Rob Lucci didn't stay there long before preparing to leave. However, before he could, a man landed in front of him.
"How are things, Lucci?" he asked.
Rob Lucci remained silent as he looked at the man before him. He had a long, square nose, large round eyes, short blond hair, a cap that covered part of his face, and the jacket of a foreman.
His name was Kaku.
Like Rob Lucci, he appeared to be nothing more than a foreman at Galley-La on the surface, but in secret, alongside Kalifa, he was a CP9 agent infiltrated in Water 7.
"He just arrived and split up his crew... Nico Robin is the only one by his side..." Rob Lucci said.
"That man isn't afraid of losing his crew?" Kaku asked, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.
The Marines were hunting Allen, and even the World Government had their eyes on him. Although Allen himself was strong, aside from Uta and Nico Robin, none of his crew members appeared particularly powerful, or at least that was what they had observed.
"What about those two?" Kaku asked once again.
By "those two," he meant Captain Hina and Lieutenant Tashigi.
"Confirmed. Both have betrayed the Marines. They must also be eliminated," Rob Lucci said.
Even before the incident at G-8, the Marines had already suspected that both Hina and Tashigi had abandoned the Navy. At the very least, neither of them looked like they were being forced to remain with Allen's crew, and now he was practically letting them wander around on their own without the slightest intention of keeping watch over them.
"Lucci, let me remind you that we're not doing anything. We have our mission. We're only providing support," Kaku said.
"..."
"Hey, do you understand?"
Kaku felt helpless. Rob Lucci's mentality made him prone to killing pirates and criminals without giving them the chance to be imprisoned, and as a CP9 member, he had permission to kill. But right now, they were carrying out an extremely important mission.
It all revolved around Iceburg. According to the Government, he possessed the blueprints for an Ancient Weapon. With them, they could construct a second Pluton.
That was why they had spent years infiltrating Water 7. While eliminating Allen Walker was important, they weren't about to abandon their primary mission for it.
"Let's go," Rob Lucci said.
Rob Lucci vanished using Soru. Kaku clenched his fists, hoping Rob Lucci wouldn't do anything reckless, before disappearing as well.
The members of CP9 were all masters of Rokushiki, though each specialized in different techniques.
....
Rob Lucci and Kaku arrived at an empty cargo warehouse. Waiting for them inside was a trio with rather peculiar appearances.
One was a man who looked like a Chinese martial artist. He wore an open jacket, black pants, and a black tie. He was Jabra, a powerful fighter, though he was also a loudmouth who loved to lie.
The second was an extremely tall man with a huge light pink mane, his face covered in Kabuki-style makeup. He wore a black suit and spoke in an overly theatrical manner.
His name was Kumadori.
The last was a man puffed up like a balloon. He had green hair, and his mouth was stitched shut with a zipper-like seam that made him look even stranger. He also wore a black suit.
The three of them were CP9 members as well, but unlike Rob Lucci and Kaku, they weren't undercover. They had been summoned directly from their headquarters at Enies Lobby.
Enies Lobby was one of the most important locations for the Marines, alongside Marine Headquarters and the world's greatest prison, Impel Down.
"He split up his crew?! Is that brat insane?! At this rate, I'll wipe them out all by myself! Hahaha!" Jabra said arrogantly.
"Chapapa! Don't underestimate them, Jabra!" Fukurou said.
"Shut up, Fukurou! I'm not a weak bastard like you!" Jabra growled.
"Splendid! At this rate, the mission shall be most simple, yoi!~" Kumadori declared.
"Kumadori, you're weak too. Both of you can stay behind. I'll handle everything because I'm the strongest!" Jabra exclaimed.
"Why did these idiots even come here..." Kaku muttered in annoyance.
Their appearances were bizarre, and their behavior attracted far too much attention. None of the three were suited for infiltration missions, so while Kaku and Rob Lucci had been working undercover, these three had been enjoying themselves at Enies Lobby. That alone made Kaku dislike them.
"Shut it, Kaku." Jabra walked over to him.
The man stopped right in front of Kaku, trying to intimidate him, but Kaku didn't back down. Just as it looked like they were about to fight, Rob Lucci spoke in a cold voice that left no room for negotiation.
"Stop."
"Tch..."
Jabra reluctantly stepped back. Kaku didn't move, but remained silent. Regardless of everything else, Rob Lucci was still the leader of CP9 and its strongest member.
Once silence returned, Rob Lucci's pigeon began flying around the warehouse.
"Listen. Fukurou, Kumadori, and Jabra. Your mission is to capture Allen Walker's crew. Avoid prolonged fights, and do not attack the Singer or the former traitorous Captain."
Kaku's eyes lit up. In the end, Rob Lucci had managed to restrain himself and think rationally.
Killing one of Allen's crew members would unleash his wrath, and while neither they nor the World Government cared about ordinary civilians—to the point that even if all of Water 7 sank beneath the sea, they wouldn't even blink—if Iceburg's Pluton blueprints were lost, they would all be punished.
Capturing his crew would give them leverage to force him to obey, or at least keep him under control until reinforcements arrived.
