Welcome... to another chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds. In this chapter, we will be seeing another... not really a flashback moment, but Xion will remember another sad part of her previous life. Which part of her life is it? Read and find out.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.
*OPENING*
(Lala intro)
(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)
Hello, goodbye to repetition
We cannot be stop
Time to go around to our
Happy days, happy days
(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)
Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped
Because there is desire
(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)
It's a journey that does not end
Keeps going, going!
(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)
You, are
Being shaken by your ragged feet
(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)
Still, still
No one has much of anything!
(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)
I feel like I can fly
I can fly anywhere
Whenever I'm with you
(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)
No matter where we are
I feel like I am
Shivering everywhere
(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)
Together when I am with you
If you clench strongly
(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)
No matter what happens
I'm moving forward
(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)
Together when I am with you
If you clench strongly
(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)
No, no
No matter where we are
I feel like I can fly
(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)
Last time:
'Where are you guys?' Nami wondered. 'Luffy... Zoro... You boys wouldn't be taken out by a leopard man like that, right? And Xion...' Her mind went back to what happened when she last saw her vice-captain, a memory that she wants to forget, especially when she knew that it wasn't really her at that time. At least, that was what she hoped. 'We finally know why Robin left us.' One thought of said archeologist, and Nami continued to take off in a sprint. 'Just you wait, Robin. I'm coming to rescue you with Luffy and the others without fail!'
"Nami!" she heard. Looking up, she saw Allen jumping down from the roof, Chirithy on his shoulder.
"Allen!" she gasped out. "What's up? Any good news?"
"We haven't found Xion yet, but we know where Guthrie is!" the dancer told her.
"Wait, what's with this dried-up sea?!" Nami gasped.
"Don't those rubbles there look suspicious to you?!" Chirithy asked.
"I'll check it out!" Allen said, using his Dial Boots to shoot himself and Chirithy over to the debris.
Any normal person would not be able to notice it, but Nami saw it. Wedged between two large buildings, she saw him; Luffy was trapped between buildings.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Don't go down the backstreets!" Kokoro called out.
"So you're saying Robin sacrificed herself for us?" Zoro asked.
"That's right," Allen confirmed.
"And Sanji and Usopp are also on the train with her?" Guthrie asked.
"Yes," Nami answered.
"And not only that, but Xion-nee..." Chopper trailed off, as he and the rest of the guys took in what Nami and Guthrie told them about what became of their vice-captain.
"What do you want to do, captain?" Zoro asked Luffy.
The captain was looking back out to sea as he listened to the whole story again. Fist met palm as he then answered, "There's nothing to think about. Let's find Xion, sail out immediately after, and follow them!"
The shipwrights were looking at them, speechless, as they wondered if the captain was serious about what he had said.
"There's no other choice," Zoro spoke, getting back up on his feet.
One look at their faces, and everyone could tell. These guys... were serious about their captain's order.
"We're off... to rescue Robin!"
"I see you're awake," Iceberg spoke.
"I shouldn't be here," the person spoke. "I... shouldn't be anywhere..."
Iceberg put down his hammer and turned to them. "... I understand how you feel. Believe me, I do. I had- rather, have- a friend who was like you once. He made a decision that was for the good of us at first, until it was used against him. Well... I wouldn't call it a decision, as it was more of a habit or a hobby for him. After he saw his own creations get used the way they did, however, he tried to deny ever creating those, as they were meant to be used for purely good purposes. Never were they to be used against the innocents. Basically what I'm saying is, don't let one negative thing, no matter how big, identify who you are. It may be a part of you, but it will never define you as a whole. No matter who it was that was in control of the results of your actions, you yourself are not guilty of it. No matter what, at least be proud of you yourself. That... was what our teacher taught him." Iceberg's thought went back to the time when he was just an apprentice of a shipwright, specifically his teacher's last moments just before he was sent off to be killed for something he was proud of doing as a shipwright.
The person he spoke to was silent, contemplating on what was said. "... Did your friend ever recover from it?" she asked.
"Depends on how you mean. But... You can say he's doing well now. As well as can be at least. But, we're not talking about him. We're talking about what you want to do to make up for what was done. Just like he did..." Though he muttered out the last part, the person definitely heard what he just said. "So, what are you going to do now... Xion?"
