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One Way Home, Chapter 15.
🕑 Added 2024-12-24 06:44:10 +0000 UTCChapter 15: The Interconnection of Pas, Present, and Future.
—OoOoO—
Moving to the driver's carriage, almost all of the Straw Hat crew were doing their final preparations before heading to the battlefield. Only Luffy, who had already left, and Zoro, on the train's roof, knocked down the fence with his slash as a way forward. However, even though it was called preparation, no special preparation was done. Maki and Sanji were relatively calm when facing the upcoming situation, while the other three were busy with their mental health.
“Uss-I mean, Sogeking, you bring enough ammunition, don’t you? What about the spares? Never ever you say you’re out of bullets!”
Nami said in a high tone, showing that the orange-haired girl couldn't control herself yet.
"Do-don't worry, people call me the sniper king for a reason. I wouldn't make such an amateur mistake," Usopp, who was in disguise, replied nervously, "Besides, Nami, stop panicking, or you'll make everyone else panic too."
“Wh-who are you calling panic? I-if anything, it's you, n-not me," replied Nami with a slight stammer.
“W-what? It’s obviously you, I’m Sogeking, fear is never in my book.”
They, who were known as two of the cowardly trio, kept arguing about who was the most afraid. Each other maintained their ridiculous pride to not end up in a backward place and look worse than they already were. However, the fear they felt was actually quite justified. They were previously just youngsters from the world's most peaceful ocean, East Blue. Now, they were involved and would become the main characters in the riot at one of the World Government's strongholds, Enies Lobby.
Even so, it was a decision they couldn't avoid. Even if there were other options, those people would still choose the same path no matter how cowardly they were.
“Wow, Nami really got along with Sogeking right away. As expected of Nami. I was still too shy to talk to that sniper king,” commented a fawn sitting on a long chair.
Maki and Sanji were sitting on the right side of the tiny animal. However, unlike those two arguing people, Chopper seemed calmer and composed when facing the upcoming fight.
“You’re the one who impresses me more here, though,” Maki chirped with her arms crossed, “I thought you’d whine in fear like usual.”
Straw Hat could be said to be divided into two main categories. The first contains heavy hitters who’d never be afraid and tremble when faced with any tricky situation. The second was a trio of cowards reluctant to make direct contact and avoid problems as much as possible. In fact, it was common for the three to cry when the situation got out of control.
Aside from Nami and Usopp, who was now disguised as Sogeking, the last member to join the trio was Chopper. However, the reindeer didn't seem as scared as usual.
“Eh? A-actually, I’ve been to the toilet a few times because I was so nervous,” the deer replied softly.
“O-oh, well, good luck, then, I think,” the girl in the ponytail replied a little awkwardly.
Maki wasn't good at reading other people's moods and rooms. Because of her outspokenness, she was often considered a mean girl. On the other hand, this gave her many advantages because she could easily provoke her opponents. However, it had invited quite a few misunderstandings in a social context. It reminded her of when she worked part-time at a ramen shop.
'One of the reasons I was moved from server to kitchen was because the owner thought I wasn't friendly enough with the customers.'
“How about you, Maki-chan?”
Sanji's baritone voice made Maki turn her gaze to the blonde man.
"Me? What?"
“You don’t have any weapons right now. Is that okay? If you tell the Galley-La guys, they'll give you one."
“Well, it's fine,” Maki replied quickly.
The girl in a ponytail with round glasses stretched her arms forward, stretching until the joints in her fingers made a soothing sound.
“I can loot weapons from the enemies later.”
Maki paused her words for no apparent reason. However, her eyes sharpened, and her expression turned darker. The hand that was previously outstretched forward, she clenched tightly as if there was something she wanted to crush. Her Tokyo Jujutsu uniform covered most of her skin moderately, but if she rolled up her sleeves, everyone would see the tensed muscles harder than steel.
"Besides, I myself is the deadliest weapon in the world."
Maki said it with such intensity in every word that some people who heard it had difficulty swallowing their saliva.
—OoOoO—
Something that had never happened in history since it was founded, the battle between the officers and the pirates who had broken into Enies Lobby was going on fiercely. Many of their comrades had collapsed on the ground helplessly, while some had retreated to the back lines in agony. In terms of numbers, it wasn't overwhelming. However, a certain boy with a straw hat among the crowd posed the greatest threat.
“Gomu Gomu no….” a loud voice echoed again. “Pistol!”
A heavy punch powered by the kinetic energy of a slingshot-like flexed arm slammed into the rows of people in front of Luffy. The incredible thrust kept the punch going even after hitting several people, making it difficult for his enemies to advance their attack.
“Robin!!! Where're you??!!!!!”
The Straw Hat boy's scream rang loudly throughout the battlefield. The scream, filled with anger that he had no intention of hiding, made the opponents who heard it shiver. The eyes that were always filled with innocence and joy now stared at the anger of those who had toyed with his friend.
“Gomu Gomu no Gutling Gun!!”
The punches thrown continuously rained down on those in his path without mercy. However, because Luffy was too focused on what was before him and charging forward too far alone, some people managed to sneak up behind him. But the rubber guy was not deterred. He immediately spun his body, doing a roundhouse kick, but with a strong rotation and relying on centrifugal force, it became like a whip that swept away anyone who surrounded him.
“Gomu Gomu no Whip!”
The crowd was instantly swept away, leaving those behind who were reluctant to take a step forward.
“Robin! Where’re you?!”
Luffy shouted as he continued to beat up the minions that were charging at him indiscriminately. He paid no attention to either enemy or ally, and it wasn't like there was any worry of friendly fire, considering his position was so far ahead, far from the alliance. However, if they thought Luffy was the only problem, they had to accept that the other party far behind him could also be a source of disaster.
“Keep going, Straw Hat! You just need to reach the very end of the gate!” Paulie shouted.
The smoking man kept swinging his whip to tie up and immobilise the opponents. His beautiful and flexible rope play made his attacks difficult to predict. Paulie did it flawlessly by tying up, unbalancing, and then smashing his opponents to the ground.
