"Truly a bunch of fools who don't know their place," Kaku said, narrowing his eyes as he looked into the distance.
Watching the Straw Hat Pirates standing shoulder to shoulder at the highest point of the courthouse, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of emotion.
He never thought he'd live to see pirates like this.
"No matter how you managed to get here, you're all dying today!" Spandam shouted harshly.
"CP9, I order you to eliminate them on this island!"
"No mercy—do you hear me?!"
Today's situation had exceeded his expectations, but no matter what… his life and his promotion mattered more than anything else.
Even if it meant sacrificing a few members of CP9, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Oh ho~"
"The boss has given the order," Jabra said with a bloodthirsty grin. "No mercy!"
As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Jin, who stood not far from Nico Robin, killing intent filling his eyes.
That bastard had dared call him a "little wolf pup."
Unforgivable.
He would make that man regret it.
"Cha-pa-pa, this is getting exciting," Fukurokuju laughed.
"Don't underestimate them," Blueno said calmly. "Anyone who's made it this far isn't ordinary."
"Hey, Blueno," Jabra scoffed. "I think you've gone soft after playing bartender for a few years."
He admitted that the man standing with them was strong—but among the Straw Hat Pirates, only Straw Hat Luffy and the Pirate Hunter had bounties.
The rest didn't even have wanted posters.
How strong could they really be?
Blueno didn't reply.
He simply glanced at the silent Jin.
'He's far too calm…'
"Robin!" Nami shouted. "We'll come get you soon!"
"All right, give it up already," Spandam said, subconsciously trying to walk toward Robin—only to stop when he noticed Jin beside her. He immediately turned and walked to Rob Lucci instead.
Only after standing beside him did Spandam continue:
"That woman will never come with you willingly. And you won't be able to take her away either."
Then he pointed behind him.
"I have the elite assassination unit—CP9!"
"And look behind me!" Spandam said excitedly. "That enormous Gate of Justice!"
"Once she passes through there, you'll have no way to bring her back!"
"And I—will become a hero to the entire world!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The Straw Hat Pirates looked toward the massive Gate of Justice, their expressions growing serious.
This was exactly what worried them.
Once Robin was taken through that gate, even they wouldn't be able to chase her—because beyond it lay the Calm Belt.
They had no way to cross the Calm Belt.
That meant they had to rescue Robin here and now.
"You won't be able to do it," Luffy said.
"Huh?"
Spandam froze mid-laughter like a duck with its neck grabbed, then snapped angrily:
"And what gives you the right to say that?!"
"Because Jin is standing on your side."
In Luffy's heart, he firmly believed that as long as Jin was there, Robin's life would be safe.
Maybe… he could even bring her back.
"Tch."
"What can one man possibly do?!" Spandam sneered, suppressing his anger.
"Straw Hat, you still don't understand who you're up against."
"See that flag in the sky?!"
Luffy looked up and saw the World Government flag flying high above Enies Lobby—the symbol of its absolute authority.
"What you're doing isn't just opposing me," Spandam shouted.
"You're opposing the entire world!"
"Do you have the courage to become enemies of the whole world?!"
Luffy didn't answer.
He simply stared coldly at Spandam.
"And aren't you curious," Spandam continued smugly, "why this woman hasn't dared leave even once?"
He raised a golden Den Den Mushi.
"Because I hold the authority to activate the Buster Call!"
"Fleet Admiral Aokiji granted me this right! With a single press, five Marine Vice Admirals and ten battleships will arrive—using overwhelming firepower to erase an island from the map!"
"Just like Nico Robin's homeland~!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Robin's homeland…" Chopper froze.
He remembered her once saying she had no home.
He'd thought it was just a figure of speech.
He never imagined it was literal.
"What a despicable man," Sanji said angrily.
"Hmph, that's called power," Spandam snorted, waving the golden Den Den Mushi.
"With just one press—"
"Stop!!" Robin cried out, her pupils shrinking.
"Do you even understand what that means?!"
"If you activate the Buster Call here, you'll be destroyed along with Enies Lobby!"
Spandam paused—then looked at her like she was an idiot.
"Why would I activate it here? I'm not stupid."
Using a Buster Call here would wipe out their own forces—and more importantly, this was Enies Lobby, the symbol of the World Government.
If it were destroyed, the Five Elders might very well vent their fury on him.
Shaking his head, Spandam grinned.
"But I can activate it somewhere else. Hahahaha~"
As the golden Den Den Mushi swayed in his hand, cold sweat began to drip down Robin's face.
That long-buried nightmare surged back into her mind.
The deaths of her family.
The loss of her friends.
The destruction of her home.
Those memories resurfaced one after another, making her body tremble uncontrollably.
"Yes… that reaction," Spandam laughed.
"That's exactly it."
"Robin…" Nami said softly, pain written all over her face.
"Twenty years ago," Robin said through clenched teeth,
"that attack stole everything from me… shattered countless lives…"
"The Buster Call."
"And now, that same nightmare is threatening the companions I finally found—people I can truly trust…"
"The more I want to stay with you… the more my fate will hurt you."
"Wherever I go on this sea, enemies will always be waiting for me. Because my enemy is this world itself—and the darkness behind it…"
"Aokiji back then… and now this… I've already dragged you into danger twice."
"If this continues, it will never end."
"No matter how kind you are, one day you'll see me as a burden… and abandon me!"
"I'm afraid of that moment!"
"So I don't want you to save me!"
"If I'm going to die anyway—then let me die here!!"
After saying that, Robin staggered back two steps, as if all her strength had been drained.
"Hahahaha! You heard her, didn't you?!" Spandam roared with laughter.
"She herself has no desire to live!"
"So just watch her die already—why go through all this trouble?!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"What an annoying bastard," Franky muttered, fists clenched.
"I finally know what to do," Luffy said suddenly.
"Sniper King—shoot down that flag."
"Roger."
"New weapon—Giant Slingshot: Kabuto!"
"Take this head-on!" Usopp shouted, pulling the slingshot taut.
"Special Move—Firebird Star!"
BOOM!!
A massive flaming bird shot into the sky and slammed into the World Government flag, piercing straight through it!
The sight shocked every member of CP9.
They never imagined these pirates would actually dare to do something like that.
"You idiots!!" Spandam screamed.
"Do you know what that means?!"
"You've just declared war on the World Government!"
"So be it!" Luffy roared.
"ROBIN!!!"
"Say it!"
"Say you want to live!!"
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