Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 362 The Harvest Time!

Kalifa certainly knew Luffy, and she was even very familiar with the entire Straw Hat Pirates.

CP's plan is to first secretly capture Nico Robin, the devil's child, who is hiding in the Straw Hat Pirates.

He is the only scholar in the world who is openly capable of deciphering the main text of history.

In some ways, Nico Robin is more dangerous than the Four Emperors, and the Void Century is something the World Government is trying its best to hide.

Secondly, what they wanted was something that Carrera's president, Iceberg, had been hiding.

Design drawings for the ancient weapon 'Pluto'.

Legend has it that this ancient weapon possesses immense power, capable of sinking an island with a single shot.

But Iceberg learned a lesson from his master Tom's death and, with great forbearance, integrated several shipyards in Water Seven into the Corolla Shipbuilding Company.

They also used money and technology to pave the way, becoming the World Government's 'official shipbuilding company' and even building cruise ships for the Celestial Dragons.

The CP has no way to target Iceberg through overt means.

That's why they came up with the wicked plan of "killing two birds with one stone".

Using the Straw Hat Pirates to threaten Nico Robin into giving up resistance, then kidnapping Iceberg, and pinning the blame on the Straw Hat Pirates.

To maximize the value of the Straw Hat crew.

But right now, this plan seems to have gone a bit off.

Is everything under Captain Luffy's control?

Kalifa's purple eyes were filled with deep surprise and doubt.

How can this be?

They've been paying attention to Luffy for a long time, and no matter how they analyze it, they always come to the same conclusion.

Impulsive, reckless, acting on impulse, and lacking common sense
Now you're saying this whole thing is just an act?
If true, what a terrifying scheming!

"Straw Hat Pirates Members"

Kalifa struggled to move, managing to squeeze out a single sentence:

"You're all on our surveillance. Who are you?"

Li Xia didn't bother to reply at all, and directly applied force to Kalifa's blood vessels, causing her to fall into a brief coma.

Killing her isn't out of the question, but he still needs Kalifa to bring back the news that 'the Straw Hat Pirates have another member.'

Seeing Kalifa faint, Li Xia pondered for a moment and then simply administered another injection of a powerful anesthetic.

In the world of One Piece, everyone is a monster with an abnormal physique. They might wake up in a minute or two, but this injection will keep her immobilized for at least two hours.

He casually tossed Kalifa aside and glanced back at Blackie.

The kitten nodded at him, completing the communication in an instant.

Kerla's condition has stabilized and there's nothing seriously wrong. Sabo is a good guy, and he's also very dedicated to coaching Aowu.

He absolutely couldn't let his sister die in front of him.

"Take Kera to a place to rest, I'm going to check out the Iceberg Manor."

"Meow!"

At this moment, the top floor of Water City has fallen into chaos.

The towering flames illuminated half the sky in crimson, and the billowing smoke was clearly visible even in the night sky.

Everywhere were boatmen running around in a panic. Li Xia sat cross-legged on a tall palm tree, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

It's really lively. Originally, this place shouldn't have been so chaotic, but it immediately became different after the apostles arrived.

The apostles, drawn into various factions and driven by their own interests, have turned the entire manor into a mess.

Whether it was the CP or the Straw Hat crew searching for Robin, they all looked completely bewildered upon seeing the manor.

Wasn't tonight's operation supposed to be kept secret?
I feel like I've stirred up a hornet's nest; it's like the entire Water Seven Carnival has started early.

Inside the manor, the CP9 members looked at their leader, Rob Lucci, and awaited orders.

Without hesitation, Lucci abandoned the heavily injured Iceberg. His original plan was to obtain the blueprints for the ancient weapon 'Pluto' from Iceberg through torture.

He then silenced Iceberg and framed the Straw Hat Pirates.

But we haven't obtained the blueprints yet, so killing the iceberg would be pointless now.

"Retreat! Take Franky and Nico Robin to Enies Lobby!"

Since there was no success at the iceberg, Franky, who is likely also Tom's disciple, becomes crucial.

Just as he was about to leave, Lucci suddenly stopped in his tracks:
Where is Kalifa?

The group looked at each other in surprise. While they were capturing Iceberg, they didn't expect that another secretary would rush up and possess considerable strength.

