"What a monumental failure."
Guernica of CP-0 sighed, his face twisting into a scowl beneath his mask.
Never before had the Courthouse of Enies Lobby been breached, and to make matters worse, it had been accomplished by a small pirate crew of less than ten people. Even with the assistance of other organizations, it was not a place that could be taken so easily. A reprimand from his superiors would be unavoidable.
"I-If we just get Nico Robin through the Gates of Justice, they won't be able to follow!! I'll take her myself!!"
"Do as you wish. We have no intention of letting them take her back, but if he were to rampage, reconstruction would become impossible."
Guernica glanced over at Akainu.
Akainu was one of only three Marine Admirals. Naturally, his power was among the highest in the Navy, but due to the nature of his abilities, the collateral damage would be immense if he were to let loose. Turning a government island into a barren wasteland was a last resort he wished to avoid.
After watching Spandam scurry off toward Robin and the others in a panic, Guernica turned his attention back to the Den Den Mushi and resumed his conversation with Caterina.
"So… you said this was a declaration of war. I can hardly believe you're serious. No matter how massive an organization Twilight is, making an enemy of the World Government in this situation is a fool's gambit."
Once the news of their withdrawal from the Seven Warlords was reported, Kaido and Linlin would undoubtedly move to kill Kanata. Twilight did not have the luxury of fighting a war with the Four Emperors alliance and making an enemy of the World Government at the same time. If they had possessed such strength, the Four Emperors alliance would have been annihilated long ago.
'It's because we decided that handing the Ancient Weapons over to you would be the worse move, of course. Or perhaps… yes. If we were to leak to Kaido and the others that Nico Robin is being held by the government, wouldn't you be the ones surrounded on all sides then?'
They would delay their advance somewhat to verify the information, but once they knew it to be true, Kaido and Linlin would surely race to be the first to assault Impel Down.
To them, the existence of Nico Robin held immense value beyond being just a piece to obtain the Ancient Weapons. If they could outmaneuver Twilight and secure her, one of their two crews would be the one to claim the title of Pirate King.
For the two who had reigned like emperors over these seas for decades, that title was exceedingly important.
Unlike Whitebeard, who had been considered the closest to the throne but never sought it, and unlike Shanks, a former member of the Roger Pirates who was seen as Roger's successor but never desired the throne himself, Kaido and Linlin coveted the empty seat. Even if what they truly sought was what lay beyond that, the existence of Nico Robin, who could read the Poneglyphs, was indispensable to the ideal worlds they aimed to create.
'If that happens, no one will be able to stop it. A world run rampant will be upon us—and when that time comes, will the World Government be able to win?'
"…"
Guernica met Caterina's words with silence.
The Four Emperors alliance had been formed to counter Twilight, but their two decades of cooperation had intertwined them in many other significant ways. Even with the full might of the Navy and the World Government, they judged they could only defeat a single one of the Four Emperors.
The moment two of them joined forces, it was difficult to see a path to victory, no matter what they did. To prevent such an outcome, they would have no choice but to kill Robin the moment they extracted the information from her, then display her corpse to ensure everyone knew she was dead.
The World Government might be fine with that, but neither Kanata nor Caterina would accept it. To save Robin and keep her alive, they had no choice but to fight the World Government at this very moment.
"…You seem to be quite invested in Nico Robin."
'You think so? But this is also a warning to you. The Ancient Weapons are surely powerful, so much so that one would need to bring out another Ancient Weapon to counter them. But there's no guarantee that something abandoned hundreds of years ago will still function properly in this day and age, and if one is in the territory of one of the Four Emperors, it will lead to an all-out war to seize it. The idea that obtaining an Ancient Weapon will solve everything is nothing more than a pipe dream.'
"And so you demand we return Nico Robin? Don't be absurd. The value lies in that woman ultimately dying."
One less person in the world who could read the Poneglyphs. That alone held sufficient value, and if others moved to target Robin, they could be lured into a trap.
Above all else.
"We are the World Government. Both justice and righteousness are ours. Do not make me laugh with your pirate platitudes."
Just as Guernica finished speaking, something exploded on the floor below.
***
Franky was furious.
He had heard the summary of Nico Robin's life and learned the fact that, as a result of the possibility of her obtaining an Ancient Weapon, she had become a target for all factions. That in itself was a consequence of Robin's choices, and she had acted with the understanding that being able to read the Poneglyphs meant as much. Franky had nothing to say about that.
So what was he furious about?
It was because, despite having used a Coup de Vent to blast his way out of the building, destroying his chains and the wall just to get to Luffy, Robin's face remained grim even as she looked upon the one who had come to save her.
"Robiiiiiiin!! I'm glad you're safe!!!"
Luffy smiled at Robin, who, though handcuffed, had no major visible injuries.
Though they were quite far apart, Luffy declared he would somehow fly across, but Robin raised her voice to stop him.
