Aka Daka
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One Way Home, Chapter 11
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 05:03:39 +0000 UTCChapter 11: A Sudden Confrontation.
—OoOoO—
The fragrant smell of medicine wafted into his nose. The stimulation stung a long-nosed boy who was lying weakly on the bed. His eyelids twitched as if he wanted to open hidden horizons. However, the absence of energy in his body prevented that from happening. The eyes could only open after waiting for a few moments while gathering some power.
Ussop pushed himself to get out of bed. However, all his muscle fibres felt like they were screaming in pain.
'If I force it, I think all the wounds I got will reopen.'
Ussop took a deep breath. But he regretted it a little because it made his chest hurt. Busy with the pain all over his body, the long-nosed boy was unaware of the sound of the door opening and the figure of a girl entering the room.
"If you really wanna sit and lean back, I can help you."
Ussop was surprised to hear that voice. He then turned his head and saw a girl with a sword at her waist, placing fruit packs on the table.
“Maki?” he muttered quietly.
Memories from before he ended up lying in bed suddenly played automatically in his brain. And Ussop began to remember what had happened to him. However, he took about ten seconds to get the words out.
“Thank you for saving me and taking me to… the hospital, I guess? And no, I think I'm more comfortable just lying down.”
Maki glanced briefly at the boy before returning her focus to peeling fruit without answering those words. However, the silence that was created made Ussop feel awkward. He was a loud person who liked to joke around. That was why he wasn't used to such a situation. Moreover, Maki made it worse by having a scary and intimidating aura, just like Zoro.
“By the way, how long was I unconscious? And… did you tell the others about this?”
Maki fiercely put down the knife she had previously used to peel the fruit. It made Ussop a little surprised and shuddered.
"About two hours, maybe? I didn't tell them because I thought you wouldn't be comfortable with that," Maki said while gazing at Ussop, "Or do you want me to? I don't care either way."
"No, thank you."
Maki nodded slowly without saying a word. She brought the peeled and sliced fruit to the bed where Ussop was lying.
“Here, some fruits. The doctor said your organs are badly damaged.”
Ussop turned his head to the side and looked at Maki, who was placing a plate full of fruit next to his pillow. His tongue suddenly felt numb at the memory of him blaming Maki as the reason Luffy told him to leave the group.
"Sorry," said Ussop softly.
"What for?"
“You know, for everything.”
Maki silently stared at Ussop for a few moments. No response came from the girl until a sigh was heard.
“Don't sweat it. You guys have helped me a lot since I was stranded in this world.”
“Even if you say so….”
Ussop hung on his words. Or rather, he was at a loss for words to express what he wanted to convey. The boy squeezed the sheet so hard that it got wrinkled.
"You could have just left me after you took me to the hospital. However, you even waited for me until I woke up. Not only that, but you also bought me some fruit. Your kindness… makes me look like a bad person, especially after what I said about you."
“I told you not to think about it, didn't I?” Maki replied.
The girl walked away, heading towards the only window in the room. The fresh breeze mixed with the ocean's thick aroma greeted her skin. The sight of people passing by along the road showed how peaceful the area was. However, her sharp eyes never stopped scanning them. The new ability she unlocked, Kenbunshoku Haki, was always activated without stopping.
Maki turned around and leaned her butt against the window frame. Meanwhile, her gaze was straight at the long-nosed boy.
“I couldn't just leave you after someone tried to kill you, can I?”
Ussop was silent when he heard this answer. After all the things that happened to him since yesterday, he forgot the simple fact that he almost became a murder victim.
Ussop was about to spit out a few words, but Maki preceded him.
"I also took your money to pay the hospital fees in advance and bought those fruits. So, you don't need to worry about such things."
The long-nosed guy immediately changed his expression and looked at Maki evenly. However, after thinking for a while, a sigh was the first thing he did.
"I actually wanted to complain, but looking at the circumstances, I think what you did was reasonable."
“See? Besides, I'm broke in this world, you know? If only someone hadn't taken our money away, maybe the outcome would've been slightly different."
Maki's reply made Ussop's face sour.
“Hey, I apologised, alright? Besides, you said not to think about it.”
