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Inside Dock No.1 of the Galley-La Company—
Kaku and Lucci were doing what they'd been doing for years now: repairing ships.
For the past five years, this had become their routine—eat, sleep, fix ships, build ships, repeat. Every day.
"Headquarters gave us a final deadline," Kaku said while hammering away, glancing sideways at Lucci. "We have one month to bring those blueprints back."
Lucci's face darkened slightly. He scanned the area, making sure no one was listening, before warning in a low voice, "Watch it, Kaku. Don't forget who you are."
As top agents of the World Government, revealing their secret mission in public was a rookie mistake.
But Kaku only shrugged. "Relax. No one's gonna hear us."
The dock was noisy, full of workers shouting over the clatter of tools. No one was paying attention to them anyway.
Still, Kaku's biggest concern wasn't eavesdroppers—it was what would happen if they failed.
The World Government's wrath wasn't something you could run from.
"Don't worry," Lucci said coldly, "we'll definitely—"
"Five years undercover and still nothing, and now you think you'll finish it in a month? Pathetic."
"Who's there?!"
Their killing intent exploded. Both men spun around like beasts ready to pounce.
A calm figure strolled toward them, flanked by two women—Logan.
Kaku narrowed his eyes. Anyone who knew their true identities couldn't be allowed to live.
But Lucci frowned. Something about the man looked familiar.
"L-Logan?!" His eyes widened.
"Who's Logan?" Kaku muttered in confusion.
Even if the guy was some wanted pirate, Lucci's reaction was way too over the top.
"You idiot—he's the one who killed Crocodile," Lucci snapped.
Kaku's expression changed instantly.
He didn't know Logan, but he sure as hell knew Crocodile.
Anyone capable of taking him down was no joke.
"Logan, we've got no quarrel with you," Lucci said, puffing up his chest. "You know who we are—so don't make trouble for yourself."
Sometimes, reputation could be scarier than raw strength.
Logan just smiled. "I didn't see Kalifa anywhere nearby. Tell me, where is she?"
Both men froze.
He was here for Kalifa?!
"Why do you want Kalifa?" Lucci's tone grew sharp.
In CP9, they all rose and fell together. Logan clearly came with bad intentions—no way he was getting information out of them.
"I'm running out of patience," Logan said, his eyes narrowing. "Where. Is. She?"
Dasqi and Doll stepped forward, blades half drawn, black armament haki wrapping their bodies.
If Lucci so much as blinked wrong, they'd attack.
Their arrogance was suffocating.
Kaku and Lucci both frowned. They'd seen cocky people before—but this guy? He was something else.
"Kill him!"
They exchanged a glance and moved as one. Years of teamwork made their coordination seamless.
No one threatened CP9 and lived.
Even if Logan was strong, failing their mission meant facing the World Government's executioners. That was worse than death itself.
"Rokushiki Secret Art—Rokuougan Shave!!"
"Rankyaku!!"
They came from both sides, a blur of motion and destruction. Lucci transformed into his leopard-human form and unleashed his strongest attack, while Kaku's blades of compressed air tore through the air toward Logan.
"Stay back," Logan said calmly.
Before the women could even react, he vanished.
"So fast—!!"
Kaku and Lucci's pupils shrank. They couldn't even see the attack.
"I gave you a chance."
A whisper brushed past them—and Logan was suddenly standing beside his two crewmates again.
Then the pain hit.
Both agents staggered, staring down at the fountains of blood bursting from their chests before collapsing in silence.
No hesitation. No mercy. Instant death.
Buru buru... buru buru...
Lucci's transponder snail began to ring.
Logan picked it up.
A woman's excited voice came through, "Lucci! I found Nico Robin—the Devil's Child! She's at a bookstore. Get over here quick!"
"If we catch her, we'll be heroes again!"
"Lucci? Are you listening?!"
Silence.
Only the faint buzz of the fallen snail.
A short distance away, hidden behind a boulder near the bookstore—
A blonde woman in glasses slapped the snail's face impatiently. The poor thing's cheeks were red and swollen.
"What's wrong with this thing?!" Kalifa muttered.
There was no way Lucci would ignore a lead on Nico Robin.
Whatever—she'd just handle it herself.
A chance like this didn't come twice. The credit would be hers alone.
She stepped out of the shadows—only to stop dead in her tracks.
A man and two women were already standing there, smiling at her.
Kalifa's heart jumped. She stumbled back instinctively.
Logan folded his arms and took his time looking her over.
Tight black body suit, mesh undershirt, fishnet stockings, sharp heels.
Yup—definitely secretary material.
"You're Kalifa."
Kalifa's eyes widened. "You're Logan!!" she gasped.
Her chest trembled with her breath, and Logan nodded approvingly. "Nice."
Meanwhile—
Boom.
A flash of silver lightning split the sky, frying a group of Marines where they stood.
"Seriously? Can't even go shopping in peace without you idiots ruining my day?" Nami barked, hands on her hips, her face thunderous.
They'd just been enjoying a carefree afternoon, bags full of new clothes—until some Marines recognized them.
Now the street was a smoking mess.
"Nami, maybe we should just go home," Nojiko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Sometimes fame was more trouble than it was worth.
