One Way Home, Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Sea of Hope.

—OoOoO—

Stussy stared blankly at the helpless girl lying on her stomach before her. It was hard to believe that her neck had almost been crushed by a young girl who didn't even seem to have a big body proportion. However, who’d have thought there was such incredible raw power behind such a small body? And more importantly, Stussy had never encountered a human with such abundant life force, to the point that her stamina and injuries were instantly recovered after she sucked her blood.

The blonde woman sighed with her eyes closed. Feeling satisfied with her admiration for that unique body, she turned her gaze towards the corner of the room.

“Now that I have won, you must follow me, Nico Robin.”

Standing still, unable to do anything but watched her companion lost her consciousness. However, no trace of worry was visible on the black-haired woman.

“What if I refuse?” she asked flatly.

“If that's the case, I have no choice but to use force.”

Robin seemed silent, her mind busy diving into her memories of a few moments ago, more precisely, the moment before Maki came to pick her up on the stairs when Stussy said something about her plan.

"First, do you think I will just believe your words?"

Robin said as she narrowed her eyes, staring at Stussy sharply along with the words came out of her mouth.

“And the second one, do you really think you have won?"

Stussy put away her smile and raised an eyebrow as if she didn't understand the question.

“I understand that you have high hopes for this girl,” Stussy said, pointing at Maki with her thumb, “However, no matter how strong she is, after I sucked her blood and life force, I have incapacitated her. Though, I didn’t suck her dry, so she will wake up in fifteen minutes.”

"I see. Even a CP0 can miss small details sometimes, huh?" Robin replied with a smirk.

Hearing those words, Stussy immediately turned her head to Maki's body lying on the ground. There was nothing suspicious, and the girl remained where she was. However, the words Robin said made her feel uneasy.

“What do you want to say?” the woman asked, looking at her interlocutor again.

Instead of answering the question immediately, Robin's grin grew wider. As if she did it on purpose to put psychological pressure on that agent.

“Actually, it’s quite impressive that you can recover by sucking Maki’s blood. Thanks to that, I was able to guess your Devil Fruit. However, don’t you realise one thing, miss CP0?”

Robin again hung her words in the air, but this time, she continued immediately so she didn't make the other person wait long.

“If drinking some of Maki’s blood can recover your wounds and stamina, what about Maki herself, whose body is filled with that same blood?”

Stussy's eyes widened. Her mouth hung open as if her throat was being choked by the words. A sudden realisation entered her mind, putting together the little puzzle pieces she had missed. Her heart beat faster with the adrenaline fuelling it. Her head buzzed as if trying to warn her of something.

Stussy quickly turned around to recheck the girl's condition, with all the danger alarms screaming at her. However, before her eyes could confirm anything, a strong punch kissed her jaw first. It was so strong that it even sent her flying and hitting the wall hard, causing dust to fly around.

“Thank you for buying time, Robin-san,” said the culprit.

“No, I just do what I can, and it's nothing compared to your efforts.”

Those words were sad as if she felt guilty for causing the chaos. Meanwhile, Maki frowned, not liking Robin's attitude, which seemed to have lost confidence. However, they couldn't relax any longer after seeing Stussy emerge from the dust.

“Robin-san, mind explaining her abilities?”

“Seeing as she can suck your blood, I’m sure she’s a devil fruit user, Batto Batto no Mi, vampire model.”

"A vampire, huh? It’s made sense now," Maki muttered, "Is she weak to silver too? Do you've one?"

“Are you seriously asking that to someone who is being held captive?”

"You're right, sorry," Maki replied while chewing her tongue.

There were many things Maki wanted to ask Robin. However, she had to put it off after seeing her blonde opponent darting towards them.

Maki pushed Robin away, keeping her out of the fighting area. Meanwhile, she blocked that woman’s fist, creating a shockwave that blew away the dust in the room.

“You are done with your chit-chat, right?!” the blonde shouted excitedly.

