Chapter 13: Assemble.
—OoOoO—
Mother Nature was a warm figure who supported all life and the needs of living things. She protected all lives from external disturbances and allowed living things to grow under her supervision. She was like a friendly mother who always faithfully accompanied her children on all occasions. However, it wasn't uncommon for her children to misbehave and cause trouble, so the mother would sometimes give a little reprimand.
The sky around the waters of Water Seven looked so calm until a few hours ago. The waves in the ocean also danced with a rhythm that could pamper the eyes and ears. However, as if wanting to show their sorrow for what happened in Water Seven, the clear sky was now filled with black clouds that looked terrifying. The calm ocean raged fiercely without caring about the frightened souls. The water level on the coastline was shrinking by metres as if giving a warning sign that a terrible disaster would hit them.
In theory, breaking through the sea route with such crazy weather was impossible. However, without fear of the enormous waves that would roll it, a train galloped on the water with great might.
It was a sea train that looked sturdy and had a luxurious exterior. Despite the various natural obstacles blocking it, the black locomotive pulled six cars at a steady speed and without the slightest jolt. Each car seemed to be filled with men with scary looks. However, right behind the locomotive, the second car looked quite empty and only carried a few passengers.
"That's my report on the security of each carriage. It may sound excessive considering this is just a regular escort mission," said one of the agents before seven people.
The man's eyes glanced at the people one by one, seeing them looking ragged, especially Blueno and Kalifa with their battered faces.
"But seeing that our best agents returned in this condition, it seems that the preparations made were very appropriate."
The statement seemed to trigger the people in the car, especially Blueno and Kalifa, who immediately glared at the man. The man jumped upon the deadly gaze as if stung by something that penetrated his bones. He looked down, avoiding direct eye contact with them.
"Th-then, that's all my report, I will excuse myself to my post in the driver's cabin," he stuttered.
No reply gave the man permission to leave the place. As an officer with a reasonably low rank, he couldn't leave without permission when meeting with people of higher rank than him. However, the silence of those people wasn't because they didn't give him permission, but more because they didn't care about his existence.
Realising the unpleasant atmosphere, the woman with short blonde hair sighed as she closed her eyes.
"You can go."
Hearing that, the man immediately put on a salute pose with a relieved expression clearly written on his face.
"Thank you, Lady Stussy!"
Stussy didn't care much about the response. She even stared out the window, looking at the raging ocean fiercely. Even so, even though her eyes were fixated on the scenery, her mind was in turmoil, imagining various scenarios that might happen in the future.
However, her peace was disturbed when a woman's voice interrupted.
"What's the point of you being on this mission if you weren't even help us, Stussy?"
"As an agent, you should understand that the information I gave you is the best capital to face them," Stussy replied without looking at Kalifa.
Stussy sighed. Feeling the need to face her juniors directly, she finally looked at the only woman besides herself.
"Besides, my objective is Nico Robin, while digging something out of Cutty Falm is Spandam's ambition. Do you think I would willingly follow orders from an idiot who got his position through his father's connections?"
This mission could be said to be a large-scale military operation. At first, it was indeed a mission to find the blueprint of an ancient weapon, which Spandam insisted on executing. However, after the organisation's collapse led by Crocodile, an order to arrest Nico Robin was immediately issued.
As one of the best agents owned by the World Government, Stussy immediately calculated which path Robin would take after leaving Alabasta. After conducting various elimination methods to track and predict her movements, Stussy reported that her target could stop by Water Seven.
Because of that, the mission to search for the blueprint carried out by the CP9 unit became a large-scale collaborative mission involving all elements in Cipher Pol to capture Nico Robin and search for the blueprint.
"You do realise that your actions could be categorised as disobeying orders from your superiors, right?" Blueno asked sarcastically.
Stussy looked down on the man with horn-like hair. The corners of her lips curled into a condescending smile.
"Hearing those words come out of the mouth of a CP9 agent, have you really become an idiot like Spandam?"
"Watch your mouth. Even if-."
"Enough, Blueno," Rob Lucci interrupted and looked at the woman, "Stussy, if you really think you're a senior, act like one."
The eyes of the two strongest people in the group met. As if they could communicate just by exchanging glances, not a single word came out of their mouths. Their high self-esteem prevented them from looking away first. It was like a competition between apex predators seeking to assert their dominance.
However, realising her childish behaviour, Stussy closed her eyes and chuckled softly, laughing at herself.
"My bad, my bad," she paused briefly, "But honestly, you must also understand that my job is Nico Robin. In fact, I was given the authority to kill her on the spot if only Spandam didn't insist on using her knowledge to uncover the truth of the blueprint."
Stussy glanced at the bench across from her, where Nico Robin was. However, the woman, who probably only had a few hours left to live, seemed indifferent to her kidnappers' argument and only stared blankly at the ocean.
