Sanji was now on the Rocket Man with the rest of the crew. Everyone's spirit was pretty down after hearing from him what had happened, especially Nami. He could barely believe it himself.
^^^flashback^^^
Sanji had just kicked the idiot noodle cook through the door revealing the guys Nami had said was responsible for Robin's leaving. Lighting a cigarette he stepped forward calmly. Honestly though. If Robin wasn't here he would rather not go up against these guys. The moment their eyes turned on him he felt a moment of doubt from the level of killing intent they had. The air was so thick with it you could cut it with a knife.
"Ssssstrooooong Rrrrrriiiiight!" A voice shouted from above and the ceiling collapsed filling the room with dust. Sanji held back a cough as the dust cleared revealing Franky standing on top of a rat looking man.
"Well well." The woman agent spoke up and it took all of Sanji's willpower to not lose his cool. "It certainly has gotten loud here."
"We underestimated the intruders." One of the guys, the big one with horns like a bull hurumphed.
"Probably should have gone ourselves to kill them." Ussop sighed. Wait! It wasn't Ussop but someone who also had a long nose. Weird, Sanji had thought Ussop was unique in that point.
"Careful." Franky warned. "They use weird moves to get around."
"Who is that?" The Pigeon Man motioned towards the Rat Man Franky had beaten as he stood and kicked away the chef Sanji had beaten.
"New member of Cp9 apparently." The Ussop copy answered. "He mastered four of the six powers. His name is Nero." At that moment Nero stood up and threatened Franky.
"Hey." Pigeon Man spoke up causing Nero to freeze up.
"I'm so sorry I haven't introduced myself Mr. Lucci!" Nero apologized. "Let me finish this guy! I'll make quick work of him!" He took a step towards Franky. Sanji was prepared to step in if need be.
"Franky is the only one here you can not kill. Your letting your emotions get the best of you." Lucci spoke calmly. "I will give you until the count of three to run away with your life."
"What?!" Nero spoke what Sanji had been thinking.
"One."
"I don't get what's going on here!" Nero looked nervous as if he wondered if it was a test or something.
"Two."
"This is a joke right?" Nero asked. But the way he took a step back showed even he didn't believe that could be the case.
"Three." Nero vanished for a second before appearing a little further down the car. That's when Sanji noticed the Lucci guy was gone too. The cry of pain brought his eyes back to Nero. Lucci stood behind him, his finger piercing his back clearly causing serious damage to Nero's spine. "To be a member of Cp9 you must master all six powers." Lucci removed his finger and kicked Nero out the window. The entire time his facial expression didn't change from that calm killer look.
"Kalifa." Lucci spoke up as he turned back their way. "In our report, explain that the new member Nero died because he was too weak."
"Tch." Franky took a defensive stance. "It's hard to tell who's the bad guys. Them! Or pirates!"
Sanji couldn't argue with him there. While Luffy refused to be called a good guy or hero, he still helped people out when they needed it. This person had just killed a comrade in cold blood because he didn't live up to standards.
"What your doing here is useless." Lucci suddenly spoke up as he looked straight at Sanji. "In this world their exists people that would have been better being born dead than to live the lives they do." Lucci took a seat once more. "There is also a sleeping devil waiting to destroy this world."
"Are you talking about D?" Sanji asked in disbelief. "He doesn't want to destroy the world."
"I speak of a devil that is mortal." Lucci answered. So he knew about D. "The Demon you speak of is no longer a threat. He is a thorn that has been plucked."
"That guy really let you take down his copy?" Sanji sighed. "Did he try taking you on with his eyes closed? Wouldn't be the first time."
"He did." Lucci nodded, though for the first time his face changed. He was now smiling a smile that hinted at a secret. "The devil I speak of is a sorry soul who even if they were a child they should be hunted down and ended."
"Your point?" Sanji asked.
"The devil is Nico Robin." Lucci answered as chills ran down Sanji's back. The man had just spoke about killing a child in cold blood. Was he insinuating that Robin had been running for her life since she was a child? "The only good Robin can do for the world is to die. Her life is a cursed life. In fact, she should have died twenty years ago. But since she will be dying soon that will be good enough."
"Shut up!" Sanji roared as he kicked at the man's head. But the attack was blocked with ease. "Don't bad mouth a friend of mine or I won't let you off so easily!" He ignored the fact that he couldn't move his leg.
"To tell you the truth." Lucci continued looking at him past the leg he held. "Most likely the World Government will interrogate and torture her for years to extract and erase all the secrets she has."
"I won't let that happen!" Sanji yanked his leg out of Lucci's hand. "I'll beat the crap out of you all before that happens!"
At that moment the far door opened and Ussop, wearing his weird costume, and Robin walked throw the door.
"Robin!" Sanji nearly shouted in relief. "Just sit tight Robin! I'll beat all these guys and then we can go back! I'm sure D and everyone is waiting for us."
Robin suddenly used her devil fruit to throw Ussop at them surprising him and Ussop. As Franky helped Ussop up Sanji confronted her. "Why did you do that?"