Maki gave Stussy a little push to give her some space. She spun her body 360 degrees to the side, then slammed an axe kick into her head. But the woman reacted quickly, dodging it, so the kick went past her side and hit the floor.

Boom!!!

A loud bang was heard, and the floor shattered into a crater with a spider web pattern.

“Tell me, what technique did you use to withstand my choke?” Maki asked.

Stussy grinned. Her eyes glinted meaningfully when she heard the question. The corners of her lips lifted, reflecting a satisfaction that was hard to hide. Watching Maki's frustrated face gave her a unique sensation in her mind.

“Why don’t you find out yourself?”

Her raised index fingers were thrust towards Maki's body. However, the girl dodged them while closing her distance from Stussy, leaving the air piercings to hit the wall and make holes in it. Taking advantage of the momentum Maki used to attack, the blonde woman spun her body with her leg, ready to whip her.

“Rankyaku.”

A spinning hook kick with an energy slash was about to hit the ponytail girl. However, its trajectory was predictable even though the girl didn't activate her Kenbunshoku. Unfortunately, as Maki thought she had dodged the attack, Stussy caught her wrist.

“You better come up with another idea because it’s getting a little boring seeing you at your wits’ end,” the blonde woman said.

"If you're bored, why don't you kill yourself and see what's waiting?"

Stussy sighed.

“Unfortunately, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for.”

The woman threw Maki up. Without wasting any time, she immediately jumped to catch up with the girl, making her huff in annoyance as their distance in the air closed quickly.

Stussy threw a punch at Maki's face, which was still blocked. However, because of the strength of the punch, the girl's body was pushed back up until her back hit the ceiling and caused a strong shock.

Maki gritted her teeth and glared at Stussy. The girl tried to dodge by using the ceiling as a foothold. However, Stussy manoeuvred in the air and slammed her heavy fist into Maki's stomach.

The cracks in the ceiling widened, crawling like tree roots, searching for a gap. In a matter of seconds, the cracks spread out of control. Maki's body, which was carried upward by the blow, tore through the thick concrete that had lost almost all of its durability. Instantly, it collapsed in large pieces that hit the floor with a thunderous bang, making the building tremble.

Even after the massive damage done, Stussy didn't seem to care. The woman pulled her fist back an inch. However, instead of easing up on her attack, she stomped her feet in the air again, creating pressure in the space with both fists aimed at her opponent.

“One Inch Technique: Rokuogan.”

A powerful shockwave hit Maki with a punch that mercilessly connected to her stomach. The girl didn't have time to anticipate the deadly attack, causing her internal organs to jolt as if squeezed by a raging hydraulic machine. Every second that passed felt like a battle against time, where pain crept into every fibre of her body, ignoring the toughness of her skin and muscles.

Without further ado, without giving Maki time to recover, the blonde woman immediately gave a rising kick. The tip of Maki's chin became the victim after the attack landed fiercely, causing her body to be thrown back upwards.

“Shigan!”

Stussy pierced the air several times quickly, aiming it at the girl. The air pressure shot through several points on her body. Thighs, stomach, arms, and chest became victims. However, not wanting more holes to nest in her body, Maki desperately twisted by a thin margin with one attack that scratched her cheek.

'Shit. You damn bitch. Do you think that by eating me in the air, you can just beat me? I'll show you that whether it's on land or in the air, I'm the best,' Maki thought with mounting emotions.

Stussy shot through the air again, heading towards her opponent with a series of attacks she had prepared. The woman was right in front of Maki in less than a second. Her clenched fists were ready to crush the girl's jaw. However, Maki didn’t flinch at her arrival. Her eyes were wide open, glaring at the blonde woman.

The stare sent a sudden pang of discomfort through Stussy's chest. However, with them face to face, the woman couldn't pull back her fist. Determined and gritting her teeth, she slammed it as hard as she could into her opponent's jaw.

