"Let me go, Straw Hat!"
"I can't go with you!"
"Let me go quickly!"
Franky struggled as he was forcibly dragged by Luffy towards the boarding ramp.
Though it seemed like he was being forcibly dragged, only Luffy knew that he had barely used any force; Franky had practically walked along willingly.
However, just as they reached the bottom of the boarding ramp and Luffy was about to take Franky onto the ship, he found that he couldn't pull Franky with the same strength as before.
Just then, Franky's voice also rang out.
This time, his voice wasn't shouting like before, but had become serious and earnest.
Franky spoke in a somewhat low voice.
"Sorry! Straw Hat!"
"Although I really want to go with you…",
"But I still have something I must do here."
"That's why I gave the ship to you!"
"Besides, I've already washed my hands of shipbuilding!"
"This ship is my last work in this life…",
"It's been my long-cherished wish…",
"It's a true ship of dreams!!!"
As Franky finished speaking, Luffy and the entire Straw Hat crew fell silent.
Although Luffy had said he would forcibly take Franky, he only did so because he knew Franky wanted to go with them but hadn't made up his mind.
But now, Franky's will clearly leaned more towards staying here.
So, for a moment, Luffy stopped dragging Franky and just quietly looked at him.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from beside them.
"Franky…"
Everyone looked over at the sound and saw Iceburg gazing at Franky, his eyes filled with memories.
Then, Iceburg continued.
"This ship shouldn't have become the ship of your dreams yet!"
"I remember you once said…",
"You wanted to sail across countless seas…",
"Experience countless battles…",
"Only when you reach the end of the sea…",
"Can it be called a true 'ship of dreams'!"
Franky stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at Iceburg, his mind involuntarily recalling the scene when he had said those words to Iceburg as a child.
And Iceburg continued to speak.
24
"I also remember you saying…",
"One day, you would complete the greatest ship for yourself, and then, as a shipwright, you would sail on it!",
"It was to witness that fated day with your own eyes!"
"Although the ship would be scarred by then, it would emit a magnificent light that no other ship possessed!"
Listening to Iceburg speak of his long-held dreams, one after another, Franky's heart was increasingly moved.
However, Tom's image kept lingering in his mind.
He gritted his teeth and loudly denied Iceburg's words.
"What I need to do has changed!"
Iceburg looked directly at Franky and said firmly, without changing his expression,
"It's not that what you need to do has changed!"
"Everything you're doing on this island now…",
"Is merely atonement!"
"That day, when Tom was arrested, you always believed it was because of the ship you built!"
"That's why you've always been so regretful!"
"But…",
"Tom already forgave you that day and showed you the way."
"You gathered all the hoodlums from the back alleys, ostensibly calling yourselves bounty hunters, specifically fighting bandits to protect this island."
"In reality, it's also because Tom loved Water 7 so much, so you wanted to atone by protecting it, right!"
Upon hearing this, Franky gritted his teeth, and his eyes began to well up.
The younger members of the Franky Family were all teary-eyed at this moment, looking at Franky with gratitude.
They mumbled,
"Big brother…"
Then Iceburg continued,
"You gave up your favorite shipbuilding…",
"Living a suppressed life…",
"Are you really planning to continue living like this for the rest of your life?"
Iceburg sighed deeply and said,
"Tom has forgiven you, and I have forgiven you!"
"The past cannot be changed in any way!"
"So…",
"Franky!"
"You… forgive yourself!"
"You should live for your own dreams!"
As Iceburg finished speaking, the entire scene fell into silence.
Everyone looked at Franky's figure.
Suddenly, Franky stumbled, his right foot seemingly moving uncontrollably.
The next second, he suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his foot in pain, and started wailing.
"Waaah…",
"It hurts so much!"
"I accidentally stepped on a nail!"
"Waaahhhhhhh…",
"It's killing me!"
"Which bastard threw nails around?!"
"Waaahhhhhhh…",
Watching Franky wail and roll on the ground in "pain," Luffy couldn't help but curl his lips.
He knew that Franky had been convinced by Iceburg's words.
As for stepping on a nail, Franky was a cyborg.
Except for his back, which he couldn't reach to modify, the rest of him was steel, so how could he be injured by a tiny nail?!
