Iceburg stood beneath the high stone arch of the Blue Station, his coat pulled close to his body but the cold did not bother him as much as the situation before him. The sea near the Water 7 was already waving with energy, crashing with unease and even the tide had begun to drop now. He could hear it in the hollow way the canals breathed, could see it in the blurry images of the lanterns above the canals and the stormy clouds approaching the island to engulf them all. The Aqua Laguna was coming faster than usual. He had warned the citizens before, their shutters slammed shut, windows barred, the festivities cut short and people were already moving to the high safe spaces.
And yet here he was, so close to the sea, outside the blue station, where the sea train–Puffing Tom–hissed, its boiler growling restlessly, because his most trusted workers had demanded something absolutely absurd.
They wanted the train to continue its journey. Depart early. Way too early than the promised time, no matter the danger. And with the Aqua Laguna on their heels.
He rubbed a hand over his face, fingers lingering near the bridge of his nose. 'Madness. It's pure madness. Setting out in weather like this?'
Behind him, a familiar click of heels approached. Kalifa, impeccable even in the storm, stepped into view, still prim and composed with her spectacles untouched by the drizzle. She bowed her head slightly, hair glistening with droplets. "President," she greeted smoothly, her tone laced with practiced courtesy. "I apologize for the urgency, but we must set off now."
His eyes narrowed at her, still unable to believe that the level headed woman would ever ask him of this. Must? You realize what's coming, don't you? Aqua Laguna isn't a squall you can dodge by adjusting the timetable. The tide's already lowering. You want me to sign off on putting the train and every soul on it straight into the sea's jaws?"
Kalifa didn't flinch as she met her gaze with an unreadable expression . "I assure you, President, there are… exceptional circumstances that require haste. You'll understand once you see for yourself."
Before Iceburg could respond, another figure stepped into the lamplight. Rob Lucci, the guy who was mostly silent and talking via his pigeon, which was still resting on his shoulder while fluffing its feathers against the rain. He said nothing, merely folded his arms across his chest, his gaze cutting through the dimness like a blade.
Iceburg frowned, as irritation tugged at the edges of his patience. He trusted these three—Kaku, Kalifa, Lucci—trusted their skill, their loyalty to Galley-La, their word. Yet tonight, something in their stance felt different. Something about them didn't feel right to him. There was something going on and they were not telling him. It frustrated him. "You're all stubborn as mules," he muttered. "Not a hint of reason among you."
Lucci's eyes flicked toward Kalifa. The briefest glance, quick as lightning, but enough to pass volumes. She caught it and tilted her head, adjusting her glasses with one finger.
"President," she said smoothly, her tone shifting like oil over water. "This conversation is better continued inside. What we need to show you cannot be spoken of here."
Iceburg's frown deepened. "Inside?" He really wasn't in the mood to board the train right now.
"Please," Kalifa pressed, the corners of her lips curving into something too polite, too measured. "You will understand why the train must leave, why the risk is necessary. Once you see it, I believe you will agree with us."
The words gave him pause. He didn't like it. Not the evasiveness, not the way she kept her composure so perfectly while Lucci lingered silent at her side. Still, his curiosity was hooked. And if there was truth in what they said… if there was something really urgent enough to risk Aqua Laguna itself…
"Fine," he said at last, voice tight. "But this better not be something silly. I'll neither have Galley-La's name tied to reckless stupidity nor have the city to suffer for it."
Kalifa's smile didn't change, but her eyes gleamed behind the lenses. "Of course, President."
Together, they stepped into the station and moved down the corridor of the waiting train. The sound of rain dulled as the door closed behind them, replaced by the soft hum of the engine preparing itself. Iceburg walked at the center, his footsteps steady, though his gut twisted with unease with each step. His gut was really not agreeing with this.
"This had better be—" he began, but he was never given the opportunity to finish his words.
Lucci's hand moved with the speed of a striking viper, a precise arc that cut through the dim light. The edge of his palm slammed cleanly into the side of his neck. Iceburg's eyes widened, shock flashing through him as his body gave out beneath him. His breath caught, limbs buckling, and the world tilted violently before everything went black.
Lucci caught him before he crumpled, his muscles not even straining at the extra weight which he hauled on his shoulders "He will not wake for some time," he said, matter-of-fact, his voice stripped of any emotions.
"Where are we dropping him?" Kaku questioned, his beady big eyes smiling in a strange way.
"We are taking him with us," Lucci merely answered. "Take him to the third cabin." His pigeon cooed, the sound unsettling in its calm.
