"Aaaaah! That damn' red haired idiot!" rages Nami. "What in the hell was he thinking?! Jumping into the sea in this kind of weather?! Couldn't he have waited for us to get to him before doing something so incredibly stupid?! I'm gonna beat him black and blue when I see him again!"
"Hero! It's a Hero!" Luffy gushes, staring at 'Sogeking'. It has been this way ever since they'd linked back up with the rest of their crew. Chopper and Luffy both seemed to be completely entranced, and fooled by Usopp's Sogeking persona. "Since you're wearing a cape, I knew you would be! Hero's always wear a cape!" Chopper shoves a piece of paper towards the man, requesting an autograph. Naturally, he signs the paper for their doctor and hands it back.
"Would you quit screwing around?! Can't you act the tiniest bit worried?! We have no idea where Run is right now!"
"Hm? Why would I be worried? Run is a great swimmer!" Nami moves in a flash, raising several knots on Luffy's head in quick succession.
"That's NOT the point! Think about the situation, would you?!"
"Run is fine. He's probably already made it there, Nami! Besides...if he say's he's going to get Robin back, then he's going to get her back. Paulie takes this opportunity to lay a map out for them, drawn from a rough recollection of the island. Apparently, the Gates of Justice are at the back of the island, and are only accessible from the Tower of Law. Luffy is curious about the large dark spots of the man but Paulie tells them that they'll figure it out when they see it. He finishes his explanation by telling them that their only chance of rescuing Robin and Franky is by catching them before they pass through the Gates of Justice. If they can't stop them before that, then they'll be lost forever.
"But remember," Paulie adds quickly. "Even though we're all rushing in at the same time if we encounter any members of CP9, then you all are the only one's who can stop them. After everything that's happened, I know full well just how strong you all are. So, please...wait five minutes here before you go charging in through the gate in Rocketman."
"We'll go in first and bust open the gates for you," Zambai tell them. "After that, just keep moving forward no matter what happens to us."
"Aah, don't worry about that!" chirps Luffy, grinning from ear to ear. "Run will have those gates open for us before we even get there!"
"H-Huh? Your red haired friend? Is he really that strong?"
"Yup! Don't worry! Run knows what to do without us having to tell him! All we have to do is get there...!"
- - -
"Talk about a strong current," Run mutters, straining against the pull of the sea and grasping the edge of the stone platform. It's been a VERY long time since he's had to swim such a long distance, and certainly never with wounds in his side. He'd followed the tracks all the way to what he can only assume to be Enies Lobby, and the closer he got the calmer the weather and the brighter the light until he'd find himself bathed in bright sunlight. Maybe the Marine had never anticipated someone swimming under their fence in this strong current but after a short dive he'd resurfaced near the train station. Run hauls himself up and out of the sea with ease, finding himself staring down a giant set of doors with several dozen Marines all now staring in his direction.
"Halt!" screams one of them, immediately leveling his rifle on the red head. "This area is..." The man suddenly pitches forward, dropping face first to the ground while foaming at the mouth.
"Sorry, fellas." The Marines begin to drop by ones and by twos now, every one of them collapsing to the ground while foaming at the mouth. "But since it's come to this I haven't got even a single second to spare." The red head sprints towards the gate as the Marines continue to fall like dominoes until he's the last man standing. "That gate's gotta go!" Run grins as he calls on his Haki, the skin of his arm turning an inky black. "Sea King's Bite!" His fist drives into the surface, sending cracks spiraling out in all directions before a loud 'boom!' echos across the island. Chunks of stone scatters in all directions as the doors crumble and Run sprints through.
A stretch of open land appears before him, and a large group of Marines have gathered in front of a second door, all of them wielding spears and swords. The red head continues his charge forward regardless, watching as the men gathered before to drop like flies. Once more he rushes the gate, and once more he drives his fist through, shattering the massive doors and creating a massive hole. Run slides to a stop, finding himself staring down a massive down in front of him.
