"Ahahahaha~! Well said, Nico Robin!" laughs Raye, reaching up and re-gagging the woman. "Now, I would say it's high time for our final showdown, Straw Hats! I'll be taking Nico Robin to the Gates of Justice! Moving at a brisk pace, we should arrive there in twenty minutes!"
"Damn you, Raye," growls Run, staring up at the woman.
"It's time to see if you're the man I really believe you are, Run! You've come this far but you'll need to go a little further if you're going to save her! Don't keep me waiting! A man should be both determined and punctual!" The gate house they're on rumbles loudly, and the gate slowly begins to lower.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Every one of the Straw Hat's tense, watching it slowly stretch out to bridge the gap. A loud explosion sounds moments before the draw bridge stops in place, and all heads turn down.
"It stopped?!" Sanji shouts. Run looks back up towards the tower just in time to see Raye pulling Robin back towards the tower. The metal faced man screams at someone on the balcony to grab Franky as well. However, Franky surprises them all by suddenly opening his chest and reaching in to pull out several pieces of paper.
"Th...Thats...don't tell me," stutters the man. "Those are the ancient weapon, Pluton's blueprints!"
"That's right," Franky tells him, grinning. "They're the real deal." He flips through several of the pages with a grin. "I hid them inside my body."
"G...Give them here! Give them to me!"
"Rumors are such unreliable things, aren't they, Nico Robin? While we were being brought here, I realized that you aren't an evil woman who is trying to misuse this weapon." He pauses for a moment, actually smiling and glancing briefly down at the red head below. "No, in fact, you're just a woman trying to save someone you love, aren't you? Spandam, what the Water Seven shipwrights inherited isn't just the knowledge of how to build a weapon...but how to build a weapon equal to the one an idiot like you might try to restore and then run amuck with. It's true that Nico Robin could be used to revive the ancient weapon even if she doesn't want to help you. But now she has people who are willing to gamble their lives to protect her...so I'll gamble as well."
Franky raises them up, and then suddenly blows out of a ball of fire that completely engulfs them. In a matter of seconds the blueprints are turned to little more than ash before their eyes much to Spandam's utter horror. He rushes toward Franky, attempting to extinguish the few cinders remaining and save as much as possible.
"The blueprints were kept in order to fight back! Something like this should remain a secret, and if it's exposed, it should be eliminated! Now, of course, they're nothing to fight back against that ancient weapon! If Nico Robin falls into your hands, it's all over but the crying. But when the Straw Hat's win...there won't be anything left for you at all. I'm willing to gamble on their victory!"
"Bro!" screams a voice from below. Apparently, the Franky Family can see him from their position. Franky seems just as excited to see them as they are to see him, and begins crying immediately.
"Aah, would you shut up?!" Luffy demands. "Robin is waiting! Hurry up and lower the bridge!"
"Oi, Straw Hat!" Luffy looks up towards the man quickly. "It looks like you gave my family a hand! So, in return, I'll lend my super fighting power to you guys as well!"
"You bastard, I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Usopp!" Franky chuckles sheepishly...and then screams in surprise when he's thrown from the balcony by none other than Spandam. He plummets straight down towards the pit below the island.
"Oi, pirates!" calls a voice from Nami's pocket. She reaches into her coat, and pulls out a small transponder snail. "I heard everything. What are you guys wasting time for?"
"Eh? Well, the bridge is only half-way down," Nami tells the voice, who they identify as Kokoro.
"Half-way is good enough. I'll be there in four seconds. Jump with all your might towards the falls!" A loud whistle sounds and Luffy looks back.
"A whistle?" Luffy grunts. "That's a sea train." A grin rapidly appears on his face. "I get it." Luffy stretches his arms out, wrapping around all of them before leaping forward over the edge. "Let's go!" The plummet straight down towards the pit below. They've fallen only a few meters before Rocketman suddenly ramps off of the half lowered draw-bridge and they land on top of it. Franky is struck head on, pinning him to the nose as they sail towards the tower across the way. Run grins from ear to ear while watching the building draw closer and closer until at last they go crashing through. They're all swept off the train in the crash, casting them them in all directions. When the storm of concrete and dust has settled, Luffy casts off a huge chunk of stone and stands slowly.
"Alright! We're here!" Run is next to emerge, throwing off several pieces of concrete and slowly standing. "Aah, Run! You alright?"
"Dahahahaha~! I've had less graceful landings after a hard nights drinking!" Run laughs, cracking his neck loudly. Franky is standing across from them, appearing to be completely fine despite being on the nose of the train. Apparently, being a cyborg has it's perks.
"Alright, then! Everyone get up! This was nothing!" After several seconds of complaining, they all emerge from the rubble as well. "Alright! Everyone is fine, then! Now, let's hurry up and catch up with Robin!" They all take off running toward the stairs.