It was a quick strike, but Maki didn't blink. Just an inch more, and the punch would have connected with her beautiful face. The otherworlder girl looked calm, while Stussy expected her attack to land on the girl immediately. However, the sound of the air breaking, followed by a somersault from the girl who passed her from above, shattered all the momentum she had built up.

“You call it Moonwalk, right?” Maki whispered.

Stussy lifted her head. Her eyes were wide open, and her jaw hung. Her face was set in a frozen disbelief. Her breath caught in her throat as if her brain refused to process what she had just seen.

A blow that landed on the side of her head, almost sending her over the edge, forced the woman to accept reality. However, it was too late as Maki decided to embrace her, gripping her entire body tightly like an anaconda wrapping around its prey.

With a swoosh in the air and some spin, the girl took her opponent hurtling towards the ground in a flash. In just a second, they entered the building through a hole in the roof created earlier.

The goal was clear: Maki would slam Stussy's head into the ground like a drill. Stussy struggled to get away, but Maki's grip was much stronger. Moreover, with the twists and turns she was taking, it was difficult for Stussy to consistently find an opening. With no time left, the woman could only prepare herself for the worst.

A loud bang was heard, causing the building to shake again. Stussy's head hit large pieces of concrete, shattering it into pieces before Maki pinned her to the floor in a large crater. The girl then took a big leap away and went to Robin's side to ensure she was okay.

“Are you okay, Robin-san? Did any concrete debris hit you?” the girl asked.

“I am fine, you don’t have to worry,” Robin replied as she scanned Maki’s condition, “Forget about that. What about you? You look beat up.”

“It's okay. Nothing compared to when Enel kicked my ass.”

Her mind flied again to the horror she was experienced on the Skyland. She was stabbed in the stomach and electrocuted directly to her internal organs, knocked flying for almost half a kilometre, and then hit with an attack that could wipe out the land. Compared to those things, what she received from Stussy seemed like a baby coughing. However, the two Rokuogan attacks that hit her squarely were enough to damage some of her internal parts.

“You, how did you do that? Moonwalk, I mean.”

A voice interrupted the two Straw Hat members, causing them to turn their gazes to the figure of Stussy, who had removed her head stuck on the floor.

Her appearance looked dishevelled. Her silky hair was now tangled after being mixed with dust and sweat. Her breath seemed ragged, her chest rising and falling as she tried to breathe intermittently. Her eyes were sharp, filled with tension. Meanwhile, warm blood seeped from her temple, down her cheek and dripped to the ground.

"Ain’t that a pretty good expression? Your makeup looks so natural," Maki said. Instead of answering the question, she taunted.

Stussy's eyebrows twitched upon hearing those words.

"Just answer the damn question."

After seeing Maki pull off the Moonwalk so easily, it was hard for Stussy to throw words in a teasing tone like before. After all, it was a high-level technique that required intense training. However, seeing the girl, who was still so young, do it naturally made her feel insulted. Her hard work and perseverance over the years were like being mocked by the natural talent that the girl showed.

“Fine, fine,” Maki replied casually.

Telling her opponent her technique wasn't Maki's style. After all, she was used to relying on martial arts without any special techniques. However, in this particular case, she wanted to buy a little time to let her internal organs recover.

'Besides, there's something I also want to know,' the girl thought.

“I’ve got a pair of sharp eyes, you know?” she said as pointing her thumb to the eyes, “They can even see the facets of the world, like kinda scattered surface in the air.”

Stussy raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused by what the girl had said. However, she remained silent and let the other person finish her sentence.

“Meanwhile, you folks use the air as a foothold by stomping your feet quickly and accurately. At first, it seems unreasonable. But I thought, if I could see these facets, wouldn’t I be able to grab them and just run through them?”

"You mean you did it on instinct after seeing us do it? You crazy monster.”

Maki shrugged her shoulders without caring about what the woman said.

“Well, from the start, your techniques were nothing but brute force. Copying them ain’t that difficult because there’s no other essence to consider.”

After saying those words, Maki poked the wall next to her with her index finger.

