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[email protected]/Heroicverse
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Jabra fell silent. No one liked being treated as a disposable pawn. Unfortunately, as members of CP9, they had no choice!
"Where do we go now?" Jabra asked, somewhat lost.
Enies Lobby was about to disappear from the map. The CP9 headquarters was gone, and they seemed to be homeless.
Bruno thought for a moment.
"Let's go to Water Seven! We need to link up with Lucci and the others first!" At this time, Bruno could only seek out the people he considered most reliable.
Jabra didn't object, and the warship turned, setting a course for Water Seven.
On Enies Lobby, after Yamada Hanatarō briefly treated Robin, the group headed for the harbor to find a vessel for evacuation.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At the harbor, the garrison had sailed away with most of the ships. The ships that couldn't be sailed away were being actively sunk by cannon fire! Clearly, these soldiers had received orders from the World Government to ensure Auguro and his crew were trapped on Enies Lobby! Once the Navy fleet arrived, they would be completely wiped out!
"Tsk! The World Government is really going all out!" Auguro remarked with emotion. This was Enies Lobby, the very symbol of the World Government's prestige! And yet, they were willing to discard it!
World Government! Five Elders! Don't you value your face so much? You even twist the Navy around your finger for the sake of appearances. Why the sudden willingness to let everything fall apart?
Auguro didn't know that, in the World Government's view, since Enies Lobby had already been breached, their reputation was already ruined. Only an unbreachable Enies Lobby was worthy of being the World Government's face!
Now that the face was gone, it was better to use the island for its final purpose: eliminating Auguro, the one who damaged their prestige! Otherwise, if Auguro were to safely leave Enies Lobby, the World Government would lose everything: both prestige and core power!
It was for this exact reason that the Straw Hat Pirates were all given high bounties.
At the harbor, Nami said anxiously, "Auguro-sama, we need to quickly seize a ship! If we wait for the Navy to arrive, we won't be able to leave!"
Auguro nodded, saying softly, "Rukia!"
Kuchiki Rukia stepped forward, drawing Sode no Shirayuki.
"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"
"First Dance: Tsuki Shiro (White Moon)!"
Whoosh!
An icy surface rapidly spread toward the various ships in the distance. If they could freeze even one of them, they could successfully escape.
However, at that very moment, a figure suddenly appeared above the sea. He slammed his hands down onto the water and shouted, "Ice Age!"
Instantly, the sea surface froze wildly, and boundless cold air enveloped the harbor. In just a few breaths, the entire harbor transformed into a world of ice and snow. Even Kuchiki Rukia's Tsuki Shiro was frozen solid!
"Your ability is similar to mine, indeed! The World Government was right; you people are quite formidable!"
The man's body, half-transformed into ice, flashed, and he appeared directly in front of the harbor.
Seeing the familiar man, a look of terror flashed across Robin's face. She spoke with difficulty.
"Navy Admiral, Aokiji!"
During the Buster Call at the Ohara Incident, this man was one of the executors! Although she didn't know why he later allowed her to live, this didn't lessen Robin's fear of him.
Aokiji looked back at Robin, his gaze unreadable. The Ohara Incident affected more than just Robin!
As a representative of the Navy's mid-generation at the time, Aokiji's initial sense of justice was a burning, passionate one.
But after witnessing the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians he was supposed to protect during the Buster Call, Aokiji's passion faded. From then on, a Lazy Justice was added to the Navy's definition of justice.
"You're scaring my comrade!"
Auguro stepped forward, shielding Robin.
"Comrade, you say?" Aokiji snapped out of his thoughts, a faint smile on his lips.
"It seems you've found a good crew, Nico Robin!"
However, the next second, he addressed Auguro.
"But I must warn you: do you know what accepting Nico Robin means? The World Government won't stand by and watch her roam free!"
"And as far as I know, every organization she has ever joined has been destroyed! Only she managed to escape by betraying her comrades!"
"You should be careful!"
Robin's hands clenched at his words. This was a stain she couldn't deny. A betrayer was not trustworthy anywhere! She bit her lip, anxiously looking at Auguro's back. After all these years, this was the only team that gave her a sense of belonging. If she were abandoned now, she would truly break down!
Auguro waved his hand, impatiently interrupting.
"Aokiji! Stop with these petty attempts at manipulation! They don't suit your status as a Navy Admiral!"
"Those organizations were destroyed because they were too weak! And Robin betrayed them because they harbored sinister intentions first!"
"But with me, none of that is an issue! So don't trouble yourself!"
Auguro's words were like a warm spring, giving Robin a sense of peace she had never felt before.
Hearing this, a flicker of complex emotion crossed Aokiji's eyes. Because of his conscience, he spared Robin back then and had been secretly watching over her for years, almost like an old father figure.
But constrained by his Navy duties, he couldn't show that concern openly. Now that someone was genuinely accepting Robin despite her past, the emotion in Aokiji's heart was more complex than ever.
The next moment, he suppressed all his thoughts, and his gaze turned utterly cold.
"Since you have decided to become enemies of the World Government, then today, I must arrest all of you!"
Congratulations on finding your place. Now, let me see if you have the ability to fulfill the boasts you make!
"Ice Ball!"
Aokiji suddenly attacked, shooting five ice spears toward Auguro. If they hit, they could freeze a person inside a giant ball of ice!
Swoosh!
Auguro's figure instantly disappeared from his spot. The man opposite him was one of the Navy's highest fighting powers, one of the Three Admirals!
From the very beginning, Auguro's Observation Haki had been focused entirely on Aokiji! The moment he sensed Aokiji move, Auguro immediately used Shunpo to dodge.
To prevent Robin from being caught in the crossfire, Auguro scooped her up and retreated to a safe distance, then handed her over to Yamada Hanatarō for care. Nami was also taken away from the battlefield by Matsumoto Rangiku.
Only Soi Fon and Kuchiki Rukia remained on the front lines.
Kuchiki Rukia planted the tip of Sode no Shirayuki into the ground four times, drawing forth a massive amount of cold air.
"Second Dance: Haku-ren (White Ripple)!"
Sode no Shirayuki pointed toward Aokiji, and the terrifying coldness contained within surged toward him like an avalanche. To have my First Dance: Tsuki Shiro frozen by mere ice! As a Vice-Captain of the Gotei 13, she could not tolerate such a slight! Kuchiki Rukia was determined to reclaim her dignity!
Aokiji sensed the increased power of the attack and smiled faintly.
"You want to face me head-on? Your courage is admirable! But it seems the power is still a bit lacking!"