*Author's Note: Hey, everybody. Wow, two years. It's been two years since the last chapter. The fan outcry has been so strong and I appreciate all of you who sent me messages and checked in. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and raising three daughters is hard to manage finding time to write, parent, and adult. That's not even factoring in surgeries and literal threats to my family to continue writing… I mean, seriously?

Not even counting everything else going on in the world. Please, stay safe out there.

However, I will complete this story and we will see how this arc ends, so buckle up. Be sure to check out the official blog for this story at agemintherough on Tumblr. You'll find fan art, chapter commentary, an "Ask Section," and the official ePub and PDF for A Gem in the Rough (which sorely needs to be updated, as I have FURTHER revised the story a bit to fix some MORE grammatical issues)! While you are there, you should check out our official artist's blog at CyanideOreo on Tumblr. You can also check out our TVTropes page under the name of A Gem in the Rough. Give it a read, add some things to it, and overall have a great time. Until the next time...*

Greg Universe was, quite simply, out of his element.

This was not surprising for the aging musician, but now was hardly the time to accept his limitations on the battlefield. As one would expect for an assault like the one Greg was now a part of, people were getting hurt and flying all around him. There were two literal giants collapsed on the ground near him, subdued by the combination of the Galley-La/ Franky Family team-up that preceded the sea train's arrival at Enies Lobby and the power of the sea train itself. It barely took five minutes for him to nearly die thanks to lightning generated by Nami's new weapon. If Garnet hadn't saved him, he'd already be dead. Even Connie, who was so much younger than he was, was keeping up by using Rose's sword to fight in unison with Zoro and Pearl (which he vowed never to tell Priyanka for fear of her killing him).

How could he possibly keep up with them? How could he possibly contribute when he couldn't even throw a solid punch?

Greg was a musician, not a fighter. The only legitimate fight he ever got into was with Miss Doublefinger, and he only managed to do any damage to her by using his brain and an external power source…something he was lacking here. As much as a small voice in his head was telling him to stay out of sight since he was practically a load to the group, Greg knew he had to figure out some way to adapt to the current fight. It didn't matter how out of place he was: he was going to save his son and friend, and nothing was going to stop him…

Except the stray bullet that shot by his face, causing him to jump in the air. "GAH!"

That bullet was enough to make Greg aware of a newer, immediate problem making its way toward him and the others. A large group of guards wearing black helmets with a bull's eye pattern with a white feather on the top were speeding at them while riding on angry dogs. Their arms housed sharp blades that extended out past their hands, some clearly stained with blood already. This was enough to cause Greg to scream out in fear…which in turn allowed him to subconsciously amplify that screech to such a high volume that the dogs began to cry out in pain.

"GREG, YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD! GREAT THINKING!" Damian yelled to him from the heart of battle, clutching his own ears in pain in unison with his own opponent. "YOU CUT OFF THEIR CANINE RIDES! THAT'LL EVEN THE ODDS A BIT…ONCE THE RINGING IN MY HEAD STOPS!"

Greg blinked, momentarily confused by what had happened. Finally, the car wash owner hit his head in surprise and groaned. "Devil Fruit… right..."

Being the only one unaffected by his own voice, Greg managed to tackle one of the World Government agents without a major fight and wrestled a gun away from him. From there, Greg did the only thing sensible with a firearm and proceeded to use it as a club to hit as many nearby opponents as he could. He was not alone, as the big fighters of the group had come to their senses much faster than their foes. Zoro, Garnet, Sanji, Pearl, Damian, Amethyst, and Petrea had already jumped back into the game and had shaken off (or plain fought through) Greg's vocal ambush.

The rest…were still adjusting.

"AH! I HAVE CAUGHT THE DREADED 'EAR BLEED' DISEASE! I THINK I NEED TO STAY HERE AND TREAT IT!" Uso…Sogeking (Greg supposed he might as well play along) bellowed in pain.

"If you can't manage to keep up with your 'serious' diseases, stay behind and guard Kokoro! We need to press on!" Pearl chided as she used her staff to grab onto a Marine's shirt and tossed him to the side.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? I'M CURED!" Sogeking immediately replied, pressing on as if nothing had happened at all.

"Truly a miracle of modern medicine," Genevieve groaned as she tapped her cheek to make more "Colors Traps."

On one hand, some of the people his son had called friends baffled him beyond belief. Never before would Greg have grown accustomed to such bizarre behavior and seemingly inappropriate antics, but here he was. On the other hand, he could think of no better people to be storming a government facility with. If they didn't manage to retain their usual level of banter, he would be worried.

By now, Greg's momentary distraction had worn off. While the dogs were still whimpering, their riders and the surrounding Marines displayed no such weakness. Greg gulped as he gripped tightly upon the weapon that he purloined, worried what would happen next.

"You pirate fools dare to invade Enies Lobby?! We are the Watchdogs of the Law! Judge Baskerville charged us to ensure that you progress no further than this! We know no failure, villains! Surrender now and accept that you are beaten!" the head of the Watchdogs threatened with all of his might. Looking around, Greg could see that the pirate group was now surrounded.

"THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM!" Greg, Sogeking and Nami screamed out.

"Eh," Zoro smirked as he put his swords in an offensive stance. "I've fought more."

Before anyone could make a move, the ground began to shake, and a high-pitched whine pierced the air. "WAIT!" the familiar voice of Peridot bellowed. "WAIT FOR US!"

Turning sharply from some nearby buildings, the giant form of Sodom lumbered toward the group. On top of him was Paulie, Tilestone, Lulu, and Peridot. All of Greg's immediate fears dissipated and excitement bubbled up inside of him. "WE ARE SAVED!" he cried for joy as Paulie threw down enough ropes for each of them to climb up. In response, Greg allowed an upbeat jazz song to play out, confusing the enemy but fitting the moment all the same.

"GET UP HERE! YOU IDIOTS HAVE PLACES TO BE!" Paulie shouted to them.

The fighters looked to the giant King Bull and the giant horde of enemies that stood before them and quickly conceded that Paulie was correct. Quickly grabbing onto ropes, the Straw Hats sped away from the scene with Gamorrah following closely behind with the Franky Family in tow. However, it was apparent that the dogs were starting to regain their own senses and would soon give the Watchdogs an advantage in speed.

"Those guys just don't give up," Amethyst grinned. She nudged Petrea and cracked her knuckles. "Care to join me in a team up down there? Give 'em the old fastball special to get them off our tail?"

The chocolatier cackled. "Kyahahaha! I think that can be arranged!"

"No! Save your strength for Lucci and those untrustworthy assholes," Paulie snapped, handing the reins off to Garnet. "Let us three handle this. It is not a problem…but if we do this for you, I need you to do something for me. When you flatten those traitors, tell them that they are fired!"

In a leap, Paulie and his two companions jumped off the raging King Bull and proceeded to singlehandedly show the Watchdogs just why the Galley-La shipwrights were both respected and feared across the Grand Line. Unintentionally, Greg's music shifted from upbeat jazz to heroic violin stings, befitting three of the bravest, strongest men Greg had ever met. They proceeded to slice, beat, and throw around practically all of the pursuing Watchdogs.

Greg's eyes did not fail to notice that his music was matching up nicely to the rhythm of the fight, which was not the first time this had happened. The musician had a theory about that, but he wasn't confident enough to explore it further in that moment.

"Where the hell were you, Peridot?!" Nami chided the green Gem. "We thought we lost you back there!"

