All That Glitters (One Piece\Zolo) 135

Quick Recap: You finally joined up w/Sanji and Franky when they confronted CP9. Sogeking created a distraction, allowing you to disconnect the cars. But CP9 pulled you back and tried to take Robin back, so Franky threw himself at them to give you time. Blueno used his Devil Fruit to take Robin back, and you explained how Robin's home was destroyed by the Buster Call.
START THE QUIZ (be sure to read the memo)
The weather seemed to slack off a little as the storm passed you. Though it was still dark, the rain eventually subsided and the waves calmed a little. You couldn't help noticing this, since all you could really do at the moment was watch the weather. No longer attached to the train, you weren't moving in either direction. You were stuck in the same spot on the tracks, hoping it wouldn't be too long before Luffy and the others came through. Needless to say, you were quite anxious to join up with your crew again. And you'd been none too happy when you learned that Sanji'd had a baby snail phone earlier to communicate with Nami, but he broke it in anger when Nami told him about Robin's true motivation. But given the tense situation, all the cook suffered was a tired, disapproving look.
A weary, defeated silence stretch over the car, until you just faintly picked up a noise. Leaning closer to the gaping hole Franky knocked out of the front of the car, you strained your ears. It definitely sounded like something quickly making its way through the sea, but it didn't sound mechanical. "Do you guys hear that?" you asked.
Sanji and Sogeking glanced at you before staring towards the ceiling, listening intently. Sanji's eyes narrowed. "Yeah..." he answered hesitantly. It definitely sounded like something swimming through the water. "What is it?"
The three of you exchanged an unsure but hopeful glance before you all rushed to the back of the third car (Sanji, Franky and Sogeking had already disconnected the caboose prior to the big scene). Swinging the door open, the three of you crowded into the tiny doorway to see what it was. It wasn't too hard to spot a... ship heading right for you. Well, calling it a ship gave it too much credit. It looked more like a hastily assembled house with cannons attached to it sitting in a boat with two enormous bulls pulling it. The two bulls looked just like the yagara back in Water Seven, only they had spikey manes and were much, much bigger. They could probably swallow you whole. One was solid yellow and the other was pink with purple stripes. Given that the man at the bull rental shop told you there were only three kinds and that the King species were the biggest, you assumed these were Kings.
"What is that!?" Sanji gasped as the ship got closer.
You spotted the stars painted on the house and the word "FANKY" (presumably "FRANKY" misspelled). "It's the Frankies!" you answered, surprising even yourself with how excited you were to see the thugs. But Sogeking had told you Luffy and the others had joined with the Franky Family, so it looked like they'd finally caught up.
"Yeah, but where's the sea train they're supposed to be on?" Sogeking asked. That was a very good question, and one you didn't have an answer for at the moment.
The ship had obviously spotted you already and was making a bee-line for you. As they got closer, you could see there were a lot of men aboard. Probably the entire Franky Family. "There they are!!" you could hear someone shout. "Sodom! Gomorrah! Slow down!!" You couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the names of the two bulls. If you were going to name an animal, it certainly wouldn't be after the two most wicked cities in the Old Testament that God rained fire down on to destroy. Just seemed like bad luck...
The bulls came to a surprisingly fast stop, though the wake they created did toss your cars around a little bit. One of the larger men peered down at you suspiciously and demanded in a gruff voice, "Are you guys with the Straw Hat Crew?"
"That's right," Sanji replied.
A cheer went out among the men. "Woo-hoo!! We finally caught up with them!!"
"Where's our bro, Franky?" another asked. His eyes shifted to you and he mumbled, "You don't look like that chick in the wanted poster."
"I'm not Nico Robin," you replied, a little miffed. You didn't look anything like Robin, so how could they mistake you for her? Growing increasingly impatient to be on your way again, and a little concerned with the lack of your crew, you took charge of the situation. "We don't have time to stand around and talk. We'll talk on the way. Where's Luffy?"
"He's not here."
"What!?" the three of you snapped. Then where was he?
"We were with them, before," one of them explained. "But then this giant frog appeared on the tracks and knocked the Rocket Man clear off the railing! We're not sure where they are now." Well, that was something you certainly didn't want to hear.
`Giant frog... Must be that frog we saw earlier who challenged the sea train at the station,` you concluded.