“Spread out to both sides and attack through the flanks!! Don’t let them surround the Straw Hat!!”
Paulie shouted loudly to give the command, met with enthusiastic cheers. However, the pale-haired man raised his right hand, a signal that had been agreed upon before they stormed Enies Lobby.
“Sodom and Gomorrah! Charge forward and destroy the giants blocking the way!!”
Unlike Luffy, who could push the opponent's front line back deeper, the group led by Paulie had difficulty breaking through the opponent's defence line, which was deliberately left by the opponent to enclose and isolate Luffy from the main force. The main guards were two giants who were far superior in strength. On the other hand, Paulie only had a few reliable fighters in his squad.
They were outnumbered in quantity and quality, which is why the man instructed the troops to attack through both flanks in the hope that it would provide a small opening to push forward.
“Although it sounds easy to say, those damn giants are a serious problem,” Paulie muttered with sweat pouring down his face, “Although Sodom and Gomorrah can match up a bit in size, they are ultimately just two mindless beasts. If this continues, we’ll be the ones destroyed.”
Paulie was cornered to the point of being unable to do much, but his confident smile didn’t fade. The wide grin continued to be displayed without fear of defeat that could destroy his life. His choices were indeed limited, but the wind of victory could still be felt clearly.
“If only they weren't here, I might’ve died in despair!!!”
Right after Paulie shouted those words, a train hurtled through the air. Its earth-shaking sound made everyone in the field gape at the unknown object. The group from Water Seven were no less surprised from the Ennies Lobby side.
The second wave of attacks, carrying the remaining Straw Hat members, was gallantly flying through the air. Paulie was one of the people who was surprised to see the sight. They had indeed arranged the arrival of the second wave, but not in such a way. The original plan was for the Straw Hat members to infiltrate the chaos, but what happened was that they added to the chaos of the battlefield by making the train speed up.
However, it was probably the best decision. As gravity pulled the object, it headed straight for one of the giants. Since he hadn’t recovered from his shock, the train hit him hard, sending him crashing to the ground.
“It's a chance!”
Paulie immediately played his whip beautifully and tied the giant, immediately making the other feel obliged to free his friend. However, from the train, the Swordsman suddenly shot and cut him down. Following the man, several other members immediately followed as reinforcements to clean up the enemy troops.
However, one Straw Hat member escaped the enemies’ attention. Just before the train was pulled down, Maki gave a mighty jump, sending her flying far to the front lines.
'There's no point in wasting time.'
In fact, the reason why the train could land precisely on the giant was because Maki gave the right momentum in her jump. She used the locomotive as her foothold. By providing a strong push, the direction of the train's fall could be adjusted. Meanwhile, the Zen'in girl shot far forward without control over where she’d land. However, that was also an advantage because she could pass through the layers of enemy barricades blocking her.
Maki didn't go empty-handed. She took a floor mop from the train's storage room and broke the handle, making it a makeshift weapon.
Gravity began to drag the girl down. Maki had no intention of fighting it and had already predicted where she’d land. She threw the mop handle into the crowd at high speed. A 'crash' sound was heard, along with blood splashing everywhere when it hit a human’s flesh. It happened very quickly, even less than a second. The stick stuck one of the soldiers in the head. Moreover, it came even faster with a 'boom' sound that broke the sound barrier when Maki threw it.
The people who saw it immediately fled in panic, thinking it was an enemy. However, they only realised in the next second that it was a stick. Unfortunately, it was too late as Maki landed with a deafening thud in the area the people had left.
The ground around her crumbled into a spiderweb crater as the girl landed. Crushed rocks and gravel scattered around Maki in the air. However, what was more terrifying was the girl's sharp gaze, which finished pinpointing her opponents' locations using Kenbunshoku.
'And then, now….'
Maki then stood up straight with both of her arms outstretched in preparation to do something. With her breath held, she touched each of the stones in the air one by one, using her index finger quickly but gently to ensure none of them were destroyed.
The first touch caused the stone floating in the air to immediately fly at high speed towards a soldier. It was so fast that it hit and made a hole in his head without him realising it at all. The second stone flew in a different direction, with a time gap of only a few milliseconds. Other attacks came so fast that normal eyes could not follow them.
The unfortunate soldiers didn’t even have time to scream as they were brutally crushed by the killing machine that had the form of a beautiful girl. Those who were in the back row and were lucky enough to escape death couldn’t react other than to fall down with their pupils shaking. Their hearts felt like they had stopped, but the adrenaline kicked in again when they saw Maki take a step forward. However, instead of resisting further, they ran away in panic.
“D-demon! I-it's a demon!” shouted one of the soldiers.
In this way, the girl killed almost an entire company by herself in a sadistic way.
Cold, cruel, practical, and without a word spoken. Even though people stared at her in horror, as if they had seen a demon that had come out of hell, Maki just walked casually. She picked up a bisento lying on the ground, then played with it with acrobatic spins to adjust the weight and length of the weapon to her body.
“This bisento is a little heavier with a blade a few inches longer. But it’s pretty interesting,” Maki said, hitting the end of the stick on the ground.
Bisento was a traditional Japanese weapon with a shape similar to naginata. However, the most striking difference could be seen on the side of the blade. Naginata was basically a katana blade attached to a long stick handle, while bisento had a shorter blade, but thicker and stronger. Regarding function, naginata offered better accuracy because of its light weight, which was why naginata was more often used by female warriors. On the other hand, bisento was more helpful in destroying and tearing opponents like an axe.
"I've read many stories about legendary cavalry troops with tough horses, but this is the first time I've seen a troop of dog riders. This world is fascinating," Maki muttered with a grin as she looked at the many dog carcasses scattered on the ground.
Maki didn't want to waste any more time, so she took the initiative to break through the enemy's barricade using brute force. However, just as she was about to do so, she saw the air open like a door that suddenly appeared from nothing a few meters before her.
