Chapter 10: chapter 10: CP9 Challenge
The clash with CP9 had left the Straw Hats and Jiro battered but determined. The air in the room was thick with tension and the aftermath of their battle leaving traces in each corners. The floor tiles shattered as it bore the aftermath of the fierce exchange. The scent of smoke and sweat lingering after the brief skirmish.
The strawhats and Jiro bore signs of the struggle such as scuffed clothes, beads of sweat rolling down their temples, and fresh bruises on their bodies.
Jiro stood near the back, his breathing ragged as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
Spandam's voice echoed through the Tower of Justice as he barked orders, dragging Robin along with him toward the Gates of Justice.
"Retreat and protect me!" Spandam shrieked, his voice cracking. "Don't let them near Robin!" His panicked shouts echoed through the halls as he dragged Robin along, her chains clinking with every step.
Jiro clenched his fists, his knuckles white. He could feel the heat of anger building inside him, but he took a steadying breath. "We can't let him get away," he muttered.
Before they could give chase, a figure emerged from the shadows... a stocky man with a zipper-like mouth. Fukurou. He stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed, a smug grin plastered across his face.
"You're too late," Fukurou said, his voice strangely mechanical as he zipped and unzipped his mouth. "Robin is now being taken to the Gates of Justice by Spandam and Lucci. But don't worry…" He held up a small key, letting it dangle between his fingers. "…this might be what you're looking for. You need this to unlock the seastone handcuffs from Robin~"
Luffy stepped forward, his fists trembling with barely contained fury. "Give it to us!" he demanded.
Fukurou chuckled and shook his head. "Not so fast, Straw Hat. This key may or may not unlock Robin's Seastone handcuffs. But here's the fun part~ there are five of us, and each of us has a key. Only one of them is the right one. By the way, you can only obtain our key by defeating us, we can't expect for you guys to hand over the key should we? That's impossible"
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Fukurou's words sinking in.
"That's ridiculous!" Nami snapped. "We don't have time for your games. We'll take Robin back first and deal with you guys later."
Fukurou's grin widened. "Ah, but if you do that, I'll just toss this key into the ocean. Without it, you'll never remove her handcuffs. Seastone is as hard as diamond, after all. You'd never break it. Once I toss this key into the ocean, you can forget about saving her in your life."
The Straw Hats exchanged worried glances.
Jiro wore a grim expression.
"We'll have to defeat all of you cp9 to get the correct key right?" Zoro said, his tone grim.
Fukurou nodded approvingly. "That's right, that's the idea we have, this is a play for us~. Anyway we're giving you a chance. Let's see if you can rise to our challenge." With that, he vanished, using Soru to disappear deeper into the building.
Luffy turned to his crew and Jiro, his face set with determination. "Alright, we split up. Find them, beat them, and take their keys. We'll get Robin back no matter what!"
Jiro hesitated for a moment. "Wait, let's make a plan first!" he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We can't just charge in without a plan. What if we waste time fighting the wrong ones?"
Zoro smirked, resting a hand on one of his swords. "Heh... Then we fight them all... Simple enough."
Sanji lit a cigarette, his eyes narrowing. "I'll take care of whoever I run into. You guys just don't get in my way. By the way, green algae, don't get lost"
Zoro look at Sanji "HUH?! WHAT DID YOU SAY CURLY EYEBROW? I WILL NEVER GET LOST! DO YOU WANT TO TRY MY SWORD?"
"DO YOU THINK I WON'T KICK YOUR ASS HUH.. MOSS HEAD" Sanji said while their head is clashing.
When Sanji and zoro got head to head confrontation, a two shadow flew to their head and got knock down, Jiro look at who attack them, and he saw Nami's fist that has still smoke remaining in her hands.
"Both of you stop your antics, we need to save Robin now" Nami sighed but nodded. "We don't have much choice. Let's move."
"I... I also want to save Robin! I'll fight too!!" Chopper said with conviction.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Sogeking muttered under his breath, clutching his slingshot tightly. He straightened up suddenly, pointing a trembling finger toward the group. "But fear not! The great Sogeking will also... uh... assist in this heroic endeavor!"
Jiro swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "Alright," he said, steeling himself. "Let's do this. We will beat anyone who stop us from saving Robin."
With that, the group separated from each other, each member racing into the labyrinthine halls of the Tower of Justice. Jiro's heart pounded as he sprinted down one of the corridors, his thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and determination.
"This is it," he thought. "No more holding back. I'll prove that I can fight alongside them."
The hunt for the keys had now begun.