"For your information, before getting picked up by this giant creature, I was utilizing my technical skills to run a field test. My device was a resounding success thanks to your assistance, and I managed to get through to the head of CP9," Peridot grinned, holding up the Den Den Mushi she had been cradling. "The humans are no doubt quavering in their foot coverings as we speak!"

"You…you talked to them?! Did you hear anything about Robin or Steven?!" Pearl sharply asked. "Where are they?!"

"He did not say. I believe I heard the voice of both Steven and the cyborg in the background, but I cannot say with certainty. Regardless, they know we are coming and that should be enough to send the right message to both parties."

At the mention of the word "cyborg," Sodom began to growl as he continued ahead. He looked desperately at the green Gem, who was still a bit unnerved at the sight of the creature. Thankfully, Chopper was able to understand the meaning behind the growls and listened intently. "Wow! Okay!"

"What's going on?" Zoro asked. "Is there a problem?"

"No! Sodom here is excited to hear that Franky is seemingly okay! He told me how he and Gamorrah are brothers who were once eaten by a sea king but were saved by Franky! Franky told them 'Since this sea king made us SUPER full, we won't eat you guys!' After that moment, they swore loyalty to Franky and would do anything for him."

The passengers were silent for a second as they digested this bit of information about Franky. Initially, it seemed like Franky was a really great guy for saving their lives from the belly of a dangerous sea creature. However, they more they thought about it, the clearer the picture became. "So…they know that they weren't deliberately saved, right? They just happened to be in the Franky Family's lunch?" Connie asked.

"Sodom doesn't care. He's just happy to hear anything about Franky…although that's an odd question," Chopper frowned.

"What? What's he asking?"

"He's asking if we needed the masked guy to come with us. I don't understand…" Chopper translated and looked around. Slowly he counted all the people on the King Bull and suddenly realized just what Sodom was asking.

"WHERE IS SOGEKING?!"

In the ensuing excitement, nobody had realized that the marksman never made it onto the King Bull. Panicking, Nami started to scan the nearby area to see if there was any sight of him. "That idiot! Did he fall off?! We need to go back for him!"

"No," Zoro sharply told her. "We don't have time for that. He might not realize it, but we've all gotten stronger since we set off together. That includes him. He can take care of himself. Right now, we need to focus on catching up with Luffy…"

*GWMAPT*

Fearing for his life, the fierce Sogeking looked around to find an opening in the ensuing chaos. He was presently hiding in the orange hair of one of the fallen giants (for who would think to go near one of them?) and was finding it harder and harder to slip away while the Galley-La shipwrights decimated waves upon waves of World Government and Marine stooges. Until he could find an opening, he would stay out of sight and figure out just what his next course of action would be.

"Man... these guys are intense!" the masked warrior muttered to himself as Tilestone swatted a Marine officer right by his hiding spot. Thankfully for him, he was completely knocked out.

By this point, Sokeking was beginning to understand that this was a major crossroad in his life. Regardless of how flawless his cunning disguise had been to the others, Sogeking knew that he would have to reveal that he was secretly Usopp the marksman all along. Initially, he laughed to himself at how shocked everyone would be at this startling revelation. However, the seriousness of the situation continued to compound on itself. This was not a time for childish theatrics.

This was the time to be a brave warrior of the sea.

On one hand, nobody would question if Usopp sneaked away and escaped with his life intact. He had already left the crew over their disgraceful treatment of Merry, but he knew that he would never forgive himself. On the other hand, he didn't have the strength to run away. Regardless of Luffy's stupidity, a part of Usopp wanted to return to the way things were. He wanted to keep sailing with his nakama and explore the world... or, he supposed, worlds.

His thoughts turned first to Robin. He had been wary of the former Baroque Works agent when she had stowed away on the ship, but she proved her loyalty to the Straw Hats time and time again. The only reason why any of this was happening was because she gave herself up for them. That alone was serious enough to keep Usopp in the fight. She would rather die than see harm come to them, so why wouldn't he do the same for her?

Then there was Steven. Usopp had taken an immediate liking to the boy when he first met him in Little Garden. They made each other laugh and that was something Usopp respected. He, in many ways, was a constant reminder of what he consistently strives to be: a brave warrior of the sea. Sure, Steven abhorred violence, but he never once hesitated to defend his friends when the situation called for it. In a way, Steven was a walking reminder of his own personal adventures on Little Garden and the two beings that Usopp met there: Dorry and Brogy.

Much like the being he was currently using as a hiding spot, Dorry and Brogy were giants of immense heights. The two were warrior pirates from the fabled land of Elbaf. As such, they lived and fought by a code of honor and respect. This extended even to duels between themselves, with their own personal duel that started one hundred years ago continuing even to this day, each honor-bound to fight their best against each other. The reason why they were fighting was inconsequential; all that mattered was the two warrior brothers maintaining their pride each and every day. The only time these two ever stopped was due to the machinations of Damian, Petrea, and Mr. 3. Of course, that was a sore subject when the two former Agents joined up with them, but Usopp had forgiven them and so had the giants themselves. Even after all the pain brought about by their interference, they still continued the very next day as if nothing happened.

That is what Usopp aspired to live by. Those two giants were Usopp's heroes and he considered himself fortunate to have met them. As such, he asked himself what they would do if they were in this situation.

"I'm clearly no physical match for all of these guys, so that's out. Think, Usopp! How do I blend in to get back with the guys?" the "king of the snipers" groaned to himself. "I guess I could try to sneak around in one of these Marine outfits... no, Petrea and Damian just did that! I'm sure these guys would think to look for that! Gah! I NEED AN IDEA!"

Unfortunately for Usopp, his bemoaning had the unintended side effect of waking up the giant whose hair he had currently been hiding in. The sight of the pig-nosed, round giant waking from his slumber was enough to make Usopp jump in fear. However, that initial feeling of dread vanished when he got a good look at the giant's face. He was not angry or viscous. In this moment, he was broken. Tears streamed down his face as he began to berate himself.

"Fifty years... we made it fifty years before we failed! How could we fail now when we were so close to saving our bosses?! How can we leave after disgracing Elbaf like this!"

Any thoughts of running immediately vanished upon the utterance of the word "Elbaf." "'Elbaf?!' Excuse me! Did you just say you were from the warrior village of Elbaf?!"

Noticing Usopp for the first time, the giant began to snarl. "Who the hell are you to ask about Elbaf?! Why would you care about myself and Kashi?!"

His fear momentarily returning, Usopp ignored it and stood his ground. He had become interested in Elbaf since meeting Dorry and Brogy, so this was an interesting way to learn about the people he idolized... even if the time was most inopportune. Still, at least he wasn't getting attacked, right? "I just know the stories of Elbaf, Mr..."

"Oimo," the giant sighed, his tears continuing. "It doesn't even matter anymore. It's all been for nothing! Over one hundred years ago, Kashi and I were members of the Giant Warrior Pirates until our captains began to duel while stopping on an island not too far near the entrance of the Grand Line..."

'What?' Usopp thought to himself, thinking he misunderstood what Oimo just told him.

"The crew didn't want to keep waiting around for the duel to end, so we went back to Elbaf, expecting the winner to come home. But they never came!" Oimo cried. "About fifty years ago, Kashi and I set out to find them, but were captured by the Marines. We thought that it was over for us, but they told us how they had our captains locked up in Impel Down! It made perfect sense why neither of them returned to Elbaf. So we made a deal with the Marines: we watch Enies Lobby's main gate for one hundred years and they release our captains to us. One hundred years is nothing to a giant, so we figured it was a small price to pay for our leaders... but look at this mess! Look at what you and your friends did! We failed! The gate was destroyed and now they will rot in jail for the rest of their lives!"

