THE CONCEALED ONES

Inside a room, Paulie lies defeated and bleeding on the floor, gasping heavily with "HAA... HAA...". Standing over him are two masked intruders: one wearing a bull mask and the other wearing a skull mask. The skull-masked figure holds a document. Paulie looks up in shock, stammering, "........!! A FAKE...!!?". The skull-masked figure looks down coldly, saying, "...!! STOP THIS NONSENSE...".

Paulie remains heavily injured on the floor, gasping "HAA...". The skull-masked figure mocks him, saying, "WHAT A SCENE... UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR... YOUR PLAN FAILED." Paulie weakly replies, "I DON'T KNOW WHO THE HELL YOU ARE, BUT...". The skull-masked figure continues relentlessly, "...BRAT... BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE JUST THE BAIT, NOW THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED... WE CAN'T LET YOU LIVE." Suddenly, a massive crash "DO-DON!!" shakes the room, startling both masked figures with a "!!?".

Luffy crashes through the ceiling, stuck inside a large golden ring structure, shouting, "I'M STUCK...!!! DAMN!! I'M STUCK!!" with a grunt of "NNG!". Paulie, lying on the floor, gasps in disbelief, "...!! STRAW HAT...!!!". Luffy spots him and yells, "HUH!? AH!! YOU'RE THE GUY WITH THE ROPES!!! WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU OKAY!? YOU'RE BLEEDING!!". The bull-masked figure stands silently, while the skull-masked figure remarks, "... THIS IS THE THIRD FLOOR... I SHOULD BE THE ONE ASKING IF YOU'RE OK...".

The skull-masked figure asks, "STRAW HAT LUFFY... DID YOU COME HERE TO TAKE THE BLAME FOR US?". Luffy, still trapped in the ring, glares at them and shouts, "YOU'RE TELLING ROBIN TO DO SOMETHING...!!! GIVE ROBIN BACK, YOU BASTARDS!!!". He then notices their masks: "AH!! A MASK!? IT'S A MASK!! THEN IT'S YOU!". The skull-masked figure stands silently for a moment, then prepares an attack, saying, "RAN-KYAKU."

The skull-masked figure unleashes a powerful Rankyaku kick, creating a sharp air blade that slices through the room with a massive "BOM!!" and sends Luffy flying with a "WAH!!!". The air slash cuts the wall completely in half with a sharp "SPA-A-AN!!" and a crackling sound. Luffy, now freed from the ring, lands in a crouch, sweating and shocked: "WHAT!!?...!! THE WALL BROKE FROM ONE KICK!!". The skull-masked figure stands calmly in the dust.

Paulie watches in shock, gasping "........!!". Suddenly, the bull-masked figure charges at Luffy with incredible speed, catching him completely off guard ("HUH?"). With a grunt of "GUHEH!!!", the bull-masked figure slams Luffy down. Luffy is pinned to the floor with a loud "CLINK" and "DOGAGAGAGA!!!", completely bound by heavy metal restraints. Luffy yells in surprise, "!!!?".

Luffy is pinned to the floor by heavy iron restraints, struggling in vain: "I... CAN'T MOVE!!". The bull-masked figure says, "IT'S AN EMERGENCY. WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO HANG AROUND WITH YOU." Luffy grunts "HUH!!?". The skull-masked figure adds, "HEY, STOP HIM TOO...!! THERE'S NO TIME FOR FIGHTING." The bull-masked figure replies, "OKAY." Paulie, also bound and bleeding, grunts "UGH!!" and "WAAAA!". Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi rings: "RIIIIING... RIIIIING... RIIIIING...". Nico Robin, a figure in a bear mask, and a figure in a feathered mask are shown. A hand clicks the receiver: "CLICK".

The voice on the receiver says, "IT'S ME. THERE'S A HITCH IN OUR PLAN. EVERYONE HEAD TO THE BEDROOM. DON'T SHOOT ICEBERG YET." Outside the Galley-La headquarters, the call is received. Inside, Nico Robin and Iceburg (lying in bed, bandaged) look serious. Outside, Lulu is fighting the feathered-masked figure. The feathered-masked figure says, "EXCUSE ME...!! I HAVE SOMETHING TO ATTEND TO...". Lulu, holding his swords, shouts, "WHAT, ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY!!?". The figure replies, "NO.....".

With a sudden, blindingly fast slash, the feathered-masked figure strikes Lulu, drawing blood with a "!!!?". Lulu is defeated instantly. The figure says, "SO I'LL FINISH YOU OFF QUICKLY. I HAVE SOMETHING TO ATTEND TO...". The figure then leaps away with a "HOP!!". The Galley-La shipwrights watch in absolute shock, crying "WAH!! LULU-SAN!!!" and "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE...!!! ONE... ONE ATTACK AND...!!? SHE'S FLYING!!".