Maki stared with one eyebrow raised. It had never crossed her mind, even in her craziest thoughts, that space could be opened just like that. At first glance, the unique sight reminded her of a childhood show about a robot cat from the future. It was both striking and interesting, leaving the girl stunned momentarily. However, her daydream collapsed, and a frown appeared on her forehead when she saw the figure coming out from behind the door.
"Oh, it's the bull-haired guy,” Maki commented lightly.
However, she suddenly remembered her previous fight, more precisely when her hand looked like it was broken when the man touched it, even though there was no pain at all.
“So, that’s how it is, huh? No wonder my hand suddenly felt strange. Your ability makes objects you touch turn into something like a door that can be opened and closed, isn’t it?”
It was Maki's right guess, but Blueno didn't respond. The man ignored the girl standing a few metres before him and stared at the battlefield with his flat gaze. His eyes scanned in all directions, witnessing how chaotic it was.
“What a gruesome sight. That’s why you criminals are a bunch of despicable people.”
“Did you say something?” Maki asked indifferently.
However, the man didn’t answer until several seconds had passed.
“You killed hundreds of lives just to save one person in return. The world will never have peace if selfish bastards like you are not punished.”
Maki fell silent upon hearing the chatter. She snorted lightly upon finding herself ignored by the man once again. Her eyes rolled as if she had had enough of his stinky mouth. However, a provocative grin etched onto her lips the very next second.
“Stop being a hypocrite. And it’s always people like you who brag about morality and whatsoever. If you don’t wanna get beat up, don’t even touch anyone, you bastard.”
“Say whatever you want. All you’re doing is trying to defend a major criminal who once squeezed a country dry,” Blueno retorted.
Maki had just joined the group when they were about to go to Skypiea. Before that, she had no idea, or at least hadn’t experienced firsthand, how turbulent the Straw Hats had been. The things she knew were only based on stories told to her by other members, including Robin herself.
She remembered that Robin was previously a group member at odds with the Straw Hats. Moreover, it wasn’t just any group but an organisation led by someone who was part of the Shichibukai, a criminal network in coalition with the World Government. However, Robin's old organisation was responsible for the chaos in a Kingdom called Alabasta. Moreover, because she was precisely the right hand of its leader, her involvement in all forms of operations in the country became very high.
“You speak of her sins as a member of Baroque Works, but the accusation you brought against Robin-san for her arrest was her ability to read the ancient language. Even being a hypocrite has its limits, you know.”
The last sentence the girl said made Blueno's ears feel hot until the man furrowed his eyebrows.
“You troublemakers will never understand what justice is. Nevertheless, I did not come here to talk but to solve our unsettled problem.”
Maki was quite surprised to hear that statement. Her eyebrows even spontaneously raised. The noise from the battlefield didn't seem to bother her at all. It wasn't like she didn't know that the man had come in an attempt to stop her. However, it never crossed her mind that he held a grudge that made him come to her directly.
“You wanna challenge me? You realise that you’re not on my level, right?”
In their last battle, Blueno was entirely humiliated by Maki. Not only did the girl manage to ram his head into the ground, she even beat him up repeatedly. If it weren't for Lucci and Kaku, he’d have definitely died at the hands of that little monster right then and there.
Blueno understood that the girl before him was like a merciless killing machine. The possibility of defeating her was pretty low. However, seeing Stussy constantly belittle him hurt his pride deeply. Thus, the ambition to prove his worthiness was more significant than his reasoning.
“I have studied your movements, including the technique you used to throw Lucci to the ground. The same mistake will not be repeated. Your raw power will be useless before my Rokushiki—.”
Before Blueno could finish his speech, Maki suddenly disappeared from sight, and the world before him seemed to spin. He didn't know what happened because it happened so fast that it made his mouth gape open. His body felt numb because he couldn't feel anything below him. However, the man could still see gravity pulling him down.
A dull thud was heard as Blueno hit the ground. Like a rolling ball, his vision spun until it stopped at one point. However, as if the universe wanted to enlighten him, it stopped where he could see his body figure standing without a head and Maki behind it with a bisento swinging. Unfortunately, before the man could process what he saw, the world around him became blurry, and his vision quickly darkened.
With his head separated from his body, the man breathed his last.
The thud sounded again, but this time, it came from a crownless body that was unable to sustain life. Maki once again swung her weapon to remove the blood stains on the blade. Her sharp eyes stared flatly at Blueno's head, his eyes wide open and his tongue hanging out.
“You said you studied my moves, but your reaction speed is much slower than that Michel Jackson guy,” Maki said to the air.
The girl paused her words and snorted softly with the eyes closed.
“Going alone to prove your worth, you’re just a chicken dreaming of flying high in the sky.”
Despite her harsh and sarcastic words, there was something hard to ignore in Maki's gaze. Behind her cold eyes, there was a faint sympathy. However, it wasn’t directed at the headless body lying before her but at herself. The cruel words that came out of her mouth sounded more like an inner monologue to the fate that had brought her to this point.
The eyes hidden behind the glasses seemed to reveal more than she said, showing the self-reflection hidden within.
"I respect your desire to prove yourself. Even I am a small fish who dreams of becoming a dragon that can match the Gods at the top of the world.”
Gojo Satoru's face and Ryoumen Sukuna's figure crossed her mind when Maki uttered the monologue. As well as the annoying memory of when Enel defeated her and an Admiral who destroyed her group in Long Ring Long Land. Maki didn’t meet the person because she was alone exploring the other side of the island at that time. However, she always imagined what it’d be like if she was also involved in that fight. Unfortunately, she could never confidently say that her presence would bring about a change.
Even though she had experienced many positive developments, she realised she was still far below those real monsters.
“Putting aside your hypocritical mouth, we do share some similarities. Unfortunately, you’ve picked the wrong person as your foe.”
—OoOoO—
“Blueno is dead.”
The short announcement from a woman with short blonde hair immediately attracted the entire room's attention. They stared at her with various expressions. Some widened their eyes, but some just kept their faces blank.