"Wait!!! I never said I wanted you to save me!!!"
"Robin…?"
"Oi, they came all this way to save you!"
"…The truth is, I didn't want them to come."
"…What do you mean?"
"Many factions are after me. The government, of course, but when my location was revealed in Alabasta, even the Four Emperors made their move!"
They were great pirates who sat like emperors in the New World. Even the World Government and the Navy could not avoid taking heavy damage if they went to war with any one of them. Robin understood all too well the risk involved in her location being exposed. That was precisely why she was terrified that their wrath would be directed at the crew she had traveled and laughed with, even for a short time.
"If you stay with me, you'll be targeted forever!! This time is no different. The enemy is far more massive than you can imagine!!"
She knew of the Buster Call that had destroyed her home.
She knew of the great woman who had single-handedly stopped that Buster Call.
She knew there were at least four other pirates on par with her, and two of them were explicitly targeting Robin.
Robin, who had actually seen Kanata fight, understood just how terrifying that was.
That was a calamity in human form.
It was not something that could be opposed by any conventional means.
"…"
"That's why I didn't want you to come for me."
If it was just Robin—or even with Zepo and Pedro—escaping would have been simple. She had extensive experience infiltrating all manner of organizations, gathering information on the Poneglyphs, and then fleeing from the Navy when they came for her. The organizations she had used as cover were destroyed each time, but they were all criminals who had wallowed in the underworld. They were villains she felt no guilt over.
But Luffy and his crew were different.
The time she had spent with them, singing cheerfully, enjoying their adventures, and laughing in the face of the unknown while still fearing it—how enjoyable had that time been for Robin?
"Wahahaha!! You get it, don't you, Nico Robin!!!"
Spandam, who had been in a panic over the situation, regained his composure the moment all of CP-9 assembled.
Noticing this, Franky tried to get between him and Robin, but he was kicked far away by Kaku.
The sight of a crewmate being rejected at the last moment by the very person they had traveled so far to save must have struck a chord with Spandam, for he was laughing uproariously.
"Now, let's see what face the captain makes after being rejected…"
"Robin… what are you talking about!!!"
"Ehh!? He's… he's picking his nose!!?"
Luffy dismissed Robin's words while picking his nose.
No matter what Robin said, the situation had already progressed this far, and Luffy and the others had come all this way. He told her they would see it through to the end and save her, and they could decide what to do after that.
At the same time, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates appeared one after another on the rooftop, and Kalifa looked on with a measure of admiration. Having been in Water 7 for several years, she knew of the violent high tide of Aqua Laguna. Realizing they had crossed it to get here was worthy of some respect.
The opposing pirates and government intelligence agents.
They glared at each other, not even trying to hide their hostility, while Zoro and the others waited for Pedro and Zepo to lower the drawbridge.
"S-So many pirates…!! CP-9!! I'll authorize their extermination, but there's no guarantee they can get here!! Intercept them at the Tower of Justice!!!"
Putting his own life first, Spandam was ignored by Lucci, who simply sighed without even giving him a glance.
Unaware of this, Spandam stood before Robin.
"You octopus pirates!! Know that no matter how much you struggle, it's all for naught!! The Gates of Justice that cannot be opened by human hands, the strength of this assassination group, CP-9!! Not to mention we have CP-0, a Marine Admiral, and even the authority to issue a Buster Call!!!"
At the words "Buster Call," the color drained from Robin's face.
Noticing this, Spandam leaned in close to Robin and narrowed his eyes.
"If you know about the Buster Call that destroyed your homeland, you'll lose the will to resist, won't you!!"
"Do you… even understand what happens when you activate that?"
"Of course I do… The possibility of them getting off this island becomes zero!!!"
At the far-too-naive assessment from someone on the side that issued Buster Calls, Robin couldn't help but glare sharply at Spandam.
Spandam, sneering down at Robin, recalled her homeland of Ohara and scoffed.
"Ah, what's wrong? Remembering your home? The name 'Ohara' disappeared from the maps the very next year…"
"You think you can see people on a map!? It's because you see the world with those eyes that you can commit such atrocities…!!"
"An atrocity, you say? That's quite a thing to say."
The four masked Cipher Pol—CP-0 agents—appeared, and like the lined-up members of CP-9, they looked at Luffy and the others on the Courthouse roof. They had come to assess the damage and the true nature of the pirates who had invaded after Caterina's declaration of war.
Guernica shrugged at Robin's words and countered her accusation of it being an "atrocity."
"We also found the Ohara incident regrettable. It's a shame that such authoritative archaeologists had to meet that end… But they broke the laws set by the World Government. It was unavoidable."
"After so mercilessly killing all those people, you call it… unavoidable!!?"
"That's right. No matter what you scream, the fact is those archaeologists broke the law and ignored numerous warnings. Therefore, that was a natural conclusion."