“See? It ain’t that hard. Maybe the punch that can hit the internal organs directly is quite challenging, but I’ve some idea how it works.”

Hearing those words made Stussy's ears feel hot. However, before she could respond, Maki threw out a question.

“Now, tell me. The technique you used to block my choke, which made your neck area turn black, what's that thing?”

'The technique that made my neck area black?' thought Stussy, repeating the part.

Of course, the woman knew what technique Maki was referring to. After all, she was the one who used it. However, the girl's description didn't match the knowledge registered in her head.

'Bushoshoku Haki is often referred to as invisible armour for a reason. While it significantly increases attack and defence, no physical characteristics can be seen by the naked eye. Simply put, it's colourless. Only with Kenbunshoku can one know that their opponent is activating Bushoshoku, and even then, it doesn't show any specific colour.'

Having a deep thought, Stussy suddenly remembered Maki's words about her being able to see the facets of the world, which, she said, looked like scattered surfaces in the air. At first, she thought it was just a bluff to further belittle the technique she had honed for over a decade. However, hearing Maki's story and matching it with her previous confession, Stussy thought the girl might be into something.

But still, even amidst the confusion and uncertainty, Stussy was reluctant to show any signs of weakness in its stance.

“Oh, is our genius Maki-chan really that curious? It seems even your gifted body can't recognise how the technique worked, am I wrong?” the blonde woman taunted.

Maki squeaked at the response, but Robin, who suddenly joined the conversation, diverted their attention.

“I can’t see what you see, Maki. However, if you mean the moment when her neck regained the strength to withstand your chokehold, I believe that is Bushoshoku.”

“What? Seriously?” Maki responded quickly.

Stussy glared at the black-haired woman.

"You really killed the mood, Nico Robin. You should have let our little girl figure it out alone. But yeah, you worked under Crocodile for years. You should know a thing or two."

As the women exchanged words, Maki recalled Robin's explanation of the most tremendous potential a human could possess, the Haki. She had pretty much been able to use Kenbunshoku and was on the verge of mastering it. However, Bushoshoku was touted as the best counter to Devil Fruit users.

“Maki, fighting a Bushoshoku user is nearly impossible for someone who can't use the same technique,” Robin said softly, “Luffy was able to defeat Crocodile purely because that guy completely underestimated him. However, that woman isn’t taking you lightly.”

"Don't worry. I'll take her down whatever it takes," Maki replied quickly.

Robin just nodded in response to the girl's confidence. Although there was a little doubt, she decided to trust her.

“That blue haired pervert and Usopp are on their way here, with the others behind them,” Maki said with her Kenbunshoku active, "I'll make it fast, but no matter what happens, go with them, and I'll catch up soon."

Maki took a few steps forward after she finished giving her instructions. She warmed her neck a little, making a 'crack' sound on both sides. Her sharp gaze was fixed straight at Stussy. With a powerful stomp, the girl accelerated and was in front of her opponent before Stussy could even blink.

A mighty fist came to greet the woman, but she wasn’t afraid. Instead of blocking, she threw another fist to meet Maki's attack. At first glance, it looked normal. However, in Maki's eyes, Stussy's hand seemed covered in black tint.

The two fists collided, creating a powerful shockwave which even shattered the concrete floor around their feet. To the naked eye, Maki gave Stussy a significant push, overwhelming her the absolute difference in their raw strength. However, the sound of a bone cracking was heard faintly and was followed by the girl's expression of pain, indicating that she had received greater damage while the other party seemed doing fine.

“No matter how strong you are, it means nothing in front of a Bushoshoku user, you know? Even after Nico Robin explained it, you still think you have a chance?”

Maki gritted her teeth annoyedly. She jumped back to get some distance. Her left hand clenched and unclenched, estimating how bad the injury she received. However, Stussy didn't want to give the girl that luxury. She quickly closed the gap with a roundhouse kick ready to be delivered to the girl's head.

