"Those World Government flags are huge!!!"
Onboard the Ark Maxim, Bonney's eyes sparkled as she stared at the towering banners atop the Judicial Tower and the Courthouse. The bigger the flag, the better it would burn!
"This boss really has some insane guts!!" Capone Bege was already numb. Killing a Celestial Dragon, raiding Enies Lobby—at this rate, he wouldn't be surprised if the next stop was Impel Down or Marineford itself.
"So that's why Souta Kiryuu lingered in Water 7 for so long," Trafalgar Law muttered, rubbing his chin. "He deliberately drew all the Marine officers from the mid-to-late Grand Line to gather there, just so he could strike Enies Lobby unopposed. He even let Enel clash with Vice Admiral Dalmatian without interfering. That must've been his plan from the start."
"I'd wager most Vice Admirals, maybe even Admirals, are already en route to Water 7. That means they can't use Marineford's special currents to rush to Enies Lobby's defense." Lafitte tilted his black top hat, admiration glinting in his eyes. Like Bonney, he too was drawn to the sight of those colossal flags billowing in the wind. Destroying the World Government's banners here in Enies Lobby carried a far more provocative meaning than torching the ones at Water 7's Grand Bank.
"This… this is madness!" Bartholomew Kuma's eyes scanned the surrounding seas warily. The slightest misstep, and he'd be ready to withdraw with his people immediately. After all, this was one of the World Government's core institutions, directly connected by exclusive currents to both Marineford and Impel Down. If the Government's elites encircled them, even an airborne ship might not escape.
"Heh heh… Enies Lobby may claim to be the Island of Justice, but in truth, it exists only to carry out the will of the World Government. Once you're brought here, guilty or innocent doesn't matter—you're a criminal by default. In all of its 800-year history, there's never been a single acquittal!" Lafitte's mocking laughter rang out. As a former sheriff of the West Blue, he knew the laws of Enies Lobby well. Most of the so-called courtrooms stood empty; prisoners were simply marched through a farce of a trial before being dragged to the Gates of Justice—where none ever returned.
Only special talents like Tom the Fishman, the man who built the Sea Train, were allowed to linger outside—he spent fourteen years constructing it. But in the end, he too was captured, sentenced, and executed for the crime of building a ship for the Pirate King. This was the World Government's definition of "Absolute Justice."
···
"WOOON!!!"
Souta Kiryuu's violent Conqueror's Haki erupted, heralding the beginning of the Battle of Enies Lobby.
At the rear island's Judicial Tower, the CP9 agents were stunned to find their commander Spandam lying unconscious and gravely injured. Gabrra the wolfman, Kumadori the lion-maned warrior, and Fukuro the owl-faced agent quickly scooped up their useless superior before rushing toward the central courthouse to protect Enies Lobby's Chief Justice.
"If you're not keen on killing, then I'll do it myself!" Lafitte spread his white wings with a wicked grin, descending to join Souta Kiryuu in the slaughter.
"I'll take care of those CP9 agents that look strong!" Law locked onto Gabrra and Kumadori, preparing to warp down into battle.
"Count me in!" Capone Bege shouted. Since he was already here, he might as well earn some infamy. There was no turning back now—their fates were tied to Souta's crew.
"Papa Kuma, let's go too!" Bonney cheered, her eyes fixed on the towering flags of the Judicial Tower and the Courthouse. She was determined to set them ablaze.
"Alright." Kuma nodded, then turned gently to Princess Viola, wielder of the Glare-Glare Fruit. "Princess Viola, the ship's safety is in your hands."
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for Marine reinforcements." Viola raised a Den Den Mushi to her lips, while on her shoulder stood Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Tribe.
"Bonney is amazing!" Both Mansherry and Aisa gazed at her with admiration, though neither had the courage yet to face the massed Marines below.
Law, Kuma, and the others descended into the central courthouse, squaring off against the CP agents waiting there.
At the front island's gates, Souta Kiryuu strode in without restraint. Wherever he passed, squads of judicial hounds collapsed instantly. The few who resisted with sheer willpower were swiftly silenced by Lafitte's blade across their throats.
"The captain's Conqueror's Haki is growing stronger by the day," Lafitte sneered, his eyes taking on a savage gleam as he slaughtered those still clinging on against Souta's overwhelming aura.
"Eight hundred years undefeated? What a joke!" Souta laughed when he realized there wasn't a single true powerhouse guarding the front island. Was CP9 really Enies Lobby's strongest defense? No wonder the Straw Hats managed to storm this place—it was utterly laughable. Not even one warrior capable of wielding Haki! What a farce!
"The world has been cowed by the Navy and the World Government. No one realizes Enies Lobby is nothing but a hollow facade." Lafitte shook his head. He hadn't expected the island's defenses to be this flimsy, paper-thin and pitiful.
"But that's the true danger," he added. "What makes Enies Lobby, Marineford, and Impel Down formidable isn't their guards, but the exclusive currents that bring reinforcements at terrifying speed. If not for the captain's lure at Water 7—and our golden airship's unmatched speed—we'd never have invaded this easily."
For other pirate crews, such a feat would be impossible. Aside from Shiki the Golden Lion and his floating fleet, no one could even dream of navigating Enies Lobby's seas with such impunity.
"None of that matters anymore. Today, Enies Lobby will be wiped off the map!" Souta's eyes turned icy as he gazed at the sky above, where massive storms of lightning and thunderclouds were already gathering—his powers brewing devastation.
Inside the courthouse, chains rattled as hulking enforcers with 'GUILTY' tattooed across their left arms surged forward, roaring the word over and over again.
These were Enies Lobby's infamous "Guilty Guards." In their eyes, no prisoner was innocent. To step foot here was to be condemned.
"Well then, I find you guilty too!!" Souta snarled, irritation bubbling at their endless chanting. His right eye gleamed with golden light, and a terrifying laser beam erupted like something out of a nightmare. Wherever it swept, the Guilty Guards were sliced clean in half. Blood and limbs flew in every direction, screams echoing across the island.
Lafitte's pupils trembled violently as he watched the carnage unfold. The scene was insane… and yet exhilarating. He broke into hysterical laughter. "What a glorious harvest of life! Efficient and beautiful!"
Souta Kiryuu's face remained cold and impassive. With a roar, he transformed into a massive dragon, soaring toward the Judicial Tower. On the way, he glimpsed his crew locked in combat with CP9 within the courthouse—but he did not pause. Spreading his wings, he vaulted the roaring waterfall chasm and landed directly before the tower itself.