Maki only gave a crooked smile in response. For the umpteenth time, she again monitored the atmosphere outside without missing even the smallest detail. Without facing Ussop, the girl gave him words.
"While you were unconscious, I continued to hide and prepare to ambush anyone who'd try to kill you. But no one came apart from doctors and nurses."
Maki turned around to look back at Ussop.
“Do you’ve any idea who the person who attacked you was?”
Silence fell upon them again when Maki suddenly brought up a quite heavy topic. Ussop's relaxed expression quickly changed to tense. The two teenagers stared at each other in silence. However, Ussop averted his gaze and stared at the ceiling while continuing to lie on the bed.
"I don't know. Apart from the Franky Family, I'm sure I didn't mess with other groups. However, based on his words, the person who attacked me seemed to have no personal grudge and was just doing the job he was given."
While still leaning against the window, Maki pinched her chin and frowned. The information Ussop provided was so little that it was difficult for her to draw conclusions. However, seeing the situation outside, the girl tried to connect the dots. But still, she couldn't just jump to conclusions like that.
'Should I tell him the situation that befell the group? But Ussop is currently an outsider.'
Inner turmoil occurred within the bespectacled girl. It couldn’t be helped. She was born and raised in an environment where confidential information couldn’t be leaked to outsiders. Coupled with her inherent nature of discipline, Maki was strict about the flow of information within the group.
'The group's current situation has become a public concern. Sooner or later, he’ll find out.'
Maki closed her eyes while sighing.
“Currently, Robin-san is accused of attempting to murder the Mayor.”
“She… what?!”
Ussop was immediately interrupted by the very surprising news. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went blank for a few seconds. The information that Maki dropped was like a lightning strike in broad daylight.
"The good news is, Iceburg can still be saved," said Maki, continuing her words, "But the bad news is, the Straw Hat group's good name was tarnished, and we instantly became the most hunted group on this island."
“Wait, that doesn't make sense,” replied Ussop.
Because of the nonsense he had just heard, Ussop couldn't stand it and forced his body to get up even though all his muscles seemed to be screaming at him not to move suddenly. The long-nosed boy grimaced in pain, but he managed to sit up straight on the bed.
"Has it been proven that Robin did it? Even if that's the case, they can't just accuse us of being involved in the conspiracy," he added.
“Public opinion has already been formed. Things like whether it makes sense or not are no longer relevant unless there’s strong evidence that can’t be refuted," replied Maki.
Ussop didn't really pay attention to what the girl said just now. As if stung by something, Ussop's brain was suddenly stimulated, and a theory crossed his mind.
"Wait, wait. If the Straw Hat are being hunted, was it one of Iceburg's men who attacked me?"
"I thought so at first too, but after thinking about it again, I don't think that's the cause," Maki replied.
Ussop wanted to interrupt those remarks. However, seeing the serious expression on that beautiful face, he thought better of it. The long-nosed guy knew that Maki wasn't finished with her words.
"Only Luffy, Zoro, and Robin-san have bounty posters. Apart from them, no other Straw Hat members should be known to the public. You and Nami, who were with Luffy, there’s a possibility that someone will know your faces. However, when you were attacked, and the news about Robin-san was published, it was too tight. Moreover, if we consider the time it takes those people to search for you, everything becomes even more out of sync."
“In other words, what you want to say is….”
Ussop hung on his words because he was a little doubtful about the conclusion that appeared in his head. However, Maki responded with a nod.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking, but from the hints and oddities that exist, everything leads to the conclusion that there’s a high possibility of a conspiracy taking place on this island."
Ussop subconsciously held his breath when he heard Maki's statement. He even forgot the pain for a moment. Not only that, even swallowing saliva was difficult for his throat.
However, Maki ignored her friend's feeling overwhelmed by the shock and continued her words.
“What bothers me most is the possibility that there are groups that are taking advantage of our internal situation.”
"If that party exists, is Robin also involved with them?" Ussop asked.
Maki sighed for the umpteenth time. Concentrating on Kenbunshoku to scan the surrounding situation in real-time while racking her brain to uncover the mystery and conspiracy required a lot of mental energy. Physically, Maki did have an extraordinary body. However, mental strength wasn’t something that could be gained overnight.