Maki took a half step back to avoid the attack, but Stussy quickly formed her stance and threw a hook at her opponent. Her Kenbunshoku buzzed loudly, allowing Maki to duck it without breaking a sweat.

Not wanting to continue being pressured, she prepared to shoot Stussy's lower body to neutralise the striking with her wrestling. However, Stussy had anticipated that move with an uppercut ready to hit Maki's face.

It was a quick punch. Even the distance between them was cut quickly to an inch before the punch connected to her head. However, that was precisely what Maki had expected. When Stussy saw Maki about to grab her leg and force her to wrestle, she would definitely drop her hand to counter, and in this case, it was an uppercut. That left her guard wide open for a split second. Because of that, Maki immediately pulled and straightened her body and slammed right into Stussy's nose with her head.

“You little bitch,” Stussy snapped.

Fresh blood was seen pouring from the shattered nose. Even so, Maki wasn’t immediately satisfied. Not wanting to waste the opportunity she had worked so hard to get, she hit Stussy with a straight using her right hand. However, Stussy didn’t want everything to flow according to Maki's wishes.

“Bushoshoku… Koka.”

The first met Stussy's blackened jaw.

'Fuck. It feels like I hit an immovable object.'

Luckily, Maki didn't put too much power into her punch, so the recoil wasn't too great, and no bones were broken. However, that just meant there was some wasted time that Stussy could take advantage of. As such, she delivered a teep kick to Maki's stomach. It wasn’t strong enough to deal significant damage, but it was enough to create distance between them. And the real thing would happen after that.

“Bushoshoku… Koka.”

With that soft chant, Stussy spun her body and threw a back kick imbued with Haki. The kick hit Maki's stomach hard, so hard that her eyes bulged, and some blood spurted from her mouth. The girl was pushed, even thrown, until she broke the wall and sent her out.

Maki was sprawled out, curled up on the bridge with her right hand holding her stomach.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

Fresh blood came out more and more uncontrollably. Maki could only tighten her mouth, trying to hold back the turmoil of whatever was crawling up and wanting to come out of her mouth.

'It's crazy. One hit and the damage is this much. Even Enel's punch didn't reach this level. The last time someone made me vomit blood with one hit was when Satoru hit me with a fist coated by his Blue. And the fact that she can hurt this body means this Bushoshoku Haki is stronger than Satoru's Blue Punch.'

The sound of the ocean currents swirling into whirlpools—not just one but a lot—caught Maki's attention. The girl scanned her surroundings and just realised that Stussy's kick had sent her flying to a bridge behind which was a giant gate and several docked warships. If her memory served her right, Paulie said this was the Bridge of Hesitation.

'In other words, it’s the famous Gate of Justice, and they’re the ships that will be used to escort Robin-san to Impel Down,' Maki said as she stared at the giant gate.

Maki struggled to stand up. Her breath was heavy, and her mouth was eager to get as much air as possible. Her right hand rested on her knee while her left hand roughly wiped the blood on her mouth. With a long breath, the girl could finally stand up straight.

'Fortunately, I don't gotta think of a way to take her out.'

Before Maki could catch her breath, Stussy suddenly appeared with a kick to the head. But her Kenbunshoku tingled, and Maki turned her head back to avoid the kick. However, Stussy changed the trajectory of her kick. She changed the high side kick into an axe kick and slammed it into the ground so hard that the bridge structure shook.

Even so, Maki could still dodge it quickly as she rolled forward, trying to sneak behind the blonde. Stussy immediately turned around, thinking of giving a low kick while Maki had yet to stand up. However, unlike what she had thought, the girl with a ponytail rolled back, allowing her to sneak behind her again.

Before Stussy could act faster, Maki grabbed Stussy and hugged her from behind.

“This trick again? You still do it even though you know it’s useless? I didn’t know you were this desperate," Stussy mocked.

The woman struggled to get free, but Maki's hug was much stronger than before as if the girl was pouring all her strength into it.