Even when severely injured, he was still able to escape the pain thanks to his extraordinary willpower.

Realizing that this secretary was no ordinary person, Lucci immediately ordered Kalifa to hunt her down and see if they could uncover the person behind her.

They should have returned long ago, but there's still no sign of them.

"Open the door and take us to the base first. Bruno and Kaku stay here to find Kalifa."

Bruno, with his peculiar horn-like hairstyle, nodded silently.

He reached out and made a door-opening motion. Miraculously, an invisible door appeared in the air, revealing a green, otherworldly space inside.

Just as the group was about to leave, they saw billowing smoke and dust in the distance, as if something was approaching at high speed.

The group immediately tensed up, watching the distance warily.

"Wait a minute, there's a lady here—"

A man in a black suit with blond hair and unusually curly eyebrows is carrying Kalifa, whose mask has been removed, in his arms. His body seems to be engulfed in flames as he rushes towards them at an incredible speed.

The dust and smoke were formed by the wind and waves he created while running at high speed.

The heels screeched against the ground, and Sanji stopped in a strange, sliding tackle-like motion.

Even with such a difficult deceleration maneuver, his hands remained steady, and Kalifa in his arms didn't feel the slightest jolt.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Nico Robin, who was standing silently behind the group and wearing a mask, trembled.

She watched in disbelief as Sanji carefully placed Kalifa on the recliner next to him.

'Ding'

Sanji closed the lighter, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a puff of smoke into the air.

His voice inexplicably became more mature.
"I smelled the scent of the woman's injury in the air, but by the time I found this beautiful woman, she was already unconscious."

Even with my loving wake-up call, she was still weak and exhausted.

But the lady said her companion was here, and as her knight, it was my duty to protect her!

Lucci:
Kaku:
Bruno:
They had already recognized that the curly-browed lecher was Sanji, a member of the Straw Hat crew.

"Thank you."

After a long silence, Lucci stiffly said that the Straw Hat crew was their chosen scapegoat.

Now that we've seen Kalifa's face again, this threat should have been eliminated immediately.

But Robin was still behind them. The reason Robin agreed to surrender and help them translate the 'ancient documents' in the future was because CP9 'promised' to let the Straw Hat crew go. After weighing the options for a while, Robin's value ultimately came to the fore.

She gave Kalifa a wink as she weakly opened her mouth to say something.

Lucci let out a sigh of relief, nodded to Sanji, and thanked him again:
"Thank you, we'll take our companion back for treatment now."

Without hesitation, he had someone carry Kalifa away, and they gradually disappeared into the distance under Sanji's watchful gaze.

Once the surroundings gradually quieted down, Bruno opened the 'air door' and used the alternate dimension to teleport.

At this moment, Lu Qi asked in a low voice:

"Who hurt you? And what were you trying to say just now?"

Kalifa was silent for a moment, then sighed:
"What I want to say is that the one who injured me claimed to be from the Straw Hat Pirates and asserted that he had completely seen through our plan."

Lucci: ?

How could that idiot possibly have such wisdom?

After a long while, Kaku suddenly sighed and said heavily:

"So, he had already seen through our plan all along?"

You actually believed that??
Lucci looked at his companion, who was frozen in place, and after a long while, he said in a muffled voice:

"Go to the station and return to Judiciary Island!"

Looking at Kalifa, who was still limp, and Kaku, whose face was heavy, Lucci felt utterly exhausted.

"Ding!"

The lighter made a crisp sound. Sanji stood there silently watching them walk away, then lit another cigarette. This time, however, his fingers holding the cigarette trembled slightly.

He swore with his own 'guardian heart' that Miss Robin, whom they had been searching for for so long, was among this group!

We need to get back to Luffy quickly; Robin is in danger.

Because he could smell the scent of Robin's 'sadness' in the air.

Robin was kidnapped by these people!

Li Xia squinted at the Iceberg Manor below, where the previously lively atmosphere had subtly shifted.

Many of the apostles who had been taking advantage of the chaos had quietly left the manor. The boatmen looked up blankly, realizing that the attacks that had initially made them dizzy and seemed to be happening everywhere had somehow become sparse.

This only proves one thing—the eye of the storm is shifting.

Luffy and CP9 have left!
Sure enough, the Water Seven Station in the distance suddenly sounded a deafening whistle in the middle of the night.

