Top Floor, Tower of Law
Franky sobbed, rubbing his wet eyes and rolling on the floor. "I like you guys. Darn it!"
Below the Straw Hats, the drawbridge was being lowered.
"Gya! Stay away!" Spandam squealed. Then grabbed Robin's arms and pulled her away from the balcony. An explosion halted the bridge's descent, causing it to open halfway. "Idiot, pirates! We have the CP9 assassination squad. There is no chance that Nico Robin, who is from the island of scholars who conspired the revival of an ancient weapon and Cutty Flam, the one who inherited the blueprints of the ancient weapon that could harbor the destruction of this world. There is no way I'll allow such horrible criminals to escape my grasp. My heroism will be remembered through time!"
'Is that so? These detestable blueprints have already caused so much trouble,' Franky thought as he jumped to his feet.
"What is it, Cutty Flam?"
Franky revealed the real blueprints of the ancient weapon, Pluton which were concealed inside of his cyborg body.
"Is that? The real blueprints of the ancient weapon?" Spandam asked.
"The real deal. Here, Lucci and Kaku, check if you want," Franky replied, flipping through the pages for them to see with their own eyes. Shock and amazement shined through their eyes, not understanding why Tom or even Iceberg would trust someone like Franky with the real blueprints of such a dangerous weapon. "You guys should be able to confirm."
"You had it hidden inside that ridiculous body of yours," said Kaku.
Spandam stomped his foot. "Those blueprints will advance my career! Hand them over to me right now!"
'It's time for me to make a decision as well.'
"Nico Robin, I've spent little time in captivity with you, however, I am aware of one fact," Franky said, earning her attention and silencing Spandam's tantrum. "You are no demon nor are you planning to use the ancient weapon for malicious intent. And, as a shipwright and disciple of Tom, I have been entrusted with these blueprints to make sure they don't fall in power hungry hands."
"Give them to me!" Spandam shouted.
Franky held the thin old pieces of paper in front of him. "If the ancient weapon falls into yours or the World Government's hands, I am confident only another weapon will be needed to stop it. To stop, you! And with Nico Robin around, that possibility will only be higher, however she is in better hands now. People are willing to call her a friend and protect her. I will place a bet on their friendship."
"What are you babbling about?! You know absolutely nothing!"
"There is only one thing left for me to do." Franky's mouth swelled and then scorching fire blew out from his lips. The ancient weapon, Pluton's blueprints caught on fire and burned to ash.
Spandam released his grip on Nico Robin, stomping around. "Idiot! I will kill you!"
'Tom, this is what you would have wanted,' Franky thought as the ashes floated in the wind.
"Our five year mission…" Kalifa uttered in disbelief.
"It seems you really will die here, no matter what, Cutty Flam," Spandam threatened.
"As the last shipwright to receive these blueprints, my mission is complete," Franky announced, slamming his arms together to form the tattooed star. "Super!"
"Big Bro, Franky!" A cacophony of people shouting his name.
He heard his name being called by familiar voices down below in the Courthouse. His subordinates. No, his family. They all came this way to save him. He couldn't stop the overflowing emotions from pouring out due to their loyal support.
"You guys," He hiccuped from crying. "Who asked you to come save me?"
"We are the Franky Family, of course we are here," Zambia shouted loud enough for him to hear and feel. "Just–"
"Shut up!" Luffy interrupted. His eyes narrowed in anger. "We don't have time for this, Robin needs our help. Hurry and lower the bridge."
"Right!" Zambia answered.
"Luffy!" Franky called out, stepping closer to the edge of the building. "It seems you have taken charge of my men and brought them here safely. I commend you and will show you their full might, now that I, Franky is he–"
Two palms pressed at his back, the force pushed him over the edge. A free fall down into the bottom of the ocean.
"How dare you destroy my blueprints!" Spandam yelled.
As Franky plummeted to his death, the sound of an engine filled his ears. Facing the noise, a familiar face smiled back at him, racing straight for him. All while the Straw Hats jumped off the building.
