Sorry for the wait, guys! Life's been hectic as usual. Broken charger cords, looking for a job, you know, the usual? Although, the other day I found out that I got into Animal Science at University, which I'll be attending in 2015! That's pretty exciting. And I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. I heard it's really cold in America and England right now, so keep warm guys. It's really hot here in Australia, so my fellow Australians should try and keep cool as much as possible.
Enjoy the chapter, and thank you to everyone who reviewed.
"Number 1… Number 3… Number 4… No!" he threw the keys on the ground on after the other as he tried them on Robin's cuffs. "Number 5… THEY'RE OFF!"
"NO WAY! IT'S THE REAL KEY!" Spandam shrieked.
'Finally… We did!' I gasped.
Robin lifted up her hands, staring at them now she was free of the cuffs and then she swayed and almost fainted, but Franky caught her just in time.
'ROBIN!'
"Hey, hey! Pull yourself together," Franky said and Robin slowly straightened herself up again.
"You defeated all the members of CP9 in the Tower of Justice!" Spandam yelled. "No, impossible! I bet you somehow stole the keys and ran! Dammit!"
I turned around, taking a step towards Spandam with my teeth showing. He paled and took two steps back.
"This is Franky," he said into the den den mushi. "I unlocked Robin Nico's handcuffs."
"ALL RIGHT!" Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp cheered.
"Long-nose, thank you," Robin said.
"If you're to express your gratitude, do it later, to everyone who worked hard to collect the keys," Usopp replied. "You are truly Luffy and the others' nakama. Do whatever you want!"
"…Yes." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Seis Fluer… Slap." Hands sprung out of Spandam's chest and began to slap him over and over again, causing my grin to widen. "I won't hold back."
"Okay! Guys, come over here, quick!" Franky instructed. "I'll prepare the escape."
"Chief, Sir!" the marines yelled as he fell back on the ground, face bruised and one hand still clutching his crotch.
"No! The criminal's seastone handcuffs are off!"
"Catch her again!"
'Don't even think about!' I snarled menacingly, taking three steps forward with my teeth bared. That caused them to all hesitate and look amongst themselves.
"That dog…"
"What do we do about the dog…"
"I don't want to be castrated!"
Before anyone had a chance to do anything else, our attention was captured by the sound of a whistling bomb flying through the air and impacting with the fence in the water, creating a large explosion.
"It can't be!" Spandam gasped, getting back to his feet once more. "Bombardment from the warships!"
Another bomb hit the top of the Tower of Justice, blowing the top half completely off.
'USOPP! ZORO! SANJI!' I cried in worry.
"THE TOWER OF JUSTICE!" the marines yelled as the top slid off into the waterfall, disappearing over the edge.
"Franky, Robin, Mamori, we're safe here! We'll head over there now," Sanji said over the den den mushi.
"Oh, good," Robin sighed.
"Then we'll do something about this situation… Can I count on your fighting power?" Frank asked Robin.
"Of course," she agreed. I grinned, snapping my jaws in the direction of the marines and staring them down with a teasing look on my face.
"I don't think I even need to bother asking the dog…" Franky sweat-dropped.
'OI! You'll be next on my list if you're not careful!'
"Hurry, guys! Catch them before the bombardment gets serious!" Spandam ordered.
"YES, SIR!"
"Do you see the convoy on the other side of the bridge?" Franky asked. "Don't you think that's the key to our escape?"
"I guess there's no other way than stealing the ship," Robin said.
"GO!" Spandam ordered, and the fun begun. The marines tried to fire at us, but Franky quickly used the guns in his wrists to fire at them, and Robin used her devil fruit powers to choke-out other marines. I ran forward and danced between them, snapping, biting and kicking whenever and wherever I could.
"Hurry! All you have to do is catch Nico Robin and get her on the convoy! Don't waste time. Warships are coming!" Spandam yelled.
"IT'S TOO LATE ALREADY!" a marine screamed and everyone looked to the horizon. I slammed another marine into the ground, pausing on his chest to look at what was going on, only to freeze as shivers ran down my spine. The ships were here. Through the smoke caused by the earlier bombs, the shadows of the boats were showing.
"I SEE SHADOWS!"
The marines weren't having any of it. They all dropped their weapons and starting running to their boat, not worrying about Robin, Franky, and I anymore.
"H-HEY! DON'T RUN! A FLEET OF WARSHIPS! BUSTER CALL WILL COMMENCE!"
"…N-no way," Robin gasped, falling to her knees. I quickly jumped off the marine and made my way protectively over to her. We could only stare silently as the ships started firing indiscriminately at Enies Lobby, creating havoc on the island. I hoped all of our friends had made it out in time.
"Triggering Buster Call!" A speaker projected from the boats as they sailed past the bridge. "Targeting the pirate Straw Hat Luffy and his gang. Approximate count: 60. However, under the private agreement with Admiral Aokiji, the criminal Robin Nico, who is on the Bridge of Hesitation, will be excluded from the targets! Other details are unimportant! Destroy the entire Judicial Island, Enies Lobby! All ships, take position!"
"There, look! Guys! Don't run! Those warships will bypass this bridge!" Spandam cried. "Wahaha! It's all because I'm here! Right, my dad said so, too!" he said. "Even if it was indiscriminate bombardment, it would avoid me!"
"The bridge the criminal Robin Nico is on will be temporarily excluded from the targets!" the voice came over the speaker again.
"There, look, guys!" Spandam insisted. "It's safe here! It's all because I am the chief of the CP9!"
"What a horrible scene…" Franky mumbled as they continued to fire at the island.
"I can't stop trembling!" Robin gasped, wrapping her arms around her shaking form. I quickly wrapped my body around her back, resting my head on her shoulder and whining softly.
I heard a commotion from the building where Luffy was fighting Lucci and the last thing I thought I'd see was a giant rubber fist breaking through the wall and sending Lucci flying across the sea and onto one of the war ship. As if that wasn't odd enough, he was quickly followed by Luffy in his balloon form, flying through the air at the war ship. The marines tried to shoot him, but the bullets just bounced right off as Luffy did something that made his foot enlarge. Luffy slammed his foot into the boat and smashed the front of it. What followed was hard for me to keep track off because of my bad eyesight at long distances, but there was scuffling between Lucci and Luffy that continued to destroy the ship.
