After Usopp and Chopper explained in their usual animated fashion, Luffy finally clapped his hands in realization: "Oh, it's you!"
Franky: "..."
The process was a bit roundabout, but at least he remembered.
Franky quickly wiped his face. "Anyway, about the new ship you need—Mr. Iceburg and I have already started building it. It should be finished within a week!"
After causing such a huge commotion, the only reason Luffy and his crew would come back was definitely for the new ship.
"A week? That fast—it won't be some inferior product, will it?" Nami was skeptical.
Cheap things weren't good.
Not that she paid full price for expensive things either. Her reputation as a bargaining demon wasn't for nothing.
Luffy raised an eyebrow. He cared a lot about the new ship—it would carry all his nakama and their dreams.
"Of course not!"
Franky nearly jumped up. "I, the great Franky, contributed the Treasure Tree Adam I've been hoarding for years after scrounging it up on the black market! That wood is super precious!"
"Treasure Tree Adam?"
Vivi gasped, covering her mouth. "You mean that legendary wood that only grows in a few specific seas—incredibly sturdy, able to withstand the fiercest storms? I recall that the Oro Jackson, Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, used that wood for its keel."
Luffy's eyes lit up the moment he heard "Pirate King."
"Same wood as the Pirate King's ship? That's gotta be the best!"
Anything associated with the Pirate King automatically seemed golden to him. Definitely something good.
"Of course!"
Seeing he had everyone's attention, Franky puffed up with pride, gesturing excitedly. "This piece of Treasure Tree Adam is one of the few large pieces that's come onto the market in recent years. Perfect for the new ship's keel. Just this piece alone is worth several hundred million Berry."
Nami, who had been worried about construction costs, saw her eyes turn into Berry symbols at the mention of several hundred million.
A brilliant, warm smile spread across her face as she clasped her hands together. "Oh my, you're all so generous!"
Getting it for free?
Perfect!
Where the wood came from—did that matter?
Not one bit!
"That's not the point."
Franky looked around at the Straw Hats, his expression turning serious. "Actually, I have a once-in-a-lifetime choice to make!"
Nami and Vivi instinctively ducked behind Luffy.
Franky looked baffled. "I mean—let me help design this ship for you!"
He had seen the Straw Hats fight at Enies Lobby.
Declaring war on the World Government for a nakama—that kind of spirit was incredibly manly.
Maybe now he understood why his mentor Tom had been willing to build an unparalleled ship for someone like the Pirate King.
Franky's eyes gleamed with purpose—the light of a man who had found his calling.
"Huh?"
Luffy looked Franky up and down, focusing on his upper body full of strange contraptions and his two metal arms. He asked curiously, "You're a shipwright?"
"Absolutely!"
Franky pointed a thumb at himself with confidence. "I, sir, am the direct disciple of the legendary shipwright Tom! My skills are SUPER first-rate!"
"We appreciate the offer,"
Vivi said tactfully. "But we've already entrusted the new ship's design entirely to Mr. Iceburg."
There could be a big gap between formal and informal approaches. They didn't know Franky very well. And she worried it might seem like they didn't trust Iceburg, who had already done so much.
"I've already confirmed with Iceburg. He's only designed the main structure and exterior."
Franky had come prepared. "A ship capable of handling any situation—you can't complete the design for something like that in a short time. The internal functional areas, special equipment, detailed living arrangements... Iceburg definitely hasn't figured all that out yet."
He spoke convincingly.
Then he opened the compartment in his stomach. Amidst a dazzling display of mechanical shifting, he carefully pulled out a thick roll of design blueprints. He proudly unrolled a corner.
"Galley-La Company has good systems, and they'll eventually work out the details. But I have a ready-made design—one I've poured my heart and soul into! And I guarantee it'll be more unique, more functional, and way more SUPER!"
Everyone instinctively looked at Luffy.
Under normal circumstances, having a world-renowned shipbuilding company working on your ship was great.
Then someone comes along wanting to take over the interior design—anyone would be confused.
And this ship would replace the Going Merry. Extra care was needed.
Only the captain could make the final call.
Franky understood the captain's importance. He said to Luffy:
"I know this is abrupt. You care so much about your nakama—you wouldn't just hand over the new ship's design to someone you just met."
"Here's the deal. Let's go talk to Iceburg together. You've already put him in charge of the ship's design. How it turns out, how it's arranged inside—that's all up to him in the end. If he thinks my design ideas are worth incorporating, you won't have a problem with that, right?"
He looked at Luffy, a hint of pleading in his eyes.
"That's fine."
Luffy thought for a moment and nodded readily.
They'd already told Iceburg their requirements. They didn't understand the technical details anyway. How it turned out was up to the professionals.
Leave professional matters to professionals.
They were just the clients, there to make requests.
As long as the ship was good, whose design it was didn't matter.
"Um... could we see your blueprints?"
Usopp rubbed his hands together, curious and eager, as he moved closer.
He was the ship's part-time shipwright. He'd been maintaining and patching up the Going Merry, so he had a special attachment to her. Naturally, he cared a lot about the new ship's future.
And later, whatever wild ideas the crew came up with—feasible or not—would go through him to the shipwrights.
Especially how to carry the Going Merry safely. A large ship carrying a smaller one was rare and required special design.
"Of course!"
***
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