"What nonsense! I didn't come here to kidnap women! I want to fight him!" Jabra protested.
"You..." Kaku was about to yell at the muscle-brained idiot, but Rob Lucci interrupted him.
"Fine..." Rob Lucci said.
"Chapapa?!" Fukurou exclaimed.
"Yoi??" Kumadori was equally shocked.
"Lucci?!"
Kaku had no idea what Rob Lucci was planning, but he stepped forward until he stood directly before Jabra.
"But first, you have to defeat me. If you win, not only will I let you do whatever you want, I'll also give you my position as leader."
The offer was tempting. The reward was enormous.
However, the arrogant Jabra took a step back, sweat running down his cheek. He might be arrogant, and he might be strong enough to be the second strongest member of CP9, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe he could defeat Rob Lucci. That man was a monster.
"Just do your job..." Rob Lucci declared as his pigeon landed on his shoulder.
"What about Walker in the meantime? That guy has Observation Haki," Kaku said.
"Kalifa told me that Iceburg ordered her to "accompany" Allen Walker during his stay... She'll keep him occupied on the other side of the city. I doubt his Haki has enough range to cover all of Water 7."
The intentions behind Iceburg's decision were obvious, but they were government assassins. They knew that female agents would eventually receive missions like this. All they could do was hope Kalifa would remain professional and carry out her assignment properly.
....
"Rental Bull Shop..." Allen read as he looked at the enormous sign.
"This must be the city's main method of transportation," Robin commented.
Water 7 wasn't called the City of Water for nothing. Many places could only be reached through canals similar to those in Venice, and people traveled through them in boats pulled by a special kind of fish called Bulls. They resembled seahorses, but were much larger, closer in size to land horses.
Allen and Robin rented a Bull for 2,000 Berries.
Robin guided Allen toward the Sea Train station, where the Puffing Tom was located. This unusual mode of transportation, unique in the entire world, had been created by a legendary shipwright.
The Sea Train was an innovative form of transportation that traveled along tracks laid across the sea. It was faster than a ship, didn't rely on the wind, and could carry both passengers and cargo between islands.
Its drawback was that it could only travel where tracks existed. If the rails were damaged or destroyed, the train would become stranded, making it a system with both strengths and weaknesses.
"So, Mr. Walker, you and your... companion wish to travel to one of our destinations?" a nervous station manager asked.
The moment Allen arrived at Water 7's Blue Station, he drew plenty of attention. Most people, however, limited themselves to watching him from a distance while he and Robin strolled around.
Robin's eyes sparkled with curiosity, while Allen was already getting bored.
He didn't understand it. This was the first time he had ever seen the Sea Train, yet he didn't feel the slightest excitement, as though it were something completely ordinary to him.
Perhaps the manager mistook Allen's boredom for anger, because he hurried over, eager to calm him down.
"It sounds interesting, but I'll pass. I'm not going to waste time visiting other islands," Allen said.
His goal was to reach Sabaody and then the New World as quickly as possible. He had already become far too big a fish for Paradise.
No, at this point he was a Sea King swimming among shrimp.
"If you'd like, you could visit the City of Spring Queen, St. Poplar, or Gourmet City Pucci... or perhaps something more exciting, Carnival City San Faldo!"
Allen was about to refuse, but those places actually sounded interesting.
"It might be a nice place for us to relax~" Robin said.
Allen wanted to protest. The girls had just enjoyed an extended vacation in the sky. How much more relaxing did they need?
Knowing exactly how to persuade him, Robin hugged his arm even closer, pressing her chest against him as she spoke in a softer voice.
"Don't forget, the Log Pose needs a full week to recharge. Even if we wanted to leave, we couldn't~."
"All right." Allen smiled at Robin before looking at the manager. "We'll come back another day. Today we'll just take it easy."
"Y-Yes! You're always welcome!"
"Oh, and don't worry. As long as a regiment of Marines doesn't come bothering me, I won't cause any trouble."
The manager kept smiling.
"U-Understood."
As they left Blue Station, they were wondering where to go next when a beautiful woman appeared before them.
Allen looked her over. She was young, no older than twenty-five, and looked like a strict secretary.
"Can I help you with something, girl, or were you simply dazzled by my perfection?!" Allen grinned.
"That's harassment," Kalifa said as she adjusted her glasses.
"Nonsense." Allen vanished and reappeared directly in front of Kalifa. He wrapped an arm around her waist and shamelessly brought his face close to hers. "This is harassment. If you're going to accuse me of something, at least make it something I actually did."
"You..." Kalifa was left speechless.
For a long time, she had made a habit of accusing every man of harassment over the smallest things, though even she knew it was ridiculous.
But this time, instead of getting offended, the man before her had actually done something worthy of the accusation.
"I'm sorry..." Kalifa said, trying to get herself out of the situation.
"Hehe, let her go already, poor girl," Robin laughed.
This woman was no match for someone as shameless as Allen.
"I was just joking." Allen let her go and shrugged.
The moment she was released, Kalifa instinctively unleashed a flurry of kicks with abnormal speed and force, but Allen caught her leg effortlessly and smirked.
