The woman sat upon the cold concrete blocks, her arms handcuffed and chained to the shackles behind her back as she was forced to listen to the obnoxious gloating of the man sitting at the luxurious desk.
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Behold Funkfreed, the golden transponder snail capable of triggering the Buster Call! And it's all MINE!"
The man then continued his cackling even as the elephant in the room continued snacking on fruits. And the man, either unaware of being ignored or not caring, continued gleefully,
"This snail, given to me by Admiral Aokiji, grants ME the power of an Admiral as well! The power to summon an entire fleet of warships, that will make an entire island disappear at the push of a button!"
The man then sneered behind the leather mask that covered half his face, before directing a look at the women as he leered, "and yet, the power of even the Buster Call pales in comparison to that of the ancient weapons. Right, Nico Robin?"
The woman, Robin, looked away indignantly from the man and his victorious smirk. And why wouldn't he feel victorious?
She was the only person in the world who could read the runes that would allow the resurrection of the ancient weapons. She, who had been evading the World Government for twenty years, and yet was now in their hands after she gave herself over to them.
"Hmph!" The man, Spandam, snorted at her with indifference before going back to his gleeful gloating.
"Hey Nico Robin, stop sulking. Your friends are on their way, aren't they?" Said her fellow captive, and man with thick chains wrapped around his body to restrain him.
Though he couldn't read the same runes she could, the man was the only other person in the world capable of reviving one of the ancient weapons, Cutty Flam. Or as he went by today, Franky.
Franky was the latest in a line of shipwrights that possessed the blueprints for one of the ancient weapons, secretly passed down from master to apprentice through the centuries. And so, upon learning of his survival after an incident that should've led to his death years ago, the government assassins she'd surrendered to also captured him to interrogate in order to learn of the blueprint's location.
"That's the problem though Franky..." Robin said with a shaky voice. "I don't want them to come here..."
Franky just gave her a level look, but didn't say anything else since he'd seen her fighting rescue from her comrades for the past few hours now, and he more or less knew her story.
Robin had surrendered herself to the Marines willingly after the covert assassination squad, CP9, made contact with her. The reason was because the head of CP9, Spandam, had been granted special authorization to use the Buster Call by the Marine Admiral, Aokiji, specifically for her and her crew mates, the Straw Hat Pirates.
Robin had experienced the Buster Call as a child, the only survivor when the Marines wiped out her homeland of Ohara because they dared to research what the World Government considered taboo, the Void History. A hundred years of nothing in their world records, truly the holy grail for archeologists to study.
But it had seen them all destroyed. All of them, but her.
The result was an unimaginably large bounty being place upon her head when she hadn't even been ten years old, a bounty that had haunted her her entire life since.
Every single group and organization she had joined had been destroyed by either the Marines, or those chasing after her bounty. And every single one of them turned their backs on her to try and save their own skins.
Robin had long since learned not to trust anyone. At least, until she joined the Straw Hats.
Though suspicious of her at first, they readily treated her as one of their own. For the first time in a long time she could relax herself, smile, and even enjoy the little things that she hadn't been able to until then.
But then she also received an invitation to something completely new, the Chatroom.
Though she merely found it amusing at first, Robin was surprised to find the Chatroom becoming an increasingly large part of her life, just like how the Straw Hats had worked their way into her heart.
Even if she didn't spend every moment on it, like Hestia seemed she was, Robin was still amazed at how interconnected she was becoming with the lives of those who used it.
The perverseness of the Chatroom aside, the women who used it would often post pictures or videos of themselves in their daily life for others to see.
Lala would often post about some new invention she had made, which would then immediately show some kind of defect that resulted in nakedness or sexual situations in some way. Meanwhile her sisters, Nana and Momo, would often post about the plants and animals they were taking care of at the moment.
Erza would usually post videos of herself fighting for everyone to spectate, and even offer their advice on how to improve her movements. Though Robin had noticed that Erza would pointedly ignore anything Mirajane would say, which was usually some kind of snide or vicious remark one wouldn't expect the motherly looking woman to make.
Kuroka would show everyone her cats, Lucy all of the spirits and monsters under her control, Mikan and Haruna were both posting videos of themselves working in the kitchens, during which they would also take any requests for the next meal. And most of all, the mothers of Alex's harem, and Alex himself, would post hundreds of pictures and videos about their children.
The more these women posted about themselves, the more Robin learned about them and became involved in their lives. A prospect that both excited and scared her.
And that was exactly why she had not used the Chatroom at all ever since she gave herself up. She didn't want to distract any of them with her problems.
Not just Alex, but every one of his wives were working towards facing a threat looming over all of them, and Robin COULDN'T be the one to distract them from it. She WOULDN'T!