Turning to you, Sanji reassured, "Nami's with them, so they shouldn't have any trouble getting to Enies Lobby. Even without the tracks." You nodded, knowing Sanji was right about Nami keeping them on track. Though you were still unsure if something like a sea train could run over the water on its own. Turning back around the face the Frankies, Sanji said, "We'll explain everything on the way."
Let's go
The Frankies wasted no time helping you up onto their ship. Once you were safely aboard, Sodom and Gomorrah continued on, using their immense strength the pull you toward the prison. Leading you inside the spacious (meaning empty) house, the Frankies bandaged your wounds up while you filled them in on everything that'd happened on the Puffing Tom. "What!!? So our bro, Franky, sacrificed himself!?" they gasped, moved to tears over the story.
Sanji nodded grimly, not liking to relive that recent memory. "Yes, to try to save Robin." For all the good it did you.
"Bro's such a great guy..." You had to agree with them on that one. Self-sacrifice was a very rare thing these days, particularly for someone they didn't know. Though maybe you'd seen enough sacrifice for one lifetime.
Sanji sat beside you, the few scrapes he'd had having already been cleaned up. They'd also cleaned up the wounds on your arms from your earlier fight against CP9, though by that point you'd almost forgotten about them. You sat next to Sogeking, sitting with your ruined jacket in your lap. You heard Sanji growl low in his throat. Catching his eye out of the corner of your own, he whispered to you, "We'll be too late if we don't hurry!" You just gave him a grim look. You were well aware of the stakes. Unless you missed your guess, the Puffing Tom should've reached Enies Lobby by now. You couldn't be sure how much time you had left, though you imagined it wasn't a whole lot.
As if a sign from above, you heard someone outside shout, "Hey! I see the Never-Night Island!!! Enies Lobby!!!"
"Never-Night Island?" Sanji asked you as you climbed to your feet.
Motioning with your head, you replied, "Come see for yourself." You stuck your head out the window to get your first real look at the infamous Enies Lobby. Sanji and Sogeking soon joined you, and you could actually hear their mouths open as they realized why it was called "Never-Night Island." It was called this because, obviously enough, it was never night here. In spite of all the dark clouds around it, the sky directly above Enies Lobby was always bright and sunny. Rather ironic, considering what went on here. From your position, Enies Lobby looked rather unthreatening in the distance. All you could see was the main entrance like a dot on the horizon. But you knew what awaited you behind it, and it made you shudder. But you weren't going to abandon Robin. If for no other reason, you were going to save her just to prove you were right and that she didn't need to sacrifice herself for you.
"Look!! Over there!!" someone shouted.
Quickly looking around for the source of their sudden excitement, your eyes widened in delight as you saw a sea train heading for you. It was much smaller than the Puffing Tom. It consisted of only three cars: the front engine/conductor car (the nose of the train came to a point and it had a devilish grin painted on the front), the coal car, and a single passenger car. But man, that thing was moving! Maybe that's why it didn't sink; it was moving too fast. Rocket Man indeed.
But more importantly than the train itself was the person standing on the very front of it (there was the frog, Yokozuna, outside as well, but you weren't interested in him). "Luffy!!" you, Sanji and Sogeking all cried at the same time. You were absolutely thrilled to see the rubber-man, especially since you hadn't been sure you'd ever get to again.
And judging by the way he jumped up and down and waved his arms around, he was just as happy to see you. "AH!!! SANJI!!! VAUGHN!!!" Luffy, who had changed his shorts for a pair that was almost exactly the same as his old ones except they were made of a darker denim, paused in his greetings when he spotted the strange masked man beside you. Eh...!! Who's that!?"
"Captain Straw Hat!!!" the Frankies cheered.
As the train moved to meet you, you saw Nami's head stick out of the conductor car window. You saw her lips move, but you were too far to hear her. But that wasn't a problem, since you were actually quite good at reading lips. [They all look so energetic! Ready to siege the front door of the World Government!!] It was an odd little ability you'd picked up over the years, but a very useful one for a spy. You'd discovered that each letter or combination of letters produced unique movement from the tongue, lips and facial muscles. As long as you were close enough to see their face clearly, you didn't need to hear them. Though you often found yourself mirroring their lip movements because you found that moving your lips a specific way made you think that corresponding word.
Nami turned her head to look back at the passenger car. This time, you didn't have to read her lips. "ENIES IS IN SIGHT!!! ALL CREWS, PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!!!"
We found the crew!
