"Please!"
"Big Bro is the son of a pirate! The sea is where he belongs!"
"Please take him with you!"
The members of the Franky Family dropped to their knees in unison, their foreheads striking the stone pavement with heavy thuds.
Even Sanji fell silent, taking a deep drag from his cigarette in the face of such rough but heartfelt emotion.
Luffy looked at them, and a bright, domineering grin slowly spread across his face.
"You didn't even need to ask."
He stepped forward and patted Zambai on the shoulder.
"We already decided he'd be the shipwright on our crew."
Zambai froze for a moment before his face exploded with joy.
"Really?!"
"Of course."
Ronan rested his spear against his shoulder, his gaze calm and profound.
"You're more than welcome."
He smirked.
"This means all the pressure of repairing the ship at sea gets dumped onto him instead of me."
Usopp also shouted excitedly.
"That's great!"
"Really… thank you."
Zambai stood up and wiped away his tears.
He turned to his brothers, his expression becoming firm once more.
"They've agreed."
He raised a hand.
"Then there's nothing more to say. Let's go, brothers!"
Surprisingly, Zambai did not head left toward the scrap yard.
Instead, he decisively led the Franky Family toward the city on the right.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
Kiwi and Mozu pointed in alarm.
"The scrap yard is that way!"
Without looking back, Zambai simply waved his hand.
"Sorry."
"We're not going to see Big Bro off."
His voice was steady, but tinged with sadness.
"Farewells are too painful."
"Kiwi, Mozu…"
He lifted his arm one last time.
"Say goodbye to Big Bro for us."
…
Water 7, Scrap Yard.
The morning sun had just risen above the horizon, casting jagged shadows across the graveyard of abandoned ships.
Yet amidst the lifeless wreckage stood a colossal object covered by an enormous canvas.
Even through the thick cloth, an overwhelming presence could be felt.
The resilience of Treasure Tree Adam.
The weight of Seastone.
And something else—
A rhythmic pulse, like the beating of a living heart.
"What a monster."
Zoro rested a hand on Sandai Kitetsu, a rare gleam of excitement in his eyes.
Ronan gripped his long spear, inwardly astonished.
"The original Going Merry… evolved into this after consuming ten billion berries' worth of top-tier materials and mutating through the Munch-Munch Fruit?"
"You're here."
A deep, steady voice emerged from the shadows.
Iceburg stood beneath the giant vessel, his expression complicated.
"Iceburg! Where's Franky?"
Luffy leapt ashore and looked around eagerly.
"Unfortunately, he's not here."
Iceburg shook his head, though a faint smile curved his lips.
"But he finished every last modification."
He turned and gazed up at the vessel towering above them.
"This is the first time I've ever seen a ship with Devil Fruit powers."
"It doesn't merely consume steel and timber."
"It devours the very possibility of limitless evolution."
"No matter how dangerous the seas become…"
"No matter how many times it breaks or is damaged…"
"It can consume materials to repair and strengthen itself."
He spread his arms.
"This is the ark that will carry you to the end of the world."
"Show us!"
Chopper bounced up and down in excitement.
"Franky left a message for you."
Iceburg grabbed a rope and yanked.
"If you truly intend to become Pirate King…"
The massive canvas came crashing down like a collapsing cloud.
The gust it created scattered the surrounding mist.
In an instant, dazzling gold and deep crimson exploded beneath the morning sun.
"So cool!!"
Nami covered her mouth, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"This is…"
Sanji's cigarette slipped from his fingers.
"Magnificent."
Robin smiled softly, her eyes full of wonder.
Before them stood a super battleship over ten times larger than the original Going Merry.
The ship was divided into two majestic decks.
At the bow was an enormous lion's head—solemn and imposing, yet carrying a playful spirit.
Its flowing mane radiated like sunlight, and within its open jaws hid the muzzles of devastating cannons.
But the most emotional detail stood atop the second deck.
At the junction of the mast and lookout tower, the original sheep figurehead of the Merry had been lovingly preserved.
Carved into a guardian totem, it silently overlooked the entire deck.
Ronan exhaled slowly.
"A perfect inheritance."
He smiled.
"It's like the Going Merry and the Thousand Sunny merged together… and then evolved far beyond both."
"So huge! So awesome!"
Luffy sprang upward like a coiled spring and landed on the vast deck.
"Whoa! There's grass!"
He immediately began rolling wildly across the soft green lawn.
"And a slide!"
Chopper shot down the spiraling slide from the second level like a child at a playground, plunging headfirst into the grass.
"This deck is incredibly solid."
Zoro leapt onto the upper railing and stomped hard.
The ship didn't even tremble.
"Even if we trained here, the hull wouldn't take any damage."
Nami gazed at the massive cloud-like sails, her navigator's heart pounding with excitement.
"I can't wait to sail this."
"Let me see the kitchen… my kitchen!"
Sanji vanished into the interior like a black lightning bolt.
A moment later, his ecstatic scream echoed from within.
"A locked refrigerator!!"
"And this giant rotating oven!"
"Franky, I love you!"
On the lower deck, a giant transparent reinforced-glass wall drew everyone's attention.
"There's an aquarium in the ship?"
Robin stared in amazement at the built-in seawater tank shimmering under the sunlight.
"You're right! This is amazing!"
Nami pressed closer to the glass.
"This means we'll always have fresh ingredients during long voyages."
"And we can watch deep-sea fish while we travel."
Luffy leaned over the railing near the lion figurehead and looked down at Iceburg.
His expression gradually turned serious.
"Iceburg…"
"Where did Franky go?"
"We're about to leave."
"We can't do that without him."
Iceburg was silent for a moment.
He looked up at the young pirates celebrating atop their new ship.
"He…"
He sighed.
"It seems he doesn't want to see you."
"That idiot is hiding."
A helpless smile crossed his face.
"He knows himself too well."
"He can't refuse your invitation."
"His heart has already set sail toward the unknown sea."
"But he believes he bears the responsibility of the Franky Family."
"He thinks he has a duty to remain here forever."
"Duty?"
Luffy tilted his head, confused.
Iceburg snorted.
"If you ask me, it's nothing more than a foolish obsession."
He lifted his gaze, his tone sharp and resolute.
"If you truly want to take him with you…"
"Then use whatever means necessary."
"Drag him away with everything you've got."
His eyes gleamed.
"That's the only way to set him free."
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