"Since you're attacking me, I'm simply defending myself. But thanks to that, I got to see your panties. So, is this harassment or self-defense?" Allen teased.
"It's harassment... I think," Kalifa answered, blushing.
Allen laughed and released her. She took three quick steps back before adjusting her skirt, which had ridden up.
"Before you accuse me of anything else, tell me what you want, miss," Allen asked.
Kalifa remained silent for a moment before bowing apologetically.
"I'm Mayor Iceburg's secretary, and I've come to welcome you to our city."
"Is attacking visitors a local custom?" Robin asked, narrowing her eyes.
Kalifa lowered her head.
"I'm sorry..."
She was better than this. She was an elite agent capable of infiltrating Galley-La. She knew how to act.
That was exactly what she had intended to do with Allen.
Yet the moment she met him, she couldn't help acting this way instead.
It was difficult to hide her true personality around someone like Allen, who seemed capable of drawing out both the worst and the best in people.
"So you're... a tour guide or something?" Allen asked curiously.
Kalifa coughed softly, calmed herself, and looked at Allen professionally.
"To be honest, the president hopes to maintain a friendly relationship with you... so I'll be accompanying you during your stay here."
The last part sounded somewhat reluctant, but after thinking about it for a moment, Allen understood the meaning behind her words.
The Log Pose would take a week to recharge, meaning Kalifa would be his companion for an entire week.
"This guy..." Allen smiled mockingly, though there was a hint of coldness in it. "Does he really think I need help getting a girl?"
Kalifa was taken aback by his reaction and felt relieved, believing the rumors that Allen was a pervert who liked kidnapping women had been exaggerated.
That feeling lasted only until her gaze met Robin's.
Robin smiled faintly as she stepped closer to Allen and took his hand.
"Don't worry. The man was only trying to be kind, without realizing that with so many beautiful girls by your side, ordinary women don't even catch your eye~."
Women were full of mysteries and contradictions, and Kalifa herself proved it that very moment.
She clenched her fists slightly.
She understood Robin's message perfectly.
"Why would Allen even look at your flat butt when he has me?"
Kalifa was undeniably beautiful.
But Robin was even more beautiful... or at least that was how Kalifa felt.
The instant that thought settled into her mind, she forgot about the mission.
She forgot about Iceburg.
She forgot about Rob Lucci.
She even forgot her true identity.
"I apologize for the misunderstanding~" Kalifa smiled before taking Allen's other arm. "The president didn't force me to come. The truth is... I wanted to."
"Really?" Allen raised an eyebrow.
Kalifa nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she smiled.
"Ever since I saw you, I've admired you. A handsome young man capable of standing against the world's greatest powers. An attractive man with an indomitable spirit, and a dream as grand as ruling the world. You're incredible, Allen-sama!~."
"...!"
Allen wasn't stupid.
However, whenever someone stroked his ego, his IQ seemed to drop a few points.
He smiled in satisfaction.
"I see. So you're one of my fans. You should've said so from the start. I have countless stories about my greatness and glory. Don't worry, beautiful. I'm very kind to people who admire me, and nothing makes me happier than letting them bask in my glory."
Allen walked off with both women holding onto his arms like a complete playboy, completely oblivious to the hostile and contemptuous glances Robin and Kalifa were exchanging behind his back.
Rob Lucci, who had witnessed the entire scene, felt uncomfortable.
This wasn't how they had planned things, and he wasn't sure whether Kalifa was actually carrying out the mission anymore.
Still, Allen was moving away from the rest of his crew just as planned.
"Now all that's left is for Fukurou, Jabra, and Kumadori to do their jobs..."
Rob Lucci disappeared, completely unaware of the smile that had formed on Allen's face.
....
Jabra leaped from rooftop to rooftop until he found two girls shopping for clothes downtown. One of them was a girl with wings on her back.
She was a Sky Island native, and as a CP9 agent, Jabra naturally knew of her. The other was the Cat Burglar, Nami.
From Jabra's point of view, the pair were nothing more than rabbits. They posed no threat. Not even a challenge.
"What nonsense..." Jabra muttered in annoyance.
He was an elite government agent. Why was he out here hunting ordinary girls?
He didn't care how beautiful they were... they were just prey. No, not even that.
The more he watched them laughing and shopping, the more irritated he became.
Jabra's hands transformed into claws, and his body grew larger. He had eaten the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Wolf. Just as the name implied, he was a werewolf.
"One should be enough, right?" he smiled cruelly before using Soru.
Jabra was an undisciplined assassin.
They had known from the very beginning that sending him might cause problems, but Commander Spandam was an idiot.
This was the result.
"I'm really sorry, little lady, but I'm in a bad mood!" Jabra shouted as his claws mercilessly pierced through Nami's back.
"Nami-san!" Conis screamed in terror.
"..." Nami opened her mouth, unable to even scream.
People all around them watched in horror as a murder unfolded in broad daylight.
====
A/N: Oh no, Nami got hurt!! D:
*A group of men is seen carrying a coffin as the music plays Vicetone & Tony Igy - Astronomia*
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