"Alright," Run cracks his knuckles loudly. "Time to find Robin..."
- - -
"What did you say?!" roars Spandam, glaring at Raye from behind his desk. "Hand over Nico Robin?!"
"That is correct, Spandam!" chirps Raye. "The Five Elders have no intention of leaving her in the hands of CP9! So, now that she has been delivered safely to Enies Lobby, I'll be handling the transfer of custody from YOUR hands to OURS. Of course...considering the intruder problem at the moment, perhaps it would be best to deal with that first."
"I won't allow it!" Spandam stands, slamming his hands down on the surface of his desk. "I won't allow--" Raye disappears, accompanied by the shattering of glass and rather loud yelping. A gust of wind sweeps in through a new shattered window as Raye and Spandam reappear. The woman holds him by his shirt and dangles him out of the window. "Wait, wait, wait! Don't let go, don't let go!"
"Won't allow?" echos Raye, as Spandam grasps tightly to her arm. "I see now that I've been too leniet in my dealings with you and your people, Spandam." Raye pulls him forward, throwing him into desk and pinning him to it with a single hand on the back of his neck. "This situation is fixed. You have no right to refuse, and I'll hear no complaints. Clearly, I should have used a firmer hand from the get but this is the situation we find ourselves in now."
"Chief!" shouts Kumadori, standing quickly. "Release him at once, woman!"
"Release him?" Raye looks up at Kumadori. "And what should happen if I refuse?" The large man takes a single step in her direction and she moves, raising her free arm. "Tobu Shigan." A large split appears in the couch beside the man, and he comes to an abrupt halt. "I've reached the limits of my patience with you lot. Consider that to be my final warning." Raye releases Spandam now and walks around to sit on the front of his desk. "Ahahahaha~! Why is everyone so tense? Relax! You've just completed your mission! Smile!"
"I want to see them," growls Spandam. "I want to see both of them!"
"Mm...are YOU making demands of ME, Spandam?" Raye glances over her shoulder at the man who recoils in response. "Well, I suppose I can't STOP you from doing as you please with Cutty Flam. After all, he wasn't covered in my orders. However, I've gagged Nico Robin, so speaking with her WILL be an issue. Wouldn't want her to spill any important information to some lowly assassins, now would we?" After several tense moment Raye looks away from him. "Ahahahaha~! Very well, bring them in!" The doors to the room are opened, and both Franky and Robin are quickly shoved inside.
"Its odd. I may have been cheated but...I feel on top of the world right now! I'm surprised to see you survived that accident from eight years ago, Cutty Flam. And...the woman whom the world considers dangerous and has been trying to capture, Nico Robin." Spandam circles around his desk to approach the two. "If I had realized sooner than you were alive and had the blueprints, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble since we could have brought you in for your past crimes. On the contrary, Iceburg was a hassle to deal with. Because he made himself indispensable to the Government, we couldn't act openly against him. I was almost at wits end but then...Aokiji provided us with some good information. Nico Robin was en route to Water 7 on a pirate ship, and after some negotiations, I was even able to procure the rights to enact a Buster Call!"
"Aaah, are you DONE? Don't you have more important things to do? I mean...there's an intruder on the island after all."
"Don't take this away from me, woman! The winds are finally blowing in my favor! Both triggers for the ancient weapons are here! A power strong enough to give me control over any large country I might desire is in my hands right now!"
"Oh? My, what an interesting thing you've just told me." Spandam finally seems to catch his mistake and slowly turns to face Raye. "Aah, don't look so frightened, Spandam. I don't intend to kill you. See, the truth of the matter is that the Five Elders never trusted you to begin with. They were well aware of your plan when you first approached them. They're not so naive as to be taken in by your promises and flattery." Raye pauses for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Oh! I almost forgot the second half of my orders!" She reaches into her jacket and produces a second folded paper which she opens. "Ahem! 'After overseeing the successful transfer of Nico Robin into the custody of CP0 Agent Raye is here-by ordered to deal with the members of CP9...at her discretion'."