“Fighting someone with a mystical armour who can even destroy my hand although I’m clearly overpowered you? Yeah, I’m that desperate,” the girl replied.

Stussy thought Maki would take her down and do her weird and complicated choke as she was ready to imbue her neck area with Haki whenever Maki executed her plan. However, contrary to her expectations, Maki jumped, carrying her over the sea with wild whirlpools, with their position upside down.

“This time, I'll take you into the deepwater, literally.”

With a single shot in the air by her foot, Maki slid sharply and quickly towards the sea. The high splash of water was evidence that two objects had plunged. However, their existence seemed to have disappeared just like that, swallowed by the ferocity of the whirlpool.

“Maki!!!”

Robin ran while continuing to shout the girl's name. A look of worry was clearly written on her beautiful face. She ran unsteadily, struggling to keep her balance because her hands were cuffed.

“Maki!!!”

Robin knelt on the edge of the bridge, where Maki had plunged and carried her opponent into the sea. She stared at the ocean filled with countless whirlpools. Clear liquid pooled in the corners of her eyes as she bit her lip.

"Maki!! Where are you?! Can you hear me? Please, get out of the water!!!"

The woman continued to scream until her voice was hoarse. Her eyes stared blankly at the ocean that had swallowed her saviour. Without her even realising it, marine soldiers had attacked her from the other side.

“It's Nico Robin! Shoot her!”

The black-haired woman jumped upon hearing the shout. She immediately turned to the source, only to find hundreds of guns pointed at her. She stood up hurriedly, trying to escape their reach. However, her legs betrayed the orders her brain had given. After all, she knew that the speed of the bullets was faster than her legs could carry her.

“Fire!!!”

Robin was snapped and fell to the ground with her hands supporting her body. She had prepared for the hot lead to pierce. However, her eyes widened when a blue-haired man suddenly stood in front of her with his arms outstretched, blocking all the bullets that were aimed at her.

“Nico Robin, what’re you doing here?! Where’s that Maki girl?! Wasn’t she supposed to pick you up?!”

The woman was shocked by the question until her consciousness returned to her body.

“She jumped into the sea!”

“She what?!!” asked the man in surprise.

His eyes peeked over his shoulder, looking at the black-haired woman for an explanation.

“The blonde woman seems to be a Bushoshoku and Devil Fruit user. No matter how strong Maki’s raw strength is, it won’t be able to penetrate Haki. That’s why she probably thinks the only way to defeat her is to take her to the sea.”

“With all these whirlpools? Does she have a screw loose in her head?”

The blue-haired man seemed to have a lot to say. However, he swallowed all those words back and immediately faced forward.

“Hey, long nose!! You can see the targets, right?!!”

Right after the scream, dozens of live ammunition were fired from a distance, without any of the soldiers realising it. Some of them were burned alive, but some managed to survive.

“Hey, Nico Robin. I’ve got the key. Come here, I'll unlock the cuffs, and come fight with us.”

The long-haired woman remained silent, her lips trembling slightly, but no word came out. The cold sea breeze ruffled her messy hair as if trying to whisper something to her. Her eyes were fixated on the raging whirlpool, spinning fiercely, that could trap anyone on the cold ocean floor. That was where the girl disappeared, swallowed by the depths without a trace.

Robin clenched her fists, her heart filled with unspeakable anxiety. However, deep down, a glimmer of faith remained. Somehow, the girl would survive.

“Please, make it happen.”

—OoOoO—

Stussy wasn’t just your typical spy. More than that, she was a soldier who had been through various battlefields. Whether working alone or going with a group, the smell of blood and the cruelty of war was like daily food for her. Fighting against strong individuals and geniuses no longer surprised her. Running away from opponents she couldn't defeat was also part of her lifestyle, so it no longer brought her any shame.

Or at least, that's what she thought. Just when the woman thought nothing left in the world could surprise her, she met an anomaly unlike anything she had ever seen.