As you pulled your head back inside the window and hurried out onto the deck, the Rocket Man pulled along in front of you. When you got outside, the Frankies were tying off some cables to keep the ship attached to the back of the sea train. Without waiting on the others, you shimmied down the cables and threw open the door at the back of the passenger car. You didn't even have time to process who else was in the car, or even set foot in it for that matter, before you found yourself thrown onto your backside with a mess of rubbery limbs wrapped around you like an octopus. "Vaughn!!" Luffy cried, apparently trying to squeeze all the air out of you. But for once, you didn't try to push him away. You were just as happy to see him, though you weren't quite as outgoing in your affection. "I'm so glad you're okay!!"
"Me too!!" Chopper cried, running over to your side and grabbing on to the one arm that was free. He had on a red leather jacket in addition to his normal clothes. "When CP9 took you away, we were so afraid they'd do something to you!!" You simply smiled down at the two boys affectionately, opting not to tell them just how close you'd come to that being true.
"Luffy, Chopper. What're you trying to do? Kill her?" Sanji joined you, and Luffy and Chopper switched their targets to him.
"Sanji!!" Releasing you, they latched onto the unsuspecting Sanji, who sputtered angrily while trying to get the two off him.
Chuckling to yourself, you pushed yourself to your feet. Now unhindered, you took a moment to survey your surroundings. Aside from you crew, there was Kokoro and Chimney, Paulie, Lulu, the guy from the Franky Family with spikey hair that you nearly strangled to get the money back, and three other people you'd never seen before. One was a man you thought you remembered seeing passed out outside Iceberg's room, meaning he was one of the chief mechanics. He was a large, hulking man with long, dark brown hair pulled back into a thick braid, a stark white beard, and had the kanji for "shipwright" tattooed on the left side of his chest. He wore no shirt, red elbow pads, loose-fitting white pants, boots and had what you could only describe as a miniature cannon strapped to his back. The other two unknowns were women, and you could tell they were related by the fact that they looked exactly alike. They both had their black hair done up in a strange style that looked like a flat square and long (but one of them had curly hair while the other had straight), pointed noses (though not as long as Usopp's). The only way you could tell them apart was by the way they dressed. The one with straight hair was dressed all in yellow with a pair of shades, a furry boa around her neck, a bikini top with a white flower on the front on each side, and a pair of long shorts. The one with curly hair wore all red with a pair of pearls around her neck, a tight tanktop, elbow-length gloves, a bikini bottom and knee pads. You also noted the sword strapped to their hips. You could only assume they were with the Frankies, since they didn't look much like shipwrights.
At the sound of someone approaching you, you looked up to meet Nami's bright grin. Holding out a bundle of clothes for you, she greeted warmly, "Good to have you back." You took the clothes with a nod of thanks. Resting a hand on her hips, Nami pointed a thumb at the guys. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could deal with those morons without you around to keep them in line." Your response was a lopsided smirk, knowing how truthful Nami's words were. And at the same time, you felt you had to revise your opinion about Kalifa putting Nami to shame for risque attire. Nami had changed out of her damaged clothing into a light blueish-gray denim jacket that didn't quite reach her waist, a small brown and tan top held closed by two buttons at the very base of her breastbone, an off-white pleated skirt that barely covered her butt, with a leather belt and Nami's usual two circle motif on the side, and a pair of blue strappy sandals with a much higher heel than usual. Basically, her outfit showed a lot of chest, a lot of stomach, and a whole lot of leg.
Oblivious to your scrutiny, Nami motioned to the bundle and stated, "I thought you might like to change out of those wet, torn things, so I brought you a change of clothes." At your skeptical expression, she quickly added, "From your own wardrobe." Well, that was a relief. You weren't sure there was anything in Nami's closet you would ever consider wearing.
"Hang on a second!" Paulie suddenly protested, jumping to his feet and pointing a finger at you. "She's not gonna change in here!"
Giving the shipwright a strange look, you asked, "Who would change in front of a group of strange men?" All the guys in the room, with the exception of Sanji, pointed directly at Nami, who looked rather confused about the whole thing. "Nami," you scolded lightly, frowning at her. Did the woman have no sense of decency?
"What!?" she demanded indignantly, apparently thinking she'd done nothing wrong. You simply sighed and shook your head.
Nami is Nami...
Kokoro laughed in her usual drunken way. "You can change inside the front car, if you want," she offered.