In the next car, muffled behind a sliding door, voices murmured as the rest of CP9 waited. And among them, cloaked and still, a grey hooded figure finally sat slumped in relief. Miss Arethusa.
Kalifa dragged Iceburg into the third cabin, laying him down across the bench seat with clinical precision, before throwing a blanket on him almost as if she still cared for her boss, even though her eyes were cold.
The train's whistle shrieked then, sharp and final, echoing through the metal corridors.
From the front, the driver called back nervously, "Mayor Iceburg has given the word? Are we really leaving now?"
"Yes," Lucci's voice answered, low and iron-bound. "He is on board. Proceed."
The engine roared to life, wheels grinding against steel, and the sea train shuddered into motion.
Kalifa closed the cabin door softly behind her, her lips curving faintly. "And now," she said, addressing the waiting agents, "we have time to do what we came for. Let us begin."
The storm outside deepened. Aqua Laguna's warning was in the air, in the water, but within the sealed train, CP9 had their prey and their plan.
.
The rain came down in sheets, slanting hard on the island as though the sky itself had been torn open and was now bleeding on every rooftop of Water 7, making them rattle under their weight. The canals were already churning like dark veins of a living body, swelling and restless, slapping against the pavements as if warning the city of what was to come. The air, which had the smell of joy earlier, tasted of salt and iron, heavy on the tongue, and as a sign of the Aqua Laguna. Even those who had lived their whole lives in the city could feel it. The sea was coming. It was going to be one of the largest ones ever seen.
Across that fractured skyline, a lone hooded figure staggered forward with her companions on guard and surrounding her for protection. Her cloak was plastered to her body with rain and her every move was showing the clear exhaustion she was feeling. But yet, no one could say that she was truly exhausted as a resting bitch face was laid on her. They were pushing ahead–but no excuse, it wasn't due to any fear or desperation. It was due to spite and annoyance for the group targeting her.
Just before them, the sea train hissed like a beast at rest, its smoke mingling with the rain as the hooded figure and her escorts reached their carriages, guided by none other than the CP9 themself. They boarded swiftly, without exchanging any pleasantries. The sea train's whistling call came soon enough, swallowed almost immediately by the thunder rolling across the blackened heavens.
But from the rooftops above, a different cry rose. It was the voices of the Strawhats and the Franky Family, hot on their tail, to get the money which they have scammed from them and for something more.
"Fuck! They are boarding already!" Franky's voice bellowed over the storm, carrying his desperation and anguish.
"NOO! My money!" Nami cried, her voice shrieking together with the thunder rolling in the skies.
"They won't get away that easy!" Luffy's answer cut through like the snap of lightning. He was running at the front, his sandals slapping against the drenched tiles, and his strawhat held tight by the string around his neck. His eyes weren't just on the train, they were on the sky, the sea, everything around him. He could feel it in his bones, a raw, thrumming pulse that wasn't just weather but the sheer will of his mother. The tides were lowering, dragging itself back like his mother was holding her breath, and every instinct inside him screamed that his mother's wrath–the Aqua Laguna–was moments away. He clenched his fists, and muttered low to himself in mad excitement, "It's comin'."
The Franky Family were just behind them, hurling themselves across the rooftops in reckless leaps, some tumbling, some rolling, but always up again in moments. They were men born of the shaddy alleys and always up to some chaos, and though the storm battered them, they clung to the chase with grim ferocity for their leader. If their boss needed the money, they would do anything in their prowess to get the damn money.
While the Strawhats were motivated for something entirely different and moved in their own ways–Zoro vaulting forward with impossible momentum only to veer completely off the path with Sanji shouting bloody murder after his directionless ass, and Nami dragging her soaked hair out of her face as she tried to keep both of them on course.
"Right, mosshead! The train's fucking in front of you, not into the damn sea!" Sanji barked, pointing furiously before him.
Zoro scowled, his jaw tight as he kept his eyes forward–which he did not, "I know where I am going! Curly brows!"
"You clearly don't!" Sanji shot back with his teeth clenched and rain dripping from his saggy cigarette. He really needs to throw that.
"Both of you! SHUT UP!" Nami's voice cracked like a whip. Her glare was sharper than the lightning streaking the sky. "If I lose my money because you idiots are too busy fighting, I swear I'll get every berry out of you both!"