"Wait!" calls a voice, stopping them in their tracks. "Chapapapa!" They turn to face the large, and strange zipper-mouthed man. "Even if you go to the room from earlier, Robin won't be there! Nico Robin is being escorted by Raye and Lucci to the Gates of Justice!"
"Really?" Nami asks. "Thanks for giving us such valuable information."
"Chapapapa...I spilled the beans. Ah, well, even if you know, I'm not telling you how to get there. More importantly, we have an order to eliminate you guys, and unless you defeat us you won't be able to set Nico Robin free. So, I'll tell you one more thing." He reaches into his jacket, and produces a key. "Look at this!"
"A key?"
"This is the key to unlock the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs on Nico Robin!"
"Sea Prism Stone?" Franky echos, confusion appearing on his face.
"It's a stone that cancels a Devil Fruit user's abilities," Run explains. "It mimic's the effects of the actual sea."
"Even if you guys can actually rescue Nico Robin it won't do any good," the large man tells them. "Since Sea Prism Stone is hard like diamonds the cuffs will be on her forever." Luffy stretches an arm out towards the man, who disappears just in time to avoid being struck. "Don't be so hasty." They turn to face the zipper-mouthed man standing several meters behind them. "I didn't say that this key is the right one. There are five members including me who have a key in this tower. Each one has a key, and is waiting for you."
"Then we'll just have to defeat them all," Zoro growls. "And then we'll try them all on the cuffs."
"Let's just ignore this weirdo for now and find Robin," Nami concludes. "Then we'll deal with them."
"You could do that but then I'd have to drop this key into the sea," the man retorts. "We're giving you a chance." He disappears again, and Luffy turns intending to go chasing after him but thankfully Zoro and Usopp catch him before he can.
"Oi, hold it!" Zoro yells. "Just stay here until we decide what we're going to do!"
"Lucci is that piegon guy, right?" Sanji asks.
"That's right," Franky tells him.
"Alright. If Lucci and Raye are with Robin, then we should at least let Luffy and Run go after him. Including Franky, that leaves five of us. There are six members of CP9. We'll get the key's for Robin's handcuffs and then go after the two of them."
"If we lose against them we lose Robin," Zoro adds. "Everyone, take them down, even if it costs you your life...!"
- - -
Running blindly through the tower, up and down stairs...it's not like it's actually going to pay off. But even so, it's not like they can do much else. Luffy shouts at the top of his lungs the whole time, yelling for Robin but never receiving a response. They might have run all the way back to Robin's original location if they were intercepted by Chimney and Gombe along the way. The moment the little girl and the rabbit spot them, they immediately call for their attention, and demand they follow them. With no other lead, they follow after them to a hidden door and a flight of stairs.
"What is this place?" Luffy asks, staring down the stairs. "A basement?"
"It's an undersea passage," Chimney tells them. "To get to the Gates of Justice, you go under the sea!" Luffy and Run quickly start down the stairs. "Wait! Do you two even know where you're going?" They briefly exchange looks before looking back at her. The red head rushes up the stairs and then kneels down.
"Let's go, get--" She launches herself onto his back, nearly knocking him flat onto his face.
"Alright! Forward!" Carrying her piggy-back with Gombe clinging to her back, they quickly go rushing down the stairs.
"You're pretty amazing!" Luffy laughs. "How did you figure out something like this was here?"
"I heard Lucci's servant going down the stairs laughing loudly! Lucci, that lady in white and that black-haired lady went through the doors, too!" While they're happy to have the information, Run isn't exactly sure that it's such a great idea for a child to go wandering around in a place like this. Not that he's one to really talk. As a boy, he did a LOT of exploring without Shanks supervision. Something that caused his father no end of worry, honestly...and provided Benn no end of amusement. Waiting for them at the bottom of the steps is a large set of iron doors emblazoned with the World Governments symbol. Run sets down the two and watches as Luffy bangs his fist a few times against the metal.
"These doors are pretty sturdy, huh?"
"Here," Run says, approaching with a grin. "Let me knock."
"I got it." Luffy cracks his knuckles loudly and takes a step back from the door. "You two, stand back." Luffy raises his hand towards his mouth, and then bites into the joint. "Third Gear!" His fist inflates to nearly triple the size of his body. Run can only stare in wide-eyed surprise. Just when had Luffy developed these kinds of techniques? He cocks back and smashes it into the doors. When the smoke clears it reveals them to be completely demolished in a single blow. That amount of power...it might be the same as one of his Haki infused punches. "Alright! Let's go!" The red head looks down as a severely shrunken Luffy.
"Dahahahaha~! What the hell happened to you?" Luffy marches off down the hall, and Run shakes his head slowly. "Chimney, Gombe, go back to Kokoro. We'll take care of things from here." He takes off after Luffy, snags him up from the ground and tucks him under an arm as he continues sprinting. While they're running, Luffy slowly begins to grow in the red head's grip. When it seems he's finally reached full size, he drops him and the two continue running. Ahead of them, the tunnel seems to come to an end at a pair of large doors. Both leap up, and kick through the doors, smashing through into a strange room that seems more storage than anything. They spot the man immediately, standing across from them with a smirk. "Aah, well, if it isn't Lucci."
