Hey guys, I got some life advice for you. If you are even given a chance to volunteer, take it every time. I volunteer a lot, and I always get something back from it. I spent all day today running around dodging kids that were throwing slime across the room, but it was great and I may have gotten a job out of it! So remember, volunteering almost always pays off.
Anyway, enjoy!
"The Sea Train is still operational," Sanji pointed out as we stood before the station, chaos all around as everyone tried to prepare for the Aqua Laguna. "One train during the day, and one in the night… The weather is this bad, and they can still go to Enies Lobby at 11 p.m… The Sea Train sure is amazing. Hopefully Robin didn't get on a train already. Otherwise it'll be a hell of a lot of trouble. It's already hard enough searching in just Water Seven."
'If she has done that, we're in a bit of trouble,' I grumbled, keeping a close eye on the people scurrying around us. We'd seen the wanted posters of Luffy, Zoro, and Robin flying around. I didn't understand what had happened, but I knew that we weren't the only ones looking for Robin now. 'I can't smell people over the water, and I've haven't even been able to get a scent of her yet.'
"I wonder why she left…" Chopper mumbled. "Did I make her mad when I went to the book store?"
"…Idiot, that's impossible," Sanji sweat-dropped.
"Have you seen the cute girl in this picture?" Sanji asked a passerby, holding up the wanted poster of a young Robin.
"No, but the real person is around 20 years older. If 'd seen her. I'd be telling the Galley-La by now. She's the assassin," he replied before continuing to walk.
"…This sounds bad," Sanji gritted his teeth as we continued on our mission to find Robin.
"I wonder what happened to Luffy," Chopper said.
"Luffy is fine," Sanji dismissed as he walked, Chopper and I taking up position either side of him. "It's Nami that I'm worried about." We turned down an empty street. "This place is starting to get deserted. The wind is getting stronger too. Everyone probably evacuated."
'Wait!' I gasped suddenly as a blast of wind carried a familiar scent, and my head snapped to the side, glancing across the waterway. Chopper, hearing my call, looked as well, and Sanji, noticing what Chopper and I were doing, glance to the side. We all stared silently for a few seconds at the figure that was standing there, watching us.
"ROBIN!" Chopper and Sanji yelled out in excitement.
"Where did you go! Everyone is worried about you!" Sanji called. "Let's go back to the hotel! We can't talk here. I'll tell you everything later. Wait there. I'll come over to you."
'…Something isn't right,' I narrowed my eyes at Robin, noting her aloof body posture.
"No," Robin answered. "I won't go back with you. Let's say our farewell here… In this town."
"Robin?"
"Er… What are you saying, Robin? Ah, is this about the thing in the papers?" Sanji asked. "Don't worry, we don't believe it! They always blame pirates whenever anything bad happens."
'Something is NOT right,' I said again, more insistent this time, causing Chopper to glance at me.
"Yes, you guys were falsely accused of the crime," she confirmed. "However, for me, this is the truth. I did, in fact, infiltrate the Mayor's office last night. I am shrouded in a darkness that you have no knowledge of. And that darkness will eventually be the death of you. Now you will be my scapegoats for this incident. I will leave soon and the situation will worsen."
"What are you talking about!" Sanji yelled. "Why are you-"
"Why am I doing this?" she finished for Sanji. "Yes, there's no need to tell you all that."
"Robin! You're not making any sense!" Sanji continued to yell. "Did something happen to you?"
"Robin! Let's go back together!" Chopper joined in.
I stayed silent, knowing that even if I said something, Chopper would be the only one to hear it. There was something going on here, deeper than just Robin's motives. And I wanted to know what.
"We haven't know each other for long and after today, we won't see each other again. Say "hello" to everyone for me," Robin turned around and started to walk away. "In the time I've been with you, you have treated me well. Goodbye."
"Hey…" Sanji hissed. "I don't believe this… WAIT A MINUTE, ROBIN, THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"
Sanji dove in the water as Robin began to turn the corner, but I'd already beat him to it, and I was submerged in water before he'd even hit it. The current was stronger than I predicted, thanks to the rising tide. I fought with the water to get back to the surface, and quickly make my way to the other side. Sanji swiftly caught up with me, and about the same time we climbed back onto solid ground, chasing after where we'd seen Robin disappear.
My wet paws slapped against the ground as I raced to the street she had turned down, skidding to a sudden halt when I realized it was a dead-end street. My heart beat in my chest as I glanced around quickly, trying to find out where she'd or how she could have escaped. Sanji stopped behind me as we before stared in silence.
"She's gone…" he said after a few seconds.
'How… where…' I grumbled, trying to put the pieces together. First Usopp, and now Robin. What was going on?