“Who killed him? Was it that girl?” asked a man with long black hair.
“Yes, and it seems to have been a one-sided massacre.”
Several gentlemen and two ladies were in a spacious room. One person stood with his arms crossed behind his back, while others sat quietly on two sofas. However, a single chair occupied by a purple-haired man showed his status among the people. In addition to the neatly dressed and luxurious-looking people, there was also a man and a woman sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner of the room.
“What? How could he be killed just like that? He’s a member of the elite group, CP9! Do you think that makes sense?” the purple-haired man spoke in a high tone.
Stussy just shrugged her shoulders with a nonchalant smile in response.
“It wasn't anything surprising, to be honest. After all, they’re the group that brought down Sir Crocodile and Enel, the ruler of the sky. Of course, if faced with one of their powerhouses, just Blueno alone is nothing."
Stussy gave a cunning smile as her hand rested on the sofa's armrest. Her sly gaze wandered around the room, taking in each of her coworkers. However, her gaze fell on a beautiful, long-haired woman with the same hair colour as hers. She stared at that flawless porcelain-like face, but it made her laugh so hard that she had to close her eyes to avert her gaze.
'It's funny how these people keep quiet just because I promised not to report their defeat against Maki.'
Technically, there was no winner or loser in that fight. However, for four elite agents to be overwhelmed by a teenage girl was a disgrace that could tarnish the integrity of the organisation. Moreover, two of them were successfully neutralised, one knocked down, and the other finished off on the ground. In fact, before the fight, Maki had also previously sent Jyabura until he fell into the sea.
Honestly, Stussy didn't expect Maki to pull out the feats. But she was a veteran who wouldn't miss a single opportunity. She gave medicine to remove the bruises that Kalifa and Blueno had gotten. It was a powerful medicine that she got from an extraordinary acquaintance. Apart from providing the medicine and promising not to report the disgrace, Stussy didn't ask for anything in return.
Thus, the people became quite reluctant to interrupt Stussy's provocative words whenever she spoke to Spandam. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't because Stussy was the one holding their shamefulness. That was why Blueno finally dared to offer himself to stop the rioters when the stress kept piling up.
“Ever since there were reports that Nico Robin was heading to Water Seven with the Straw Hats, I told you that they weren’t people you could take lightly even if you mobilised all of Cipher Pol units.”
For some reason, Stussy closely monitored the movements of the Ohara's survivor. While she was one of the queens of the underworld and had to travel to various parts of the world, Stussy never forgot to order her henchmen to monitor the Kingdom of Alabasta and Baroque Works. And her chance came after hearing about Crocodile's fall and seeing the Straw Hat ship plunge from Skypiea.
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want,” Spandam demanded.
Stussy stared at the man without blinking at all. Her flat expression made the air around her tense.
"Leave Nico Robin to me. Stop being greedy and kill her immediately. If you continue stubborn, you will lose what you seek, and this joint mission will be completely messed up."
“You don't get it, do you?” the man responded quickly.
Stussy raised an eyebrow when she heard the question. Her mouth, which had opened, closed again after she decided to swallow the words she was about to say. Seeing the woman's silence, Spandam took it as a sign for him to continue what he wanted to say.
"Crocodile chose Alabasta as his base of operations for an unknown reason. However, we know it’s not just any kingdom founded recently."
The words from the man's mouth were laced with feelings. Every syllable emitted a strong emotional vibration. His hands were raised forward as if he wanted to grasp something invisible, hidden deep in the pile of unsolved mysteries. His shoulders, which expanded and contracted, reflected his unwavering determination as if his body was a silent witness to the grand ambition he was about to achieve.
“One of the founding kingdoms of the World Government eight hundred years ago. It makes sense that Alabasta holds secrets about the Void Century. And the one we are talking about is Crocodile, a bastard who is no less cruel than Doflamingo. Do you know what that means, Stussy?”
The man deliberately hung his words to check Stussy's reaction. After being satisfied with the curiosity that was faintly depicted in her expression, Spandam let out a broad, disgusting grin.
“He's into something, and I'm sure of it! Considering his personality, it must be one of the three ancient weapons!!”
Spandam shouted, his mouth wide open like a madman. His eyes widened with ambition. However, silence suddenly fell upon him, and the man immediately glanced at Robin, sitting on the floor, with a gaze filled with hatred.
“That’s why I need Nico Robin. Not only can she be a source of additional information on Pluton’s blueprints that Cutty Flam possessed, but I’ll also squeeze all the information about Crocodile’s research out of her. I won’t let her die without giving me anything.”
The maniac's crazy ambition made Stussy massage her temples while shaking her head. His impulsive behaviour was the source of her headaches. That was why she hated the leader of CP9 so much. Not only did she consider the man incompetent in various fields, but his unruly behaviour made her really want to kill him.
“Finding out about the Void Century, you know you will be eliminated by the Five Elders if they hear about it, right?”
“They have agreed that Robin will be captured alive along with Cutty Flam. And as long as I deliver the desired results, I’m authorised to do anything,” the man replied with an arrogant smile.
"Don't be stupid. That means your head will be on the line if you mess up even slightly."
Spandam shook his head slowly, his annoying smile still plastered on his face. His index finger, which was pointed up, was also waving left and right, representing his expression of disapproval.
"Honestly, I'm fed up with your ignorant attitude of always looking down on me. However, this time, I'll let it slide."
Stussy tilted her head slightly with one eyebrow raised. Seeing the blonde woman's reaction, Spandam couldn't help but smile even wider. With a confident movement, he took something out of his pocket. And when she saw the object taken out, Stussy opened her eyes in surprise that she couldn't hide.
“Where did you get that thing?” she asked in a slightly trembling voice.
“Oh, you’re surprised? So, there’s a thing in this world that can surprise you, huh?”
“Just answer my question,” Stussy insisted.