"Did you see that, Cutty Flam?" Spandam laughed. "You guys are done for! No, you've been done for since the beginning!"
"Just shut up!" Franky replied.
"You still don't get it? The one fighting with Straw Hat, is Lucci! The strongest in the history of CP9! I don't know what happened to all the others, but he's really special! After he takes out Straw Hat, it'll be your turn, Cutty Flam!"
'LUFFY WON'T LOOSE!' I snarled.
Silence echoed around the area while Lucci and Luffy continued to fight, disappearing from sight on the ship every now and then, and popping back up as they were thrown into the air from each others' attacks. I kept myself curled around Robin, my jaw clenched tightly from the tension in the air.
'LUFFY!' I howled as the ship Luffy and Lucci were on exploded in a ball of flames. One of the marine ships had attacked their own ally just because Luffy was on the boat. I watched with wide, shocked eyes as the boat went up in flames and smoke.
"Hahaha! Hey! Did you see that!" Spandam laughed. "The Straw Hat who went berserk on the warship has been blown up into pieces! Haha, take that! Your captain is dead!"
"Hey, hey… They fired at the warship with fellow marines on it…" Franky mumbled.
"This is the power of the Buster Call I triggered!" Spandam boasted. "This is justice, Cutty Flam! Now, hand Nico Robin over to me! Then maybe I can pardon you for your crime! Besides, why do you have to protect that woman! You're not a pirate! Would you trust a dangerous woman with Ohara blood running in her veins over the World Government who protects you day and night? If you defy us, you'll end up like Tom and di–"
His speech was cut off as Franky launched his fist away from his body on a chain, smashing it into Spandam's face, throwing him back. I wasn't bothering with that, I was too busy staring at the place where Luffy and Lucci had been fighting before they got on the boat, and I was rewarded with movement, meaning they must have both been still alive and had made it there safely.
"His face can't possible swell any more than that!" a marine yelled.
Spandam quickly jumped back up to his feet, drawing a sword that strapped to his back.
"He drew the elephant sword, Funkfreed!"
'Elephant sword?'
"TAKE THIS!" Spandam yelled. "ELEPHANT CHOOOOOP!"
A giant elephant head popped out of the sword, a blade instead of a trunk as it extended straight for Robin. I quickly vaulted over Robin, placing my body in front of hers so that I would take the blow instead of her, but Franky stepped in front of both of us, catching the elephant by its tusks. The edge of the blade stopped mere millimeters away from the end of my nose.
"BASTARD!" Frank yelled. "You are truly a hopeless guy."
"He… stopped it…" Spandam gaped. "Funkfreed! You're an elephant, yet you're being controlled by him!"
Franky brought one of his arms up to the Funkfreed's forehead, his hand snapping back to reveal the gun in his wrist. "Turn your nose back to normal, Elephant, or I'll shoot you in the middle of your forehead."
"RAGE THERE AND SLASH HIM TO PIECES!" Spandam yelled, but the elephant turned his nose back to a trunk, and turned his whole body into that of a elephant, a scared look on his face.
"Okay, that's good. You're a good boy," Franky said. "Nico Robin, will the Straw Hats come here?"
"They all should be," she replied.
'Of course they'll come,' I growled, bearing my teeth at Franky again.
"I thought I told you that I've placed my bet on them, Spanda!" Franky yelled. "I've never thought that this day would come. If only I'd had the power that day. I wanted to get Tom back no matter what… Despite knowing Enies Lobby's unrelenting myth… Despite knowing the remarkable power of the World Government… The Straw Hats abandoned all of the common sense and marched ahead! Just for one of their nakama, they don't hesitate to make the entire world their enemy. It's such a refreshing feeling." Franky tightened his grip on Funkfreed, dragging the elephant along with him as he ran towards Spandam. "I've never forgotten Tom's death until today! Every time that official's idiot face crossed my mind, I always wished that I could crush him!"
"Hey, wait, idiot! Don't do that! No!"
"JUST LIKE THIS!" Franky yelled, using the trunk for leverage as he flipped the elephant over, slamming its massive body into Spandam's. The weirdo was crushed under the weight of the giant creature, and Franky let it go. "Thanks to them, my wish has come true! Weapon's Left!" He used the gun in his left wrist to start firing at the remaining marines.
'Oi! Wait for me!' I barked, jumping forward and charging into the melee again, my teeth bared.
"I've been dead once. If that Straw Hats can get out of here alive, I wouldn't mind sacrificing my life again! Surrender your ship! I'll make a way for them to escape!" Franky declared, still firing at the marines.
'Sacrificing your life? Don't be a little shit, Franky!' I snarled, head-butting a marine in his throat. 'Aint nobody got time for dying.'
"I'll help too! I think I'm fine now," Robin said, standing up. "It's different now from that time in Ohara. I have nothing to fear because I'm not alone anymore!"
'Let's do it! Let's get us a ship, guys!'
"Uhahaha!" Frank laughed, licking his lips as the last marines were thrown over the side of the ship. "Sorry marines. We'll use this ship for our escape!"
'Last one!' I chirped, kicking his chin hard enough to send him flying over the railing. I landed neatly on the deck, trotting over to Franky who was standing on the front deck.
"Now, we're finally done with spring cleaning. This convoy ship is now our escape ship! Now all we need to do is wait for the Straw Hats!"
"DOOOON'T…" a voice called from under the sea, and Franky and I both ran over to the railing to see what was going on. "DIE!"
"AHHHH!" Franky screamed.
'FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY!' I shrieked at the sight that burst out of the ocean. It was a mermaid… Kokoro as a mermaid. Along with her, she was dragging a passed out Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Chimney, and rabbit. I fell off the railing from the shock, scrambling away from her as she threw my friends on the deck, landing on there herself.
"GRANNY KOKORO?" Franky yelled, his jaw almost touching the ground.
"No time," she laughed, transforming back into a form with two legs, but flippers on her feet. I tried not to stare and gape. "You might wanna help your these guys."
'…AH SHIT!' I swore, running over to the sprawled out bodies on the deck. Robin joined me.
Franky quickly did the same. "Hey, guys, get a grip! Hey!"