"Nico Robin has been successfully secured, so you should have taken the initiative when the girl from Straw Hat Pirates interfered with the capture of Cutty Falm," said Kalifa while compressing the bruise on her face that Maki had given.
"Isn't that what I did when I took the twins hostage so that Maki had no choice but to surrender?" Stussy narrowed her eyes at Kalifa with a disdainful smile, "Or, do you want me to join the fight too so you can get your revenge after being knocked out in such a humiliating manner?"
Kalifa's face instantly turned red after hearing the sarcasm. Her jaw clenched until the veins on her temples thickened. Her sharply curved eyebrows showed the woman wasn't happy with those words. However, she couldn't deny it, or it'd show her pathetic side even more.
Ultimately, the woman with long blonde hair could only turn her face away with defeat that she had to eat.
"Well, there's no need to be embarrassed even if you lost to Maki. After all, she's one of Straw Hat's big hitters," Stussy said, trying to make her understand.
"You say as if we can't win against them," Kaku replied after remaining silent.
Stussy turned her gaze to the long-nosed man and gave a meaningful smile.
"Are you sure you can beat them? Even you guys had a hard time fighting Maki alone. Blueno, Kalifa, and even Jyabura were neutralised by her."
Stussy paused, thinking that something in her words needed a slight correction.
"Well, although in this case, Jyabura collapsed because he was careless and fell into the sea," the woman continued.
Fortunately, the man was on duty in the driver's room. Otherwise, he'd have gone berserk and ranted after hearing what Stussy said.
"All in all, as I warned you, you could lose if you have to fight them one-on-one," Stussy concluded.
All CP9 members guarding the car simultaneously stared at the CP0 agent. Although they wore varying expressions, the same intensity was shown towards the blonde woman.
"You really are underestimating us, huh?" Lucci, the squad leader, finally spoke up.
Stussy shook her head slowly at the question.
"I never underestimated you. If anything, you guys are the ones who underestimated them just because you managed to defeat Straw Hat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro in one single blow," the woman said while looking straight at the long-haired man, "In fact, they were just unaware of your strength, that's why you were able to win. However, just like Maki, you gave them a chance to adapt instead of executing them on the spot."
In some ways, the most dangerous creatures weren't always about those with superior strength. Solid strength could confirm living beings' status in the social pyramid. Absolute power could indeed place them at the top of life. However, an aspect that was often overlooked by people was that sometimes, the most dangerous creatures came from those who continued to adapt tirelessly.
Basically, living things were creatures that constantly adapted to get their strongest form. However, not everyone could continue to grow to achieve that hope. Sometimes, some people had that gift since they were born. It was also not uncommon to find those who've been lulled by their achievements so that they stop growing.
In fact, the number of people who successfully adapted was far less than those who failed or even chose not to dare to try. It made them lulled and quickly complacent because they saw the many miserable people below them. However, they were blind that the limitless fresh blood was hidden with the spirit to continue adapting among those wretched people.
The moment those at the top become careless in monitoring the small changes at the grassroots, their era would soon come to an end.
"Do you think they are the only ones who will grow?" Lucy said coldly, "When they take two steps forward, I will have already run ten steps."
Stussy let out a short sigh and smiled lopsidedly while rolling her eyes.
'That's why I said you guys underestimated the Straw Hats.'
Stussy threw her face to the passenger seat across. There, her primary target, Nico Robin, seemed uninterested in the conversation. However, through her honed kenbunshoku, she could feel the unstable anxiety radiating from the woman even though she was trying to cover it up with her straight face.
Robin looked like a helpless insect trapped in a spider's web, waiting for her death. Seeing her despair, the blonde woman showed a smile filled with satisfaction and excitement. After all, the black-haired woman was considered one of the most dangerous people in the world.
Her combat power may be average at best. She was also not the type to fight on the front lines. However, her knowledge was the key that could end an era and even create a new dynasty. She even could awaken the ancient powers that have long been forgotten. All in all, Nico Robin was the highest priority, whose existence must be eliminated immediately, no matter what.
Stussy rested her head on the back of the bench. Her eyes were tightly closed with the coquettish smile gone from her face. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she began to think about Robin. As if she was constantly doing various simulations in her head, Stussy tried to find the best solution to complete her mission perfectly.
'It sucks. From the start, the difficulty level of this mission is near to impossible. If there's even the slightest mistake, everything we've worked on for years will be ruined.'
Stussy sighed tiredly, hoping that her burden would also be released through the circulation of air she exhaled. However, the sigh that sounded like someone complaining also attracted Lucci's attention, who was sitting beside her.
"What's wrong, Stussy?"
The blonde woman was silent momentarily, searching for words to use as an excuse until she felt something was off on the train.
