"Tom is likely being held at the Judicial Tower, located at the far end of Enies Lobby. To reach the Judicial Tower, we need to pass through two gates on the front island, then reach the main island, go through the courthouse, and finally arrive at the Judicial Tower."
"This time, Enies Lobby has requested reinforcements from Marine Headquarters. The ones sent are Vice Admiral Garp, the Marine Hero, and Rear Admiral Momousagi, who's being groomed for the rank of Admiral. At my limit, I can only hold off these two. As for the ten thousand Marines on the island, the giants, the Guilty Jury, and CP9 by Spandam's side, you'll have to handle them on your own."
Hearing Wood's analysis of the enemy forces, Franky, who had been full of fighting spirit and ready to charge into Enies Lobby, suddenly felt like he'd been doused with a bucket of cold water, leaving him stunned.
Ruth, Iceberg, and the others looked at Wood as if he were a madman.
While they weren't particularly strong, they weren't fools either.
Certainly, if Wood could occupy Vice Admiral Garp and Rear Admiral Momousagi, it would already be an impressive feat.
But no matter how they looked at it, the rest of them weren't a match for ten thousand Marines, two giants, the Guilty Jury, or CP9.
If everyone else had even half of Wood's strength, rescuing Tom without Garp and Momousagi around wouldn't be too difficult.
But the reality was that with only a dozen or so people left, they wouldn't even be able to reach the Judicial Tower, let alone rescue anyone!
The ten thousand Marines and the judicial forces on the island were one thing, but they couldn't even handle the two giants.
How were they supposed to save Tom in this situation? By offering their heads as sacrifices?
"Big Bro Wood, can't you help us with a few more enemies? Otherwise, it's going to be really tough to fight our way to the Judicial Tower."
If Wood hadn't analyzed Enies Lobby's defenses, Franky wouldn't have realized how dangerous the place actually was.
It was laughable that he'd planned to rescue Tom on his own. Given the situation, even if he had a hundred lives, he'd probably not make it out of Enies Lobby alive.
"Handling both Garp and Gion is already my limit; in fact, it's highly likely that I'll barely be able to protect myself, so there's no way I can take on any more of the enemies for you. However, I did say there's a way to save Tom, and it's not just us who will be going to rescue him. After all, I have no desire to throw my life away for nothing."
"Granny Kokoro, as a mermaid from Fish-Man Island, you should be able to contact someone there, right?"
As Wood finished speaking, he looked at Granny Kokoro, who had been largely ignored by the others until now.
"I do have a way to contact friends on Fish-Man Island, but if you're thinking of getting help from there to rescue Tom, I'm afraid it won't work. Fish-Man Island is one of the World Government's allied nations and even pays the Celestial Tribute to the Celestial Dragons each year. King Neptune wouldn't risk attacking Enies Lobby for Tom's sake."
"Moreover, Tom's reputation among the Fish-Men isn't great because he's lived with humans in Water 7 for so long. It's unlikely that anyone would be willing to come and save him."
The Fish-Men are known for their solidarity, often doing crazy things for the sake of their kin.
However, while Tom was indeed a Fish-Man, he wasn't particularly popular among his people.
The reason was simple: he spent most of his time with humans, and the Fish-Men despised humans. Naturally, Tom, who associated with humans, was also shunned.
This was one of the reasons why Tom refused to seek refuge on Fish-Man Island before.
"That's okay. As long as you can make contact with Fish-Man Island, I'll find a way to get reinforcements."
Even with her doubts, Granny Kokoro eventually contacted a friend on Fish-Man Island and, per Wood's instructions, sent a Den Den Mushi to Fish-Man District.
That's right; Wood wasn't planning to seek King Neptune's help—after all, they didn't even know each other, let alone have any connections.
What Wood actually wanted was help from the Fish-Men of Fish-Man District.
Thanks to Wood's intervention, the Fish-Man hero Fisher Tiger, who was supposed to die in the original storyline, was still alive.
The Sun Pirates, made up of Fish-Men, had gained considerable fame on the seas.
Wood didn't know if Tiger and his crew were currently in Fish-Man District, but he was sure the Fish-Men there could contact them.
And if he approached them as the Marine traitor Wood, the Fish-Men would likely ignore him. But what if he used the identity of the Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo?
Ever since Fisher Tiger's daring raid on Mariejois to save his people, he had become a source of pride for the entire Fish-Man race. Many young Fish-Men dreamed of joining Tiger's Sun Pirates.
The tales of Tiger, Jinbei, and even Arlong had become legendary among the young Fish-Men of Fish-Man District. Yasuo, the Fish-Man Sword Saint who had bravely slain the Celestial Dragons and held off the pursuing forces in the end, was naturally an idol to many Fish-Men.
Unfortunately, after Tiger and his crew's infamous raid, they had only returned to Fish-Man Island in secret once or twice, and they hadn't seen this legendary Fish-Man Sword Saint.
Even when asked, Jinbei and Arlong had little to say about Yasuo, and Tiger himself, though he knew more, was reluctant to talk about it.
When the Fish-Men of Fish-Man District suddenly received a call from someone claiming to be Yasuo, the Fish-Man Sword Saint, they were initially thrilled but quickly became suspicious of the caller's true identity.
However, their doubts were quickly dispelled after confirmation from Tiger himself.
Wood had recounted many events from when he and Tiger had been stranded on an island together—things only Wood and Tiger knew.
Tiger was aware of Wood's true identity, but Wood had asked him to keep it a secret. Even in this case, the Fish-Men were only willing to help because of the name "Sword Saint Yasuo."
Tiger understood all too well the gravity of slaying a Celestial Dragon. So, when Wood asked for help, Tiger didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 280+ at pat_reon.com/Betek.