"'One hundred years?' 'Duel?' 'Giant Warrior Pirates?!' Wait just a second!" Usopp flipped his mask up dramatically, clearly realizing the gravity of Oimo's story. "That can't be right!"

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?! DO YOU DARE MOCK MY PRIDE!"

"No! I would never mock the pride of a brave giant as yourself! What I'm saying is that your story CAN'T be right! You said the Marines locked your captains up? How can that be true when my crew and I literally met them on our way to this island! Dorry and Brogy are still fighting their duel on Little Garden right now as we speak!"

The mention of the two giants was enough to stop Oimo's tears. "What did you say? How did you know our captains' names?"

"Because I met them! I look up to them! They are true warriors of the sea! Do you want me to tell you their weapons?! Do you want an imitation of their laughs? I can keep going! I have the proof that backs up my claim! I'm willing to bet the Marines HAD no proof when they told you that blatant lie!"

"'Lie?'" Oimo repeated in a quiet voice.

"YES! YOU'VE BEEN LIED TO! YOU'VE BEEN SHAMEFULLY USED FOR FITY YEARS!" Usopp cried out, now crying himself. These tears were genuine and heartfelt. He cried for the giants, whose dreams were manipulated. He cried for Steven, whose innocence did not deserve whatever horrible treatment he was receiving. He cried for Robin, who was made to believe she did not matter. He cried for all of those the World Government manipulates, but he did not weep, for he knew that all of those people and more would be avenged today.

Today was the day Monkey D. Luffy stormed Enies Lobby.

However, this was now the day that the giants escaped the shackles of deception and captivity. With renewed energy and effort, the two giants picked up their new friend and began a rampage toward the central courthouse. Finally finding his true courage among these brave warriors of the sea. "GO, BIG BROS! CHARGE TOWARD THE COURTHOUSE! CHARGE TOWARD OUR FRIENDS!"

*GWMAPT*

'This fool actually has power behind his punches... if not for my Rokushiki, I would actually have problems with this,' Blueno panted internally as he got up from the rubble of the former pillar of the courthouse.

He would not allow this pirate to defy the World Government and, as such, began to use his powers to their fullest extent. He used his "Moonwalk" to get close to him, but he managed to doge him. He managed to do the same to the pirate's own attack. Since he was a man made of rubber, such physical attacks were pointless.

It was time to use his own Devil Fruit powers.

Flipping toward the pirate, Blueno utilized his own door abilities to create a large door in the floor right before he would have landed on his foe. This gave the door-man a moment to catch his breath in his own little "mirror dimension." It was a void only he and anyone he trapped in his doors could access, for every door needs a place to go. He watched as the idiot became transfixed at his handiwork, giving him the chance he needed to catch him off-guard.

Moving quickly, Blueno opened a door to the natural world and opened separate, smaller doors at the 'Straw Hat's' feet. As expected, he could not fight his abilities and had no reaction other than confusion as his feet were now stuck to the doorways he opened.

"What?! How'd you do that?! Did you eat a Devil Fruit?!" he asked, seemingly confused and excited at the same time.

Perhaps he was just a fool after all.

"I ate the Door-Door Fruit. If it can separate, I can make it into a door," Blueno told the stuck man as he appeared back into reality. "Like this: Revolving Door."

Slapping the idiot in the face, he watched him begin to freak out as his eyes began to spin around his face. This gave Blueno an even further advantage by attacking him while he could not figure out which way was straight ahead. "Tempest Kick!" His kick struck him with great power as he flew into the nearest wall off of the side of the roof.

At least, he thought it was his kick at first. However, it became clear that the fool actually managed to avoid most of the strike itself, something almost unheard of. If this were any other person, he'd be dead. However, this buffoon only managed to jump back up to the roof, his face back to its regular direction.

"Wow! It stopped!" Luffy said excitedly.

The bull-man allowed himself a sigh. "Yes. Every door has to close eventually. Still, I'm impressed how you were able to dodge my 'Tempest Kick.'"

"Shishishi! It was nothing!" Luffy grinned, dropping his guard once again. This gave Blueno a chance to strike him with his "Finger Pistol."

He dodged again. Who was this kid? How did he possess this much strength and speed? How was he keeping up?

Their fight now descended into a fist fight, Blueno was finding it harder to make excuses as to why he was keeping up with him. His body was trained to physical perfection. He knew the Six Powers techniques; he could even deflect them. This made no sense... this kid's fighting prowess was incredible!

"I'm not good," he suddenly stated, much to Blueno's bewilderment. "If I stay like this, I won't be able to win. After Aokiji beat me, I realized I was going to have to get stronger for my crew. Then, when we fought Skinny-Glasses, I tapped into something that made me realize that I'm not doing enough with my powers. I have nakama who can't fight and aren't strong, so I have to be stronger for them."

"What will you do?" Blueno asked, legitimately curious.

"I'll do what I first did then and show you how I made it better. I'm doing it so I won't lose my friends... so I won't lose anybody again!" With that boast, he began to pump down into his legs, his skin starting to steam and even turn pink. What was he doing? How was he changing his body? He put his knuckle to the ground and the strength that was emanating from him was inexplicable. "You won't be able to follow me… in fact, my moves are about to go up a level. Gear Second."

After taking in the now-pink pirate, Blueno's tension relaxed a moment. "You say you've found a new level? What are you trying to pull here?"

"You know, I am glad I met you guys here. If I didn't fight you, I never would be able to get what I need to save my friends!" he grinned, preparing himself to attack.

"You just lost two of your friends today because you fought us," Blueno retorted, unable to determine his game. "I think you are just uttering nonsense now."

In response, he raised his hand and pointed it at Blueno. "GUM-GUM…" However, no attack came. It was as if he was aiming for him. It was imbecilic that he would provide such an opening, and yet here it was.

As a door-man, he would gladly take that opening.

"Shave!" Blueno called out, ready to move at fast speeds and take him out quickly. Unfortunately, his speed was outmatched by his foe's fist, which connected with even greater strength and force.

"…JET PISTOL!" he roared as Blueno crashed backwards into the wall, debris crumbling around him.

"Wha… no!" the agent spoke to himself as he tried to swipe away the smoke and debris blocking his vision. However, the pirate was already gone. 'Where is he?! Did he leave?! How am I unable to follow him?!'

And then he was punched in the face by his opponent from the left, sending him tumbling to the floor.

And again, this time with a second punch to the chest before he fully landed.

"I… I can't see him… I can't see him at all!" Blueno coughed out, blood coming from his mouth. "How…?"

This time, he made out "Straw Hat" Luffy punching toward him, which allowed him to flip back to collect his baring. Maybe this was the chance Blueno needed to regain momentum in the fight. Maybe..

"GUM-GUM STAMP!"

Blueno was on the floor again, his vison hazy and bones feeling numb after another hit to the head.

"AND SPEAR!"

When the next hit struck his back, he found the floor below him breaking and cracking, much like his own bones. Blueno could barely keep it together. This brat was nothing but a pirate while he was a member of CP9 and the secret fist of the World Government. This was unacceptable. There was no way he could keep up with the likes of Blueno's "Shave" technique… unless…

"He… he… he has been using this fight to learn our techniques… techniques only known to CP9 and the highest members of the Marines. He mastered 'Shave' after just this fight?!"

He needed time to think about this, so he created an "Air Door" as quickly as possible so he could form a plan of attack. Removing himself to his personal door pocket, he knew that there was no time to properly think. 'This brat figured out the secret to "Shave" and had achieved a peak upgrade to his abilities. I know my fighting prowess exceeds his, but I need to get the element of surprise. I need to make his body into a door and stop him from moving. That will allow me to go full strength and end this.'

