"Putting pirates on guard duty!? What is that woman thinking!!"
Slam!
Paulie punched the wall in anger, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he recalled the words he had just been told.
There's a possibility that an attempt will be made on Iceburg-kun's life again. So, I've decided to place pirates, who are accustomed to rough situations, on guard duty.
Paulie, a foreman, had been stunned by Caterina's words, and the other foremen present had also widened their eyes.
Their respected craftsman, Iceburg, had nearly been assassinated, and now they were being told that pirates of dubious origin would be placed on guard duty. It was only natural they would feel this way.
"Calm down, Paulie. It's not like Caterina-san said that without any thought."
"Even so! Why pirates instead of us...!!"
Lulu, another foreman, tried to placate him, but Paulie's anger wouldn't subside.
Many pirates had caused trouble before, but they had always defended the city with their own hands. Craftsmen had their own pride.
Tilestone, Kaku, and Lucci, the other foremen who had been present and heard the conversation, also wore grim expressions, just like Paulie.
"I know what Paulie's sayin'!!" Tilestone boomed.
"I understand Caterina-san's feeling of leaving rough work to the experts, though," Kaku mused.
"In the first place, she herself is a pirate, nominally. Coo-coo," Lucci added.
"That may be so, but there's a difference between Twilight, which has built up trust over the years, and others, isn't there?" Lulu countered.
"I don't know the details, but it's fine as long as they're here, right!!? All we have to do is catch 'em ourselves!!!"
Lucci and Kaku winced slightly at Tilestone's loud voice.
However, there was some truth to what he said.
"Tilestone's right, Paulie. It's not like we've been ostracized. We just have to do what we can do," Lulu reasoned.
"...Yeah. I guess that's all there is to it."
Lulu, relieved that Paulie had calmed his anger, relaxed his shoulders and said, "Let's stay calm," smoothing down his bedhead.
With that decided, there was much to do.
Many craftsmen admired Iceburg, and they had to rally them and issue instructions to defend the headquarters where Iceburg's private room was located.
Moving together would be inefficient. Lulu proposed that they split up, and without any objections, they began to move.
Kaku and Lucci watched with impassive eyes as Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone went their separate ways.
***
Meanwhile, Caterina was in a bit of a hurry for another matter.
"Can't get through!? Why!? It's an emergency!!"
"Even so, no one can interrupt Kanata right now," George's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"The opponent is the World Government! If we do something clumsy, we'll lose our Warlord status, and in the worst case, it could lead to war!!"
"Oh, we don't need the Warlord seat anymore, she said."
"What!?"
In contrast to Caterina's panic, George on the other end of the line was strangely calm.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say he was philosophical. Kanata's instructions to "prepare for any eventuality" had been so effective that he was beginning to think she had known everything all along.
However, the situation Caterina described was troublesome. George couldn't just do nothing.
"The opponent is CP-0, huh... At that level, even the Valkyrie and the top ranks of the Einherjar wouldn't be a match. Heck, even I couldn't handle them."
"Yeah... I think Tobi, my guard, is strong, but CP-0 is a bit too much for her to handle."
"You're in Water 7 now, right? Kaie and Yuisheeze are close. You should ask them for help."
"But, if we're going to confront the World Government, shouldn't I contact Kanata-san first──"
"Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility for everything."
"...Don't say I didn't warn you if you regret it later."
"Hah, I won't regret something like that at this point," George chuckled and hung up.
He had declared that no matter what Caterina did, he would take all the responsibility. This could be said to be a testament to his trust in her, and at the same time, it showed he sensed that going through him for everything might be too slow.
Losing all the privileges of a Warlord.
The losses from becoming hostile to the World Government, and by extension, the Navy.
It was a situation dizzying just to think about, but now that it had come to this, all they could do was push forward.
"First, Kaie and Yuisheeze..."
Currently, they were the top-tier combat power in Paradise. Komurasaki was some distance away on the sky island she was staying on, so it was uncertain if she would make it in time even if called now.
Considering the future, it would be more convenient to have them prepare.
Fortunately, she was able to contact both Kaie and Yuisheeze immediately.
They replied, "I'll head over right away," and, "I'll leave as soon as I'm ready," respectively.
...Even if they started moving immediately, it was a long way to travel by ship. Even with a high-speed vessel, they wouldn't arrive in half a day, and besides, the seas were currently rough due to Aqua Laguna. They wouldn't make it in time for tonight's attack.