After a few more seconds, both of us realized that we wouldn't find Robin now and we turned back, walking out of the alley as Chopper caught up to us.
"She's gone?"
"Yeah…" Sanji pulled off his top, ringing the water out of it. "Chopper… Mamori…"
"Huh?"
'Sanji?'
"Find Luffy. Tell him exactly what happened. Don't miss a single word."
'…Got it.'
"What about you, Sanji?" Chopper asked.
"I have a plan. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
I trotted through the mostly empty streets, nose to the ground as I tried to pick at the scents of the others. The only other people we saw were occasional mobs looking for Luffy, Robin, and Zoro.
It didn't take me long to pick up on Zoro's scent and Chopper and I followed it to a bridge.
I blinked in confusion when the trail went over the side of the bridge. 'Chopper… I think they're under the bridge.'
Chopper, now in his human form, leaned over the side of the bridge, causing someone to cry out in alarm and fall into the water. I jumped up onto the side of the bridge, glancing into the water. Sure enough, there was Nami, Zoro, and a drowning Luffy.
'…Found 'em.'
We quickly moved to somewhere safe, away to from the people chasing Luffy and Zoro. With Chopper and I accompanying them, it was easy for us to warn them people were getting close so they could duck into cover. We finally made our way to a roof, where no one would bother us.
"IS THAT FOR REAL?" Luffy yelled in rage. "ROBIN REALLY SAID THAT!"
The area was silent until Zoro roughly slapped one of his sheathed swords against the ground between where we were all sitting in a circle. "It's time for everyone to wake up! Robin started out as our enemy, then we let her on our ship. She wouldn't have left us out of fear after all this time. Before the sun goes down, we need to figure out… Is that woman friend or foe. Robin really said that, right, Chopper?"
"Uh huh."
"She said we won't ever meet after today. It sounds like she's announcing that she's going to do something to make things worse for us. The attempt on the Mayor's life has already cause this much of an uproar… If someone wants to make matters worse, there's only one way…"
"This time…" Nami said, catching on. "The successful assassination of the Mayor."
'But why? It doesn't make sense. We're missing something here.'
"That's the natural thing for us to think," Zoro agreed with Nami. "But now that we know she's framing us for the crime, this would be viewed as a trap to lead us to the crime scene. If we're found at the scene of the crime, then we'll automatically be framed."
"Wait!" Nami objected. "You sound like you're already thinking of Robin as an enemy!"
"I'm just talking about the possibilities. I'm not really on either side. Whether to believe it or not… If I pick one side and the truth is the opposite… The instant in which I make my move, I'll be slowed down. If something's gonna happen, it's gonna be tonight. Do you we got the crime scene?"
We all looked at Luffy.
"We go."
"I don't mind if you do… But we have a problem. Sanji said he saw Robin walking with someone," Nami said. "Iceberg said the same thing. 'A masked person'. That's not any of us. Maybe he's the reason for Robin's sudden change."
"Did he do something to Robin!" Chopper gasped. "To control her?"
"That's the optimistic guess," Zoro said. "The pessimistic guess would be that Robin and that guy are actually partners."
'Either is as likely as the other in this case.'
"But just knowing about a 'Masked Person' doesn't help much," Nami argued. "What's our goal on this trip?"
"To catch Robin!" Luffy said, standing up. "Otherwise we'll never know the truth. Yeah… Just thinking about it like this is a waste of time."
"But then she's someone who the World Government has tried and failed to capture for 20 years," Zoro pointed out.
"Yes, but this is the only way for us to find out the truth," Nami countered.
"Okay! I'll do my best too!" Chopper chipped in.
By this time everyone had climbed up to their feet, me included, and Luffy ordered, "Let's go."
"It's so far!" Luffy complained as we all perched in a tree, watching the Mayor's house from a distance. There were people swarming all over the place, and we got as close as we could without being discovered so that we could come up with a plan.
"So many people!" Chopper chipped in.
"You can just stretch your arms and fly over if an uproar occurs," Nami pointed out to Luffy.
"Yeah, but if we're the ones to cause the uproar, we would have played right into her hands," Zoro, ever the realist, said.
'…So, basically we should not let Luffy within a 100 meter distance of the house,' I deadpanned to myself, glancing at my captain.
"Everyone has a weapon…" Chopper, who was using a pair of binoculars, mumbled. "They look so strong."
"Yes, those mechanics could pin any pirate to the ground," Luffy agreed. "It'll be bad if someone just barges in there recklessly."
"I wonder who tried to get through earlier!" Nami sweat-dropped, dropping her head. I jumped from my branch over to her, pressing my nose against the side of her arm to try and cheer her up.
'It's for Robin, remember.'