"There you are!" Luffy screams. "The pigeon guy!"
"Really," Lucci begins, tucking his hands into his pockets. "To think that the two of you could make it this far by yourselves."
"We aren't by ourselves." A voice suddenly sounds from Lucci's jacket, and the man reaches in. It's Robin's voice ringing loud and clear, declaring that a Buster Call has been initiated. The whole of Enies Lobby is going to be wiped out, and from the sound of Spandam's voice, it doesn't sound like he really cares about what happens to the Marines or the members of CP9. "What was that?!"
"Where's Robin at?" Run demands, hands balling into fists.
"She's beyond these doors," Lucci says quite simply. "I--" Rather than let him finish both rush forward. Luffy reaches him first, and snaps a kick out at the man's temple. He blocks with his elbow, and then shoves his leg aside. "At least let me finish. I'm not letting you--" Run weaves out from behind his Captain, and smashes his fist into the man's gut. His hat topples from his head as Lucci slides backwards, a hand pressed against his stomach. When the red head rushes, he snaps a kick out forcing him to duck quickly. Luffy bounds over top of him, and throws a punch. Their knuckles meet, and cast them back seconds later, scattering the contents of the room. While the dust slowly settles, Run shoves a huge metal shipping container off of them with ease.
"Good catch, Run," Luffy tells him, staring across the way at a kneeling Lucci. "Get out of the way."
"Why? Even if I let you pass, you won't be able to see her ever again."
"We're going to see her," Run growls. "Luffy, I'm going for the door." Luffy nods and the two rush forward. While Run makes for the door, Luffy grabs Lucci quickly, and throws him across the room. "Good job! I'll leave this to you!" Lucci stands quickly out of the debris from a shattered crate and then disappears. "Crap! Soru!" The red head disappears in turn, reappearing in front of the door. His finger-tips barely graze the door-handle before he's struck broad-side, and thrown into one of the many up-turned crates.
"So, you copied one of our techniques, red hair." A large crate sails out of the dust towards the man, then a second, and a third. His eyes narrow and he reaches a hand out quickly. Before the first has even touched him, Run explodes through.
"Sea King's Rush!" Lucci blocks his knee with a forearm, and winces in pain as it sends him sliding back, arm throbbing madly. Luffy blind-sides him, arms stretching and fists flying. Lucci bobs and weaves, avoiding them all before launching a punch back at him. Luffy blocks it with a knee before kicking back at him. Hearing foot-steps Lucci looks back to see the red head making for the door again.
"Soru." He appears between Run and the door. Run's eyes widen and he fades back, disappearing and reappearing beside Luffy.
"Damn it...he's really not going to let me get to that door."
"Give it up. You'll never see her again. I'm never letting either one of you beyond those doors." Luffy rushes forward, and launches a punch at the man. He raises a leg and blocks it with the bottom of his foot easily. Lucci is surprised however, when Run comes sliding under Luffy, plants both hands firmly and drives both feet into his chest. Lucci flies back, smashing into the wall. Yet again, Run makes a mad dash for the door. With a soft growl, he walks out of the resulting cloud of dust just as Luffy rushes again.
"Gum-Gum...Gattling!" Luffy screams. Lucci quickly dodges left and right avoiding his punches before suddenly seizing his arms. "What the?!" He swings Luffy around and throws him straight into Run, sending the two of them crashing across the room into the crates. "Damn it."
"I don't know how many times I have to say it. No matter what tricks you play, you're never getting through that door."
"Oi, Straw Hat! Red Hair!" Both of them look towards the voice quickly, finding none other than Franky standing at the entrance they'd taken to get here.
"Huh? Franky?!" Luffy screams. "What are you doing here, you jerk?!"
"Still with the attitude?! I'm on your side now, remember?!" He finally seems to notice the man standing across from them. "Lucci, huh? So, you two are having a tough time against him? Where's Nico Robin? I brought two keys for the handcuffs. Do you two need a hand?"
"Yeah!" Run tells him. "I need to get to that door but he's just not makin' it easy on us!"
"Huh...just super leave it to me, then! Beans Left!" Lucci immediately disappears, avoiding the numerous shots fired off by Franky before rushing the man.
"Gum-Gum Gattling!" Luffy exclaims. Lucci weaves left and right through the punches, eventually stopping one of his fists while launching a kick. Luffy stops it with his free hand and lunges back. "Gum-Gum...Pistol!" Lucci disappears, reappearing behind him. However, he's surprised to find himself staring face to face with Luffy their palms meeting with a loud 'smack!'. "Franky, Run, go now!"
"Let's go, Franky...!"
