In a room within the Tower of Justice, Akainu and Cipher Pol were interrogating the four prisoners who had been brought before them.
Tom of Tom's Workers, Iceburg of Galley-La Company, and Franky, also known as Cutty Flam, of the Franky Family.
And the survivor of the "Devils of Ohara," Nico Robin.
All of them were individuals possessing precious items and knowledge that the World Government could not ignore.
"Shipwright Tom. You bastard, you should have just handed it over quietly when we were asking nicely... Now you've just made things more troublesome."
"Tahahha, what I don't know, I don't know. Even if you tell me to hand over something I don't have."
"We've already investigated, you idiot! We even went to the trouble of bringing your two apprentices here, and you still won't obey!?"
"No matter what you say, I don't have it. That's all."
"You...!!"
Veins popping on his forehead, Spandam was about to vent his frustration by kicking the seated Tom.
But Guernica of CP-0 stopped him with a hand.
"Spandam, that's enough."
"Enough, you say... No, no, that won't do. If we get our hands on the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon, we can blow away the Four Emperors and the Revolutionary Army! There's no reason not to get them!!"
"I'm saying there's no reason to waste time. If he won't confess during this interrogation, then we'll just erase everything so that no opposing force can be created."
The Buster Call on Water 7 had already been decided. It would be better if they could obtain them, but even if they couldn't, it wouldn't matter if everything was reduced to ashes.
The situation had become that desperate.
Twilight's movements were faster than expected.
Kaie, who had attacked with Straw Hat, was one thing, but reports from spies placed in various locations indicated that a considerable force was already heading towards Enies Lobby.
Although it was confirmed that Kanata would be stripped of her Warlord title, for her to bare her fangs at the government this quickly was a speed of decision-making that surpassed even Guernica's imagination.
Or, there was the possibility that she had been preparing for this all along—but at this point, there were still some moves they could make.
They had no time to dally with Tom or Iceburg.
"Stussy, contact Morgans and tell him to run an article in tomorrow's paper about the 'Witch of Twilight' being stripped of her Warlord title."
"From now?"
"He'll jump at a scoop. He'll write the article however he likes... but make the reason her attack on Enies Lobby."
Hiding the survivor of Ohara was one of the reasons, but this incident would likely have a greater impact.
It was good to have content that could be taken as a clear rebellion against the government, and that would make it seem like Twilight was at fault.
"Twilight alone will have difficulty achieving victory against the Four Emperors alliance. They shouldn't have the luxury of turning their forces on us."
In the meantime, they had to obtain the Ancient Weapon. The torture of Robin would likely be severe.
Besides, even if Twilight alone couldn't win, there was a high possibility that "Red-Hair," with whom they had dealings, would intervene.
Information indicated he was currently staying in Alabasta, but Twilight had a user of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi who could fly over the Red Line. If they joined forces, travel would be easy.
"Fortunately, they still seem to be having a hard time," Guernica noted.
Guernica glanced at Spandam's Den Den Mushi.
Since the last contact, no further calls had come in. Regular reports should have been coming, but the situation on site was probably chaotic.
If Oimo and Kashi were defeated, a damage report should have been filed at that point, so Guernica thought there was no problem.
Still, to avoid any extra trouble, he issued an order.
"Hurry the preparations for the escort ship leaving from the Gates of Justice. When Twilight's reinforcements arrive, this place will become noisy... We can't afford any mishaps."
"Yessir! We'll hurry the preparations!"
The interrogation of Tom and the others could wait until they were taken to Impel Down. The priority was to rob them of hope first.
Guernica ordered the members of CP-0 and CP-9 to stand by until preparations were complete, and decided to rest as well.
Spandam handed something to two members of CP-9, calling it a souvenir, but the other members paid it no mind.
***
Unlike Kaie and the others, who were attempting a frontal assault with overwhelming force, Luffy was overcoming obstacles and mowing down Marines as he advanced.
The forces at Enies Lobby were numerous. It wasn't something Luffy could handle on his own, but it wasn't easy enough to avoid and get through either.
He just had to defeat as many of the Marines blocking his path as possible and move forward.
Sometimes using buildings to avoid collisions, sometimes using destroyed buildings to inflict damage, he advanced. Then, at some point, the number of Marines suddenly decreased.
"Half of you to the Front Gate of the Main Island!! The pirates are coming straight through!!"
Someone was shouting and giving orders.