"W...What? Deal with us?! A-After all I've done for them! I--"
"Is that why you led the Straw Hat crew here?" Lucci questions her.
"Ahahahaha~! You catch on quick, Robert! I'd considered just killing all of you in this office once we arrived and lying the blame at the feet of the Straw Hats...but after speaking with Nico Robin, I'm feeling generous! Consider this your final task. The Straw Hats are inbound to Enies Lobby...in fact, I would say we have about a minute until the whole crew arrives. Now, I could spend that minute killing every last one of you or..." Raye crumples the paper up and tosses it over her shoulder. "...you can take your chances squaring off with them. Think of it as an audition."
"An audition?" echos Kalifa.
"That's right!"
"And if we refuse?" Kaku questions her.
"Obviously, refusal will constitute a loss on your behalf. As I said before, this situation is fixed." Seeing Robin glaring at her, Raye hops down from the desk and approaches. "My, you look as if you have something to say, Robin! Allow me." She reaches up and removes the gag from her mouth.
"Have you gone completely insane?!" demands Robin. "This isn't a game!"
"That's right, there was a report like that," adds Spandam, approaching closer. "Some red haired brat had stormed into the island. By now he's probably already been killed! There's no way he could stand up to the might of the Marines here on Enies Lobby! Since it's come to this then you can all die together! All are powerless before the might of justice...!"
- - -
"Aah, c'mon, fellas!" Run shouts, slowly turning in a circle. It feels like every last Marine on the island has gathered to face off with him. "Just get out of my way! It's really not worth all this trouble!" With no response forth-coming, he finally growls. "I said--"
"Gum-Gum...Gattling!" shouts a familiar voice. All heads turn skywards towards the voice, as men scatter in all directions. A familiar figure comes dropping out of the blue, landing beside the red head with a wide grin on his face. Before Run can react, Luffy wraps an arm tightly around his waist and then stretches an arm out towards the top of the near by gate house. "Let's go! Gum-Gum...Rocket!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Run grasps tight to Luffy as the two of them go flying up towards the top of the gate house and land on the roof. They both glance briefly down at the streets below before turning their attention towards the large tower in the distance. It's an impressive structure, stretching skyward above all of the other buildings around them but still dwarfed in comparison to the Gates of Justice behind it.
"Hahahaha~! That was a close call, huh?"
"Sure was! Aah, Luffy! Where is the rest of the crew at?"
"They're on their way! Ahh! You should have seen it! We rode this really cool train that was like a rocket!" Run nods in understanding.
"Luffy...I'm sorry, I didn't tell you guys when everything happened." Rather than being upset Luffy just grins from ear to ear before patting him firmly on the back several times.
"Ah, don't worry about it! I knew that I could count on you! Now...let's go get Robin!" Run grins and nods firmly in response.
"Yeah. That building is probably where they're keeping her for the time being. So, we'll have to drop the gate if we want to cross."
"No, it's a bit far but I think I can jump us there."
"You sure?"
"Air Door," announces a familiar voice. Both Luffy and Run watch as a door suddenly appears in front of them. It creaks open agonizingly slow, and Blueno calmly steps out. Run notes with some satisfaction that two of the large man's fingers on his right hand are now splinted, and bandaged tightly.
"It's the bull guy who was with the pigeon guy!" Luffy growls.
"Aah, Blueno," Run begins grinning at him. "Fancy meeting you here. How's the hand?" The large man's eyes narrow in response but his face remains calm otherwise.
"It seems the situation is quite different than the actual report," Blueno observes. Luffy seems beside himself with amazement while watching the door disappear. "It reported that red hair was the only intruder but it seems that the rest of the Straw Hats have finally arrived. Since the start of the World Government no one has ever made it to the Governments entrance."
"What can I say? We must be trend setters."
"How long do you intend to keep fighting?"
"Until I die."
