Enies Lobby.
Amidst the rubble and ruins, Kalifa's original clothing had long been torn to shreds during her battle with Nami. She could only wrap herself haphazardly in something resembling a bedsheet, looking utterly disheveled.
"Cough..." Kaku leaned against a broken stone pillar, gasping for breath. The wound on his chest, slashed open by Zoro, continued to bleed as he spoke intermittently: "You heard... the announcement. They said we... 'defected after mission failure.'"
"That bastard Spandam pushed all the blame onto us." Jabura spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, seething with indignation: "Just now in the lower passage, two guards opened fire the moment they saw me. These worthless fools who can't even distinguish between CP and the Marines sure know how to claim credit using us."
"To think... even Lucci failed." Kumadori clasped his hands together, his deep voice carrying an unbelievable weight.
These words silenced everyone. CP9's pride had never been about "never failing," but about "never being defeated by anyone other than their comrades." Yet now, even the once-in-a-century genius had become a stepping stone for the Straw Hat Kid.
"Chaba baba... Stop standing around!" Fukurou helped Kalifa up while cautiously scanning their surroundings: "The Marines' cleanup squad is already hunting us. If we don't leave now, we won't get another chance."
"Leave?" Kalifa jerked her head up, not even bothering as a corner of the linen sheet slipped off her shoulder: "What about Lucci? We have to take him with us!"
"Are you insane?" Jabura frowned, wincing as his wound pulled when he tried to step forward: "We don't even know where he is now. The last time we saw him, the Straw Hat Kid blasted him onto a Marine patrol ship. That place is swarming with Marines right now. Charging over in our current state would be walking right into a trap."
"But..." Kalifa bit her lip, her gaze fixed on the sea where the flames burned brightest in the distance: "He's Lucci."
Those five simple words instantly silenced the group. Rob Lucci wasn't just an ordinary comrade—he was the leader who had guided them from the training camp all the way to the pinnacle of CP9, the very embodiment of "strongest" in their eyes.
"Blueno." Kaku suddenly spoke, slowly straightening up while leaning on the pillar: "Can your Door-Door Fruit open a path to that patrol ship?"
"It... requires precise positioning." Blueno leaned against the wall, his voice weak: "If I can sense Lucci's presence... I might be able to open a portal, but it would only last for a moment..."
"That's enough." Jabura clenched his fist, blood seeping through his fingers as he gritted his teeth: "I'll go bring him back. You all guard the entrance here. As long as we can get Lucci through the portal, we'll have succeeded."
"I'm going with you." Kalifa immediately declared, tightening the sheet around herself.
"Over there! The CP9 traitors are over there!" Just then, orderly footsteps echoed from the distance. The crisp sound of military boots stepping on broken glass was particularly piercing, mingled with the Marines' shouts, making the CP9 members tense up instantly and assume defensive stances almost simultaneously.
With a loud crash, the pile of rubble at the street corner was kicked aside. Over thirty Marine soldiers charged in with rifles raised, their muzzles uniformly aimed at the figures in the ruins. The leading Marine captain brandished his weapon and shouted sharply: "CP9 traitors! Surrender immediately and cease resistance!"
Kalifa's eyes sharpened. CP9 knew too many secrets—the World Government would never let them live to talk. Rather than being taken back to Marineford for torture, it was better to fight to the death here.
"No need for more words," Kaku murmured quietly, his fingers subtly resting on his sword hilt. "Let's end this quickly. Don't delay Blueno from opening the door."
"Tch, looks like we've stumbled upon quite a show."
Jabura licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his body coiling like a beast ready to strike. Just as his sharp claws gleamed coldly, a lazy voice suddenly came from above. Everyone instinctively looked up and saw a figure descending through the thick smoke, supported by a faint red Flame Cloud, the tassel on his waist swaying gently with the movement.
The CP9 members' pupils constricted sharply—it was the Seven Warlord, Ryan.
Ryan's gaze first swept over the Marines aiming their guns, then settled on the surrounded CP9 members, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. "The World Government's 'loyal dogs'—discarded by your master so soon?"
"Lord Seven Warlord!" The Marine captain in charge broke into a cold sweat instantly, his grip on the gun loosening slightly as his voice carried clear apprehension. "This... this is a dispute between the Marines and traitors. According to regulations, you shouldn't..."
"Regulations?" Ryan scoffed, the Flame Cloud suddenly sinking half a foot, the resulting gust of wind whipping the Marines' coats wildly. "My regulation is that whenever I see something interesting, I have to join in the fun."
With that, Ryan's eyes shifted to the captain. Though there wasn't a hint of malice in his gaze, the captain's Adam's apple bobbed nervously. "What? Are you going to tell me what to do?"
The captain's face instantly turned pale, and he hurriedly lowered the muzzle of his gun.
Only then did Ryan withdraw his gaze, his eyes landing on Kalifa. The linen sheet wrapped around her barely covered her vital areas, her soaked blond hair clung to the side of her neck, and her usually immaculate secretary makeup was now smudged, yet it only accentuated the stubbornness in her eyes. The crisp suit she once wore at Galley-La Company was long gone, and her current disheveled state formed a stark contrast to her former efficient appearance.