At the same time a fountain of water shot out of all their mouth, leaving them all there laying there, panting with mentally scarred looks on their faces.
"It must be a miracle!" Franky said. "I bet they experienced severe shock somewhere since they've all reached a state of apparent death, but they didn't swallow that much water."
'SOMEWHERE? SOMEWHERE! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!' I yelled.
"Ngagaga," Kokoro laughed. "Good for 'em. I wonder what caused their apparent death…"
"It was you," Franky said bluntly, putting his thumb up.
"It's you, right?" Kokoro said, turning to Robin as she started to pull her clothes back on. "The nakama that Pirate King brat came to rescue. I met you at the shift station. I remember you. I didn't imagine that you would cause something like this."
"Hurry up and get dressed, old hag!" Franky snapped.
"I laughed at his idea of becoming the Pirate King, but maybe it'll come true after all… Ngagaga!"
Usopp, Sanji and Zoro all sat up all of a sudden, coughing and spluttering.
"Is Nami alright?" Sanji coughed.
"You guys are really tough," Franky sweat-dropped.
"I'm glad you're alive," Kokoro said.
"GYAA! IT'S REAL!" Usopp yelled, his eyes popping out of his head at the half dressed old hag on the deck. "MERMAIDS DON'T EXIST!"
"The legend about dugongs being mistaken for mermaids was true, after all!" Zoro gasped, his eyes also popping out of his head.
"Idiot! She hasn't said she's a mermaid yet! Don't give up on your dream!" Sanji yelled at himself.
"I'm a Whitefish Mermaid," Kokoro confirmed.
"NOOO!"
"BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF MERMAIDS WITH LEGS!" Usopp gapped, his jaw dropping.
"Objection!" Sanji sobbed, slamming his fist against the deck. "Mermaids are… Like… Mermaids are… You know…"
"Mermaids' tail fins split into two when we reach the age of 30 and thus we're able to live a life on land," Kokoro explained. "We're a mystical tribe. You'll see for yourself if you reach Fishman island one day.
"Oh, I know!" Usopp gasped. "I heard that the tail of a 100 year old cat will split and the cat will turn into a monster!"
"Ah, you mean the Goblin cat?" Sanji asked.
'Be nice! She saved your asses!' I hissed, swishing my tail.
"WE'RE NOT THE SAME!" the hag snapped. "Why don't you express your gratitude a little!"
"Kokoro, thank you very much," they all said at the same time.
"Nagagaga, no worries!" she laughed.
I saw Sanji's head turn, his eyes landing on Robin for the first time. One of my eyebrows quirked, knowing what he was about to do would be funny. Sure enough, he started running dramatically towards her, his arms spread out.
"ROOOOOOBIN!" he cooed, jumping towards her. At the last second, Chopper and Nami tackled her, knocking her to the side, leaving Sanji to slam his head into the mast poll.
"ROBIN! I'M GLAD WE MADE IT! YOU'RE SAFE!" Nami cried, clinging to her.
"ROBIN!" Chopper sobbed, clinging to both Nami and Robin.
I couldn't help but let a smile slip on my face as I watched them.
"Yes, thanks to you," Robin replied.
"Whoa! Grandma! You're a mermaid!" Chimney asked. "I thought you were a little different because you have fins and scales and all…"
"You should've figured it out! You're her granddaughter!" Franky yelled.
'Chopper!' I gasped in worry when he flopped back down to the deck. I quickly skittered over to him, hovering in worry.
"Huh… I can't move…" he mumbled.
"Understandable," Zoro grunted. "I'll explain it all later."
'Oi...' I sent him a glare, uncertain of what he'd tell Chopper. If he upset Chopper, I'd nail him in the crotch with a headbutt.
I watched him silently as he jumped over the side of the boat and started to walk up the stairs towards the bridge. As soon as I realized what he was doing, I caught up and trotted at his heels. Now I knew the others were safe on the boat, all we needed to worry about was Luffy. He would come back.
"Zoro!" Usopp called, running after us as we stopped at the bridge, looking back as the island that was now aflame.
"Hey, look at that," Zoro said as Usopp stopped next to us. "Hard to believe that it's the island we were just at."
'I hope the others got out…' I grumbled as the marine warships continued to fire away at the island.
"What's this attack about? It turned into a blazing inferno!" Usopp pointed out.
"It seems that there was an order not to kill Nico Robin," Franky declared, walking up behind us. I let out a grunt on confirmation.
"So that's why the bridge hasn't been attacked?" Usopp asked.
"If they don't want to kill her, that means they're still planning to get her back, huh?" Zoro questioned.
"Once they've completely demolished Enies Lobby, they'll probably come to get Nico Robin in close combat," Franky theorized.
"Everyone's all worn out, but there are still many strong ones on the ships, right!" Usopp panicked. "Where's Luffy now!"
"I still see smoke of their battle coming from the top of the bridge's first prop. His opponent is without a doubt that Pigeon Guy, Rob Lucci," Franky said.
"They're close. Why don't we lend a hand?" Usopp asked.
"Don't even try," Zoro answered. "That pigeon guy is not an ordinary guy. It's a bad idea to get involved in their fight. We must keep our escape route open, even if the fleet of enemy warships comes at us, and wait for Luffy right here! That's what we should do! The storm is about to come."
"…Okay!" Usopp replied.
"Franky," Sanji called, walking up behind us. "Your nakama…"
"Idiot," Franky laughed. "They really have the Devil's luck! They'll get away all right!"
'Now we wait for Luffy…' I mumbled, siting down patiently next to Zoro, staring defiantly across the bridge to where Luffy was fighting.
"We're ready to sail out any time now!" Nami yelled out from the boat after a few minutes. "We can set out as soon as Luffy comes back!"
"Yeah, but if we simply think about it, the number of warships out there is equal to the number of people we've got here," Sanji pointed out. "Even if we do sail out, it will be almost impossible to get out of here."
'If I have to take on a warship or two by myself, I will,' I snarled, showing my teeth in the ship's direction, my claws digging into the bridge.
"Reporting from the northeast side of the main gate," the voice came over the speakers of the boat. "Marines and government officials in Enies Lobby have been accommodated. Also, we've confirmed that approximately 50 pirates, including some giants are at the main gate."