After being told the truth of Robin's sacrifice, Luffy and the others were prepared to go after the sea train to rescue her.
"Hey, rope guy," Luffy called out to Paulie. "Please let us use a ship. No, rather than a ship, isn't there another sea train leaving?"
"Puffing Tom is the only sea train in this world," he told him. "It's a miraculous ship that is the result of the combined efforts of a team led by a legendary shipwright."
"Then let us borrow a ship! The strongest and fastest one in this town!"
"Enough already, you idiots!" Paulie's shout caught the crew by surprise. "Didn't you see what just happened?! Your comrade was almost pulled out to the sea by that wave!"
"That's right! There's no way you can set out to sea right now!" a shipwright agreed.
"Are you stupid?!" shouted another.
"Are you fools?!" came another.
"Even with the usual Aqua Laguna, no ship has made it through!" Paulie informed the pirates. "You saw the collapsing backstreets, didn't you? That town has never been damaged by Aqua Laguna until just now. On top of that, the Aqua Laguna this year is incomparably huge. If you put out a ship now, even if you challenge it with the biggest galleon, it will shatter the ship immediately. I can't let you sail out when I know you'll die. Wait until morning. Once the storm passes, you can borrow a ship then." Turning to the workers of Galley-La, he then ordered them, "Hey. You guys go to the evacuation site or someplace. We're done searching for the missing people."
"No we're not!" Allen corrected. "Xion is still out there! She may not have been in that city, but she's still somewhere in this city!"
"Likewise, if we wait until morning, can our wish come true?" Nami asked. "I know Enies Lobby. When I heard it was a Government Island, I remember something. Isn't that place... where the Gates of Justice are?"
Paulie's eyes widened at that question, while the rest of the crew were just confused.
"What's that?" Zoro asked.
"Enies Lobby is the Government-owned judicial island. What's there is the court in name only," Nami answered. "Being taken to Enies Lobby itself is considered to be proof of guilt. After passing through this empty court without stopping, criminals soon reach huge, cold steel doors. These doors are called the Gates of Justice. Once criminals go through them, they won't see the sunlight ever again; they're doors of despair. This is only because the only two places that you can reach. One is the greatest military force for the justice of this world, Navy Headquarters. The other is Impel Down, the large, deep-sea prison, where torture rooms and gallows stand side by side, that holds vicious prisoners who once ran amok all over the world. Enies Lobby is a judicial institution that criminals are just dumped into without being shown any mercy. Isn't that right?!"
Guthrie caught on to Nami's concerns. "Robin has a bounty on her head... It doesn't matter where she'll be taken. Either way, she will see hell! We wait any longer and it will be too late by then! Waiting until morning morning is not an option!"
Everyone was silent at those words. "If you know this much, I've only got one thing to say. Even if the sea were calm, and you were able to sail out, don't forget that you guys yourselves are pirates," Paulie reminded them. "As you said, Enies Lobby is the front door that leads to the World Government's hub. Naturally, battle lines are drawn up taking that into account. No pirate would think to get back crew members taken to that island because it's crystal clear what would happen. Are you trying to pick a fight with the hub of the World Government?!"
Luffy stayed silent and glared at the shipwright as he listened to his word of warning.
"H-He's right! You should give up!" one of the workers called.
"You can't sail out until morning because of Aqua Laguna!" another one called.
"Even if you go after them, you'll get killed!" exclaimed another.
"There's no chance of you guys surviving!" exclaimed another.
Luffy couldn't keep his mouth shut and his anger in any longer at these baseless accusations. "Then we'll steal a ship and go!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. As he shouted those words, as though agreeing with him, Aqua Laguna struck again, reaching the many shipwrights and nearly taking them back to the sea. "We're gonna sail out now! Our friends are waiting! Don't stand in our way!"
"E-Even the wave got angry!" Chimney gasped in shock, with Gonbe meowing in agreement.
Kokoro, on the other hand, stood speechless at this, as the other shipwrights spoke out shocked at the timing of the wave and the Straw Hat's declaration.