'This is the first time I've been thrown into the sea.'

As a Devil Fruit user, the sea was her natural enemy. However, despite drowning and even being trapped in a whirlpool that almost dragged her to the bottom, Stussy showed no panic on her face.

After all, the woman was an elite among elites. She had long prepared herself in case such a thing happened at any time. Although Devil Fruit users lost their ability to swim and were very vulnerable when exposed to water, Stussy trained her breathing while continuously activating her Tekkai ability so that her body wouldn’t be crushed even though it was hit by high pressure from the sea.

However, what made her not show any fear came not only from her individual capabilities but was also supported by a device she got that was so helpful in such a situation.

'Even though we were drowning simultaneously, these dozens of whirlpools separated us. Even if I used that, there wouldn't be any eyewitnesses to see it.'

Stussy struggled to reach for her belt. Her hands groped it as if looking for something on the object that tied her one-piece dress at the waist. Her fingers stopped at a certain point, her thumb pressing something. As if it were an activation function, the black belt suddenly fell off the woman's waist but quickly expanded, taking the shape of a capsule, and locked her up.

The heavy load caused that round object to be immediately pulled to the bottom of the sea. However, it kept the capsule stable like a solid reef even though the current below was crazier than on the surface. Moreover, the water that had previously filled the cabin had been sucked out quickly enough to allow Stussy to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Doctor Vegapunk always has his weird gadgets. However, I’m thankful that he always made me carry this just in case something like this happened. What did he call this thing? A picotechnology-based submarine?”

Stussy wasn’t a science expert. However, she vaguely remembered that it was a technology even smaller than the nanoscale, making it seem like something was created from nothing.

“That girl…, that Maki. She threw away all her pride and dignity as a warrior just to carry out this cowardly plan,” the woman muttered as she stared out the cabin window.

Stussy was momentarily stunned by the sight before her eyes. She was literally in the middle, in the eye of the whirlpool. Although she had spent most of her time in the ocean, it was her first experience seeing such a crazy sight surrounded by many underwater whirlpools.

“Well, I guess I should thank Maki-chan. Although it was a bit off from my expectations, this way, I won’t have to make up a complicated excuse for my report later.”

Compared to Rugyu Kingdom, the journey there was always likened to an extraordinary underwater tour. The stunning natural panorama along the journey to ten thousand kilometres below sea level, with relatively non-aggressive sea monsters, was very different from what Stussy saw.

"Come to think of it, the three main strongholds built on this ever-raging sea. Is that a metaphor that symbolises that they are the world's rulers and fear no one, not even the wrath of Mother Nature?"

The woman suddenly felt an emotion. However, she didn’t want to express it too clearly. Her gaze was too focused on the panorama she had never witnessed, as if nature had taught her something. Even if she felt she knew everything about the world, nature always had secrets to surprise her.

'Just like that girl. When I thought she was nothing more than a muscle head like other physically gifted people, I was wrong. Not only does she have superhuman strength, but her entire body is special. As if, nothing like anything from this world.'

Stussy took a deep breath. For the first time since she had sunk, she looked away from the chaotic scene of the seabed. The woman slowly lifted her dress, originally just a few centimetres above her knees, to reveal a tightly cinched belt around her thighs. A pouch made of a special polymer hung on the belt to protect what was inside.

The woman unbuttoned the bag. Her hands slowly felt for its contents, and in the next second, she pulled out a golden snail with a button. Stussy stared at the object momentarily, seemingly considering whether she had made the right decision.

It was a special Den Den Mushi used to initiate the mass murder command, the Buster Call. And Stussy was about to send that disaster to the pirates invading Enies Lobby.

'If my guess on Aokiji is correct, this might be the ticket out for the Straw Hats. However, if my prediction turns out to be wrong, it will be the end for them.'

Stussy sighed with her eyes closed. She just had to trust her brain, which she always did to reach this high position in the organisation.

