A Short Time to Departure

Blue Station stands surrounded by rising water and rough weather as the final train prepares for Enies Lobby. A sign marks the "ENTRANCE TO SHIPWRIGHT ISLAND'S BLUE STATION," and a government official tells Robin, "CP9 WILL BE HERE IN PERSON." Robin, hooded and calm, answers only with silence. She is told, "NICO ROBIN ... GET ON BOARD THE 'SEA TRAIN' FIRST." The scene is quiet compared to the chaos at Galley-La, but the destination makes it ominous: Robin is being moved ahead of the others, toward the World Government's judgment island. The chapter begins by placing her at the station before the rescue party has even fully gathered itself.

The government men around Robin treat the operation like a victory already secured. One laughs, "HOOHOO... SO YOU'RE THE WOMAN I'VE BEEN CHASING FOR 20 YEARS..." and another orders, "HURRY UP!!! HEY, YOU GUYS, TAKE HER QUICKLY!!!" The same man comments, "IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT YOU'D SURRENDER." Sanji is nearby in disguise, watching the movement and thinking through how to board. Robin looks at him but says nothing. Sanji thinks, "NOW... HOW DO I GET ON BOARD..." then notices the pretext: "GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, SOME MARINES... AND ROBIN-CHAN..." He wonders, "IS SHE AIMING AT SOMETHING... OR DOES SHE HAVE A REASON FOR NOT RUNNING AWAY...?" Robin's face remains "UNKNOWN TO YOU ALL," carrying what the others still do not understand: "I HAVE A 'DARKNESS'."

Inside the station chaos, Spandam mocks the captured prisoners while Franky and Usopp struggle. Spandam says, "FORGIVE ME FOR THE WAIT, ROBIN-CHAN!!" and boasts, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, MY ONE AND ONLY PRINCE!" Franky, beaten and furious, is carried along while Spandam taunts him. Usopp shouts, "LET GO, DAMMIT! LET GO!!!" and Franky snarls, "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU BASTARDS!!! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TAKING ME?!!" Sanji watches and recognizes the situation: "WHA... IT'S ROB LUCHI..." and asks, "WHAT STRENGTH TO THAT CP9..." He sees Usopp too and mutters, "USOPP...!!!" The page places all the important pieces on the same track: Robin, Franky, Usopp, CP9, and Sanji's hidden chance to follow.

The train operation becomes public. An official receives praise: "THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS LONG MISSION!!!" Another answers with polite formality, "AYE, R... RIGHT AWAY." Then CP9 and the government personnel prepare to board. Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, Blueno, and the others move forward under the command, "ALL HANDS BOARD THE TRAIN!!!" Another warning follows: "THIS ISN'T A GAME. BRACE YOURSELVES!!" The tone is military and ceremonial at once: the government believes it has secured Robin, Franky, and Usopp, and now only the train's departure remains. Sanji's hidden infiltration becomes more dangerous with every person boarding around him.

Blue Station shifts into final departure mode. The order rings out, "PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE TO ENIES LOBBY!!!" and another voice commands, "ALL HANDS ON THE 'SEA TRAIN'!!!" Sanji is jostled in the crowd, muttering, "OW," while others shout, "LET ME GO! IT'S CRAMPED IN HERE---!!!" Once he slips away from the crush, he pauses alone and remembers Robin's parting words: "EVEN WITH HIM GONE ... 'I WON'T CAUSE YOU TROUBLE ANYMORE' HE SAID." Sanji admits, "IT STILL FEELS LIKE TROUBLE." He understands the contradiction: Robin tried to leave quietly to protect them, but her departure has pulled everyone into a larger crisis. The train is close, and Sanji is already inside the enemy's route.

At Galley-La headquarters, Chopper reacts with relief as he hears the truth about Robin. He shouts, "ROBIN DOESN'T HATE US AFTER ALL~~~!!?" and the others begin to act on that hope. Nami tells the group, "THAT'S RIGHT!! SO LET'S LOOK FOR EVERYONE AND GO SAVE ROBIN!!" Chopper turns into smaller forms in excitement and confusion: "I GOTCHA!! LET'S LOOK FOR THEM!! WHERE ARE THEY!!?" Nami tries to organize the search but pauses when Iceburg and the workers appear. She says, "WAIT, YOU GUYS ..." Chopper panics, "W--WAH!! IT TURNED INTO A GORILLA!!!" and then decides, "OKAY ...!! I'LL DO MY BEST!" The page changes the mood from despair to rescue, but the crew still has to gather before the train leaves.