Gazing into the world, he found the perfect opportunity to return and grab Monkey D. Luffy where he stood… only for him to move when Blueno rematerialized, causing him to flip back to a standing position. However, the pirate was now behind him and smiling. "When you disappeared before, I saw that you were really only moving your feet ten or twenty times a second. Thanks to you, I can do it too! Now I'll be able to use your tricks to save Robin and Steven from this place. Thank you for that."

Just like that, he threw his rubber arms behind him, stretching backwards off of the ledge of the courthouse. "GUM-GUM…"

This was it. This was the final stand to break his spirit. Blueno knew that he could handle anything that was thrown at him and send it back doubly hard. "IRON BODY!"

"…JET BAZOOKA!"

Both of his foe's punches landed directly in Blueno's strengthened chest. The former bartender did not fall but was pushed back quite a bit while remaining standing. Blueno would not allow the pirate to have that satisfaction. He knew he could keep it together and not allow the attack to affect him at all. "Man, you are tough, aren't you?" Luffy asked, standing strong and taking in his foe. "I was going to save this for later, but I have an even stronger move to show you. I call…"

However, Blueno stopped listening as the "Iron Body" gave way and the pain overtook him. Succumbing to the injuries sustained, Blueno fell forward, a broken man who had never known defeat to this level before. In his mind, he had only one thought left before the darkness overtook him:

'How?'

*GWMAPT*

The streets of Enies Lobby were drowned in pandemonium. After getting shot and blinded, Gamorrah began his own bloody rampage to assist the Straw Hats in getting to their destination: the courthouse plaza. It was almost immediately apparent that they were not the first to make it this far as above them a fight raged on: Monkey D. Luffy was attacking a bull-like man on top of the courthouse itself. Who this man was, Connie Maheswaran did not know for certain, but gathered that he was a member of CP9... presumably the bartender Blueno.

The goal at this point was to make it through the giant bridge and reach the courthouse itself: the last stop before finally reaching the main Judicial Island where Steven, Robin, and Franky were being held captive. The Franky Family were doing an admirable job stopping the hordes of Marines coming after them and were presently trying to open the drawbridge for the crew.

That didn't mean that they were out of the woods yet.

Connie has been holding her own with Rose Quartz's sword and knocking out any person who attempted to hurt her. This was not something Connie took joy in, but it was necessary to retrieve her friend. She was raised to obey the law and knew that if her father (a security guard himself) found out, he would be ashamed of her. Yet she persisted on, her convictions outweighing her guilt. While these Marines had reasons to defend themselves and convict pirates, Steven was innocent in all matters (something that even Connie admitted that Robin could not claim given her involvement in Baroque Works) and his bounty was undeserved. If they believed that he was worth being thrown in jail or worse, then she would stand up to them and fight.

With every strike of the blade, Connie was one inch closer to the crews' goal. She was constantly being observed by the watchful eyes of Zoro and Pearl, both of whom had become her teachers (or, as she thought of it, "sword parents"). In one form or another, both have experienced true conflict and battles, be they Homeworld Gems or rival pirate crews. Comparatively, this was the truest test of strength Connie had faced, and she couldn't hide the fact that she was nervous about putting her life on the line.

But when she was at her weakest, she remembered Steven and the rest was easy.

"Defensive Fracture!" Connie cried as she swung her sword into a horde of Marines, knocking them out of the way without inflicting too much in the way of threatening injuries. Observing Zoro and Pearl had showed her how to use the back of the blade to merely knock out an opponent compared to killing them, which she was not inclined to do in her life. Combined with the attacks by the Gems, Franky Family, and even Sanji (who was running behind everyone), they had knocked aside enough of their foes to progress forward.

Their path inside now cleared, the group entered the courthouse with purpose. Most of the Franky Family who had joined them had stayed in the newfound opening, using their numbers to ensure that the Straw Hats had minimal resistance to get through the large room to the roof. Others, led by the Square Sisters, splintered off to the left and right towers to open the bridge. The courthouse itself was vast and home to two large spiraling staircases, each set leading toward the roof and containing even more government officials. Toward the back in between the doors was a large judge's box that contained a large man with seemingly three heads. Connie assumed he was the sentencing judge that forced the criminals on trial to pass through the drawbridge directly behind him, which Connie gathered due to the large symbol on the door. The symbol was four circles connected by lines in a manner similar to a "plus sign." In the center was a fifth circle. If she had to guess, this was the mark of the World Government that controlled this world.

"Accused criminals!" the judge began to speak to nobody in particular, as none of the pirates or ship dismantlers were listening to him. "You stand accused of the following crimes! First: you have illegally entered Enies Lobby, a World Government controlled Island. Second: you are accused of piracy and..."

"Oh, it seems like we are being put on trial," Garnet dryly noted. "I guess we'll have to make this a hung jury."

"Forget the trial and focus! You need to get up those stairs to the roof! That's where your captain is fighting and that's your best bet to get back our Bro!" Zambai explained, pointing at the two staircases.

"That's simple enough," Pearl nodded. "What's our best course of action?"

"Don't worry about resistance," Zambai barked. "Yokozuna and the guys have got these clowns outside. The rest of us will take the charge with you. Save your strength for the coming fight."

"I don't like waiting," Zoro growled as he stuck his swords in his mouth, directly facing the crowds of Marines and agents stationed at the stairs, too astonished at the brazenness of the invaders to register a proper response. "You two with me on this?"

Connie nodded and Pearl silently materialized two staffs. In unison, the duo of Pearl and Connie slashed the literal air, sending many of their foes off-balance. "Three Blades: Graceful Hurricane!" the two shouted together.

As this was happening, Zoro began to emanate steam from his body, making it appear that his swords were bending. In an instance, Zoro began to slash and slice the falling Marines. "Charming Demon Sleepless Night Oni Giri!" Zoro yelled as he cleared an even larger path into the courthouse. This left the Marines and agents into bloody (but breathing) pulps and leaving only a few agents and the shocked judge left standing. He gave Connie and Pearl a nod and they continued their charge. "Keep it up!" Zoro called to them. "Good maneuvers!"

"Yes, Zoro!" Connie smiled, intentionally disregarding the carnage around her. The young girl was pleased to get the praise from her teacher and a sense of unity with Pearl. This was the truest test of her skills yet and while she had no want to truly fight, she would be there to defend those she loved no matter the cost.

"How did you make your body do that?!" Peridot cried out, curiosity overriding her disgust at the blood that was spattered on her feet.

"Willpower," he grinned. "Come on! The path is clear and we've got no time to lose!"

"Allow me, you shitty-idiot!" Sanji burst through, kicking the final few opponents away. "I'll clear a path for Nami-san and Petrea-chan!"

The chef motioned for all of the group to follow him. "I'll run ahead and make sure all of you get to Robin-chan. I know right now that she is just waiting for me to rescue her and then we'll get together and..."

"Hey," Genevieve interjected, pointing towards the middle of the room, away from the staircase the group were all climbing. "Zoro is running in the wrong direction again."

It was true. Zoro was charging toward the judge instead of toward the escape route. Not taking any chances, Garnet stretched her arms over to the swordsman and forced him to rejoin the proper path, swinging him past the now-fuming judge. "Can't have that," she dryly commented.

"I knew what I was doing!" Zoro growled.