"Fine, whatever," Nami grumbled. "They've already killed my shopping mood anyway."
They left, but it wasn't long before some "concerned citizens" called the Marines.
Soon after—
At Marine Headquarters.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! We've detected Logan's crew in Water 7! Requesting orders!" crackled a voice through the transponder snail.
"I see," Sengoku said grimly, hanging up.
After all this time without a trace, Logan's crew had finally shown up—and in Water 7, of all places.
Flying pirates. Always a pain in the ass.
"Fleet Admiral!" Vice Admiral Doberman stood up. "Requesting permission to capture Logan personally!"
Sengoku looked at him for a long moment, then shook his head. "You're not strong enough."
The room went quiet. It was blunt—but true.
To take on Logan, they'd need someone at admiral level.
Kizaru, sensing where this was going, turned to stare very hard out the window. Don't call me. Don't call me. I'm not listening...
He was just a salaryman in uniform, a nine-to-five admiral.
If they really wanted him to deal with Logan—well, that'd cost extra.
"Leave it to me!" Garp suddenly boomed, slapping his snack bag shut. "I'll drag that brat back myself!"
The room went silent.
Logan was dangerous, sure—but Garp himself?
This was new.
Sengoku's brow twitched. He knew exactly why Garp was so eager—personal reasons, no doubt.
But as fleet admiral, he couldn't allow that.
"No need," Sengoku said firmly. "Aokiji's nearby on assignment. I'll have him handle it. Connect me to him."
Moments later—
"Ahhh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Aokiji's lazy voice came through. "Just finished my mission, was about to head back."
He was gliding over the sea on his bike, zigzagging along a path of ice.
Sengoku's tone was sharp. "Aokiji, Logan's been spotted in Water 7. Go there immediately and capture him and his crew."
Aokiji blinked. Logan?
The guy who killed Crocodile?
"Aokiji," Sengoku warned, "this mission is critical. Don't mess it up."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Aokiji sighed.
Every damn tough job landed in his lap.
But there was no escaping it—duty called.
He took a deep breath, eyes firming, then started pedaling hard.
"Let's get this over with."
Back in Water 7—
Robin and Kaya walked out of the bookstore, hand in hand, chatting softly.
Not far away, Logan appeared out of nowhere, carrying a very unhappy Kalifa wrapped tightly in restraints.
"You can't do this! This is harassment!" Kalifa snapped, cheeks red with anger and embarrassment.
Logan ignored her. With a flash, he teleported her onto his airship and secured her before returning to the city.
"Logan," Kaya whispered, noticing people staring. "I think our cover's blown."
He gave the crowd a cold glance, and they quickly looked away. "Doesn't matter. You all head to the rendezvous point—I've got one more thing to handle."
"Dasqi, Doll, go with them."
The four women nodded and left.
Logan asked around briefly, then headed straight for Franky's base.
His goals in Water 7 were simple: recruit Kalifa and retrieve the Pluton blueprints.
He wasn't that interested in Pluton itself—but something that powerful shouldn't be left lying around.
At Franky's hideout—
Franky was in the middle of his daily pre-work "dance routine" when his body suddenly froze, eyes rolling back as he collapsed.
Logan strolled in, tapped around Franky's metal body until he found the hidden switch, opened it, grabbed the blueprints, closed it again—done.
Just like putting an elephant in a fridge.
He tossed the Pluton plans into his system storage and vanished.
—
At the docks—
The girls had already returned, chatting happily while unpacking their shopping bags.
Then Vivi sneezed, shivering. "Hey, does anyone else feel like it's suddenly colder?"
Kaya rubbed her arms. "Yeah... weird, right?"
The temperature dropped fast—unnaturally fast.
Nami frowned and turned toward the sea.
A thick white mist was rolling in, and an ice path was forming across the waves straight toward them.
"There's someone out there!" Conis gasped.
And not just anyone—a man pedaling a bicycle across the frozen ocean.
The women stared, speechless.
"Okay... that's new," Nami muttered.
But Robin and Doll's faces went pale.
"Everyone, stay alert," Doll warned. "That's Admiral Aokiji. He's probably here for us."
The girls tensed.
They all knew what that title meant—one of the world's strongest.
"Stay behind us," Nami ordered, stepping forward with Dasqi.
Aokiji rolled up leisurely, parked his bike, and smiled. "Ahhh, what a pleasant surprise—so many beautiful ladies in one place."
"Nami, Kaya, Makino, Nojiko..." He frowned. "Wait... who are the rest of you?"
Must be Logan's new crewmates.
So many women—figures.
Then his tone shifted, eyes narrowing on Robin. "I didn't expect to see you here, Robin."
The lazy warmth in his voice faded. His expression turned serious.
"Tell me—why did you join Logan's crew?"
Robin bit her lip, her heart heavy.
This man had helped destroy Ohara... but he'd also saved her life.
"I—"
Before she could answer, a familiar laugh cut through the air.
"Hahaha! Even Admiral Aokiji showed up, huh? Guess Water 7's the place to be today."
Logan appeared, smiling calmly as he stepped between his crew and the admiral.
The girls instantly relaxed.
Against an admiral, they had no chance—unless Logan was there.
"....."