"There was an intruder in the last carriage," Stussy replied curtly.
Those words elicited mixed reactions from all the passengers in the carriage. Even Robin, who had been staring blankly at the storm, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"What? Is that one of the Straw Hats?!"
The long-nosed man rushed to ask for more information. So did Kalifa, who smiled lightly at Stussy.
"Didn't you master kenbunshoku haki? How could you not know that there was an intruder on the train? Aren't you the Stussy-sama, the best agent of CP0? How could someone like you be caught off guard? Could it be, you let that happen and are planning something behind the scenes?"
Stussy stared at the long-haired woman, who seemed to have a satisfied expression after making fun of her. Apparently, Kalifa grew a deep grudge after being insulted by Stussy and considered not having the capacity to defeat the Straw Hat members.
"First of all, I didn't have enough time to remember the presence of the people on this train," Stussy replied with a blank expression, indicating that the taunts didn't affect her, "Secondly, our uninvited guest seems to be quite intelligent. He didn't make a mess and hid to get as much information as possible. However, it seems he was a bit unlucky that some agents accidentally found him."
"It's just one person, right? There's no way he could reach this car," Blueno commented.
"No, it's very possible. If anyone has the guts to infiltrate, it's one of the big hitters, and the only one we haven't encountered so far is the chef, Sanji. If it's him, no one has a chance of stopping him except us."
"So, we have to step in to deal with it?" It was Kaku's turn to ask.
Stussy glanced at the long-nosed man and shook her head slowly.
"If one of us fights him, it will be a fierce battle and this train could roll over into the ocean."
Several things could have caused their mission to fail. However, failing because the train they were on crashed into the sea was the most ridiculous reason for her career. Not only would it tarnish her record, but Stussy would have considered early retirement right then and there.
Stussy stood up and stared at Blueno, making everyone curious about what she would do.
"Blueno, follow me."
The horn-haired man raised his eyebrows.
"Didn't you say we wouldn't fight?"
"We won't," Stussy replied casually, "Instead, we'll bring Cutty Falm here and cut off the third carriage so the intruder can't catch up."
—OoOoO—
When Mother Nature was on a rampage, there was little the world and its inhabitants could do to fight her. Humans had learned that fighting nature's wrath would only cause more damage. There was nothing that could be done to prevent it from happening. Much like a landlord reprimanding her tenants, Mother Nature would sometimes nudge the world and its inhabitants, showing who the actual owner of the world was and reminding them that they were only living on her land because of her kindness.
Water Seven was in a dire state. The giant tsunami that hit the island caused much damage in every corner. Although the buildings have been designed to withstand various natural disasters, the losses suffered were incalculable. Infrastructure was paralysed, ships at the dock were lifted to the mainland, and goods that should still be worth selling had become trash.
Aqua Laguna was what the locals call the giant tsunami. Although it was an event that occurred every year simultaneously, a solution to overcome this natural disaster hasn't been found until now. The only thing the locals could do was evacuate themselves to the top of the island and watch the bottom being hit by the fierce waves.
"Was that really a tsunami?" Maki muttered.
The girl stood on a building, and her eyes stared at the chaos below, far beyond her expectations.
"There was no earthquake, but the sea water really receded to such crazy levels and came back with a giant tsunami."
After witnessing phenomena like knock-up steam and an island in the clouds, Maki thought nothing else would surprise her. However, she was left gaping again with Aqua Laguna, which crushed everything in front of it. It was as if the foreign world she was stranded in would never cease to amaze her.
"Miss Maki, aren't those your friends?" Mozu called out with a binocular in her eyes.
Maki wasn't alone. She was accompanied by the twins after leaving Franky's hideout to evacuate. Previously, as she had suspected, Stussy had only knocked Kiwi unconscious.
Maki turned to where Mozu was pointing. It was the embankment that bordered the evacuation area on the first layer.
"Oh, you're right. They look exhausted. Were they almost hit by a tsunami?" Maki replied questioningly.
Mozu and Kiwi turned to the girl simultaneously.
"You can see it from here? Even know they're tired? I mean, it's almost a kilometre away, you know?"
"Yeah, somehow."
Maki's seemingly indifferent response made the twins stare at her even more strangely. They knew Maki was a strong figure. After all, it had been proven by her ability to keep up with CP9, even with incredible difficulty. However, they didn't expect that the girl also had sharp eyesight, which could even see things at such a great distance.
"I mean, it's not like there are any buildings blocking the view," Maki continued.
"Even a normal person wouldn't be able to see objects in such detail at this distance, you know?" Kiwi replied.
The study mentioned that humans could see human-sized objects up to a distance of one and a half kilometres, assuming it was in good lighting and no other objects were blocking it. However, what was seen wasn't in perfect detail, only a tiny silhouette confirming that what was seen was an object in question.