"Ha!" Sanji laughed as he ran out of sight, intending to be the first to reach the top.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" the judge quickly shouted, taking the moment to jump toward the group with a giant sword. Connie was finally able to see how intimidating the man was. He had three heads (the left one with a yellow hat and rosy cheeks, the right one with a blue head covering and eye wear, and the middle head with a white beard and an ornate hat with a feather on top) and a uniform containing the symbol that Connie was now certain was representative of the World Government. "FOR YOUR CRIMES, WE SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"

Dodging the blade as it slashed into the stairs, the group prepared to take on the lumbering foe in order to progress toward their goal. However, Connie was surprised to hear Mr. Universe began to compose a beat in the air. It was a guitar riff followed by the crashing of drums. Walking forward and putting on the bravest face the girl had ever seen him.

"GREG?!" the adults shouted at once, confused as to what he was doing.

"The evidence before the court is incontrovertible! There's no need for your jury to retire!" he began to sing, the instruments clashing in the air. As this was happening, Connie's heart began to race, and she found herself ready to rush forward up the stairs to the roof... but why was her heart racing to the rhythm of the song? "In all OUR years of judging, we have never heard before of someone more deserving the full penalty of law!"

The judge observed the audacity of the musician and gaped in anger. "YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF THIS COURT?!"

"What is he doing?!" Pearl shrieked, concerned for her charge's father. "He could get killed!"

"He's manning up and buying us time!" the swordsman took the message and ran. "He'll catch up with us!"

"But his songs can't fight him!"

"Can't you feel it in your heart? Doesn't the rhythm move you?" Zambai called over, brandishing his own weapon, charging, and striking the judge to the beat of the drums. "We'll take it from here! Go save Big Bro!"

"The way you made me suffer! A grieving dad and father... it fills me with the urge to defecate!" Mr. Universe continued from the edge of the stairs as he stared down at both ally and enemy alike, power filling up the room as each member of the Franky Family was energized by his song. The group assaulted the judge into momentary submission just long enough for the rest of the main Straw Hats to focus on their journey upstairs.

Running away from the carnage downstairs and now facing even more opposition from the government agents and courthouse members, the rhythm of the song (which Connie believed was from the band Pink Floyd) continued to play as Damian and Chopper (in his human form) used their own punches to beat back their foes in sync with the singing. "Since, dear judge, you have stripped me of my fears, I sentence you to be struck down by all my peers! Tear down the judge!"

"TEAR DOWN THE JUDGE! TEAR DOWN THE JUDGE!" the Franky Family were chanting. It was something that Steven would never believe when he was freed, but Connie would only allow herself to take in the awe of Mr. Universe wielding his Devil Fruit powers in this manner when his son was there to share it with her.

"Now's your chance! Go on, music man!" Zambai called out. "Get your son back! Tear down the judge!"

"Tear down the judge!" The Franky Family were now making it impossible for Connie to hear anything else.

"Mr. Universe..." Connie worriedly spoke. She knew that the man was now rushing toward them and Connie hoped he would keep up. However, she knew stopping now to wait would mean certain death.

"I'll go back for him and make sure he doesn't have to fight anyone else!" Amethyst started charging back, seemingly thinking the same thing as Connie. "That Franky-guy is right! You can get pumped with this jam! Woo-hoo! Tear down the judge! Tear down the judge!"

The comrades in arms regarded their surroundings as they made it up the stairs. It was a narrow hallway with several doors leading to even more rooms. "So, which one is the way up?" Chopper asked, stopping momentarily to look around.

"...maybe you guys should have been following me," Zoro muttered.

"Sometimes the simplest answer is the one you don't think about," Garnet replied, turning her fists into even bigger gauntlets. "I say we punch our way up and go from there."

"But then how will we all get up there? We can't fly and not all of us can jump that far!" Nami asked, motioning to Connie and Peridot.

"We've got you covered," Petrea grinned, stepping forward. "Damian, you ready for one of our oldest tricks?"

"Of course!" the bomb-man replied. "All of you, grab ahold of our resident lightweight and I'll... oh, what now?!"

The Straw Hats now found themselves roadblocked by a muscular man. His chest was exposed, his pants had spikes on the waist, and he adorned a dark helmet. His face was contorted into unattractive grin and his giant stature allowed him to wield large ball and chain. "Guilty... guilty... guilty," the man muttered.

Pearl scoffed. "I'm assuming this your world's version of a jury? Must things always be resorted to violence here?" She then brandished her weapon and pointed it at the man. "Do your worst. We'll show you a hung jury."

"I said that already," Garnet reminded her.

"WELL, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A STATEMENT THAT IS MORE APPROPRIATE HERE!" Pearl snapped.

"You're taking too long to do anything. Colors Trap: Musical Deep Blue!" Genevieve cut in, painting the large man in a blue version of her trap. With that, the brute tried to move, but now found his movements aligning with the echoing sounds of Mr. Universe's song. "Here, he can only move to the beat. That should make it easier to follow his movements."

With that, the man now began to flail his weapon around to each shout of the echoing Franky Family, still attacking the pirates, who were able to doge the strikes. However, they were not amused. "COULDN'T YOU HAVE USED AN ATTACK TO GET HIM TO STOP FIGHTING ALL TOGETHER?!"

The painter blinked as she observed the rhymed attacks being directed at them. "Oh. I guess I got caught up in wanting to blend my technique to the music that I didn't think of that."

As the ball and chain was being thrown directly at her, the weapon was stopped by a familiar purple whip, who used her own strength to fling the chain right back at him. "Yo!" Amethyst called from behind them, Mr. Universe in tow. "You saved me another bad guy? That's so thoughtful!"

"Stop taunting him and let's get out of here!" Mr. Universe wailed, sweat beating off of his brow. "I don't know if I can keep this beat going anymore for those guys and I feel like collapsing!"

"GREG!" everybody cried out with relief.

"No time for that!" Damian shouted, picking his nose. "Nose Fancy Cannon!" He shot one of his booger bombs into the ceiling, creating a large hole in the roof. He then put his hands to the ground. "Everybody who can't do this themselves, grab Petrea's hands! We've only got one chance to do this!"

As soon as the likes of Connie, Greg, and Peridot managed to do so, Damian's body began to smoke. He stared at the fallen jury man and closed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Palm Force Explosion!"

The floor began to explode, taking the hulking man with it. As the explosion took place, Petrea shifted the weight of all that she was holding and allowed them to ride the resulting explosion through the exposed hole and to the roof itself (all while Mr. Universe and Peridot screamed in fear) The rest just allowed themselves to be propelled upwards toward the sky. Connie shut her eyes as this happened but could make out Amethyst grabbing Damian with her whip as the floor below crumbled to pieces.

They had done it. They had made it to the roof.

*GWMAPT*

'I just want this over with,' Nico Robin thought to herself as she knelt on the floor of the building, she now considered a prison. She and Franky were wrapped in chains and both were nursing bruises given to them by the fierce leader of CP9. Spandam was a madman who would ensure that Robin's last moments in life were hell. She did not wish to endure it anymore, but held on only to ensure that her friends would leave before they got killed or, if she could have any desire in the world, for them to bring Steven away from harm. He didn't deserve this like Robin did. Robin was marked for death the second Ohara fell... Steven deserved to live.

It had not been too long after the mnemosurgery when she overheard the other members of CP9 relaxing and enjoying themselves. She made out that Spandam had provided two of their number (Kaku and Kalifa) with Devil Fruits to celebrate their success. This meant that the Straw Hats would no doubt face two more ability users if they wanted to get Steven to freedom. She also overheard the one known as Nero get scolded for asking if he would be given a fruit by Lucci.

