Nana was busy tending to Paulie's wounds when she heard a collective gasp in Iceberg's direction. "Iceberg-san is awake!" someone shouted.
She grabbed the nearest guy to her by the pant leg and roughly pulled him down. "You," she barked and slammed his hand against the towel she was holding, "Press down here and hold it until the bleeding stops. If Paulie dies, you die. Got it?!"
The craftsman nodded nervously and she rushed over to Iceberg. He was lying on his back and his eyes were open. He looked calmly back at Nana and his unruffled expression made something in Nana snap.
"What the fuck, Icy?!" she roared and she slapped him hard across the face.
"Nana-san!" the craftsman protested, aghast at her brutality, "He's still very wounded-"
Nana lifted Icy's head by his shirt collar and she shook him slightly. "You told me you'd be okay. You told me everything was going to be fine. You said-"
"The woman is awake too!" Another person shouted from the other side and Nana stopped her lecture. Her eyes flicked over to Pygmy and she saw that Nami was trying to get back on her feet.
"Should we ask her where the other Straw Hats are and capture them?" someone asked.
Thwack!
He was instantly hit in the head by a flying rock, courtesy of Dock #1's mechanic. "Anyone else got any big ideas?" Nana demanded and she glared angrily around the group.
"No...Nana-san," they mumbled.
"Nana..." Iceberg grunted, "Take me to her."
"Iceberg-san, you shouldn't be moving!" people exclaimed around them but Nana ignored their protest. She lifted Iceberg by the arm and put it around her shoulder. She moved him gently but swiftly across the lawn and toward Nami.
"Guys," Iceberg said calmly to his men, "Can you please give us a moment of privacy? I'd like to talk to her alone."
"Yes, Iceberg-san," they replied and quickly cleared the area.
"See, Nana?" Iceberg deadpanned, "You can talk nicely to them."
"Yeah, I'll do that when you come flying out of the window of a burning building again," Nana responded dryly, as she moved him towards a quiet corner of the lawn. She then moved over to help Nami but she saw that the redhead was slowly walking towards them on her own.
"Nami...are you okay?" Nana asked.
"Yeah. Thank you, Nana," Nami said and she sat down solemnly across from Iceberg. Nana nodded to Iceberg and then left them. She was dying to know what they were talking about and how Iceberg and Paulie got so severely wounded...but the main office, her home, was burning down and there were probably still people in there.
She ran over to Paulie first. Much to her relief, he was stable and his bleeding had stopped. He was still unconscious though. She had never seen Paulie like that before and it rattled her. He was always the dependable one, the one Iceberg relied on for serious stuff. She couldn't help but feel like she should've been the one wounded and not him. Why didn't I stay?
There was a loud crash at the other side of the office as one corner had collapsed. Men started to cry out in pain and Nana ran over. Craftsmen were shooting hoses at the back of the house but the fire was just too powerful. "God damn it!" she shouted at them as she ran for the water cannons in the back, "Do I have to do everything myself?"
It took her 20 minutes to get the fire out and at least twenty men safely carried out of the building singlehandedly. She collapsed on the grass and tried to catch her breath after she carried out the last guy she could find under the debris. Her goggles were covered in ash and she pulled it off of her eyes. Pygmy scurried over and licked her nose. She giggled and patted his head, "I'm fine...it seems everyone else is too. I couldn't find anyone else under there."
She then sat up on her elbows and then her eyes widened. "Shit! I forgot! Has anyone seen Lucci, Kaku, or Kalifa?! I saw Tilestone and Lulu but I couldn't find the others they-"
"They went back to their hometowns before the storm hit," a voice replied from behind.
She quickly turned on the grass with her belly down so that she could see who was talking. She gasped when she saw Paulie standing upright and walking towards her.
"They went home," he grunted as he lit a new cigar.
"What?!" Nana jumped to her feet and poked him hard in the chest, completely forgetting about the conditions she had originally found him in. He winced at her jab. "How is that possible? I thought they were going to-"
"They. Went. Home."
The way Paulie said it made Nana step back. There was a level of anger in his voice that was more intense than Nana had ever heard. Much more than the time she accidentally blew up a ship with him still in it from a prematurely fired cannon (hence the creation of Iceberg's rule #2 for her - No firing at, towards, or near colleagues or company property). He even seemed angrier than when she was 9 and decided to interrupt his date pretending to be his abandoned daughter, begging him to come home. He had actually strung her up in his ropes and held her just inches above the canals, until Iceberg made him stop and told them to go back inside.