The words struck harder than any wave, making both swordsman and cook freeze mid-argument and become as pale as ghosts. Even in the heart of a storm, with Aqua Laguna brewing behind them and enemies fleeing ahead, neither dared to tempt Nami's wrath. For both of them knew what Nami's money hungry personality looked like–even if Sanji loved it, he refused to become a target of that. So, both of them swallowed their retorts in unison, giving each other a non-voluntary nod and muttering something under their breaths that the rain swept away.
Usopp, tumbling into a half-slide, half-dive to keep up, let out a nervous laugh. "Y-yeah, let's focus on the real problem! Like, oh, I don't know.. the giant storm about to drown us all?" he hesitantly turned towards Luffy, who was way ahead of him. He really wanted to know if it's Luffy's doing or not. He really hoped that whatever the answer may be, he could at least not make the winds tumble him down the roofs.
Chopper, his hooves slipping on the tile before Sanji scooped him up by the scruff, yelled, "The sea's pulling back! What is even happening? This is not normal!"
Robin, soaked but graceful even now, lifted her gaze toward the horizon. "It is the city's curse," she said quietly, her words nearly stolen by the wind. "The Aqua Laguna is coming."
Luffy didn't answer, but the way his eyes trailed not only the sea train but also the waters were louder than any words. He could feel the tide draining from the shores without even taking a look, the deep groan of his mother scoping through the stone beneath his feet, the clouds above spiralling in a rage that matched the rhythm of his heartbeat. Every inch of it screamed at him that time was running out.
And in that rush, in the hiss of the rain and the crack of the thunder, Luffy heard her. She was pulling at him, warning him with every tug of current, with every drop of salt that stung his lips. She had cradled him in his worst, she had and will always love him, but Nika knew that love doesn't erase her nature. Because she is the sea. The storms, calm tides, hunger and destruction all at once.
Luffy's throat tightened. He wasn't just tangled in the storm, he was part of it, bound to it as surely as a child to the hand that first taught him to walk. His fists clenched, his jaw set, and he leapt across to the next roof, fingers brushing the slick stone as he landed.
"We can't waste a second!" he shouted, his eyes grey and red at once, and his voice carrying raw urgency, as if it belonged to the storm itself. "Aqua Laguna's almost here. If that train leaves, we might lose them for good!"
.
"Faster!" Luffy yelled, his soaked hat bouncing against his back as he charged ahead, sandals slapping against the wet planks.
"They're leaving us behind!" Usopp wailed, his mask askew as he flailed his arms.
"Then stop screaming and run!" Nami barked, clutching her ClimaTact for balance as she vaulted over a fallen crate.
The train's rear van was almost gone from sight when they reached the edge of the platform. But none of them hesitated in jumping on the already running train–save for Usopp who was thrown to the train by one of the Franky Family.
"YAAAHHH!" The Franky Family bellowed as they launched, a dozen muscled bodies sailing gracelessly through the air.
They hit the narrow platform at the very back of the train in a spectacular tangle of limbs, masks, and weapons, which collided in a pile of wet, groaning humans. The impact shook the entire rear coupling, a chorus of oofs and owws following as they scrambled to untangle themselves.
"Get your elbow out of my—!"
"Whose mask is in my mouth?!"
"Boss, I think I broke my nose—!"
Above them, three figures landed with far more grace. Sanji touched down lightly, one leg stretched behind him, his cigarette somehow still lit despite the rain. Robin followed, her descent elegant, and her cloak settling neatly around her shoulders as though she'd stepped onto a ballroom floor instead of jumping on a moving train.
Nami… less so. She hit the roof with a thud, her arms pinwheeling as she stumbled across the slick metal. She yelped once, then managed to catch herself on the rail, panting with hair plastered across her face. "I-I meant to do that!" she snapped, cheeks flushed red as Sanji rushed to coo over her bravery.
And above them, Luffy landed gracefully, almost as if he was descending from the skies, as if he had just decided to land on the roof of the train after floating above. He turned towards Robin, snapping dramatically into a pose with his arms crossed and chin tilted high. As if, he was pretending to be an authoritative figure. But to anyone watching him, it looked absolutely childish.
"Robin!" he declared, pointing straight at her. "Check where the hoodie guy is!"
Robin blinked once. Then, to her credit, she smiled, the corner of her lips curling as she inclined her head. "Of course, Captain."
She crossed her arms, fingers curling, and murmured the word: "Ojos Fleur."
All along the train, eyes bloomed. One burst from near one of the men of Franky Family, another on the back of someone. While the rest of the eyes just blossomed throughout the carriages, together with a pair of ears to hear any information which could be useful.