Therefore, this was a move for the next time.
"Hello, Judge? I have a small favor to ask…"
The enemy targeting Robin was enormous. There was no room for half-measures, and if they were prepared to abandon the Warlord seat, there were countless options available.
***
…And that night.
The time was 9:30 PM. The atmospheric pressure had dropped, the wind was blowing strongly, and waves, beginning to rise, crashed against the town, devoid of starlight.
Everyone waited for the enemy to appear, the atmosphere tense.
The bonfires swayed in the wind, and people's eyes sharpened, trying to pierce the darkness of the night.
But it was all in vain-after all, they had no need to move stealthily.
─It began with the sound of an explosion.
"The east side of the first floor exploded!?"
"There was no cannon sound, it wasn't a cannon! A bomb was planted!!"
"They're here! A suspicious person wearing a mask!!"
"From the front!!?"
Two masked figures, who appeared brazenly from the company's main gate as if signaled by the explosion, looked down on the craftsmen who had gathered and muttered in annoyance.
"...We have to clean up this many?"
"Do you have a complaint?"
"No, I don't. Let's finish this quickly. I'm tired of being lectured."
From their voices, it was a pair of a man and a woman. Bare-handed, they began to mow down everything in sight.
For them, whose trained bodies had reached the realm of superhumans, craftsmen armed with guns and wooden beams were no match.
In about 15 minutes, the craftsmen who came one after another—some of them foremen—lay fallen, and silence returned to the area.
Only at that stage did they appear.
"The cleaning seems to be done. Shall we head to Iceburg-shi's place?"
A group of four walked leisurely through the fallen craftsmen. White suits and distinctive masks. Their appearance and strange atmosphere were out of place in the darkness of the night, but there was no one here to point that out.
Inside the company building, craftsmen also lay in pools of blood, but they walked on without paying any mind.
When they reached the third floor where Iceburg's bedroom was, two figures were waiting in front of the room in suits.
It was Lucci and Kaku.
The two who had been in disguise—Bruno and Kalifa—finally removed their masks at this stage and straightened their attire.
"Good work. Is Iceburg-shi inside?"
"Yes. He hasn't moved anywhere. Cutty Flam, Tom, and Caterina are also inside."
"Excellent. Then, shall we enter?"
Lucci and Kaku opened the door and led the way inside. Inside were only the four Lucci had mentioned and Tobi, Caterina's guard.
As for those inside, they could only be surprised at their brazen intrusion.
"...To think you'd come from the front. I wanted the craftsmen to evacuate because of this," Caterina said.
"I agree. It's ridiculous to waste time cleaning up trash," Guernica replied.
"Is your target Iceburg-kun's life? Or his belongings?"
"...It seems you know things you shouldn't."
As Guernica glared at Caterina, Caterina smiled defiantly.
"So, are you going to kill me too?"
"If we get our hands on what Iceburg-shi presumably has, everyone else is unnecessary. I'd appreciate it if you'd hand it over quickly before we have to search this town with a fine-toothed comb."
"Sorry, but I can't do that. That is meant to create a force of resistance in the event an Ancient Weapon is revived... I can't hand it over to the World Government," Iceburg stated.
Originally, Pluton's blueprints were not meant to see the light of day.
They should have been destroyed the moment the government found out, so that no one could use them, but he couldn't act rashly due to concerns.
If Robin fell into the government's hands, there was a possibility that the existing Pluton would be revived.
"What is your complaint with making it a 'force of justice' to end this Great Pirate Era? Are you saying you won't save the victims of pirates, whose numbers continue to increase even as we speak... Is that alright with you?" Kalifa questioned.
"If a weapon is revived, the world will fight over it...!! The damage will only escalate!! It can't be ended!!" Iceburg retorted.
"It seems you have no trust in us. Why are you so stubborn?"
"Because I know human nature...!"
"Hmm..."
Arguing was getting them nowhere.
During the time he was guarding Tom, Cipher Pol's information indicated that the blueprints were not in his vicinity. The possibility that they had returned to his possession now was not zero.
There was also the possibility that he had entrusted the blueprints to someone else in the face of the threat to his life, but even so, it was somewhat unnatural for all of Tom's Workers to be in this place.
It was convenient if all of Cipher Pol's targets were here, but it was too convenient.
Of course, this was likely just a matter of not having enough forces to defend them if they were scattered.