You thanked the woman and exited the passenger car. Climbing over the coal, you entered the small conductor's car. Sparing a glance at the levers and gauges that you didn't understand, you changed into the clothes Nami'd brought for you. Thanks to Nami picking it, it was something very different from what you normally wore, though not so different as to be out of line with your personality (you did buy them, after all). The shirt was tight, light jade green, with quarter-length sleeves and three tiny buttons at the collar, which you left unbuttoned. On the front of the shirt was a faded, vintage-inspired print. There was a sword running straight up the middle with a ribbon flowing at the hilt, and an eagle perched in front of the sword, wings extended, with a ribbon clenched in its beak, a clutch of arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other. While the shirt was tight, the material was actually very soft and flexible, and the short sleeves showed off your tattoo. You generally hid your tattoo to avoid trouble with the Marines, but since the people you were about to face already knew who you were, you figured you might as well let the grunts know who they were messing with. The pants were a pair of comfortably broken-in black denim pants with a black cloth belt with a pouch attached to the right side. And, apparently shocked that you did in fact own more than one pair of shoes, Nami brought your pair of boots that were almost exactly the same as your old ones except the straps came around the back to buckle on the outside and they were steel-toed. Overall, perhaps a bit unorthodox for your usual style, but decent and combat-capable nonetheless.
You'd just finished tucking your pant legs into your boot and your necklace into your shirt when you heard someone open the door to the conductor's car. You instantly whipped around, not exactly trusting some of the men around here. Zolo held his hands up defensively when you snapped around like you were about to clock him. "Take it easy," he chided.
Seeing that it was only Zolo, you relaxed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's bad to sneak up on a spy?" you asked him.
Giving you a taunting smile, he quipped, "Didn't anyone ever tell you you can't sneak up on a good spy?" You just crossed your arms over your chest and leered at him, knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of you. While you leered, however, you also took the opportunity to observe Zolo. Like Luffy and Chopper, he'd only minimally changed his clothes. In fact, all he changed was his shirt. In place of his usual white t-shirt, he now wore a light beige/orange short-sleeve jacket that zipped all the way up the collar, which he left completely unzipped, and had two front pockets on his chest. And that was it. He didn't wear a shirt underneath it, so you had a very nice view of his abs and chest.
Prying your eyes from Zolo's body before he noticed, which based on his expression he hadn't yet, you asked, "So if you aren't here to peep in on me, whaddya want?"
Zolo's only answer was to reach behind his back and pull out something. The Oboro. He held it out to you. "I grabbed this from your hotel room while they were getting the sea train ready. I didn't think you'd want to leave it behind... just incase."
Your leer turned to a small but genuine smile. Leave it to Zolo to grab your sword. Gingerly taking it from him, you slid the sword over your back with the makeshift sling you made before leaving the Merry Go. You weren't planning on using it, but you didn't want to leave it either.
Zolo watched you silently as you adjusted your brother's sword so that it wouldn't get in the way. His eyes scanned you, checking for any injuries. You seemed fine, but Zolo wanted to reassure himself. He'd been worried when CP9 dragged you off, and even more so when he learned they were taking you to Enies Lobby. Sure, you could fight, but you couldn't protect yourself while you were drugged up. He couldn't put words to how relieved he was when he heard Luffy shout your name when he spotted you. He was very glad to see you were in good form, despite everything you'd been through. That was good, considering he knew things would only get worse from here on in.
Now, Zolo may not have noticed your scrutiny, but you noticed his. It was what you were good at. So without looking up, you said, "I'm fine, Zolo."
Your voice snapped Zolo from his examination. Trying to look nonplussed, Zolo responded, "Who said I was worried?"
A smirk tugged at your lips. `Men and their macho fronts,` you thought in amusement. Resting your hands on your hips, you looked at Zolo and said, "Well you were either looking for injuries or checking me out."
Eyes narrowing dangerously, Zolo moved in on you until you were barely an inch apart. Staring down at you with piercing eyes, he asked in a deep voice, "And who says I wasn't checking you out?"
You tilted your head back defiantly and met his gaze. Zolo didn't scare you, and you rarely backed down from anyone. "Because I can't imagine the infamous Pirate Hunter Zolo checking anyone out." Zolo didn't respond, only continued to stare down at you. Behind the machoism and flirting, though, you could see that he had been truly worried about you, no matter how much he may deny it. And while you were flattered that he cared enough to worry about you, you didn't like worrying him... or anyone else, for that matter. "I'm fine, Zolo," you repeated again, this time softer. "Really."
"I know."