Meanwhile, Maki was a true superhuman. Her senses were enhanced insanely after she came to this world, and the remnants of her useless cursed energy disappeared from her body. To say that the girl had eyesight as sharp as an eagle, or even better, wasn't an exaggeration.
Maki glanced at the twins momentarily before her gaze shifted to where her comrades were.
"I'm leaving."
Without waiting for a signal or approval, the bespectacled girl jumped and sped away, leaving the women behind.
—OoOoO—
"Gaaahh…. What the heck was that? No one said Aqua Laguna would be that terrifying," Nami complained as she supported herself with both hands.
Along with her were Luffy, Zoro, and Chopper, who were also overwhelmed by the natural disaster that almost drowned them. The reason was they nearly didn't make it into the safe zone. Even the embankment that was said to be a safe place couldn't withstand the wrath of the tsunami waves, and some parts were even destroyed.
"I can't believe this island could survive something like that every year," Nami added.
"Of course not."
A tanned man with pale blonde hair quickly answered the words. His body looked soaked, and his breathing was laboured after almost sharing the same fate as the Straw Hats.
"If Aqua Laguna was this big every year, Water Seven would have long since disappeared from the map," the man continued, "I don't know why, but this year the scale is simply beyond expectations."
"Paulie, isn't it?" Zoro replied while trying to wake Chopper up, "Thank you. It's not an exaggeration to say we owe you our lives."
The man called Paulie stared at the Swordsman with a flat look. His eyes then closed to calm his adrenaline. It'd have been better if only his cigarette hadn't gone out because of the rain.
"Don't sweat it. Just think of it as my return for all the misunderstandings that made you guys hunted by everyone."
"Even if you say that, your help meant a lot. Just imagining us being swept away by a tsunami that big makes me shudder," Nami replied.
"Let alone you guys, even I who was watching from here was scared seeing it. You're really lucky to survive that."
A foreign voice suddenly entered the conversation. Except for Chopper, who was still unconscious and foaming at the mouth, they all turned to the owner of the voice and found a squat old woman with striking green hair.
"Oh, Monster Granny? You're here too?" Luffy asked as he adjusted his hat.
"Yeah, if I stay in the sea, I'll definitely die."
The green-haired granny scanned the condition of the teenagers.
"Leaving aside Nico Robin who got into trouble, shouldn't there be seven of you? Where are the others? I hope they're safe."
"That's what I want to talk about too."
Nami replied to the question and immediately turned to her green-haired partner.
"Zoro, come here. I have something to tell and you should listen too."
Hearing the request, the man immediately stood up while carrying Chopper. Without asking much, he walked closer to where Nami and Luffy were.
"If it's about chasing Robin, shouldn't we look for that Perverted Chef and Maki first?" Zoro asked.
"Oh, didn't you say before we invaded Ice-ossan's house that it'd be okay without Sanji and Maki?" Luffy responded.
Zoro had to bite his tongue when he heard the question. He said that partly because of his pride, wanting to prove that even without Sanji, it wasn't something to worry about in his team. Unfortunately, it backfired because of their unpreparedness as a team. Honestly, it was understandable because their initial goal was only to infiltrate and capture Robin again without engaging in direct combat.
However, the plan failed because a certain Straw Hat boy didn't know how to infiltrate correctly.
"You know whose fault it was that our operation failed, right?" Zoro said, emphasising each word.
Getting the sarcasm, Luffy smiled widely as if there was no sin on his face. Zoro sighed tiredly, realising that arguing with Luffy would get him nowhere.
"The situation is completely different. If Robin is taken to their base, there's no choice but to go full force. As much as I hate to admit it, we need that Perverted Chef and Maki," the green-haired man continued.
"That's what I wanted to say," Nami said, butting in, "Sanji-kun is currently infiltrating their train. As for Maki-chan…."
Before the short-haired girl could finish her words, her eyes caught the movement of a girl who came from the highland area by jumping from one roof to another. Her eyes sparkled seeing it. Without her realising it, a broad smile spread across her face.
"Speak of the devil, there she is!" Nami shouted while pointing in the direction Maki came from.
Not only Luffy and Zoro but everyone there turned their heads, following the girl's direction. They could see the object Nami was referring to clearly. However, Luffy was the first to shout while stretching his arms.
"Maki! Here! Here!"
In fact, even though Luffy didn't shout or give any signs, Maki had already seen them. Even so, the bespectacled girl continued increasing her speed to get there faster.
Just as Maki landed, she was immediately greeted by Nami's hug.
"Maki-chan! Where have you been? I thought they caught you too~."
Sadness and worry were clearly heard from Nami's whining. Because the girl considered Maki to be her little sister. It was the first time Nami spent their adventure with a girl one year younger than her. Besides, even though Maki was much stronger than her, she wasn't a fussy girl when Nami asked Maki to try on various collections of her clothes as long as they didn't show too much skin.
