"There. Thanks again for all the food," Luffy said cheerfully as he hoisted a huge sack stuffed with provisions over his shoulder. A nameless character—one of the shipwrights—called out, "Are you really sure that's all you'll need?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Now all that's left for me is to meet up with the others and get going," Luffy replied, his carefree tone belying the urgency of their journey. With that, he strode away.
At Iceburg's burnt-down mansion—a skeletal relic of what once was—a small group of Straw Hats had gathered, preparing to depart. The nearby shipwrights lingered, bidding the pirates farewell with a mix of admiration and wistfulness.
"Wait!!!" The commotion abruptly escalated as the Franky Family burst onto the scene. "Straw Hat! We heard you guys are headin' to Enies Lobby!" they cried, their voices a cacophony of desperation and excitement. Surprised silence fell over the assembled crew as the Franky Family, eyes wide and voices trembling, added, "Those jerks from the World Government took our boss. So please!! Take us with you," and they even bowed in earnest supplication.
Luffy regarded them for a long, heavy moment, his expression inscrutable. Finally, he said coolly, "Alright then. Let's go—we're leaving now." The Franky Family erupted into a chorus of cheers and hurried toward him.
"So, um… how are we gonna get there?" one of the Franky Family asked, breaking into the banter. Lucas chuckled softly. "Hee! Just—w…" he began smoothly, but before he could finish, Paulie barged in.
"Straw Hats!" Paulie called out forcefully, interrupting Lucas. "I'd like to come too," he declared.
"Huh, who else would want to come, huh?" Lucas grumbled in a huff, clearly irked by the endless parade of eager volunteers. With a final exasperated sigh, he extended his arm at Paulie. In an instant, a swirling, iridescent portal—reminiscent of a whimsical pig's snout in its form—formed behind him. With a swift, practiced swipe of his hand, the portal opened wide and, in one fell swoop, swallowed up Paulie, the entire Franky Family, and the gathered Straw Hats.
A chorus of panicked screams rang out from the Franky Family as they were spirited away, replaced by a sudden and eerie silence at Iceburg's charred mansion. The nearby shipwrights exchanged incredulous looks.
"Gone... Who would have thought such an ability even existed?" mumbled one old shipwright, his voice a mixture of wonder and disbelief.
"Man, I could peep and never get caught with abilities like that!" quipped another, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Seriously" another remarked.
"Come on, now—I'm not the only one who thinks like that. I'm sure you'd use that ability to peep too," retorted a defensively indignant shipwright.
"And so what if you would," another added with a rueful shake of his head, "just keep those thoughts to yourself!"
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. The Straw Hats, together with the Franky Family, reappeared—this time in a rumbling train car right behind Sanji and Franky, with several CP-9 agents in tow whose scowls deepened at yet another unexpected arrival.
"Why are you so surprised?" Lucas remarked smugly, his voice dripping with mischief as he addressed the bewildered CP-9. "Did you think you were the only ones capable of opening portals to different locations? Well, even so—I guess that big guy trying to act tough doesn't even compare to my powers."
His words cut through the rising tension as the train car rattled along, carrying the motley crew of Straw Hats, and other friends.
The night sky shifted as the rain ceased, unveiling the bright lights of Enies Lobby—the nightless island. The sea train screeched to a stop at its grand station, marking the Straw Hats' arrival.
"Straw Hats," Lucci muttered, his voice carrying an ominous edge. "Your persistence is stretching my patience very thin."
"Is that so?" Luffy shot back, his determination burning in his eyes. "Well, it's a shame for you that we won't give up until we take Robin back with us!"
"Boss!" The Franky Family cried out, overwhelmed by emotion as they spotted Franky on board.
"You guys! You came all this way just for me?! Oh, I'm so happy!" Franky teared up, his gang joining him, fists pounding dramatically against the floor in shared sentiment.
Lucas, watching the exchange unfold, sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Honestly, I'd prefer to have a much bigger stage for this…" he muttered. Then, his form shifted—his skin deepened into a rich purple, extra arms sprouting as he grew in size, transforming into a fusion of Four Arms and a Kraaho. His leg stretched back in preparation, his expression sharp.
"Gum Gum! Sickle!" Lucas roared, delivering a powerful kick that sent the CP-9 agents crashing straight through the main gate. A thunderous explosion echoed as debris scattered across the entryway.
"Alright, let's do this," he declared, his stance unwavering.
"The heck are you talking about?! We're here for Robin, remember?!" Nami yelled at Lucas, frustration plain on her face. She pointed sharply at the sea train, where Robin still remained.
Lucas simply grinned, unbothered. "I would, but…" He gestured toward the rubble, where CP-9 agents were already standing back up, grunting in irritation.
"Fine then," Lucci muttered, brushing off his coat. "We tried to honor our deal with Nico Robin, but… we'll have to change that."
Nearby, the alarms rang as the Marines responded to the massive crash.
"Listen!" Nami snapped. "I don't care whether they stand back up again—just get us out of here now!"
Lucas sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Haa… Nami, listen. You see, I've promised myself that I'll give the readers a good show. That's why it's important that I fight back here at Enies Lobby." His voice carried a distinct playfulness, despite the imminent danger around them.
"Quit talking nonsense and—" Nami started, but Lucas boldly, purposefully, stopped listening.
He turned to the others, throwing his arms wide in grand proclamation. "Come on, guys! How long are we going to bend to the whims of the World Government?! We're the Straw Hat Pirates, aren't we? And we're friends. So, what say you, guys?! Revenge for what they did to Robin!"
His words rang out with theatric intensity, and the true target of his speech—Luffy—reacted just as Lucas expected. His eyes lit up with unwavering fire, and with no hesitation, he charged forward into battle, fists clenched.
Zoro sighed, his swords already half-drawn, shaking his head. "This guy really just tricked Luffy into fighting because he wanted to."
Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke, his lips curled into a smirk. "He didn't even try to hide it either. That was straight-up manipulation."
Usopp groaned, adjusting his goggles. "Why does this always happen?! We could have left already!"
And yet, the Straw Hats surged into battle, Lucas grinning as the chaos unfolded, Enies Lobby set ablaze with a war they would not back down from.
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