Seeing them run off in a flustered state, Luffy caught his breath and grinned.
"They've arrived! This will be easier now!"
He couldn't see from here because of the buildings, but they were probably rampaging spectacularly. He trusted his comrades, and he knew that Kaie, who was with them, was strong.
Luffy just had to go straight, as far as he could.
Punching down World Government soldiers, kicking away Marines.
If he could rampage, reach them, and get his comrades back, that would be enough.
"Hah... hah..."
And so, Luffy reached the rooftop of the Courthouse.
There was no way forward, only a large, bottomless hole below. As he was wondering what to do, a transparent door appeared in the air.
"Air Door."
The one who appeared was CP-9, who had been with Lucci and the others—Bruno.
He had moved using his Devil Fruit ability, but Luffy, not knowing this ability, was stunned, "How'd you do that!? Is it a magic trick!?"
Bruno didn't answer Luffy's words, instead looking at the damage in front of the Courthouse.
"I came to see why no damage reports were coming in, and this is the state of things. This is unprecedented since the beginning of the World Government. For pirates to have come this far into the 'Gateway of the Government'- how long do you intend to rampage?"
Bruno sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and succinctly described what Luffy had done. Bruno had been right to think that, considering Luffy's fighting spirit in Water 7, it was impossible for him to just run around at this point.
If things became this big, Luffy's deeds would be known throughout the world, one way or another. And the same would be true for those who cooperated with him.
The world would be greatly shaken. The government had probably factored some of this in, but they surely hadn't expected them to take the initiative and attack.
And this situation, against a rookie who had just made a name for himself by taking down a Warlord, not the main Twilight force.
The super rookie in question, unfazed by Bruno's words, answered as if it were a matter of course.
"Until I die!!"
***
"We left that woman behind, by the way... Was that okay?" Sanji asked.
"There were still quite a few soldiers left near the Main Gate, right? Even with Tobi-chan, I'm worried if she's okay," Chopper added.
"You don't need to worry about Caterina. She's probably hiding somewhere, secretly doing something," Kaie replied.
Being a genius proficient in all fields, she had some of Kanata's planned tactics in her head. She would understand how to move to efficiently confuse the enemy in a situation like this, Kaie said.
She had no direct combat power, but she was good at this kind of support.
Besides, her guard, Tobi, was with her. Thinking she wouldn't die, they had decided to leave her.
It would have taken time to search for her, and taking too long was not good. If they gave the enemy time to prepare, the interception net would become thicker.
"We've broken through the Front Gate of the Main Island, but most of the government and Navy forces are deployed from here on. Hold on tight, and be careful not to be thrown off."
Kaie, with her lower body being that of a snake in her beast form, was moving towards the Courthouse in a serpentine motion. Alongside her, soldiers on dogs—the Law Enforcement Squad—were running.
The blades attached to their arms couldn't pierce Kaie's body, but if they jumped on and attacked, it would be annoying and a nuisance. The reason their attacks were sporadic was likely because they were having trouble attacking due to her serpentine movement.
Kaie advanced, firing lasers sporadically from the snakes that formed her hair to keep them in check, but gradually the density of mortar fire and bullets thickened.
It wasn't effective, but it was incredibly annoying.
"This is troublesome..."
"They seem to be fully prepared on this road! Shouldn't we change course!?" Usopp suggested.
"Very well. That seems easier."
Kaie deflected the mortar shells with her white wings, turned into a side street, and ran along a path one block off the main avenue.
The soldiers still pursued, responding to her movements, but compared to when they had been fully prepared and waiting, it was much easier to run.
Kaie, who could now be called a moving fortress, mowed down soldiers who tried to stop her and fired lasers at those who tried to intercept with mortars.
However, just as they were about to reach the Courthouse, a total of five iron balls were thrown from the front and the side.
"Guh—!"
It was a pure mass attack. It was easy to block, but considering the Straw Hat crew she was carrying, she had to be careful how she received it.
One to the head, one to the back, one to the torso, and two to her lower body.
Though she managed to block them successfully, blocking the massive iron balls naturally slowed Kaie down.
As expected, a follow-up mortar attack approached, but Kaie swept it away with a single flap of her wings.
"Guilty."
"Guilty."
"...The Jury. I see, they are..."
"What are those guys!? They attack suddenly, and then they hide!" Nami cried.
"They are former pirate jurors belonging to Enies Lobby. They're a nuisance, but for now, let's hurry ahead."