She looked at me before sighing, "Maybe he's learnt his lesson…"
'…Doubt it.' She seemed to understand what I thought by my facial expression, her head dropping again.
"Tell me as soon as you see them make a move," Zoro instructed Chopper.
"Okay!" he chirped.
"This is going to be a long night, but don't lose your concentration. If we don't catch her tonight, we'll probably never know the truth. I don't think we'll get a second chance to find Robin," Zoro said in his serious tone.
"I'll definitely catch her!" Luffy swore.
A loud explosion drew our attention to the Mayor's house, the color of bright, flashing red coloring the night sky, accompanied by an ear-ringing explosion.
"Ah! Something exploded!" Luffy yelped, as everyone's heads snapped around to watch.
"Wah, it's in chaos," Chopper observed as everyone started running to and fro, the sounds of yelling and battle drifting to us on the wind. "…Eh, where's Luffy?"
"AHH!" Zoro and Nami yelped at the same time as we all looked at the spot our captain was mere seconds ago. Now it was empty.
'DAMMIT, LUFFY! STEALTH MEANS NOTHING TO YOU, DOES IT?' I swore.
"ARGH! Why doesn't he ever listen!" Nami snapped as we ran through the streets, heading for the Mayor's house.
'Because he is an idiot!' I barked back, growling under my breath.
"No use complaining now!" Zoro grumbled.
"Maybe Robin is in the crowds! What should we do? Do we need to sneak?" Chopper asked.
"Actually, this may be to our advantage," Nami admitted, breathlessly as we ran. "Do you think that Luffy would use stealth to enter the building?"
"Mostly likely not," Zoro replied.
"No!" Chopper agreed.
'Not at all,' I sighed.
"He likely flew or charged from the front. It's good if he got in, he's probably being chased around by the shipwrights," Nami explained. "When the enemy's boss appears, everyone will chase after him, so, the front of the building should be poorly defended right now. We can use this chance to get it!"
'…Sometimes I not sure if Luffy truly an idiot, albeit a lucky one, but and idiot all the same, or if he is a genius is disguise.'
"I see, so Luffy's recklessness gives us an opportunity!" Zoro said.
"I agree! So we can just charge in there!" Chopper added.
"Jump over that wall!" Nami ordered as we ran up to the wall around the Mayor's house. We all jumped it in one smooth motion.
"Follow Luffy!" Zoro ordered.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Chopper added.
'About damn time!' I agreed, finally happy to be doing something.
My elation fell when we landed on the other side of the wall, all freezing at the amount of eyes staring at us. Out the front of the Mayor's house were several hundred shipwrights, all armed, starting at us.
"Hey, look there," one of the shipwrights said.
Everyone had matching looks of horror on the faces and we didn't stick around long to see what they were going to do. In unison, we all spun around as started to run across the yard, the shipwrights close on our tails.
"IT'S RORNOA ZORO!"
"HE'S FINALLY APPEARED!"
"I SAW THAT WOMAN WITH THEM EARLIER TODAY!"
"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"
"THEY'RE THE STARW HATS!"
"WAAAH!" Chopper screamed he ran.
"What happened to Luffy!" Nami screeched.
"How the heck would I know?" Zoro snapped in reply before skidding to a stop, neatly pulling out his weapons. "Dammit! There's not point running! In any case, they saw us jump over the fence, so…"
'Too true,' I agreed, skidding to a stop next to Zoro, spinning to face the charging shipwrights.
"Ah! What are you saying, Zoro?" Nami yelled over her shoulder.
"There's no point running around the house! We should just charge in there, and find Robin!" Zoro declared.
"But they are the shipwrights! They are not our enemies!" Chopper argued.
"No problem!" he called as he ran at them, swinging his swords. "I'll hit the using the back of my blades! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Bodies went flying into the air and I was split seconds behind Zoro, my knife in my jaws as I jumped and sprang amongst the shipwrights, landing blows that took them out in one go, trying to only use my paws and the hilt of my knife. For all the muscles the shipwrights had from their hard work, they couldn't keep up with my speed and one by one they quickly fell around Zoro and I.
"YOU'RE STILL CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES!" Nami yelled in the background.
'I'M TRYING NOT TO,' I screamed back mentally, just as my knife made a sickening crunch as it smashed into the temple of one of the men, ribs cracking as my back feet rocketed into the chest of another of them. '…UH …IT'S JUST A FLESH WOUND. 'TIS BUT A SCRATCH… I have no quarrel with you, Sir Knight, but I must cross this bridge!' The sound of my maniacal laughter echoed in my head at the Monty Python reference.
"Don't worry," Zoro sighed as he sheathed his swords. "I used the back side of my swords."