- - -
"Hurry up, you damn woman!" Spandam shouts, strutting along ahead of Robin and Raye. "Dragging your feet isn't going to save you!" Raye sighs softly as she pulls Robin along by her bicep. She does her best to resist her but even putting aside the difference in strength, it's hard to resist with her arms in Sea Prism cuffs. "Once I pass through through those gates, my name will be engraved in history! I may have lost the blueprints but that doesn't matter so long as I have you!"
"Hmm," begins Raye, slowing to a stop. "You know...I believe that perhaps there's been a fundamental misunderstanding here, Spandam." He turns to face the two of them now, staring the women down.
"Huh? What are you on about now?"
"Aah, you see...you're part of the auditions, Spandam!" Several long moments of silence follow before her words finally seem to sink in and the man takes a single step back from them in response.
"W-W-Wait! Y-You can't kill me! Do-Do you really believe that the Marines at the gate will let you do as you please?!"
"Ahahahaha~! My, it seems as if you've thought this through, Spandam! But..." Raye appears before the man now, and grasps his throat before lifting him off his feet. The veins in his face bulge against the skin as he grasps her arm with both hands. "...do you believe that they can stop me?" Hearing running footsteps, she glances past the man as numerous Marines sprinting in their direction.
"W-What's going on?!" demands one of them, looking between Spandam and Raye.
"S-Shoot...this woman!" demands Spandam, his face flushing red. "D-Don't...just...stand there! Help...Help me!" Sensing something fast moving, Raye releases Spandam and turns quickly. She catches a small sphere between her index and middle finger with ease, examining it for a moment before numerous small explosions begin to detonate around her. The Marines begin to drop one after another, struck by a sniper that none of them can see. "Damn it, what's happening?!"
"It's a sniper!" screams one of the Marines. "There! On the Tower of Law!"
"Shoot him already! Kill--" Spandam is struck by one of the explosives, and knocked off his feet.
"Ahahahaha~! Run really does have some interesting friends!" laughs Raye, tossing the pelt over the edge of the bridge. "To be engaging targets at such a distance and not miss a single shot...that could only be Yasopp's boy! Oh?" Raye watches as Robin begins to sprint towards the opposite end of the bridge. "Now, now, Nico Robin! We can't have you escaping before--"
"Fire!" Spandam orders. "Shoot that woman!" The Marines raise their rifles and immediately fire off a volley of shots at the woman. Robin suddenly finds herself gently pushed to her knees and someone's arms wrap around her tightly. Loud clanging echos immediately after the shots.
"You alright, Robin?" asks an all too familiar voice. She looks over her shoulder and finds herself staring at a grinning Run. Behind him, Franky stands with his arms spread, another shield between her and the Marine's gunfire. "Dahahahaha~! Good job, Franky!"
"Yow~! My body is hard because it's made of iron!" Franky tells him.
"Franky, Franky, this is Sogeking!" calls a voice over a Transponder Snail. Franky reaches into his shirt and pulls out the snail. "There should be a small red bundle on the ground hear you. Do you see it?" Both Franky and Run scan their surroundings quickly, spotting the cloth bundle. "It will have two keys inside of it. Together with your keys, Franky, that should be all of them! I delivered them to you without fail!" Run moves quickly, snatching up the bundle and quickly trying the keys.
"Nope," Run says, tossing a key aside. "That ain't it, either! Aah, fer-- c'mon already! Which key--" A soft 'click!' reaches his ears moments before the cuffs release and drop to the ground. "Yes! Alright! Let's--" He's nearly knocked onto his behind when Robin turns and throws her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Hey, it's alright." The red head embraces her tightly, gently rubbing her back. After a few moments, Robin releases him and finally removes her gag.
"Oi, Long Nose! This is Franky! We got the cuffs off of Robin!" Robin and Run stand, and Franky turns the Transponder Snail towards them.
"Thank you, Usopp!" Robin tells him.
"You can thank those that fought hard to collect the keys when this is all over," Usopp responds. "You are, without a doubt, one of Luffy's crew!" Robin turns to face the group gathered quickly, and crosses her arms.
"Seis Fluer!" Numerous inky black arms sprout from the chest of Spandam. "Iron Slap!" Again and again Robin's arms slap Spandam across the face, forcing the man to his knees and then to his back as they continue to beat the man down.
"Ahahahaha~! Things are getting awfully interesting now!" laughs Raye. A loud explosion sounds and all heads turn to the fence surrounding Enies Lobby which now has a giant hole blown in it. "My, my, it seems that the Buster Call is about to well and truly begin. I'd say we don't have any more time to waste, Run." Raye removes her fedora, and then her jacket, tossing both of them across the now prone Spandam. "Let's not waste what little time we have left." The red head strides past Robin and Franky and cracks his knuckles loudly.