"I’m not sure. But most likely. Everything I said just now is just a hypothesis. Furthermore, I can't draw any other conclusions without any clues," Maki replied.
Ussop lowered his head, staring blankly at the blanket covering his lower body. His body felt itchy, but it was a different sensation from the pain from the injuries he had suffered. It was more like a strong stimulus, which prompted him to reach out to his friends who were in distress. However, the boy shook his head slowly and threw away these useless thoughts.
"So, what's your plan?" asked the boy.
"I don't know, but what's clear is that I need to regroup with Luffy and the others."
Maki hung on her words for a while before continuing.
“In addition, considering Iceburg's failed assassination attempt, it’s reasonable to think that whoever’s behind it, they’ll try to kill him again. If Robin-san is involved with them, that would be the perfect moment to ambush her.”
“Not meeting and talking to her, but ambushing her?” Ussop replied with a resigned face.
“Really, what did you expect? The group we’re discussing is slippery enough to create such a conspiracy. With such feats, they definitely contain strong people.”
Maki then looked at Ussop while adjusting the position of her glasses.
“Do you think we could come along nicely and have a chat over a cup of tea with them? Believe me, a feud is inevitable at this point.”
Maki said those words while looking straight at Ussop. She tried to read the meaning contained in the complicated expression. However, she wasn’t an expert in that field. Even though people acknowledged that Maki had a sharp mind, that didn't mean she knew everything.
"Well, seeing as you can sit up by yourself, talk about a lot of things, and can probably do other small things if you ignore your pain, I assume you'd be fine on your own."
Maki started tidying up the table, cleaning it from the remains of the fruit skin she had peeled for Ussop. The girl then grabbed her sword, which she placed upright beside the table.
“If I remember correctly, weren't you not carrying a sword when you saved me earlier?”
“I didn’t, but I picked it up briefly from the inn after I took you to this place.”
The short pleasantries just stopped without anyone intending to continue. For Maki, it was obvious because she wouldn't spend any more time taking care of Ussop. As for the boy, he couldn't find the right words to describe his feelings.
Maki grabbed the knob, turned it slowly and then pulled the door. The girl stepped out of the room as if she didn't have any burdens. She tilted her body slightly to close the door again. However, her eyes met the curly-haired boy, and her hand movements stopped for a moment.
The girl closed her eyes, gathered as much air as possible in her lungs and let it out slowly.
“If you got an itch and wanna help us, just come. You may no longer be a group member, but we're friends at the end of the day.”
Without waiting for a reply and not wanting to bother seeing the boy's reaction, Maki simply closed the door to the room.
Her clear glasses reflected the light from the corridor lights, making it impossible to see her eyes clearly. Her ponytail swayed stronger every time Maki quickened her pace.
The figure of a girl who was relatively short on a human scale in that world. With round glasses, ponytail hair, and a simple dressing style, she gave the impression of a student model. However, her firm steps and tightly gripping the sheathed body of her sword showed that the girl had prepared herself mentally, even if she had to go to another war.
—OoOoO—
Four people, or more precisely, three humans and one fawn, were standing on the branches of a large tree while spying on a magnificent building. It was the city hall area and also the Mayor's residence.
"Are you sure about this method? Wouldn't it be better to wait for Sanji-kun and Maki-chan first?" the only girl asked.
No one answered immediately because their eyes were glued to looking for gaps in the tightly guarded building. However, the green-haired boy decided to respond to the question.
“We don't even know where they are. At this point, if we spend too long waiting for them, we’ll actually lose track of Robin completely.”
Nami, the girl who asked, clenched her fists tightly. She understood that, but she couldn't stop worrying about thinking about such a reckless plan.
“They look strong and are all armed,” said the fawn with a binocular, “Can we really do that without full power?”
“We're not gonna war, but rather just infiltrating, aren't we? Even without Sanji and Maki, it's not a problem," replied the guy with a straw hat hanging off his back.
"I doubt you even know what infiltration means, Luffy," Nami chirped with a sigh.