'I'm pretty sure I didn't kill any of them…' I mumbled, glancing around at the sea of bodies around us. I then snickered, 'Have at you.'
"Why did you have to knock out all of the shipwrights!" Nami screamed at us.
'Something tells me they were in no mood to just let us in!'
"Zoro and Mamori sure are strong!" Chopper chirped.
I blinked owlishly, walking over to the small reindeer, rubbing the side of my head against his arm. 'Have some self-confidence, you're pretty strong too Chopper.'
'Y-you bastard!" he stuttered, blushing and doing his little dance. "Saying things like that won't make me happy!"
'I know,' I snorted sheepishly, trying to hide my wide smirk.
"THERE!" Nami yelled, pointing to the door we were looking at as we ran through the halls. "That door in front of us has to be it!"
"That's a lot of people lying in front of it," Chopper pointed out, referencing to all the shipwrights that were littered all over the ground, passed out or dead.
"Now! Go straight! We'll crash through the door!" Nami order Zoro and I, who had taken the lead in our charge.
"Don't order me around!" Zoro snapped back, but nonetheless, he jumped forward, pulling his swords out as he slashed the doors into several pieces. At the same time a wall the other side of the room shattered, emitting a screaming Luffy.
"WHERE'S ROBIN!" Luffy howled.
We all skidded to a stop as we entered what seemed to be a bedroom, containing Robin, and a few assassins.
"Luffy!" Robin gasped and my eyes went straight to her as the dust started to settle.
"Luffy!" Zoro gasped.
'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, LUFFY?' I growled, taking up my position next to Zoro as I allowed my eyes to flicker over the room.
"I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" Luffy yelled at Robin, a beaten up shipwright appearing next to him.
"Hey! Luffy!" Zoro snapped. "Where have you been all this time!"
"Robin! I'm so glad to see you again!" Chopper cried.
"What's going on here?" Nami asked.
"Aw, jeez…" a weird guy in a suit with a pigeon on his shoulder said.
"Straw Hat… Paulie…" a man who was laying on the ground panted, and he looked to be in really bad condition.
"Mr. Iceberg… What?" Paulie panted. "What in the world is going on!"
'This is not good,' I grumbled, eyeing the downed Mayor. He looked ready to kick it any second.
"Paulie… Why didn't you run away!" demanded Iceberg.
"What is this!" Paulie panted, looking at the masks on the ground and then at the real assassins that were standing around in the room. It was then that it hit me; one of the assassins was the Usopp-Imposter that had come to survey Going-Merry. The assassins were some of the shipwrights… "It's like… WHY ARE YOU GUYS DRESSED LIKE THE CRIMINALS WHO'RE AFTER MR. ICEBERG'S LIFE! HEY, KALIFA, BLUENO, KAKU, LUCCI, ENOUGH WITH THE JOKES, GUYS!"
"Oh yeah! Those are the shipwrights you were with earlier! It's the pigeon guy! Right?" Luffy asked Paulie.
"Hey, I recognize the square nose," Zoro said.
"You mean, the "Assassins" were working on the inside," Nami gaped.
'…It would seem that way. But how are they connected to Robin?'
"Paulie," the pigeon guy said. "We're actually government intelligence operatives. You'll forgive me if I apologize, right? We're companions, we built ships, day in and day out. If it's too sudden for you to believe, would you like me to step on Mr. Iceberg's face?"
"Shut up," Paulie hissed, clenching his fists. "This is too much! The voice I heard earlier… The cow mask matched yours… Damn bastard! You can speak properly! You made fools out of us all!"
"Stop it, Paulie!" Iceberg pleaded.
"Pipe Hitch Knives!" Paulie called as he charged at Lucci, throwing out a rope that was decorated in sharp knives.
Lucci easily dodged the rope and within a split second he was standing in front of Paulie, his finger implanted in Paulie's chest. "Shigan. You still don't get it, Paulie?"
Paulie fell to his knees as Lucchi drew back his fingers, and Luffy yelled, "Hey! Rope Guy!"
"Why…" Paulie demanded, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "You guys…"
"Don't bother resisting," Lucci said. "We've mastered skills that soar far above those of humans. We've spent countless hours training in a martial art that makes the body equal to a weapon."
"Why would you…" Paulie started to rise again.
"No matter," Lucci caught his shoulder, pulling back his other hand, ready to strike again. "Your like will expire, either way, though we were friends…"
"LUCCI! YOU BASTARD!" Iceberg yelled.
"STOP IT!" Luffy sent his foot flying into Lucci, forcing him to drop Paulie as he caught Luffy's foot in his fist.
"Gomu Gomu no… GATLING."
"Tekkai."