"Them? You mean those people who claim to be government agents? Have you met them?" Maki asked.
Nami nodded as she let go of her hug.
"Yes, we had a confrontation with them when we tried to capture Robin at Iceburg's residence."
'So, they were at the Mayor's place? Damn, I shouldn't have stopped by Franky's headquarters,' Maki thought to herself.
The boys watched silently while the two girls celebrated reuniting after being hit by various complicated problems. Luffy just looked at them with a big smile. Even though he was a troublemaker, he was sensitive enough to give Nami space to let out her emotions, even if it was only a little.
However, the boy basically had patience that was probably thinner than paper. Seeing Nami, who had released her hug from Maki, he immediately bombarded his newest member with questions.
"Maki, do you know them? Have you had a chance to fight with them?"
The girl with glasses nodded.
"I met them at Franky's secret base, and it was a tough fight."
Hearing this, Luffy let out a growl while putting on a confused expression.
"Yeah, that big cat even kicked me until I was stuck in the building! I'll beat them up one by one if I meet them again!"
Luffy then pointed at Zoro using his thumb and continued his words.
"Oh, by the way, Zoro was even funnier. He got stuck in the chimney! Hahaha!"
The Swordsman frowned and pursed his lips at the sudden mention of his name. His pride felt like it was scratched when Luffy brought up the subject.
"I was just caught off guard because he had such sturdy arms!" Zoro tried to defend himself.
Nami watched the three powerhouses in the group complain about the opponents they had encountered a while ago. She clutched her hips, waiting for them to finish sharing their experiences. However, Nami knew they didn't have the luxury of wasting time while Robin was getting further and further away from their reach.
"Can you save those stories for later and listen to what I have to say first?"
Nami raised her voice a little to get the attention of the monsters. They simultaneously turned to the short-haired girl. Seeing the serious expression on her face while they were talking casually, an awkward feeling began to cover the three of them.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away," Maki replied.
Maki was a girl who was full of discipline. She was a girl with focus and determination. Moreover, if Maki already had a clear goal, she'd do it to the end. However, that didn't mean she was a perfect person. After all, she sometimes experienced a little distraction here and there.
Nami let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes. It wasn't like she was angry or anything. However, putting all that aside, she opened her eyes and looked at her comrades.
"It's fine, but please listen to me carefully."
Nami explained all the information she gathered during her journey to find her comrades after being humiliatingly defeated by CP9. She described it in detail and concisely, ensuring even an idiot like Luffy could understand the situation.
Meanwhile, everyone opened their ears wide so no words were missed. Their eyes were also wide open to observe Nami's lip movements and expressions so that the emotions the girl was trying to convey could be received without any bias.
No sound interrupted Nami except the pouring rain and the rumbling thunder, allowing her to finish her explanation smoothly.
"So, Robin-san really intends to sacrifice herself to protect us? Also, Sanji has been following them and their next stop's a place called Enies Lobby?" Maki asked to confirm.
"And that's one of the World Government headquarters on top of that?" Chopper chimed in with a trembling voice.
Maki bit the bottom corner of her lip, silently cursing the situation that brought them.
'Damn, I let those guys escape because I thought their first stop would be at a branch office or something. But who would've thought that this island would be so close to one of the hearts of the World Government? If I had known this, I should've fought them to the death earlier.'
Even though she knew that regretting what had happened was useless, Maki couldn't help but curse her hesitation in making a firm decision during their confrontation a while ago. If it was just a fight in a standard base, Maki was still confident that she could bring Robin home with the help of people who also wanted to save Franky and maybe other Water Seven people who had a grudge against CP9.
However, because they had to fight in one of the most heavily guarded places in the world, her initial plans turned into disarray.
Clap!
The sound of a fist and palm clashing was heard, and it caught their attention.
"What's there to think about? We go there and get Robin back!"
Luffy shouted loudly, indicating that there was no room for discussion and no refusal. His decision was final, and no one could challenge it.
Everyone fell silent, hearing Luffy's determination. Even the crowd that had been watching them silently were left speechless by the determination. There wasn't a single person in Water Seven who didn't know about Enies Lobby. Even people with no sins would be frightened and overthink if taken to that place.
However, someone openly stated that he would go there voluntarily.
"Enies Lobby is the front door to the centre of the World Government. There has to be very strong military forces defending it," Paulie joined the chat, "No matter what kind of pirates you are, there's no way you can go and get Nico Robin out of there successfully. Knowing what will happen if you go…."
Paulie paused his words and stared at Luffy sharply.
"Do you still plan to wage war in the centre of the World Government?!"
The loud question made the Straw Hat members and the audience fall silent for a moment with various reasons in their heads.