The object in Spandam's grasp shouldn’t be something an ordinary officer could have. Although he was the leader of the CP9 unit, his status wasn’t that high to have the right to hold the object. The golden den den mushi was a symbol of the Marine's majesty and power. It was absolute power that was considered justice used to punish sinners.
Even for an elite among elites like Stussy, it was the first time she had seen a special transmission that could give such a mass destruction order.
"Aokiji gave me the authority to initiate a Buster Call if something goes wrong," Spandam replied confidently, "Do you know what that means? That this operation is secure. Even if they break through our final barricade, I can invoke the Buster Call and give the order to kill Nico Robin as a last resort."
Spandam, who showed off his power, hoped it’d be a hard slap for the CP0 members. He was fed up with their arrogant attitude, always pretending they were the Five Elders' right hand. However, when he glanced at his interlocutor, the reaction he received wasn’t what he expected.
Stussy barely heard three-quarters of Spandam's last words. Her mind wandered to find common ground when Aokiji's name came out of his mouth. She didn’t know the Ice Admiral personally. However, as a high-profile spy, she certainly had all the information about him and understood his characteristics. Unfortunately, that caused all the contradictions to collide in her brain.
'The absolute justice symbolising the Buster Call doesn’t fit Kuzan's justice philosophy. He would never have done it without a direct order from the Fleet Admiral, even if he had the authority. And yet, he gave the golden den den mushi to Spandam? What is he planning exactly?'
Stussy exhaled slowly.
'His flexible personality makes it hard to predict what’s on his mind. But at least I have to use this situation to my advantage.'
“Lucci, you have witnessed their abilities firsthand, right?” Stussy asked.
The long-haired man silently listening to the conversation was slightly off when his name was suddenly called. However, he didn’t answer the question and waited for the woman to finish her sentence.
“Personally, I would rather kill Nico Robin right now since that was my original mission. But what do you think? Are you sure you can complete this task while the Straw Hats are getting closer?”
The leopard man narrowed his eyes at the question. It bothered him when Stussy suddenly brought up the topic. After all, he wasn't a fool who couldn't read her intentions.
'You want to quickly complete your own mission, which is killing Nico Robin, and then take all the credit for yourself by exposing that my team was even overwhelmed by a girl and Enies Lobby was successfully breached, don't you?'
At least, that was what Lucci thought.
At first, it made him wonder why Stussy promised not to tell Spandam about their embarrassing fight with Maki. However, her true colours began to show as the pieces came together.
The man stared at Stussy with his chin slightly raised, showing he wasn’t a pushover who’d follow all her games.
“Getting this far is quite an achievement,” he said coldly, “But with the information you’ve provided, Stussy, and combined with our findings, getting rid of them is no big deal.”
For Lucci, it was no longer just a mission to be completed. It was also not as trivial as the ambition to be the best. Moreover, no matter how objective the man was, he understood that living in an organisation couldn’t be done with loyalty alone. Loyalty would mean nothing if the trust in him was gone. And for Lucci, recognition from the World Government was everything.
On the other hand, Stussy kept their embarrassing secret, almost making the mission to capture Nico Robin fail. Because of that, he’d pay everything in cash, especially to the girl who embarrassed him.
“If you’re so afraid that the mission will fail just because they managed to break through, we can take precautionary measures,” said Kaku, sitting next to Lucci.
Stussy shifted her gaze to the long-nosed man. And through eye contact, she told him to explain it further.
“What you’re worried about are their heavy hitters, right? However, even though they’re a threat, they’re completely out of sync.”
"Now, if you put it that way…," Stussy muttered as she pinched her chin.
“According to your report, Straw Hat Luffy is an impulsive guy. Put a lot of obstacles in front of him, and he’ll be easily distracted for a while," Kaku continued, "This Sanji guy if he’s that kind of guy, he’s most likely weak against women. So, Kalifa should be able to handle it.”
"However, Roronoa Zoro is hard to predict because he can appear anywhere unpredictably. Meanwhile, we have little data about that girl, Zen'in Maki," the long blonde-haired woman added.
There was an intense hatred when Kalifa mentioned the name of the girl who gave her a raw punch that sent her flying through the wall and into the gutter.
“But you saw it yourself, didn’t you? Even Blueno was helpless when faced with one of those quartets,” Stussy replied.
“Then can’t we gang up on them? If their team coordination is bad, we can scatter them,” said a fat man with a zipped mouth.
“I don’t really like this. I prefer a bloody war,” Lucci spoke up again, peeking at Stussy from the corner of his eye, “But to keep you from whining over it, I’m willing to collaborate further.”
Stussy stared at the man flatly. His condescending answer slightly bothered her. However, the woman only smiled silently in her mind.
'You're quite arrogant for someone who was humiliated by Maki. But I'll let it slide since it benefits me too.'
While Stussy was reluctant to reply to this childish babbling, apparently, there was a woman who had been silent all along but had tried her best to contain her frustration.
"Wait there! That's not what you promised me! I only agreed to follow you if you let the Straw Hats escape safely!"
It was Robin. The woman screamed from the depths of her lungs until the veins on her neck appeared on the surface. Hearing the interruption, the purple-haired man turned to the corner of the room with a wrinkled face and stared at Robin with a condescending gaze.
“How dare you interrupt our valuable discussion.”
Spandam strolled with confidence, every movement filled with a striking arrogance. His heavy feet stepped firmly on the floor as if to assert his position as the highest authority on the island. His fierce eyes stared at Robin with hatred, considering the black-haired woman, not a human being worthy of compassion.
Spandam crouched down to match Robin's height. His free hand didn't hesitate to grab the top of the woman's head and pull it back, making her wince in pain. However, the man didn't care; he only wanted to ensure their eyes met without any obstruction.
“You’re one of the most intelligent people in the world, and yet you can't grasp simple logic?”
Robin stared at the man with a sharp gaze despite the intimidating words that came out of his mouth.
“They sailed from Water Seven safely and then came here. Did you get a glimpse of the gist?" Spandam continued.
Robin gritted her teeth,
“You will violate our agreement using such technicality!!”