It made Luffy reflexively turn towards her.
“Isn't that simple? You just need to run as fast as possible so they don't catch you.”
“Oh, no. We are doomed," Nami complained while massaging her temples.
"What? Don't you agree with the plan?”
Nami didn't want to argue further with Luffy. However, whether it was pure stupidity or innocence, it did make the girl's head dizzy.
“I don't know how you can interpret it like that. No, I don't even care anymore. Obviously, don't run around screaming like crazy, do you understand?"
Responding to the order, Luffy just rolled his lips inward with innocent eyes. There were no words spoken or any other reaction he gave. It irritated Nami, and she was eager to pinch the rubber boy's ears. However, the loud sound of the explosion made her gasp and reflexively turned his attention to the scene of the crime.
"What is it?" the girl asked.
“Something exploded?!” Luffy exclaimed.
Zoro swiftly grabbed the binoculars from Chopper's hand after a split second the sound of the explosion echoed. However, the guy never provided any confirmation. His eyes, through visual aids, were still focused on gathering as much and as fast information as possible about what was happening at the Mayor's residence.
People scattered and running around in panic were the sight that the green-haired man saw. However, that wasn't what made his temples wrinkle.
“That's strange. I didn't see any attacks from outside.”
“Eh? What do you mean? What's so strange, Zoro?” Nami asked.
"An explosion of that big could only be possible if you had a cannon or launcher to fire the bomb, considering the distance between the location and the road was probably almost fifty metres. Or, it might have been thrown with bare hands if the perpetrator was strong enough. However, as far as I can see, there are no signs of attack from outside.”
Zoro may not had as extensive knowledge as Robin, Nami, and Sanji. However, Zoro's brain would work very well when it came to analysing something related to combat. His years of experience as a pirate hunter and fighting all kinds of opponents had honed his intuition to such an extent. Thus, his eyes quickly caught various oddities in the attack.
"I still don't see any further attacks," said Zoro, with binoculars in his eyes, "Possibly, the explosion was just a diversion to break the guard. If my guess is correct, their main target is the other side of the building."
On the other hand, Nami may not have had as much experience as Zoro. However, she was a brilliant girl who could draw conclusions from the explanations she received.
"Wait. Put aside which side they will attack. If there weren't any traces of the explosion, didn't that mean everything had been prepared from within? It means…."
Before the girl finished her deduction, they suddenly heard Chopper's hysterical scream.
"Oh no!! Luffy's gone!”
Zoro and Nami turned their heads simultaneously, surprised to see that the place where Luffy was supposed to be standing was empty, and there was no trace at all.
“That idiot…,” Nami growled with her hands clenched into fists, “Gone my ass. He must have dashed in there without even thinking!!!”
—OoOoO—
Even though she already knew what to do, Maki felt a dilemma.
The girl was standing on the roadside. To avoid suspicious looks from people, Maki wrapped her sword in cloth. Each end was tied using a rope and carried over her left shoulder.
The girl seemed to have her eyes closed as her eyebrows bent into a right angle. Occasionally, she’d be seen massaging the bridge of her nose.
'I did talk about regrouping with Luffy and the others, but I don't even know where they are.'
After leaving the clinic where Ussop was being treated, Maki rushed to meet her colleagues. However, when she remembered that telecommunications modes weren’t easily available in this world, Maki was forced to stop and look for clues about their whereabouts.
'Calm down. Let's think from another perspective. Our main target is Robin-san, and I'm sure they already know that she’s accused of attempted murder. In other words, since the assassination attempt failed, the perpetrator will return to action sooner or later. If that's the case, monitoring the Mayor's residence is a reasonable thing to do.'
Maki let out a soft breath and opened her eyes.
'Even though Luffy is an idiot, but Nami, Sanji, and even a muscle brain like Zoro would come to that conclusion.'
After organising her thoughts and determining her goal, Maki moved her legs. However, she had only taken a few steps when a memory crossed her mind and made her stop.
'Wait. While taking my sword at the inn, I heard people talking about Franky defeating Luffy. But how?'