"That's… That's Zambai and the others! See! They got off the island alright!" Franky laughed. "I'm not worried about them. They will never die no matter how many times you kill them. Bastards, gahaha!"
"We have completed the obliteration mission," the voice continued, "by means of fire. Death is confirmed for all of them. As it stands, it is impossible to have any survivors left on the island. The number of survivors on Enies Lobby main island is… Zero.
'I-impossible…' I gasped, looking at Franky who had a look of disbelief on his face.
"Reporting from the number 2 warship," a new voice came across. "The courthouse and the Tower of Justice located on the southeast of the island, as well as the underground passage that leads to the bridge, have been demolished. The only target left is the Bridge of Hesitation."
"Franky…" Usopp said.
"They…" Sanji hissed.
"The shipwrights of Galley-La too?" Zoro asked.
"Oimo… Kaashii…" Usopp whispered.
Franky took a deep breath before yelling, "HURRY UP, STRAW HAT! YOUR NAKAMA ARE WAITING FOR YOU HERE! BASTARD, I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU END UP DEAD!"
"Franky…"
An explosion sounded from the area where Luffy was fighting, rubble flying in the air.
"Luffy!" Usopp gasped.
"Lucci is really strong!" Franky pointed out. "If the Straw Hat hadn't been holding him back in that place for a long time… Honestly, I don't know how many of us would've died."
"When I think about it…" Chopper called from the boat. "Sometimes it's as if Luffy knows whom he should fight from the very beginning."
"It's just that his animal instinct for these things is good," Nami replied. "And apparently his is better than yours."
"He… wouldn't die would be?" Usopp asked.
"Idiot," Zoro replied.
"Whaaat!"
A sudden explosion rocked the bridge as they took out the part of it that was connecting Luffy's fighting place to us.
"THEY DESTROYED HALF THE BRIDGE!" Sanji yelled.
"WHAT'S GOING ON!"
"THE WARSHIPS ARE COMING THIS WAY!" Nami screamed.
"All ships: form a battle formation around the bridge of hesitation," a voice called over the speaker. "We have confirmed that there are ten pirates, including Pirate Hunter Zoro and Nico Robin on the bridge and convoy."
"They're coming to get Robin again!" Zoro said, drawing his swords and getting into a battle-ready position. I jumped up to my paws as everyone else got ready for a fight.
"We won't let you do that!" Nami called.
'ROBIN IS OURS!' I snarled, my fur standing on end.
"They are probably the main force who defeated the CP9 in the Tower of Justice."
"Hey! Look over there!" Usopp said, drawing out attention to the tower where Luffy was fighting. The attack that broke the bridge cleared a large hole in the side of the building so that we could clearly see Lucci and Luffy. "LUFFY! WE'RE HERE!"
Luffy's head snapped around to look at us.
"WE ALL GOT TO THE BRIDGE SAFELY!" Franky called.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US, LUFFY!" Usopp joined in.
"WE GOT ROBIN SAFELY TOO!" Sanji yelled, pumping his fist.
'KICK HIS ASS, CAPTAIN!' I howled, throwing my head up in the air.
"DEFEAT HIM! WE'LL GET OUTTA HERE ALIVE TOGETHER!"
Luffy sent us a smile, nodding his head ever so slightly.
"In the end, this is what it comes down to," Zoro said, turning his walking closer into the bridge, getting ready to face the marines. Sanji, Franky and I followed suit, and I stuck closely to Zoro's side. I wanted to help him kick some ass when things hit the fan. "A game of endurance…"
'It's time,' I purred mentally, glancing around at the marines that lined the sides of the warships that were surrounding us.
"We have no need for people with a rank below that of Lieutenant Commander to go to the front," the voice came over the speaker yet again. "Assault unit consisting of 200, captains and commanders only. Take care of them immediately."
"He-Head Quarter Captains would be of the same level as that smoke bastard, Smoker!" Usopp stuttered. "There are so many of them!"
"It's simply proof that they're scared of us," Zoro said, and a grim smirk broke over my face.
"Eh? Huh? Where's Sanji?" Usopp asked all of a sudden and the rest of us looked at the spot he was before, but was not any longer. "He was here a minute ago!"
"What! Where the hell did that idiot cook go!" Zoro snapped.
"GET READY TO CHARGE!" a voice from the ships yelled.
"Stop trying to show off and attack already!" Zoro snapped.
"This'll be fun," Franky said, stretching his arms.
'BRING IT ON!' I snarled in challenge, pulling out my knife and spreading out my legs with my neck and back arched.
"We'll take 'em all on here, no matter what!" Zoro ordered, pulling out his swords. "We'll do this until Luffy gets here!"
"We've got to move away from the ship!" Nami called. "If they inflict damage to this ship, we won't be able to escape!"
"I'll never get caught by them!" Robin declared.
"RETRIEVE NICO ROBIN!" someone ordered, and at the same time all the marines let out war cries before launching themselves off the ships and into the air.
"After all this trouble we went through to get her back, you think that's gonna happen?" Franky challenged.
"200 marines… Sounds good!" Zoro called.
"But there's so many!" Usopp protested.
"Weapons Left!" Franky yelled, firing a small rocket out of his wrist that blew up in the air where some of the marines were.
"Taking them out one by one will be too hard. I'll just finish this now!" Zoro declared, jumping up into the air and swinging his swords at a group of marines.
'I WON'T LET YOU HAVE ROBIN!' I howled as I charged forward, springing up in the air to meet the charge head on. I slammed my paws into the face of the first marine turning him into a launching pad and using the force to throw him down to the ground. One of the marines in the air near me swung his sword towards me, and I caught it on my knife, flipping around, thrusting my back feet into his throat, causing him to let go of the sword and clutch his throat as he fell towards the water. Before he got too far away, I bounced off of his stomach, spinning in a ball and nailing another marine in the stomach, throwing him away.
By now, the rest of the marines had landed on the ground, so I tucked my head in, curling into a ball on rotating as I fell back towards the bridge. At the last second I uncurled, slamming my paws into the back of the head of a marine that had a cannon aimed at Usopp, smashing his face into the stone.
I looked around for my next opponent, only to notice that I'd been surrounded by a group of marines, all their weapons aimed at me.