"GYAAAAHH! WH-WHAT THE HELL!?"
"BOSS! Did the storm decide to curse us?"
"Eyes! There are eyes everywhere!" Another one freaked out.
"Oi! Quit screaming, Robin's helping us!" Luffy shouted down at the pile, his 'authoritative' stance unwavering, even as the Franky Family freaked the hell out in the last part of the small carriage.
Robin chuckled softly, her eyes half lidded as she let the chaos unfold willingly. "Forgive me," she said mildly, though her voice carried amusement in them. "I had to be thorough."
One of her hands sprouted in the air before her, pointing calmly towards the third cabin. "There," she confirmed. "Our hooded passenger is in that one."
Luffy's eyes lit with fierce determination as the storm reflected in their gleam. Good! Then we know where to go! Let's go!"
.
Corgi, in his ridiculous hair dampened into awkward points, leaned forward with an almost smug smile in the third carriage of the sea train. "You needn't fret," he said, voice smooth and ingratiating. "This train is no ordinary journey. It is a fortress on rails, Miss Arethusa."
The hooded figure's head lifted faintly, though the hood hid her eyes. Corgi spread his hands, warming to his own narrative. He doesn't notice the extra pairs of eyes and hears in the corner of the room.
"Each coach has its own guardian. Jerry, a boxer of no small reputation, defends Car Seven. Car Five belongs to the ever-righteous vice-admiral T Bone. Car Four houses Wanze, a culinary genius of Cp7t, though eccentric. And Car Three—" his grin sharpened, "—belongs to Nero, a fresh face in the CP9."
As he spoke, he gestured almost theatrically, each name a card laid on the table. Then his hand swept wide toward the gathered shadows at the far end of the coach. "And should those lines fall, you need not fear. CP9 itself rides with you."
The light caught them just enough to show Kalifa, immaculate and cold; Kaku, long legs folded with deceptive ease; Lucci, silent and still, his pigeon's eyes glinting in rhythm with his own. The trusted Galley-La foremen, now revealed for what they truly were. The hooded figure's breath hitched, the weight of exhaustion joined now by unease.
In the next compartment, through the narrow connecting door, Iceburg's slumped form could be glimpsed. Bound hand and foot, head bent unnaturally against his shoulder, he was unmistakably alive but helpless.
Back on the roof, Robin's hands hovered in the air, her devil fruit eyes and ears fading as she returned to herself. The rain slicked across her face, but it was not water that made her voice falter.
"They've… prepared the train," she said quietly, forcing her voice steady for the others. "Each cabin has its own guard, formidable ones. And even if they fall, CP9 themselves will fight at the end."
The Franky Family muttered among themselves, restless but eager, ready to crack knuckles against any opponent. Though that majorly stemmed from their lack of knowledge on the CP9, except for Franky's part, whose face lost its color.
But Robin did not finish there. Her throat tightened, and when she forced the words out, her voice trembled with something colder than fear. "And… the ones we believed were Galley-La's best… Kalifa, Kaku, and Rob Lucci. They are CP9, as you guessed Luffy. They have tied the mayor up.. Most likely hostage."
For a moment, even the Franky Family stilled and the Strawhats froze at the words cutting through them. Usopp's jaw dropped beneath his mask, Sanji's cigarette slipped between his fingers, and even Nami's breath hitched as the truth fell like stone into water.
"They what?" Sanji growled, voice low and dangerous. His hands curled into fists, the smoke around him turning to steam in the rain.
Zoro's eye sharpened, rain trailing down his cheek. "I had an inkling. They were too smooth and too strong." His tone held no surprise, only grim acknowledgment.
From below, one of the Franky Family fumbled with a den-den mushi, shouting into it over the roar of the wind and wheels. "Galley-La! Listen up! They've taken Iceburg hostage! He's tied in one of the carriages! And the CP9–those bastards–your own foremen, they've betrayed you!"
For a moment, the other side couldn't believe what they were hearing but everything was slowly making sense to them. The sharp moves, the periodic disappearances. It made sense now.
"WHAT?!" voices roared from the other end. Familiar barks, outrage, disbelief turning instantly to fury.
"THOSE BASTARDS!"
"They'll pay for this!" one shipwright howled.
"Mayor Iceburg? Hostage?! Over my dead body!" another cursed.
"We'll join you! We'll tear the rails apart if we must!"
The voices tangled, angry and desperate, and behind them another, older tone shouted above the din, "If we have to race Aqua Laguna itself, we will! No storm will stop us from reaching the Mayor!"