"Dahahaha~! I guess I'll take that dance!" laughs Run, grinning at her. "Let's--" Raye disappears, and Run grunts loudly as the woman slams into him. The two sail between Robin and Franky, reappearing at nearly the opposite side of the bridge. Run raises his elbow quickly. "Sea King's Fang!" He drives it into the middle of her back with almost no effect before raising it again while he straightens out a leg and then raises a knee as his elbow comes down. "Sea King's Maw!" Elbow and knee smash into the woman who finally grunts slightly in response. Raye responds by grabbing one of his legs, while a hand comes up to grasp his throat. In a single fluid motion he finds himself slammed to his back, the woman bearing down on him with a hand raised.
"Iron Shigan." Run grunts loudly as she pieces him twice in the chest before he can grasp her wrist. His free hand grasps the back of her head and pulls her towards him as he snaps his own head forward. Both grunt slightly from the impact, and the red head shoves her off of him before quickly bounding to his feet. "Ahahahaha~! That was certainly using your head!" Raye places a hand against her temple for a moment before sighing. "Soru." The woman reappears in front of the red head. "Iron Shigan."
"Soru." Run disappears from her view now as well, a rush of wind following as she turns sharply, finding the red head's fist closing in on her. "Sea King's Bite!" Raye raises an arm, intercepting his fist with her forearm and sliding backwards from him several feet. The red head shakes his hand, flinging small drops of blood in all directions. "Your Haki is strong, Raye...maybe even as strong as dad's!" He grins at the woman before clenching his fist. "But I still can't help but feel like...I'm gonna win this fight, no matter what."
"Now, now, don't count me out just yet, Run. You've copied one of our techniques, and that's good! But...don't think that it's just a one way street. Soru." Raye disappears from his view and reappears in front of him. "Sea King's Rush." The red head raises both arms quickly, intercepting her knee with his forearms. A loud 'boom!' echos across the bridge as a result of their Haki connecting and Run slides backwards quickly. His arms are throbbing madly in spite of protecting them. "Now...Sea King's Lash." She appears at his side, and he quickly ducks before pacing backwards. "Finally...Sea King's Bite!" The red head is struck on the jaw, his vision briefly swimming as he's tossed several feet away, sliding to a stop at the edge of the bridge.
"Oh, hell!" Run braces himself quickly, his fingers biting into the stone of the bridge with ease. He glances over the edge of the bridge at the sea below for a moment before looking back at Raye, who now stands over him.
"Now, it's time for a lesson! You're using 'Sea King's Bite' all wrong, Run! It's not a simple punch!" She raises a fist and then opens her fingers. "It's meant..." Her hand comes down and he feels someone grasp his ankles tightly, yanking him between her legs and out of her path. A loud 'boom!' echos as her hand makes contact with the bridge, cracks spiraling out in all directions before a large chunk of stone explodes. "...to piece, crush and rip your opponent! Just like a real Sea King!" The red head bounds to his feet as Raye turns, extending her open palm in his direction and showing a small handful of powdered stone.
"Aah, well, forgive me if I don't just take your word on it, Raye." He pauses for a moment, reaching up to gently massage his jaw. "That said...has your Haki gotten weaker?" Again he flashes her a grin. "Because I feel like that lacked the sting I felt in Water 7."
"Tobu Shigan." Run dodges quickly, turning his shoulder to avoid the attack. Raye moves forward quickly, and surprises Run by tossing the powdered stone into his face. He recoils in shock, a hand raising towards his face before he can stop himself. "Iron Shigan." Once more she pierces him twice in the chest, blood spattering the stone between them. "Sea King's Lash!" Her kick lands on his temple, sending him bouncing across the stone bridge several feet away before he finally comes to a stop motionless. After several long moments of silence Raye finally sighs. "Is that it, then? You've come all this way simply to fall short of reaching your goal? Is that the type of man you are?" When silence is once more her answer Raye turns away from him. "I see. If you're done then I'll just carry out my job."
"Would...ya give it...a rest?" She turns to face the red head as he rolls onto his side, and slowly pushes himself up. "I...I already told ya...I'm not...leavin' without Robin!" He stands with his back to her for several moments before turning to face her.
"Mm, those are some good eyes you've got, Run. Like you're finally taking the situation seriously. Now...Soru." She appears in front of Run quickly. "Iron Shigan." Her hand moves forward and he simply turns his shoulder in response, a fist coming up under her arm towards her chin. "Soru!" She disappears again, reappearing several feet away with a hand pressed to her head. A loud 'crack!' echos across the bridge as numerous cracks appear in her mask. His fist hadn't connected Raye is absolutely sure of it, and yet...it felt as if she'd been struck with a sledge hammer. The bottom half of her mask crumbles away and she reaches up, gently pressing two fingers to her nose before pulling back to reveal a bit of blood. "Ahahahahaha~! Well, I'll be! You used Emission!" Confusion appears on his face and she grins at him. "Ahahahaha~! Did you really just use it on instinct? My, my...I'm even more excited now!"
"Soru." Raye stands as Run reappears in front of her. "Sea King's Bite!" She quickly dodges his attack, a loud explosion echos from behind her, as a chunk of the stone bridge explodes.
