Chapter 112: Buster Call Activated

Chapter 112: Buster Call Activated

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky as fierce winds and torrential rain swept wildly across Water 7.

The water level in the Back Streets had already risen to submerge the first floors. Inside the dim, brick-built abandoned warehouse, the faint yellow light of torches illuminated the stone walls.

"So cool!!"

The three members of the atmosphere squad (Luffy, Usopp, Chopper) had stars in their eyes, completely captivated by the cool-looking Sea Train before them. "Rocketman!!"

In contrast, Nami had an ominous premonition, asking with a worried expression, "Why did you say it can't be used for passengers? And... what does 'runaway' mean?"

Creak—Bang!

"This is a failed product from when the Sea Train was first constructed."

The train door opened, and Iceburg stepped out, explaining:

"There's a design flaw. No matter how we adjust it, the speed can't be controlled. No passenger would dare ride this kind of train."

"It's fine!"

Granny Kokoro walked straight to the front of the locomotive, patting her chest confidently. "I have many years of driving experience! You all can rest assured!"

Thump!

"Oof!!" No sooner had she spoken than she missed a step and fell straight into the driver's cabin.

Usopp stared wide-eyed and roared, "It's precisely because you're driving that no one can rest assured!!"

Tap-tap-tap!

Just then, the sound of dense footsteps came from outside, and dozens of figures, armed with various tools, ran in.

Leading them were Zambai, whom Reiner had met before, and two square-headed girls in revealing attire.

"Granny Kokoro!!"

The two square-headed sisters spoke frantically at the same time, "And the Straw Hat crew?!"

"It's Kiwi and Mozu!"

Granny Kokoro stuck her head out of the train window, grinning. "What are you doing here?"

"Big Bro! Big Bro was taken away by World Government people!" Kiwi and Mozu cried out, faces tear-streaked.

Through Zambai's explanation, the group learned that shortly after Franky was taken away, they had tried to find a way to pursue him to Enies Lobby.

Although they had two King Bulls, they couldn't withstand Aqua Laguna's tsunami.

As local-born hoodlums, they knew the Back Streets like the back of their hands and immediately thought of using the abandoned Sea Train in the warehouse to give chase.

Hearing this, Iceburg was instantly alarmed. How did the World Government people know!?

"Damn it! I told him to leave this island long ago, but he just wouldn't listen!"

"Mah~ Don't worry," Reiner patted Iceburg's shoulder and said coolly. "We'll bring him back with us, by the way."

"We're truly sorry about what happened before!"

Zambai and the others shouted, then knelt down with a thud, looking up at them. "Please! Take us with you! We also want to save Big Bro!!"

"Yosh! Get on board!" Luffy grinned and agreed immediately.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

"You agreed too quickly!"

"At least ask a few questions first!"

The crew couldn't help but try to stop him. After all, they were heading into a fight; bringing along a group of strangers was quite troublesome.

Luffy grinned cheekily. "It's fine! They're just like us, going to save a nakama, right? How can we stop them!?"

"Since the captain said so, then okay. However..."

Reiner looked helplessly at the Franky Family members on the ground. "No matter how smoothly this trip goes, you won't be able to avoid casualties. Don't expect me to be your babysitter."

"Please rest assured!!"

Zambai looked up, his gaze resolute. "Without Big Bro, our worthless lives would have ended in some forgotten corner long ago! As long as it's for Big Bro, our lives are not worth cherishing!"

"Heeheehee! Looks like you're all prepared."

Luffy waved his hand grandly. "Then let's depart!!"

"Wait a minute."

Iceburg looked at the Straw Hat crew and spoke earnestly, "Although it's selfish of me to say this... please, can you bring that idiot Franky back safely for me?"

"Relax, Mister!"

Luffy smiled and nodded. "We're the ones who should be thanking you for helping us fix the Going Merry! Leave it to us!"

"Hahaha! Since that's the case, then hurry up and get on board!"

Granny Kokoro stuck her head out of the train window, laughingly scolding the group behind, "The train's about to depart! Don't keep the driver waiting, you damn brats!"

"Depart!!"

Woo— Woo— Woo!!

As the group boarded, the Rocketman let out a roar. Steam, driving precisely meshed mechanical gears, set the train in motion. It slowly accelerated, charging out of the brick warehouse.

The Franky Family members, meanwhile, ran outside, boarded a boat towed by two King Bulls, and, as the train exited the warehouse, used a giant iron hook to latch onto its rear.

"Once we're out of here, as long as we can get onto the tracks, that's the first step to victory!" Granny Kokoro laughed heartily.