No. This was hands down the angriest tone Paulie had ever used in front of Nana. She gulped and nodded her head. "Okay," she said quietly, "They went home."
"Chopper! Chopper! Wake up! We need to go find Luffy!"
Nana glanced over at Nami, who was standing over the unconscious reindeer and hitting him hard on the cheek. Nana couldn't help but feel slightly amused that she was using such force even when her friend was in that much pain. There was a strength to Nami that Nana kind of liked.
When Chopper finally woke up, he and Nami were in a very intense conversation that seemed to end up with good news. He leapt to his feet and his eyes were shining. Finally he yelled out loud enough for Nana to hear, "Let's go find Luffy and everyone else to tell them the good news!"
"Everyone! Lend the Straw Hats a hand," Paulie growled to the men.
The men were aghast. "But...," someone Nana recognized as a craftsman from dock #6 said, "Didn't they try to kill Iceberg-san? Shouldn't we capture them-"
Thwack!
A large rock hit the Dock #6 craftsman right in the head and he knelt to the ground, clutching his head in pain. "Did we say we were taking questions or suggestions?! Didn't we just see one of them save Iceberg and Paulie's life?!" Nana barked, "Do what Paulie says."
"Yes, Nana-san...Paulie-san," they said nervously.
Nana turned to Paulie and folded her arms. "So...why are we helping the Straw Hats?"
"WHY DO YOU GET TO ASK THE QUESTIONS?!" the craftsmen angrily shouted at her until she flashed them a death glare and they fearfully averted their eyes.
"They weren't the culprits," Paulie said, "They were framed by the ones who actually did this." He dropped his voice low so only she could hear him, "They were people from the government."
"What?!" Nana clamped her hand over her mouth and then lowered her voice as well, "The government is behind this?" She then flashed her eyes at Iceberg, who was walking over towards them and Nami.
He petted Tyrannosaurus in his pajama shirt pocket. "I don't care if you go after Nico Robin, but the sea train for the government personnel will depart at 11 tonight. Well...this is just my guess but it's highly possible they'll take that train. In other word, Nico Robin will too."
"Maybe earlier," Nana interrupted and rushed forward to help support Iceberg, "I just came back from the train station...Aqua Laguna is very strong this year. The train might have to leave early in order to avoid getting caught in the storm."
"Isn't there another train we can take?" Nami asked.
"After the 11 pm train, the sea train will be suspended for the time being since Aqua Laguna is coming soon," Iceberg said with a shake of his head."
"Then...," Nami said as she got up to her feet, "That means..."
Iceberg nodded. "If you miss that train, you can't sail out. There's no means to leave this island."
"Oh no!" Nami screamed, "This is bad. What time is it now?!"
Iceberg pulled out a copper pocket watch and looked at the time. "10:30," Iceberg said.
"What?! We've only got 30 minutes left!" Nami cried, "Hey, can't you do something? Stop the sea train for a while?"
"Well," Iceberg admitted as he closed his watch and put it back in his pocket, "It's destination is Enies Lobby. It's an island off limits to those other than Government personnel. The engine driver is also from the Government. He won't listen to me."
"Oh no," Nami moaned and covered her face. She looked at Chopper, who had turned into his usual form, "Then...the only way left is for me to go to the station and somehow persuade Robin directly..."
"Is that why Sanji is there?" Nana asked.
Nami and Chopper looked at her in surprise. "Sanji is there?!" they cried.
Nana was startled by their reaction. "Y-yes. I saw him when I was there servicing the Puffing Tom to get it ready for the storm...He said he was waiting for someone there."
"Oh," Nami said with a sigh of relief, "At least someone is there already. I need to get to him and tell him everything. Chopper! I'll tell you the directions in which Luffy and Zoro flew, so search those areas! If you find them, tell them to come to the train station immediately."
"Like I said, guys," Paulie growled, "Give this girl and her friend a hand. Hey, shameless girl!"
"Don't call me that!" Nami protested.
"You're going to the station right? I'll show you the way," Paulie said.
"I'll come with you!" Nana volunteered but then Iceberg placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Nana, you need to stay here," he said quietly and he continued speaking before she could start to protest, "And I'll tell you why later."
She scowled and then placed her hands on her hips. She redirected her anger at the craftsmen. "Stop standing around! The foreman just gave you guys orders. Go help the Straw Hats! Are you trying to ruin the good name of Galley-La?! Go get the Yagaras out and start looking!"