An awkward silence hung over you for a moment, until Zolo took a step back. But you didn't want him to step back. You didn't want to let go of that intimate moment. Though there'd been nothing physically intimate about it, no one could miss that moment of genuine, non-verbal intimacy. You wanted to hold onto it for a little while longer, before you dived head-first into Hell. Your hands shot out and gently grasped the back of Zolo's head. The swordsman jerked in surprise, but it stopped his retreat. Then you yanked him forward again, pulling his lips to yours in a slow yet demanding kiss. Zolo's body responded before his mind fully processed what was going on. When his brain finally did catch up, he discovered that he was returning your kiss just as eagerly. His eyes slid shut on their own, his body relaxing as his hands reached for your hips, pulling you closer until your bodies almost touched.
It wasn't long before you felt Zolo's teeth nip at your lower lip. You would've smiled had your mouth not been so thoroughly occupied. So instead, you complied to his request, parting your lips to allow his tongue in to explore. But you weren't about to let Zolo have all the fun. Your tongue met his as you kissed, beginning a battle for dominance. Your hands slid down to rest lightly on his shoulders as you continued to spar. Never one to back away from a challenge, Zolo did everything he could to gain the upper hand. His tongue caressed the roof of your mouth, feeling out the ridges, which tickled and caused you to squirm in his arms. Feeling his smirk against your lips, you retaliated by pressing your tongue up against his, trapping it against the roof of your mouth. You sucked gently at his tongue. Zolo couldn't hold back the deep, pleased sound that rumbled in his throat. Nor did he try to fight back, instead enjoying the new sensation and telling himself he'd get you back later.
You couldn't deny the heady sense of power you felt when Zolo gave in to you. Never ceasing your pleasurable torture, your hands slid down to Zolo's stomach. Your fingers lightly explored the ridges of his muscles. Zolo's muscles twitched at your feather light, teasing touches. Agonizingly slowly, your hands crept along over his sides and around to his back, sliding up under his shirt. Your hands continued their quest until they reached Zolo's shoulder blades. There, they stopped, enjoying the feel of his powerful, sculpted muscles moving beneath them.
Frustrated by your teasing, Zolo decided it was time to take control and give you a taste of your own medicine. Turnabout's fair play, right? With that in mind, Zolo did something he'd wanted to do from the very first day he met you: his hands left your hips to travel farther south, reaching the seat of your pants, and gave your backside a firm squeeze. You gasped at the unexpected sensation, your eyes snapping open. Getting exactly the reaction he was hoping for, Zolo took advantage of your surprise and captured your lower lip with his own. He worried it teasingly with his teeth, occasionally using his tongue to sooth it over. All the while his hands continued to caress your backside. It was every bit as firm as he though way back when he'd watched you bend over the courtyard wall to help Koby up. Every so often his hands would dip further down to rub the back of your legs, but they would always return to their original position.
Your eyes fluttered shut at the unbearable heat Zolo's actions were stirring within your body. Why did the room suddenly feel like it was on fire? Whatever the reason, you decided to just let Zolo have his way. It was certainly proving to be quite pleasant. You panted for breath as Zolo continued to suckle at your already abused lip. Your hands rubbed gently at his back. You clenched your fingers before dragging your hands down his back, digging your nails into his flesh just hard enough to leave a mark. Zolo hissed at the sensation, not from pain but from pleasure. He accidentally released your mouth, panting for breath as his eyes met yours. You were transfixed by the way his eyes gleamed, almost reminding you of the look he got when he was in the midst of an intense fight.
Zolo managed to pant a single word. "Vaughn..."
Your breath caught in your throat at the way he said your name. No one had ever said your name with such restrained passion before. Your hands gripped at Zolo's back as you pulled him to you again.
Your lips were about to meet again... when you heard the grating sound of the door swinging open. Both you and Zolo nearly jumped out of your skins. Zolo's head whipped around while you quickly looked over his shoulder. Kokoro laughed heartily at how you both looked like deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Don't stop on my account," she laughed, walking right passed you like it was the most normal thing in the world.
You were sure your face was as red as a beet, and Zolo looked rather flustered as well. As Kokoro leaned up to check on the gauges, you nodded your head to the door, telling Zolo that you thought it best if you got back to the others before something else happened. Zolo readily agreed and you both hurried outside.
Can't we ever get any privacy!?