"Your words won't stop us from going there," Luffy replied.
Paulie frowned upon hearing such stubbornness.
"Don't you get it yet?! Nico Robin knew that you had no chance of winning, that's why she sacrificed herself in exchange for your safety! If you're her friends, the best thing you can do is respect her decision!"
"How can we respect her decision if Robin-san just left without talking to us first," Maki replied quickly, "If she really wanted to die, I'd have made sure to hear it from her own mouth."
Paulie clenched his fists at the nonsense he had just heard. It wasn't like the man wanted to interfere with the Straw Hats' internal affairs. However, Paulie thought about the impact it'd have on Water Seven if they were to go to Enies Lobby. After all, the group didn't have a ship to accommodate their departure. They could only do it by borrowing or renting one of Galley La's ships if they wanted to go.
However, if that were to happen if the World Government were to find out that the Galley La Company was extending aid to the Straw Hat Pirates, only bad luck would await Water Seven.
Paulie took out his rope, ready to fight the group. Seeing the action taken by the one of Galley La high ranks, the people who had only been spectators also took a fighting stance. However, before Paulie could say a word or do anything, a shout from a man interrupted them.
"Paulie, stop!"
Everyone turned their heads to the source. They couldn't see anything from where Luffy and the others were because the crowd blocked it. However, slowly, the people opened a path like Mosses parting the ocean. Meanwhile, the voice sounded very familiar to Paulie. Even without seeing the face, he could guess who the voice's owner was. However, he waited for the figure to show himself.
"Iceburg-san?"
Paulie muttered with wide eyes after seeing a purple-haired figure with a bandage on his head emerge from the crowd. Meanwhile, the man confirmed as Iceburg didn't give any response and continued to walk towards them.
"Kokoro-san, is Rocket Man ready to go for now?" the man asked as he looked at the old woman.
However, Paulie interrupted her first before the granny named Kokoro could answer.
"Iceburg-san! What do you mean? Do you want to facilitate them to go to Enies Lobby?"
Iceburg didn't give his answer right away. He closed his eyes for a moment before giving a nod in the end. Seeing that, Paulie frowned, not understanding what his boss was thinking.
"I understand their feelings, but if you provide them with assistance, the fate of Water Seven will be at stake," Paulie said.
"Seeing as CP9 has already left the island, they must have captured Franky. If we can't get Nico Robin and Franky back, not just Water Seven, the entire world will meet its worst fate," the man replied.
Everyone looked at Iceburg with question marks. Seeing no one understand his words, the man gave an explanation.
"Franky and I are actually Tom-san's students."
"Yeah, some of us already know that much," replied Paulie.
"CP9 is after a blueprint that Tom-san entrusted to us. I don't know what it is, but seeing as they're keeping Nico Robin alive, I'm afraid it has something to do with the knowledge she possesses."
Iceburg's explanation rang the bell in Maki's head. She remembered the words Lucci said before they fought.
'The Michel Jackson-like man also said that they wanted to use Robin-san for something,' she thought.
Hearing the man's explanation made Zoro a little confused about the correlation.
"Then, what do you want to say? Isn't it only natural that Robin be taken to Enies Lobby and tried there? At least, isn't that the procedure?"
It wasn't like Zoro was trying to defend the World Government. However, Zoro was a former bounty hunter. Although not directly involved in the system, he knew how criminals were punished. At least, to his experience and knowledge, all criminals who were caught would go through the same process before they were thrown in prison or executed publicly.
"Even the Pirate King Gold Roger, the most dangerous man ever, went through a trial first. I don't see anything different in Robin's case," he continued.
Iceburg stared at Zoro blankly. His eyes said it all. However, he could understand the argument. After all, no matter how great he was, he was still too inexperienced to understand the machinations of the global elite.
"I understand where you come from," the Mayor replied, "But you must understand one thing, Ohara was indiscriminately wiped out overnight without even allowing them to fight for their rights in court. The World Government erased their existence without compensation. And now, Nico Robin, the only survivor of Ohara, is not executed on the spot like her people, but is taken away under the pretext of being tried? Do you know what that means?"
From a normal perspective, there was nothing wrong with it. Moreover, everything looks perfectly normal for bounty hunters who catch fugitives to make a living. If you look at Nico Robin's wanted poster, which had the label 'Dead or Alive', it made everything more understandable if they caught her alive.
However, Iceburg was a man who had experienced the ups and downs of life. Although he was only a leader on a small, relatively peaceful island, he still followed the development of world politics and understood how the world worked.
"Whatever Tom-san left us was clearly something from the past that would have been extremely dangerous if it had actually been built. However, it's possible that they realised that simply building it wasn't enough to make it work," Iceburg said.