“Very well, Aokiji. Even if I have doubts about my analysis, I will believe in your principles of justice,” the woman opened her eyes, showing the resolve reflected in them, “And Maki-chan. If you can survive, grow stronger. I will wait for you in the New World.”

—OoOoO—

“Greetings, Your Excellency! We received the signal for the Buster Call!”

An officer stood in a salute position in front of a man who sat daydreaming with his head propped up in his hands on the table.

“I know,” the man replied shortly.

Kuzan, also known as Admiral Aokiji, was a tall man with curly hair and dark skin. His gaze always seemed spiritless, and his daily life was almost filled with laziness. His behaviour, which didn’t reflect the high discipline typical of the military, made many doubt his capacity as an Admiral. In fact, some openly considered the man unworthy of sitting in the chair.

People often described Kuzan as a man with only strength but no will. However, because of his frequent absences from the office and travelling without even his secretary's knowledge, people often forget that Kuzan was a figure who always did what needed to be done as quickly as possible.

“Generally, it takes thirty minutes to reach Enies Lobby using Tarai Current. However, because of your instruction to depart early without waiting for the signal, our fleet will arrive in less than two minutes.”

The officer stared at the lazy man in awe.

"You always take the right precautionary steps, which always puts us in the right place at the right time. As expected from the great man like you, Your Excellency!"

Kuzan just let out a sigh at the praise.

“We’re going to catch Nico Robin, and the only thing standing in the way is a bunch of madmen who dared to break into Enies Lobby. If you want to uphold the dignity of the Marines, you need to do at least this much.”

The man stood up and moved from his desk, showing his posture, which looked taller than when sitting. Meanwhile, the officer quickly went to the coat hanger, taking the proud coat from his superior.

Without looking back or even giving thanks, Kuzan immediately took his proud clothes and gallantly wore them. The white coat, the pride and main power of the Marines, the symbol of justice that looked so sturdy hanging behind the man, gave him an aura and emphasised that he was one of the highest leaders in the organisation.

“What about the gate panel control room? Have the pirates occupied it?” the Admiral asked.

"We have contacted them and confirmed that they didn’t touch the panel room at all.”

“Is that so?” Kuzan asked as he opened the door.

The question hung in the air without a precise address for who it was intended for.

Without waiting for an answer, Kuzan stepped out of the room. The thud of his shoes echoed in the hallway, which felt longer than usual. The neon lights on the ceiling cast faint shadows on the floor, as if watching over the anxiety he was trying to hide. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his gaze looked sharper. However, his long breaths occasionally gave off an impression that felt foreign to someone as strong as him.

“Tell them to open the gate immediately. Order the entire fleet to move at full speed with all cannons ready to target the island."

Once again, a long sigh was heard in between his speech.

“Kill and destroy everyone in sight. The only one who needs to be spared is Nico Robin.”

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Hellooo… nice to meet you again. How are you guys?

Alright, if any of you think Maki's way of defeating Stussy looked lame, I had my reasons. It’s clear, as Stussy said that Bushoshoku Haki is a game changer in the One Piece world. Even until the latest chapter, it has been consistently emphasised as an end-game ability. Although Stussy's level isn’t as advanced as we had ever seen in Wano, it’s still Bushoshoku Haki at the end of the day.

So, it would be very unreasonable if an end-game ability is defeated just by relying on raw strength. Moreover, I don't want to give Maki too much plot armour to the point that it looks ridiculous and too forced. Thus, the only remaining options were to exploit the absolute weakness of the Devil Fruit or hope for Stussy to give up. However, considering Maki's nature as a jujutsu sorcerer, exploiting the opponent's weakness as a last resort is more fitting to her character than waiting for Stussy to give up.

Therefore, I concluded that bringing Stussy into the water was the best choice.

Also, a little bit of Aokiji is shown here. I won't say it now. However, his role in the Enies Lobby arc can still be explored further. At least, I want to try to show what he was thinking at that time in my version.

Okay, that's all from me. Stay safe, and see you again.