In the background, another voice, more uncertain, called out: "But… something's strange! The Aqua Laguna.. it's not breaking when it should. Earlier, we were certain it was on the brink, but now it's holding… it's moving abnormally."
The den-den crackled, the sound of the storm swallowed again by the thunderous heartbeat of the train's wheels. After a moment, the line went dead, leaving only the thunder of the train's wheels and the hiss of rain sliding down its steel skin.
"Shishishi!" Luffy's grin split wide beneath the shadow of his dripping hat. "If that's all they've got, then this won't be any trouble at all!"
Before anyone could stop him, he hurled himself down, stretching into the rear carriage with reckless abandon. The door slammed open under his boot, and he vanished inside with a battle cry that carried above the storm.
"Let's goooo!"
The crew scrambled after him, only for them to stumble at the threshold.
The last carriage wasn't a cabin of enemies. It was stock. Crates upon crates stacked high and rattling with the train's sway, boxes stamped with marks for food, weapons, and drinks. Barrels lined the walls, the smell of liquor sharp and inviting. The air was thick with the perfume of preserved meats and fresh bread, even through the storm's dampness.
"Guys.." Luffy's face was hidden behind his Strawhat as he spoke.
"Luffy, no–" Nami started, but it was too late.
Luffy's stomach roared. It was comically loud, louder even than the squeal of the brakes or the shriek of the rails. His whole body jolted with it, eyes going round as his nose twitched like a hound catching scent. "Meat," he whispered, reverent.
"Luffy, we don't have time for this–" Nami started once again.
"I'm hungry.." Luffy turned towards Nami, casting his infamous puppy eyes while clutching his whiny stomach. "My Tummy hasn't got anything since forever!"
Nami's will wavered at Luffy's eyes. She was sure the power of his puppy eyes had only increased since he had gotten red eyes instead of chocolatey. She didn't have the heart to say no to him. Moreover, seeing the others absolutely refusing to meet Luffy's eyes she could tell that they also didn't. "Fineee!"
Though Nami couldn't see the grin that spread on his face, she could tell it was blinding the moment he vanished into the stacks with a speed that only he could have. In seconds, boxes split, barrels cracked, and within seconds her captain was crouched among the spoils like a sea king in his den, cheeks already stuffed, hands a blur as he tore into food with gleeful abandon.
"Just make it fast," Nami mumbled, walking away into the cabin, with rain dripping off her hair.
Luffy waved her off with both hands, still chewing, voice muffled around mouthfuls. "Go on without me! I'll be fast! I believe in you guys!"
The words, so simple and confident, brought new confidence in the room. For all his antics, the trust in his tone was absolute, a weight that pressed into each of them like a brand.
The Franky Family, blinking, exchanged glances. Then a grin spread across Franky's face, bright as neon. "Heh. Little Captain Meat-Head's got a point. We'll smash our way through without him for now." He kicked open a crate, rooting around until he found two dark glass bottles. He uncorked one, sniffed it, and beamed. "Cola! My kinda fight fuel!" He tucked both under his arm with a satisfied supaaah!
Franky didn't notice the way Luffy's eyes sparkled at his pose or him lobbing something across the room. Zoro caught it one-handed. It was a bottle of sake, condensation slick against the glass. Luffy gave him a lopsided grin around a mouthful of food, a silent promise in his eyes.
Zoro's lips twitched, just enough to pass for a smile. He tucked the sake into his sash. "Fair enough. Don't get left behind."
Robin, stepping gracefully past the chaos, allowed herself a quiet chuckle. Sanji lit a new cigarette, muttering something about idiotic captains, but the ember glowed steadier now, his anger tempered into resolve. Usopp shoved his mask straighter on his face and tried not to eye the food too hungrily.
"Fine," Nami sighed at last, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But if we lose that money because you're stuffing your face, Luffy, I will make you pay me back."
"Shishishishi!" came the muffled answer, full of meat and joy.
With that, the Strawhats and the Franky Family turned away from the mountain of food and liquor, slipping through the forward door toward the next cabin, ready to face whatever guardians lay ahead. Behind them, the storm howled against the walls of the train, Aqua Laguna still holding its breath.
.
The first two cabins fell almost insultingly fast. Strawhats and Franky Family burst through them like a tide, scattering the handful of guards stationed there. A few agents yelped, a few swung desperately, but between Zoro's blades, Sanji's boots, and the Franky Family's raw brawling, the carriages were left echoing with groans and unconscious bodies within moments.
