In the highest tower of Enies Lobby, Spandam greeted Rob Lucci and the others who had returned from Water 7, which pleased him greatly.
"Good work, everyone," Spandam said with a smile.
"It's nothing. All for the mission," Rob Lucci replied calmly.
Although they had been undercover in Water 7 for five years, for intelligence agents like them, this was the very aning of their existence. Five years was nothing—so agents remained undercover for ten or even twenty years.
"Don't worry, I won't forget your contributions," Spandam assured them.
This ti, to strengthen Cipher Pol 9's combat capabilities, he had specifically obtained two Devil Fruits—though he had no idea what abilities they held.
CP9 simply watched Spandam in silence, offering no response.
Unbothered, Spandam continued, "Where are those two now?"
"Right outside. Nico Robin has already been restrained with Sea Stone cuffs."
"Excellent work."
Spandam nodded in satisfaction. As expected, these professionals handled things reliably. With that, he wasn't in any particular hurry to see the two captives. His subordinates had worked hard for five years to complete this mission—he couldn't just rush straight to the objectives without at least so formalities.
With that in mind, Spandam began discussing other matters.
anwhile, outside the door, Franky was scanning his surroundings, searching for any chance to escape. Beside him, Nico Robin kept her head lowered, as if she had already resigned herself to fate, showing no will to survive.
After struggling for a while and realizing he couldn't break free from the chains, Franky gave up—for the mont. He glanced at the silent Nico Robin and noticed she seed utterly lifeless, like a corpse.
"Hey, are you really just giving up like this?" Franky said. "They chased you all the way from Water 7, not even the Aqua Laguna could stop them. Aren't you going to respond to them at all?"
But unfortunately, Nico Robin showed no intention of engaging with him, still keeping her head down in silence.
"You're so damn stubborn," Franky muttered irritably.
"What do you know?!" Nico Robin finally looked up at him. "You have no idea what kind of power they wield."
"The Buster Call...?"
Franky's expression darkened. The power to annihilate an entire island was indeed terrifying—but that still wasn't a reason to surrender without a fight.
"No one can resist the Buster Call..."
Nico Robin lowered her head again, the aura of despair around her growing even heavier.
"I don't know if we can stop the Buster Call, but... this idea of sacrificing yourself to save them? They'd never accept it."
Franky leaned against the wall, staring out the window in front of him. "No matter what you say, those reckless idiots are coming here to save you. That's an unchangeable fact!!"
Even though he hadn't known them for long, Franky could tell that these were people who would go to any lengths for their comrades.
If they dared to challenge the terrifying Aqua Laguna, what wouldn't they dare to do?
Nico Robin trembled upon hearing this, her eyes gradually filling with pain.
She too wanted to continue adventuring with her crewmates, but the problem was—if she didn't obey Cipher Pol 9's orders, her friends would be killed.
Nico Robin couldn't accept that, so she had no choice but to comply.
"Hmph, what a stubborn person, just like that long-nosed guy," Franky remarked.
Suddenly, Franky noticed a strange marine.
This marine had entered through a distant window—but wasn't that direction a cliff?
Or was there another passage on that balcony leading elsewhere?
With this doubt in mind, Franky stared intently at the marine in the distance.
And this marine was none other than iser!
"Phew~"
"Looks like I found the right place."
Glancing at the two bound against the wall, iser smiled.
The one in black must be Nico Robin, seemingly restrained by Sea Stone handcuffs, and the other was probably Franky.
After scanning the tightly shut door nearby, iser calmly walked toward them.
"Hey, marine, what do you think you're doing?" Franky glared coldly at iser.
If this marine dared to get too close, he wouldn't mind taking a bite out of him.
"Shh."
"It's ."
iser looked around, confirming no one else was present, then crouched down and said, "You're Franky and Nico Robin, right? I'm here to rescue you."
Nico Robin: !!!
Franky: ???
Nico Robin's expression turned to shock. Though she didn't know iser, why did those words sound so familiar?
Not long ago, Usopp had co to save her in the sa way—who would have thought soone else had made it here now!
Franky, anwhile, stared at iser in confusion, unsure what this marine was scheming.
Suddenly, as if realizing sothing, he exclaid, "You're that Ninja?!"
"Yes, that's ." iser nodded. "My na is iser."
Franky's face lit up with understanding—no wonder he hadn't seen this guy before. He was the Ninja who had just joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
Then Franky grew excited—this was a real Ninja!
"Ninja?"
Nico Robin looked at iser in bewildernt, not understanding what Franky ant.
She had seen the term "Ninja" in so illustrations before, but weren't those just fictional?
"I'm soone who just joined the Straw Hat Pirates," iser explained. "On the way to Enies Lobby."
Nico Robin's first reaction was disbelief. How could such a coincidence exist? Luffy just happened to pick up a Ninja as a crewmate along the way?
Who would believe that? Certainly not her.
To Nico Robin, this guy might well be a marine sent to test her loyalty. If she showed any sign of wanting to escape with him, CP9 might take action against Luffy and the others.
Seeing Nico Robin's distrustful expression, iser felt sowhat helpless. After all, she had never t him before.
"It should be him. When that curly-browed guy was communicating with the Straw Hat Boy earlier, I heard this guy's voice. He was with them at the ti," Franky spoke up to verify iser's identity.
Nico Robin looked at iser doubtfully. Could it be that Luffy really picked up a ninja as a companion along the way?
Wait, does that even make sense?
"Now do you believe who I am?" iser said.
Nico Robin remained silent for a mont before nodding slightly.
Since Franky said this guy had been with Luffy and the others, it was probably true. She had witnessed Franky's character firsthand during their journey.
"In that case, we should leave quickly," iser said. "If those guys discover us, protecting you while fighting them would be troubleso."
"We'll settle accounts with them after reuniting with Luffy."
As he spoke, iser drew his Kusanagi Sword, intending to first sever the chains binding the two.
As for the handcuffs on Nico Robin, they'd have to figure out a solution later. At the very least, they needed to get her away from here first.
"No, I can't go with you," Nico Robin shook her head. "Please leave."
"You want to leave after coming all this way?"
"Yes, leave," Nico Robin said. "Though I've never t you, since you're a mber of the Straw Hat Pirates, I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
Nico Robin didn't want this newly joined companion of the Straw Hat Pirates to co to harm. That would make their comrades sad.
"How... stubborn."
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