The next morning, early at dawn.
Takumi and his crew departed from Kuraigana Island.
"Where are we heading next?" Enel asked as he used his abilities to start the airship.
Takumi pointed toward the direction of their next destination and casually said, "Enies Lobby."
Kaku, who had been cleaning up, paused when he heard Takumi mention their destination.
Kaku was all too familiar with Enies Lobby.
That place was under the control of the World Government. Due to its unique position where the sun never sets, it was also called the "Island of Eternal Daylight."
In reality, Enies Lobby was nothing more than a symbolic courthouse. Any person taken there was already considered guilty. Prisoners would pass through the empty courtrooms and eventually reach a giant cold iron gate—The Gate of Justice. Beyond that gate, prisoners rarely returned. The gate symbolized the absolute justice of the World Government.
Once passing through the Gate of Justice, there were only two possible destinations: the first was Marine Headquarters, the main military force of the World Government, and the second was Impel Down, the deep-sea prison that held the most wicked criminals of the world, complete with torture chambers and execution platforms.
In short, this island was the one closest to Marine Headquarters.
Takumi and Enel were both already wanted by the World Government, and logically speaking, they shouldn't be making such an obvious move toward Enies Lobby.
So why... why would Takumi want to go there now?
For Kaku, going to Enies Lobby was an ideal situation since CP9's base was located there, and returning might mean his undercover mission would finally come to an end. However, something about it made Kaku feel uneasy.
From what Kaku knew of Takumi, he wasn't the type to make decisions that would put himself at a disadvantage. If Takumi wanted to go to Enies Lobby, there had to be a reason behind it.
Thinking about this, Kaku couldn't help but speak up. "Enies Lobby is under the control of the World Government, and right now, we're being hunted by them. Isn't it a bit risky to head there?"
"Huh? That's World Government territory?" Enel asked in surprise.
Kaku nodded seriously.
Both then turned to look at Takumi.
Takumi, on the other hand, simply said in a calm tone, "If you're scared, you don't have to come."
"Who said I'm scared?" Enel clenched his fist. "If you're not afraid, why should I be? The only one who might be afraid here is long-nosed chicken legs over there."
Kaku: "..."
"Oh yeah!" Enel suddenly thought of something and looked back at Kaku. "Besides, only me and Takumi have bounties. The World Government is after us, not you, so what are you worried about?"
Kaku gave a wry smile. "Do you really think the World Government is that forgiving? Knowing their nature, anyone associated with you two will be implicated. I'm already a part of this crew, and even if I haven't been officially wanted yet, once they see me with you guys, they'll arrest me, too."
Although Kaku understood this fact well, he still held onto the belief that as an undercover agent for the government, they wouldn't capture him as long as he revealed his true identity when the time came.
He naturally assumed that the reason he hadn't been given a bounty was that Spandam had protected him.
In reality, Kaku wasn't mentioned in Kizaru's report only because he hadn't taken any action during the incident at Sabaody. The report only covered Takumi and Enel, which is why Kaku hadn't been implicated.
"So you're saying us being wanted has dragged down a weakling like you?" Enel sneered.
Kaku chuckled awkwardly. "If I really thought like that, I would have left back on Sabaody Island. I've said it before—when I made the decision to board this ship back at Water 7, I had already accepted the risks. Unless the captain no longer wants me or you guys kick me off the ship, I'm staying."
"Whatever," Enel grumbled. "You talk too much."
Kaku looked at Takumi and asked, "Captain Takumi, can you tell us why we're going to Enies Lobby? I don't believe it's just for sightseeing. Although I recognize your strength, if we're really heading to Enies Lobby right after leaving Mihawk's place, it's almost like we're deliberately picking a fight with the World Government."
If Kaku weren't an undercover agent, Takumi might have been fooled by his convincing performance.
The truth was, while Kaku voiced his concerns, deep down he still wanted to return to Enies Lobby.
However, Enel, who remained unaware of Kaku's true identity, continued to trust him. Although Enel's Observation Haki was powerful, Kaku's disguise had been flawless, and he hadn't shown any suspicious behavior, leading Enel to believe that Kaku truly wanted to stay on the ship.
"So what if we're picking a fight? What are you scared of?" Enel scoffed arrogantly. "Even if we run into danger, we've got Takumi and me here. We'll have no problem protecting you."
Takumi rolled his eyes in annoyance.
You really have the nerve to say that...
Kaku sighed. "I just don't understand Captain Takumi's motives. You mentioned that we're traveling, but each destination seems to have been pre-selected. In my experience, traveling should be more spontaneous. This feels too deliberate, almost like we're following a set plan. It's strange, but I can't quite put my finger on why."
"Why do you always have so many questions?" Enel shot back. "Takumi is the captain. If he says we go somewhere, we go. What's so hard to understand? We're not pirates or marines, and if we're not travelers, what's our purpose for going to all these different islands?"
"Well… when you put it that way, it does make some sense," Kaku admitted, scratching his head awkwardly.
Takumi was done listening to their back-and-forth. "Enies Lobby isn't far. Increase our speed."
With that, he headed back into the cabin.
"Got it," Enel called after him.
As Takumi walked away, Kaku muttered quietly to himself, "There's still another question… How does Takumi always know exactly where to go without a Log Pose?"
Enel gave Kaku a thump on the head. "Why didn't I notice before that you're this full of questions? You must be bored. Is the ship clean? Are the ingredients for lunch prepared? Have you finished your weird little experiments?"
Kaku stumbled forward from the hit, still surprised that Enel hadn't used his lightning powers this time. Though a bit thrown off, Kaku's eyes lit up at the mention of his experiments. "I've modified that small anti-lightning device I was working on. Wait here, I'll go grab it, and you can test it with your lightning!"
As Kaku sprinted off, Enel watched him go with a twitch in his eye. "That guy's nuts…"
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