Paulie, not wanting the pirates to waste their lives for a seemingly lost cause, took his rope out, prepared to fight him. "Fine. I'll take you on!" In response, the rest of the Straw Hats got ready for combat as well.
"Hold it, you guys!" Kokoro called, grabbing their attention. "It's you who's wrong here, Straw Hat. Paulie is right, you idiot."
"Shut up! It's none of-"
"None of my business, right?" the lady interrupted the captain. "Well, listen. If we let you be, you're gonna risk your lives, aren't you? Look, if there exists a ship that can get through Aqua Laguna, it could only be a sea train built by a legendary man."
"But it's not here right now! That's why we need a ship!" Guthrie shouted this time.
Kokoro sighed at their insistence in leaving. "If you're prepared to die, then come with me. I'll give you a ride... on a sea train!"
Back at the warehouse, Iceberg continued to work on whatever it was he was fixing. As he was working, Xion kept the Heartless out of the warehouse, keeping them from stopping the guy from his business. Assisting her in that were Lightning and Idaten. As she fought, the vice captain of the Straw Hats thought back to what Iceberg told her, about how his friend's creations were used against him, and compared it to how she lost control of whatever dark power was in her. By the sound of it, his friend got over that mistake. And now... it was her turn to fix hers'.
"Rising Rush!" She charged at some nearby Gigas Shadow and knocked them all into the air. While they were airborne, she tossed her Keyblade in a Strike Raid, demolishing them all.
While she was distracted by that, some Turquoise March Heartless took their change to shoot some of their water energy balls at Xion, in which the girl noticed and managed to avoid at the last second. This, however, left her wide open to an attack by a new Heartless she had never seen before, known as a Water Core, as it shot some water attacks at her.
Lightning and Idaten, both who were occupied with their own set of enemies, grew concerned for their master when she got hit. They were about to rush to her, only to be blocked by other Marine Rumba and some Soldiers.
Xion painfully got up, her Fire of Shandora Keyblade back in her hand, as she faced her enemies. She had been fighting for quite a long while now, and she hadn't really fully recovered from when she was possessed.
'Damn it...' she mentally cursed. 'Iceberg-san... Is he still not done with that?' While she knew that even if he was done, she and her Dream Eaters would still have to keep the Heartless from entering the warehouse and messing 'it' up, at the very least Iceberg would be able to lend a bit of helping hand. At least, she hoped so, considering what she heard about how the top shipwrights of Galley-La gave Luffy a bit of trouble. She hoped Iceberg is able to fight at least somewhat despite his condition.
Unknown to her, a Gigas Shadow managed to sneak up on her from behind in the shadow. It jumped out and went to strike her down... until a stream of flames came and burnt it to crisp.
"Xion!" came a voice.
Xion's eyes widened when she heard that voice. She knew Iceberg told her, but it was still hard to believe, especially when she saw with her own two eyes...
The female Keyblade wielder turned to the source and saw, running to her side, with the Straw Hats, Kokoro, Chimney, and Gonbe... was Allen.
'He's... really alive...?' she thought.
While she was distracted, one of the few Rainy Loudmouth shot a musical note made of water at her. The attack would've hit, had Guthrie not used his own Strike Raid and blocked it.
"Get a hold of yourself, Xion! We're coming!" Guthrie shouted.
Snapped out of her shock, the vice captain returned to the battle at hand. Now that she had some backup, she felt some weight had been lifted off her shoulders in the fight. Soon enough, the Heartless had all been defeated.
"Xion! We finally found you!" Allen said in relief, as the girl returned her Dream Eaters back to their card forms.
Happy as she was to see him and Chopper alive and well, and without the hole in the former's chest, Xion took one look at Guthrie and was reminded of what she had done back at Galley-La. Even if it wasn't her at the time, it still didn't change the fact that she was the one who hurt them. Not only that... but there was one person missing from the group...
While the Keyblade wielder looked down guiltily at herself, her friends all crowded around her.
"Xion! Where the hell were you this whole time?!" Luffy asked, though happy to see his missing crew member. "Allen has been searching all over for you before he, Chirithy, Nami and Chopper found us!"
When she heard those words, Xion lifted her head and stared at him in shock. For some reason, something about those words sounded familiar to her.
