"Brother Zambai!"
A panicked voice rang out across the docks. One of the Franky Family members—Zaku—came sprinting, out of breath and visibly shaken.
Zambai, startled, turned quickly. "Huh? What is it, Zaku?"
Zaku doubled over, panting hard. "It's... bad. Real bad. Aniki... he—"
"What happened to our Aniki?!" Kiwi stepped forward, eyes wide with alarm.
Zaku looked up, his face pale. "Aniki... he killed Mayor Iceburg!"
"WHAAAT?!"
The entire Franky Family erupted in stunned disbelief. Some shouted, others froze, all of them trying to process the impossible.
"No way!" Zambai barked, shaking his head. "That's impossible! Aniki and Iceburg—they were like family! Why would Franky do that?!"
"I don't know the full story," Zaku replied quickly. "But right now, the mayor's office is up in flames! The whole Galley-La compound is in chaos!"
Even the Orca Pirates, who had been quietly observing nearby, looked alarmed.
"Wait... the mayor's office is on fire?" Binko echoed, frowning.
"What in the world is going on in this city?" Gin muttered. The weight of everything—the missing crew, Robin's disappearance, and now this—was piling up fast. His instincts screamed conspiracy.
"We can't stand here!" Zambai snapped. "Let's move! We need to find out what's going on with our Aniki!"
Without another word, the Franky Family bolted in the direction of the burning Galley-La headquarters. Their suspicions of the Orcas from earlier had completely faded—now, their minds were fixed on something even darker.
Zoro, Gin, and Binko stood still, watching them disappear into the distance.
"I don't like this," Gin muttered. "None of this feels right. First Robin goes missing, now this fire—and the boss of these people being accused of murder? It smells like a setup."
"It does feel suspicious," Zoro said, frowning.
Just then, a voice pierced the tension.
"Hey guys! I found Robin!"
The group snapped their heads toward the source. Chloris was running up the beach at full speed, waving her arms.
"You what?!" the men said in unison, their shock turning into hope.
"She's at the Sea Train Station!" Chloris shouted breathlessly as she approached. "But listen—she's not alone. Some really dangerous-looking people are escorting her!"
"Dangerous?" Zoro repeated, stepping forward. "Who are they?"
"I don't know their names," Chloris said, catching her breath. "But they're dressed in black suits. Cold eyes. Government-type. I could feel the pressure just standing near them."
Gin's face darkened. "It looks like Robin got captured."
"Then we've got no time to lose!" Zoro declared, gripping his swords. "We're going after her!"
"Wait—what about the ship?" Binko asked quickly. "We can't just leave it unguarded!"
"I'll stay," Baral, the mimic, said firmly, rising up slightly. "I'm too conspicuous to move around anyway."
Zoro and Gin exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Zoro said. "Lead the way, Chloris!"
Without wasting another second, the four of them—Zoro, Gin, Binko, and Chloris—took off, sprinting down the road toward the train station, their hearts pounding and minds racing.
...
Galley-La Company, Mayor Office.
A thick column of black smoke twisted into the sky above Water Seven, marking the heart of the Galley-La headquarters. Flames engulfed the Mayor's office, devouring the once-proud building as townspeople gathered in horror.
Firefighters and shipwrights scrambled to douse the blaze with buckets and hoses, but the fire had already grown beyond their control. Panic buzzed in the air like a swarm of bees.
Just then, a group of figures arrived from the west side of the plaza.
Nami, Kaya, Nojiko, and Kruz.
They froze as they saw the burning structure.
"That's... the Mayor's office," Nojiko muttered, eyes wide.
Moments later, another group sprinted in from the other side—Sanji, Galdino, Marianne, and Mikita.
"Eh? You guys are here too?" Sanji blinked as they stopped beside each other.
"We just got here," Kruz said. "Someone mentioned chaos near the mayor's place. We thought it might be connected to Robin, so we rushed over."
"Same idea," Mikita added grimly. "Looks like this island's getting messier by the second."
Their eyes turned to the inferno.
"Is anyone still in there?" Nami asked, scanning the scene.