Even though he was an idiot, Maki admitted that Luffy was a tough boy. Moreover, his devil fruit ability provided a big advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Based on the knowledge she got from Robin, haki users in the first quarter of the Grand Line were almost non-existent. So, it was hard to imagine anyone being able to beat Luffy.
'No, that's possible. As strong as Luffy is, he’s the type of person who’ll attack without analysing his opponent's abilities. However, he also still has some weaknesses. If this Franky was a bad matchup for him, it’d make sense for Luffy to be defeated.'
Actually, that wasn't what made Maki stop in her tracks. Of course, the fact that Luffy had been defeated was something. However, what bothered her mind was the options that could happen after it.
'Luffy was the person who led the attack and destroyed Franky's base. Will it be enough for him just to beat Luffy? What if Luffy and the others are captured by him?'
Maki turned her upper body ninety degrees and looked at the not-faraway harbour.
'Compared to the Iceburg’s residence, my current position is much closer to Franky's base. If it turns out that Luffy isn't there and at the Franky’s instead, it’ll be like two trips.'
She was fighting many considerations in her head. Her gut told her that she should immediately go to the Mayor's office. However, regarding efficiency and considering all the variables in general, going to Franky's place first was a more sensible choice.
Maki crossed her arms. Like a confused wild animal, a growl could also be heard coming out of her mouth. With rough movements, she combed her bangs back using her fingers.
"Fine, I'll go to Franky's place first. It's in the same direction as the Mayor's office, after all.”
It was difficult for her to ignore the feeling that told her to go to Iceburg's place. However, Maki was a girl who always prioritised logical thinking in every decision. Maybe she seemed like an unhinged girl, but she was a cold-headed person. Therefore, even though Yuta was the strongest in her class, she was a de facto leader, acknowledged by her friends and Gojo Satoru himself.
'Franky, huh? Honestly, I'm actually a little curious about what kind of person could beat Luffy.'
—OoOoO—
Franky Family was a very famous group in Water Seven. There was no local resident who never heard their names. Even though Maki didn't participate in the attack on their previous base, finding their place was quite easy. Apart from her rough idea of where they were, people were kind enough to give her their complete address.
'I thought it’d be a strange place considering people think the Franky Family are crazy people, but it's quite normal. It's just like an ordinary warehouse hidden under the bridge.'
Maki stood before an old building that didn't seem to have any signs of life but still had a sturdy structure.
She placed her palm on the iron door and touched it gently. Maki closed her eyes, fully concentrated, cleared her mind, and tried to gain a wider range of mastery over her Kenbunshoku Haki.
'When I entered this area, I could only feel the presence of three humans. However, I decided to get closer to this building to get a clearer picture. Just ensuring in case I missed something. But it seemed like no one was there apart from the three.'
Maki knew that the people in the building weren’t her colleagues. Normally, she’d have immediately left because the people she sought weren't inside. However, she felt a very weak presence, but was quite familiar with it because it had accompanied her since she had been stranded in this world.
Maki didn't want to continue speculating. To prove what she had captured through Kenbunshoku Haki, the girl knocked on the iron door three times.
Maki patiently waited while her Kenbunshoku remained active. It didn't take long before she felt two people approaching from behind the building's wall. The door slowly opened, revealing a pair of twin women with square black hair.
Maki was a little taken aback when she saw the two women. However, it didn't last long until she regained her composure.
'Identical twins, huh? But that clothes and hairstyle…, what a weird combination.'
The girl in the ponytail tried to peek inside the warehouse. It was a single room that was very spacious and completely empty, but there was a water channel that connected to the sea on the other side of the building.
'So, this is a harbour dock?'
However, that wasn't why she stayed although no sign of her friends existed. Maki's eyes caught an object that was quite familiar. But she couldn't see clearly due to her narrow viewing angle because the door, which wasn't fully open, blocked her view.
“Hey, who are you? Do you need anything?" asked one of the strange-haired women.
Maki stared at them for a moment. However, she didn't answer the question and just walked in casually.
The two women intended to stop her. However, when Maki walked over and bumped into them, the twin sisters didn't expect the girl to break through so easily even though it seemed Maki had not put any strength into it.