"Y-You have? Oh... Sorry..." she apologized, stuttering a little, as she felt her head spark in pain. This guilt she felt, being with her friends like this... the feeling felt so familiar to her...
"It's okay. All that matters is that you're safe now (let's go home.)," Allen assured her. Like before with Guthrie though, back on Sky Island, his voice became distorted, shifting his voice with another's.
It wasn't just him, though. "We have a lot to catch up on. Most important thing is Robin didn't betray us at all (If you come back voluntarily, Saix will let all this drop. He has to.)," Guthrie informed, more glad that she was back to her normal self than her being okay.
Xion didn't say anything in response; just stood there in a daze, worrying most of them.
"Monster Granny said there's another sea train here (I don't care what he said to you.)! We're gonna board it and save Robin (I'll be there.)!" Luffy exclaimed, not at all noticing her strange behavior. "Come on! Let's go! (Me and Axel will make sure-)" Just as Luffy was going to grab her by the arm, Xion took a step back, surprising him and the others.
"I really can't..." Xion muttered out.
"Why not? Come on!" Luffy went to grab her again, but it made the situation worse, as she took another step back.
In Xion's head, in her eyes, Luffy and the others weren't there, nor was she in Water Seven. She was in a different city, one that was very familiar to her, and standing before her was a person in a black coat. She couldn't see his face, but by the sound of that person's voice, it was a boy. She didn't remember why she was avoiding him, but what she did remember was that she couldn't return to the place they both came from. Like what she did back then, Xion turned to run from them.
"Hey (Wait!)!" Zoro was the one to grab her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Xion-nee... What's wrong?" Chopper asked.
Whether his words weren't registered in her ears or she had ignored him entirely, no one knew... but Xion called back Fire of Shandora... and pointed her Keyblade at them. While Zoro was not one to be scared that easily, he released his hold on the vice captain. Not because he knew he couldn't beat her if they both went all out or because they may destroy the town if they did fight, but because he was not one to harm girls.
Unlike the others who kept their distance from Xion, Guthrie stepped up. "You mind if I take it from here, Luffy?" he asked.
"You sure you can handle her?" Zoro asked. "I may not know what happened at the mansion, but Nami said you barely held yourself against her."
"That was before I had a better resolve, and a drive to move forward. Xion's lost that. Now it is my turn, as her counselor and her guardian, to save her from herself." He continued on towards his fellow Keyblade wielder.
Upon seeing her challenger, and the very one she almost killed, Xion hesitated, and took a step back. "Just stay away from me, Guthrie," she told him. "I don't want to fight you again! I almost killed you!"
"Tch! If you could kill me, you could've done it much easier than how you did in the mansion," he answered, getting into his fighter's stance. "Honestly, that was just you being totally pathetic!" The crew was stunned at what he was saying. Where was the comfort he was suppose to deliver as a counselor?
"P-Pathetic?!" Xion questioned, stunned and irritated.
"You heard me. It was so easy that you were able to let the darkness take you over. To let those Organization guys control your emotions like that. And I bet that voice inside of you helped make that even worse. Honestly, you just soiled the title of Straw Hat vice-captain with your attitude in there."
"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Xion roared. She charged forward on the rain-swept path, doing a leaping slash onto Guthrie, who countered with his own Keyblade.
"Make me!" Guthrie roared back, pushing Xion away from him, and charging in as the two engaged in a Keyblade duel with one another, their blades clashing over and over, parrying each other as they tried to find an opening.
"If you had a half-decent mind in there, you would realize that this is not the time for a guilt party!" Guthrie growled. "Robin is getting further and further away, and all of us realized that she sacrificed herself for us, and we have to rescue her. But you can't seem to follow the same path as us. Why?!" Guthrie clashed blades with Xion, but booted her in the gut to send her backwards, the wet ground making it hard to keep her balance as she slid to a halt.
"Like you're one to talk!" she retorted. "You went and left us first when our crew was falling apart! And yet you call yourself a counselor?! You hypocrite!" Xion casted a Firaga spell at her opponent, specifically at his feet. Once the spell made contact with the wet ground, steam erupted, blinding the guy. While he was distracted, Xion charged through the fog and swung Fire of Shandora at him, knocking him back.