"Too easy," Franky chuckled, brushing off his hands.
"That just means worse is waiting ahead," Robin murmured, her eyes steady as she stepped over a fallen agent.
The forward door rattled open to reveal Car Seven. The space inside was surprisingly bare save for a lone man in a pressed suit, tall with legs almost comically long, his grey hair slicked back neatly despite the chaos outside. He raised his fists with a practiced motion, lips curling into a smile of pride.
"Ah," he said, voice deep and measured. "So you are the intruders. I am Jerry, the greatest boxer of the—"
His declaration ended in a grunt as hands sprouted suddenly across his arms and shoulders, yanking him off balance.
"Do forgive the interruption," Robin said lightly, eyes half-lidded.
Sanji blurred forward, his foot burying itself in Jerry's chest with a crack like thunder. The man's body folded, but before he could even gasp, Franky lifted his hand, the fingertip gleaming.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three sharp blasts, bright and deafening in the close space, and Jerry hit the floor hard, groaning as smoke curled from the holes in his suit.
"Well, so much for the 'greatest boxer of whatever,'" Franky snorted, spinning his finger like a revolver before stepping over the unconscious man.
They pressed onward, the sixth cabin door shuddering under the barrage of gunfire that met them immediately. World Government agents had packed themselves into the space, rifles already leveled, and the moment the door cracked open, a storm of bullets filled the air.
Franky grinned. "Perfect for me."
He stepped in headfirst, arms crossed. The bullets clanged and sparked uselessly against his armored chest, ricocheting into the walls. He laughed, smoke curling in the air as he unclipped his right hand. The limb detached with a hiss of steam, the remaining forearm linked by a taut iron chain.
"CHAIN PUNCH!" he roared, swinging the hand in a wild arc. It crashed through the cluster of agents, scattering them like bowling pins, the impact ringing through the whole cabin.
"WOAHHH!" Usopp and Chopper cried together, eyes gleaming as they clung to the doorway.
"Did you see that?!" Chopper shouted, his entire body bouncing in excitement.
"He's like a one-man battleship!" Usopp yelled back, voice trembling between awe and envy.
The conscious agents staggered upright, weapons trembling. Usopp's eyes darted around, then lit on a small sack tied at his belt. Onions. The spoils he'd swiped from the stock car. A grin spread across his face. "Perfect."
He leapt forward, slingshot snapping. Onions burst through the air, splattering against the agents' faces. One by one, their eyes welled, tears streaming uncontrollably as they dropped their rifles and clutched at their burning eyes.
"It burns! I can't see!"
"Why onions?!"
"My eyes! MY EYES!"
The agents crumpled, wailing, weapons clattering uselessly to the floor.
Usopp drew himself tall, chest puffing with pride, mask askew but spirit alight. For a heartbeat, the words trembled on his tongue–I, Usopp, defeated you! But then he froze.
No. Not Usopp. Not here. Not now. He can't give away his real identity.
He yanked the mask tighter over his face, spinning on his heel with dramatic flair. "It is I, Sogeking!" he declared, voice booming through the cabin. "I can make men fall to the ground in tears with but a single strike! I shall retrieve the money stolen from me, no matter the cost!"
His arms spread wide, stance heroic, his laughter ringing.
But when he turned back, the cabin was empty. The Strawhats and the Franky Family had already slipped into the next car, the door swinging gently behind them.
"…H-hey! Wait for Sogeking!" he yelped, scrambling after them.
.
The Fifth Cabin was quieter than the chaos they had left behind. There was no gunfire, no frantic guards scrambling. Just one man standing in the center, the lantern-light casting his shadow long and stark against the carriage walls.
It was T Bone, a Marine Vice Admiral stationed on the train.
"Strawhats," he said, his voice solemn, almost priestly. "Every criminal who escapes my grasp condemns an innocent soul to suffer. And I will not allow that." He spread his arms wide, sword gleaming in the lamplight, the steel as straight and severe as the man himself. "If it costs my life, then so be it. Justice demands sacrifice!"
The words rang with such raw conviction that some of Franky's men flinched. A heartbeat later, his blade snapped forward in a blur of speed. Steel tore through the air in a perfect line, and three of Franky's family went down in one breath, blood spraying as they collapsed clutching their wounds.
"Fall back!" Zoro ordered, his voice sharp. "This one is not for you."
Sanji's eyes narrowed, but he nodded, dragging the wounded clear. Franky swore under his breath, but the sight of Zoro already stepping forward silenced him.