'Mother fuc–' at the same time, several of them fired their small cannons directly at me, forcing me to jump up into the air to dodge the explosions. Before I had a chance to land again, three marines appeared in the air around me, all of the bearing swords. At the same time they swung at me at me, and I forced to twist in such a way that my back was facing the ground so I could catch the swords on my knife. The power behind the blows was more that I expected, sending me flying back at the ground.
I flipped around, smashing the top of my head against the head of a marine, causing the ground under his feet to crack. I jumped off, hitting the ground and running. If I stopped, they'd surrounded me again. I quickly figured that what I need to do was keep moving.
"WATCH OUT! THERE ARE DEVIL FRUIT USERS, TOO!" Franky's voice called through all the sounds of battles.
"The same goes for us too!" Robin replied.
I jumped up, swiping my knife across the chest of a marine, blood flying through the air. Something black came flying towards me out of the corner of my eyes, and I managed to make out that it was a large club, wielded by a marine, right before it impacted with my side, knocking all the wind out of me as I went flying across the bridge. I was almost thrown off the side, but I dug my claws into the ground and skidded across it, stopping mere centimeters away from the edge.
'Shit!' I swore, panting slightly. Another marine swung a sword at me, but I ducked between his legs, kicking him in the crotch with my back feet as I did so. 'I can only fight one damn person at a time! I really need an attack that can take out more than one person!'
"KEEP HOLDING ON UNTIL LUFFY GETS HERE!" Zoro yelled through the sounds of battle.
'Shit! Shit! Shit! THINK OF SOMETHING, YOU STUPID IDIOT!' I spat at myself as I was forced to do more dodging then attacking, weaving throughout legs and ducking under attacks. I skidded to a sudden stop as a plan suddenly flashed through my mind, forcing me to weigh up the chance of success. 'You can do this, idiot!'
I stared the marines down silently, standing my ground while several of them charged me at once, their swords raised. 'Wait… Wait… Wait…' I purred mentally, tuning everything else out from around me. The marines started to bring their swords down over my head. '…NOW!'
I put as much force into my legs as I could, launching myself straight up in the air above the heads of the marines as their swords impacted on the ground where I had just been. The image of the CP9 fan-girl flashed through my head as I curled into a ball, starting to spin. To create that force from her fans, she had twirled in a circle… I tightened my grip on my knife, positioning it out the side of my mouth, as I bent my head to the side. I spun in the air, starting to fall back towards the ground as I built up speed. 'Come on… Come on… COME ON! WORK!' I snapped my head back around, carving my blade through the air as fast I could, feeling the air part around it. I felt a slight resistance as if there was some sort of barrier in the air, but I kept pushing on with all the force I could, and something exploded out of the edge of my blade, splitting the air in its path. I completed the swing and I stared with wide eyes in midair as a blast of what I could only describe as cutting air, sliced towards a bunch of marines gathered below. It smacked into them at full force, sending a shock wave that blew a large group of them away, several being thrown off the side of the bridge, a cloud of dust going up in the air.
I fell back to the ground, landing neatly on my paws as the dust settled around me. 'I… I did it… It… Worked!' I laughed in my head, jumping up and smacking my paws against the ground in celebration.
"LUFFY!" I heard Usopp's voice scream out, and my head snapped around to see him standing on the edge of the bridge, facing where Luffy was with his mask off. Luffy was laid out on the ground, Lucci standing over him.
'…Usopp,' I mumbled. 'Luffy!'
"LUFFY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! WAKE UP! LUFFY!" Usopp screamed.
A whistling in the air drew my attention back to the battle and I tried to jump backwards, only to have the blade slice through my side. I yelped, tumbling back, rolling over and jumping straight back to my feet. I was forced to duck under another swing, and then another after that. I tried to catch the next one on my sword, but the marine just smirked and doubled the power as it connected with my blade. The blow jarred my mouth and my blade was thrown from my jaws and across the bridge. I peeled back my teeth in a snarl, taking a step away from him as he advanced on me. The marine smirked even more before swinging the blade for me yet again. I started to dodge, but changed my mind at the last second when a stupid idea came into my head that I decided I had to try out. Instead of dodging it, I jumped straight towards the blade, jaws open and teeth flashing. The marine's eye widened as my jaws snapped closed around the metal, stopping it and shattering the blade at the same time, metal flying through the air. My ears rang from the force I had, had to put behind breaking the blade, and I had to shake my head to clear it. I glanced back up at the marine who was glancing between the broken sword in his hands, and me. It was my turn to smirk wolfishly at him right before I slammed my forehead against his. I then made sure to slam his head against the ground before retrieving my knife.
"Usopp? You… You're here…" I heard Luffy call weakly back across.
"D-Don't misunderstand me!" Usopp snapped. "I only came here to rescue Robin! It's not like I came here to see your face! Hey, you, the boss cat of the CP9! I'll be your next opponent! Come get me!"
"Hey! Don't!" Luffy protested. "Don't try… You… Don't start it!"
"I gave no business with someone who has been defeated," Lucci stated. "I'll kill everyone anyway."
I snarled, half listening to what Usopp and Luffy were saying while I continued to duck, dodged, weave and attack the marines.
"Right, come here boss cat!" Usopp challenged. "I'll blow you away!"
"Are you and idiot! Stop it, Usopp! You'll get killed!" Luffy yelled.
"Shut up! What can you, a half-dead man, do!" Usopp barked back.
"I'LL FINISH HIM OFF!"
"THEN STAND UP RIGHT AWAY! AND DON'T ACT LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU! EVEN IF THERE ARE BILLOWS OF SMOKE, WE CAN STILL SEE THE SKY! WE CAN STILL SEE THE OCEAN! IT AIN'T LIKE IT'S HELL HERE! DON'T ACT LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE! DON'T MAKE ME WORRY TOO MUCH, DAMMIT!"
"I know… This isn't hell or anything like that…" Luffy started to stand back up.
"WIN AND WE'LL ALL GO BACK TOGETHER, LUFFY!"
"OF COURSE!"
And with that said, Usopp was quick to join the fighting again, leaving Luffy to deal with Lucci. I was starting to feel more than a little tired, all my wounds screaming with protest every time I moved now. I didn't matter how many I took out, they kept getting back up and more kept appearing.