Iceburg explains the time limit. "THOUGH IT'S YOUR DECISION TO GO AFTER NICO ROBIN... AT 11 O'CLOCK THIS EVENING, THE 'SEA TRAIN' WILL DEPART, TAKING ALL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL WITH IT." He warns, "NMA, IT'S ONLY A POSSIBILITY, BUT... THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY'RE ON THERE IS FAIRLY HIGH. WHICH MEANS THAT NICO ROBIN WILL ALSO BE WITH THEM." The worst part is the approaching weather: "LASTLY, THE 'SEA TRAIN' WILL CEASE OPERATIONS IN AN HOUR, SINCE THE 'AQUA LAGUNA' WILL BE COMING VERY SOON." If they miss this chance, "A SHIP CAN'T BE SENT OUT, AND ANY MEANS OF LEAVING THIS ISLAND WILL DISAPPEAR." Nami calculates, "WHAT TIME IS IT NOW!?" Someone answers, "IT'S 10:30." She realizes, "THIS IS BAD!!!" and another voice cries, "30 MINUTES LEFT!!?"

Nami refuses to lose the only route. She says, "THEN...!!! I HAVE TO GET TO THE STATION SOMEHOW! I HAVE TO CONVINCE ROBIN MYSELF...!!!" Iceburg warns that the destination makes ordinary negotiation impossible: "NMA, BECAUSE THE DESTINATION IS ENIES LOBBY, THERE'S NO ENTRY FOR THOSE NOT WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT. THE DRIVER IS ALSO A GOVERNMENT WORKER. EVEN IF I SPEAK TO HIM, HE WON'T LISTEN." Nami cries, "OH NO!!" but the group starts moving anyway. Chopper is ordered, "CHOPPER!! GO SEARCH OVER IN THE AREA WHERE I SAID LUFFY AND ZORO FLEW!!" and he answers, "OKAY, GOT IT!!" A worker announces, "AH...!! PAULIE'S OKAY...!!!" Iceburg, thinking of Nami and her friends, tells the Galley-La workers, "LEND THEM A HAND."

Paulie challenges the order at first: "LEND THEM A HAND? THESE ARE THE CRIMINALS THAT WENT AFTER ICEBERG-SAN'S LIFE, PAULIE? FIRST OF ALL, WE SHOULD RESTRAIN THESE TWO!! LUCHI AND KAKU ARE ALSO MISSING." Nami and Chopper listen as he turns the accusation around in front of everyone. Paulie shouts, "THE ASSASSINS AREN'T THE 'STRAWHAT' GROUP!!! THESE GUYS ARE INNOCENT!!! THEY'RE BEING FRAMED BY THE REAL ASSASSINS! WE'VE BEEN DECEIVED!!!" The workers realize that "THE STRAWHATS FOUGHT FOR US!!!" and that even if they do not know where Lucci and Kaku's loyalties lie, they know the masked attackers were the real enemy. Paulie adds, "AT PRESENT, THE FACT THAT ICEBURG-SAN AND I STILL HAVE OUR LIVES ... IS ALL THANKS TO THEM ...!!!"

The Galley-La workers begin to shift from suspicion to action. Someone asks, "EH!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO LUCHI AND THE OTHERS!!?" A worker answers, "WE DON'T HAVE TO... LOOK FOR LUCHI OR KAKU... WITH THOSE GUYS... WE PROBABLY WON'T SEE THEM AROUND ANYMORE." Another objects, "THEY'RE VISITING HOME," but that excuse no longer holds. Paulie decides to guide the rescue: "YOU'RE GOING TO THE STATION RIGHT?! I'LL GUIDE YOU!" Nami answers, "OKAY!! THANK YOU!" and when he calls her "shameless woman," she protests, "HEY...!! DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Paulie cuts through the remaining complaints with a command: "INSTEAD OF COM-PLAINING, THINK OF WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG!!! THINK OF THE NAME OF GALLEY-LA!!!"

The workers answer Paulie's call. They shout, "Y... YES SIR!!!" and apologize, "WE'RE SORRY!!! WE'LL FOLLOW ORDERS AND HELP OUT!!!" Nami and Chopper act fast: "RELEASE THE YAGARA!! OPEN THEIR PENS!!!" The men obey, and the yagara bulls surge out into the flooded city with cries of "NII!!" Someone says, "IF I... TOLD THEM EVERYTHING, IT'D BE BAD," and Paulie answers that he and Iceburg already share the feeling: "YOU AND I... ALREADY HAVE THESE FEELINGS... IT'S ENOUGH THAT..." Iceburg watches silently as the workers choose to help the Straw Hats. The city that had blamed them is now preparing transport for their rescue mission.