Luffy sent his fists flying into Lucci, although they all seemed to bounce off and leave no damage at all, forcing Luffy to stop. "What! It's not working!"
"This is annoying… Soru." Lucchi disappeared in thin air, and not even my eyes could follow him this time.
"Huh! He disappeared!" Luffy gasped.
"Shigan!" Lucchi appeared right in front of Luffy, drilling his finger into Luffy's throat.
'LUFFY!' I howled, my heart skipping several beats as he went flying back towards us, almost taking me out when he landed next to me. He then sat there, chocking and gasping his neck as he tried to get his breath back.
"If you had a normal neck, you'd now have a hole in it, and would've died instantly, Rubberman."
Luffy jumped back up to feet at the same time he flung his arm out, latching onto Paulie and pulling him over to where we were.
"What are you doing, Straw Hat?" Lucchi questioned.
"You're planning to kill him!" Luffy accused. "Weren't you shipwrights together?"
"Until a moment ago, yes, but it's different now," Lucci replied.
"You really are a traitor! Fine than. Anyway, I promise this guy that we'd beat the crap out of the guys who tried to Kill Uncle Iceberg!" Luffy declared as I stepped over to where Paulie was laid on the ground, neatly stepping in front of him so that they would have to go through me if they wanted to touch him again.
"Why do you side with Paulie?" Kaku, the Usopp-Imposter, asked.
"Cause I got business with you too!" Luffy said. "Hey! Robin! What're you doing with these guys! If you want out of the crew, at least tell me why!"
"Yeah!" Nami chipped in. "They're Government officials, why!"
"You people don't seem to listen very well," Robin said. "I told the Cook, the Dog, and the Doctor goodbye… Didn't they tell you?"
"I did! But I don't get it either! Why, Robin?" Chopper demanded.
"To achieve my goal! A goal that can't be achieved if I stay with you people," Robin declared. "To accomplish it, I will sacrifice anything!"
"So… That's why you're able to frame your friends as assassins without hesitating?" Zoro asked. "What's this goal of yours?"
"I don't have to tell you."
"Don't try to understand her…" Iceberg panted. "She's… Are you crazy, Nico Robin! Do you understand what you're trying to do!"
"You no longer have the right to say anything," Robin said coldly as several of her arms shot out of the ground and Iceberg's back, bending one of his arms back as he made a sound of pain. "Keep your mouth shut!"
"Mr. Iceberg!" Paulie called from behind me.
"I will not let anyone interfere!" Robin declared.
"Robin! What are you doing!" Luffy snapped. "Are you serious!"
"What's wrong with you, Robin!" Chopper called. "Are you really our enemy, Robin?"
'Dammit, woman,' I snarled, glaring at Robin. 'I don't want to have to hurt you… But if it comes down to it, Zoro and I will take care of you. Don't force us to… Please…'
"I'm sorry," Lucci interrupted. "But, I'm going to have to stop you right now. We have to find a very important person after this, so we're in a hurry. We have no more business in this mansion and we don't have business with you lot, either. Kalifa, how much longer?"
"2 minutes," the woman replied.
"This is sudden, but in 2 minutes this mansion will be engulfed in flames," Lucci explained to us.
'What about all the unconscious people in the mansion!'
"What!" Luffy snapped.
"Fire is a very convenient way of destroying evidence," Lucci explained. "If you do not wish to burn to death, I suggest you evacuate quickly. That is… If you can."
Blueno, Kaku, and Kalifa stepped towards us, ready to fight.
"It looks like they mean to eliminate us," Zoro said. "Nico Robin seems to want to stay on the other side… Luffy, are you okay with Robin leaving the crew?"
"HELL NO!"
"The flames will rise from a number of rooms on the first floor soon. But the culprits were pirates, these things happen," Lucci said.
"You use the masks of other people to get away with whatever you like. Talk about rude!" Nami protested, her weapon drawn.
"They're already tainted masks, I see no problem with that," Blueno said.
"I'll be going then," Robin said suddenly, drawing her cloak over her head.
"Yes, you've done your part," Lucchi agreed.
"Wait! Robin! I won't accept it!" Luffy yelled.
"Goodbye," Robin said simply as she turned and started to walk towards a window.
"ROBIN!"
"Don't let her go…" Iceberg panted.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW!" Luffy demanded, running after Robin. "WE JUST FOUND YOU." Blueno stepped his path and Luffy threw his foot in Blueno's face. "GET OUTTA MY WAY."
"Tekkai."
Luffy's foot did nothing to Blueno. "What's with these guys and their hard bodies!"
"Our bodies are trained to the point of mimicking an iron shell," he explained. "We can heighten our resistance.
"I SAID, GET OUTTA MY WAY!" Luffy yelled, letting out a barrage of punches at Blueno.