As a bunch of marines all tried to dog-pile me at once, I was forced to jump up in the air and repeated the move I'd learnt before, spinning in the air and snapping my head around to create a blast of air. This time the attack was weaker than the last, my body not being able to muster all the force it had before. This time the attack only took three marines. I landed and I started to dodge again, bouncing, zipping, and dancing between them, slicing at their legs with my blade now. That was until the area Luffy was fighting in exploded so violently that it shook the whole area, drawing everyone's attention – even that of the marines I was brawling with.
"LUFFY?" the others called as we waited for the smoke to clear so that we could see what had happened. The smoke cleared enough to make out the forms of both Luffy and Lucci sprawled on the ground.
"WE'RE GOING BACK TOGETHER, ROBIN!" Luffy screamed.
"R-Reporting to all warships!" came the voice from the speaker. "Mr. Rob Lucci of CP9 has been defeated by the Pirate, Straw Hat Luffy just now!"
"…LUFFY WON!" Usopp screamed in victory.
"Got me scared for a moment," Zoro laughed.
"You finally did it, Straw Hat!" Franky called.
'GOOD JOB, CAPTAIN!' I threw my head back and howled at the sky, the sound echoing around the area.
"Guys, get on the escape ship, right now! We'll set out!" Nami called.
"GOOD JOB, STRAW HAT!" another, different, voice called over the speaker.
"Idiot, they'll hear us!"
"It's okay, we're letting them know!"
"BRO! BROOO!"
"That voice… Who!" Usopp gaped.
"Stop! If we ran away quietly they'd just think we're all dead!"
"Guys…" Franky mumbled.
"It's them," Zoro smirked.
'They're okay,' I sighed in relief.
"We're all safe here!"
"The giants took all of the bombardment for us!"
"The warships are gonna come again! Let's run, quick!"
"We have a way to escape too, so don't worry about it! I'll see you guys later!"
"GUUUUUYZ!" Franky sobbed, tears streaming from his eyes. "VIDIOOOD I WOULD DEVER VORRY ABOUT YOU GUUUUYS! VOOOLS! Yee! Zouz hidiods zar abrive! Abriiive! Ahrm zo glayd! Ahm zo happeeeey!"
"Yeah, that's good news! But all will be meaningless if you die, won't it?" Zoro asked.
"What are you doing!" one of the lead marines yelled. "Hurry up and finish your mission!"
With that order, the attacks started again, and I groaned mentally, running straight at a marine and vaulting up so that I could smash his head against the head of a fellow marine, dropping them both.
"Don't take your eyes off Straw Hat!" the same marine ordered again.
"Y-Yes, Sir, but!" the voice called across the speaker. "Pirate Straw Hat Luffy is also fatally wounded and doesn't seem to be moving from the spot at all!"
"What!" Zoro hissed.
'Dammit, Luffy!' I snarled, driving the hilt of my blade into the stomach of a marine.
"HEY, LUFFY!" Usopp yelled. "HURRY UP AND COME OVER HERE! IF WE DON'T GET AWAY, WE WON'T SURVIVE! WHAT'S WRONG! WE'RE ALMOST THERE! USE YOUR GOMU GOMU AND JUMP OVER HERE! I'LL CARRY YOU FROM HERE! WE'RE SURROUNDED BY THE OCEAN AND WARSHIPS! YOU'LL BE KILLED IF YOU STAY THERE!"
"Can't… My body… Won't move… At all!" Luffy panted.
"DON'T BE SILLY! YOU WON THE BATTLE!" he screamed back. "WE GOT ROBIN BACK, TOO! ALL WE HAVE LEFT IS TO GO BACK! PLEASE! YOU CAN DO IT!"
"USOPP!" Nami called. "WE CAN TAKE THE SHIP TO WHERE LUFFY IS! EVERYONE, GET ONBOARD!"
"FIRE!" the speakers screamed, and our boat suddenly exploded in a ball of flame and explosion, a heat wave blasting over us.
"NO! OUR ESCAPE SHIP!" Nami screamed.
"WHAT THE HELL! WE'RE DOOMED! THAT SHIP WAS OUR WAY OUTTA HERE!" Franky yelled.
"KOKORO! CHINMNEY! GOMBE! CHOPPER!" Nami called.
'SHIT! THE OTHERS WERE ON THE SHIP!' I gasped, my head snapping around to stare at the ball of flames and smoke.
"THEY'RE SORT OF SAFE!" Sanji coughed as he ran out of the flames and up the stairs, onto the bridge, carrying the four of then.
"SANJI! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME!" Nami yelled as he ran up to her dropped the others.
"Yeah, sorry, I had some errands to run!" Sanji said. "But oh man! What a mess! Since we have Robin on our side, I didn't think they'd fire at the ship."
'Well I'll be dammed. We all have the Devil's luck. Nothing will kill any of us,' I sighed in relief, snapping my jaws around the wrist of a marine and throwing him over my body and into another marine.
"FIRE!" the speaker called. "CHASE THEM TO THE SECOND PROP!"
More bombardments started to hit the bridge, cutting down its size bit by bit. Everyone turned tail and ran to the edge of the bridge that was closet to Luffy, even the marines who were targeted in the attack as well. The warship didn't care about them, a lot of them being blasted off the bridge by the attacks. I felt heat biting at the tip of my tail and the ground started to shatter under my paws, trying to drag me down to the sea with it. I wasn't about to go for a swim, so I put my remaining energy behind I jump, launching myself up into the air and out of the smoke. I landed on the only remaining bit of the bridge, skidding to a stop as the attacks stopped.
"Shit! The bridge is gone! We're trapped on the prop!" Sanji snapped.
"There's nothing we can do any more!" Zoro hissed.
"We'll just have to fight all of 'em here!" Nami protested.
"Don't be stupid! There's gonna be a bunch of stronger ones coming out!" Franky replied.
'We have to do something!' I growled, staring down the warships that were surrounding us. I didn't get much time to do some staring before the marines that were left continued their attacks on us.
"Aim all cannons at the first prop!" the speaker called. "Obliterate Straw Hat Luffy immediately!"
"Luffy's in danger! We should at least get him to this side!" Zoro yelled, taking out a few more marines.
"LUFFY!" Usopp cried.
