It was the early morning, before dawn.
On the sea, a white cast-iron train raced along the tracks.
This was the prototype Sea Train, the Rocket Man. Its design was more rugged than the Sea Train currently in service, all rivets and steam-powered steel, with a pointed locomotive painted like a shark.
Behind the train, two King Bulls, one red and one yellow, each nearly twenty meters tall, followed closely, towing the Franky Family's flagship.
Inside the carriage, the entire Straw Hat Pirates and the Franky Family's officers sat in their own silences.
Luffy crouched on a wooden crate in the middle of the carriage, his hands braced on his knees. Zoro leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed. Sanji stood on the opposite side with a cigarette in his mouth, occasionally glancing out the window.
Gin sat in a corner with his arms folded. The dim light made the dark circles under his eyes look even deeper. His face was expressionless, but his fingers kept tapping unconsciously against his arm.
Jango sat across from him, in much the same state.
"...I'm sorry."
Gin bowed his head deeply to the Franky Family members, breaking the silence.
Throughout the journey, he had struggled to find anything to say. Now, for the second time, he bowed his head deeply.
"I... me too..."
Flustered, Jango bowed his head as well.
Without Franky's help, the two of them would have died at CP9's hands.
"...Right now..."
Kiwi, dressed in strawberry-red women's beachwear, gave Gin a complicated look.
"Don't."
Mozu, in lemon-yellow beachwear, tugged at her sister.
Compared with the Square Sisters, Zanbai, the Franky Family's assault captain, was more emotional.
"-If you know that-then-"
He broke off halfway through, unable to continue.
What else could they do, anyway?
CP9's target had been