Zoro's hand curled around his hilts, his expression flat, unreadable. His crew moved on, the door ahead swinging open, leaving only him and the Marine in the rattling carriage.
T Bone's eyes fixed on him, burning. "You. With your crooked swings, your twisted blades. Do you not see the shame in such a style? Steel should cut in straight paths, never bowed, never broken. I despise curved swords!"
Zoro's brow twitched, a muscle in his jaw tightening. "Tch. You've got a lot to say about something you don't understand."
The train jolted, lantern-light stuttering as the storm battered its frame. The Marine raised his blade in a sharp vertical guard, stance flawless, without waste.
"I am Vice-Admiral T Bone!" he declared, voice ringing with righteous fire. "I will strike you down in the name of all innocents who might suffer if you go free!"
His slash came, sharp as lightning, cutting in clean angles that carved the air itself. But Zoro was already moving, swords flashing. Their blades clashed, sparks shrieking in the confined space.
"Your swings," T Bone growled, "are crooked, ungainly and a disgrace."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. He felt the weight of the insult, not to his pride alone but to the katanas he carried. To the sharp edges that had borne his will since the beginning.
"You think straight lines make you strong?" Zoro's voice dropped, low and cold. His haki surged, black lightning crackling faintly across his arms, the steel of his swords humming with it. "Then I'll show you just how powerful a 'crooked' sword can be."
He shifted, his stance flowing like water, swords curving into arcs that wove together into a single devastating strike. Haki poured into the blades, the storm itself seeming to shudder as he swung.
Steel met steel.. and shattered.
T Bone's blade shattered under the force, his body slashed open in a deep arc that split through his chest. For a moment, his eyes widened, the fire of conviction flickering but never dying. Then he fell, blood soaking the boards beneath him.
The agents who had been knocked down in earlier cars rushed in at the sight, panic breaking their discipline. "Vice-Admiral! Hold on! Stop the bleeding!" Their voices shook, hands fumbling to stem the crimson flow. It seems this arrogant swordsman is held in high regard, not that it matters to him.
Zoro didn't spare them a glance. He sheathed his swords in one fluid motion, the sound of steel sliding home cutting through their cries. Without a word, without a look back, he stepped through the forward door, the storm swallowing him whole.
The Fifth Cabin was left behind, its guardian broken, its agents scrambling desperately around their fallen commander.
.
The Sixth Cabin reeked of grease and steel. Pots clanged from hooks as the train rocked, knives glinted in the swinging lamplight. And at its center skated a man in a bloodstained chef's coat, his roller skates sparking fire as the circular blades beneath screeched against the floorboards.
He was none other than Wanze.
"WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN!" he howled, his fishnet nose flaring, and eyes gleaming with manic joy. "HERE'S TODAY'S SPECIAL, NOODLES OF DEATH!"
Before Sanji could sneer, Wanze was already spinning, sparks igniting into a crackling trail of flame as his bladed skates slashed across the floor. Two of the Franky Family rushed him, shouting, but his knives flew from his hands with manic precision. The blades whirled, biting into flesh. The men cried out, collapsing hard as their comrades dragged them back.
Sanji's teeth clenched, the smoke from his soggy cigarette curling weakly from his lips. "Tch. You call yourself a cook?" His voice dripped venom. "Don't insult the word."
Robin stepped forward, her arms folding. With a whisper, hands sprouted across Wanze's arms and shoulders, locking him in place mid-spin. He screeched in fury, legs thrashing, knives clattering from his fingers.
But madness always breeds desperation. With a grotesque gagging sound, he stuffed fistfuls of flour into his mouth. His jaws worked furiously… kneading and squelching. Then with a wet, revolting noise, strings of noodles began to push out from his nose, cut into perfect lengths by his netted hairs.
Chopper gagged audibly. "W-what is he—"
"RAMEN KENPO!" Wanze shrieked. He flexed, and the noodles surged from his nose like high-pressure ropes, snapping Robin's grip apart and coiling into a writhing suit of armor around his body. Ramen twisted, hardened, flexed, absorbing thrown bullets and knives like a second skin. "BEHOLD! THE ARMOR OF A TRUE CHEF!"
Panic and disgust rippled through the Franky Family as the man barreled forward, noodles lashing like whips. Bullets sank harmlessly into the dough.
"We can't shoot through it!" one of the brothers cried.
"Useless trash," Sanji spat, flicking the damp stub of his cigarette into a nearby bin. He rolled his shoulders, stalking forward, eyes burning with a predator's anger for wasting food that disgustingly.
