Opavia

49.

They were brought down to an abandoned train station, Luffy and Chopper gaping over the huge train. Vitani ran her finger over the old medal, looking up as Iceberg emerged from inside of it.

He sat down, giving them the okay to use it and explaining how he had repaired the old gears.

"Thank you." Vitani nodded gingerly as she passed him, Luffy bringing the wooden stairs to the train. Kierra bowed jokingly, Zoro snatching her.

They turned as Nami ran up to them, followed by two men dragging a trail of meat. Vitani and Kierra sat down hungrily with Zoro and Luffy, eating until the Franky Family erupted from the stairs.

"Please...take us with you!" The man in the front sobbed, the group proceeding to cry about wanting to get Franky back.

"Please!" The sisters cried. Nami argued with them briefly as Luffy climbed up onto the train.

"Get on." He beamed.

Vitani sat on the train patiently as Kierra looked out the window. The train moved forward, Luffy standing atop.

Vitani yawned and leaned against Zeze, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Kierra hummed, laying against Eos's stomach as the train sped forward. A sudden burst of speed brought them awake and Vitani shot up, pinned against the wall.

"What the hell?!" She screamed, Kierra snoring. Vitani put her hair up in a bun as she pulled herself up.

She headed to the next cart slowly, Zoro grabbing her arm nonchalantly so she wouldn't fall.

"What's going on?!" She screamed, joining the others.

"The train's kicked up it's speed." Chopper screamed.

Vitani leaned against Zoro for support as he slowly urged her onto the ground. She sat against the wall beside him, looking up as he closed his eyes.

"Zoro are you really gonna sleep at a time like this?!" Nami screamed. His arm merely tightened and a soft snore erupted from his nose, Nami scowling.

Vitani sat beside Luffy and the conductor's granddaughter on the couch as the others gathered around. Her tail sat on her lap gently, her arms crossed and eyes pinned forward.

"Wow." Chimney, the little girl awed. Kierra lay on Nami's lap, yawning gently.

Paulie and the other LA galley men who hadn't betrayed Iceberg ,Lulu and Tilestone, sat against the wall beside Zoro.

"Wow Grandma I thought I was going to die!" The little girl announced.

"I told you the train would accelerate." She mused, Kierra looking up at Vitani.

"This thing is cool!" Luffy beamed, throwing his arms up.

Zoro's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the ground. "Wait." He announced. "There are weird guys in here."

"What?! Who are they?" Tilestone and Lulu questioned.

"You guys!" Paulie yelled as Zoro sat up

"You too!" Zoro snapped.

Lulu began to meddle about how they had snuck onto the train with Paulie, proposing why they wanted to help the Straw Hats in the battle. The Franky Family followed , Lulu looking down in defeat.

"Paulie just tell us who it is. We aren't that dense. Plus we already have a good idea as to who it is." He hummed, referencing who had betrayed the men.

Paulie sighed as Kierra flicked her tail.

"Stop overthinking the shit and just say it." She urged. He glanced at her and sighed.

"We won't be surprised." Lulu insisted.

"Fine. Then I guess it's pretty obvious from their sudden disappearance. The true identities of the masked men are Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno from the bar. It was them who tried to kill Iceberg!" He looked at them as they gasped, skin paled.

"What?! You never even guessed that??" Paulie snapped.

"But you said they went back to their hometowns!" Tilestone argued.

"Why would they?! In a time like this?!" Paulie snapped back.

"We thought it was Micheal and Hoicheal from the backstreets!"

"Yes yes!" Tilestone argreed.

"Who the hell are they?!"

Kierra cackled from the ground, sitting up.

"Alright." Luffy leaned forward. "Boy did I eat a lot. I'm full." He stood up. "Now. Even though we got into fights with both the Frank Family and the LA galley back at the ports, we have a common enemy now. The strongest one among the guys we're fighting is that pigeon guy. He's mine. I'm definitely gonna beat him up."

"Yeah. This is a battle to get back what those four took from us." Zoro added. "In that case if we don't get to them, nothing will end."

"Ah! Grandma, grandma! It's Aqua Laguna!" Chimney yelled from the window.

"Oh? It's here already??" She rasped.

"Chimney, let me see." Nami pulled up the window, a gust of wind entering the room.

"This is bad!" Nami leaned back in. "Kokoro! Is this a good time for you to leave the engine room like this?! We somehow need to dodge that high wave!"

Kokoro laughed. "Didn't I tell you? We can't control Rocket Man. When we want to operate it, nothing works. Including the brake. My job ended once the train got on the railway. Hence the train is always running at full throttle. No one can stop it anymore.

"Oh no- Luffy!" Nami turned to him. "If we don't do anything the train will crash into this big wave! Hey Luffy!" She yelled. Luffy stared forward, extending his hand.

"When we have the same goal...we are no longer enemies."

"Yeah." Franky's worker shook hands with Luffy as Paulie agreed and shook hands as well.

"We're comrades now. Our friends are also on the train that left before us. Our fighting force is still to increase. Guys!" He yelled. "Don't let this wave beat us. We will still achieve our goal!" Luffy turned. "Let's go!"