Chapter 23
The Courthouse
Maxwell, Chopper, and Nami slid down Gomorrah's neck to join Sanji and Zoro. They were already on the ground, having destroyed a building with the blinded king bull. The alliance had reached the courthouse. Now their giant steed could rest for a bit.
The two rivals were currently looking up at the edge of the roof of the Enies Lobby courthouse. "Do you see him?" Zoro had a hand above his eyes to blot out the sunlight.
"Nope," Sanji hand his arms crossed, looking at the ruined parapet on the roof, "If he's on that roof, there's no way to climb up there…"
"Unless you're made of rubber," Zoro grimaced. The courthouse was immense to look at. It looked like a castle keep, made of solid stone. The key shaped gates were sunken into the wall, the only ledges lower than the roof. Roughcast plaster adorned the walls higher up with a line of circular windows. Then there were the parapets. You could hardly see from this angle, but Maxwell could barely see some sort of cover sitting on each battlement. Luffy likely used his extendable arms to slingshot up there.
"How many CP9 members did you see?" Nami asked her crewmates. The Cipher Pol agents were possibly their greatest enemy to date, minus Aokiji. Luffy had been seen fighting one of them up top.
"Just the horned guy," Zoro answered. "He's only one person but…"
"His abilities are arguably the best suited to his profession," Maxwell growled. The mage had been hoping to deal with Blueno himself. He owed the bastard a swim in the drink. But if Luffy was facing him, then that likely wasn't going to happen.
"Not to mention, they probably took Robin and Franky somewhere other than that roof. It's hard to think that anyone's up there," Sanji pointed out. It may have been the courthouse, but it was just that, a courthouse. The only time criminals were bought there was for court hearings and sentencing. Though, on Enies Lobby, trial like that were all a sham.
"At any rate, we've got to catch up with Luffy!" Chopper reminded them, "We've got to hurry up and save Robin!"
The crew heard the rattling of chains and quickly turned to see a giant steel ball heading right towards them! Sanji, Zoro, and Maxwell all drew their weapons to destroy it. However, someone beat them to it.
*GERO!*
Yokozuna roared, jumping in front of the iron mass. The sumo frog had amazingly caught it, only skidding back a little ways from the ball's momentum. All those years challenging the Puffing Tom seemed to have been pay off.
"WHOA! That frog is amazing!" "It's the same steel ball that beat Gomorrah!" "What a guy!"
The ball and chain retracted however. "There are three people escaping!" one of the Family's underlings pointed out. It was those same shadowy figures from earlier! They had rushed into an alleyway, trying to keep out of sight.
Chopper looked dubious, "Why are they running!? They're the ones who challenged us…"
Sanji then disappeared, which did not go unnoticed by Zoro, "Hey! Moron! Chasing fleeing enemies one-by-one is a waste of time!"
A crash blew up from the alley, and Sanji walking out of the dust cloud, "Shut up already!" He threw something large onto the ground, "Here's our 'confirmation.' We should know what kind of enemies we're up against, right?"
"Holy crap! You caught him!" The Franky family looked at what Sanji had taken down. It was definitely a person. Male, tall, broad shouldered. They definitely seemed strong, having enough muscle to throw around those wrecking balls, but their body wasn't toned like you'd see on a body builder. He wore a leather harness, with spiked leather sorts. A single pauldron was on his throwing arm, with a couple of braces Maxwell asunder helped throw the monstrous weight. And this was all completed with a pair of boots, another glove, and a masked cowl.
Honestly these guys looked like they belonged at an executioner stand or one of those wild Orlesian parties Maxwell heard nobles talk about in secret. "Is this another special unit like the Houbantai!?"
Sanji flicked off a cigarette bud, "There are still a bunch of people like this hiding around, right?"
Maxwell nodded, "Likely a guerrilla squad. Hit hard, hit fast, come back for another round… Anyways, let's go." He turned around and started walking towards the gate. Marines had regrouped and were starting to arrive.
Zambai grimaced, "But what are we gonna do about that huge—YOU CUT THROUGH A STONE GATE THAT THICK!?" The Franky Family was taken off guard by the Straw-Hat's prowess once again. Zoro had cut out a section of the door. He took out the bottom half at an angle and left a few stones laying about. That stone had to have been at least a meter thick!
"You guys are lagging behind again! We're going on ahead!" Zoro yelled back at the Franky Family and entered the courthouse. Maxwell just followed him inside, not at all bothered at the perfectly diced blocks of stone.
"…Damn. Maybe there is something cool about using swords… Oh well."
O O O
"[BASKERVILLE! PRESIDING JUDGE BASKERVILLE! ANSWER THE CALL, IT'S ME!]" An urgent voice sounded on a transponder snail. 'Baskerville' picked up the den den mushi.