The Five Elders had expressed regret at the loss of valuable scholars, but that was all. People would increase again if left alone. Even if they massacred an entire clan on one island, settlers would eventually move in from somewhere and live there. They just hoped the next ones wouldn't break the law… that was the extent of their thinking.
Of course, for the unrelated civilians who were massacred for such a reason, it was an unbearable tragedy. The sight of the cannonball fired into the evacuation ship that should have escaped, exploding and engulfing it in flames, was still burned into Robin's mind.
The Golden Den Den Mushi that could cause such a thing was now resting in the palm of Guernica's hand.
"In any case, we have no intention of letting any of you escape."
"…If you issue a Buster Call here, you'll be blown away along with us."
"What nonsense…!! Like I'd let myself be wiped out by a friendly attack!!"
"…"
Unlike the panicked Spandam, Guernica offered neither confirmation nor denial. He knew all too well that the moment this button was pressed, the annihilation of the target became a certainty. He also knew well the fate of those targeted.
"If that Buster Call is aimed at my friends, who I've just begun to trust… If it means you can all be safe, then you can abandon me. I don't mind."
Robin's enemies were endlessly huge and malicious.
Even if things were fine now, if this continued, even the kindest of friends would come to see her as a burden, and they would betray and abandon her… Because she herself, starting with Baroque Works, had entered various organizations and done just that, she couldn't shake that thought.
Kanata would surely come to save her. From what Robin knew, returning to the protection of one of the strongest people on these seas would guarantee her safety. But that would be in exchange for adventuring across the seas as she had been. With the government so tenaciously targeting her, and the high probability of being attacked by Kaido and Linlin, letting Robin move freely was too great a risk. Olvia must be worried as well.
"So, please, run!!"
Robin had gone to sea knowing the dangers. She knew how convenient it was to ask for help when she got into trouble. Kanata was a pirate captain, too. She couldn't set a good example for her subordinates if she was just being used. Robin's adventure ended here—or so she thought.
"WAHAHAHA!!! That's right!! No one wouldn't think of a woman like you as a burden!! Look at that, you stupid pirates!!!"
Spandam laughed as he pointed to the flag flying atop the Tower of Justice.
It was the symbol of the unity of over 170 member nations across the Four Blues and the Grand Line.
How colossal an existence it was.
How great an existence it was.
Spandam continued to speak, trying to impress upon them its authority.
"This is the world!! Do you understand how insignificant you are for defying it!!?"
"I know who Robin's enemy is now."
Many nations bowed their heads beneath that flag. He understood that well. But that was no reason to give up.
"Usopp. Shoot down that flag."
"Roger!"
Not the slingshot he had used until now, but a giant slingshot as tall as he was. Its name was Kabuto.
Drawing the band taut and taking aim, Usopp prepared to shoot down the flag, just as Luffy had ordered.
"Hissatsu—Fire Bird Star!!!"
The projectile took the form of a fiery bird and shot straight through the symbol of the World Government.
"H-He did it… Those guys, they really!!"
"Do they even know what attacking the flag means…!!?"
Both the government and the Navy were in shock.
For that matter, even their supposed ally, Kaie, hadn't expected them to go that far and blinked in surprise.
However, at the same time, Kaie let out a small smile and looked at Robin.
"…It seems you've found some good friends, Robin."
Her small whisper was heard by no one and vanished like the dew, as Spandam, still in shock at their actions, screamed.
"Are you insane!!! You think you can survive after making an enemy of the entire world!!!"
"Bring it on────!!!!"
No one condemned Luffy's actions. Every member of his crew consented to making an enemy of the world for the sake of a single friend. How many pirate crews in the world could boast such unity?
"Robin!! You're our nakama!!! You're not a burden!!!"
"—But!!"
"Believe me!!"
Luffy deliberately cut off Robin's attempt to argue.
He didn't want to hear those words.
The words he wanted to hear were something else entirely.
"—I'm the man who will be King of the Pirates!!!!"
He couldn't use a sword, had no navigation skills, couldn't cook, possessed no medical knowledge, and couldn't even lie—but that man was overflowing with more confidence than anyone.
Even if he was targeted by many enemies, even if it put them in danger, he was fine with that.
And that was why Luffy asked.
"Let me hear it from your own mouth, Robin!! What do you want to do!?"
"I, I—"
With freedom comes responsibility. If she had stayed with Twilight, she could have been safe, immersing herself in research with her beloved mother. But she had still gone out to sea because she wanted to visit various places with her own eyes, to see many things and feel history for herself.
If she were saved here, she would likely never go out to sea again under Twilight's protection. Rather than become a being who only deciphered what was given to her, she wanted to uncover past history with her own hands.
With them, she wanted to adventure on these seas for a little longer.
"—Take me to the sea with you too!!!"
At Robin's reply, Luffy smiled and nodded.
"Leave it to me!!!"