The search begins across the flooded streets. Workers and allies call out, "SANJI~~~!!!" "ZORO!!!" "LUFFY~~~!!" and "HEY~~~!!" Chopper yells, "COME BACK, USOPP!!" while the yagara carry people through the canals. Someone pleads, "EVERYONE ELSE SAY IT, TOO PLEASE!!!" The searchers split up, shouting the crew's names over the rushing water. Nami gives directions, "TURN DOWN THAT CANAL..." while another warns, "IT'S A SHORTCUT TO THE STATION!!" The page is all motion and noise: Water Seven's citizens, Galley-La workers, and Straw Hat allies are now using the same city that had chased them to try to gather the scattered crew before the train leaves.

Nami refuses to let Robin leave alone. Holding the clock, Sanji notes, "THERE'S STILL 20 MINUTES BEFORE THEY LEAVE." Nami cries, "DON'T GO YET, ROBIN!!!" and declares, "SACRIFICING YOURSELF LIKE THIS...!! WE WON'T LET YOU!!!" The final train is shown waiting at the platform with the announcement, "THE FINAL 11 O'CLOCK TRAIN..." Yagara riders hurry through the flooded streets: "YAGARA-CHAN!! HURRY UP!!" and "NII NII NII~~~!!!" Inside the train, Robin sits quietly as the text marks the route: "DEPARTING FROM WATER SEVEN'S BLUE STATION ... TO ENIES LOBBY." The page cuts between Nami's pursuit and Robin's silence, making the gap between them painfully visible.

At the station, the officials and passengers are packed together under pressure. Someone orders, "STAY HERE AND SHUT UP!" while others groan, "OUCH!!!" and "OW~~~!!!" People insult the government workers: "YOU BASTARDS! TREAT US MORE HOSPITABLY, YA MORONS!!!" and someone snaps, "GOVERN-MENT SHITHEADS!!!" A warning follows from the station: "DUE TO THE 'IMPENDING AQUA LAGUNA,' WE WILL BE MOVING THE SCHEDULE FORWARD. WE WILL BE DEPARTING SOON." Sanji, standing outside and watching the train, realizes the timing has worsened: "SHIT... IT'S LEAVING ALREADY...!!" The last train is no longer waiting for 11 o'clock. The storm has shortened the crew's remaining chance.

Inside the train, CP9 believes its mission is nearly over. Kalifa says, "OUR MISSION ... IS ALMOST COMPLETE." Lucci tells the others, "UNTIL WE ARRIVE, REFRAIN FROM SUCH LAX SPEECH," and calls someone an "IDIOT." One figure mutters, "..... FORGIVE ME..." Outside, Nami and the others race through the flood. Iceburg's warning repeats in her mind: "IF YOU LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS, ANY MEANS OF LEAVING THIS ISLAND WILL DISAPPEAR." Nami shouts, "PLEASE! MAKE IT IN TIME!" Chopper and the yagara rush onward with "NII!!" In the distance, Chimney and Gonbe spot something and call, "FRANKY... YOU... ARE YOU SAFE!!?" but the scene remains centered on the vanishing chance to reach Robin's train.

The searchers call for the missing Straw Hats in every direction: "RORONOA~~~!!!" and "STRAW-HAT~~~!!!" Nami's message is urgent and simple: "ROBIN'S BEING TAKEN AWAY~~~!!!" People shout, "LUFFY~~~!!" "SANJI~~~!!" "ZORO~~~!!" and "COME BACK, USOPP!!!" Meanwhile, Sanji sees the final train starting to leave and hears, "THE FINAL TRAIN WILL LEAVE SOON." He thinks about the others: "I WONDER HOW THE OTHERS ARE FARING ... I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN MAKE IT HERE IN TIME ..." The page splits the crisis: the city is searching as loudly as it can, but Sanji is the only one already close enough to the departing train.

The search reaches Luffy, but in the worst possible way. He is wedged tightly between two buildings, face strained and eyes wide. He hears the calls and shouts, but he cannot move. Someone yells in the distance, "THANK!!!" or calls out for help, and the city keeps roaring with the flood. Luffy answers from his ridiculous prison, "I'M STUCK ..." The visual comedy does not remove the danger: Robin's train is leaving, Sanji is alone near the station, and the captain who should lead the rescue cannot even free himself from the gap between walls. The page turns the chapter's urgency into a hard obstacle.

Luffy hangs upside down, trapped by his own bad luck. He grits his teeth and thinks, "IT'S MY LUCK THAT I'D LET MY FEET SLIP...!!!" then says again, "I'M STUCK ..." Outside, the train is already moving toward departure. Nami and the searchers keep calling, "LUFFY~~~!!!" and other voices shout "STRAW-HAT!!!" and "RORONOA!!" The final caption from the departing side says, "WE WILL BE DEPARTING SOON." The chapter ends with the crew still scattered: Robin is on the train, Sanji is nearest to the enemy, Nami is racing through the city, and Luffy is immobilized despite hearing the rescue call.

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