hands, having considerable influence in the gang. They were probably tough as nails to, considering what the rest of the gang looked like.
"Shut up!" Paulie replied to the sisters' threat, "The one who's suffering the most is Iceberg!"
"Paulie! Explain something to us first!" Tilestone barked at the rope user.
"You know who the real criminals are… So tell us yourself," Lulu then sighed, "We're not stupid. We've pretty much figured it all out… We won't be surprised."
Maxwell and Luffy look at each other wondering how that's going to turn out.
Paulie looked down, seeming a little somber "…Well, you probably figured it out since they all suddenly disappeared, but I'll fully explain it… Those guys with the masks were actually Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno from the bar. Those four people were actually spies for the World Government… They were the ones who tried to kill Iceberg."
…
…
…
Lulu and Tilestone's eyes both bulged in their heads, and their jaws were wide open with shock.
"YOU DIDN'T KNOW!?" Paulie yelled at his two friends, "WHO DID YOU THINK THEY WERE!?"
"Michael and Hoyker from Old Town?" "Yeah! Yeah!" "WHO THE HELL ARE THEY!?"
"So…" Luffy had heard enough.
"Franky Family…" Zambai, Kiwi, and Mozu all looked as Luffy stood up.
"And Galley-La Shipwrights…" Luffy's words had snapped Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone out of their discussion.
"Even though we had some problems with each other in town… Our enemies are the same now! In the upcoming fights, the strongest guy… is that pigeon bastard! He's mine! I will definitely kick his ass!"
Maxwell sighed. Luffy really did have a one tracked mind when it came to fighting, didn't he? Still, he had to support his captain as the First-mate of the Straw-Hat Pirates, "We are going to take our people back. We've all lost someone to these people, and it's not going to stop unless we take them down."
"Grandma! Grandma! Look, it's Aqua Laguna!" Chimney had been up against the window with Gonbe. Maxwell briefly listened in as Luffy still talked to the other parties.
"Oh?" Kokoro also looked out one of the windows.
"By the way, Granny Kokoro, shouldn't you be in the control room?" Nami asked.
"Nagagaga… I told you before! Rocket Man is a runaway train. My job was to get the train on the rails! The brakes are useless, so it's impossible to control it now. All this train does is charge forward at full speed. It's impossible to stop it!"
"What!?" Nami turned to Luffy, who was still talking to Galley-La and the Franky Family, "Luffy! The train is going to run into a tidal wave!"
"We're all heading in the same direction," Luffy thrust his arm forward, "There's no point in fighting separately. From now on…" Paulie and Zambai also thrust their hands forward, each man holding another's wrist, "We're allies!"
"The sea train that's ahead of us, has our friends on it! By joining up, our power is even stronger! We are not going to be beaten by a wave! We're going to achieve all our goals! LET'S GO!"
"WOOOOOH!" Everyone cheered in the train car. This was the formal alliance of the Franky Family, Galley-La Company, and the Straw-Hat Pirates.
"Nagagaga! Okay people, see if you can do something about this wave!"
And they did just that. Zambai rallied the Franky Family to help around the train. Two underlings helped shovel coal into the furnace. Others readied the cannons on their bastion. Everyone else just readied their guns and bazookas to fire at Aqua Laguna.
However, in all the busyness, Maxwell was distracted by a peculiar kind of noise. One that didn't quite belong on the train car.
*Peru-peru-peru-peru-peru—* It was coming from Nami. Maxwell raised an eyebrow at her, she didn't have any pockets on her clothes.
She just looked down her shirt, "It rang! The baby den den mushi!"
"…Nami," Maxwell frowned as she reached down between her breasts, "Why do you have a snail tucked down in your shirt?"
"Sanji left it for me by the station—now hang on," Nami answered the transponder snail, clicking a little button on top of it's shell.
"[Nami! Nami! Can you hear me!?]" That was definitely Sanji's voice coming from the snail. The den den mushi spoke, imitating human lips.
Nami took the snail cupping it in both hands, "Yes! Is that you Sanji!?"
"[Good. Because of two idiots, the situation here has become even worse…]"
Both Nami and Maxwell looked at each other. What could possibly make the situation worse? And who else could be on the Puffing Tom?
"…I can hear the damage report later," Maxwell nodded to Nami. The mage followed Luffy and Zoro outside, "Talk to him. Tell him what happened! We'll focus on the wave!"
"Got it!"