"It's no good! Even if I try to pull him, he'll fall into the ocean on the way here!" Robin called.
"STAND UP, STRAW HAT!" the Franky Family and shipwrights called across the speaker.
"Pull yourself together, brat!" Kokoro scolded.
"PIRATE BROTHER!" Chimney cried.
"LUFFY! STAND UP! PLEASE!" Nami begged.
"CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING AT ALL, LUFFY?" Sanji yelled.
'LUFFY! STAND UP! MOVE! DO SOMETHING!' I howled, catching a sword swing on my blade and twisting around to kick straight into the marine's stomach.
"LUFFY!"
"STRAW HAT!"
"STRAW HAT! COME ON!"
"STRAW HAT!"
"LUFFY!"
"Wh-who is it? Whose voice is it?" Usopp cried all of a sudden, gripping his head.
"I told you, they're my men!" Franky snapped, knocking away a few more marines.
"No!" Usopp protested. "Not that voice! It's been around for a while!"
"Look below," an eerie voice called, causing me to tense up and almost get taken out by a marine's punch. I let the punch land on my head, absorbing the blow. The marine pulled back his hand with a cry, clutching it to his chest.
"I can really hear it!" Usopp cried before getting on his hands and knees and peering over the edge of the bridge. "What? Below?"
"Who?" Nami called.
"What is it?" Sanji asked.
"It said, "Look below!"" Chopper cried. We were all hearing it.
"Firing at Straw Hat Luffy in the first prop in five seconds!"
"LUFFY! JUMP INTO THE OCEAN!" Usopp screamed.
"Four seconds!"
"Usopp?" Zoro hissed.
"Robin, can you drop Luffy into the ocean?" Usopp begged.
"Leave it to me!" she replied.
"Idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself!" Zoro snapped, shoving away a few marines. "Being desperate won't save you!"
"Three."
"WE'LL SURVIVE! SHE CAME TO SAVE US!" Usopp screamed, jumping up and grabbing Zoro by the shoulders. I swore and quickly jumped in front of the two, driving the hilt of my knife into a marine's stomach when he went to attack them. "WE STILL HAVE… WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE NAKAMA!"
I glanced into the ocean and words failed me. We did have one more nakama who we'd tried to leave behind, and she'd come back for us.
"Two."
"CIEN FLEUR! DELPHINIUM!" Robin called, hands sprouting up next to Luffy, rolling him towards the edge.
"One."
"INTO THE OCEAN!" Sanji bellowed.
"OCEAN!" Nami laughed.
"INTO THE OCEAN!" Chopper sobbed.
"FOLLOW LUFFY!" Usopp cried, jumping off the bridge as Luffy was thrown over the side by Robin. The rest of us wasted no time, running to the edge and launching ourselves off into the air. I landed one more kick in a marine's crotch for extra measure before I took a run-up and launched myself into the air, howling as I did so.
"THE PIRATES ARE JUMPING INTO THE OCEAN!"
"IDIOTS! THERE'S NO WAY THEY CAN SURVIVE IN THE OCEAN!"
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD!"
"FIRE!"
I looked around at the looks of happiness of everyone's faces; no signs of weariness anymore as the prop exploded behind us.
"Let's go back, everyone!" the ghost voice called again. "Back to the sea of adventure again! I've come to take you home!"
"GET ON MERRY!" Usopp screamed.
"MERRY!" Luffy cried.
Everyone splashed into the ocean around Merry, before swimming straight towards the boat. Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp were the first to get on and started puling everyone else aboard.
"HURRY!" Zoro ordered, reaching over the side and grabbing me by the scruff so that he could drag me in as well.
"MERRY! MERRY IS ALIVE!" Usopp sobbed, clinging to her railing.
"There, get on board, Devil Fruit users! Nagaga!" Kokoro laughing, throwing out three devil fruit users onto the ship.
"It's Merry! I love Merry after all!" Chopper sobbed as he landed on her deck.
"I can't believe it!" Franky gasped as he glanced around. "This ship was already tossed off into the sea at that time…"
"Who steered her here?" Nami questioned.
"That's not important right now! Give us our orders, we need to get outta here!" Zoro snapped.
'Thank you, Merry!' I whimpered, nuzzling my head against her railing.
"Bhaa! That was close! I thought I was gonna get killed by the warships!" Luffy gasped. "Hey! Robin! You saved me! Than –"
Robin used her devil fruit powers to cover his mouth before turning to us all. "Everyone! Thank you!" We all grinned.
"Don't worry about it! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, still sprawled out on the deck.
"Talk nonsense after we get out of here!" Zoro snapped.
"What do you mean nonsense, stupid swordsman!" Sanji snapped, kicking Zoro who was forced to pull him sword out to defend himself. Even Chopper jumped up and bit Zoro's leg like a dog, clinging on.
"Shut up! If we die here, everything would be a waste!"
"Apologize to Robin, you punk!"
"Sanji, go steer the ship, please!" Nami called, breaking up the fight.
"Okay, Nami!" he cooed.
"Hey, hey! Are you kidding me? Are you letting them escape just like that!" a familiar voice yelled over the speakers from the warships. "Rather than letting them escape, blow them up along with Nico Robin! Admiral Aokiji said so! All ships, prepare fire!"
"A-Admiral Aokiji?"
"Okay! Aim!"
"All ships, prepare fire!"
"THAT SPANDA BASTARD! HE'S STILL ALIVE!" Franky raged.
'WHY DOESN'T HE JUST KEEL OVER AND DIE!' I spat, jumping up onto the railing so I could stare down the ships again.
"They're aiming at us!" Usopp panicked.
"Receive wind from starboard and steer towards the east!" Nami ordered in the background.
"No! We're blocked!"
"A number of cannons are aiming at us, too!"
"It's impossible not to get hit!"
"FIRE!" the ships called.
"HERE THEY COME!"
I braced for impact, only to have my jaw drop when none of the blasts hit. Their blasts either hit each other or landed uselessly in the water around us. That caused a lot of shouting and yelling from the warships as they tried to figure out what was going on.
"THE GATES OF JUSTICE WERE CLOSED WITHOUT US KNOWING!"
"THE GATES BLOCKED THE CURRENTS AND CREATED A BUNCH OF WHIRLPOOLS… THEY'RE NOW OVERRIDING OUR STEERING!"
