The tension-filled scene began with Lucas holding all of Galley-La and Franky immobilized, suspended as though struck by an invisible force rather than ice. The atmosphere thickened as Lucas raised his fingers, his telekinetic hold freezing them in place. Even in this immobilized state, their heads turned and voices could still be heard.
"Whatever you think we did, you're mistaken," Lucas said, his voice low and edged with seriousness. His gaze locked onto Lucci with intensity, as though seeing straight through the man's facade. "Why would we even want to harm your mayor when we're here looking for a new ship?"
"Even so," Lucci replied, his calm voice filled with subtle accusation, "Iceburg says you're the culprits."
Lucas quirked an eyebrow but didn't flinch. "If you heard it from him, then he's clearly alive," he retorted, his tone sharp. "Now, why would we, as you can clearly see, make such a mistake? It seems you underestimate our strength." His words were punctuated by a sudden telekinetic force, a pressure that seemed to bear down on the immobilized group, forcing them to the ground.
"Stop it!" Nami's urgent voice cut through the tension. She grabbed Lucas's sleeve, attempting to ground him. "You'll only make things worse. Come on, let's get out of here."
Lucas's expression shifted in an instant, softening as he looked at her. Without hesitation, he teleported the group away, the rooftop of a nearby building their next location.
"What did they mean back there?" Luffy asked, breaking the silence as he frowned, clearly troubled.
"It's simple," Lucas replied, crossing his arms. "The only reason for them to assume such with such certainty means..." He trailed off, giving Nami a moment to connect the dots. Her eyes widened as realization dawned.
"You mean to say..." she began, her voice quivering slightly.
"Yes, it was probably Robin," Lucas finished, his tone measured but grim.
Luffy's fists clenched, his face an explosion of disbelief. "There's no way Robin could do that!" he exclaimed.
"Well, why not ask him?" Lucas suggested, opening a portal in front of them. It shimmered with an otherworldly energy, creating an opening into Iceburg's room.
"Fine then." Luffy's resolve was sharp as he stepped through the portal, determined to find the truth. They entered Iceburg's dimly lit room, the man lying weakly on his bed, yet his sharp eyes turned to meet theirs.
"Nmaa, Straw Hats. Do you have business with me?" Iceburg said, his voice calm but with an undertone of curiosity.
"Hell yeah, I do," Luffy shot back, standing firm. "I wanna know who did this to you."
Iceburg's expression didn't change. "Well, seeing how you came in here, I see that you're not after my life. If you were, you would've taken me out anytime you wanted. But yes, I saw the culprit, and she was one of you. I saw Nico Robin with my own eyes."
"What?! Are you sure it wasn't someone else?" Luffy's voice cracked with disbelief. He couldn't accept such a claim, couldn't reconcile it with the Robin he knew.
"Arguing won't change the fact," Iceburg replied, his tone unyielding. "But I have a request. While we're talking, I'd like to speak to her. Nico Robin."
"We don't know where she is," Lucas interjected. "And I assume this whole ordeal has something to do with her past." His voice was measured, carefully balancing emotion and logic.
"That's a funny way of speaking to me considering how injured I am," Iceburg retorted, his sharp wit still intact despite his condition.
Lucas remained silent, recognizing the futility of continuing the back-and-forth. Iceburg sighed. "Well, this won't get us anywhere," he said finally.
Luffy stood in silence, the conflict within him palpable. Why would Robin do this? How could she?
Lucas, breaking the moment, straightened. "I think they're coming," he said, his tone steady but urgent. "We need to leave."
As the portal reappeared, Lucas added, "I'll leave you with this. I'm hoping you repay us kindly the next time we meet." With a final flick of his fingers, a soft glow surrounded Iceburg as Lucas healed his wounds before stepping through the portal and letting it close.
The situation escalated quickly. With the news spreading of the supposed Straw Hats' involvement in Iceburg's attack, the crew found themselves hunted by the shipwrights of the town. On the rooftop where the crew regrouped with the help of Lucas's magic, tension was high as they brainstormed their next move. But one thing was certain: Luffy was determined to find Robin and uncover the truth.
"Dammit," Lucas muttered, leaning against the edge of the rooftop. "I hope they don't take my money without finishing my ship because of this."
The Straw Hats, now fully reunited—including Zoro, who had been wandering aimlessly in the streets—listened as Sanji recounted his encounter with Robin. His words only solidified Luffy's resolve to confront her.
"So, what now? Do we just teleport in there again?" Zoro asked, his typical bluntness cutting through the tension.
"It seems like a plan to me," Sanji remarked with a shrug.
"Ummm… we'll just wait here then?" Usopp muttered nervously, glancing at the others. The silence of the night stretched over them.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed from the direction of Iceburg's building, jolting everyone awake. Luffy stood immediately, his instincts sharp. Without hesitation, he took off, launching himself toward the action. It was as though his cue had arrived.
"Luffy! Wait! Are we supposed to use—" Nami began to yell, but Luffy was already gone.
"Well, I guess I'd better get going as well," Zoro said, leaping off after their captain.
"What's wrong with these people?!" Nami screamed in frustration, her words lost in the chaos as she turned to find Chopper and Usopp sneaking off. "Where are you two going?" she yelled, glaring at them.
"Well, so much for the plan," Sanji muttered.
"It doesn't matter," Lucas said calmly. "When Zoro jumped, I opened a portal beneath him, so he fell somewhere in the building. As for our captain, well, at least he went in the right direction, so that's good."
Lucas turned to Chopper and Usopp. "Now for the rest of you," he said. "I have a plan. You two will be our fail-safe." With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal beneath them, and they vanished.
"Now then," Lucas muttered, his eyes narrowing. "The pieces are in play, and we're the last ones to enter the fray."
The portal shimmered in front of Nami, Sanji, and Lucas. Stepping through, they regrouped with Zoro at the entrance to Iceburg's room. "Why did you teleport us outside?" Nami asked, glaring at Lucas.
Lucas smirked to himself. 'I used a little displacement spell just so we'd arrive around the time CP-9 revealed themselves, but I can't tell them that.' Out loud, he simply said, "I wanted to build suspense."
"Oh, you guys are here," Zoro said casually, earning a scolding glance from Nami.
Before the group could settle, a loud crash sounded from inside Iceburg's room. Without hesitation, the Straw Hats barged in boldly, their presence demanding attention.
Inside stood figures they hadn't expected—Galley-La workers, or so they thought, alongside Nico Robin. Paulie's face contorted with shock, his voice breaking as he yelled, "Khalifa, Blueno, Kaku, Lucci! Just what is going on here? Why are you here? Dressed like that? Why is Iceburg on the floor bleeding?"
The response from the supposed Galley-La workers shook him to his core. Lucci's calm voice revealed the truth: they were spies, members of CP-9.
"No! We're friends, coworkers, right? Was that all a trick? A lie this whole time?" Paulie's voice cracked as he burst forward, rage driving him to attack Lucci. But the Lucci he knew was merely a facade. With ruthless precision, Lucci struck Paulie down with a piercing finger pistol, sending him crashing to the ground.
The Straw Hats stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the revelation sinking in.
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