Franky's men slashed wildly at the wriggling armor with a kitchen knife, desperation driving their blades. To their shock, the ramen parted with clean slices, steam hissing where blades severed the strands.
"It works?!" someone gasped.
Sanji's lips curled into a wolfish grin. "Of course it does. Food yields to the blade in the hands of a real cook."
He kicked a table aside, snatched up two cleavers from the wall, and spun them in his hands until they gleamed. Wanze faltered for the first time, his eyes going dizzy as they locked on the hypnotic swirl of Sanji's eyebrows.
"Wh-what are those cursed swirls—"
"Your nightmare," Sanji said coldly and lunged.
Steel sang and in a blur, the cleavers carved through ramen, slicing strands apart faster than Wanze could reform them. The battle suit fell away piece by piece, clumps of dough flopping wetly to the boards. Wanze screamed, flailing, but Sanji's strikes were merciless, his fury honed into every cut.
At last, the noodles fell away entirely, leaving only the trembling, sweat-drenched man beneath.
"Pathetic," Sanji muttered, raising the cleavers for one last strike.
But before he could move, a flash of orange cut past him. Nami's staff whipped forward, slamming into Wanze's skull with a resounding crack. The mad cook's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious, ramen oozing uselessly around him.
The room went still, watching Nami with wide eyes. Sanji lowered the knives, his lips twitching into a smile he couldn't quite suppress. He exhaled, stepping back, pride glinting in his eyes as he looked at her.
"Nice finish, Nami-swan," he said softly.
.
The next cabin lay silent when they cracked the door. There were no guards, no agents. Just the faint sway of the train, the lantern overhead swinging slowly, casting long arcs of shadow across the empty space.
The Strawhats were cautious while the Franky Family men exchanged nervous looks.
Robin's voice, calm but edged, broke the quiet. "Be wary. They spoke of a man named Nero. I believe he is a creature of darkness," she warned flatly, making a chill go through some of the weak willed persons. And that was only amplified when a blur shot through the room. A shadow, impossibly fast, dashing past in a streak of speed that the eye could scarcely follow.
Suddenly, steel cut the air and three of Franky Family men collapsed with screams and blood blooming across their chests. Usopp and Chopper reeled, shallow cuts marking their way on their arms and shoulders.
The figure skidded to a halt across the far side, ratlike features twisted in a nervous grin. His eyes darted, his limbs jittery.
"That was… Soru," Robin whispered, her eyes narrowing.
The words landed like a weight in the storm. Even through their masks, the Strawhats stiffened, remembering the hellish torture they go through.
She finished quietly, "It was the same move Luffy used when training us."
For a heartbeat, silence. Their captain's name alone was enough to draw them taut, and the resemblance to his impossible movements made the hairs on their necks prickle.
The ratlike Nero flicked his leg, the blade of wind from his Rankyaku splitting the wood at their feet. "No one can catch me! I'm CP9 now! I'll prove myself!"
"Block the exits!" someone roared.
Franky was already moving. His tools flashed, wood and iron snapping into place. In seconds, the windows were barred, the doorframes braced, every exit sealed as though boarded by a shipwright's master hand.
The Strawhats barely blinked. "Not bad," Zoro muttered.
"SUPAAARRR fast," Franky smirked, wiping his hands.
But none of them looked particularly surprised. Luffy had already warped their sense of impossible.
Nero darted again, slight panic visible in his limbs, his speed cracking the air. But the crew moved as one, flowing into rhythm like they had in their training. Robin's arms sprouted from the floor and ceiling, seizing him mid-step. He shrieked, thrashing, but his limbs froze in her grip.
And then came in Usopp's shots, which rattled into him, along with smoke bombs and iron pellets thudding into his body. Nami's baton cracked across his skull, sending sparks of pain through him. And Franky stepped forward last, his iron fist cocking back with the hiss of steam.
"Lie down, little rat."
The punch landed like a cannon. Nero's head snapped back, his body crumpling in a heap, blood trailing from his nose as consciousness fled him.
The cabin went still, looking at the monsters which dealt with a fast moving rat. But Franky didn't care. He didn't wait. He shoved through the forward door with rage burning in his eyes.
The next room was half-destroyed, splinters and steel scattered where a struggle had torn the space apart. And there, slumped against the floorboards, was Iceburg.
"The Mayor…?" one of the Franky Family's remaining members gasped, voice breaking.
Franky's fists clenched, the cola bottles rattling at his hip. His voice came low and trembling with fury. "Those bastards."