"THE WHIRLPOOLS MESSED UP OUR AIM!"
"DON'T BE SWALLOWED UP BY THE CURRENT!"
Two warships got caught in a current that smashed them against each other, shattering and breaking them.
"IDIOT! WHY DID YOU CLOSE THE GATES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"THE LEVER TO THE CONTROL GATES IS LOCATED AT THE THRID PROP OF THE BRIDGE OF HESITATION! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
"Whoa, that was more than I expected," Sanji admitted as two of the ships that crashed together burst into flames and started to sink.
"Sanji! Could it be…" Usopp gaped.
'That's where you went…' I mumbled.
"They're not the kind of enemy that we can get away form with our guts, right?" Sanji asked, tapping his head with a smirk.
"Amazing, Sanji!" Usopp cheered.
"Are you a genius!" Luffy cried.
"Don't be so happy, alright!" Zoro snapped. "The whirlpools are dangerous for us, too!"
"Oh, yeah! We're gonna die!" Chopper shrieked.
"Shut up, guys! There's no sea that Merry couldn't cross while we were on it!" Nami protested as Merry cut through the waves, wind filling the sails. "Just hang in there until I manage to read how the current flows!"
"Sure thing!"
Missiles continued to landed around the Merry, sending water flying. I got drench by a wave of water as one cannon landed close enough to the boat to splash me.
"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY! FIRE!"
"Defend the ship!" Zoro ordered, running up to the front of the ship. Sanji, Usopp, and I followed him. Robin and Franky kept the mast safe. A range of attacks pushed any cannonballs that came our way back, some even being sent straight back to the enemy ships, where they blew up. Three came my way, and I was forced to stay on the railing and use my back feet to kick them back at the marine ships. I had to use enough force to get them away from Merry before they exploded. We all work in a synchronized manner, making sure none made contact with Merry.
"I want to fight too!" Luffy complained, dragging himself towards us with his teeth. I sweat-dropped.
"You can't even move!" Usopp protested, firing a few of his bullets at the canon balls.
"He's right, Luffy," Sanji agreed, landing on the deck after kicking a cannonball back at the warships. "Leave this too us."
"You just go rest," Zoro finished, sending a slice into the air, causing several cannonballs to exploded in midair.
'You'll get in trouble up here,' I snapped, jumping up in the air slamming my head against a cannonball, sending it flying back at the warships.
"I don't care what you say!" Luffy whined, still dragging himself closer. "I'm gonna fight too!"
"Stop it already, Luffy!" Zoro growled.
"But I'm the captain!" he protested, and Sanji and Zoro finally gave up, Zoro grabbing Luffy's legs and Sanji grabbing Luffy's arms. They braced themselves against the railing, stretching Luffy out like a sheet. I skittered back out of the road, past the point of caring what they did now. Luffy was asking for it. A volley of cannonballs came flying for the ship, and Zoro and Sanji used Luffy to catch them.
"One…"
"Two…"
"THREE!"
The used Luffy to send the cannonballs straight back at the warship that fired them, causing a massive explosion on the ship.
"You saved us, Captain!" Zoro laughed as he dropped Luffy back to the deck.
"That's the captain for you!" Sanji agreed, big grins on both their faces.
"YOU GUYS ARE MONSTERS!" Usopp snapped, and all three of them gave him peace signs.
'They're men, whatcha gonna do,' I sighed, shaking my head slowly.
"I see a way to victory!" Nami declared all of a sudden. "Chopper! Hard to the port!"
"Got it!" he replied, steering the ship.
"Towards 9 o'clock!" I felt the motion of the ship change as we caught a new current, the ship zipping around the warships.
"GO!" Luffy cheered.
"The pirates are heading towards the fall!" the speaker called out.
"FIRE! FIRE! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING! ARE YOU IDIOTS!"
"They seem to have caught the flow of the whirlpools! They're moving at rapid speed!"
"DAMMIT! DAMN IT ALL TO HELL, BASTARDS!" Spandam screeched as the Merry started to get away from the marines. "I USED ALL OF ENIES LOBBY'S POWER! I USED ALL THE POWER OF THE BUSTER CALL! WHY THE HELL CAN'T I GET A SINGLE WOMAN FROM THOSE WORTHLESS PIRATES!"
'Robin…' I glanced to the side, noticing she had made her way up the back of the ship with us. I watched silently as Robin crossed her arms over her chest, arms appearing all over Spandam.
"Clutch!" I heard the cracks from all the way over on Merry, causing me to smirk.
"Franky! Your turn!" Nami called out as Franky made his way up to the back of the ship with us.
"Block their course! They cannot get away from the whirlpool anyway!" the marines called.
"This will probably hurt the ship a little, but…" he took the same stance he took when he pushed the monster Chopper from the building, and I knew straight away what he was planning. I jumped up the railing and onto the deck, standing near Luffy so I could make sure he didn't go flying off. "Coup De Vent!"
A blast of air shot out of Franky's hand, slamming into the water and pushing Merry flying off into the sky. I dug my claws into the deck so I wouldn't get blown off.
"Don't underestimate her experience!" Usopp snapped, getting ready to fire another of his bullets. "Merry flew 10,000 meters into the sky! Cho Kemuri Boshi*!" Usopp fired something that went flying back to where the marine warships were, exploding and creating a large smoke screen to block us from their view. There was a loud round of yelling from the ships as Merry landed back on the ocean, the wind picking up her sails straight away. They tried firing more cannonballs through the smokescreen, but none of them came even close to Merry as we sped away from them.
'Can I sleep yet?'
"Is this good enough?" Kokoro asked as he dropped Luffy on Merry's figurehead.
"Yep, this is my seat!" Luffy explained before resting his against Merry's head. "We managed to get away thanks to you, Merry!"
"But then, what you guys did was really dangerous," Franky said all of a sudden. "You burnt down the flag of the World Government."
"We only took back our nakama who was taken away!" Luffy answered, rolling over. "THIS FIGHT IS OUR VICTORY!"
"YEAH!"
Cho Kemuri Boshi: Literally meaning "Super Smoke Star". This is called "Special Attack: Super Smoke Star" in the FUNimation Subs.
Beta read by praeses