"Speak your mind, Robin," Meiser, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "You have the right to choose, and the right to live."
"I... I can really live too...?"
Nico Robin's body began trembling as scenes from her past flashed through her mind—all the people she'd encountered before.
Every single one of them had been after her head, believing she was a woman who didn't deserve to live.
But... but... what had she even done wrong?!
Was it simply because she had survived the Buster Call?
Just for that, she wasn't worthy of life?!
No... NO!!
At this moment, Meiser's earlier words about challenging the Buster Call resurfaced in Nico Robin's mind. This man had outright demanded they activate the Buster Call, all to free her from this nightmare.
And now, Luffy and the others had gone even further—shattering the World Government's flag and declaring war on the entire world!!!
(Dere shishishishi, dere shishishishi.)
That man's laughter echoed in Nico Robin's heart, along with the words he had once spoken.
(Robin, this sea is boundless. One day, you'll find comrades who are willing to protect you!!)
And now... she truly had!
Their words were like a beam of light, illuminating Nico Robin's entire world, forcibly dragging her out of the darkness!!
Her heart seemed to tremble under the impact. Her body shook even more violently, tears welling up in her eyes.
'If... if I could make one wish... I'd say...'
"I WANT TO LIVE!!" Nico Robin shouted at the top of her lungs. "Take me out to sea with you!!!"
In this moment, Nico Robin completely shattered the chains binding her heart, choosing to stand tall alongside her comrades and face everything together!
The corners of every Straw Hat Pirate's mouth curled upward as they prepared for battle.
Now that Nico Robin had made her choice, there was no more hesitation. All they had to do was crush these damned enemies, then leave this place alive with their comrade!!
"You bastards... you're just too damn moving!!" Franky said, wiping away tears.
He really loved these bastards!!
"In that case, I'll take a gamble too!!"
Franky's words interrupted Spandam's actions. He had been about to order CP9 to capture the three of them first.
But upon seeing the blueprint Franky pulled from his body, Spandam was so excited he could barely speak.
"Th-this... could it be... the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton?!"
"Pluton..." Meiser glanced at the blueprint in Franky's hands, clearly surprised the man possessed such a thing.
After all, even that Crocodile had sought to overthrow Alabasta just to obtain Pluton. And now, these blueprints had appeared here... How interesting.
If Crocodile found out about this, wouldn't he cough up blood in rage?
"That's right, the Pluton blueprints!" Franky declared. "The genuine article."
"Maybe you won't believe it, but..."
"Lucci, Kaku, you two should be able to recognize this."
As he spoke, Franky showed them several pages clearly until both men were sweating profusely before stopping.
"You actually hid the blueprints on your own body... quite unexpected," Kaku remarked. "No wonder we couldn't find them anywhere."
"So it's real after all!" Spandam exclaimed excitedly. "Give them to me, hand them over!"
Spandam moved to snatch them, but Meiser standing beside Franky made him freeze in his tracks. He knew this man's strength was formidable—approaching would mean certain death!
"Nico Robin, I've come to realize you're not the demon rumors made you out to be," Franky declared. "So I'm willing to take a gamble on you all!"
"The purpose of these blueprints was to counter the potential emergence of ancient weapons," Franky said coldly, glaring at Spandam. "Just like now—even if Nico Robin refuses to cooperate, as long as she lives, you might still obtain that dangerous weapon..."
"But things are different now. Nico Robin has found reliable comrades willing to challenge the entire world for her!!"
"Thus, these blueprints have lost their reason to exist!"
With those words, Franky spewed flames from his mouth, reducing the blueprints in his hands to ashes!!
The sight made Kalifa's blood pressure spike.
"Our five years of mission work... gone..."
They had spent five long years undercover in Water 7 for these blueprints!
Now everything was lost—the blueprints consumed by flames.
"You bastard, stop...!" Spandam's face twisted as he scrambled on the floor to gather the ashes, not even noticing when the Golden Den Den Mushi fell from his grasp.
"My blueprints... my achievement... my future..."
"Damn you! Why destroy them?!"
Gone. All gone. Without these blueprints, how could he ever receive rewards from the Five Elders?!
"You're that confident the Straw Hat Pirates can take Nico Robin back?" Kaku questioned.
As he spoke, Kaku glanced warily at Meiser, muscles tensing for potential combat.
"I choose to believe in them!" Franky declared. "If we win, you'll get nothing."
"Neither the ancient weapons nor Nico Robin will be yours!"
"Bastard! Do you want to die here right now?!" Spandam roared, hastily picking up the Golden Den Den Mushi as he glared icily at Franky. "Without those blueprints, you're worthless!"
But before Spandam finished speaking, his mind blanked momentarily.
"Hmph, bring it on—" Franky's challenge died in his throat when he noticed the Golden Den Den Mushi in Spandam's hand.
His pupils constricted. "Hey! Did you just activate it?!"
This madman actually intended to initiate a Buster Call here?!
Did he want to sacrifice Enies Lobby itself?!
"Huh?"
Spandam looked down at his hand in confusion upon hearing this, then his eyes bulged out in terror as snot flew uncontrollably from his nose.
"P-p-p-p-pressed?! It got pressed?!"
Why?
He clearly hadn't intentionally pressed the Golden Den Den Mushi's button just now, so how could it have been pressed?
"This..." Kalifa's expression darkened. What was this idiot superior thinking? Could he really be planning to destroy Enies Lobby?!
Suddenly, as if struck by realization, Kalifa immediately looked up at Meiser—only to find the man watching them with an amused expression.
Could it be... him?!
...
"Bzzzt!!"
The moment Spandam pressed the Golden Den Den Mushi, alarms blared in the Navy Headquarters' communications division.
"Signal received from the Golden Den Den Mushi!"
"Who activated it?"
"The signal shows... Admiral Aokiji!"
"Good. If Admiral Aokiji activated it, then there's nothing more to discuss," a middle-aged man said. "Immediately contact five nearby vice admirals to initiate the Buster Call!"
"But... but Rear Admiral, the target this time is Enies Lobby."
"No matter where it is, all we need to know is that the order came from an Admiral!" the middle-aged man declared.
He didn't believe anyone could steal an Admiral's Golden Den Den Mushi—no one possessed that kind of strength!!
Since the Admiral ordered a Buster Call on Enies Lobby, there must be a reason. They only needed to follow orders.
"Understood! Contacting five nearby HQ vice admirals now!"
"Wait, Rear Admiral, dispatching ships directly from HQ would reach Enies Lobby faster."
"Then do it!"
"Yes, sir!"
After his subordinates rushed off to carry out the orders, the middle-aged man returned to his office and took out a Den Den Mushi to contact Aokiji.
"Admiral Aokiji, may I ask the reason for initiating a Buster Call on Enies Lobby? I need to record it here."
Aokiji, pedaling his bicycle across the ocean, fell silent for a moment before replying, "I'll explain it to Fleet Admiral Sengoku when I return."
"Understood!"
"Mhm."
After hanging up, Aokiji turned his gaze toward Enies Lobby.
His Golden Den Den Mushi was in Spandam's hands—clearly, the man had activated the Buster Call on Enies Lobby.
"Is this about Nico Robin...?"
"I'll go take a look."