Iceburg stood at the edge of the ruins, watching as three elite agents had been utterly crushed in just a few short minutes.
His heart pounded violently from sheer shock.
"What kind of power is this?!"
Ronan paid no attention to Iceburg's astonishment. He rummaged through Kaku's tattered clothes and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
The call connected.
"Hey, Kaku? Did you get it done? Did you capture that damn 'Devil Child' yet?"
The voice on the other end was arrogant, impatient, and tinged with a kind of twisted madness.
"Oh? You want to capture someone from the Straw Hat Pirates?"
Ronan glanced at Robin, whose face had gone pale, and sneered into the receiver.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
There was a brief silence.
Then an ear-piercing outburst erupted.
"A pirate?! You dare touch my CP9 agents?! I'm Spandam—the enforcer of justice on this sea!"
"Pirates, hand over Nico Robin right now! Kneel and beg for mercy! Otherwise…"
His voice turned venomous.
"I'll launch a Buster Call and wipe you—and this entire Water Seven—off the map!!"
"Buster Call…"
The moment Robin heard those words, her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
In an instant, memories flooded back—
the roar of warships, her mother's silhouette, Aokiji's cold gaze…
The deepest nightmares buried in her soul surged forward like a tidal wave.
Her breathing quickened. Her fingers clenched tightly.
"Don't worry, Robin."
Ronan turned and gave her a steady, rock-solid smile.
Then he faced the Den Den Mushi again, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Spandam, was it? Anyone who dares threaten our crewmates hasn't been born yet."
"I'll come to Enies Lobby and find you."
"When I do… I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you."
"Come then! If you've got the guts, come!" Spandam shrieked.
"I'll be waiting at the top of the courthouse in Enies Lobby! I'll show you what true hell looks like!"
Suddenly, Luffy snatched the Den Den Mushi from Ronan's hand and crushed it tightly.
"Hey… whatever-your-name-is…"
"Anyone who messes with the Straw Hat Pirates—
I'll let Robin deal with you herself!"
"Remember my name! I'm Monkey D. Luffy—the man who'll become the Pirate King!!!"
Crack!
The Den Den Mushi was crushed into pieces in Luffy's iron grip.
Robin, who had been silent with her head lowered, suddenly looked up.
She gazed at Luffy's calm face… then at Ronan, standing firm with his spear.
A genuine, unshadowed smile slowly appeared on her lips.
"How about it, Robin?"
Nami stepped forward and gently took her arm.
"At times like this, Luffy can be pretty reliable, right?"
"H-hey… Luffy…"
Usopp's voice trembled, his face pale.
"That guy's a government official! Enies Lobby… that's not a place you just attack, you know! Isn't this too reckless?!"
"Heh…"
Zoro slowly sheathed Sandai Kitetsu, a near-mad gleam of battle intent in his dark eyes.
"Usopp, who do you think we are? From the moment we set sail, weren't we already standing against the World Government?"
"If it's for Robin…"
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly.
"Even if our enemies were those so-called 'gods,' I'd kick them to pieces."
"That's right! Anyone who bullies Robin—I'll tear that place apart!"
Chopper shouted angrily.
Iceburg looked at these hot-blooded youths, his eyes filled with shock and helplessness.
"Enies Lobby… is the symbol of the World Government's 'Absolute Justice.'"
"In eight hundred years, not a single 'not guilty' verdict has ever been issued there."
"Anyone sent there, once they pass through the Gates of Justice… never returns."
"It represents an unbreakable law… and an unfallen myth."
"And you… really intend to challenge something like that?"
"Never been broken in 800 years?"
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, flashing his signature grin—yet his words carried overwhelming dominance.
"Then we'll be the first ones to break it."
"Iceburg," Ronan said, lowering his spear and looking at him,
"it's time to bring out your junior—Franky."
"Before we head to Enies Lobby for the final reckoning, the Going Merry needs an upgrade."
"Honestly… you might not even need to persuade him. If he truly carries the dream of building the ultimate ship…"
Ronan smiled faintly.
"Once he sees the Going Merry, he'll choose to join us himself."
Iceburg fell silent for a moment, then let out a long breath.
He looked at the young pirates… then at the defeated government agents.
If he was going to gamble—
He might as well go all in.
He quickly wrote a letter and handed it to a trusted shipwright outside.
"Take this to the Franky Family. Give it to Franky."
Boom—!!
Less than a quarter of an hour later—
The door was kicked open violently.
A burly man with a light-blue pompadour, wearing only a pair of briefs and a flashy Hawaiian shirt, strode in.
His massive mechanical arms clapped together with a thunderous sound.
"SUPER——!! Iceburg! Was what you wrote in that letter true?!"
"That chance to avenge Tom-san… to make those bastards pay… has it really come?!"
Behind his sunglasses, Franky's eyes burned with fury and longing.
But when his gaze swept across the room—
the bound CP9 agents… the wreckage—
He froze. His sunglasses nearly slipped off.
"Hey, are you the awesome shipwright we're looking for?"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he stared at Franky's mechanical arms.
"So cool! You're joining our crew!"
Franky blinked, then frowned at Luffy, his tone brimming with arrogance.
"Hey, Straw Hat… who do you think you are?"
"I'm not some ordinary shipwright… and I'm definitely not going to work for pirates!"
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