The townspeople answered with panicked cries:
"Paulie didn't come out!"
"Lulu and Tilestone are still inside!"
"I saw Iceburg-san and Kalifa heading in, long before the fire started!"
"Someone said Franky killed them—set the whole place on fire!"
"What about Kaku and Lucci?! They're not out either!"
The chaos only deepened as more rumors spread through the crowd. Shock and confusion gripped everyone.
Sanji's brow furrowed. "Should we check inside? What if... Robin's in there too?"
"Why would she be?" Galdino frowned.
"I don't know," Sanji muttered, clenching his jaw. "Call it a hunch."
Kaya stepped forward, concern on her face. "Even if Robin's not there, we can't ignore people trapped inside."
"I agree," Nami said. "We've got no solid leads on her anyway. Let's help. It's better than standing around."
Then she took a deep breath, stepped ahead, and shouted, her voice pulsing with power:
"CLEAR THE WAY!!"
The shout echoed unnaturally—a voice amplified by her quake ability. The ground subtly vibrated. People instinctively stepped aside, startled by the booming command.
Nami then raised her fist. "Let's cool things down."
She punched the air in front of her with force, cracking the air itself.
THUMP!!
A violent pressure wave surged forward. It displaced the oxygen and flammable vapors, collapsing the fire with a sudden vacuum-like effect. Flames hissed and vanished under the shockwave. The entire front of the building was extinguished in seconds.
Gasps of awe erupted from the bystanders.
"Done," Nami said with a smirk. "Let's move."
Without waiting, Sanji, Kruz, and Galdino charged inside through the now-accessible doorway. They kicked through fallen beams and smashed open blocked doors.
Others, inspired by their boldness, followed cautiously, helping where they could.
After a tense few minutes, the group began emerging from the smoky interior—carrying unconscious bodies in their arms.
Sanji had Lulu slung over his back, Kruz carried Iceburg, and Galdino helped drag Tilestone. Another man stumbled out behind them, struggling with a barely-breathing Paulie.
"HELP! We need a doctor!" the man shouted desperately.
Just as he cried out, he saw Kruz kneeling in front of Kaya, gently lowering Iceburg beside her.
Sanji and Galdino did the same with the others, placing them in a line in front of Kaya with urgent expressions.
The man paused, watching curiously. "Wait… is she a doctor?" he asked, still holding Paulie.
Kaya nodded calmly, already checking Iceburg's pulse with practiced hands. "I am."
The man's expression changed to one of hope. He quickly lowered Paulie beside her.
"Thank goodness," he breathed. "Please, save them."
Kaya didn't reply. Instead, she gently closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The sounds of the worried townspeople faded into the background as a soft light began to gather around her.
"Lyfjaberg," she whispered calmly.
In an instant, a radiant staff appeared in her hand—white with golden accents, crowned with a glowing crystal that shimmered like morning dew. At the same time, a pair of delicate white wings unfurled from her back, stretching gracefully behind her. A calm, divine aura rippled outward from her body.
Gasps echoed through the crowd. All eyes were fixed on her.
"She has wings…!"
"Is she… an angel?"
Kaya stood poised and serene, unaware of the awe rippling around her. She raised her staff and aimed the crystal's tip at the four unconscious figures laid out before her—Iceburg, Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone.
With a steady voice, she spoke:
"Tenshi: Jihi no Ko!"
(*Angel's Touch: Light of Mercy!*)
A gentle blue light burst from the crystal, flowing like mist toward the injured. The aura surrounded their bodies, seeping into their wounds and soothing the damage from within. Bruises faded, burns eased, and the tension in their faces began to melt away.
The crowd was stunned.
They had seen strange powers before—this was Water Seven, after all—but this was different. There was no violence, no force—just a peaceful, healing glow that made people feel like they were watching a miracle.
"She's really an angel…"
"I've never seen anything like this!"
Whispers of wonder and amazement buzzed through the onlookers.
After a few minutes, the four injured began to stir.
Paulie was the first to groan, blinking groggily. Then Lulu, followed by Tilestone, and finally, Iceburg, who opened his eyes slowly, confusion flickering across his face.