"We can't get onto the tracks from here!?"

"See! Having you drive is still too unreliable!"

Granny Kokoro's words made everyone's hearts jump. Reiner was even more speechless. Tom's Workers... really couldn't produce anyone with a normal brain!

"Those must be the tracks!" Reiner went to the front of the train, pointing at a linear black shadow swaying with the waves in the distance. "Leave it to me."

With a thought, a giant rift opened up on the sea surface out of thin air. An enormous red figure emerged from within.

"That's—!"

Nami instantly recognized the familiar figure. "The Super Express Shrimp from Sky Island!"

"Oho! You plan to use that to pull us up, huh?"

Granny Kokoro was surprised by his methods for a moment, then immediately guessed Reiner's intention, but shook her head.

"Unfortunately, even without being on the tracks, the runaway Rocketman is still very fast. Otherwise, we could have just let the King Bulls pull us earlier."

"Mm-hmm. Relax."

Nami smirked. "Although the Bulls are very strong, when it comes to speed, the Super Express Shrimp is truly unparalleled."

"Woahahaha! Reiner! You actually still have this!" Luffy jumped excitedly onto the front of the train.

The Super Express Shrimp dived into the water, reached the underside of the Rocketman at extreme speed, extended its two pincers to clamp onto the train, and began carrying them towards the distant tracks.

"This speed... is truly incredible!"

Granny Kokoro couldn't help but be shocked. Although the train wasn't on the tracks yet, it was, after all, in a full-throttle runaway state.

She had never before seen a creature that could surpass the Rocketman in speed. She clicked her tongue in amazement.

"If not for the tsunami's effects, you could probably just use this to take you all the way to Enies Lobby."

"That's too far. It would exhaust me half to death," Reiner waved his hand. Such a fast burst also meant his stamina drained rapidly; it was the same when using the hawk summon.

After pulling the train close to the tracks, with Granny Kokoro's precise directions, the Super Express Shrimp guided the train onto the rails.

BANG!!

As the train connected with the tracks, the runaway Rocketman began to display its truly terrifying speed. The sudden burst of acceleration caused violent shaking.

Inside the carriage, everyone was thrown about. Luffy, on the front of the locomotive outside, was nearly flung off.

Even the Super Express Shrimp began to be left behind. Reiner directly recalled it and returned to the rear carriage.

Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. Fierce winds carried torrential rain, which frantically battered the train carriages.

"Look outside the window! Is it low tide!?" Usopp yelled, pointing towards Water 7 behind them.

The water level, which should have submerged the first floors, had receded, revealing large swathes of nearly dry land in the Back Streets.

"Wait a minute! Why is there land!?" Nami exclaimed in surprise. From what they had seen since arriving in Water 7, all the houses in the Back Streets should have been built directly on the water.

"Because Water 7 was originally an island."

Granny Kokoro emerged from the driver's cabin, holding another green liquor bottle, and said with a grin:

"Later, it was submerged by the annually rising water levels. The houses you see are all built on top of the previous structures. That's how it got the name 'City on Water'."

"Then hurry back and drive, old woman!!" Nami yelled, grimacing.

"Hahaha, it's fine."

Granny Kokoro waved her hand, tilted her head back, and took a swig of liquor. "Just follow the tracks. This train can't control its speed anyway. I just need to check on it from time to time."

"Compared to that, you should be more worried about Aqua Laguna's tsunami – the Aqua Laguna!"

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me!!"

Nami's pupils instantly dilated. With her knowledge of various climates and ocean currents, she immediately reacted upon hearing the word 'tsunami'.

"It's the undertow!!

"After such a high water level recedes, the resulting undertow! It will be like a tsunami! Comparable to a natural disaster!!"

Nami felt the cold wind blowing in from outside the window, her face filled with terror. "The tsunami is coming!!"

"That's right. How about it?"

Granny Kokoro gestured towards Reiner and grinned. "Relying on his method of pulling the train just now, we still have a chance to turn back, you know."

"How could we possibly turn back!?"

Luffy jumped onto the train window and squatted, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance ahead. He could already see the giant waves churning and席卷 (sweeping/engulfing).

"It's just waves! Leave it to me!"

On a pitch-black sea, the two large headlights of the Puffing Tom struggled to pierce a small area of brightness.

Inside the luxurious head carriage, which was carpeted in red, CP9 members leaned back on two rows of comfortable, soft sofa seats, resting with their eyes closed.

The door to the rear carriage opened gently, and a short, middle-aged man cautiously walked up.