Once outside, you took a moment to catch your breath. You enjoyed how the cold air cooled your face down. You were also stalling, since you didn't want to face the others looking like you'd been doing what you'd just been doing. As you waited for your face to return to its normal color, you heard Zolo chuckle. When you raised an eyebrow at him, he said, "That was awkward."
You could suppress a small, embarrassed chuckle. "Tell me about it."
After having a good laugh at your own expense, you entered the passenger car. And just in time for Usopp to introduce his alter-ego. "The Sogeking of Sniper Island!!?" Luffy gasped as soon as you got inside. You and Zolo paused to watch the scene.
Crossing his arms under his cloak, Sogeking replied proudly, "That's me. I'm Usopp's friend. I've come to your aid as per his request!!!"
Luffy and Chopper stared at Sogeking with wide, sparkly eyes. "A he... hero!!" Luffy gasped, obviously awestruck. "I knew he was a hero when I saw his cape!! So cool! This is my first hero sighting!!!"
If possible, Chopper's eyes got even wider. "Oh! So wearing a cape means he's a hero!!? So cool!!!"
"Yes! Cape equals hero!" Sogeking agreed.
"Really!!?"
You weren't sure whether to laugh or be very concerned at this interesting look into your crewmates' psyches. What was even more disturbing was that it was only Chopper and Luffy who were fooled by Usopp's disguise. Everyone else in the car just stared at them like they were crazy. Hell, even the Frankies could tell who it really was. But none of them said anything. Perhaps they were just as stunned by Luffy and Chopper's naivety as you were.
Completely oblivious to your astonishment, Luffy offered his hand to Sogeking. "We're counting on you!" he said.
Sogeking shook his hand. "Okay!"
"Autograph please!!" Chopper pleaded, jumping up and down while extending a notebook to Sogeking. Although you couldn't see it for the mask, you were sure Usopp was grinning like an idiot at how fooled he appeared to have you.
As Sogeking signed Chopper's book, Luffy asked, "So, where'd Usopp go?" Ah, to be young and ignorant again...
"He's safe," Sogeking reassured. "So don't worry about him. He told me that saving Robin is my priority, and then left." Frankly, you couldn't help wondering why Usopp was going to all this trouble. You suspected that he wanted to help, but felt after how he left that he couldn't "face" you again.
"Oh... I see!" Luffy said with a grin.
"Oh!! Oh!!" Chopper interrupted. "Where's Sniper Island!?"
Sogeking paused, and you could tell he was trying to think of a response. "It's... in your heart." Luffy and Chopper looked even more impressed as Sogeking handed the notebook back.
"Idiots," Nami muttered.
I agree
Ignoring the three stooges, Sanji stood beside you. While you were gone, he'd also changed into something a little less worn. He was back in his usual attire: a light blue dress shirt, a loose black tie, and a suit jacket. Looking down at you, he asked quietly, "Should we fill them in?" You knew what he was referring to, and agreed that it was best if you told the others what was going on -- at least to the best of your ability. Nodding, Sanji turned to face the rest of the car. "Hey, the rest of you idiots, listen up," he suddenly announced. This caught everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to the cook. "Before we go in and rescue Robin, you all need to know this."
Sanji retold the entire story, right down to what you'd said about the government using the Buster Call on Robin's home. The car fell completely silent as everyone listened intently. To think that the government, which was supposed to be the good guy, would do such a thing was horrifying. You couldn't even think of a single pirate who was that awful. But you guessed that if you were the one with all the power, you could make up your own definition of "justice." "... And that's the whole story," Sanji concluded grimly. "Robin has some horrific past that CP9 is using to blackmail her. I didn't say all of this as an excuse for my failure. I just wanted to point out that Robin may not willingly leave with us once we get to her."
"I DON'T CARE!!!" Luffy screamed loudly, hurting your ears as his voice echoed in such a confined space. His eyes were white with rage. "I WON'T FORGIVE THEM!!!" Next to him, Chopper let out an angry cry of agreement. "Robin, that stupid--"
Before he could finish that line, Nami smacked him on the back of the head. "Shut up!!!" she shouted.
Luffy whipped around the face her. "Well, it's true!!! We tried to rescue her, but she refused to go!!!"
"That's because she's worried about our safety!!" Nami protested.
"She should worry about her own safety!!!" For once you were in complete and utter agreement with Luffy. And if there was anyone who could convince Robin to change her mind, it was Luffy. He wasn't exactly known for taking no for an answer. "If we don't do anything, Robin might die!!! She doesn't wanna die, so we have to save her!!!"