“You’re so naive," the man replied with a smirk, "You deceive and manipulate everyone for your own interests. Even Crocodile wasn’t spared from being your victim.”
Spandam slammed Robin's head down and pinned it to the floor. He lowered his head until his mouth was level with her ear.
“Don’t think I don’t know that you also hid a lot of your research from that bastard,” the man whispered, “Moreover, you were also the one who anonymously funded the rebellion to overthrow Crocodile.”
Spandam released his grip and stood up from his position. However, instead of giving Robin some breathing space, he stepped on Robin's head and rubbed the soles of his shoes like he was stepping on a doormat.
"Being a coloniser, but at the same time, acting like a nameless hero. You’re one of the most petty bastards I have ever met, Nico Robin!! Even the upright and pure evil Doflamingo is more honourable than a hypocrite like you!!”
Robin's body shook with anger as she heard the insult. However, she could only curse him through the corner of her eyes as she tried to look at the man. The pain she suffered when Spandam pressed her head to the floor seemed to disappear and be replaced by a mounting hatred.
“And you think I'll keep a promise with a bitch like you?!!”
The man kicked her head like he was kicking a ball. However, he didn't stop there. He continued to stomp on Robin's body and head like crazy. But the woman didn't look away at all. Without a single groan coming out of her mouth, she stared at the tyrant with a cursing look.
“Where do you think your eyes are looking, huh, you bitch?!”
Spandam continued to kick the woman non-stop as if he’d never got tired of doing it.
“Hey! Stop it already, you bastard! You’re going too far!!”
Franky's shout interrupted him, and he stopped his activities momentarily. His eyes glanced at the man whose body was tightly wrapped by the large chain. However, that didn’t mean he listened to the words.
“Going too far, you say?! You who are lower than animals deserve this much!”
With a burning gaze, the man shifted his anger from Robin to Franky. The kicks that had previously rained down on the woman now shifted to hitting the blue-haired man's body without mercy. Every stomp of his feet tore through the air, carrying a rage that seemed to know no bounds. There was no pause, no mercy, just movements that spewed out burning craziness. His target changed, but the intensity of his anger remained the same, echoing destruction in every swing of his feet that struck without hesitation.
“That’s enough, Spandam,” Stussy interrupted, tired of the sight, “They will die if you keep hitting them.”
The CP9 leader looked back. He wanted to refute it, but the man he had just beaten preceded him.
“Die? Are you kidding me? Even the little kid in Water Seven has a heavier kick than this loser.”
“You bastard….”
“Enough is enough,” Stussy interrupted again, “You may intimidate them to make the investigation easier, but they are the kind of people who will not reveal even the slightest bit of information even if their lives are at stake.”
Stussy knew that the man she was talking to was stubborn and arrogant. He hated being corrected by someone he considered lower than him, even if it was an elite among elites like Stussy. That was why the woman took the initiative before he could protest further.
"I appreciate your mission, but your job is bringing them to the Five Elders. Besides, you still have a job to maintain Enies Lobby's prestige. If you don't deal with the riots soon, it will be the end of your career even if you manage to present Nico Robin to the Five Elders."
When the name of the world's largest organisation was mentioned, the angry expression on Spandam's face became more relaxed. Although the wrinkles on his forehead were still visible, no rebuttal came out of his mouth.
“Fuck it. I already knew that much,” the man muttered.
Spandam looked at all his subordinates individually, ensuring his main fighting force was in top condition. When he noticed their expressions, he knew that a battle was inevitable. Although he wanted to avoid the barbaric group, he knew he had to act with the worst-case scenario in mind.
“Lucci, you know what you have to do, right?”
The long-haired man closed his eyes for a moment. And when those eyelids opened, a burning bloodlust was reflected in those eyes.
"There is no need to ask twice. From the beginning, there was no room for compromise with the criminals. Their undeniable deaths will be the fertiliser for justice."
—OoOoO—
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Maki-chan, you mean they're going to separate and gang up on us?" asked an orange-haired girl.
Nami, along with Maki and Chopper, were already inside the courthouse. Although the bespectacled girl had previously dashed ahead by diving into the enemy's rear guard, she eventually decided to wait for her comrades after assessing the situation. Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Chopper arrived shortly after. However, they eventually separated again because the two men were too eager to break in.
“That's just my guess.”
“But why do you think that?” Nami asked again.
The three pirates slowly run into a quiet hallway. Unlike the chaos outside, they didn’t encounter any obstacles. Mostly because Luffy, who had arrived first, had eliminated all the obstacles, and Zoro and Sanji had cleaned up the rest. That made it easy for them to run around the building leisurely. Even if a few people were blocking their way, they were no match for Maki.
“Because they couldn’t finish me off even though they ganged up on me. Ideally, they’d try to separate us and gang up on us in a group,” the girl explained.
“So, what’s the problem? Don’t we just need to be together all the time?”
The question came from Chopper, who was also running in his humanoid form, which he named Heavy Point.
“That’d be hard to achieve,” Maki answered sceptically, “Luffy’s impulsive nature would make him charge forward on instinct alone. On the other hand, Zoro would get lost from his first step. As for Sanji, his lust for women makes him easily distracted."
The points Maki outlined all sound reasonable, and most likely, that was what’d happen.
“If they plan to gang up on us, the main targets must be you four, right? Do you have a plan?” Nami asked.
Maki gave a slight nod in return.
“I can’t say this is a solution, but I’ll follow Luffy. In the meantime, you try to follow Sanji. There’re two women in their camp. One’s the strong one, while the other’s the weak one. If they wanna eliminate him, I’m certain the weak one’ll step forward.”
Nami immediately turned to Maki, who was running next to her.
“Huh? How can you be so sure?”
“It's just my gut.”
After giving that answer, Maki immediately stopped in her tracks. Seeing the strongest figure in the small group suddenly stop, Nami and Chopper reflexively followed the girl. However, they looked at her with questioning eyes and wondered why she stopped without warning.