'Who cares about manners? Aren't they the ones who stole our money first?' Maki thought.
“Hey, stop! Who do you think you are to just walk in like that?”
One of the women screamed slightly while grabbing one of Maki's wrists.
"Mozu, help me to stop this girl!" the woman continued.
“I tried!”
Mozu replied while holding Maki's other wrist. Even though both hands had technically been controlled, Maki continued to walk as if the two women weren’t a burden to her.
“How… can a girl as small as you… be this strong?” Mozu continued her words with distress.
“Just because you’re taller than me doesn't mean I'm small, you know?"
The humans’ height in this other world was indeed unnatural. So, Maki was reluctant to use their standards regarding height and thought that she was of normal height while they were small giants.
“That's not the problem. What's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly barge in?” asked Kiwi, one of the twins.
Maki stared at the two of them intensely but then closed her eyes momentarily. She wanted to answer the question, but she gave up her intention. The girl patiently waited for someone because she believed the two women before her weren’t suitable people to ask for an explanation.
No need to wait long, someone from another room entered the dock.
“What's all the fuss about?”
Hearing the baritone voice, Maki opened her eyes and looked at the owner of the voice.
“Bro!”
“Bro! That crazy girl suddenly barged in.”
Mozu and Kiwi immediately ran to the man's side.
He was tall and muscular, but his arms had odd proportions, with the biceps smaller than the forearms. However, the blue star tattoo on each hand looked very suitable. His blue hair, styled like a rooster and combined with black glasses, made him look like a true gentleman. However, something about that man bothered Maki.
'I've met many people with unique dressing sense in this world, but he's the weirdest. A beach shirt and a swim brief in such a dock? What's with that eye-damaging combination?'
Putting aside his dressing style, it wasn't that aspect that made it difficult for Maki to take her eyes off the man.
'Is that body for real? I barely even discovered the organic side of his body.'
Maki had very good eyes. It was so good that she could see the facets in the air and sky. In fact, during Luffy's fight against Enel, Maki could see the flow of electrons in Enel's lightning, which was messed up by Luffy. Because of that, she could immediately differentiate between something made organic and non-organic with just one look, even though it was trying to be disguised as anything.
'Is it made of steel?'
The shock was difficult to expel from her mind. However, Maki tried to remind herself that she had other, much more important goals.
“They call you bro. I assume you’re that fucker, right?” Maki said.
The man didn't answer Maki and continued walking towards her. However, Maki didn't bother. The girl continued her words while pointing to the object bothering her.
“That ship, how did it end up in this place?”
Going Marry was the object that made Maki stay even though she didn't feel any sign of her friends. Instead, Maki felt the presence of a spirit she usually saw in Going Merry.
'At this point, I'm really curious what exactly is this spirit? It's not like a curse in my world. It was as if the ship had a soul of its own. But is it possible for inanimate objects to have souls?'
Despite Maki's confusion, the man didn't answer her question. However, their distance had been reduced significantly, and they were now only about one metre apart.
Despite the significant height difference, they did the face-off without hesitation. Even though she was forced to look up because she was shorter than the person she was talking to, the fierce expression didn't fade from Maki's face. On the contrary, even though he was facing a relatively much shorter girl, the man showed no mercy.
“Who... in the hell... are you?” asked the man.
“Just answer the damn question, you fucker.”
Even though Maki demanded an explanation, the man didn’t respond. Instead, he walked backwards, aligning his position with the twin sisters who were now flanking him on both sides.
The group of three started to adopt a posture that made Maki raise her guard. However, unlike she expected, they actually performed a strange choreography.
"You must be a member of the Straw Hat, right?" said the man while turning his body, “I acknowledge your courage, little girl. Even with that small body, you have the guts to come here alone.”
“Huh? What?”
Only facepalm was now plastered on the girl's face. Maki gaped, having difficulty processing what she had just witnessed. All the tension that had been building suddenly evaporated as the group performed strange movements that weren't even worthy of being called a dance.
"I brought the ship to lure the Straw Hat. But what do I get? Was he scared after almost losing to me and sending a little girl here?"
Maki sighed after hearing that confession.