"Oh! Director Spandam! This is Bas on the Left!" "And I am Kerville on the Right!" "And I, in the middle of the three, am And of the Solitary Journey at the Central Main Line!"
Bask and Kerville butted And's head between them, "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!" This was the Three Headed Judge, Baskerville.
Spandam ignored their tomfoolery over the snail, "[I want a full report on the situation over there! I heard that the pirates are already at the plaza, in front of the courtyard!"
"The situation!?" "Hrm, the situation…!" "The situation is… not so much about the plaza, but inside… The worst has occurred."
"[WHAT!?]"
Zoro tore through the courthouse militia like a whirlwind, almost literally in this case. He had preformed a spin-attack and marines and WG agents had gone flying.
One of Baskerville's men, in black suits, crawled up to the judge, "Your Honor! Here's my report! The giant stone doors of the courthouse has been cut open… and pirates are pouring in!"
"I CAN SEE THAT, YOU IDIOT!" Baskerville's three heads yelled at the agent.
Zoro tapped one of his blades on his shoulder, "It seems like there aren't that many people here. I guess we can head straight on up, but… What the heck is that…?" He was looking at Baskerville.
The three-headed man was up on the stand, looking down at the entire courtroom. Rows on rows of pews filled the room, some having marines and agents sitting in them. The stand was in front of a large stain glass window. Though how the light shone through, Maxwell had no idea. Two flights of stairs flanked the dias, each one going who knows where into the building.
One of the Franky Familly looked at the judge, "Whoa! A three-headed man! I've heard of three-headed watchdogs, but… what is that thing!?"
Maxwell stared at the judge, "…Okay, there is no way that guy actually has three heads."
"SILENCE! This is the Holy Building of judgement! We will now announce a verdict that will seal your fates!" Baskerville then started gathering a few papers.
Zambai looked at the Straw-Hats, "Right! Guys, just run towards the roof where Straw-Hat is! Yokozuna and a few others will stop the pursuers at the door." Most of the Franky Family had already spitted up. Kiwi and Mozu had each taken a contingent to head towards the towers that held the levers. They were going to lower the drawbridge so they could reach he Tower of Justice, "We've got your backs, so you guys just charge on through!"
"Gotcha!" Zoro started to move forwards.
Nami looked at the courtroom, "Hey, look at that! It seems like the trial has begun!" A collection of personnel had gathered in front of the dias, looking at Judge Baskerville.
"Your crimes are as follows—" "…Are they idiots?" "FIRST! Stepping into Enies Lobby—" "Ignore it; to much trouble. Now which way is it!?" "—a property of the World Government is—" Look up towards the front. There's a staircase on each side! We can go upstairs using those."
Some of the marines and agents looked back in disbelief, "Whoa! How rude! They ignored the Holy Trial!" "Unforgivable! They're making a mockery of the Judicial Island."
Maxwell looked over at the swordsman, "Zoro, you want to take these guys?"
"…Eh, why not," Zoro armed himself into his signature Three-Sword Style, "Enbima Yonezu… ONIGIRI!" Zoro dashed through the assembled crowd of government personnel. None were spared from being slashed at by the swordsmen's blades. Maxwell had to wonder though; How does Zoro manifest those auras of his? He saw some sort of ghostly apparition appear over Zoro as he prepared his technique.
Baskerville had a vary of expressions seeing his men go flying, again. "I guess he was the one who cut the door open earlier…"
"The path is clear. Let's move, now!" Zoro barked.
"RIGHT!" Maxwell, Chopper, and Nami ran along with Zoro, heading for the stairs. However, they were soon caught up by Sanji.
"Wait, wait-wait, wai~t! GET OUT OF THE WAY OLD MAN, REINDEER, AND IDIOT SWORDSMAN! THIS IS A DANGEROUS ENEMY TERRITORY! I WILL CLEAR THE PATH… THAT NAMI TAKES! SO GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Sanji kicks at the three other men in their crew.
"Whoa! Watch it!" "Seriously, Sanji!?" "YOU WANNA FIGHT, PUNK!?"
Zoro, Maxwell, and Chopper blocked the swipes of Sanji's legs as he ran past them, "Nami~ this way please~! Just follow me, only me!"
Nami scolded the chef, "You know we came here to rescue Robin, right?"
Sanji stops for a moment is realization, "Oh—! That's right. Robin is…! Waiting for my rescue—! I wonder if she is crying from the loneliness… I'M COMING ROBIN~!" The… romantic chef then runs up the stairs in a dead sprint. A trail of dust following in his wake. Nothing would stop this prince from saving his princess!