"Kami-e," the bull-looking man said and he smoothly dodged every single one of Luffy's punches. "But taking hits is not our only skill.
"Whoa! He's not getting hit at all! And he's so huge!" Chopper gasped.
"It's like he's a piece of floating paper!" Nami added.
'Not good,' I mumbled, gritting my teeth. 'Not good at all.'
"ROBIN! WAIT!" Luffy yelled, pulling back his arm. "…You! Gomu Gomu no Bullet!"
Luffy's fist sent flying at the same time Blueno said, "Soru," and disappeared from sight again.
"He disappeared again!" Luffy gasped.
"It only seems as though I've disappeared," Blueno explained as he appeared behind Luffy. "With the explosive power of my legs."
"You!" Luffy spun around to try and hit him.
"Geppo," Blueno seemed to step on air, jumping up to make it seem as though he was flying. "I can kick the air and float."
"He's flying!" Chopper gaped.
'Luffy! Careful!' I yelled as two more of them appeared behind him.
"And… Rankyaku" they said, kicking their out to make a small wave of air go flying into Luffy, blowing him off his feet.
"GET DOWN!" Zoro ordered.
"Why!" Nami cried, but they both still ducked. I quickly threw myself at Paulie, forcing him to the ground as I pinned him under me, using my body as a shield, ignoring the grunt of pain of he made.
The wave of air created by Kalifa and Kaku sent Luffy flying right over our heads and through a wall, cutting in cleanly.
"Luffy!" Chopper gasped as he stood back up.
"They cut the wall with their kicks!" Nami cried.
'That was dangerous!' I hissed as I jumped off Paulie, ignoring the chosen few swear words that came out of his mouth.
"If you have the speed to create a kamikaze, then it's possible," the female assassin explain. "That's Rankyaku."
Zoro wasted no time, drawing his swords and charging towards the Usopp-Imposter. Kaku drew a chisel out of his cloak, neatly blocking Zoro's swords with it. With Zoro gone I quickly shifted in front of Chopper, Nami, and Paulie, acting as the shield between the assassins my friends. If Luffy and Zoro were struggling against them, I had almost no chance, but I would protect them no matter what.
"We met on the ship, Roronoa," Kaku observed.
"You're not a shipwright, so your inspection at the time…" Zoro gritted out.
"Unfortunately for you, I was serious when I appraised it," Kaku said, bringing out another chisel so that he had one in each hand.
"…That's too bad," Zoro grunted, as he started swinging his swords at Kaku, who easily blocked every single blow with his chisels.
"Ugaa," Luffy coughed as he sat back up in the rubble, blood dribbling out of his mouth.
"Luffy!" Nami cried and I cast my head back over my shoulder, looking at Luffy, making sure he was still alive. Sure that he was I switched my gaze to Robin as she opened a window, allowing the breeze to come flying in.
"Don't go, Robin!" Luffy cried as he jumped back up. "I'm not done talking to you!"
"No, I'm done," she said. "We will never meet again."
"ROBIN!" Nami screamed.
'Dammit!' I snarled, torn between charging in, and protecting the others.
"Luffy! Hurry up and catch Robin!" Zoro ordered and Luffy quickly jumped into action, running towards Robin.
"Roronoa, you've got guts looking away," Kaku said as his finger went flying into Zoro in several place.
'ZORO!' I screamed at the same time Chopper did.
"ZORO!"
"Shigan… We don't need bullets to pierce human flesh," Kaku said as Zoro collapsed to the ground.
"Go, Nico Robin," Lucci order as he appeared before Luffy, catching Luffy's face in his hand. Luffy threw hits at Lucci, but they just bounced off as Robin jumped out of the window.
"Robin!"
"Luffy was caught so easily!" Nami gasped.
'LUFFY! ZORO! ROBIN! DAMMIT!'
Lucci threw Luffy across the room and into a wall, sending rubble flying. I took one step forward, my lips peeled back in a snarl as I got ready to jump in.
"Mamori!" Zoro's voice snapped as he pushed himself back onto his knees. "Protect the others!"
I froze, snarling as I forced myself to hold back and not charge in. Zoro was right, I needed to keep my cool. If all three of us were in the fight, no one could stop any attacks aimed at Nami or Chopper. Where was Sanji!
"What's with their strength…" Nami panted.
"Who the hell are you?" Paulie demanded.
"Our surroundings have changed. We, of the CP9, have been prepared to give our lives for the Government," Lucci explained. "We've trained our bodies to great extremes since we were young. Thus, we've gained the 6 super human strengths, Rokushiki. I think it has finally sunk into your hearts. Us four are assigned by the Government to extreme missions and you lowly pirates can see the huge difference in out combat powers. This incident is of the utmost secrecy. It's not something you can touch."