'So, the rumours that Luffy was defeated and taken by the Franky Family are just bullshit, huh? I should’ve just followed my instincts from the start.'
The bespectacled girl looked at Franky with a flat gaze.
"First of all, I'm not a little girl. I may not be as tall as you, but 170 cm is quite normal. Secondly, the Straw Hat Pirates will no longer use the ship."
"Yes, I know. I’ll label you as a group of fools if you still think you can use this ship further. This thing's beyond repair," replied Franky.
Maki didn't respond directly. The girl took the sword wrapped in cloth and carried it on her right shoulder. With fluid movements, she uncovered it and took out her sword.
“Even so, I can't let you put your dirty fingers on that ship.”
Maki said that while taking out her sword from its sheath. Since she was lazy enough to put it on her belt, Maki threw the scabbard in a random direction.
“You really have guts, huh, little girl?” replied the man.
Maki walked to the edge of the dock while taking off her glasses, allowing her sharp eyes to be seen clearly without being hindered by the reflection of light. She found a safe place and placed the glasses carefully.
'I don't think he's strong enough to beat Luffy. However, the fact’s that he could overwhelm Luffy. But that could happen because Luffy was reckless and might lunge at him without first analysing Franky's abilities.'
Maki walked closer to Franky while paying attention to the strange structure on Franky's body, which looked more like it was made from inanimate objects rather than organic objects.
'In other words, he could corner Luffy purely from a bad matchup. That means he may have abilities based on fire or sharp objects. He could also have an attack that could maintain momentum so it had enough power to overwhelm Luffy.'
Physical attacks in the form of blunt objects, such as punches, didn’t work on Luffy. However, that only happened because a punch was an explosive movement that produced a large amount of power in a short momentum, so the elastic nature of the rubber could reduce its kinetic energy. In other words, if an object could continuously maintain its momentum like a hydraulic press, it could damage Luffy.
'Well, whatever, I'll just have to pay attention to whatever he's going to throw at me.'
The distance between the two of them was now about five meters.
"I appreciate your courage to come to the enemy's base alone. You may be a little girl, but you are very manly."
“It's rich coming from y—.”
Maki's sentence was interrupted when she suddenly felt a group of people approaching from outside the building. She reflexively turned her upper body to look at the iron door, which was still tightly closed.
“Hey, Crested Rooster. Did you call your men?”
Franky raised an eyebrow.
“What? Why should I involve them in this duel? Besides, my men will contact me when they come here.”
The stocky guy looked at Maki with a questioning look.
'I've heard there's a skill that allows you to sense the presence of others, which is widely used by people in the New World. Does this girl also have that ability?'
“If you think there are people approaching, wouldn't it be your friends catching up with you?”
“No, they’re not. I've memorised all my friends' aura, and whoever’s heading here now, I guarantee it's not them," replied Maki.
Franky didn't know whether he should take the girl's words seriously. After all, she was an opponent, and what she said could be a trick to catch him off guard. However, Franky also doubted that Maki, a figure who dared to challenge him alone, had to use such a cheap trick.
There was no need to wait long. The sound of the metal door being knocked three times echoed throughout the dock.
"If they're not your friends and my family, who’re they? I don't remember having an appointment with anyone,” Franky muttered.
Mozu and Kiwi, who had been silent all this time, looked at each other. Opening the door when someone knocked was their habit. However, the sudden increase in tension made the two women hesitate.
“Don't open the door,” Maki said softly, “If they aren't our people and this rooster-crested guy hasn't made an appointment with anyone, it would be better to let them wait for a while.”
Maki took a breath and let it out, barely making a sound.
“Besides, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” she continued, emphasising her words.
The twins looked confused. They looked at Franky for reassurance.
“For now, let's listen to this girl first.”
Like a tit for tat, the door that had never been opened was finally broken open, causing a loud 'boom' sound.
"Guess I was right this time," muttered Maki.
The thin smoke prevented the bespectacled girl and Franky's group from seeing the perpetrator of the vandalism. However, the strong wind blowing from the sea quickly dispelled the dust scattered in the air, allowing their silhouettes to be seen clearly.
