"What's the Ancient Giant Group? Is Sakura-nee looking for them?"
Kuina, puzzled, sheathed her Muramasa, looking back at Tiger.
Tiger tilted his head slightly, answering quietly, "She mentioned it to the two giants on Little Garden before. The ones who taught her the giant combat techniques..."
"Giants, Fish-Men... you Blue Sea people are really strange."
Enel crossed his arms, eavesdropping sideways.
"You have the nerve to say that about us?"
Tiger and Kuina simultaneously punched Enel on the head, though Tiger connected while Kuina's fist passed through.
"Sorry, I don't know what Sakura-nee is talking about."
Iceburg interlocked his fingers loosely, lowering his head. "There isn't much information on the blueprints. I can't tell you who holds them. But Tom-san might understand other things."
"Going round and round, it still comes down to us having to save that Tom guy, doesn't it~"
Enel, with two bumps on his head, looked up, pouting in complaint.
"Sakura, what should we do?" Tiger asked.
In the silence, everyone's gaze focused on the captain who would make the decision.
"Rescue him!"
The girl took a deep breath and made the call.
"Eh, boring."
Enel, knocked over by a ship fragment, simply stayed in that fallen position, radiating reluctance.
"Oh, speaking of which, Tom-san is a very skilled shipwright."
Sakura turned her back to him, lightly punching her palm with a fist. "And with the technology to develop the Sea Train, perhaps he has the ability to make some adjustments to the Maxim."
"Maybe... he could make it so some modules don't require such vast amounts of gold~"
Before the words fully landed, a flash of lightning lit up the room.
Enel stood directly in front of Sakura, giving her a thumbs-up and hooking it over his shoulder. "What are we waiting for? Let's go, Captain!"
"You're really something, aren't you." Sakura chuckled, shaking her head.
After much agitation, finally seeing hope to rescue his master, Iceburg also let out a sigh of relief.
Even the grief from hearing that Franky had been hit and killed by the Sea Train recently seemed to lessen somewhat.
"So, how are you going to rescue Tom-san?"
Frowning, Iceburg looked up, his gaze sweeping over the pirates.
"Ah, about that."
Sakura turned her head. Her emerald eyes gleamed in the shadow. "I have special infiltration skills."
The girl's shadow covered Iceburg, advancing step by step towards him.
"Wait, what are you doing... No, stop! Don't!"
Inside Tom's workshop, a boy's agonized scream pierced the sky.
Several dozen minutes later, Iceburg was wrapped in heavy chains.
Standing before him was a man in a Marine Justice cloak with light purple hair.
"Cough... hmm!"
The man cleared his throat, adjusting his voice. "From now on, I am Marine Branch Commander… Commodore Pudding Pudding! You may address me as Commander Pudding!"
Behind the 'man', Kuina and Tiger had also used Transformation Technique, turning into Marine soldiers carrying standard-issue rifles.
"What the heck?"
Witnessing their transformations, Iceburg and Enel stared dumbfounded, wanting to speak but stopping themselves.
"Justice prevails!"
Sakura, having altered her appearance, struck her chest with a fist and grinned. "Criminal Iceburg, for attempting to revive the Ancient Weapon Pluton, I hereby arrest you in the name of justice."
The disguised Kuina stepped forward, helping Iceburg up from the ground. "Don't struggle too hard. These chains are just made with Transformation Technique, an illusion."
The also-disguised Tiger walked to Enel's side, picking him up. "You can't transform. Stay inside Leviathan's stomach."
"Huh? Why shou-"
Before Enel could finish, Leviathan, flapping her wings as she flew over, swallowed him in one gulp.
Returning to her beast form, Leviathan patted her belly contentedly before flying back to land on Sakura's shoulder.
"Alright, let's move out!"
And so, the group emerging from Tom's workshop were unrecognizable.
Dressed in formal Marine uniforms, they strode with resolute steps, genuinely exuding an aura of Marine elite for a moment.
This freshly minted Marine squad seamlessly blended into the local military force.
Using their mission as a pretext, they requisitioned a mission-specific train from Water 7's Sea Train station, heading straight for Enies Lobby.
"This... actually works?"
Inside the train car, Iceburg slumped in his seat, his face full of disbelief.
The Sea Train crew members hadn't verified their identities at all.
"Actually, they were suspicious of us."
Sakura got herself some shaved ice from the dining car, taking small spoonfuls.
"Then why didn't they stop us?" Iceburg was puzzled.
At this young age, he was not yet the future president of Galley-La Company, skilled at navigating between the government and pirates.
"They couldn't verify we were real, but they also couldn't confirm we were fake."
Sakura gestured with the hand holding the small spoon. "Besides, dispatching a special train burns the World Government's coal. Why would these crew members take the risk of exposing us?"
"This..."
Iceburg's mouth hung open, speechless.
"You'll learn. You'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with these people in the future."
Sakura crossed her arms, leaning back lightly in the train seat.
The Sea Train journey from Water 7 to Enies Lobby would take several hours.
The sunset was just casting its final glow. The coming night would be long, requiring them to conserve energy.
…
Meanwhile, in the seas outside Water 7, Marine G-8 Branch.
In the highest office, Commander Jonathan cut into his steak. His fiancée, Jessica, opened a bottle of red wine for him.
"Drinking while on duty? Quite bold!"
Akainu, sitting across the room with a cigar in his mouth, propped his feet on the desk.
"With you here, Sakazuki-san, I'm not the base's top commander right now."
Jonathan, acting like a seasoned veteran, slowly sipped his wine.
He even tilted the bottle towards Akainu, asking, "Want some?"
"Hmph! Alcohol is a corrupting substance!"
Akainu sucked on his cigar, making the ember glow brightly.
Just as he was about to rebuke his old comrade, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang.
Gacha!
The receiver was picked up. The Den Den Mushi mimicked a face with goat-horn mustaches. "Moshi moshi, is this Headquarters Admiral Akainu?"
"Who are you? How did you get this number?"
Sakazuki frowned, grabbing the receiver.
"Oh! CP0 Director, codename Abyssal, sends his regards."
The man on the other end seemed to tip his hat in greeting, though the Den Den Mushi couldn't mimic that action.
"CP..."
Hearing this designation, Akainu bit down harder on his cigar.
"We have vital intelligence to share with you and the siege fleet!" Abyssal spoke unhurriedly. "The target of your current mission has arrived at Water 7. They are currently on the Sea Train heading to Enies Lobby!"
"What?!"
Sakazuki clenched his fist, slamming it on Jonathan's desk.
"Our spatial interference equipment is already deployed. Please lead your team to participate in the siege promptly. That is all."
The man's cheerful voice came through before the Den Den Mushi hung up.
"She really did bypass us."
Having listened to the entire conversation, Jonathan was astonished.
Completely unaware that his interjection had inflicted further damage on Akainu, who was already seething with humiliation and anger.
"Shut up, Jonathan!"
Akainu slammed the table, standing up. He snatched Jonathan's red wine and gulped it down in large mouthfuls.
Then he ordered the fleet to assemble, leading the siege fleet straight for Enies Lobby.