"Rocketman! What are you… Wait a minute!" The flying sea train, Rocketman, crashed into his chest as the Straw Hats landed on the Sea Train and broke the wall into the lowest section of the Tower of Law.
Disoriented and covered in broken rubble, Franky climbed to his feet.
He shuffled backwards on his feet, jumped and somersaulted in the air. After he landed, he slapped his forearms together, creating the image of a star with the tattoos. "Super!!"
'A great recovery.'
After noticing the damaged condition of the sea train, he worried for the health of the pirates, Old Lady Kokoro, and Chimney and her pet, Gonbe. He called out for each of them but there was no response.
A second later, the Old Lady, Chimney, and cat friend Gonbe climbed from the rubble. Each of them had a bloody nose.
"We are perfectly fine!"
Franky gawked, pointing at their bloody faces. "No, you're not!"
"Alright! Let's save, Robin!" Luffy bursted out from piles of broken cement. "Stop sleeping, guys. We have to hurry."
'I think they might be dead.'
As Franky had that thought, the rest of the Straw Hat crew lifted themselves free from the debris. "We are regular humans! We can't just bounce back like nothing happened."
"Looks like everyone is okay," Luffy ignored them, searching for a way up the tower.
"None of you guys are human," muttered Franky.
"There's the stairway!" Luffy dashed.
"Hold it!" A high pitched voice came from above them. They all followed the sound of the voice, a large and round person with a zipper for a mouth clung onto the corners of the ceiling. "Cha pa pa. Congratulations, you finally made it. However, I have bad news. Nico Robin is no longer in the previous room. Lucci is taking her to the Gates of Justice!"
"What the hell is that thing!" Luffy said.
"I don't know. Sir, do you want me to shoot it?" Sogeking asked.
"Hey," the creepy round guy waved his hand for their attention. "I have information to tell you regarding Nico Robin. If you want to save her then you must go through us, we of the CP9 have been ordered to kill you all! But there's more…"
"Okay! What is it?" Franky asked. 'This guy sure loves to talk.'
He pulled out a key. "Take a look, each member of CP9 will be carrying one of these keys and one of them will be the key to unlock Nico Robin's sea prism handcuffs."
"That's why she wasn't able to use her powers," stated Nami.
"Give me that key!" Luffy's rubber fist fired at the CP9 agent. The fist crashed into rock as the large person somehow managed to vanish from Franky's sight. Luffy smacked his lips. "He can use that technique too."
The large and strange guy landed on the ground. "We all do."
Zoro unsheathed a sword, smiling. "So all we got to do is kill each member and steal their key. Sounds fun."
"Cha pa pa pa." he laughed, kicking the ground and then eventually the air.
"No, first is getting Robin back, we can worry about the keys after," said Nami.
"Alright!" Luffy sprinted toward the stairs but Zoro grabbed onto the side of his mouth and the rubber man stretched.
"Cha pa pa pa. Are you sure about that? If you don't hurry, we will toss the keys into the sea," the round guy warned.
"Wait, Luffy! We need to come up with a plan first," pleaded Zoro.
Sanji turned toward Franky. "Pigeon guy is Rob Lucci, right?"
"Yeah, he is incredibly strong," answered Franky.
"Okay, Zoro?" Sanji called out. "Let him go and get Robin back, we will deal with the keys. Not only is this a battle against the five CP9 members but time. Every defeat we suffer is time lost which we do not have if we want to save Robin. Everyone, win even if it kills you!"
"Yeah!" They all cheered simultaneously.
Luffy shouted as he was released, "Robin!"
The Straw Hats dispersed, each taking a different route and floor to search for a member of the CP9.
Franky ran alone through the confusing inner machinations of the second floor of the Tower of Law. He opened a door into a random room, storage.
'Shit. I need cola before my next fight. Where is the kitchen?' He continued his search, running down a hall until the floor beneath collapsed as a person punched through it. It was the large round guy from earlier.
"Cha pa pa pa. My name is Fukuro The Silent, lover of gossip. Do you want the key?"
'Can I really get the key without a fight?'