Recovering somewhat from the hit, Guthrie retorted back, "You were the one who gave me permission to leave and gave me time away! Plus, at least I came back when a friend of ours need our help! You don't seem to want to help at all, and tell us why! Why don't you want to help us save Robin, who is sacrificing her life for us at this very moment! Unless if we go save her now, Robin is going to die for us! Don't you get that?!"
"Why would you care...?" Xion asked Guthrie, her eyes shadowed. "Why do you care about asking for my help?! I'll just end up getting taken over and unleash my attacks on you!"
"You don't know that..."
"Yes I do!" She unleashed a Blizzardara spell that froze the ground as it shot at Guthrie, who countered with a strong stab that destroyed the spell. "I'm still filled with darkness. I found that out the hard way in the mansion. The Organization knows it, and they will use it against me. They'll turn me against you."
"God! Now you're acting like a scared little girl!" Guthrie snapped. "You think after one encounter like this, you think they'll overtake you that easily? You're freakin' Starlight Blade Xion! I have seen you overcome opponents when they put you down, and you still get back up, becoming better than what you were before."
"Except this time, this is something I can't overcome!" Xion grimaced, sending Fire spells out at Guthrie, who ran around to avoid the fireballs. "This is not the first time this darkness took over me." Both Guthrie, Allen, and Chirithy widened their eyes when they heard that. She knew? "I may not know what happened those previous times, but what I do know is before that time in the mansion, I always black out whenever that darkness took over! You and Allen both... You both pretend that nothing happened, when something did happen during those times, did it?! I cannot allow myself to affiliate with the people I almost killed! The power I used... it still dwells within me. There's no doubt it will come again, and whether I want to or not, I will kill you!"
Guthrie turned and unleashed Savage Knives, destroying each of the fireballs, and sneaking the last four at Xion. They got her in her arms and legs, causing her to yelp and drop her Keyblade, causing her to fall to her knees.
"Is that what Xion is saying? Or is the Organization and that damn voice saying it?" Guthrie asked, standing mere inches away from her. "I know I'm one to talk about overcoming, but the fact is that I HAVE learned to accept my weaknesses, and get stronger. I have to, in order to protect Robin, you, and the rest of the crew. But you... You lost your drive. You're not fighting me, right now, but yourself. This is not just me being your counselor and guardian, but as your friend, like everyone here in the crew. We all wanna know; what are you really frightened about? What is gnawing at your heart, that you can't move onward? We're here to answer. After all..." Guthrie crouched down, and patted her head. "... You are our beloved friend, and we can't stand seeing you like this. We wanna help. So trust in us to help you..."
Xion looked down for a moment, the words of the ship's counselor ringing in her ears. She looked up again, her eyes watering as she not only looked to Guthrie, but to all of her crew mates behind him. She tried to stifle the tears, but Guthrie's words hit her so hard, causing so much joy at how they were not gonna give up on her, even after all she done to them. They saw her at her worst, and a couple almost got killed because of it, but they still stayed with her.
Without warning, Xion began to bawl. Her wails as tear fell down her face could be heard all throughout Water 7. The crew could only stand there, watching her as she cried with all her genuine heart.
After some time of crying, Xion got a hold of herself, wiping what remains of her tears away from her eyes. "S-Sorry about that..." she apologized.
"It's fine," Guthrie assured. "So, are you gonna help us bring Robin back?"
Xion looked down, placing a hand on her heart. "Even... Even if I lost myself to the darkness again...? And the organization gets what they want?"
"They won't!" Luffy spoke up. "You're our friend! No one and nothing is taking my friend away unless I give them permission to! And besides, you're vice-captain of the future Pirate King's crew. The only time you're allowed to lose to the darkness is if I tell you to!"
"As unreasonable as that is, Luffy's got a point," Zoro agreed. "You're one of us. Don't you forget it. You want to leave the crew? Fine. But the only time you do that is if our captain gives you permission to. And I highly doubt he will for a stupid reason like you're scared. How many times do you think we almost died since joining this crew anyway?"
"I'm going to do my best to help you out, too, Xion-nee!" Chopper said. "I know I'm not a miracle worker, but I am still the doctor of this crew. I'll try and make a drug that can help suppress that power. I managed to make my Rumble Balls and a few of your Skill Balls, after all."