The Courthouse in Enies Lobby was not just for show.
Any criminal, no matter who, would be judged fairly under the law.
The reason no one who was judged at Enies Lobby ever returned was because all eleven jurors were former pirates on death row, and all of them wished to take someone with them—for such a terrible reason.
Though they were being used by the government as they pleased, they had been quite skilled as former pirates.
If used under proper command, they could be a correspondingly troublesome existence.
"But, are you okay taking attacks like that over and over?" Chopper asked.
"I'm fine. Compared to Bullet's or Kanata-san's attacks, that's a refreshing breeze."
"Should we handle the attacks from behind?" Zoro offered.
"Unnecessary. I'll deal with them all at once after I've delivered you to the Courthouse."
If one knew attacks that made one prepare for death with a single hit, even if blocked, one would understand how lukewarm the previous iron balls were.
She deflected the iron balls swung from blind spots with the intention of obstructing her movement each time, and swung her snake-like tail to destroy buildings, hindering the jurors lurking in the blind spots.
There were also mortars placed on top of buildings, so destroying them was also part of the plan.
"──!!"
As they advanced, mowing down pursuing soldiers and those who tried to block their path, Zoro narrowed his eyes as if noticing something.
He saw something collapse on the roof of the Courthouse, and one of the CP-9 members standing there.
"Oi."
"Yeah──Luffy is already fighting CP-9."
"Already!? Weren't they supposed to wait in that tower over there and not come out!?"
"No one was sure. That idiot is sticking out all alone, so they probably thought it would be best to crush Luffy first," Sanji reasoned.
"No way...!"
"Don't worry, Nami-san. It'd be a little tough if it was CP-0, but Luffy won't lose to CP-9."
Nami fell silent at Sanji's confident words.
It was because she wanted to believe him, but... Nami, who had traveled with him until now, also knew Luffy's strength well.
Besides──they had already reached the Courthouse.
Since they were on a road one block off the main avenue, they had to turn at some point, but Kaie ignored that and decided to take a shortcut by destroying buildings.
Arriving at the plaza in front of the Courthouse, Kaie put down the members of the Straw Hat crew and swept away the pursuing soldiers with a single swing of her snake-like tail.
"I'll block them here. As originally planned, pull the levers in the left and right towers to lower the drawbridge."
"Alright, this is where we come in, partner!"
"I know! Luffy is on the roof, we're counting on you, yugara-tachi!"
The entrance to the Courthouse was blocked by a giant stone door, but Zoro easily cut it down, clearing a path inside.
Pedro and Zepo, as planned, split up to the left and right to pull the drawbridge levers, while the other members headed for the roof where Luffy was.
Kaie saw them off and then took up a position in the plaza to block the pursuing soldiers.
Having had to move very restrictively to protect the members of the Straw Hat crew on her shoulder, Kaie, finally able to move freely, cracked her neck.
"Now then──who wants to come first?"
The Navy, the World Government army, the Law Enforcement Squad, the Jury.
Almost the entire force of Enies Lobby was gathering before her eyes.
She swept away the approaching soldiers with a single swing of her tail and swatted away the Law Enforcement Squad who dodged and approached as if they were flies.
The jurors who threw iron balls were annoying, so she focused her gaze and turned them to stone.
"W-What is this...!?"
"It seems you weren't told why I am called the 'Evil Eye'."
Kaie was a user of the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Gorgon, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
Those caught in her gaze turned to stone, and if shattered, they would die.
It was an ability that those who couldn't use Haki couldn't even defend against, an overwhelming ability that had slaughtered many enemies, a killer of the lower-ranked.
"A-A monster...!!"
"You've only just realized? The one before you is a member of Twilight, who has continued to destroy all who oppose them."
Spreading lasers burned the stone pavement, and those exposed to her gaze quickly turned to stone.
Faced with this absurdity, both the World Government army and the Navy fell into a panic, fleeing for their lives.
The importance of breaking their fighting spirit had been hammered into her. She had been taught to think that unless this was done, soldiers would attack like death-defying soldiers who did not fear death.
Even a cornered rat will sometimes bite a cat. Bluff if you have to, threaten them, launch sporadic attacks on fleeing soldiers, and mercilessly crush those who still do not break.
If she showed no fatigue, only strength, the form of an army would naturally collapse.
It was only a matter of time before the plaza in front of the Courthouse fell silent.