"That's true, but...!!!" Nami never got the chance to finish because Luffy was already going on about how he was going to beat CP9 up.
"Forget it..." Zolo told Nami. "We were already gonna rescue her anyways." It's not like it changed the plan, it just added a new obstacle. In spite of herself, Nami couldn't help but grin at how worked up Luffy was. He really was the kind of guy who'd do anything for a friend, even if they didn't want him to. You had to admire such brainless determination.
Luffy fumed as he paced back and forth in front of you. "I don't care who they are, I'm gonna send them flying!!! I have a new attack I wanna try, too!!" You had a hunch he wanted to try out that strange air technique he tried on you before. You'd been helping him train since then, though it was kind of hard to do while on a ship. Basically you'd just helped him refine that technique. You were sure Luffy'd be at no loss of imagination to come up with new attacks as future situations required.
"Hey, guys, have a look at this." You shifted your focus from Luffy to Paulie, who'd been rather quiet for the past few minutes. He had what appeared to be a map on the floor in front of him. "I've been here once before, for railroad maintenance." This caught your attention, and you knelt down next to study the rough map he'd made of Enies Lobby. Everyone gathered around, sensing that it was time to strategize. This wasn't a place where you could fly by the seat of your pants. You needed a solid plan.
With everyone paying attention, Paulie explained the layout to you. "I drew this based on what I could remember. This is what Enies Lobby looks like." Paulie'd made an X where you were. Enies Lobby was perfectly circular, and reminded you of a bulls-eye. A high fence surrounded entire island. Passed the fence was the main gate. A narrow stretch of land led to the front gate, which shared a circular patch of land dead center of the island with the courthouse. Behind the courthouse was the judicial tower, but you couldn't see anything that led to it. And behind that was the Gate of Justice. There was also a strange section of black on the map around the center island. Paulie pointed at the judicial tower. "The Gate of Justice is right behind the island, and the only path to it is through the judicial tower."
"What's that black stuff?" Luffy asked, just as puzzled about it as you were.
"The black thing is the waterfall. You'll see it when you get passed the gate. Anyhow, it's a straight path from the main gate to the Gate of Justice. If we can't get to Robin and Franky before they reach the end of that path, we fail!!! Even if we all charge into the island, the only ones that'll have a chance against CP9..." Paulie paused long enough to look up at you. "... are you guys! I've seen how strong you guys are on the way here. So you guys should wait for five minutes at the beach. Then, charge in with Rocket man, right through the gates and into the island itself!!!"
Picking up where Paulie left off, Franky's second (the spikey-haired guy whose name you still didn't know) continued, "Before that, the rest of us will go in there, open up the main gate and the front gate to make way for Rocket Man!!! No matter how many of us die, don't stop, just charge right through!! There are only sixty of us, but there may be two to three thousand enemies. Straw Hats!! You guys should avoid any unnecessary fights and just focus on the CP9!!!"
"That sound good to you, Vaughn?" Luffy asked, since you were sort of the unofficial strategist of the crew.
You mulled over the plan. Given your time constraint, you didn't really see any other course of action available to you. This place was heavily guarded. You had to go in with everything you had. And while you weren't exactly thrilled about using the Frankies as a shield, they were right in that they would be better of there. They wouldn't stand a chance against CP9, so it would be better in the long-run if they acted as a sort of distraction. "I don't see any other choice," you said eventually, agreeing with the plan. "There's no point in being subtle now." This would be an all-out assault.
Luffy nodded resolutely. "Alright!!! I got it!!!"
"Hey, guys, come take a look at the sky behind Enies Lobby!!!" Kokoro's voice said over the intercom system. Everyone crowded around the windows to see what she was talking about. By now, you were almost right up to the fence surrounding the island. You could see the main gate behind that, the massive doors embedded in a long, high wall with a tower in the middle that spanned the entire length of the island. And behind that...
"What is that!!?" Luffy gasped. Behind the island was a... a ginormous (for lack of better term) iron gate. It was actually in the sky and in the sea. There was no sky behind Enies Lobby. Only a few clouds surrounding the door with the symbol of the World Government painted on the front.
"That," you began, a little awed at finally seeing it for yourself, "Is the Gate of Justice. It never opens all the way, only enough to let criminals pass through."
"What's on the other side?" Zolo asked, eyeing the door ominously.