"Luffy... Zoro... Chopper-kun..." Xion was touched at how her friends were so insistent on wanting her to stay despite now knowing of this frightening power of her's.
"It's like they said," Allen spoke. "Besides, I know about that power longer than them, and I'm still here with you, aren't I? And remember what I said when we were leaving my home? I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And I'll be damned if those Organization guys try to take you away. They want to get to you? They have to get past us, first." The guys all nodded in agreement to that.
"Besides, they have to especially fight Guthrie first if they want to take you away," Chirithy added.
"What do you mean 'especially'?" his partner questioned. "They have to fight all of us. Including you."
"What?! You know I can't fight!"
"You are part of this crew, though. And since we are all willing to put our lives down to keep Xion with us, that means you too!"
"You're asking for the impossible here!"
While Xion had been a part of their crew for so long now, she still couldn't believe how far they'd go for her. Robin was one thing; she who risked her own life for their's and pretended to kill off one of them. But Xion? She was close to really killing two of them, and she also had something in her, a power uncontrollable that could potentially kill her friends if she was not careful enough. And yet... they still accept her as she was.
The vice-captain was so happy, tears started to form in her eyes again, in which she quickly wiped away. "Thanks guys..." Xion casted a Curaga magic on herself, healing her wounds, and stood back up. "So... Enough dilly-dallying. We have an idiot pirate to save. And likewise, I have an idiot pirate to pound some sense into, pulling off a stupid stunt like she did. And she's suppose to be one of the sane ones amongst us, too..."
Those words got the guys smiling, glad that they have the old Xion back.
Kokoro let out a laugh. "Glad you guys got that settled now," she said. "The sea train I told you about is right in this warehouse here." The crew, her granddaughter and pet turned to the building she spoke of. "This warehouse has been abandoned for more than eight years. When it comes to sea train, it's been untouched for more than twelve years."
"Let's go, Chopper!" Luffy called, as he already rushed down the steps, with the man-reindeer following.
"It may no longer run, though!" Kokoro called, causing the pair to stop.
"Hey! That would be a problem!"
"Not really," Xion corrected, getting everyone's attention. "It's being fixed up right now. In fact, with the amount of time I gave him, he should be done with it at this point. Honestly, does that guy have any idea how many Heartless was out here that I had to keep out of that place so he could work in peace? I could've died had you guys not arrived in time."
"'He'?" Allen repeated in a questioned tone.
"So wait, someone already has it fixed?! Then let's go!" Luffy excitedly ordered, as he and Chopper resumed their run.
"I said he should, not he is!" Xion shouted, only to be ignored.
"Let's just go," Guthrie said, as he followed after the pair.
"Luffy is not one to stop once he sets his mind to something, right? Might as well follow our leader," Allen agreed, as he and the others also followed.
Xion smiled softly at that fact and also walked. As she caught up to the group, she realized one thing. "Oh, by the way Allen." The dancer turned to her, wondering what she called him out for. Next he knew, she slapped him in the face, with the sound effect echoing in the hall and grabbing the others' attention again, as he fell to the floor. "That was for making me think you died!"
"This again?! It's not my fault Robin-!" Allen was cut off, as Xion pulled him back to his feet, and pecked her lips on his. This swift action caught the guy so off guard, he was speechless.
"That's for being alive," she muttered, rushing over to the door. "The sea train is just up ahead. Come on."
Allen, as well as everyone watching, was speechless at what had just occurred, especially the dancer. 'Did that just happen?' he wondered repeatedly in his head.
"Huh. Who'd have thought?" Zoro said, finding some amusement in this. Specifically how heartbroken a certain someone will be when he finds out about this.
"Grandma, grandma! Just now, did that pirate lady...?!" Chimeny excitedly asked.
Kokoro let out a hearty laugh, interrupting her granddaughter. "This really isn't your normal pirate crew!" she stated.
As Xion caught up with Luffy and Chopper, the former of the duo asked, "Hey, Xion! Why did you slap Allen?!" As he and Chopper was quite far from the rest of the group, they didn't really see nor hear well what happened back there.
"It's nothing! Now come on!" she quickly answered, opening the wooden doors in front of them.