"…Dumbass," Maxwell deadpanned as the chef disappeared around the upper corridor, "Nami! Chopper! You take the right staircase and try to find a way up!" Maxwell pointed at the right pair of stairs that Sanji had ran up. "Zoro and I will take the left and try to find a way up there!"
"RIGHT!"
…
…
…
Maxwell paused for a moment, then looked at the ground floor, "ZORO! I SAID LEFT! NOT RIGHT, YOU IDIOT!"
"SHUT UP! YOUR DIRECTIONS ARE CONFUSING!"
"I LITERALLY SAID, THE LEFT STAIRCASE! YOU'RE NOT EVEN ON THE STEP! IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND YOU JUST TURNED AROUND LIKE A HEADLESS CHICKEN!"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?"
"Bah! Forget it!" Maxwell threw up his hands in dismissal. He could focus on Zoro's hopeless sense of direction later. For now, he had to find a way to the roof!
"DON'T IGNORE THE PRESIDING JUDGE!" Maxwell's eyes widened as he quickly turned into mist to dodge a sword slamming down onto the staircase. The judge had evidently had enough of being ignored, especially in his own courtroom. Baskerville had jumped the distance between the staircase and his stand. However, he didn't make the entire distance. Baskerville was holding on the ledge he had just chopped.
"Sorry. But we don't have time to deal with you right now!" Maxwell retorted to the judge.
"You impertinent pirate," the middle head spoke, "I am the presiding judge of… Hrm!?" Baskerville struggled as he felt something hang onto his robe, "What!? Nonononono—Whoa!"
The three-headed judge fell off the ledge and Maxwell looked down to see what had happened, "You guys!" The Franky Family had dragged him down.
"We'll be your opponents, cerberus!" The Franky Family smiled maliciously at the downed judge. Zambai looked back up at Maxwell, "Trevelyan! You move on ahead! We'll take care of this guy!"
Maxwell nodded, "Andraste guide you!" and then immediately went up the stairs.
He followed the stairs up to a corridor that explored the upper levels of the courthouse. Most of the walls were a mix of arches and pebblecast plaster, similar to outside. Iron doors, with bared windows sometimes stood in them. The ceiling and floor was a black and white checker pattern, probably meant to confuse prisoners brought before the court. It made the task of exploring the courthouse that much more daunting.
Still, Maxwell was undeterred and ran down the halls. He checked doors before opening them. Some were holding cells, others lead to new hallways. Maxwell was looking for a door that had a staircase in it. Each time he found one, he had to explore the next level. There was no way the World Government would have a staircase like the clock tower in Alabasta.
It wasn't all smooth sailing in the upper levels though. This place was a maze. Maxwell was going left, right, forward, trying to make some progress up the courthouse. Not mention, the mage would meet resistance with each floor he climbed to. Marines and agents would fire muskets at him or charge in with a sword.
Typically, every time Maxwell found a squad, he would summon an Ice Storm to create an opening. Wind, snow, and cold would make the marines flinch and slow. He would then go after the firing squad. Maxwell would use the Frost Step to get in close, then he would bludgeon them with his staff or slashed them with a Spirit Blade. The rest, if they haven't already succumbed from the cold, Maxwell would sling some arcane bolts to knock them out. He was getting rather efficient at taking down large groups.
Maxwell entered another checkered hall and noticed this room had a set of windows. He ran up to them looked outside. These was definitely the windows Maxwell saw outside. That meant he was close to reaching the roof!
Still, before he could move, he noticed something unusual down in the plaza. Two giants had appeared, both in gladiatorial armor. They were attacking the island's forces that were gathered outside. It seemed the Franky Family receive some reinforcements of their own. But how did…? Then Maxwell noticed "Sogeking" standing on the shoulders of one of them. How Usopp convinced a pair of giants to fight for them, Maxwell will never know.
Maxwell looked away for the window, and noticed this hallway was notably longer than the others. Windows lined the entire left side of the hall and there was a single rectangular door at the end. And above that door, there was a sign saying, "ROOF ACCESS."
"Finally..." He could meet up with Luffy and the others. There were other doors along the hall. They must've gone through here if this was the roof access.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" A gravelly voice sounded behind him. Maxwell jumped out of the way as a wrecking ball sailed into the windows. It demolished the wall, making a gaping hole in the hallway. It had come from the room Maxwell was just in!
Maxwell spun around, watching as the gigantic ball was pulled up from the hole that was just made. When it thumped to the floor, a man entered, ducking under the door frame. It was one of those leather wearing executioners, like what Sanji had taken down!
"Guilty," the man spun the chain and wrecking ball as he walked, scraping at the floor a ceiling. He swung his arm down aiming to squash Maxwell under the gigantic weight. Maxwell disappeared into a Frost Step, dodging the wrecking ball as it crashed into the floor. He used this spell to gain some distance before firing a series of arcane bolts.
