The Key to Release

Rocketman hangs over the great fall between the courthouse and the Tower of Justice, smoke trailing behind it while the Straw Hats and their allies scream, "OO-WAAA-AAAA!" Chimney and Gonbe stare from inside and cry, "NYAA!!" "IT'S A FALL!!" Kokoro only laughs, "NGAGA-GAGA-GAGA!!" Below, the damaged drawbridge and Enies Lobby's impossible drop stretch beneath the train as everyone continues to fall and scream, "AAAAAA-AAAAH!!"

As Rocketman sails through the air, Kokoro remembers Tom with pride. She thinks, "It brings back memories, Tom-san..." and laughs, "NGAGA." She declares, "I'm proud of myself with a Don... for helping the guy called Roger!!!" Her memories drift to young Luffy saying, "I'm Luffy, the man who'll become the Pirate King." When Kokoro asked, "Really!?" he answered, "Yeah!" She thinks that Roger was also an idiot just like him, and that she lent him a hand too. Now, with the entire Tom's Workers and the pirate brats relying on her, she laughs, "NGAGAGAGA!" and warns, "We'll crash--!!" as the train slams toward the Tower of Justice.

Rocketman crashes into the Tower of Justice with a roaring impact. Soldiers panic and shout, "GYAA-AAH!!" "RUN!!!" The sea train smashes through stone and smoke, throwing rubble everywhere. Spandam and CP9 feel the crash from inside the tower. Spandam freezes in terror, and Franky, Robin, and the others realize the rescuers have arrived. One voice says simply, "THEY CAME."

Inside the Tower of Justice, Spandam sees the Straw Hats' arrival and drags Robin onward. "THEY CAME!!!" he cries, then yells, "DAMN IT!! YOU, COME WITH ME!!" Robin stumbles with a pained "AH!" while she thinks desperately, "If only I could take off these Kairouseki handcuffs...!!!" Spandam hands command to CP9: "Now, I'll let you do whatever you like, CP9!!" He orders, "CRUSH THEM IN THIS JUDICIAL TOWER!!! You have permission to butcher them up!!" and calls, "LUCCI!! YOU COME WITH ME!" He adds that protecting his life is their first priority. Then he summons his elephant-sword: "FUNKFREED!!"

Funkfreed answers Spandam's call, transforming from a sword into the elephant-sword Zouken Funkfreed, a weapon with the Zou Zou no Mi. Spandam praises it, "All right, good boy." The note explains that "zou" means elephant and "ken" a sword. With Funkfreed in hand, Spandam stands over Robin and declares, "Now, let's head for the Gates of Justice!!! I dare you to take this woman back, Strawhat!!!"

Outside, the Franky Family and allies see the result of Rocketman's crash. "FRANKY-BRO'S SAFE AND SOUND!!" they cheer. "STRAWHAT-SAN AND THE REST HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE JUDICIAL TOWER...!!" "BRO'S NOT IN CUSTODY ANYMORE!!" Franky's followers shout, "GO FOR IT, BRO!!" and "DO YOUR BEST, STRAWHATS!!!" while one proudly says, "It seems he's joining in!! That's right, bro's just like that!!!" Around Rocketman's wreck, the survivors scramble out. Someone asks, "KOKORO-BABAA!! BRATS!! WHY THE HECK ARE YOU HERE!?" Another cries, "... HEY!! ARE YOU OKAY!?" and the rescued passengers beg, "Hey, babaa, don't pass out!!" "Please, I beg you...!! Don't die!! Don't die--!!!" Kokoro lies battered but alive.

The crash leaves everyone bruised, but astonishingly alive. Franky yells, "YOU SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING MORE SEVERE THAN JUST A NOSEBLEED AFTER THAT CRASH!!!" Kokoro cheerfully answers, "I GOT A NOSEBLEED!!" A small note of resilience appears: "We're not made of rubber like you. There's no way for humans, made of flesh and blood, to take a plunge like that... and stay..." Luffy thanks her anyway: "THANKS FOR THE HELP, MONSTER BAA-SAN!!" Then he barks at the others, "HEY, GUYS! GET UP ALREADY!! THAT WAS NOTHING!!" The Straw Hats and allies spring up shouting, "UNINJURED!!!" Sanji comments, "They are all fine," and adds, "You guys are all weird. Just so you know."

The Straw Hats waste no time. Luffy points out, "There's a staircase over there!!" and shouts, "Let's hurry and get to Robin!!" But Fukurou appears above them and calls, "WAIT!" The crew looks up in surprise: "!!?" "What's that!?" Fukurou tells them, "Chapapa-papa...!! They've broken in!! You won't find Nico Robin... Even if you go to the room you saw earlier. Lucci took her to the Gates of Justice. Eh!? Ah... and chief, too."

Fukurou explains that Lucci is already heading to the Gates of Justice with Robin and Spandam, but he will not tell them how to get there. "And us CP9 won't allow you to follow because we've received an order to obliterate you!!" he says. "There's no way for you to free Nico Robin, unless you defeat us." Then he shows them a key. Nami asks, "A key to what?" and Luffy echoes, "A key!?" Fukurou explains, "It's a key to the Kairouseki handcuffs that Nico Robin is restrained with!" Chopper says, "Kairouseki?" Nami explains, "It's a stone that nullifies Devil Fruit's power! I heard it has the same effect as when you guys fall into the sea."