As Franky was wailing, the younger members of the Franky Family threw a package at him.
Then, they all spoke up, saying,
"Big brother! This is your luggage!"
"Big brother! Please forgive us for doing these things behind your back and asking Straw Hat and the others; we're truly sorry!"
"We were already stupid! This is what we came up with after racking our brains!"
Hearing the words of his subordinates one after another, Franky stopped crying, got up, and grimaced as he roared at them,
"If you know you're stupid, then don't do such unnecessary things!"
"You don't need to meddle in my life!"
"I decide my own life!"
"Do you think I, as the boss, can happily accept my subordinates worrying and planning for me?"
"Hmph! How boring!"
Facing Franky's accusations, the subordinates spoke up one after another.
"S-sorry! But can't we at least think a little bit?"
"We used to be hoodlums, and you are the great benefactor who changed our lives!"
At this moment, Zambai suddenly burst into tears and loudly roared at Franky,
"Can't we… consider your happiness?!"
Boom!
These words were like a bolt of lightning, striking Franky's heart.
He instantly froze, standing there motionless as if petrified.
Thud!
Franky suddenly seemed to lose all strength and fell straight backward.
The next second!
He once again cried loudly and rolled around on the ground.
"Waaah..."
"Damn it! My leg hurts again!"
"It hurts so much! Bastard!"
"Waaahhhhh..."
While crying, Franky was deeply moved by his subordinates' words.
"You idiots...."
"I really love you guys!!!"
"Waaahhhhh...."
After rolling on the ground and crying for a while, Franky gradually stopped.
At this moment, Luffy had arrived on the deck.
He was standing with the entire Straw Hat by the ship's side, looking down at Franky.
Luffy looked at Franky, grinned, and said, "Franky! Come aboard! Come on my ship!"
Hearing Luffy's words, Franky's mouth also curved into a smile.
After getting up from the ground, he put on a pair of sunglasses and laughed, "Heh heh..."
"I guess there's no helping it!"
"Then I, Franky, will help you all..."
"Become the shipwright of this ship!"
Upon hearing Franky's words, everyone in the Straw Hat immediately smiled, and Chopper and Usopp couldn't help but cheer.
"Great!"
"We have a new companion!"
The Franky Family also wiped away tears happily.
"Great! Big Brother is finally going to pursue his dream!"
"Don't cry! Absolutely don't cry! This is a good thing!"
"Straw Hat is a trustworthy man, entrusting Big Brother to him is the best!"
Amidst the cheers, Franky suddenly turned to look at Iceburg.
Iceburg looked at Franky in confusion, not knowing what he was going to do.
Suddenly, his eyes widened sharply.
He looked in horror at a blueprint Franky held in his hand.
Then Franky slowly said, "Iceburg!"
"You said this blueprint was to prevent Nico Robin from resurrecting Pluton, to use against her!"
"But now..."
"I think this blueprint is useless now!"
"So I plan to destroy it, you have no objection, right?!"
When Robin heard Franky say this, her pupils trembled slightly.
This meant that Franky had completely trusted her, and also trusted the Straw Hat.
Iceburg, after glancing at Robin and Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat beside her, smiled slightly and said, "Do as you please!"
Hearing this, Franky's mouth curved.
Whoosh!
A burst of flames suddenly spewed from his mouth, and the blueprint of pluton was completely destroyed.
After burning the blueprint of pluton, Franky picked up his luggage and strode towards Luffy's new ship!
Behind him, Iceburg, several foremen, the Franky Family, and Kokoro and a few others, including Yokozuna, who had heard the news and rushed over at some point, silently watched Franky's back, seeing him off.
"Teacher Tom, I'm leaving this island!"
"I'm sorry! I was a troublesome student who caused you a lot of trouble!"
"Thank you for your care over the years!"
After expressing his gratitude to Tom in his heart, Franky walked towards the ship, and without looking back, he loudly said to the people behind him, "Foremen of Galley-La!"
"Iceburg is entrusted to you!"
"I'm sorry for causing you a lot of trouble too!"
"Kokoro, you little brat, that rabbit..."
"Yokozuna, my sisters, Sodom, Gomorrah..."
"And my lovely subordinates....."
"I'm leaving!!!"