"The World Government is a huge and powerful organization. More than one-hundred and seventy countries around the world count themselves as it's members. Invading this island which is under it's protection is an act of rebellion against this countries. The World Government will have no choice but to grant all of you a merciless death. You number as only a handful of people. That's nowhere near enough to stand against us."
"I don't care," Luffy tells him. "Just get out of our way."
"You, who have breached the gate of Enies Lobby, already have no future. Regardless of whether I stand aside or not, you are going to die. You already know that fighting is pointless. Didn't you get a good enough taste of our Six Powers are at the Galley-La mansion, as well as the difference between our fighting ability?"
"So you say. But for some reason...I feel like I'm not gonna lose here." Luffy sprints towards the large man, spinning his arm around and cocking back. "Gum-Gum..."
"Tekkai."
"...Rifle!" His blow slams into his chest, sending him sliding straight back while coughing violently. "Gum-Gum Gattling!"
"Soru!" Blueno disappears quickly, dodging the incoming attacks. From the corner of his eye he notices someone closing in and turns sharply. Run's fist smashes into his chin, throwing him through one of the strange concrete structures on top of this roof. In a storm of stone and dust he crashes hard to the ground, landing face down.
"World Government this....World Government that...I don't give a shit. We're just here to get Robin back." The large man slowly pushes himself up and turns to face them. Blueno turns his head and spits out a mouthful of blood before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I underestimated you. Geppo!" He disappears, appearing high above their heads. "Rankyaku!" Both dodge back quickly, avoiding the wave of energy, and then a second. "Tekkai!" He smashes down in front of them, pulverizing the stone. "Rin!" Blueno cart-wheels towards them. Run lunges forward, and a loud 'smack!' follows as he catches the man's leg by his ankle. Blueno finds his world spinning moments later as Run spins and slams him back first into the ground hard enough to create a small crater before he leaps back from the resulting cloud of dust.
"...Door-Door." The man is gone the next second and both look around quickly. "Door-Door." Luffy's ankles are grabbed tightly, and he's pulled down into the roof through two small holes. He pushes against the stone, attempting to free his legs.
"Help! The roof is eating me!!" screams Luffy, pushing against the stone with all his might.
"Aah! Hold on! I'm comin', Luffy!" Run yells, sprinting towards his captain. Blueno suddenly appears out of the ground between them.
"Revolving Door!" Blueno says, swiping his hand at Luffy's face. His head divides quickly with the middle spinning around in circles. "I'm a Door Human with Door-Door Devil Fruit powers." Luffy casts his arms out in an attempt to stabilize himself regardless of his inability to actually fall. "I can change all things that partition into doors."
"Aah! I feel dizzy! Which way is he?!" Blueno turns to face the red head who is charging him. His fist slams into his jaw, casting him away from the two and sending him sliding across the roof-top. While Luffy continues panicking, Run reaches out and catches his face mid-spin before correcting it. "Thanks, Run." With a little help, Luffy manages to get himself unstuck from the roof and both turn towards Blueno, who appears to be no worse for wear. "Hmmm...no good."
"What?"
"It's no good, the way I am now. Ever since we had that fight with Aokiji I realized that we're going to encounter even stronger guys in the future. If that's the case, then I need to get even stronger if I'm going to protect my friends. After all, Run was the only one who was able to hurt him. I can't just leave the fighting to him when we bump into strong guys like that."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"I came up with a way to fight with all my might..." He squats down, and they watch as he steam slowly begins to rise from his body. His legs slowly compress and release. "...so that I won't lose anyone...so that no one will have to go away." When he's finished, he looks squarely at Blueno. "You'll now...never be able to keep up with me. Second Gear!" Luffy cocks back, pointing his free hand at the man. "Gum-Gum..."
"Hmph, why don't you hit me if you can! Soru!"
"...Jet Pistol!" His fist strikes the large man in mid-movement, sending him crashing straight back into the stone railing of the roof. Blueno tears out of the rubble, and scatters the smoke with a wave of his arm. A look of sheer astonishment paints his face as he stares at an empty space.