As if realising the meaning of that gaze, Maki opened her mouth.
“I heard something. It was Robin-san’s scream.”
“What? I didn't hear anything," replied Chopper, looking left and right.
“Seriously, how sharp are your senses actually?”
Nami sighed as she said those words of astonishment. It wasn't the first time Nami had witnessed Maki's sensitivity to her surroundings. However, she was always amazed whenever the girl showed those inhuman abilities.
“Pretty much above average, I think,” replied the bespectacled girl indifferently.
"I don't think above average is the right word."
Maki ignored the girl and looked up, staring at the ceiling with her mind seemingly calculating something.
“Chopper, can you return to your normal form for a minute?”
The fawn tilted its head at the question.
“Uh, sure.”
Maki then turned to Maki with an intense gaze that embarrassed the orange-haired girl.
“Nami.”
“Y-yes?”
“Excuse me.”
Without asking permission first, Maki immediately carried Nami on her shoulders like someone carrying a sack of rice.
“What? Maki-chan? What are you doing?”
However, the girl ignored her and instead picked up Chopper to put on top of Nami.
Maki bent her knees down to create momentum. And without any explanation or warning, she immediately jumped high and powerfully towards the ceiling. Just before her body hit the concrete barrier, she spun so that her feet were above. She did that to at least reduce the impact that Nami and Chopper would suffer as her passengers.
The kaboom sound was so loud that the concrete ceiling immediately collapsed. However, instead of slowing down, Maki's jump seemed to speed up, as if she had gained another momentum to accelerate.
“Kyaaa!! Maki, you little bitch!!"
Nami screamed hysterically, but the perpetrator who caused the panic ignored her and continued to break through the ceiling in an extreme way. Her blank expression didn't make it any better. However, the girl didn't stop at all until the last layer also became a victim.
With a mid-air somersault, Maki ended her barbaric entrances and quickly dropped off her passenger.
“At least tell me first if you want to do something crazy like that so I can prepare,” Nami whined.
“That’s crazy, Maki. Who would do something like that?!” Chopper said with snot dripping from his nose.
As if it was a jinx, another loud bang was heard. The concrete roof collapsed once more in spectacular fashion. A green-haired man then emerged from the hole that was created. However, that wasn’t the last as another object slammed into the concrete from the inside with great force.
“Dash!! Shishinabe Shot!!!”
A ridiculous scream was heard, along with the roof being destroyed. At the same time, a blonde man in a black suit appeared with his unique kicking pose.
Before everyone had time to recover from shock, an object from outside the building suddenly shot into the air, followed by a loud scream that echoed throughout the island.
“Ah? Sogeking?!” Chopper exclaimed as the first to react.
“What's he been doing all this time?” Sanji muttered with a cigarette in his mouth.
The blonde man turned his head to the side, and only then did he realise that people had been on the roof before him.
“Marimo??!! You son of, how'd you get here before me?!”
"Ah, you're late, aren't you? Did you get lost?" Zoro answered casually but with words that were full of mockery.
“Oi, oi, oi! Where did you learn that word?”
As if hot steam was coming out of his head, Sanji couldn't just stay silent when he heard the shameless taunts from the green man's mouth. However, his mood immediately changed drastically when he saw the two ladies standing not far from Zoro.
“Nami-san!! Maki-chan!!”
Sanji immediately shot off with movements that looked like someone dancing like crazy.
"If it's Nami-san and Maki-chan, it's understandable that you came early. No one can beat the combination of Nami-san's intelligence and Maki-chan's prowess."
Maki snorted softly when she saw the man's quirky behaviour. At first, she thought Sanji's flattery was just empty words to attract women. However, after sailing with him for almost two weeks and spending time together, she realised that Sanji was a true womaniser who would sincerely worship any woman in the world.
Maki was about to reply to those words, but their captain's loud, shrill voice drew all of the teenagers' attention to him.
“Robin!!! I don't care what you want, whether you choose to live or die!!” The boy shouted at the top of his lungs, "But whatever you decide, say it while you're with us!!!"
The screams that echoed in the air were heard clearly by Robin, who was looking at them on the balcony, which was closely guarded by the agents.
The black-haired woman couldn't hold back her tears that wanted to break out. The sight of her friends covered in sweat and dust made her heartache. Her mouth opened, wanting to scream out everything in her heart. However, it closed again when the past came back to haunt her.
“Look, Robin!! We all came here to pick you up!!”
Luffy's shout seemed to be a command for his comrades. With the same frequency, they moved forward with steady steps to stand beside Luffy. They formed a formation line with the two girls at each end. Even though some were afraid, the desire to take their precious comrades was much greater.
"Now, leave everything to us!!"
Those last words flew away carried by the wind until they pierced the deepest recesses of Robin's heart. Her head was lowered until her beautiful black mane fell following gravity and covered her messy face. Her body shook violently, with the occasional sob that was faintly heard. Franky, watching her from the side, couldn’t help but look at the woman who had lost so much in her life.
'The Demon Child, Survivor of Ohara, A Cunning Woman, The Greatest Threat of The World. You've lived with those curses for most of your life. Nico Robin, just how much of a burden are you bearing?'
Franky raised his head to the sky, gazing at the horizon impossible to reach.
'I always act like a bitch and take all my disappointment to Iceburg for Tom-san's death. And right beside me, a woman whose past and future have been taken away never flinches even though the whole world is against her.'
The blue-haired man with rooster-like hair stared at the seven youngsters standing proudly across the backdrop of the noisy battlefield.
'Even so, she has friends ready to tear the world apart to save her. Besides, the commotion behind them must be from my family and Iceburg's men, right?'
Franky sighed after seeing the reality before him. Although he had heard about the chaos since he was in the room earlier, it was the first time he saw the Enies Lobby sky heavily polluted by black smoke that soared into the sky.
'Franky, you always claim to be an honest man,' he lamented to himself, 'But what kind of gentleman can't even be grateful for his life despite having a beautiful family and great friends?'