The perpetrators of the burglary were a group consisting of five people. Three men, one of whom had a much larger body, and two women with blonde hair. However, almost all of them wore black suits, but there was a woman who wore white clothes with a fox mask that covered half her head like a hood.
“Cutty Flam, aka Franky. One of the students of the legendary Tom. Don't pretend to be stupid because we already know everything," said a man with long hair.
“What’s the meaning of all this, Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno?”
Despite waiting for some time, the group did not reply. However, this actually invited questions from Maki.
"You know them?"
Franky nodded and answered, “The guys from Galley-La and the bar owner. I don't know the lady wearing the mask, tho.”
“That woman…,” Maki muttered while glaring at the person in question, “You're the one from the library who was stalking me, aren't you?”
A sweet smile came out of the woman's mouth, which wasn’t covered by a mask. Her hand reached for it and removed her mask, revealing a charming face with a shoulder-length blonde mane.
“It's interesting that you guessed correctly.”
“Well, that time, you didn't intend to hid your presence completely in the first place. Besides, your perfume smells quite strong, you know? You seem like a pick-me woman who wants to be found.”
The woman smiled faintly with a look of interest at Maki.
'Even though you say that, I made sure that I only used as little perfume as possible yesterday. It makes me curious, has that girl really awakened Kenbunshoku Haki, or is it just her senses that are exceptional? No. Her senses could be extremely good, causing her kenbunshoku to awaken.'
Franky watched the short conversation between the two women. However, a look of dissatisfaction was clearly written on his face.
“Don't ignore my question, bastard. What’s the meaning of all this, Lucci?”
“Very well. Our life in this city is fake. We are actually spies for the World Government assigned to look for something and catch Nico Robin the second she escapes from Crocodile's protection,"
“Stop right there, Michel Jackson,” Maki suddenly interrupted.
“Who are you calling Mich—,” the man named Lucci tried to refute that.
However, Maki didn't give him a damn and just continued her words.
"So, you wanna say that you’re the Government's dogs and all the conspiracies about Robin-san are your doing?"
Hatred and anger clearly radiated from the girl through every word she spoke.
For her, Robin was more than just one of her saviours who kindly gave her kindness when she was stranded in this world. Robin taught her valuable lessons through the wisdom she gathered throughout her life as a fugitive. It was Robin's words in Skypiea that made Maki realise that she no longer needed to compare herself to her friends as a jujutsu sorcerer.
More than that, Robin opened up to Maki and showed her dark past so that Maki could learn from her experience.
“Nico Robin has knowledge she shouldn't have. For now, we will let her live under our supervision for several reasons.”
“And you’ll kill her after she has finished serving her duty?” Maki replied with an ironic smile, "Robin-san has knowledge that can destroy the world. If she wants, she can use it to do so. However, she chose to make peace with her past and focus on continuing the legacy of her teachers and parents."
"Stop babbling nonsense."
"Well, well. I mean, if you think that Robin-san's knowledge is dangerous and needs to be eradicated, but in the end, you also want it, then..."
Maki hung up her words while stretching her neck, making a faint 'crack' sound. However, in the next second, the girl disappeared from sight. No one expected that to happen, and in the blink of an eye, Maki was in front of Lucci, ready to swing her sword.
“Huh?!” Rob Lucci muttered while squinting his eyes
“…Isn't a hypocrite like you more deserving of death?”
At the same time, Maki swung her sword quickly and with great precision.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: It's a long chapter, but I'm really satisfied.
Alright, as you know, the last half of this chapter takes place after CP9 defeats Luffy and Zoro. The main reason I gave Maki a separate stage was because I didn't want to change too much what had happened, at least not in the Water Seven-Enies Lobby arc.
So, since the first confrontation between Franky and CP9 in canon was practically a one-sided fight, I think putting Maki in there would be more interesting. Apart from that, this opportunity would also open up more opportunities for Maki to "learn" new things.
OK, that's all from me. Leave a trace if there is something you want to ask or convey.
Yonde kurete, arigatou gozaimasu…. Thank you so much for reading this story. Stay safe and be healthy.
Comments
Kaung Myat Kyaw
What chapter gonna be released next time