The crew realizes why Robin obeys despite her strength. Chopper asks, "Is that why Robin's being obedient, even though she's strong!?" and adds, "I bet she's mortified!" Fukurou says, "Should you manage to rescue Nico Robin somehow... Kairouseki is as hard as diamond, so her handcuffs will never come off. If you don't mind that, then go rescue her now. Chapa pa." Luffy immediately demands, "Then, give it to me!!!" and lunges for the key. Fukurou easily dodges and warns, "Don't rush...!! I never said this was the real key." Luffy realizes, "...Looks like he can use that technique, too," recognizing the same movement style. The key falls away as the crew reacts, "WHAAT!?"

Fukurou reveals the real game. "Maybe it's the key to a different pair hand-cuffs. Chapa-papa..." he says. "There are five CP9 members in this tower, each of us holding a key and waiting for you." Zoro understands the trap: "Then, we won't know if it's real or not until we take the keys from you and try them on Robin's handcuffs? What a crappy way to play for time...!! While we're wasting our time here, you're probably planning to take Robin-chan to the Gates of Justice, aren't you?" Nami says, "...But we should take care of Robin first!" and then corrects the plan: "We should make sure to get Robin back, and take care of getting the keys afterwards!" Luffy says, "Forget about him and let's hurry!!" Fukurou praises them: "Chapapapa. You're smart... but if you do that,"

Fukurou threatens to throw his key away: "I'll just toss this key in to the sea!! Chapapapa." The crew panics. "!!!" "You!!" "Wait--!!!" Fukurou says, "We're just giving you a chance. See ya." Chopper and the others chase after him, shouting, "Hey, wait! You, wait!!!" and "Hogagagaga!!!" The crew decides to let Luffy go ahead. Sanji says, "We can just let Luffy go ahead." Nami agrees, "If he's with Robin-chan," and Chopper asks, "Is 'Lucci' that pigeon guy?" The others confirm, "Yeah, he is." Sanji shouts to Luffy, "LUFFY! JUST GO AND BEAT UP THAT PIGEON GUY!!" while someone protests, "Hold it for a bit!! Wait until we confirm that everyone's gone from here!!!"

The team splits the mission. Nami says that excluding Luffy, there are six of them, and they will find the five CP9 members in the tower. Chopper says, "Get all five keys for Robin-chan's handcuffs," and Zoro adds, "and then meet with Luffy!!!" Nami warns, "If Robin-kun enters the Gates, it's all over. Time is very important here." Zoro mutters that it is a waste of time to lose. Fukurou taunts them with "FUGIGIGI!!!" but Luffy charges onward as everyone accepts the plan. The order rings out: "SO WIN, EVEN IF YOU DIE!!!" and Luffy answers, "YEAH!!!"

While Spandam drags Robin upward, he laughs, "WAHA-HAHA-HAHA-HA!!" and taunts her: "Nobody will come to rescue you, Nico Robin!!" He says the Straw Hats do not even know how to reach the Gates of Justice. Luffy runs through the tower, certain he can catch them: "They were right there just a minute ago. I'm sure I'll bump into them somewhere!!" From outside the tower, he shouts, "ROBIN!!! I WON'T LET YOU GO TO THE GATES OF JUSTICE...!!"

Elsewhere in the tower, Franky searches for cola before fighting CP9. "Shit, this isn't good before the fight... Where the heck is the kitchen!?" he mutters. "I used up a bottle and a half of cola for 'Coup de Boo'... That makes it a total of more than 2 bottles today!! I can't fight CP9 unless I have the max of 3 bottles!!" He spots a kitchen and says, "Oh! That looks like a kitchen over there." Then Fukurou appears and collides with him. Franky snaps, "Shit...!! Not before I refuel my cola...!!!" Fukurou laughs, "Chapapapa!! I'm 'Otonashi' no Fukurou who loves to gossip. Did you want the key?"

In the tower corridors, Usopp searches nervously, opening doors one by one. "Not here." "Not here." "Not here." Then he panics, "What? There's no one here...!! I don't mind not finding anyone though." He tries to reassure himself: "WAHAHA!! I bet they're afraid of me!!" Instead, he finds Jabra sleeping in wolf form, snoring, "SNZZZZ..." and "GUGAH... GOGAH..." Usopp whispers in shock that the man is one of CP9. "H-he left the key there and is sleeping...!!!" He wonders, "D-does this mean it's a super lucky big chance for me!?"

Nami runs into Kumadori, whose theatrical voice fills the hall. "YOYOI!!! YOIYOI!!!" he cries. "Now that I've seen you here, pirate, you're done for!!!" Nami tries to stop him: "Aiya, hold it!" and "HO~~LD IT FO~~R A SECOND!!!" but he keeps pressing her with his staff. She slips away and asks, "How about here!?" only to find another empty room. "Nobody's in here, either!!" she says. She slams a door and bumps into Sanji, who politely tells Kalifa, "Please make yourself at home." Nami is stunned, while Sanji sweats and mutters, "Shit..."

The matchups continue forming across the tower. Kaku blocks Zoro's path, while Kalifa calmly asks Sanji, "Would you like to have some tea...?" Sanji, overwhelmed, answers with hearts, "Yesh, pweeeze." Zoro faces Kaku in silence. In another room, Luffy finally reaches Lucci. Lucci sits waiting and says, "I see you've already drawn your sword..." Kaku answers, "It's been growling. It craves blood." Lucci's own challenge is quiet and deadly as he looks at Luffy: "..."

No description for this page.