“Nico Robin, they’re waiting for your answer,” the man said quietly.
Franky's voice made the black-haired woman flinch. The slight sobs that could be heard from her suddenly disappeared completely, as if her personality had changed 180 degrees. She raised her head, showing a cold expression to her comrades. However, the pain and suffering that shone in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.
“This people have access to the Buster Call.”
They were weak words, but the wind carried them towards her friends.
“Buster Call? What’s that?” Zoro muttered.
“I’m sure it’s a large-scale military operation that could wipe out a country instantly. I've heard Robin-san mention it briefly," replied Maki, standing beside him.
Zoro's eyes, which had glanced to listen to the brief explanation from the bespectacled girl, immediately stared at the group of people with hatred. He was shocked when he heard about it. Although he was pretty used to the tyranny always shown by the World Government, his blood boiled when he heard about such a terrible thing.
"The attack… is now aimed at my dear friends, whom I have finally found," Robin continued, her voice almost fading.
However, the woman gritted her teeth and tightened her diaphragm to power her trembling voice.
"The greater my hope to be with you, the greater my destiny will bear its fangs at you!! No matter which ocean I go to, I have this great curse that cannot be removed!!! Because my enemy is… the world and all its darkness!"
The tears that couldn't be stopped finally flooded her eyes.
“If someone has to die, at least let me die alone, and you don't have to sacrifice for me. After all, you guys still have a long future.”
Finally, the head fell again and bowed because it couldn’t bear the burden of the soul that was torturing her. The intense expression that she tried to maintain collapsed. The ugliness side of her that she tried to hide came to the surface. Robin roughly wiped it. Her vision was slightly blurry because the tears were dammed up again, but Robin pressed it hard.
“Excuse me, Robin-san,” Maki replied in a high-pitched voice, “I heard all the harsh rejections you shouted at Luffy. But to me, it sounded like you were trynna carry all the burdens on your own.”
The government officials cocked their eyebrows at Maki's statement, who had overheard their previous conversation. After all, it was clear that the girl wasn’t there when Robin had flatly rejected Luffy's outstretched hand. Even if she had screamed loudly, it’d have been impossible for her voice to penetrate the building made of thick concrete.
"The experiences that you shared with me have led me to enlightenment. That means a lot to me," Maki continued her speech, "So, Robin-san, this time, let me help you! Even if it means turning the world upside down!"
"Hahahaha!!"
A loud laugh immediately came out of Spandam's loose mouth.
“Do you even understand what nonsense you are spouting? A little bitch like you’ll never know how big the world is!!”
Spandam raised his hand with his index finger, pointing at a white triangular flag with the blue World Government symbol painted in the middle.
“Look at that symbol!! That sign represents the unity of over 170 countries across the ocean!! This is the world you spoke of!! Do you understand that your existence is just like a dwarf in front of the splendour of this organisation?!”
A strong wind approached the island, making the flag flutter even more gracefully. However, the power that the people were proud of didn’t seem to discourage the pirates.
"Is that the enemy chasing Robin all this time?" Luffy muttered in his cold voice, "Sogeking, shoot that flag."
The sudden order left Ussop speechless for a moment. He knew how heavy the symbol engraved on the flag was. If it were his usual self, Ussop would never obey the order, but that didn’t apply when his friend's life had been trampled by the injustice and greed of the world.
“Copy that.”
Without saying much, Ussop immediately aimed his large slingshot and aimed at his target accurately. He pulled the spring rubber tightly until the slingshot handle became slightly curved. After feeling that the mechanical energy collected was sufficient, the long-nosed bot immediately fired his bullet. The fire ammunition moved through the air quickly without any obstruction. And eventually, the flag that was a symbol of greatness was shot and swallowed by the greedy red flames.
The sight left almost everyone stunned in shock and horror. They were silenced by the declaration of war on the World Government that had been indirectly announced. However, before they could recover from the shock, the scream of the straw-hatted man was heard loudly and thunderously in the air.
"Robin!!!! I'd be happy to live with that!!! But I haven't heard from you yet!!
Luffy sucked in as much air as he could into his lungs. With his chest puffing out significantly, the heart-shaking roar was heard again.
“Just tell me if you wanna live!!!”
The tears that Robin had struggled to hold back began to fall heavily. Her impenetrable defences trembled as all the words her friends had said continued to echo in her heart. Her body shook as she could no longer maintain her composure. All the memories of her dark past flooded back into her brain.
'I always tried to convince myself that it was okay. I even lied to Maki, saying I no longer pursued my grudge and had made peace with my past. However, the truth was that I was just tired and resigned, waiting for my death to come closer after Crocodile's fall. I only used that girl to give me a reason to live a little longer.'
Robin clenched her handcuffed hands tightly.
'Something too luxurious for me to hope for. No one allowed me to wish for more. Since that nightmare, revenge and salvation were just reasons to not give up. However, what I really want is simple, but it's so hard for me to say it with pride.'
Her muscles tensed. Strong emotions flooded her cells. Robin's mask was destroyed, replaced by a chaotic expression with tears streaming down her face. However, unlike before, when she was like a robot without emotions, her expression now radiated hope and a desire filled with determination.
“I want to live!! I want to continue the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives for me!! Please…, please take me with you to the ocean!!”
All the Straw Hat members who heard it smiled with relief hearing Robin's sincere heart. Like dopamine injected right into the nerves, their motivation and self-confidence increased drastically.
“Then, here we go!! Just wait, Robin. We’ll save you!!”
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello. Sorry for the delay. As the new year approaches, my work is piling up like a mountain. This long chapter is also one of the main reasons for this. 10k words, which is equivalent to the content of almost two chapters.
For a little announcement, as I said, my work is piling up. So, the next update might be a week late. But it's not like I haven't written at all. I'm still working on it when I’ve time. It's just that I can't promise there’ll be an update on time. So, I hope you can understand my situation.
I’ve nothing to say other than this apology. So, I hope you enjoy the story. See you…….