"Yes, Nana-san! Sorry, Paulie-san!" they shouted and they quickened their pace.
She glowered at Iceberg and he let out a small chuckle. He knew she hated being left in the dark just as much as being left out of the action. She was zero for two at the moment and his ward was livid. Then the humor left his face as he geared himself up for the heartbreak he would have to witness.
They sat on the grass in silence while the rest of the craftsmen had their hands full either treating the wounded, finding more people trapped under the rubble, or getting ready to head to the evacuation shelters.
After 15 minutes of silence, Nana grunted impatiently. "Can you tell me why now?"
"No," Iceberg said . He had his arms folded across his chest and his head low as if he was meditating.
Nana sighed with frustration and adjusted her sitting position. "At least give me something to do," she grumbled.
"Not yet..." Iceberg replied.
After what seemed like ages to Nana, but in actuality was only thirty minutes, two craftsmen, who were soaking wet, came running up to the pair. "Iceberg-san! Iceberg-san! We have news," they shouted.
"Did they make the train?" Nana demanded.
The men shook their head. "Nico Robin was taken aboard the ship along with one of the Straw Hats' friends and Franky. The train heading for Enies Lobby left ten minutes ahead of schedule," one of them reported.
"Franky is with them?!" Nana shouted in surprise and leapt to her feet, "Why the hell-"
"Nana.." Iceberg said softly as he got up to his feet and started to walk towards the exit, "Now I have something for you to do."
----------
Nana looked all around her with a mix of confusion and excitement. They were in an underground warehouse that Iceberg had not taken her since she was eight. The warehouse itself was nothing special but it was what it contained that made Nana giddy. She reached out and placed a hand gently on the front of the Rocketman steam train. The front was painted and shaped like a shark. Nana still had dreams about it since the day Iceberg had showed her this steam train.
"Are we really...servicing this?" she asked with awe.
"Yes," Iceberg said with a nod and then placed two hands on her shoulders. He held her eyes so she could see how serious he was being, "But I want to tell you something before you get started."
"What?" she asked.
"Paulie lied," he said and took a deep breath, "Kaku, Lucci, and Kalifa...They didn't go back home. They-"
"They died, didn't they?" Nana's voice had gone very quiet and her face was pale.
"No..." Iceberg replied, "They...were the ones who tried to kill me along with Blueno from the bar and they're the ones who wounded Paulie and the Straw Hats."
"WHAT?!" Nana's thunderous roar rattled the warehouse walls, which confirmed to Iceberg that waiting to be in private to tell her was a wise decision. "That can't be possible!"
Iceberg nodded grimly at her and proceeded to explain everything, starting from the blueprints to Pluton and all the way up to CP9, their skills, and the threat of a Buster Call. By the time he finished, Nana was a mess. She alternated from sobbing hysterically to having uncontrollable rage. Iceberg had no idea what to do with this volatile girl so he just let her digest the information on her own. She paced back and forth with her hammer clutched tightly in her hand. She was currently in her crying phase.
"But...but..." she hiccuped, "Kaku...always helped me run errands when the shops were closing soon and it was too late for me to get stuff...And...and...Lucci...he always took my side when Paulie yelled at me...and...and...Blueno snuck me my first beer...and Kalifa...well, I never really liked her anyways."
"Er...Nana, about that underage drinking-" Icebert started to say but Nana suddenly swung her hammer. It slammed against the warehouse wall, shaking the entire building.
"How DARE she do this to us?! I had told her if anything happens to you, I'd hold her responsible! I can't believe she was working undercover this entire time! And Kaku and Lucci too?!"
She started to cry again, "How can a stupid ventriloquist freak be part of the Government? I trusted him. I trusted Kaku! They were there when I wheeled some of my first cannons onto the ships. They were there when-"
"Nana..." Iceberg interrupted and picked up his suitcase of tools, "That's enough. You've had your time to react to it. Now it's time to work."
Nana was hyperventilating as she looked at Iceberg. Her double breaths and tear stains across her cheeks made her look absolutely pitiful but Iceberg stood firm. "We're on a tight schedule," he said, "And we need to get this train running so that the Straw Hats can get to Robin and Franky in time."
"Why did you tell me?" Nana asked softly. "You didn't need to tell me all of this."
Iceberg sighed. "Because I didn't want you to be caught off guard if you see them."
