Grand Line, First Half, near Water 7.
"You bastard!" Sanji suddenly clenched his fists and leaped into the air, delivering a sweeping kick.
"Where the hell did you go?!"
Clang!
Three sharp blades intercepted the kick, and Zoro raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "Huh? What did you say? Got a problem, curly-brow?"
"What? What did you call me, green seaweed head?!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Their gazes clashed, sparks flying in the air. The next second…
Crash! Bang! Clatter!
Gulp, gulp…
Burp!
After chugging an entire bottle of cola in one go, Franky let out a loud burp and glanced at the two figures locked in combat. He turned to Robin and asked, "Those two… are they really comrades?"
"Indeed, they are," Robin replied gracefully, smoothing her hair as she sat at the white dining table, sipping her juice, completely unfazed by the chaotic battle that looked like it could escalate to "I'm going to kill you today!"
"I… I see!"
Franky's mouth twitched, and a cold sweat trickled down his forehead. "Your pirate crew is really… unique."
"Unique? True…"
Robin rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "Sometimes I wonder why I chose to stay and join their antics when I could have left."
"Is that so… If even you say that, it seems my choice isn't wrong."
"But Franky-san, whether you can join us depends on Captain Luffy's approval. Speaking of which… you might be the first person to actively apply to join our crew."
"Huh?!"
Franky was taken aback. "Straw Hat kid is so famous. Even though he didn't show up at Sabaody, he's hailed as the crownless Supernova… and I'm the first?!"
On the seas, which rising pirate crew doesn't have hordes of pirates wanting to join? Straw Hat kid's bounty is now a staggering 1,500,000,000 berries. He broke into the "impassable" G-10 and came out unscathed, making him a legend in the First Half. Yet…
"Well, what can we do? Our captain is just that capricious."
As if recalling something amusing, Robin's lips curled into a smile. "Do you know why we agreed to take you to meet Captain Luffy, Franky-san?"
"Why?"
Franky frowned slightly. Wasn't it because of his ship repair skills and knowledge of the Marines?
Just like any ordinary pirate trying to join a crew, he had to prove his worth.
However, Robin chuckled and said, "Because you're a Cyborg!"
Franky nodded. Indeed, being a Cyborg was quite rare on the seas.
"Right, and then?"
"And then?"
Robin tilted her head curiously. "There's no 'and then.' That's it."
"..."
"Huh???"
When Franky snapped out of his dazed state, Sanji and Zoro's "exchange" had already ended. The two had fought to a draw and were now nose-to-nose, angrily stomping over.
Plopping down on a chair, Zoro grabbed the glass of juice in front of Robin and gulped it down without hesitation.
"Asshole green seaweed head, that's mine! Go buy your own if you want some!"
"Tch, stingy! Fine, I'll get some later."
Zoro pouted in annoyance, then casually picked up the ice cubes from the glass and popped them into his mouth, chewing loudly. This infuriated Sanji even more.
Suddenly noticing an outsider at the table, Zoro asked, "Robin, who's this…?"
"My name's Franky, and I want to join your Straw Hat crew."
Before Robin could respond, Franky stood up and introduced himself. "I was once a well-known figure in Water 7. I specialize in ship destruction and repair, and I've studied the Marines, so I'm very familiar with their combat style."
In Franky's eyes, Nico Robin, the black-bellied woman, and Sanji, the perverted chef, were probably just a few oddballs on the Straw Hat crew.
The swordsman, though, should be normal, right?
"…Height: 225 cm, zodiac sign: Pisces, likes cola, hamburgers, and anything that goes well with them…"
But before he could finish, Zoro's mouth twitched, and he raised a hand to interrupt.
"None of that matters. Did you just say you want to join us?"
Although he had an ominous feeling, Franky nodded bravely. "That's right! I have a deep-seated grudge against the government, but don't worry— I won't act without the captain's permission."
"I said, none of that matters!"
Zoro waved his hand impatiently, then looked at Franky strangely. "You said you want to join us? Are you a musician who can sing?"
"Huh?"
Franky blinked in confusion.
"No…"
Zoro looked disappointed. "Then can you fight while performing a dance? Or play the violin while riding a unicycle?"
What the hell?!
Is this a circus?!
"Uh… well…"
Franky shot a pleading look at Robin. This swordsman… not good!
"Chuckle, Swordsman San."
Seeing this, Robin covered her mouth and laughed, coming to Franky's rescue. "He's a Cyborg."
"Cyborg? A robot?"
Suddenly, under Franky's despairing gaze, the green-clad Santoryu swordsman had an epiphany and smacked his right fist into his palm.
"Then it should be fine."
Fine…
My ass!!!
That's the biggest problem of all!!!
"Super problematic, right?!"
Franky's chest was filled with points. He tore off his days of bitter resentment, threw off his cloak, struck his classic pose, and shouted in frustration.
Suddenly, Franky felt something was off.
Seeing the trio's serious expressions, he asked, "Wh-what's wrong?"
Zoro stroked his chin. "I see… so you're also a pervert."
"Robin-chan, stay away from this guy. Luffy would probably find him interesting, but showing his underwear in front of a lady? Definitely a pervert!"
"Chuckle, thanks for the warning, Sanji-kun."
"Of course, no need to thank me, Robin-chan~~~~ mwah!"
Franky: "..."
Confirmed. This is a mental asylum!
Franky couldn't help but worry about his future. This year's Supernovas are so numerous, making it the most star-studded year yet. Why did I, of all people, run into the Straw Hats?
And why did I foolishly decide to join them?
Can't I just stick to drinking cola?!
A perverted chef, a directionally challenged swordsman, a black-bellied archaeologist, and now adding me, a pervert Cyborg shipwright… Is there even a single normal person on this ship?
Just as he was questioning his life choices, he felt a hand pat his shoulder, and a deep, resonant voice spoke from behind.
"Excuse me, did you just say… your name is Franky, right?"
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Franky turned around curiously. He saw a robust elderly man with a scar in the shape of an "X" on his forehead and frowned slightly.
"Yeah, that's right. I'm Franky, also known as Franky the Great!"
"Are you looking for me, old man?"
Noticing that the robust man was blind, Franky raised his voice to make sure he was heard.
"Indeed, I'm looking for a man named Franky, but I'm not sure if it's you… If you don't mind, could you wait until my Class 1 companion returns from the restroom so he can confirm?"
"Oh? Interesting!"
Franky stood up with a cold expression and grabbed the blind man by the collar. "Hey, you… aren't here to pick a fight, are you?"
"Hey, everyone, if things get messy later, I hope you won't mind if I teach them a lesson?"
As he spoke, Franky turned around.
But he found that the Straw Hat trio had already assumed battle stances, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
"Are you sure it's him, Robin?"
Zoro's forehead dripped with sweat, which slid down his left eyelid, causing him to squint unconsciously.
"Absolutely. His height and build match perfectly, and he's also blind."
It wasn't Robin who answered but Sanji. "According to the information Sabo gave us, this guy is one of the Soryu (Azure Dragon)'s trusted admirals!"
The Soryu (Azure Dragon)?
The Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon)?
Marines?!!!
Franky took a sharp breath but quickly calmed down.
Wait, this guy isn't a Marine. I feel like I've seen his face somewhere before.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his gaze froze on the man's round face.
"Former Shichibukai, the 'Benevolent Hero' Fujitora!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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