"Mayor!" several townspeople cried joyfully.
"You're awake!"
"You've been saved!"
"Thank goodness. We were so worried—"
"You were healed by an angel!"
"An… angel?" Iceburg muttered, still disoriented.
He looked up—and his eyes widened.
Kaya stood above him, still glowing faintly with her staff raised, light drifting from her wings like feathers in the wind. The mayor blinked in disbelief. "An—"
Before he could say more, the other three—Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone—saw her too. Their jaws dropped, and they scrambled to kneel awkwardly.
"ANGEL!!!" they cried in unison, gazing at her with sparkling eyes full of adoration.
Kaya flinched, startled by the sudden praise.
In that moment, the staff in her hand flickered and disappeared in a wisp of light. Her wings retracted instantly, vanishing like a dream. The blue glow dispersed with a soft chime.
"Eh?" the three men gasped, looking devastated as the light faded around them.
"Dumbasses!!" Iceburg barked, sitting up with an annoyed scowl. "You scared the angel away!"
"Ah! We're sorry!" Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone bowed repeatedly in apology, still on their knees.
"U-uh, it's okay! R-really!" Kaya waved her hands nervously, flustered by their reactions. Her cheeks were bright pink. "Actually, your injuries are all healed now."
"Ehhh?" the three looked even more disappointed.
"You mean… it's over?"
"I wanted to bask in that light a little longer…"
"I didn't even get to say thank you properly…"
Their expressions drooped so dramatically that several people in the crowd sweatdropped.
Nami, who had been watching from the side, sighed. "This bunch is ridiculous."
Sanji chuckled. "Well, at least they're back to normal."
Meanwhile, the townspeople had begun whispering again.
"Was that a Devil Fruit?"
"No, that felt too pure…"
"Maybe she really is an angel sent by the heavens!"
Amid the murmurs, Kaya tried to shrink behind Nojiko, overwhelmed by the attention.
Just then, a group of people came sprinting from the edge of the square, shouting as they pushed through the crowd.
"Hey, let us through!" yelled *Zambai*, waving his arm as the Franky Family skidded to a stop near the mayor's office ruins. "We want to help Iceburg-ossan!"
The moment they were recognized, a ripple of tension spread among the townspeople.
"The Franky Family?" someone muttered suspiciously.
"Those are Franky's goons, aren't they?"
"Didn't Franky try to assassinate Mayor Iceburg?"
"Yeah, and he burned down the whole building too!"
The crowd turned hostile in an instant. Angry murmurs rose into shouts.
"They must be in on it!"
"Let's capture them and force them to talk—make them tell us where Franky is hiding!"
The townspeople surged forward with clenched fists and furious eyes.
"W-Wait!" Zambai stammered, holding out his hands defensively. "We don't know anything! We came here to help!"
But no one was listening—until a firm voice cut through the chaos.
"STOP!!"
All eyes turned to Iceburg, who was now sitting upright. His face was stern, voice unwavering.
"They're not involved. Don't lay a finger on them."
"But Iceburg-san," someone said, still wary, "Franky—he attacked you, didn't he? Isn't that why the building was on fire?"
"No. He didn't." Iceburg shook his head firmly. "Franky didn't try to kill me. It was a group of masked assassins. They shot me and set fire to the office. Franky tried to protect me. In fact… they took him."
"WHAT?!" the crowd gasped in unison.
Zambai's expression twisted in disbelief. "Ice-ossan… you mean… Aniki was kidnapped?!"
Iceburg nodded slowly, his eyes grave. "Yes. They overpowered him and took him by force. I heard them mention… Enies Lobby. They're transporting him there by Sea Train."
The Franky Family went pale.
"Aniki's being taken to Enies Lobby?!" Mozu echoed, her voice trembling.
"That's... the government's stronghold!" Kiwi added, already panicking. "We have to save him now!"
"Let's go!" Zambai barked, rallying his crew. "To the station, before it's too late!"
The Franky Family turned on their heels and dashed away again, disappearing down the nearest alley with determination burning in their eyes.