"Iron Shigan!" Once more she steps in, stabbing him in the chest...with considerable more difficulty than she'd faced before. Run reacts immediately, swinging the back of his fist as her and forcing her to duck just as his knee comes up. Raye springs backwards into one back handspring after another before she finally comes to a stop several feet away. "Hah...dodging Emission is a lot more difficult than I imagined. Truthfully, I could count on one hand the number of people I've ever met who could pull it off but...seems you're a fast learner." The red head stares at his Haki coated hand.
"There's got to be more."
"Beg pardon?"
"Haki...there's got to be MORE." He finally turns his attention to her. "Using that 'Emission' stuff is just allowing your Haki to flow out of a concentrated point of the body. So how much further could it actually go beyond that? If I could emit it out as force then could I emit it into someone as a force? Could I just bypass an opponents Haki and target their insides?" Raye actually blinks in surprise. In just a few short moments he'd already captured the basic principal of the technique. A grin appears on her face as she stares at him. Run isn't just talented with Haki...he's a true prodigy!
"Well, who's to say? Anything is possible in the Grand Line, Run." The red head suddenly grins as he clenches his fist. Numerous 'booms!' sound in the distance, and both glance in the direction as cannon fire begins to bombard Enies Lobby.
"Looks like the Buster Call is beginning in earnest."
"Mm, I'd say so." Run cracks his knuckles loudly in response. "Soru." Both Raye and Run disappear from view now, reappearing several feet away in a brief exchange of numerous blows before disappearing once again, and reappearing again, exchanging several more blows before separating from each other. "Aah..." Raye reaches down and pats one of her thighs. "...all this running around. I must be getting slow in my old age...and that Haki of yours just doesn't seem to be letting up."
"You could always back off."
"I think we both know that can't happen." A loud explosion from the opposite end of the bridge draws their attention quickly. Both watch as two men come barreling out of the dust. "My, my, it looks as though Straw Hat is putting Lucci through the wringer." Luffy inflates out of his feet to massive proportions before smashing one of the near-by battleships before landing on the deck. In response, the Marines immediately turn their weapons on the ship, opening fire on it without a moment of hesitation. "As heavy handed as ever. I'd wager it won't be long before they turn their cannons on us."
"Then, I guess we'd better finish this, huh?"
"Yeah. One final rush..." The two remain still for several long moments until a loud burst of cannon fire echos out, and both rush forward coating their hands in Haki. "...winner takes all!" The red head raises his fist, gathering as much Haki as he can manage. "Iron...!"
"Sea King's...!"
"RUN, YOU CAN'T!!" screams Robin. The two appear before each other in an instant, Run's fist closing in on Raye's stomach while her hand closes in on his throat. "SHE'S YOUR MOTHER!!" Raye's hand changes in an instant, her Haki fading away as she reaches out, gently cupping his cheek with a smile. A loud 'boom!' echos as Run's fist drives into her stomach, and the force continues on, striking a battleship broad side. Splintered wood, and cannons fly in all directions as the massive ship breaks in half, slowly sinking into the sea. Raye staggers forward and Run catches her before she collapses to the ground. He carefully lowers her to the ground, kneeling at her side.
"Aah...that's my boy," Raye says, reaching up and removing her mask. "That last hit...I really felt that." Run stares down at the woman in shock...it's easy to see the similarities between Raye and Uta...between himself and Raye.
"You're...I..." stammers Run, staring down at her. "I...how could..." Run doesn't hear the footsteps rapidly approaching until Robin appears at his side. Raye actually manages a smile up at the woman before coughing violently and spitting up a bit of blood.
"You let the cat out of the bag, Nico Robin. Well...it's...it's better this way. May...Maybe you were right."
"Why...I don't...I don't get it!" Run reaches down and grasps her by the front of her vest, actually lifting her with ease. "There's no way! Dad said that you HAD to leave us! But you've just been working with the World Government this whole time?!" Robin gently grasps his arm.
"Run," Robin begins. "She's hurt. Now isn't--" Raye surprises them both by reaching up and gently cupping his cheek again.
"N-No, no, I-I did, Robin. I did run off. It's...being...it wasn't easy, Run. Leaving you, and Uta, and Shanks...it was the most difficult thing I've ever done." Raye coughs violently once again and spits up a bit more blood. "When I saw you in Water 7 I knew it was you right away. You had...you'd become such a fine young man. When you were smiling and laughing it was like seeing you as my baby boy again. I wanted...I wanted to try to talk to you. To explain what happened but...n-no matter what I told you it wouldn't be enough. I-I knew didn't have the right anymore."
"So you tried to kill me instead?" Run questions her. "You tried to take Robin!"