If she had to list any regrets about her choice, it was that she couldn't spend more time with her crew mates, and that she would only be able to use the Chatroom from prison from now on, in between what she was sure to be numerous 'interrogation' sessions. Robin was already sporting several marks and bruises where Spandam had slapped her several times across the face, and kicked her in the stomach.
Her body was tougher than an average person, but she had been unable to even defend herself with her hands cuffed behind her back.
And now, though the sea stone handcuffs prevented her from using her Devil Fruit power, Robin was being forced to 'watch' through her Observation Haki as her crew mates desperately struggled to reach her, along with one of her Pokemon, Deino.
"Skull?"
As if summoned by her thoughts of her other Pokemon, a small head with a skull-shaped mask peeked out of her shadow curiously. It was her only other regret in being captured, her second Pokemon, Duskull.
"!!!"
Franky nearly shouted out as Duskull appeared, but a look from Robin silenced him before she looked to her little Pokemon worriedly.
"You should get out of here Duskull. I don't want to sentence you to a life in prison with me." She whispered to it urgently, while also keeping an eye out to make sure Spandam didn't notice anything.
"..."
Duskull however only shook its head defiantly, before rising up out of her shadow further to nudge her head with its own affectionately.
Rather than comfort though, Robin only felt a sense of guilt and urgency to try and get Duskull to leave her. It deserved someone better.
Before she could think of anything though, hurried steps could be heard before the door was thrown open suddenly.
"Chief! There is a situation to report!" A Marine declared urgently.
"WAAAAAAAAH! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT YOU IDIOT! I ALMOST ACTIVATED THE BUSTER CALL!" Spandam shrieked at the Marine.
"I'm sorry sir! But we were unable to get through to report about the current situation developing on Enise Lobby!" The Marine declared with a salute.
"Why didn't you just call me? Oh! The receiver's off the hook! Who keeps doing this!?!" Spandam raged when he realized the state of his transponder snail, which was of course because of him to begin with.
But even as he raged at his own unintentional incompetence, Spandam immediately regained his cocky demeanor as he turned back to the Marine that was waiting to deliver his report.
"Anyways, you wanted to deliver a report? Go ahead. Wait! Actually, I want Nico Robin to hear this as well!"
Sneering down at her as he approached them, with Duskull once again hiding within her shadow, Spandam gloated as he mocked,
"How many casualties did we hear before? Five? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What pathetic pirates to attack one of the Navy's headquarters and only being able to take out five men!" Spandam laughed at Robin nastily at her increasing misery from his taunting, before finally turning to the Marine and saying,
"Go ahead and give your report now. Let me guess what it is though, all those filthy pirates have already been put to death?"
Even as Spandam acted casually about the situation, the Marine was practically bouncing out of his boots as he waited to give his report. So, when he was finally able to do so, he practically screamed,
"Sir! There are about sixty pirates that infiltrated Enies Lobby! They breached the main gate, and have made steady progress across the island before arriving just outside the courthouse! Furthermore! The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, seems to be engaged in battle atop the courthouse, AND the giant gatekeepers have turned to the other side, and joined forces with the Pirates! Currently they seem to be running amok throughout the city! Altogether, our casualties amount to at least two thousand men, half of which could be attributed to Straw Hat Luffy! This event is quickly becoming the biggest disaster in the entire history of Enies Lobby!"
Throughout the Marine's report Spandam was growing paler and paler by the second, and when he heard about Luffy battling atop the courthouse, he rushed to the massive window behind his desk to look out the city for himself.
"Blueno.... What are you doing over there...?" He asked quietly, as he witnessed one of his agents engaged in battle with Luffy.
And looking out past them, Spandam just now realized how dire the situation was as he saw smoke rising up from all over Enies Lobby, dozens of ruined buildings. And hundreds of people still fighting in the streets as the Marines desperately tried to subdue the attackers. But, as he was looking out over the island, Spandam was suddenly plunged into shadow that made him look up, and see that black clouds now covered the island of perpetual sunlight.
"W-WHAT IS GOING ONNNNNNN!?!?!?!?!?!?" Spandam shrieked as fear grew within him.
"GO AND GET CP9!" He hysterically ordered the Marine.
"Sir!" The Marine saluted as he hurriedly left to carry out his orders.
Spandam then turned his attention back to the fight between Luffy and Blueno, and tried to calm himself by thinking the situation over 'calmly'.
And once he did that, Spandam recalled that CP9 was one of the strongest assassination groups within the Marines, there was no way they would fall to a bunch of no-name pirates here. Sure, the Starw Hats may have gotten lucky so far, but that was all it was. Luck.
That was what Spandam decided on as he watched the fight between Straw Hat and Blueno below him, which he now knew was the pirate's last few minutes of futile struggling. But, he wasn't going to chance them getting lucky again.
"MEN!" He cried out.
"""YES SIR!"""
"Open the Gate of Justice!"
"But sir! The convoy isn't here yet?"