"Is Tom-shi of the same opinion?" Guernica asked.
"Yeah. I have no intention of handing that over to you lot. Tell your superiors this──to go to hell."
Guernica shrugged at Tom's words.
If they were this uncooperative, it was enough to make one sigh.
This time, Caterina threw a question.
"I'll ask you straight. Where is Robin?"
"Do I need to answer that?"
"You're resorting to such forceful measures. You probably think it's fine even if you don't get the blueprints, right? In that case, shouldn't I assume that Robin has been captured by you?"
"..."
"I'll take your silence as affirmation. I figured as much when you dodged the question about where Robin is."
"...A troublesome woman. Perhaps I should eliminate you here after all."
Guernica's murderous intent was directed straight at Caterina.
Everyone understood the disadvantage of making an enemy of Twilight, but an organization as large as the World Government would likely have considered alternative measures.
Besides, with CP-0 taking this attitude, the World Government was also building its strategy on the premise of cutting Kanata from the Seven Warlords. Just as Kanata was, the World Government also seemed to have no qualms about an all-out war with Twilight.
Bad feelings tend to come true, Caterina thought, a cold sweat breaking out as she put a whistle to her lips.
Peeeeee!! The high-pitched sound signaled a change in the situation.
"Where's Robin!!!!"
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Pedro, and Zepo burst through the wall from the next room. And the two who had been strictly ordered not to act until now, Tobi and Franky, moved all at once.
The opponents were CP-0 and CP-9. Facing opponents where a moment's hesitation could be fatal, everyone charged forward aggressively.
"We can ask where Robin is later! For now, we have to deal with them!!" Nami shouted.
"Alright, here we go! Match my timing, Zepo!!" Pedro yelled.
"Leave it to me, partner!!"
Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Bruno immediately moved to intercept.
They tried to stop the charging Luffy and his crew head-on, clashing with Pedro and Zepo who came forward. The two's attack, which released a wide frontal blast of Electro, stunned the CP-9 members regardless of their physical strength, and they were sent flying by the following Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Franky.
The main target was CP-0. Matching Luffy, who was immune to Electro, Pedro and Zepo, still cloaked in Electro, launched an attack aimed at Guernica, who was at the very front.
"Three Haki users. Two of them Minks, I see. Troublesome."
However, Guernica didn't move. The three behind him, Joseph, Maha, and Stussy, moved instantly.
Joseph and Maha deflected Pedro and Zepo, who were cloaked in Electro, and Stussy kicked away the charging Luffy.
"O-Owwww!!? Why!? I'm made of rubber!!"
"They're Haki users! Their strikes will work on you too, Luffy!!" Zepo warned.
Luffy, sent flying with a loud thud, groaned in pain from the direct kick. Pedro and Zepo gritted their teeth against the pain and rushed to hold back Joseph and Maha again.
However, in the time it took for the two to be blown away and return, Zoro, Sanji, and Franky had been taken down by a continuous barrage of Shigan, and Tobi, who was the only one fighting Guernica properly, was also at a disadvantage.
Their fundamental strength was different.
The four of CP-9, too, had managed to be dealt with once because it was a surprise attack... but they were also superhumans. They wouldn't be knocked down by that level of damage, and they immediately returned to attack Tobi.
Even a Valkyrie would be at a disadvantage fighting one CP-0 member while being ambushed.
"Should I help too!?" Tom offered.
"Tom-san!? Don't be reckless!! There aren't many people here who can fight in that mess!!" Kokoro cried.
They were members of Cipher Pol, bearing the numbers 0 and 9. Without exception, they were superhumans, and CP-0 were special agents who had mastered Rokushiki in addition to Haki.
They knew from the start that it was a losing battle, and they were aware it was a bad bet.
And yet.
"To think there's this much of a power difference...!" Caterina gasped.
Even the three who could hold their own against CP-0, Tobi, Pedro, and Zepo, were gradually being cornered. Guernica of CP-0, who was free without anyone to stop him, could just pick off their forces one by one.
Lucci and the others wouldn't lose as long as they weren't hindered by Pedro and his group, and one by one, their allies fell.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a full moon tonight, and besides, with the storm coming, the weather was terrible, leaving no chance for a comeback.
"You held out for a decent amount of time, but it's insulting if you thought you could defeat us with this," Guernica stated calmly.