"Did my words mean nothing to you?" Robin asked surprising him. "When I told you and Chopper to tell the others goodbye for me, did it mean nothing?" Her face a calm mask.
"Yah it meant something!" Sanji yelled. "It meant you was in some kind of trouble and you needed us to help you!"
"Then you didn't listen to me." Robin's voice took on a cold demeanor. "The Strawhats no longer are useful to me. That is why I left. You should be grateful I left you all in one piece."
Suddenly a evil laugh erupted from Lucci. "Even her allies are subject to her curse." He chuckled.
Sanji noticed something in Robin's eyes change at his words. But before he could act on it Ussop moved first.
"Franky remove the link between the cars!" Ussop instructed. "Both of you run now!" As he gave the second order he pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it to the ground.
Not waiting to see if he was successful, Sanji ran to the car he had just left. Franky quickly disconnected the cars and the both looked back in time to see Ussop pulling Robin behind him. With Robin now with them Sanji let out a sigh of relief as he watched the train with the cp9 agents get further and further away.
Ussop and Franky began bantering back and forth about whether or not they should have ran. Franky didn't like the idea of leaving strong opponents to come after them and Sanji agreed. Ussop obviously was happy to escape without having to fight.
"It was too easy." Sanji shook his head.
As if his words had jinxed them the car lurched as if coming to a sudden stop. Sanji looked out the door to find that the woman Kalifa had used thinned whips to grab hold of their car. Then the bull man began pulling their car closer. The man was a monster to be able to handle that kind of weight and pressure. Within minutes the two cars were side by side once more and the bull man was holding them together with his arms.
Seeing all this Sanji couldn't help but question what kind of mess they had ended up in. But despite how impossible it seemed, he was going to do everything in his power to get Robin away from these people. "Let go!" He shouted as he kicked at the bull man. Only to grip his leg in shock. It was like kicking a steel beam!
"I have mastered the six powers of Cp9." Bull Man rumbled in a deep voice. "My specialty is defense. A simple kick like yours is nothing against me."
"Well see about that!" Sanji growled as he did a spinning hand stand to build up momentum. Once his legs had become a blur he launched another kick. This time it phased the man as he grunted in surprise pain. But he still stood his ground. "Once more!"
But the bull man had other things in mind. Instead of taking the kick he grabbed hold of Sanji's leg like how Lucci had. Even without holding the cars together with his hands, but instead using a leg to grip it, they stayed together. How was Sanji supposed to get away?
"Leave me alone!"Robin suddenly shouted causing sanji to look back to where she stood. During the destruction the Ussop copy kicked him away from the bull man.
"You guys get back to your friends!" Franky shouted as he tackled the bull man, taking out the wall of the car. "I've got some unfinished business with this guy!" His attack did the job as the two cars again separated. "Tell my boys I'm sorry I couldn't make it back!" He shouted as the distance grew and the car soon became a spec.
"That was so scary!" Ussop shuddered as he rubbed his back, it seemed Robin had attacked him. Sanji didn't voice it but he agreed. Things had seemed dicey for a moment there. And he was truly sorry that Franky had needed to sacrifice himself. But he would never apologize to anyone for choosing a crewmember over a stranger.
"Robin." Sanji called her name causing her to look at him. Her eyes were a whirlwind of emotions. "Everyone already knows why your trying to leave. Even if a Buster Call is used, We'll fight for you."
"How many times must we tell you it is futile?" Bull Man growled as he stepped out of thin air. "If we use the Buster Call, you will all die."
"We won't!" Sanji shouts, half in frustration half in rage. With a growl moved to attack only to have the bull man kick at him, a strange wave hitting him in the chest. Before he even knew it he found himself struggling not to fall of the train through the gaping whole. A cry of pain caused him to look back to see Ussop on the ground bleeding. Shouting, Sanji rushed at the bull man and kicked at him.
"Your kick is much weaker." Bull Man noted as he blocked it. Sanji grit his teeth in pain as he was slammed to the ground.
"Stop!" He heard Robin shout and looked to see her holding back the bull man. "I'll go with you so stop hurting them!"
"They keep attacking me." Bull Man shrugged.
"Then let's leave before they get up again." Robin suggested. The bull man agreed with a shrug and opened a door in the air. Before Robin went through she turned back and spoke to Sanji.
"This is my destiny." She sounded sad. "I've fought it for long enough. You and the others should give up on me. None of you can handle my demons. Not even D survived confronting them."
Sanji's eyes widened. "Robin!!!" He tried to crawl towards the door but it disappeared leaving him with a sense of defeat.
^^^end flashback^^^
"Sanji." Nami put a hand on his shoulder. "Kokoro says We're almost there." She stood up and looked outside. "Also, it seems the storm is ending."
Sanji stood up and moved to stand at her side. Zoro and chopper joined them. Ussop stood off to the side feeling mixed emotions. Outside on the top of the train Luffy was staring ahead. Determination filled his eyes as he gave the order. "The Mark has been threatened. Let those who bare the Mark defend it!"
They all grinned as the same thought passed through their mind. It sounded just like something D would say in this situation.