Voluntarily heading to Enies Lobby to declare war on the colossal institution that had ruled the world for 800 years—if news of this spread, it would shake the entire Grand Line. If other pirates learned of it, they would undoubtedly call him a madman!
Enies Lobby was located in the first half of the Grand Line. On the island stood the World Government's direct court.
Though called a court, it operated solely according to the World Government's will. Anyone brought to Enies Lobby was already deemed guilty.
In its 800-year history, not a single not-guilty verdict had ever been rendered. Prisoners were simply escorted through the empty courthouses, eventually reaching a cold, massive steel gate—the Gate of Justice.
Those who passed through this gate generally never returned. It symbolized the World Government's so-called absolute justice.
Beyond the Gate of Justice lay only two destinations:
One was Marine Headquarters—the direct organization of the World Government's main fighting force, one of the three great powers of the Grand Line.
The other was the Deep Sea Prison, Impel Down—filled with torture chambers and execution platforms, imprisoning the world's most heinous criminals.
In you go—out you never come.
Enies Lobby had no night; it was perpetually daylight, earning it the name Island of Eternal Day.
Barging in there was equivalent to slapping the World Government in the face.
But so what?
Even that damn plan hadn't made him completely compromise.
"Look, they're here too!"
Luffy's smile widened. He pointed behind them.
Robin followed his gaze. There, on the pitch-black sea, hugging the waves, was a ship she knew intimately—racing toward them at an unthinkable speed.
Sails bulging. At the bow stood those familiar, anxious figures.
It was the Going Merry!
And all of them.
Under Nami's precise navigation, propelled by the extra thrust of Vivi's Fūfū no Mi, and pushed to the limit by the ship spirit little Merry's full force, the Going Merry's speed now rivaled the Sea Train itself!
"Everyone."
Robin's eyes instantly grew moist. She waved toward them with all her might.
Aboard the Going Merry, everyone spotted Robin and Luffy at the first car's door. Cheers erupted.
"There they are—Robin and Luffy!"
"Robin, we've come to get you!"
"They're okay!"
Luffy set Robin down and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He looked at the engine car ahead, now just a speck, then back at his nakama coming full force behind them. He laughed with pride:
"Let's go, Robin! Let's tear that damn Enies Lobby apart!"
The severed rear section of the Sea Train coasted on inertia for a distance before finally coming to a complete stop on the cold sea, gently bobbing with the waves.
Meanwhile, the engine car and one passenger car—carrying the main CP9 members—trailed white steam as they gradually disappeared into the dark horizon, heading straight for the Gate of Justice that led to despair.
Just then, the Going Merry executed a beautiful and perilous spin, coming to a steady stop alongside the floating train car.
Faint white steam still rose from the hull from its high-speed journey.
"Luffy! Robin!"
Nami was the first to leap onto the train car, anxiously rushing over. "Are you two okay?"
Vivi and the others followed close behind.
"Robin, I'm so glad you're safe!"
Vivi hurried urgently to Robin, practically shoving Luffy aside.
Luffy paused slightly. Having held Robin moments ago, he now felt a flicker of reluctance.
But Vivi had been truly worried. Robin had voluntarily left with CP9 to protect her and Merry.
Little Merry also came running over, her little mouth pouting in a way that made Robin smile. Robin reached out and lifted her up.
Looking at her nakama's concerned faces, the last shadows in Robin's heart were completely dissipated. She smiled: "I'm fine. I had you all worried."
Zoro stood holding his sword, surveying the unconscious CP9 members and the general carnage inside the car.
"Luffy, what's the situation now?"
Usopp stared at the holes Luffy had punched through the walls, his voice trembling: "What happened here? What did you do now, Luffy?!"
"Ahaha! Not only did these guys refuse to surrender, they dared to fight back! So I knocked them all out."
Luffy grinned as he briefly explained what had happened—how he'd used Blueno's ability to catch the train, how he'd instantly defeated most of the CP9 members, and how Lucci had cut the cars loose at the last moment to escape.
"What?! You took them all on by yourself?"
Usopp's jaw nearly hit the floor.
There were over a hundred of them!
"Hmph. Looks like we missed a good show." Zoro clicked his tongue, apparently regretting not being able to participate.
"So the long-nose and the pigeon guy got away?" Sanji lit a cigarette, his gaze turning cold. "We absolutely can't let them off!"
Nami was more concerned with practical matters: "What do we do now?"
Now that Robin was rescued, logically they could leave. But according to Luffy's thinking, Enies Lobby was the ultimate goal.
She glanced toward Enies Lobby. They could already see its o
utline in the distance.
"Keep going, of course."
Luffy grinned, then turned his gaze to the strangely shaped, rocket-headed train beside them.
His eyes lit up instantly.
That train was cool.
The Rocket Man—and standing on its bow, Kokoro laughing heartily with her bottle—plus a crowd of eccentrically dressed people calling themselves the Franky Family.
"Yo, Straw Hat! We meet again."
Kokoro took a swig of her drink and shouted boldly, "I've come to help too!"
The Franky Family members also called out:
"Boss, we're coming to rescue you!"
"SUPER!"
Then they realized Franky wasn't there.
"CP9 took him," Luffy said flatly.
The Franky Family immediately burst into wails and howls.
So noisy, these guys.
And who were these people anyway?
Asking further, he learned: after Luffy and the others had departed, Vivi used her Fūfū no Mi to rapidly gather the scattered nakama from across Water 7.
Meanwhile, the Franky Family had gotten word from the injured Paulie and found Kokoro, who also wanted to help.
Kokoro had produced this faster, special-purpose train—the Rocket Man—and decided to bring the Franky Family along as support.
"Grandma, can your train still move?" Luffy asked.
"Wahaha! Of course!" Kokoro was bursting with confidence. "The Rocket Man is a treasure left by Tom. And with me, Water 7's finest train conductor, aboard—absolutely no problem!"
"But Straw Hat, you've already rescued your nakama. You still plan to go to Enies Lobby?"
"Since we're already here, why turn back now?"
Luffy grinned.
He was going to do it.
***
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