"Grr…!" Maxwell's opponent waked towards him despite the debilitating pain of the arcane spells, "You will not escape! You shall face JUSTICE!" He closed the distance, punching down on the mage.
Maxwell didn't move out of the way. Inside, he let it pass straight through him using the Fade Cloak. The strongman was obviously confused at such a trick, and Maxwell took advantage of it. Maxwell conjured a Spirit Blade and slashed the foe across his face.
"GAH~! MY EYES!" Maxwell got him right across the eyes and sliced the bridge of his nose. The executioner screamed as he covered his face, feeling the blood slowly drip from his wound.
Maxwell didn't feel any sympathy for him, "Last I checked, Justice is blind."
"Grah! Damn you! Your dare humiliate a Juryman!" The government patsy tried to grab the mage but hugged nothing but air.
"I'd rather deal with you quickly, if it's all the same to you." The juryman heard a bored voice behind him. How did he get around so fast!?
"DAMN YOU!" The juryman leapt at the voice, fully intending to pummel this ingrate! But again, he felt nothing but the floor when he landed. "WHERE ARE YOU, SCUM!? FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, SO I CAN KILL YOU!"
"Perhaps another time," a voice sounded to his right, "Unfortunately, I have places to be. Goodbye." Then the Juryman felt it. A sudden burst of kinetic energy knocking him backwards. He he didn't even notice the hole behind him… But then how could he?
"GAAAHHHH!" Maxwell watched as the Juryman stumbled backward into the open air behind him. He fell, suddenly running out of floor. Maxwell looked over to make sure he didn't hang onto something. He couldn't afford any more distractions.
…With no sign of the juryman, Maxwell dashed towards the door. The mage swore he saw something red fly past a window as he ran, but didn't care to stop for it. He had to reach the roof!
Maxwell entered the stairwell and climbed up the stairs, quick as he could. It was a stone stair well, twisting on itself going upward. Maxwell thought he went around about three times before he finally saw the door.
When he opened it, Maxwell was on the roof. Blue sky and sunshine greeted him as he looked around.
Luffy was on the battlements, looking at the Tower of Justice. Chopper, Nami, and Zoro were gathered around Sogeking, who had somehow gotten his head stuck in the floor. Sanji just looked at them, unconcerned. Maxwell then noticed the two giant holes in the roof floor.
"…Am I the only one who actually took the stair—!?" Maxwell's question died in his mouth as he looked across the chasm. Robin was on balcony across, at the Tower of Justice. But she wasn't alone.
Seven other figures stood on the other side. Three of them Maxwell recognized; Lucci, Kaku, Kailfa. The rest must have been CP9 as well. They all wore a similar variation of a black suit and tie, and two of them were particularly taller than the others.
That reminded him; Luffy had been fighting Blueno, hadn't he? He wasn't on the balcony with his peers, so Maxwell looked around… Blueno was laying on the roof, unconscious from his fight with Luffy. Maxwell snapped his fingers in front of Blueno's face, making sure the agent was actually unconscious. The whites of his eyes were showing, but he had to make sure.
Maxwell then brushed a finger across the agent's lips, wiping off a smear of blood onto his finger. His lit his hand to glow green and ignited the blood ignited. It didn't hurt, even as the dried blood crackled upon his skin. The blood burned an incandescent red flame, and Maxwell brought his foci up to look at it.
Blood magic. Maxwell wanted a connection to Blueno's pocket dimension. Ideally, he would have fought the CP9 agent and did the spell as they were fighting. Then if he ever tried to run away, he would have found Salem, Mordred, and Mineive waiting on the other side.
Doing this now… Was it petty? …Maybe. Blueno was already defeated. But Maxwell did what he felt was necessary. Blueno's ability was to dangerous to ignore.
"Watch him," He stood up as he commanded his doppelgängers, knowing exactly what to do. He could feel them grin in anticipation. Their lights flickered in the foci as they left their anchors.
"ROBIN!" Luffy yelled at their archeologist. "I'm begging you, Robin! Whether you choose to live or die, I don't care! But whatever you decide, SAY IT WHILE YOU'RE WITH US!"
"That's right! Robin~!" Sanji yelled to the woman.
"ROBIN! COME BACK!" Chopper called out to their friend.
The Straw-Hats gathered on the parapets, lined up across the stones. Each of them stood up for their fellow friend and crewmate. Nami, Zoro, Luffy, Maxwell, Sogeking (Usopp), Sanji, Chopper. They would not back down. Not until Robin was back with them.
Luffy crossed his arms, "Just leave the rest to us!"