Lucci was a man who scared Robin.

However, the man who sauntered up to Robin now was not a man she was afraid of. Spandam looked absolutely gleeful in this moment. He was carrying a Den Den Mushi and was grinning from ear to ear behind his face mask. It was clear he had a purpose here and whatever it was, it was only to continue to make sure that Robin suffered more.

"Well, well. Guess what I just called about?" the madman gloated. "I just received an emergency call over on the Judicial Island. Whatever could it be about? Do you think that they killed your friends? Have our giants stopped their extra forces? Did 'Straw Hat' Luffy manage to stop more than five of our men before Blueno took care of him?"

When Robin offered no reply, Spandam held up the communication device to her face. "I think it is time for you to hear just what happens to the enemies of the World Government!"

"You are scum, do you know that?!" Franky spat out at him.

"Quiet, cretin!" Spandam snapped before triumphantly turning the receiver on. "Speak, soldier! This is about the Straw Hats, correct? Tell me how badly they fell!"

"Director, roughly seventy pirates invaded Enies Lobby!" the voice on the other end cried out. "They are decimating our men left and right! They are in the courthouse and are making their way to the bridge! As if that weren't enough, Kashi and Oimo have defected and are currently trampling any of our men that are in their way! They have started a rampage in the Central Area of the island and have made their way to the courthouse too! We've lost about two thousand men! Sir, this is the very first time in our entire history that something so devastating has occurred!"

The look on Spandam's face was something that made Robin's spirit slightly elevate. If she was allowed anything, it was the satisfaction of seeing her tormentor underestimate her crew. True, she knew that they were potentially outclassed by the likes of Lucci, but compared to the Straw Hats? The residents of Judicial Island were nothing more than cannon fodder.

With that, Spandam tried to get hold of Judge Baskerville, but was unable to connect to him. As such, he ordered a series of soldiers to his side from a nearby staircase immediately. "LISTEN UP! Your orders are to bring Frank and Nico Robin to the Gates of Justice immediately!"

"But, sir!" a man replied. "The armored convoy to bring them to Impel Down has not arrived yet!"

"THEN WE WILL WAIT FOR THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE!" Spandam barked. "The goal is to get their objectives as far away as possible! Send a message to T-Bone and those two rookies! I want that brat ready to leave for Mary Geoise posthaste! Finally, get me the remaining members of CP9 NOW!

As they began to move to their directed destinations, a powerful voice rang out everywhere from outside. "ROBIN! STEVEN! I'VE COME FOR YOU!"

'What?' Robin thought. "Luffy?"

"He made it!" Franky grinned. "I knew it!"

"Wha... wha... WHAT?!" Spandam practically fell over on himself.

"Sir!" the officer closest to the window shouted. "A man with a straw hat is yelling at us from the roof of the courthouse!"

The director froze and sweat began to drop harder down his face. He began to worriedly walk toward the window. "No... no, Blueno was supposed to handle the situation. Surely it must be him... yes, that..." However, as he got to the window, he stopped dead still. "It's him... he's pulling out meat from his pockets to taunt us! That fool is eating meat and making a mockery of... of... IS THAT LIFELESS PERSON BLUENO?!"

Still not being able to see anything from where she was chained, Robin only had Spandam's increasingly more erratic movements to go off of. He was becoming confused and angry at the same time. It was clear things were not going to plan. "But... but he knows Rokushiki... he's a member of CP9! How?! HOW DID THAT FOOL TAKE HIM DOWN?!"

"WOO-HOO! I'M FULL!" Luffy's voice echoed once again, this time causing Spandam to stumble over.

"No..." he muttered to himself.

"What are your orders?!" the frantic officers and Marines remaining in the room asked. All eyes were on the director who was now clearly seeing red.

"ASSEMBLE CP9 NOW! KILL THE STRAW HATS! REGAIN CONTROL OF MY ISLAND! AND SOMEBODY GET HOLD OF BASKERVILLE! IF THOSE PIRATES GET OVER HERE, ALL THREE OF HIS HEADS WILL ROLL!"

As everybody panicked to follow the given orders, Franky decided this was the perfect moment to get Robin's attention.

"Isn't it amazing, Nico Robin? Your friends actually did the impossible. They made it this far to get you and the kid back. You know you are allowed to be happy about this, right? You know that they broke their agreement with you? Why can't you be happy and respect what they are doing?! Why are you still so depressed?!"

The archaeologist thought about actually answering him with her own dark thoughts, thoughts of a crying Steven and a desire to end the lonely life she lived... a life that wasn't worth living anymore. However, she just looked away from him, not daring to allow anyone to dare give her positive hope anymore.

"You'd still look away from them? You'd deny them after all this scumbag has done? You'd deny that kid who called for you?! Fine. If you won't listen to that 'Straw Hat' kid, I'll make you!" And with that, Franky decided that he was going to take Robin's choice out of her hands.

And to do that, he needed to expand his derriere.

Robin could not look away as the man's butt and thighs began to swell to enormous proportions. It made absolutely no sense in any way (even for the Grand Line) and she could not figure out what his endgame was. However, this did catch the attention of Spandam and his men, who reacted with equal parts confusion, disgust, and horror at the sight before their eyes.

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING?!" Spandam shrieked.

"You said I'm being brought to the Gates of Justice, Spanda? I can't have that. I won't let you be the one to dictate how my life ends. I've decided that I'm going to go out on my own terms. When I let this one rip, it's gonna have an explosion with at least a mile wide radius so I hope that I get to take as many of you clowns around me as I can," Franky stared calmly, defiant to the end.

Before anyone could truly process his words, Franky began to count down and, as a result, all of those present in the room that could escape whimpered and bolted toward the staircase. This included Spandam, who alternated between staying until the end and running like a coward. In the end, it was just her and the man with the giant rear end.

A rear end that she was now being thrust into by the tiny legs attached to it. In one swift motion, the cyborg clutches her into his legs and refused to let her go. "Gotcha! Now stay still and we'll make it out of this yet! COUP DE BOO!"

With that, his ass erupted a mighty wind strong enough to send the duo straight out of the wall and into a fence on the outside of the building. This was a good thing to hit as they probably would have fallen to their deaths otherwise (although Robin couldn't care less either way at this point). This also had the unintended side effect of breaking Franky's chains, which allowed him to ensure that they safely landed outside on a balcony. Directly across from them was the courthouse roof…

And Monkey D. Luffy.

"You aren't hurt, right?" Franky prodded. "It's a shame I don't have any more cola. I would have used a 'Coup De Vent' to get us over to 'Straw Hat' by myself, but we can't think about that. Now if your chance to do this. Talk to him…respond to him accordingly and get to it so your can rejoin them and get back that kid before something bad happens to him again!"

Before Robin could "respond accordingly" to Franky, her (former) captain took that moment to notice them and elatedly began to shout. "HEY! ROBIN! THERE YOU ARE! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU! I SEE FRANKY THERE TOO; IS STEVEN WITH YOU?"

While the captain was speaking, Franky managed to stop several Marine officers who were coming to recapture her. This whole situation was getting out of hand. If she showed any desire to leave, her nakama would have no way of leaving this island alive. If they continued to fight the government, Steven would be fast-tracked to put on a slab somewhere to do whatever it was they wanted with him.

She would not let herself be the reason for her friends to suffer.

"I'LL JUMP OVER TO YOU! GIVE ME A SECOND! GUM-GUM…" Luffy began to announce before Robin decided to take that choice out of his hands.