On the distant sea, ships of all sizes appeared, their sails unfurled, all heading in the same direction.

"Oh!"

The sound of cannons rang out, as if a switch had been flipped, and the ships simultaneously opened fire on the surrounding area.

In an instant, the dense sound of cannons was like firecrackers set off during the Lunar New Year, and the rising smoke obscured the night sky.

Having already returned the unharmed Kella to the Carrera Company, Kuroko, who had just returned, stared dumbfounded at the sudden outbreak of the chaotic battle that had reached its climax in the distance.

"Meow?"

"This is normal."

Li Xia remained seated cross-legged on the palm tree:
"In the apostles' minds, if the other apostles were any weaker, it would be as if they were any stronger."

Therefore, few unfamiliar apostles in the temple choose to win together, because if they win less than others, they lose.

This is a zero-sum game.

Those on Enies Lobby ahead are mostly there for missions or to participate in the storyline.

If we sink others here, we slow down their progress, which is equivalent to taking the lead ourselves.

Under such a mentality, even if some apostles did not want to fire, they had to retaliate when faced with artillery fire from others.

And that's how it ended up like it is now—”

Li Xia pointed to the distant sea, where many ships in the once mighty fleet were now emitting thick black smoke, and some even had their sails burning fiercely.

The speed slowed down noticeably, and the ships at the front maneuvered to avoid the dense artillery fire from behind.

While desperately retaliating with its stern cannons, the leading ships were riddled with holes by the dense barrage of cannonballs.

Finally, one of the apostles could no longer tolerate it and began to act. The sails of a ship billowed rapidly, and the speed of the entire ship suddenly increased, like an arrow released from a bow, rushing to the forefront.

Another barrage of artillery fire came, but the small ship was suddenly covered by a honeycomb-like protective shield.

The artillery fire had no effect on the protective shield; flames and smoke erupted on the shield, and the semi-transparent hexagons that made up the shield shimmered faintly.

"Resistance barriers?"

Li Xia had heard of the skill's reputation, which claimed to provide extremely strong defense against physical attacks. The principle behind it was to transfer incoming attacks through a series of hexagonal shapes.

The shield only needs to handle the instantaneous output, acting as a transmitter, so its defensive power is exceptionally strong.

For example, right now, looking at the waves churning abnormally on both sides of the ship, it is clear that the impact and high temperature are being transferred to the sea surface.

However, such barriers also have significant flaws, so—

On the ship behind, an apostle wearing a long robe and holding a staff stood at the bow. Then, a blinding light emanated from the tip of the staff and struck the shield like a laser.

The protective shield, which had previously appeared indestructible, immediately changed color, as if it had frozen.

Li Xia looked at the protective shield, which had been bombarded again and shattered like an eggshell, and shook his head.

This is its weakness: when faced with a single type of continuous energy attack, the 'resistance barrier' is as fragile as an egg. It is destined to be used only as a surprise weapon, and it can be surprisingly effective in specific situations.

"Meow?"

"Yes, it's time."

Li Xia nodded, took out the Den Den Mushi from his pocket, and dialed Tina's number:

"Tina, you can come over now. There's been a riot here."

"Tina understands, she'll be there soon."

Behind Enies Lobby is the Gate of Justice, which leads directly to Marine Headquarters; it's very close.

After obtaining information about CP9, Li Xia did something.

That is, he found Tina with the intelligence and persuaded her to mobilize her exclusive 'Cage Fleet'.

Sure enough, not long after, the already fiercely contested sea suddenly became even more chaotic.

The massive fleet, which had been flying its naval ensign, was slowly making its way out of Water 7 and was now stuck in traffic.

Prison troops were often used to transport prisoners, so they were more robust and larger than other naval vessels.

In addition, there were the ships captured by Li Xia and the escort vessels attached to the escort ship.

This fleet exuded an extremely strong sense of oppression in the face of the apostles, who consisted of only small sailboats.

Li Xia stood up and stretched comfortably.

Now it's harvest time! Capture all the apostles who chose pirates; those who didn't...
Want to do a task?
Then pay the protection fee!
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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote
I'm having some writer's block. Enies Lobby isn't a major plot point, and I'm trying to get through it quickly.

(End of this chapter)