"N-No. Th-That was never my plan. I knew that...I didn't deserve to talk to you after what I did. But if I...if I could help you...at least once in my life...that would be enough. Yo-You're so strong, Run, but you just needed s-some motivation...s-someone to coax you along. I had hoped th-that...that person could be me." Her hand slides up to the back of his neck and she leans up. "Ju-Just...please take care of yourself." Raye presses a kiss to his forehead before smiling at him. "There's a good boy..." Her hand falls away and her head falls back as he lowers her to the ground.
"CHOPPER!!" screams Run, his voice echoing across the bridge. "SOMEBODY HELP!!"
"Run," Robin says quickly. "Run, they're back at the escort ship! We have to get here there right now!" The red head nods quickly, lifting Raye up with ease. The two sprint as fast as they can across the bridge towards the Gates of Justice, and take the stairs down two at a time while the rest of the crew quickly moves in their direction. "We need help!" They storm onto the ship and Run quickly sets Raye down on the deck beside Chopper, who appears unable to move. "Doctor, we need your assistance. You need to walk us through what we need to do."
"Oi, oi," begins Franky. "Isn't that the woman who was working with CP9? Why are we treating--"
"Shut up, Franky," Run orders. "Doc, I hit her as hard as I could and she's spittin' up blood."
"Waaaaah!" cries Chopper. "Run, you're covered in blood! Bandages! We need bandages!"
"I'll be fine, doc! We need to treat her first!"
"A-Alright! We need to stabilize her as quickly as possible! Nami, Robin, get my bag! I need you two to be my hands for me!" Run stands and steps back from the scene as Nami and Robin quickly collect Choppers things and kneel by her side.
"I...is she...there's..."
"Run, Zoro is going back to the bridge," Robin tells him. "Go lend him a hand. There's nothing else you can do right now!" Run stares at her for a few moments before finally nodding firmly in response. He takes several deep breaths before turning and sprinting back up the stairs after their swordsman. He reaches the top of the stairs quickly, listening to round after round of cannon fire. In the distance, both men watch the island engulfed in a blaze of flames and explosions.
"What's with this attack?" Usopp asks, climbing the stairs after the two men. "It's already a sea of flames!"
"It seems like they've been ordered not to kill Nico Robin," Franky adds, joining them with Sanji tailing behind. "That must be why they're not targeting the bridge."
"So they intend to recapture her," Run asserts. "They'll finish the attack on the island, and then send Marines to engage us on foot."
"Why are you so calm about that?!" demands Usopp. "We're all physically wrecked! Plus, they are lots of crazy powerful guys on those ships! Where's Luffy at right now?"
"Front of the bridge. First column."
"So, let's give him a hand!"
"It's no use," Zoro tells him. "That pigeon guy is no ordinary man. What's the point if we dragged into a fight only to get separated again? To make sure that we still have an escape route regardless of when that group of battleships turns this way, we'll wait for Luffy right here."
"This is a report from the North Gate!" echos a voice. "We've completed retrieval of Enies Lobby's Marines and officals. At the front gate, we identified about fifty pirates, including giants, escaping the main island."
"That's Zambai and the others!" Franky says, grinning. "I knew that they would escape the island without a problem! I wasn't worried about them at all! Really, they wouldn't die even if you killed them! They're worse than cockroaches!"
"We have finished eliminating them with a barrage of cannon fire. They're all dead. Under the circumstances, no one would survive on the main island. Hence, the number of survivors in Enies Lobby's main island is zero." The reports from different ships continue to echo out now, confirming the destruction of the courthouse, the Tower of Law and the underground passage to the bridge...which leaves the bridge as the last target for the Buster Call. With their reports finished, the warships begin to slowly gather around the bridge, and finally unleash a barrage of cannon fire, destroying part of the bridge between the first column and the rest of the bridge. They all charge forward, approaching the edge of the bridge quickly.
"Why would they do that?!" demand Usopp.
"Mr. Rob Lucci and Straw Hat are in the first column!" echos one of the battleships. "All ships, take up positions around the Bridge of Hesitation! On the bridge and escort ship, we have identified ten pirates including 'Red' Run, 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro and Nico Robin! It appears that they're the main force that defeated CP9 in the Tower of Law, and CP0 Agent Raye on the Bridge of Hesitation!"
"Aah, give us a break, fellas!" Run growls.
"Look, there!" Usopp shouts, drawing their attention to the column. Through the dust and smoke, they can make out of the figure of Luffy and Lucci, squaring off one with another. "Luffy! We're here!"
"We made it to the bridge safely!" Franky adds.
"We rescued Robin, too!" Sanji tells him.
"Dahahaha~! Beat 'im down and let's go!" Run laughs before turning away. "Aah, I guess it's just a matter of how long we can hold them off now."
"All those ranked Lieutenant Commander or below, stay put!" announces one of the ships. "To those two hundred elite Captains and Commanders, go take them out quickly!"
"Captain?!" echos Usopp. "That's the same rank as that smoke guy! We're facing that many guys of that level?!"
"It's proof they're afraid of us," Zoro grunts.
"Hey, where's Sanji?!"