"STOP!" she screamed. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T CARE IF YOU GET STEVEN BACK, BUT I PERSONALLY NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU OR YOUR CREW AGAIN!" The words were hopefully starting to sink into her simplistic captain. She knew that if she were alive and in their crew, they would never be safe from the World Government. Steven and the Gems could at least return to their Earth. Franky could continue to do whatever it was that he did.

For Robin, there was only one choice available to her and it was time for her captain to finally hear her wish: "I NEVER WANTED YOUR HELP! I NEVER WANTED YOU TO RESCUE ME! THAT BOY MAY BE FULL OF LIFE AND HE DESERVES TO BE SAVED, BUT ME? I JUST WANT TO DIE!"

That got Monkey D. Luffy to stop where he stood. The same could not be said for Franky, who began to scold the woman. However, she tuned him out. She finally said it out loud. She needed Luffy to understand that her life would only cause him pain. She could not bare to have that on her conscious. This was the end of the road for her.

Why couldn't he see it?

It took a moment before Robin realized that Franky was no longer speaking to her. HE was knocked into the ground by the available members of CP9. The only two that were not there were the mnemosurgeon or the Mink. Robin supposed that the mnemosurgeon had not yet woken from her spell but would join them eventually, no doubt with news of the Rifting Stone and Beach City. With luck, her declaration of death would be enough to keep Spandam's attention away from his memory witch and on her friends.

"CP9! YOU FINALLY MADE IT!" the madman himself chortled as he called out from the hole in the wall. "BEFORE YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR MIGHT, LET'S SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT!"

In response, the members of CP9 lined themselves in a row to observe their fallen companion and the one responsible for his defeat. "How…how did Blueno lose?" Kaku asked, staring down at the lifeless body on the roof.

"He probably grew weak after being a bartender for five years," Lucci snarled in response. "It doesn't matter. If he was too weak to take out this brat, then he deserved what came to him."

"Hey!" Jabra called to Spandam. "Do you want us to go down there and finish this already?"

"And miss out on this comedic spectacle? Please! A captain who literally went through hell to save a demon only for her to reject him? This is comedy gold!" the masked man continued to laugh manically.

Robin turned her attention away from her nearby jailers back to her captain, who finally found the ability to speak again. "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE?"

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Robin called back to him.

While Robin expected a response, she did not expect for Luffy to start picking his nose at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

If the audacity of that moment was not enough, the moment that followed it was even more audacious. From right behind the man, the rooftop burst open and from it came the form of the former Miss Valentine holding onto Greg, Connie, and Peridot. The other's quickly followed, each landing beside their captain (although Chopper managed to fall face first upon his landing. "LISTEN UP!" Monkey D. Luffy declared as the crew continued to make themselves present on the roof. "WE CAME HERE TO FREE YOU GUYS AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO! IF YOU WANT TO DIE AFTERWARDS, THEN DO IT!"

Those words began to sink in as Robin watched her friends pick themselves up. Then, with a kick, Robin made out Sanji arriving, seemingly startled to think that the likes of Zoro and the former Mr. 5 beat him to there. Were they making this a game?! Finally, the familiar scream of Usopp filled the air as he was seemingly thrown from the ground below to be there for this moment. He was still wearing that ridiculous mask and getup…which was probably cracked even more after crashing rather hard into the roof's ground.

'What is happening?!'

"ROBIN, I DON'T CARE WHAT CHOICE YOU MAKE WITH YOUR LIFE, BUT I WANT YOU TO DO IT WITH US! MAKE THAT CHOICE WITH YOUR NAKAMA!" Luffy shouted with all of his heart.

"HEY! ROBIN! I'M HERE FOR YOU! I TOLD YOU I WOULD BE!" the familiar and gently cries of Peridot now joined in. "WE ARE GOING TO RESCUE YOU, OKAY?"

"That voice…" Spandam's eyes immediately darted to the green Gem before zipping around at all of the other invaders who arrived to challenge him.

"COME BACK TO US ROBIN!" Chopper added, his cute face now pulled from the ground.

"YOU AREN'T ALONE ANYMORE!" Connie Maheswaran projected herself as much as she could. "YOU NEVER HAVE TO BE AGAIN!"

"I LOVE YOU, ROBIN-CHAN! I'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE MY SIDE!"

"WE WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL YOU ARE SAFE, ROBIN!"

"ROBIN!"

"ROBIN!"

One by one, the crew declared themselves to her and for each declaration, Robin could not fight back the tears that formed. Surely they knew she wasn't worth it? Surely they knew that she was a demon with no redeeming features?

It was here on the edge of the Tower of Justice that Nico Robin watched as the unthinkable was happening across the way on the top of the courthouse. As each of the Straw Hats joined together to stand side-by-side against the powers of CP9, Robin fought every urge to shout at them to leave once again. Regardless of everything that was occurring, there was still a small part of Robin that did not believe she was worth the aggravation or the bloodshed. She did not deserve their kindness just to save her life. There was still a small part of her that just believed that they should rescue Steven and get him to safety.

But Peridot's proclamation of friendship, Steven's declaration of love, and now this continued show of support nagged at the back of her mind. Maybe... just maybe... maybe she was allowed to hope for the best? Maybe she could hope that she could be whisked away from this hellhole?

No. She could not allow herself to do that. All through her life, Robin had been cast aside and beaten down. Any time that she dared to have hopes for the best, she had been beaten down. Even poor Steven, who stood up for her when nobody else would, was barely breathing in another room thanks to her. She did not deserve kindness. She did not deserve friendship. She just wanted to find a way to make things right by her friends and get everybody as far away from her as she could...

And then to die.

Resigning herself to die was all too easy by this point. She had been preparing for this moment since two nights prior. Yes, her faith in life had momentarily been restored by her friends, but it faded as quickly as it had came. It was far easier to repress the feeling of elation Peridot's verbal threats had given her than to remain optimistic when Steven told her he loved her. It was far easier to ignore the cyborg's constant reminders that she was wanted than to rally up strength after watching Steven's limp body getting mentally probed and desecrated right in front of her eyes.

And yet she could not ignore it now. There they all were: from Monkey D. Luffy to Greg Universe, all of them were lining up. All of them looked beaten up and worn out. However, Robin could tell that it did not matter to them. Robin was ignoring feelings and memories to keep her walking towards death.

The Straw Hats were ignoring their pain to keep them walking toward Steven... and her.

"ROBIN, LEAVE EVERYTHING TO US!" Monkey D. Luffy ordered, staring down the killers across from them. Each member of the crew did the same, united in their cause.

The archaeologist could see that the presence of such a large amount of pirates was intriguing the assassins as they regarded the group. "They are crazy," Nero gulped. "How did they get this far?"

"They have damn luck on their side," Jabra grinned. "I'm hoping to get a good fight out of this."

"If they are choosing this path, we no longer have to hold back. We now have permission to kill them all," Lucci stated.

"That means we don't have to slow ourselves down and hold back. I am excited to see what my new powers can do," Kaku allowed himself to smile.

"Chapapa… You mean besides look ridiculous?"

"Shut up! I look cool."

"CP9!" Spandam's voice now called out, making his way to the balcony where they all were congregated. "I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO KILL THESE FOOLISH PIRATES BUT LEAVE ME THE GEMS AND DO IT AT THE TOWER OF JUSTICE!" He then turned to address her former crew, laughing as he did so. "DO YOU FOOLS REALIZE THAT ALL OF THIS WAS FOR NOTHING? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION?!"

