Chapter 276: If You're Told to Die, Why Don't You Go Ahead and Die?
Lufia froze.
"Because the hostage is you."
Ralph repeated it again.
Lucci watched this scene, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.
"We've collected information on your pirate crew."
"All your achievements, from the East Blue to the Grand Line, every battle has been recorded."
"I recognized at a glance that the most dangerous person on your ship isn't the Straw Hat Girl, Lufia."
He looked at Ralph.
"It's you."
Lucci continued.
"For this reason, we deliberately altered our infiltration plan. Launched a surprise attack, took you down one by one, even exposed our identities in front of the public."
He glanced at the bewildered residents around them.
"Now it seems, it was all worth it."
He looked at Ralph.
"And I never expected your weakness to be so obvious."
Ralph didn't argue.
Lucci was right.
He admitted it.
Lufia was his greatest weakness.
"What will it take for you to release her?"
Just as Lucci was about to speak, a CP9 agent approached and whispered a few words into his ear.
"Nico Robin... is still alive..."
Lucci's expression remained unchanged.
He began reassessing the current situation in his mind.
After encountering Ralph, Lucci was certain that sending someone to contact Robin in advance had been a foolish move.
Ralph knew the Six Powers, which meant he had some understanding of the government or the Navy, and likely knew about CP9's existence.
That was why Lucci changed the plan.
Launch a surprise attack, take them down one by one.
Abandon Nico Robin to increase the mission's success rate.
After all, compared to the Pluton Blueprints and the Straw Hat Girl personally designated by the Five Elders, her value was the lowest.
If they couldn't put her on trial, killing her was acceptable.
But now, since she was still alive, that changed things.
Lucci looked at Ralph.
"The condition is simple: let Nico Robin come with us."
"Impossible!"
Sanji shouted.
A voice came from behind the crowd.
"Fine."
Everyone turned around.
Robin walked out from the crowd.
She removed the headscarf she had used as a disguise, her hair falling over her shoulders, her expression calm.
"Miss Robin..."
Sanji's voice trembled.
Robin didn't look at him.
She looked at Lucci.
"I'll go with you. Release Lufia and Franky."
Nami rushed out from the crowd and grabbed Robin's hand.
"Are you crazy! They're government agents! If you go with them, you'll—"
"You'll die."
Robin finished for her, her tone flat.
"I know."
Chopper also ran out from the crowd and hugged Robin's leg.
"Robin! We finally became nakama!"
Robin looked down at him and reached out to pat his head.
Then her gaze swept over all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Don't worry! Lufia will bring you all to rescue me!"
Lucci watched her, expressionless.
"You have no right to negotiate terms."
Robin turned back to look at him.
"Then let's change the condition."
She took a step forward.
"You can take me."
"You can take Lufia."
"You can take Franky, too."
She paused, as if making a decision.
"Negotiations don't work like this."
"I can't let you keep setting conditions endlessly."
"If you can't give us a satisfactory answer."
"You know my abilities."
"Even if I can't kill all of you."
"I'll make sure none of you can take me, Franky, or Lufia away alive."
Lucci's eyes narrowed.
Silence.
The entire place fell silent.
Someone even more ruthless than Lucci had appeared.
Compared to Lucci's disregard for others' lives, Robin had staked her own.
Lucci believed he had Ralph under control, but he couldn't be sure he could handle the Devil Child who had walked in darkness since childhood.
In the end, Lucci laid out his conditions.
"I will escort the three of you by Sea Train to Enies Lobby to stand trial."
"Before the Sea Train departs, the Straw Hat Crew and the people of Water 7 must not cause trouble."
"During the escort, I will guarantee the safety of all three of you."
After hearing this, Robin added one final point, "This entire matter must not implicate anyone else in Water 7."
Lucci glanced around and nodded in agreement.
"Deal."
He gave Ralph one last look, then watched as Robin joined their formation, heading toward the Sea Train station.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned back.
"If you want to save them, come to Enies Lobby."
"That is, if you have the guts to challenge the whole world!"
Kumadori used his long hair to wrap up Lufia and Franky, following behind.
Blueno, clutching the wound on his chest, limped along.
Kaku sheathed his sword, glanced at Zoro, and turned to leave.
Kalifa, her face and neck wrapped in bandages with her glasses perched on top, also looked back once.
Nami wanted to chase after them but was held back by Sanji.
Chopper was crying, while Usopp lay on the ground, fingers clawing at the earth until his nails were torn open.
Zoro stood at the forefront, his hand resting on his sword hilt.
He watched Lucci's retreating figure, his eyes not filled with anger but something cold and sharp.
Ralph remained where he stood.
He hadn't spoken a word from beginning to end.
The Sea Train's whistle sounded.
The wheels began to turn, and the tracks emitted a dull rumble.
Carriage after carriage passed by the platform, the figures inside the windows blurred and indistinct.
On the platform, the people of Water 7 had learned part of the truth from Iceburg.
Not everything, but enough for them to understand they had been used.
Everyone watched the departing train, forcibly suppressing the rage in their hearts.
Paulie stood at the very front of the platform, bandages wrapped around his waist, blood seeping through.
He stared in the direction the train had disappeared and punched a pillar.
The Straw Hat Crew stood at the edge of the platform, watching the train grow smaller and smaller.
Without Captain Lufia, the atmosphere among the crew was unusually heavy.
Ralph remained silent.
But a voice laughed in his mind.
"You really have some nerve."
Red-Eye.
The voice echoed from the depths of his mind, dripping with mockery and anger.
"Played like a fool by that damn hostage."
"Letting them dictate terms, doing whatever they say. If they told you to die, why don't you just die?"
At this point, Ralph and Red-Eye were in sync.
Red-Eye sensed a certain thought in Ralph's mind and erupted in fury.
One of Ralph's eyes turned red, and a lock of his hair turned blood-red.
Ralph collapsed in pain, kneeling on the Sea Train platform.
"You really would die for her!"
"Willing to die for a woman, you worthless thing!"
"If you don't want to live anymore, give me your body! I'm not done living yet!"
His crewmates noticed Ralph's abnormality and gathered around him with concern.
Chopper, as the doctor, was closest and suddenly met Ralph's red eye, startling him so much he fell back onto his rear.
"Ralph's second personality has appeared again!"
But Ralph, with only one eye turned red, spoke arrogantly.
"I'm going to help that loser rescue his girl. You guys want in?"