Enies Lobby Arc

Marking the sixteenth story arc and the third leg of the Water 7 saga, Enies Lobby is a sprawling assault on a judicial island ringed by Marines and guarded by the elite killers of Cipher Pol Number Nine. The crew, reinforced by Sogeking, the Franky Family and the Galley-La shipwrights, mounts a rescue that turns into a declaration of war on the world's ruling power.

Riding the sea train Rocketman, the rescuers crash into the government island to reach Robin and Franky before they vanish through the Gates of Justice toward Marine Headquarters and Impel Down. While allies battle giants, judges and guards, Luffy debuts his Gear 2 acceleration and overpowers the agent Blueno. When Robin, broken by a lifetime of betrayal, insists she would rather die than endanger her friends, the crew answers by burning the World Government flag, openly declaring war on over a hundred and seventy nations. Robin at last begs to live and be taken to sea with them.

Spandam drags Robin toward the Gates while CP9 scatters keys to her seastone cuffs among five agents, forcing the crew to defeat each one. The Straw Hats split off into separate duels: Zoro against the swordsman-turned-giraffe Kaku, Sanji against the seductress Kalifa, Nami against Kumadori, Franky against Fukurou, and the rest in pursuit. Above them all, Luffy chases Spandam and his protector Rob Lucci, the deadliest of the assassins, toward a confrontation that will test the limits of his strength.

The crew systematically dismantles CP9, Luffy overcomes Lucci in a grueling battle, and Robin is reclaimed for good. The escape from the collapsing island is harrowing, and the rescue cements Robin's place among them. The defiance shown at Enies Lobby raises the crew's profile dramatically and sets the stage for hard goodbyes and new beginnings in the aftermath, including the fate of the worn-out Going Merry and Franky's eventual decision about his future.