On the other side of the doors was a large room. And within it, as promised, was a sea train.
"Whoa! There it is!" Luffy excitedly called. "This looks cool!"
"Amazing!" Chopper gasped, just as amazed as his captain.
Catching up to the trio, Kokoro warned, "I'm warning you, this is a crazy train. Its name is Rocketman. We can't even allow passengers to be on board."
"Rocketman!"
"It sounds fast!"
Both Luffy and Chopper were instantly in love with this sea train, as they stared at it with wide, sparkling eyes.
"Cool!" Chimney exclaimed, with Gonbe meowing in agreement.
"What's with the face, though?" Zoro asked.
"Apparently it's added as a joke," Xion answered, recalling Iceberg's words when she asked about it.
A door was heard opening on board, and the group saw Iceberg walking down the steps.
"Ice pops!" Luffy called in surprise.
"Straw Hat... So you really were okay," he said. "Just like what your friend said. So you brought them here, Kokoro-san?"
"Looks like you survived, huh, Iceberg? What are you doing here?" Kokoro asked.
"Starlight Blade didn't tell you? The fact that we both are here means that we were thinking the same thing. We just can't help giving idiots a hand, can we?"
Xion took offense to that. "Hey. This 'idiot' risked her life giving you time you need to fix that damn thing," she reminded him.
Iceberg let out a small chuckle as she said that, taking a seat on one of the wooden boxes. "Well, if you're considering yourself as one, that means your mind is made up, isn't it?"
A small smile formed on her face as he said that. "Yeah. Besides, someone has to watch over these guys. We're going to a Government Island, after all."
The mayor seemed happy with her response. "I finished servicing it. Water and coal have been loaded and it's storing the steam right now."
"So you were getting it ready for us, pops!" Luffy realized, staring excitedly at Rocketman.
"Wait to rejoice until you survive the ride," he told him. "After all, this was a failure built before the Puffing Tom was completed. No matter how much you tune it up, its steam engine can't control its speed. I can't guarantee your lives."
"Okay! Thanks, Ice Pops!" Luffy then grabbed some wooden stairs and dragged it to one of the passenger doors. "All right! Let's go! Guys! Get on board!"
"Wait, what about Nami?" Allen asked.
"Now that you mentioned it, where did she go?" Xion questioned.
"Don't know. She just told us to go on ahead and ran off," Chirithy answered.
"Seriously?"
"We're leaving as soon as Nami comes!" Luffy said, opening the door. He almost lost his balance as he did so, which was quite worrying.
"Luffy! Are you okay?" Chopper asked. "You've been shaky on your feet for a while, even though Guthrie healed us up with his magic."
"He probably bled too much," Zoro guessed, as that was one of the few things he knew the Cure spell could not heal.
"I kind of feel weak. If only we had meat or something..." Luffy complained.
"I don't think that's going to help much," Allen said. "Though some food does sound good."
"Sorry it took so long!" came a familiar voice.
"Nami..." Zoro called, as they saw the girl entering the room with a pair of train conductors behind her, both pulling a cart with a large bag on it.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Luffy demanded.
Nami ignored him and took a good look at the sea train they were going to take, quite impressed with it. "Wow, amazing! This is a sea train, too?"
"Whoa... I never knew there was another one in a place like this," one of the conductors said.
"I'm surprised!" the other one said.
As Nami went to the bag on the cart, Luffy questioned her. "Where have you been, Nami?! Who was it that said we didn't have time?! And what the hell is that stuff?!"
"Meat and beverages." As soon as the navigator put removed the bag out of the cart and answered his question, not even a second later, it was dragged to the door and both Luffy and Zoro began to consume whatever was in it, especially the captain.
"Sorry I complained!" he apologized, stuffing his face with meat.
"That was too fast!" Xion, Guthrie, Chirithy and Allen shouted.
Kokoro stationed herself up front in the engine room.
"If you can get on the railway after going out to the sea via a canal, that'll be a success for the time being," Iceberg informed.
"Don't worry. I'm more experienced at operating it than you are. You take it easy and rest here," the old lady assured. "Chimney and Gonbe should be playing around there. Please take care of them."