Sparing him a serious glance before turning back to the gate, you answered, "A windless area identical to that of the Calm Belt, filled to the brim with giant Neptunians." Your crew shuddered slightly, remembering the time when you accidentally sailed into the Calm Belt and nearly got eaten by Neptunians. "I'm not sure why, but only Marine ships can pass safely through. And beyond that... the Marine Headquarters and Impel Down."
"In other words..." Kokoro's voice came through again. "If you wanna rescue the folks who've been arrested, you gotta do it before they pass through the gate!!" You hadn't been exaggerating when you said no one who passed through that gate ever came back. It wasn't like you could force the gate open, it was so frickin' huge. And even if by some miracle you made it to the other side, you wouldn't be able to sail anywhere and the Neptunians would eat you. "There's no time for chit-chat!!!"
REST OF QUIZ IN RESULTS + SPECIAL THANKS TO YusaYuslage FOR THE PIC

They didn't need anymore encouragement than that. "Let's stick to the plan!!! We'll go in first!!" The Frankies and the remaining Galley-La shipwrights looked pumped. They all knew you were counting on them to come through.
"Hey, aren't you two in our group?" Zolo asked blandly to Nami and Sogeking, who'd tried to sneak into the group with what would probably be the easier task.
"Um... where's Luffy?" Chopper suddenly asked, glancing around for your captain.
Quirking an eyebrow, you replied, "He's..." You suddenly trailed off when you realized that Luffy was not right beside you where he'd been just a second ago. "... not here..." Brows furrowing, you looked around the car to see where he slipped off to this time.
Nami looked equally confused. "He was here a second ago..." How could someone so blasted noisy most of the time disappear so silently? But it wasn't like he could go far on the small sea train--
"Ah! It's Straw Hat!" someone outside shouted.
"What!!?" Everyone in the car peered out the windows to see that Luffy was indeed outside. Not just outside, but he was already sitting on the top of the fence surrounding the island! You felt your jaw slacken in shock and your mouth dropped as you realized with a sinking feeling that Luffy was about to charge into Enies Lobby all by himself.
Paulie looked ready to have stroke. "What's his problem!? He just left on his own!!!"
"Did he even listen to the battle plan!?" Franky's second shouted just as loudly.
As for your own crew, you were all shocked by the sheer stupidity of the man you'd chosen to follow. Chopper's mouth hung open even more than yours. Nami collapsed to her knees. "It's useless," she muttered defeatedly.
Crossing his arms, Sanji scowled, "I thought he said, 'I got it!'"
Shock gave way to irritation as you demanded, "Why the hell did he ask my opinion about a plan he wasn't even gonna follow!?"
"To wait five minutes isn't possible for him," Sogeking observed.
"That's true," Zolo agreed.
Clenching your fists in irritation, you decided there was nothing you could do about Luffy now. So instead, you turned to Paulie and ordered, "What are you waiting for!? Get going!"
Your harsh words seemed to snap them out of their shock and they quickly emptied the car. Once everyone besides your crew, Kokoro and Chimney were on the boat, they shouted to the two bulls, "Don't fall behind, Sodom!! Gomorrah!!! Climb over the fences! Open the main gate!!!" With a massive bellow, the two bulls took off.
Checking out the window, you looked outside just in time to see Luffy slingshot himself over the fence and onto the very top of the main gate. Needless to say, this got the attention of all the Marines standing guard. It wasn't long before they started firing on Luffy. About that time, Sodom and Gomorrah charged at the fence, creating the largest commotion this place had probably ever seen. There were probably only a few people in the entire history of the world that had ever been crazy enough to attempt something like this. Lucky you, you'd found one.
Sighing, you turned from the window and sat down on the couch. `I think it's best if I don't know what's going on,` you told yourself. You weren't sure you could take the stress. Nami was next to you on the couch, getting her Clima-Tact ready, as well as Sanji, who was smoking like a freight train. You couldn't help noticing, perhaps in an effort to distract yourself, that Nami's Clima-Tact looked a little different. At the top of each section there now sat a blue sphere. "Did your weapon get an upgrade or something?" you asked.
Nami grinned brightly, obviously taking pride in her new weapon. "Yup! It's the Perfect Clima-Tact! You-know-who upgraded it with some dials from Skypiea." You nodded, understanding that it was Usopp who upgraded it. And just in time, too, since you were going to need all the power you could muster for this assault.
Kokoro's voice came on again. "Is everyone ready? In four minutes, the sea train, Rocket Man, will charge in!"