"Um... We received news from the island. Just now, the Straw Hat crew boarded a never-before-seen Sea Train, left Water 7, and are currently pursuing us."

Goci rubbed his hands and continued, "But please rest assured, these two trains are still equipped with some powerful soldiers to ensure the smooth completion of the escort mission."

After speaking, the carriage once again fell silent. Seeing no response, Goci awkwardly prepared to leave.

Just then, a cold voice spoke up.

"Useless. With your strength, you can't stop them."

Lucci glanced at him and said in a low voice, "Detach one carriage every twenty minutes. Delaying them a bit is enough."

"De-detach the carriage?!"

Goci cried out in alarm. "The weather is so bad right now! If we detach the carriages, even if they could defeat the Straw Hat Pirates, they might not be able to survive until rescue arrives!"

"If we could defeat the Straw Hat crew, we would have done so already."

Lucci shot him a disdainful look, then continued, "If the mission fails, the punishment you will face will only be crueler. Do as I say."

"Th-this... I understand."

Goci gritted his teeth and turned to leave. After the carriage door closed, Lucci took out a Den Den Mushi from his coat. Frowning gravely, he hesitated for a moment, then made the call.

After a short while, the Den Den Mushi transformed into a sleazy face and simultaneously let out a wild laugh.

"Gya哈哈哈! My dear subordinates! Are you almost here? I can't wait to reward you two with good things!"

However, what answered him was Lucci's cold voice:

"There's bad news. The Straw Hat crew doesn't seem to be giving up on Nico Robin. They've boarded some unknown Sea Train and are pursuing us."

"Nani!!"

The Den Den Mushi's expression turned to shock. "Then take them out! Nico Robin can't escape anymore, right!? Who cares about any agreement!!"

"Regrettably, it cannot be done."

Lucci's expression was grim. He didn't feel ashamed, merely stating the facts for the sake of the mission. "Don't you have the authority to activate a Buster Call? It's best to request backup in advance."

"Bastard! Are you kidding me!?"

The Den Den Mushi's expression turned furious. "The Buster Call Den Den Mushi was given by Aokiji! Those Vice Admirals won't listen to my orders! If it's activated, the entire Enies Lobby will be blasted into oblivion!!"

"I am merely reporting the situation truthfully. Decide as you wish."

Lucci's tone remained unchanged. "In short, the Straw Hat crew's strength is far greater than described in the intel. Enies Lobby's forces probably cannot withstand them."

As his words fell, the Den Den Mushi fell silent for a moment, then another mocking voice came through.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on, Lucci? Don't tell me five years of staying in one place has made your skills rusty?"

"It's Jabra. My skills are more than enough to kill you."

"What did you say, bastard!? Come back and we'll spar—Beep~"

The noisy sound cut off abruptly. Lucci directly hung up the Den Den Mushi and put it back in his coat. Meanwhile, on the other side, in an empty room within the Tower of Justice on Enies Lobby...

"Damn it! That pigeon bastard!" Jabra gritted his teeth and put down the Den Den Mushi.

Opposite the desk, Spandam, with his light purple hair, looked displeased and yelled,

"So impolite, Jabra! Who told you to snatch the Commander's Den Den Mushi!? And Lucci! Actually hung up on me!!"

After saying this, he plopped down into his chair and slammed his hand hard on the desk!

Bang!

"Straw Hat Pirates!"

Spandam picked up the Golden Den Den Mushi beside him, his eyes filled with hesitation.

"Enies Lobby has ten thousand permanently stationed troops! Plus, this time, all of CP9 is assembled! Isn't that still not enough?"

"Hmph. Although that guy's a bastard, however..."

Jabra sat back down on the sofa behind, his expression grave. "That fellow has always been reliable in handling matters. Since he feels it's necessary, the enemy's strength probably isn't weak."

Beside him on either side sat two other CP9 members: Fukurou and Kumadori!

"But that's an indiscriminate attack!"

Spandam gritted his teeth. "Those Marine Vice Admirals are all proud as peacocks! If it's really activated here, who will be responsible for my safety!?"

Kumadori intoned in a long, theatrical voice, "Since that is so~~ Why then did you~~ Press it?"

"Huh??"

Hearing Kumadori's voice, Spandam looked down in confusion at his thumb pressed firmly on the Golden Den Den Mushi.

"I actually pressed it!!!" Spandam's eyes instantly flew out of their sockets, his jaw dropping to the floor in shock!

"Are you an IDIOT!!!?" the three yelled in unison, grimacing.

(End of this chapter)

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