Spandam then pulled out the thing Nico Robin was dreading more than anything on this planet. He displayed the Golden Den Den Mushi for all to see, like a toddler lording over his playmates for having a better toy. "WE HAVE THE FEROCITY OF CP9! WE HAVE THE UNMOVABLE GATES OF JUSTICE! I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TRIGGER A BUSTER CALL AND WIPE YOUR PATHETIC CREW FROM EXISTENCE AS IF YOU WERE NEVER EVEN THERE TO BEGIN WITH!" He noticed Robin's concerned look on her face and smugly put it in front of her. "Yes, Nico Robin! You know exactly what this is! Twenty years ago, this device was used to wipe 'Ohara' from the maps as if they never existed! THIS IS THE POWER I POSSESS!"

"'Ohara?'" Robin could hear Connie and Greg speak in unison.

"SHITTY MASKED IDIOT!" Sanji snarled, smoke from his cigarette getting more intense.

"YOU MONSTER!" Garnet screamed over at them. "WE KNOW THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER THAT YOU HOLD AND WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HELD IT OVER NICO ROBIN'S HEAD! YOU TRULY ARE VILE TO WISH TO REPLICATE THAT HERE!"

"STOP!" Robin begged to everyone. "DON'T PROVOKE HIM! PLEASE, DON'T DO IT!"

"My, what a response!" Spandam lorded over her. "Whatever could have provoked such an outcry? Should I press it? Do you want me to do it? You know you deserve it for the crimes of your people!"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT A BUSTER CALL ACTUALLY DOES?!"

"Oh, yes… YOUR CHANCES OF LEAVING ALIVE WILL BE ZERO ALL WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON!"

"NO! IT'S MORE THAN THAT! IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE!" Robin continued to beg and plead, hoping to reason with him at all.

The director of CP9 glared at her with contempt and snarled. "YOU DARE GET CHEEKY WITH ME?!"

"YOU SAID OHARA WAS ERASED FROM THE MAP, BUT DO MAPS SHOW PEOPLE? DO MAPS SHOW INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN? HOW CAN YOU BE SO CRUEL AS TO LOOK AT THE WORLD LIKE THAT AND NOT THINK OF THE PEOPLE?!" The archaeologist fell even further to the floor after this outburst, barley having strength left and tears forming once more. "If you summon a Buster Call, you'll die too. They will kill everyone on this island regardless of their affiliation or agenda. If you are here, you are dead."

"What are you talking about? How could we be attacked by our own allies?" Spandam snorted in disbelief.

Picking herself up slightly, she couldn't even face him. She did not yell, but she said what she needed to say loud enough for all to hear. "Twenty years ago, one attack from the Buster Call was enough to take everything away from me. They killed my mother, my mentor, my archeologist companions… Admiral Aokiji even killed Jaguar D. Saul, my only friend and former Vice Admiral. And for what? For daring to learn about the Void Century? That doesn't explain the civilians who were trying to flee or the Marines who were escorting them! Admiral Akainu did not discriminate that day… why would it be different today?"

This time she directed her full attention toward her friends, all of whom had their own lives to live that should not involve her. "You have now aimed this weapon at my friends… friends I have waited my whole life for. THE MORE I WANT TO BE WITH YOU, THE MORE I KNOW MY PRESENCE WILL HURT YOU! I AM AN ENEMY OF THE WORLD AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN EVER ESCAPE FROM. EVEN IF I WERE TO GO WITH YOU AND ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE, THEY WOULD NEVER STOP LOOKING FOR ME!"

She now found the strength to stand up and cry out to them. This was it: the final chance to cut the tether holding them together. If she did this, they would be free of her at last. "I HAVE GOTTEN YOU INVOLVED WITH CP9 AND ADMIRAL AOKIJI… THIS CAN'T LAST FOREVER! I AM A BURDEN TO YOU ALL AND I CAN'T SEE YOU SUFFER ANY MORE! I CAN'T LOOK AT YOU WITHOUT KNOWING THAT I'LL BE BETRAYED AGAIN JUST LIKE THE PAST TWENTY YEARS OF MY LIFE! PLEASE, GET THE BOY OUT OF HERE, BUT FORGET ABOUT ME! I JUST WANT TO DIE HERE AND SAVE YOU FROM THIS HORROR!"

The courthouse was momentarily silent before the laughter from Spandam returned. He was enjoying her pain and torment even more now that there was an audience to view it. It sickened her, but she endured for her friends' sake.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING, YOU CLOD?! WHAT IS SO FUNNY?!" Peridot fearlessly screeched at him from her position.

"IT'S BECAUSE SHE IS SO TRUE! OF COURSE SHE IS A BURDEN! DO YOU NOW KNOW WHO SHE DARED TO TAKE ON?! IT'S SYMBOL IS UP THERE ON THAT FLAG!" Spandam pointed at a lone flag high above him at the top of the building. On it was the five-circled emblem of the World Government. "THIS SYMBOL REPRESENTS THE UNITY OF OVER ONE-HUNDRED-AND-SEVENTY NATIONS IN THE FOUR SEAS AND THE WHOLE OF THE GRAND LINE! DO YOU NOW SEE HOW SMALL AND PUNY YOU ARE COMPARED TO US? DO YOU NOW UNDERSTAND JUST WHO SHE MADE AN ENEMY OF?!"

Luffy was calm with his response, and it took Robin back. "Yes. I understand very well who Robin's enemy is and I know what to do. Sogeking…" he said, looking over to Usopp. "Shoot down that flag."

What? What did he just say?

"Roger," Usopp replied, no hint of his usual cowardice in his voice. He pulled out a giant slingshot staff and aimed it directly at the flag above. "This is my new weapon: a giant slingshot by the name of 'Kabuto!' Behold its awesome power! SPECIAL ATTACK: FIREBIRD STAR!"

In a ball of light that overtook the eternally day island, a phoenix of a fireball decimated the flag representing the World Government. Every eye on the island, be they pirate or Marine, were watching the spectacle take place, for Robin and all of them knew exactly what Luffy had just done.

And he did it for her? 'No… no, that can't be…'

"YOU IDIOTS! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE JUST DONE WITH THAT ACTION?! YOU FOOLS ARE GOING TO DIE BY DECLARING WAR ON THE WORLD GOVERNMENT! YOU WILL NEVER SURVIVE HAVING THEM AS AN ENEMY!" Spandam shouted, unable to understand just WHY Luffy would do such a thing. However, it was clearer that he was not expecting his response either.

"BRING THEM ON!" Luffy roared triumphantly. Then Robin locked eyes with her captain and he directed his words toward her now. "ROBIN! I HAVEN'T HEARD YOU SAY IT YET! SAY IT! SAY THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

"Live…?" Robin repeated to herself. Such a foolish notion. Why would she deserve to live after the endless years of betrayals and hardships? Why would she allow herself something like that after being told that her existence was a crime? She couldn't have that hope anymore… but then the worlds of her oldest friend rang in her mind:

"The sea is a vast place, Robin… I guarantee that someday you will find friends who will never leave you."

Now she had these new friends right in front of her… the ones who were willing to put their lives on the line…

"Believe in Luffy."

…and the one not present who needed her too.

"I love you, Robin!"

With all of that in mind, Robin allowed herself to declare her own secret desire and wish. "I…"

"I WANT TO LIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU! TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE!" Robin bawled, the weight off of her chest. She would live to see her friends free and safe from this island. She would help the Gems with the Cluster. She would find the answers behind the Void Century. She would see her captain be crowned the pirate king. All she needed was something she never knew before: her freedom.

In reply, Monkey D. Luffy cracked his knuckles and smiled. "Then let's go."