"That idiot cook, running off at a time like this!"
"Leave him," Run sighs. "Casanova probably ran back to the ship to help the others. Well, fellas, we're gonna have to make our stand here. You beat me on Whiskey Peak...but I'm feelin' confident today, Zoro." The swordsman draws his swords with a grin. "Loser buys the first round?"
"You already owe me a round. Why not make it two?" The Marines all leap from the ships at once, dropping down in their direction with weapons ready. The four men spring into action quickly, scattering the Marines by twos and threes. But it seems that no matter how many they cut down, or knock out more of them keep coming.
"C'mon, guys, can't we just talk it out?" Rather than listen, a pair of Marines charge him quickly and he fades back, avoiding a quick swipe of a sword before stepping in the second follows. A loud 'crunch!' follows as the man comes to an abrupt halt, a spray of blood flying from his nose. "Now, Sea King's Lash!" He delivers a kick to both men, sending them both crashing into several more Marines before coming to rest of a tangled mess of limbs and weapons. Of course, more jump up to fill in the ranks. "Aah, fer-- I've chased cockroaches less tenacious than you all!"
"LUFFY!" screams Usopp, attracting Run's attention to the edge of the bridge. "What are you doing?! Get up! Don't get the wrong idea! I'm here to rescue Robin! I didn't come to see your face! Oi! You! Boss Cat of CP9! You may have beat them but not me! I'll take you on, now! So bring it on! Th-That's right! I'm your opponent, little kitty!"
"Would ya quit taunting 'im! Yer gonna get yerself-- whoa!" Run surges backwards, avoiding a Marine's saber before grasping him by the back of his coat and throwing him into another group with ease.
"Now get up! Even if though there's smoke above us we can see the sky, even if it's below us we can see the ocean...this isn't Hell! So stop looking like you're about to die, you jerk! Beat him! We'll all go back together!" A Marine rushes in the direction of Usopp, only to be caught from behind by none other than Run. The red head grasps the back of the man's neck and slams him face first into the stone hard enough for numerous cracks to spiral out in all directions.
"Usopp! Pay attention! I...ack!" Run suddenly coughs up a mouthful of blood and presses a hand to his chest. "Aah! That's not good!"
"You're a tough guy," calls a voice from behind. He stands with a grunt and turns to face the man. "But your body has taken significant damage. Combined with blood loss...that's enough to bring down anyone, red hair."
"Aah, not to be rude but can we just skip to the fighting?" The man surges forward quickly, and then suddenly staggers before collapsing face first to the stone in front of him while foaming at the mouth. "Huh. Guess you guys don't have as much fight in you as I'd thought." A loud 'boom!' fills the air and a cloud of smoke explodes skyward from the column with Luffy and Lucci.
"Th-This is a report to all ships!" announces a voice. "Mr. Rob Lucci of CP9 has...has just been defeated by Straw Hat!"
"WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TOGETHER!!" echos Luffy's voice. "ROBIN!!"
"Luffy! Come on!" Usopp shouts. "Let's go! Luffy! Stretch the across, and then we can leave! Come on! Stretch across and then I'll carry you! We're surrounded on all sides! If we stay here we're gonna be killed!" Of course, no sooner has he said this then the battleships over fire only just on the escort ship but even the bridge. Through the smoke and debris, they spot Sanji carrying nearly half of the crew with him as he sprints for his life. They continue to fire with no regard for their own men.
"This way!" Run bellows, motioning the crew in his direction. "Don't look back!" When the cannon fire finally stops, they're left standing on a small part of the bridge on top of the second column. "Oh-ho, boy! I'd say we're sandwiched here!"
"They took out the whole bridge!" growls Sanji.
"We have no choice but to fight them all here!" Nami adds.
"Idiot!" Franky says. "They'll just keep sending wave after wave of stronger guys!"
"Prepare to fire all cannons on the first column!" announces a voice. "Eliminate 'Straw Hat' Luffy no matter what!"
"Luffy is in trouble!" Zoro says, cutting down a trio of men. "We have to bring him over here!"
"I'm fresh outta ideas!" Run adds, driving his knee into the face of an unfortunate Marine. "I-- aah!" He raises a hand to his wounded chest. Blood soaks through the shirt, spattering against the stone. "And I'm almost fresh outta blood, apparently!"
"~Look down~"
"Everyone!" Usopp bellows. "Jump into the sea! Robin! Roll Luffy to the edge of the platform!"
"The sea?! Idiot! Getting desperate won't save us!" Zoro growls at him.
"She's gonna save us! She came to rescue us! We've got one more friend, right?!" Robin crosses her arms, and quickly produces a number of arms that roll Luffy to the edge of the column before tossing him over towards the sea below.
"Everyone! Into the sea!" They charge the edge of the bridge and leap over towards the sea.
"~Let's go back, everyone! Back to the sea's of adventure!~"
"Get on the Merry!"
"~I came to get you...!~"