Nana blinked. "Why would I be seeing them? I thought you said they'll never come back here."
Iceberg patted the Rocketman and then looked at Nana. "I know you enough to know that there's no way in hell you'd not want to go with them."
Nana was stunned. "What? I didn't even-"
"A world class mechanic not wanting to take a ride on the first sea train ever built?" Iceberg said with a raised eyebrow, "And...it's Franky...Of course you'd want to go and save him."
Nana gulped and looked at him, "How long have you known?"
"That you've been disobeying my orders to avoid Franky since you were 12 and have been asking him to teach you more about weapons?" Iceberg said with a shrug, "Years..."
"Did he tell you or did you-"
"Nana...I lived under the same roof as him for years. I can recognize his handiwork anywhere...Even if it's just a small edit on someone else's work," He opened up his suitcase and then threw a screwdriver at Nana, who caught it with one hand. "Now let's get to work. Where are your tools anyways?"
Nana gasped and dropped the screwdriver. "SHIT! I left it with Sanji...AGAIN!"
--------------
This Franky guy was really working on Sanji's last nerve. All the cook wanted to do was to call his precious Nami-san and report the situation to her. In the letter he left her, he also lovingly requested that she tell the angel that he was keeping her bag and waterboard safe with him. He wondered if Nami-san was able to relay that message. He knew Nami-san would not get mad at him for mentioning another woman as she did not mind the usual attention he gave to Robin-chan on the ship anyways. His love for every woman was unique and special and he was sure Nami-san knew that.
However, this ducktail bastard did not seem to have gotten the memo and kept insisting that Sanji untie him before using the transponder snail. They were in the 6th car of steam train, heading for Enies Lobby and Sanji had yet to see Robin-chan.
"Stop ordering me around, you bastard!" Sanji yelled as Usopp hopped in between them despite still being bound.
"You guys, shhhhh!" Usopp insisted, "Someone is going to hear you."
"What kind of tone is that? I asked you nicely to untie me!" Franky shouted back, "You are-"
He stopped short and he tilted his head to the side. His attention was suddenly drawn to the bag hanging on Sanji's shoulder and the waterboard he was casually holding under his arm. "Where did you get those things?"
Sanji took a step back and created some distance between him and Franky. "None of your business."
"It is my business because I helped develop that waterboard and I know the owner will be very pissed that you stole it from her," Franky snapped.
"I did not steal anything. I'm not like you, you dirty bastard. I don't take things that don't belong to me. Nana-chan left it with me at the train station and I'm just keeping a close eye on it for her, like I did for her when she left it in front of the Franky House." Sanji snapped.
"So you're the reason why that Nana-brat suddenly decided to destroy my house and hurt my underlings?!" Franky thundered, "What the hell did you do to her?"
"She volunteered to help us! After the shit you put Usopp through, plus the fact that you hurt her dog, no sane person would still stand on your side," Sanji retorted.
Franky blinked. "Ow! They super hurt the brat's pet?"
"Oh yeah..." Usopp said thoughtfully, "Nana found me on the street and she watched over me while Nami went to get help. She asked me if I really loved the Merry and then when I tried to go get the money back, she had her dog take me. He saved my life after you left and dragged me out before your men could do any more damage to me..."
"Owwwww," Franky cried heartfelt tears, "The Nana-brat and that mutt were deeply moved by your story too!"
"Why are you crying?! You're the person who caused the problems in the first place!" Usopp and Sanji snapped at the same time.
Franky sniffled and then he remembered something. "But didn't she think you guys attacked Iceberg this morning? Yet she still trusts you enough to leave her precious tools with you?"
Sanji puffed on his cigarette. "Something happened and she believes that we didn't do it. She believed us when we said we were telling the truth."
Franky scoffed and he shook his head. "Of course she did...That girl is one of a kind, I'll tell you that much."
Sanji suddenly sat cross legged in front of Franky. "Why don't you tell me more?"
Franky raised an eyebrow, "So you're interested, eh?"
"Oy! Is this the time to talk about a girl, Sanji?!" Usopp cried incredulously.
"Well...if she leaves the bag with you willingly, it must mean she likes you better than most people," Franky said.
"Are you guys just going to ignore me?!" Usopp shouted.
"Shh, Usopp. You're going to alert the other cars," Sanji hissed without taking his eyes off of Franky. Usopp moaned and hung his head defeatedly.
"Well...where do I even start with that girl?" Franky wondered out loud.