"Yeah." Though Iceberg knew what he promised her what he'll do, his mind was on something else.
Knowing him since he was just a shipwright apprentice, Kokoro knew what was on his mind. "Well, I bet he's fine." Iceberg looked to her in confusion. "We're talking about a guy who survived being hit by a sea train. On top of that, we have the King of the Pirates and his friends."
Footsteps were then heard entering the room. "Starlight Blade!" came a voice.
Everyone turned to the doors and saw, to their surprise, a familiar group of people standing there.
"Who are they?" Luffy asked, his mouth full of food.
"The Franky Family..." Allen grimaced.
"At a time like this...!" Zoro grumbled, getting ready to fight.
"What the hell do you guys want?" Xion asked, as she was the one they called out. "If you want another fight for my head, I suggest doing that at another time. We don't have even a moment to waste with you."
"Please... Take us with you!" Zambai requested. "I heard from the Galley-La people that you're going to Enies Lobby! Our bro, Franky, was taken in by the Government! We want to go after them, but we can't get through the Aqua Laguna by ourselves!"
"It's the World Government you're up against," Kokoro reminded the group.
"It doesn't matter who it is!"
"We're gonna get our bro back!" Kiev exclaimed.
"We'd give up our lives for him- waina!" one of the female twins in yellow exclaimed.
"Please! Help us! Starlight Blade!" pleaded the other twin in pink.
"Please! Bro is in danger!" one of the guys pleaded further.
"Give me a break! Do you know what you've been doing to us?!" Nami questioned, not at all willing to help after what they had done to a former member of their crew.
Zambai, knowing full well that pleading for their help was not going to be enough, especially after what they did, fell to his knees. "We do! We're swallowing our pride and begging you! We want to save Bro!" he sobbed.
Xion kept quiet at the sight of this. On one hand, like Nami, she still held a slight grudge against them. On another, like the Straw Hats, the Franky Family want to save someone important to them all. Seeing those guys like this, she wants to help them. But, that was not her call to make.
"Hey, captain. What do we do?" she asked Luffy.
The rubberman had been chowing down on a chicken leg as this was going on, witnessing these guys' pleading and how much they wanted to save Franky. Swallowing the remains in his mouth, he walked up the stairs to the sea train. "Get on," he told them, to Nami's shock. "Hurry!"
Knowing that he was giving them the okay made the whole family really happy, relieved that they'll be able to save Franky.
Zambai knelt there, shocked that despite what they did to the pirates, the captain was still willing to help. "Straw Hat..."
"Hey, Luffy!" Nami called, wondering if they guy had gone mad.
"Oh, it'll be fine," he told her.
"Leave it be, Nami. This is Luffy we're talking about," Guthrie told the navigator.
"You really think he'll change his mind, Nami?" Xion asked, reminding the navigator of their captain's one-tracked mind.
"Thank you!" Zambai bowed. "We're deeply indebted to you!"
"Hurry it up!" Luffy told them.
"Ah! But we don't have to get on the train." The crew got confused when Zambai said that. "We'll jump out to the sea using our King Bulls at the same time you do. So all you need to do is let us hold on to the end of the train."
"King Bulls?" Zoro repeated in a questioned tone.
"Isn't that one of the three bulls of Water Seven?" Chirithy asked.
"Thanks for letting us go with you! Well then, see you later!" Zambai said, as he and the rest of the gang left the room. "Let's go!"
"Hey, I asked a question here!" the Dream Eater shouted, but was sadly ignored.
"Now, now. Let's just get on board," Allen calmed.
"There's still some food and drinks left over. We can eat the rest during the ride there," Guthrie noticed, tying up the bag and getting on Rocketman with it.
With that, the rest of the Straw Hats also boarded on the train. Seconds later, with a bit of help from Chopper's Heavy Point's muscle work with the coal, Rocketman started moving. Luffy went up to the chimney part and sat there to enjoy the ride better.
"Now, pirates! Don't go getting thrown off, okay?! Now departing Water Seven for Enies Lobby... Here comes the sea train, Rocketman!" Kokoro announced.
"All right! Depart!" Luffy cried out. "We're gonna go! To get everything back!"
Rocketman's steam whistled blew in response to the claim.