"And Robin-san, the only one with the knowledge to dig up information from ancient times, will lead them to whatever could make it work?" Maki asked, trying to complete the deduction.
Iceburg nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that's what I was afraid of," the man paused to catch his breath, "I still don't understand why Tom-san entrusted the blueprint to us. But personally, I believe it should have been destroyed immediately after seeing how determined the CP9 were to get it."
Despite tried to provide a reasonable explanation for the dangers that await, not everyone could accept it. Some people still show reluctance to follow the plan, and one of them was Paulie.
"But Iceburg-san. What about our people? If the World Government finds out about Galley La's involvement, I'm afraid they'll direct their wrath at Water Seven."
"Don't worry, Paulie," Iceburg replied calmly, "The majority of the Marines' warships are manufactured here. If they attack this island, it would be like shutting down one of their sources of power. Even if that happens, I've already taken precautions by contacting the Revolutionary Army."
"Revolutionary?"
Paulie gaped at the idea. His brain seemed to stop working as the group's name appeared. His eyes shook as if he had difficulty processing what he had just heard. Meanwhile, Iceburg glanced at Luffy, who was watching with an innocent face. Not getting the response he was looking for, the purple-haired man looked back at his subordinate.
"That doesn't mean we're joining their side. It's just a precaution in case something happens to Water Seven. Well, I'm sure the Marines won't go that far," Iceburg explained further.
"I understand. But what price must be paid for them to help us?" asked the man who always smoked a cigar.
Paulie wasn't naive. The Revolutionary Army had always appeared as heroes who liberated the people from the tyranny of the World Government. However, in the end, they need logistics to support their various military operations. If the city with the most advanced maritime technology called them, surely the Revolutionary Army wouldn't miss the opportunity to open a particular negotiation.
"Nothing in particular," Iceburg replied quickly, "They just asked us to send some of our best engineers to teach the shipwrights there."
"Not just a transfer of knowledge, but they want our men to go there directly, huh?"
Many people in the world still didn't understand how crucial science was. They were still stuck in the old way, where individual strength was everything. Although it wasn't entirely wrong, only a few people could climb the peak. On the other hand, technology and weaponry would provide a significant leap to strengthen the overall power of an army.
Meanwhile, to gain knowledge, whether it was technology or martial arts, couldn't be paid for cheaply. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for people to be reluctant to sell their knowledge.
Water Seven, especially Galley La Company, had the most advanced technology and would constantly be updated regarding marine engineering. It wasn't only from the legendary Tom, but it was something that has been cultivated since ancient times.
The World Government had almost unlimited resources and even the world's most outstanding scientist on their side. It made them not too eager to seek Water Seven's knowledge even though most of their warships were manufactured there. However, the Revolutionary Army didn't have that privilege. So, rather than asking for a ready-made product, they prefer the knowledge already owned and developed by the Galley La Company.
"Leaving aside the blueprint that we don't even know what it is, we've already let Lucci and Kaku learn about our marine technology," Paulie said, beginning to understand Iceburg's thoughts, "To be honest, it really pisses me off and I want to beat them up, but I'm afraid of the consequences. If you've considered everything carefully, Iceburg-san, I'll follow your orders."
The purple-haired man nodded.
"Thank you for following my selfish request, Paulie."
Iceburg then turned his gaze and looked at Luffy.
"Straw Hat, sailing in this weather will only lead to your death. I will lend you a Sea Train, but it is a prototype with an imperfect braking system. You can use it if you are okay with it."
Luffy smiled widely at the offer. His patience in letting the two discuss yielded results beyond his expectations.
"Of course, no problem for us!"
Iceburg nodded slowly and immediately turned to look at the green-haired grandmother.
"Kokoro-san, Rocket Man is possible to operate, right?"
"Don't underestimate it just because it's a prototype."
Grandma Kokoro smiled faintly. She turned around and walked away casually.
"Follow me, brats."
The people stared at each other for a moment. Without saying a word, they were all on the same frequency. However, just as they were about to step forward to follow the old woman, suddenly, a shout in a feminine voice interrupted them.
"Miss Maki!"
Feeling her name being called, and it came from a familiar voice, Maki turned her head following the direction the voice came from. She found a pair of women with a strange style followed by a group of men. Maki recognised the twin women but didn't know any men following them.
"Your acquaintances, Maki-chan?" Nami asked,
"Well, kinda. But I don't know rest of them, tho."
However, Maki wasn't the only one who found a familiar face among the group.
"Aren't those people from the Franky Family?" Zoro asked, trying to seek confirmation.
No one answered the question, but it wasn't because they were ignoring it. It was just that waiting for the group to come and explain themselves sounded more efficient. However, Maki could at least guess what they wanted, considering her conversation with the twins a while ago.
Just as the group reached the Straw Hat Pirates and Galley La people, they stated their intentions.