"Lucci, it's about time the fires should be starting," Kalfia interrupted. "We should hurry."
"…Yeah," he agreed. "But it's such a pity. I think I'll show you something interesting." His body started expanding, fur growing on his skin.
"WHAT!"
'Devil Fruit!' I snapped, narrowing my eyes as the smell of smoke started drifting into the room. 'Before he wasn't even fighting at his strongest!'
"Lucci… What the heck are you!" Paulie gritted out as Lucci's transformation finished.
"GYAAAA!" Chopper screamed.
"It seems the fire has begun to spread," the transformed Lucci said, towering over us, his voice slightly different now.
'…Cat,' I snarled as I stared at him. 'Very. Big. Fucking. Cat.'
"A devil fruit!" Nami gasped.
"Which fruit was it!" Luffy demanded.
"Leopard," he said.
"…A leopard man, eh," Zoro grunted.
"He's huge!" Luffy gaped.
"This is bad!" Chopper cried. "A carnivorous Zoan is a lot more violent!"
"Logia, Zoan, Paramecia… There are many unique abilities, but for Zoan, it's our special quality to strengthen ourselves physically. Our powers increase the more we train. Zoan is the strongest in close combat."
"What the hell is this!" Paulie hissed.
"Lucci, the other shipwrights are coming up!" Kalifa said.
"No, they can't," he said. "Rankyaku." He kicked out, sending out an airwave at the celling of the house, searing it in half. The building started to shift and the wall fell towards us.
"GET AWAY FROM THE WALL! CHOPPER! NAMI! MAMORI!" Zoro yelled.
'HOLD ON,' I yelled, wasting no time in clamping my jaws over the back of Paulie's shirt, dragging him away from the wall.
"ARGH!" Paulie cried out in pain as I jarred his wounds.
"Nami!" Chopper cried out and I glanced back in time to see Chopper shoving Nami out of the way of falling rubble, making it land on him instead. I quickly let go and Paulie, allowing him to get back on his own feet as I ran over to Nami and Chopper.
"Paulie! What are you doing!" Iceberg protested when Paulie scrambled over to him, pulling him onto his shoulder.
"I'm getting you out of here!"
"How can you with those wounds!"
"Give up, Paulie," Lucci said as he stepped in front of them. I prayed that they wouldn't die while I tried to push the rubble off of Chopper.
'CHOPPER. CAN YOU HEAR ME?'
"I thought… I REALLY THOUGHT THAT WE WERE FRIENDS!" Paulie screamed at him as Lucci brought back his paw, ready to strike.
"Only you thought that."
"PIGEON GUY!" Luffy screamed, landing a hit on Lucci's cheek.
"Straw Hat!" Paulie yelled.
"Shigan!" Lucci swung so hard that his clawed finger pierced straight through Luffy's chest, splattering blood into the air.
'LUFFFFFFFY!' I screamed in fear for my captain. 'NO!'
"Uh… Oh…" Luffy panted as the claw was drawn out of his chest.
"LUFFY!"
Before Luffy had the chance to collapse, the big cat grasped his head again, lifting him into the air and drawing his arm back. "I'll send you… OFF THIS ISLAND!" Lucci threw Luffy straight out of the room, through the wall and into the night beyond with such strength that I'd never seen the likes of before.
"LUFFY!" Nami screamed.
'THAT WAS MY CAPTAIN, DAMMIT!' I howled in rage, hoping that he'd survive that. Rubber bounces, right?
"YOU!" Zoro snarled, charging forward towards Lucci, his blade curving in an arc.
"Tekkai." Lucchi blocked the blade with his bare arm before spinning around and kicking Zoro so hard that he also went flying out of the room and into the air.
'ZORO!' I howled, stepping up in front of the assassins, every hair on my body standing on end. 'YOU UTTER GUTTER TRASH. I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH MY FRIENDS!'
The giant cat looked down at me, frowning ever so slightly. "…I dislike dogs."
'Yeah, cause you're so much fucking better, you giant ball of… of… PUBIC HAIR!' Rage burnt through my veins. I'd been utterly useless at helping Usopp, utterly useless at stopping Robin, and now Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji weren't around, leaving me to protect Nami and Chopper, and I knew deep down that no matter how I tried, I couldn't beat the assassins.
So many times I'd be useless. So many emotions. So much hurt. So much self-hate at my incompetence. And now I KNEW there was nothing I could do, and my crew could be killed. Nothing I could do but wait for it to happen. But… NO. I wouldn't believe that. There had to be a way!
"MAMORI!" Nami cried.