"Soru," calls Run, appearing behind Blueno. The large man glances over his shoulder, his eyes wide with shock as Run's fist closes in on his jaw. "Sea King's Bite!" Blueno's head jerks in the opposite direction and his body follows suit as the large man bounces across the surface several times before sliding to a stop. Luffy is on him seconds later, driving his fist into Blueno's stomach and smashing him into the roof before leaping back. He sits up quickly, scanning the roof rapidly, looking for any sign of the two.
"I...I can't see them!" screams Blueno. "I can't see them at--" Another punch sends him flying away, although he plants a hand and springs to his feet this time.
"Stamp!" shouts Luffy, smashing him back into the roof from above. "And Spear!" Arms stretch out, gripping his head tightly. "Missile!" The impact drives him even further into the stone. He pushes himself up with a grunt, eyes flicking left and right.
"It...It can't be." A hard blow to the face sends him sliding back on his feet. "There's no doubt about it...these two...these two have copied it! They've copied one of the six powers, Soru!" Without a moment to spare, he turns away quickly and escapes from them through a door he's created. Both come to a stop in place, slowly turning their heads to look for him.
"He disappeared," Run says, slowly raising a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Whew! My legs are BURNING!" He'd figured out the basics behind it by just watching them use it again and again, and he imagines that Luffy did much the same. However, he isn't sure when Luffy came up with the idea for his new technique 'Second Gear' or when he developed it.
"Door-Door!" Both disappear from sight, appearing several meters away as the man lunges out of his created door. He strikes the ground and springs forward, turning in air to face them.
"When you guys disappear...I saw what you did. You kicked the ground over ten times in a single moment. I got the hang of it, too. It's nice to know that a technique like that exists. Thanks to meet you guys, I'm able to grow stronger now." He stretches his arms straight back. "Gum-Gum..." He disappears from sight, reappearing in front of him. "...Jet Bazooka!" His palms strike Blueno in the chest, sending him sliding back nearly to the edge of the roof...although he appears to have weathered the technique with Iron Body. "You guys can make your bodies almost as tough as Run's...well, then...I'll show you something much more interesting! Third..." Luffy raises his thumb towards his mouth but stops when Blueno collapses face down in front of them.
"Well, I guess not," Run says, scratching the stubble on his jaw.
"Aah, I'm so exhausted. Just like I thought...my body can't keep up, yet." Both of them turn to look towards the tower in the distance, and slowly begin approaching. They jump up onto one of the many spires running along the edge of the roof. Run takes a deep breath and then turns his head skyward.
"ROBIN! I'VE COME TO GET YOU!" bellows Run, voice echoing loud across the entire island. Seconds later, the tower wall facing them explodes and someone goes smashing into the fence, knocking it off and nearly falling with it. From their position on top of the spire, Run can make out not just Franky but Robin as well. "ROBIN! We've come to get you! The whole crew is here!" Before either of the two can move, however, both are immediately restrained by a now familiar figure in a white suit.
"Oh, I can see Franky, too! Its a little far, but I think I can shoot us across the gap!" Luffy jumps down and goes running back towards the opposite side.
"Ahahahaha~! Safe!" laughs Raye, staring down at the two of them. "Oh? Well, I guess that's one who failed the audition! Looks like Blueno won't be making the cut!"
"Raye! Let her go!" Run demands, scowling up at the woman.
"Yes, yes, calm down. I knew you would make it here with a little prodding, Run. It looks like you've delt with Blueno as well! You and Straw Hat work well together!" Run's head tilts down slowly, as Luffy approaches. Across the way, CP9 gathers on the same balcony staring across the gap at them. The roof of the tower explodes behind them, and Luffy and Run look back quickly. Nami, Chopper and Zoro appear from the huge hole. Sanji bursts through seconds later, followed by 'Sogeking' who goes sailing over the railing and crashing down into the concrete. With the whole crew gathered, they turn to look back at Robin and the other members of CP9.