"Straw Hat, Iceburg-san, please let us come along to save Boss Franky! Miss Maki said it will be a large-scale battle. So, our numbers will definitely be useful to help you guys!"
Maki, whose name had been mentioned, turned to Luffy and Iceburg to see their reactions.
"I don't mind anyone coming along as long as they fully understand the risks," Iceburg said flatly, "I won't force or blame anyone because I will be staying here to prepare for the worst."
Seeing the purple-haired man respond positively but ambiguously made Luffy nod enthusiastically.
"That's fine with me. The more people who come along, the more fun it will be! It's like we're going on a big adventure together!"
"I'm sure that's not what they meant, but nevermind," Zoro muttered.
Ignoring anything, Luffy led the way with Grandma Kokoro beside him. They walked pretty fast so as not to waste too much time. Not a single word accompanied their journey so that the tension could not be dissolved even though it was drenched by the rain.
However, as they passed a group of Water Seven residents watching their argument, Maki saw a familiar figure among the people.
"Ussop?" she muttered unconsciously.
Unfortunately, it was heard by the people around her, causing them to stop and stare at her. Meanwhile, once his disguise was discovered, the boy immediately tried to hide among the crowd. Unfortunately, it was too late.
"Where? Where? Where's he?" Luffy asked while turning his head around.
Unlike Luffy, who seemed excited by himself, the other people spontaneously followed Maki's gaze. However, their expressions turned sour when they saw something that did not match their expectations.
No matter how hard he tried to hide, Usopp had quite a striking physical feature. Moreover, when he wanted to submerge himself in the crowd, the people reflexively moved aside when they saw the Straw Hats turning to them. It was a normal reaction because there was no coordination from Usopp asking the people to hide.
However, what made Maki and the others, besides Luffy and Chopper, who were still confused, put on complicated expressions wasn't because they saw Usopp with his behaviour but because of his clothes.
A strange yellow mask followed the structure of his face with the addition of three pointed shapes on the top and both sides that remind them of the sun symbol. In addition, the disguise was also combined with a red robe that covered almost his entire body.
'If anyone thinks you can hide with such a disguise, they must be a complete idiot,' Maki thought.
"Hey, Maki! You said there was Usopp, but I can't see him anywhere," Luffy said with a slight whine of disappointment.
Maki's jaw dropped at that. She immediately looked at Luffy with an expression that was as if she had been hit by reality. The girl adjusted her glasses to ensure that the innocent expression she saw from the boy was genuine.
"Yeah, I don't see Ussop anywhere."
Before she could recover from her shock, Maki was hit again with words that were no less surprising than she had just heard.
"I'm beat," the girl said softly.
In fact, it wasn't just Maki who experienced a reality check, but other people did too.
"You guys aren't serious, are you?" Zoro asked with a look of disbelief, "Who do you think he is if not Usopp?"
Zoro pointed at the long-nosed guy who was in disguise. With himself suddenly being pointed at like that, Usopp panicked and made strange movements as if he was trying to hide something.
"Ussop? No, I'm not!" said Ussop, trying to evade, "My name is Sogeking of the Sniper Island! I'm Ussop's friend! I've come to your aid as per his request!"
It was a ridiculous excuse. Anyone could see the lie in it. Anyone who fell for that made-up story was either too naive or a complete idiot. However, Maki didn't want to think about that. The fact that two people in her group had devoured the story made her skin crawl in the cringiest way.
'At least, there are still sane people to keep my sanity in check.'
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello, meet me again. Sorry for being a bit late. Because the heat wave in my area is really crazy, it has made me less productive in the past few weeks.
Back to the story. The stage begins to shift to Enies Lobby. Actually, there are no significant changes other than the presence of Maki and Stussy on each side that slightly change the course of the plot in small details. For example, because of Stussy's involvement, Rob Lucci called Jyabura a few chapters ago to execute Ussop to reduce Straw Hat's fighting power. However, because of Maki's involvement on the other side, Ussop was saved, but in return, he never met Franky, and Sanji was alone on the train.
In addition, I also changed a little dialogue when Paulie opposed the departure of the Straw Hat Pirates. Well, those dialogues do not change the overall plot. However, I did it to add the theme I wanted and drive the story according to my needs later if needed.
Apart from that, there are no other changes.
I also have a little announcement. I'm probably going to take a week off. As I said before, my area has a crazy heat wave. The average daily temperature is around 38 degrees Celsius, which feels like 40-something degrees.
In case you don't know, I live in an equatorial region. The heat was normal, but these past few weeks have been crazy. Plus, I work outdoors unless there's a special project I need to work on. So, the last few weeks have been a hellish ordeal for me, and I think I need a week off.
That's all. Hope you guys can understand my situation. Thank you. Stay safe, and see you later.