By the time Franky finished speaking, he was already in tears, but he held them back, not letting himself cry out loud.
His subordinates behind him were all crying profusely, shouting their farewells to Franky.
"Big Brother! Take care on your journey!"
"The Franky Family will live forever!"
...
And amidst these cries, Luffy raised his arm and shouted, "Straw Hat..."
"Set sail!!!"
...
On the calm sea.
A luxurious and exquisite sailboat slowly sailed.
Above the sailboat, two seagulls flew side by side.
"Cheers!!!"
Suddenly, an incredibly clear and cheerful cheer came from the sailboat below, startling the two seagulls, who stumbled and hurriedly flew away.
And on the deck below.
Two minutes ago!
The entire Straw Hat gathered in a circle, holding wine glasses, with joy and happiness radiating from everyone's faces.
Luffy, holding a glass of wine in each hand, looked at the circle of people around him and said happily, "To celebrate Robin's return to us, and Franky's joining..."
"And the successful renovation of the merry go, and this amazing new ship..."
At this point, Uta suddenly interjected, "Luffy! We haven't named this new ship yet!"
"Why don't we name it first, then celebrate together!"
Hearing Uta's words, everyone nodded, finding it reasonable.
How could they celebrate the arrival of new companions without even a name?
Immediately, everyone racked their brains, expressing their own ideas.
"I thought of one, called the [Tiger-Wolf-Lion Go]!"
"No! I think it should be called the [Octopus-Tentacle-Ape Go]!"
"No! My [Polar Bear-Manatee-Monkey Butt] Go sounds better!"
"How do you all come up with such terrible names?"
Listening to the names everyone came up with, Nami couldn't help but grimace and shout loudly.
At this moment, Franky spoke, "Iceburg did name this ship before."
Everyone looked at Franky upon hearing this.
He continued, "He said this ship should be like the sun, calmly and happily crossing the cruel Thousand Mile Sea!"
"So he named this ship..."
"thousand sunny!!!"
Upon hearing this name, everyone's eyes lit up, and they all agreed with the name.
Franky, however, continued to speak to himself, "Alright!"
"What I said was just a prelude!"
"Next, I will tell you the real name I gave this ship..."
"New Battle Franky Lion King Warrior Go!"
Franky finished speaking with a proud and smug look, marveling at the name he had chosen.
However, before he could ask for others' opinions, Luffy immediately declared, "From now on, this ship will be called..."
"thousand sunny!"
Franky immediately wanted to retort, to persuade Luffy to use the name he had chosen.
However, at this moment, Luffy had already raised his glass again, his face beaming with a smile, and said to everyone, "My companions!"
"To celebrate Robin's return, Franky's joining, the merry go's successful renovation..."
"And the birth of the thousand sunny..."
As Luffy spoke, everyone had already consciously raised their glasses, and Franky also accepted the name, raising his glass with a smile.
Then everyone laughed happily and cheered in unison, "Cheers!!!"
...
On the boundless sea.
Luffy and the Straw Hat, riding their new ship, the thousand sunny, slowly advanced in the direction of the next island indicated by the Log Pose.
Nami immediately enjoyed the luxurious bathroom of the new ship.
Chopper went to the infirmary, excitedly looking at the various medical equipment and medicines inside.
Luffy and Usopp took Karu fishing, preparing to add some beautiful ornamental fish to the empty aquarium.
The others were either resting, training, or those who had nothing to do gathered in the Water Seven Bar, comfortably drinking and chatting.
Fishing team!
Luffy and Usopp were concentrating on fishing when they suddenly heard Karu cry out from beside them.
"Gah!"
The two looked over at the sound and saw Karu pointing at a spot in the sea with his wing-arm.
They looked over and saw a wooden barrel floating on the surface of the sea.
Soon, they salvaged the wooden barrel.
Usopp stared at the barrel in confusion, wondering aloud,
"What is this thing?"
Luffy didn't know either, but he was full of curiosity and said,
"We'll know if we open it and look!"
With that, he and Usopp opened the barrel together.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The sound of a cannonball flying into the sky and a roar suddenly exploded.
Luffy, Usopp, and Karu saw with their own eyes that the moment the barrel opened, a signal flare was launched.