"The static electricity messed up my hair. I wish you'd stop," Stussy complained.
"'Straw Hat' Luffy, huh. He's a head who took down Crocodile, one way or another. He'd be valuable if we brought him back, but──unfortunately, he's a low priority this time."
Guernica shrugged at Luffy, who was still glaring at him despite bleeding from various parts of his body, then looked at Lucci and ordered, "Finish him off appropriately."
Lucci grinned and, as if giving him a souvenir for the afterlife, changed his form.
Yellow and black skin. A Zoan-type with the nature of a carnivore──the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Leopard.
"Hah, hah... Give... Robin... back!!!" Luffy panted.
"No matter how much a weakling wishes for something, it will not be granted. Give it up, Straw Hat!"
The Shigan from his sharp claws became a piercing thrust rather than a strike, opening a hole in Luffy's stomach.
Grabbing Luffy, who still tried to fight back, by the head, Lucci threw him with all his might towards the outside of the building.
Breaking through the wall without losing momentum, Luffy disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Seeing this, Zoro mustered his strength and slashed from behind, but Lucci dodged the slash and delivered a roundhouse kick to Zoro's stomach, sending him flying out of the building as well.
The force of both blows was enough to send them flying to the outskirts of the island. One of them being an ability user, if he fell into the sea, his life would be over.
"...Well, it's finally quiet."
Sanji and Franky were restrained by Kaku and Bruno, and Pedro, Zepo, and Tobi had been silenced by attacks from Joseph, Maha, and Stussy, knocked unconscious.
Guernica showed no signs of fatigue and looked at Caterina.
"We are convinced that one of you Tom's Workers has the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon, Pluton. We don't know who has them... but we believe you wouldn't entrust them to anyone else."
The blueprints for an Ancient Weapon were a deadly poison. Even if there was a technically trustworthy engineer somewhere on this island, he didn't think they could hand them over without leaving any trace.
From the information Lucci and the others gathered while undercover as craftsmen, that much could be said for certain.
For Iceburg to "entrust" them meant he would be the next president of Galley-La Company. Even if the president and the successor as an engineer were different, traces would be left somewhere.
So, they decided to think more simply.
If they got their hands on Pluton itself, the blueprints were unnecessary. If they were just to consider it a sub-plan, they could just torture them or whatever to get the information.
"Tom, Iceburg, Cutty Flam, Caterina. Your persons will be transported to Enies Lobby."
"...!?"
"We have already begun to act on the premise of making an enemy of Twilight. Therefore, it doesn't matter what your affiliation is."
"We seem to have really touched a nerve...! Do you want a weapon that badly!?"
"The gods wished for it. We merely follow their will."
"The dogs of the Celestial Dragons are quite something when they go this far...!!"
Following Guernica's words, Kalifa and Lucci quickly tied up Tom and Iceburg, and Joseph tied up Franky.
As Stussy approached, Caterina, as a final act of resistance, went to the window and threw it open.
"Are you planning to jump? Don't. It's meaningless."
"Probably. I don't think I can escape from a Rokushiki user."
"Then why──"
Stussy's brow furrowed at almost the same time as Caterina fired a gun from the window into the sky.
The bullet, emitting a brilliant red light, cut through the darkness of the night, looking like a signal for something.
It was a flare, or perhaps a signal flare. Stussy realized this because she saw something heading towards them.
"...A horse?"
Outside, a severe storm of wind and rain was raging. A horse cutting through that, normally, one would suspect a hallucination. As Stussy paused, her brow furrowed, Guernica, who had looked outside following her gaze, shouted in a panic.
"Tie them up quickly!! It's Twilight's reinforcements!!"
"It's too late. Once they're within visual range, all I have to do is show them where we are."
It was a matter of mere seconds.
A Pegasus, which had cut through the sky like a flash of light through the dark night, approached the building at full speed without decelerating and made a sharp turn.
Doing so would naturally throw the rider into the air according to the laws of inertia, but that person invaded the room from the window with the same momentum and delivered a direct dropkick to Stussy, who was closest.
That single blow, full of speed, was heavy enough to pierce Stussy's defense, and with a shock that numbed both her arms, she was sent flying, destroying the wall.
Her purple hair, wet with rain, fluttered as she looked down on everyone in the room, her height surpassing them all.
"─It seems I made it just in time."
Kaie of the "Evil Eye" had joined the battle at this crucial moment.