Kalifa stiffened under his blatant scrutiny, instinctively tightening the sheet around her, her gaze instantly turning cold. Jabura growled, "Don't try anything funny!" while Kaku rested a hand on his sword, watching Ryan warily.
"Your situation isn't looking good," Ryan remarked lightly as he landed in front of Kalifa, a faint smile on his lips. "Hunted by the Marines, abandoned by the World Government—where will you run?"
"My situation is none of your concern," Kalifa retorted, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. Her voice didn't waver in the slightest; instead, it carried a deliberate coldness.
"How about a deal?" Ryan's eyes lingered on Kalifa as he tapped his fingers lightly on his sword hilt, then abruptly changed the subject. "I'll ensure your safe escape from Enies Lobby, and I can even find a place for you to recover from your injuries."
"You expect us to believe you're that kind?" Jabura laughed in bitter anger.
"Of course, there's a price," Ryan replied, his gaze drifting meaningfully over Kalifa, a thinly veiled amusement in his smile.
"We don't need a deal," Fukurou's "zabaza" sounds grew rapid, and Kaku stepped forward, positioning himself protectively beside Kalifa.
"Are you sure?" Ryan looked over the group, all battered and wounded, his tone teasing. "In your current state, do you really think you can escape smoothly? And even if you do, how will you avoid being pursued by the World Government?"
Kalifa instantly clenched her fists. The other party's gaze made her stomach churn—she knew all too well what that look meant. It was undisguised possessiveness. But in just a moment, her expression turned resolute.
"Fine, I accept your deal."
"Kalifa, have you lost your mind!" Jabura roared.
"Shut up." Kalifa cut him off, her eyes fixed intently on Ryan. Beneath the sheets, her body trembled slightly, yet her spine remained ramrod straight. "I agree to your terms, on the condition that you guarantee the safety of all of us and provide immediate medical treatment."
Given their current injuries, breaking through the encirclement was out of the question—they likely couldn't even make it out of the ruins of Enies Lobby. Even if they miraculously escaped, the World Government's pursuers would cling to them like maggots to bone. If captured by the Marines, Lucci would be publicly executed, while the others would endure endless torment under the tortures of Impel Down.
What was worse was the man before them. As one of the Seven Warlords, if he truly intended to kill, they wouldn't stand a chance to resist.
"You're more pragmatic than I expected."
Ryan wore that teasing smile of his, lightly tapping his fingers on the hilt of his sword. He mused inwardly that CP9 truly embodied the demeanor of elite agents—"calm pragmatism." At critical moments, they could suppress their emotions, trading the smallest price for the greatest chance of survival.
"I have no choice, do I?" Kalifa met his gaze coldly. "But if you dare play tricks, I'll drag you down to hell with me."
"Of course." Ryan stepped forward, unabashedly wrapping an arm around Kalifa's waist as he chuckled. "I'm a man of my word."
Kalifa's body stiffened abruptly, her nails digging deep into her palms. Yet she bit her lip and offered no resistance. Jabura trembled with rage, about to charge forward, but Kaku pressed a hand on his shoulder. The swordsman watched Kalifa's back, his gaze complex.
They were all people who had crawled through the darkness—how could they not understand the weight behind this compromise? If they charged recklessly, they would all die, rendering Kalifa's sacrifice a mockery. As agents, compromise, endurance, and even sacrifice were the norm.
"Lord Ryan!" The Marine lieutenant finally snapped out of his shock, raising his gun to point at the CP9 members. "They're wanted traitors of the World Government! They're criminals!"
"From now on, they're under my protection." Ryan glanced sidelong at him, his arm still wrapped around Kalifa, and lifted his chin with a derisive laugh. "Dare to pull that trigger on them, and see what happens."
The lieutenant's face instantly flushed beet red. The surrounding soldiers froze in place, exchanging uneasy glances, their hands gripping their rifles trembling violently, not daring to move.
Though the Seven Warlords were nominally subordinate to the World Government, they enjoyed near-"extraterritorial" immunity. Not only could they shelter a few "traitors," but even if Ryan killed this lieutenant on the spot, Marine Headquarters would likely let it slide.
"What? Don't understand human language?" Ryan's eyes turned cold.
The lieutenant abruptly lowered his head, sweat beading on his forehead. "I... I understand!"
Only then did Ryan curl his lips in satisfaction. He ordered the Marine lieutenant, "Immediately arrange for a medical team to be dispatched. Give them the best treatment available."
"Hurry! Call the medical team! Bring the best medicines!" The Marine soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, until finally the lieutenant gritted his teeth and gave the order. Only then did the soldiers scatter like pardoned men, rushing out of the ruins to find the medical squad.
They had no right to defy the orders of a Seven Warlord. The privileges of the Seven Warlords were displayed here in their entirety—this was the pirate world where the strong reigned supreme.
"See? All settled." Ryan looked down at Kalifa in his arms, his smile growing even more teasing as he pointed toward a relatively intact building nearby. "As for you... your injuries aren't light either. I'll treat you personally."
Without waiting for Kalifa's response, he wrapped his arm around her and turned toward the building, leaving behind the complicated gazes of CP9 and the terrified silence of the Marine soldiers.