Back in the room, Luffy and Paulie lie pinned to the floor, both gasping "HAA... HAA...". Paulie asks, "HEY... YOU OK...!?". Luffy replies, ".......!! IT'S... NOTHING....!!". Paulie says, "STRAW HAT... WHY'D YOU COME......EVERYONE THINKS... YOU'RE THE CULPRIT... I'M SORRY....!!". Luffy answers, "IT'S ALRIGHT, I'M USED TO BEING CHASED... BUT ONE OF MY CREW MEMBERS WAS TAKEN AWAY BY THEM, SO I CAME TO GET HER BACK!!". Paulie asks, "..... NICO ROBIN, RIGHT?". Luffy confirms, "HAA... YEAH!!". Paulie asks, "YOU'RE STRONG IN A FIGHT, RIGHT......!? CAN YOU.... WIN AGAINST THEM!?".

Luffy looks determined and shouts, "YEAH!!!!". Paulie, sweating and bleeding, says, "THEN... FIGHT BESIDE ME....!!! I WANNA WIN TOO.....". Luffy smiles, "..... I SEE. OF COURSE." Paulie grits his teeth in intense anger, shouting, "..... WHY DOES ICEBERG-SAN HAVE TO BE KILLED... BY A BUNCH OF IDIOTS WE DON'T EVEN KNOW?!!!!".

Paulie continues, crying out in frustration: "HAA... HE'S MY... TEACHER... YOU KNOW...!! HE MADE ME A FULL-FLEDGED SHIPWRIGHT......!!!". Luffy looks on silently. Paulie screams, "BUT IN YOUR CONDITION...!! I'M SAYING I WANNA BEAT THOSE BASTARDS TO PULPS!!! I DON'T CARE WHAT MY BODY'S LIKE AFTERWARDS!!! I'LL KEEP ON FIGHTING 'TIL I'M REDUCED TO A SINGLE BONE!!! DAMMIT!!! LET ME OUTTA HERE!!! OK!!! LET US OUT, DAMMIT!!! UWO~~~~~~~~~~!!!". Both Luffy and Paulie scream at the top of their lungs, struggling against their iron restraints with a loud "GAKYAAAN!!" and "UOOOOOOOOO!!!".

Outside, the crowd of citizens and shipwrights is shouting. Inside, a man in a black top hat stands silently ("DON"). In another room, the injured Galley-La shipwrights lie defeated on the floor. A clock on the wall ticks: "TICK TOCK... TICK TOCK...". In Iceburg's bedroom, the door opens with a loud "DON!!!". The five masked intruders—the bull, the skull, the bear, the feather, and Nico Robin—enter and stand before Iceburg's bed.

Iceburg sits up in bed, glaring at them, and shouts, "GO HOME!!! I HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE YOU!!!". Nico Robin replies calmly, ".... THAT'S THE PROBLEM...". The bull-masked figure steps forward. Suddenly, a pigeon wearing a tie flies in ("COO~~ COO~~") and lands on the bull-masked figure's shoulder. Iceburg is shocked: "!?". The bull-masked figure reaches up to his mask with a "PO..." and "ZU...", saying, "WHAT......SHALL WE DISCUSS FIRST......WITH YOU?". Paulie (or Iceburg) gasps in horror, "WHA-...!!!"

The bull-masked figure removes his mask, revealing himself to be Rob Lucci! He speaks directly, his pigeon Hattori on his shoulder: "I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU." Iceburg gasps in absolute shock, "LUCCHI!!!". The skull-masked figure also removes his mask, revealing Kaku! Kaku says, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT... THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT HANDING IT OVER, WHILE THE GOVERNMENT WAS STILL REQUESTING IT OF YOU NICELY." Iceburg stares in disbelief, "KAKU!!!".

Kaku continues, "...WITHOUT HAVING TO HARM YOU." The feather-masked figure removes her mask, revealing Kalifa! She says, "WE REALLY WISHED... TO MAKE THIS TOWN A MEMORY...". Iceburg gasps, "KALIFA...!!". The bear-masked figure removes his mask, revealing Blueno! Blueno says, "YOU HAVE YOUR MASTER'S RESOLVE." Iceburg is completely stunned, sweating profusely: "...!! BLUENO...!! YOU WERE ALL... WITH THE GOVERNMENT!!!".

The four unmasked agents—Kaku, Blueno, Rob Lucci, and Kalifa—stand together in their black suits alongside Nico Robin. Lucci says, "THAT'S RIGHT... CONCEALING OURSELVES WAS EASY AS PIE... BUT". A caption box appears: "BEHIND-THE-SCENES SECRET SERVICE DIRECTLY UNDER THE WORLD GOVERNMENT: CIPHER POL NO. 9". Iceburg, sweating and trembling, says, "I'M SO AMAZED BY THE DEPTH OF YOUR FORETHOUGHT, I'M TOTALLY SPEECHLESS." Lucci demands, "... PLEASE TELL US... ITS WHEREABOUTS. THE BLUEPRINTS FOR THE ANCIENT WEAPON, 'PLUTON'... BEFORE THERE ARE ANY MORE VICTIMS."

No description for this page.