"Sure," Franky approached Fukuro without any malicious intent. He extended out his hand to accept the key. "If you are going to hand it over, I'll take it."
Fukuro reached inside of his pocket but his hand disappeared from Franky's vision as the man's fist crushed into his jaw, sending him crashing into the wall.
"You idiot! Why would I simply hand over the key without a fight," ridiculed Fukuro.
With crumble rocks piled on top of him, Franky whispered. "You're right, I'm a fool."
—On The Fifth Floor…
Zoro entered a fancy office, there was a chair placed at the center of the room. The squared nose, Kaku sat in it patiently waiting.
The Tower of Law violently shook. 'What the hell is going on?!'
"Someone's in a hurry," Kaku said, his arms folded. "Your swords are already drawn. Patience is key in a sword fight. Or your scared Straw Hat Luffy has already suffered defeat to Lucci?"
"Only when I feel threatened," Zoro unsheathed his last sword, placing the handle in his mouth and securing it in place. "I plan on making this quick. Hand over Robin's key, if you do, I might spare your life."
Kaku rose from his seat, from the side of the chair hidden from Zoro, he pulled out two blades. "Interesting, it wasn't so long ago Lucci and I sent you bleeding and swimming at the bottom of the ocean."
"Two sword style," replied Zoro.
Kaku fell back onto the swords, using them as a crutch. He remained upright but swung both of his legs. "TEMPEST KICK!"
Two slashes flew directly at Zoro. He formed an X with his blades but the force of Kaku's slashes pushed him back till he redirected the slashes toward the corners of the office. The slashes cut the walls, furniture, and whatever else was in the room causing debris to fall.
"You're mistaken, it's four swords actually." Kaku flashed a cocky grin and Zoro reciprocated the action.
The two charged at each other, halfway to closing the distance, Kaku leapt into the air. He swung a leg, sending a flying slash toward Zoro who kept his momentum and cut through the attack.
Kaku spun again, sending another flying slash. This time, Zoro dashed to the side, dodging the attack and readjusted the sword's handles. His feet cut inward, driving low to the ground and swung all three blades.
Their blades clashed at the center. Kaku retreated, not because of losing the battle of strength but to change tactics. He leapt to the air with a backflip.
"TEMPEST…"
Zoro flexed his muscles, focusing his power in one sword. "72 POUND…"
"KICK!"
"PHOENIX CANNON!"
Their attacks canceled each other out, creating a gust of piercing wind, slightly pushing Zoro backward. A forearm to protect himself from the blinding attacks.
"SORU!"
Kaku vanished into Zoro's blind spots.
Zoro predicted his enemy's movement by stabbing the floor with one of his blades, blocking Kaku's two bladed strike. He spun away to put some protective distance between the two but Zoro wasn't done. He went on the offensive, slightly jumping into the air and sliced at the man's head. Kaku ducked as Zoro's momentum carried him past.
Kaku's back hit the floor and he spun sending out multi direction kick slashes which Zoro swatted away with ease.
Zoro aimed the point of his blade at Kaku who returned to his feet.
He whistled. "Man, this is getting fun."
"I'm not here to play around," replied Zoro.
"You should learn to have a little fun," Kaku retorted as his shoulders sank and then disappeared. His neck got spindly and long, his square nose morphed into a black crooked beak. "I hope you don't come to regret your haste, because now I'm getting serious."
Zoro's sword fell from his mouth as he stood in shock as the transformation occurred in front of him. An absurd Zoan transformation.
Kaku stood on one pink leg, feather wings folded inside of himself, a long looping neck holding his tiny head. A large pointy beak moved up and down as he spoke. "This is my new power from eating the Flamingo Zoan Fruit, I'm a Flamingo Man."
Zoro sheathed both swords, clasping his hands together. The corners of his mouth twitched.
'Don't laugh, Zoro. I am an honorable fighter. I will not laugh in the face of the enemy.'
As his gaze returned to the pink feathered Kaku. His lips made a sound as he tried holding back his laughter. 'Don't laugh.'