"I know it isn't! But they came here for Nico Robin and Cutty Flam! If we get them on the other side of the gate, then anything they've done will be in vain! Now HURRY!"
"""YES-"""
"ROOOOOBIN!"
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!"
Spandam shrieked upon hearing Luffy's cry, making him rush to the window to see Straw Hat standing alone on the rooftop, with an unconscious Blueno behind him.
"Blueno LOST!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
"Gyahaha! Dumbass!" Cackled a man with his black hair tied into numerous bands.
"So we were called for only Straw Hat?" Asked a seductive woman dressed in black leather.
"Yoyoi! Just being~ able to get this far~, is worthy of~ respect!" Declared a large man with long pink hair that moved as if it had a mind if it's own.
"That's what he gets for just bar tending for five years." Sneered a man in a top hat with a pigeon on his shoulder.
"He still shouldn't lose that easily." Replied a man with squared features.
"Chapapa~! He lost!" Declared a man who's body was a large sphere with limbs, and a zipper for his mouth.
Spandam looked back to see the six figures he most wanted to see at that moment, the rest of CP9.
"Good! You're all here!" Spandam exclaimed as a sense of relief filled him, before going over to stand before the window to look out at the confused Straw Hat Luffy.... Or not, since he was busy stuffing his face with some meat...
"Firstly, I want you all to kill-"
*KABOOM!*
Lightning suddenly flashed as it blasted through the window to strike him, blowing out the side of the building while frying Spandam to a crisp.
"Straw.....Hat...Luffy..." He wheezed out with a puff of smoke.
"Divine retribution for sexual harassment." The woman said while adjusting her glasses.
"What sexual harassment...?" He whimpered pitifully while slumping down on the spot.
Rather than help him, all six of his subordinates walked past Spandam to the now open window to stand on the balcony outside. As they did that, they watched as all six of the Straw Hat Pirates similarly gathered beside their captain after a big commotion.
"Robin's up there?" Asked their cook, Sanji.
"I see pigeon guy, so yeah, she should be there." Luffy stated seriously.
"Man... We sure got lucky getting here... And good thing Yamato is keeping all the Marines back for us..." Nami sighed, though she also couldn't help but to worry.
The scale of their battle this time far exceeded anything they had done before. And that was exactly why she had sent a message to 'him' asking for help, despite knowing he would most likely bill her further. But Nami didn't care. If it was for the sake of her crew, then she would make as many deals with the devil as she needed.
"Meow~!"
"Form form!" Meowth and Castform both declared alongside her, both ready to fight as well to get Robin back. Even Robin's Deino had come with them with the intention of getting her back.
And as she watched the tower before them carefully, Nami also began controlling the clouds above them to prepare another bolt of lightning that was even stronger than the last one. But she couldn't drop them as much as she wanted, not with Robin still being captured.
"They're all gathered!!!" Spandam exclaimed as he recovered from being struck by lightning, looking down to see them all gathered there below him along with three weird.....things.
"What are you lot waiting for? GO AND blagarga..."
"""???"""
Every one of them looked back at Spandam confusedly at his garbling, only to see him foaming at the mouth with his eyes completely white as he passed out.
"Is that...?" The pigeon guy, Rob Lucci, uttered as his eyes narrowed from the obvious use of Haki. The only question was, who used it?
...
"Hold them back!" Yamato commanded the allied forces of Galley La and the Franky Family, the most notorious gang of Water 7.
Currently they were outside the courthouse of Enies Lobby that all criminals brought to the island passed through, all of who were found guilty before being taken to the navy prison, Impel Down.
She was holding all of the Marine forces back from attacking Luffy and the others from behind, as he and the rest of his crew wanted to be the ones to face CP9 themselves.
"Guilty!"
"Not!" Yamato replied as one of the guilty jurors swung a massive iron ball at her, which she sent flying back at him with a swing from her Haki infused Takeru.
"There's no end to them..." Sabai, second in command of the Franky Family, complained tiredly.
"Yeah, especially when Yamato and those two giants are doing most of the fighting." Pauline stated irritably at Sabai's complaining, before using his rope techniques to restrain several more Marines.
Sabai was going to respond to the jab, when suddenly they all felt a horrible pressure bearing down onto them. A pressure that made every single defender of Enies Lobby pass out while foaming at the mouth.
"Haki!?!" Yamato exclaimed in awe, having never felt such powerful Haki that surpassed even that of her father's.
She looked around to try and identify the source of it, before looking up at the sky. And there, amidst the thick rolling storm clouds, was a ball of pure white light that mimicked the same intensity of the sun.
Yamato stared up at the light in awe for a brief second, before...
*BOOM!*
Black lightning filled the sky that spread out in every direction as far as the eye could see, but what followed it wasn't thunder.
*DUM DUT DA DA🎶!*
*DUM DUT DA DA🎶!*
*DUM DUT DA DA🎶!*