"Robin! Come back!" Nami cries. The gather slowly, standing on the spires beside Luffy and Run.
"Aaah! Now that all the players have gathered, I would say it's time for our final curtain, Run!" Robin struggles against Raye's grip on her arm. "Oh? It seems Nico Robin has some words for us! How rude of me." Raye releases Franky and the man to be quickly restrained by a pair of guards on the balcony as she reaches up and pulls out Robin's gag.
"You all...You all need to leave!" Robin shouts at them. "You all coming here was part of her plan! Run, the woman is--" Raye quickly reaches up and clamps a hand over her mouth quickly.
"Whoa-ho! Not so fast, Nico Robin! We wouldn't want there to be any spoilers, now would we?"
"How are we going to get over there?" Luffy asks.
"There's a draw bridge," Zoro tells him. "The Franky Family is working on bringing it down. Once it is, we can go over to the other side at once." Obnoxious laughter reaches them as a man with some kind of strange metal plates attached to his face approaches the railing of the building.
"Don't you stupid pirates get it?!" questions the man. "Putting on a brave front like this doesn't change anything! You're up against the assassin group CP9, and the weight of the Gates of Justice can't be moved by human strength! But above all things..." He holds out a golden transponder snail. "...I have the authority to exercise a Buster Call! The very thing that wiped Nico Robin's home off the map!"
"Don't!" Robin screams, shaking off Raye's hand. "Not that!"
"Oh? That's a nice reaction! It gives me chills!" Run growls loudly, teeth grinding as the man taunts Robin.
"Do you really understand what will happen when you press it?!"
"Of course! It'll eliminate these pirates chance of escaping this island! All with the press of a button! How about it? Should I try pressing it?"
"What are you doing?! Stop!" The man pauses and glares at her. "You said Ohara was wiped off the map. But you can't see Humans on a map. Because the World Government sees the world that way you can do such cruel things! Buster Calls are a heartless power that makes you lose sight of your goal. If...If you exercise a Buster Call right here and now...then together with Enies Lobby you will disappear, too."
"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way we'd be eliminated by our own people's attack!"
"Twenty years ago, everything was taken from me, and many peoples lives were ruined. It was caused by a single Buster Call. That attack is now aimed at the friends I was finally able to find...the love I was finally able to find. The more I wish to be with you the more my fate will bare it's fangs at you! First the incident with Aokiji, where I endangered someone so dear to me...and now this! I tried so hard to keep you all out of it but I just wasn't able to! Run, when we were together I could always put that at the back of my mind but...but now...now we have to face reality! If things continue like this...everyone...even you, Run...you'll eventually feel that I'm a burden! That's what I'm most afraid of! That the person I most care about will eventually abandon me! If that's how it's going to be, then I'd rather just die right here and now!"
"That is indeed a sound argument! No one is stupid enough to think that you're not a burden! Look at that symbol, you damn pirates!" He points to a flag high above him on the roof quickly. "That flag indicates the unity of over one-hundred and seventy countries! Do you realize just how powerless you are to fight against it?!"
"I understand it well, now," Luffy says. "Sogeking. Shoot through the flag." The man nods in response, and then takes aim at it with a huge sling-shot.
"Special Attack...Firebird Star!" Sogeking exclaims, firing off a pellet that ignites and turns into a large bird in mid-air. It strikes the flag dead-center, burning it to ashes almost immediately.
"A-Are you insane?!" screams the man. "Do you know what you did?! Do you think you'll be able to survive after making the entire world your enemy?!"
"You think I care?!" Run bellows, glaring at the man. "Robin! I told you already, didn't I?! I like troublesome women! So, you need to tell me! Tell me what it is you want!" Even from a distance they can see it...they can see her tears. "Robin..."
"I WANT TO LIVE!! PLEASE! I WANT TO LIVE AT YOUR SIDE!! TAKE ME OUT TO SEA WITH YOU...!!"