My chest shuddered as I drew ragged breaths, tensing my muscles as I got ready to attack, my vision narrowing into tunnels on Lucci. I could almost feel electricity running amongst the hairs that I was covered in, pins and needles all over. I pushed off the ground, feinting to the left at the fastest speed I could managed, my body turning into a blur of orange.
'DO IT, NOW,' the loud of voice of Ikol screamed in my head, but I managed to ignore it in my animalistic rage.
I felt the wave of electricity and pins and needles narrow down to my skull, the amount of energy gathering there making me feel like my head was about to explode. I'd never felt anything like it, but it didn't matter. My body was going into overdrive.
I pushed off the ground faster than I'd ever moved before, the pins and needles exploding in my paws as my body zapped through the air, the power reaching boiling point in my skull. My head connect with Lucci's stomach, I felt the power that had grown on my skull get transferred into his body, his body absorbing the raw energy. Lucci's feet went skidding back several centimeters, the ground under his feet cracking from the pressure, although he managed to keep his feet. He seemed shocked at the blow, giving me enough time to jump back, landing on my feet.
"Impossible! That was… But it's just a dog…" Kaku mumbled as they all stared at me.
As soon as the energy had come, it left, leaving my legs feeling weak. I almost collapsed from the sheer shock of having such power, and then having it go that quickly. 'What… What was that.'
"Mamori…" Nami gasped.
"It matters not," Lucci said, straightening back up. "It has to go, just like the rest of those filthy pirates."
"Soru." Lucci disappeared suddenly and I glanced around, trying to find him. Before I had a chance to move, his appeared right in front of me, towering over my small form. "Shigan 'Five'." His clawed hand went arching towards my right side, and I tried to move to avoid it, but I couldn't move fast enough.
The five fingers on one of his hands embed themselves into my side, the claws tearing through the flesh. My yowl of pain drowned out the sound of Nami screaming my name, my vision going black for a few seconds as the pain washed over me.
He tore his fingers out, sending blood into the air as my legs gave out on me. Before I'd hit the ground, he grabbed the back of my neck, lifting me into the air. I squeezed one eye closed in pain, leaving only one to glare into his cat-like eyes. 'Die in a hole, you stinking feline dish-rag.'
He pulled his arm back, and without a word he launched my body through the wall, the hard surface shattering as my body passed through it and into the open air. I felt pain as the wind and air rushed by me, black creeping into my vision.
'Nami… Chopper…' I mumbled as I hit something else, dragging me down into the darkness.
Pipe Hitch Knives: Exactly what it says on the tin. No translation.
Shigan: Literally "Finger Gun". Translated as "Finger Pistol". Most likely this technique is a nod to the Shaolin Monks' fictional technique: "Shaolin Finger Jab". In an SBS, Oda stated that if you were poked in the butt with a "Shigan", you'd die. Also in another SBS, he stated that CP9 agents often sprained their fingers when they failed this technique while they trained.
Gomu Gomu no Gatling: Gum Gum Gatling.
Tekkai:Literally "Iron Mass" and translated as "Iron Body" in English. This appears to be based on the Chinese Martial art technique called "Iron Shirt". Unlike Bushoshoku Haki, Tekkai is based on the user's physical power rather than willpower. Note of interest: Despite being an acknowledged Rokushiki master, Kailfa is never seen using Tekkai.
Kami-e:Literally "Paper Drawing". Translated as "Paper Art" in Viz and "Paper Arts" in FUNimation. In the fight with Enel, Luffy essentially uses a variation of Kami-e. Just not very effectively.
Gomu Gomu no Bullet:Gum Gum Bullet.
Geppo:Literally "Moon Step". Translated as "Moonwalk".
Rankyaku:Literally "Storm Leg". Translated as "Tempest Kick".
Rokushiki:Literally meaning "Six Styles", Rokushiki is a martial arts style. The strength of a Rokushiki user is measured by Doriki. Higher the level, stronger the techniques. Translated as "Six Powers" in both the Viz Manga and FUNimation dub. Encompasses: Kami-e, Geppo, Rankyaku, Shigan, Soru, Tekkai, and Rokuogan.
Soru:Literally "Shave". Translated as "Shave". People outside of the CP9 have shown the ability to imitate this skill. It suggests that "Soru" is the most fundamental of the Rokushiki techniques. This particular skill is not the same as Kuro's "Shakushi" skill. Kuro cannot see when using "Shakushi" and thus leads to unnecessary bloodshed and the chance for him to attack his own crew. "Soru" users can see where they're going, know how fast they're traveling, and know where they are in relation to other people around them.
Shigan "Five": Literally "Finger Gun: 'Five'". Called "Finger Pistol Five" in the FUNimation sub.
Beta read by praeses