It wasn't until Zambai turned his head and caught sight of Shirogai Yamikuro, who sat lazily in a chair with a faint smile, casually wiggling his fingers, that realization struck him like lightning.
The image flashed through his mind — the underground newspaper's depiction of the Fifth Emperor, Shirogai Yamikuro.
They said he possessed countless Devil Fruit abilities, rumored to be capable of mimicking and learning the powers of other users. Some even called him a Talent Person, one who had eaten the Talent-Talent Fruit.
And now, seeing him here, everything made sense.
"It's him!"
Zambai's face twisted in fury as he pointed a trembling finger at Shirogai, shouting with grief and rage,
"It was you! You used some twisted Devil Fruit power to make us, the Franky Family, turn on each other!"
Grinding his teeth, Zambai raised his sword, the blade gleaming under the sunlight as he roared,
"Everyone! He's the culprit behind our madness! Kill him, and we'll be free of this curse!"
A dozen members broke away from the chaos, dodging the puppets that tangled others, and charged straight for Shirogai alongside Zambai.
"Heh... so you finally noticed?"
Shirogai leaned back in the chair, his voice calm yet laced with amusement. As he looked upon the mob rushing toward him, he whispered softly,
"Puppet Dolls."
Swish!
Invisible threads descended silently from above, weaving through the air and sinking into the bodies of half the attackers.
A heartbeat later, the Franky Family members who had been charging at Shirogai suddenly turned their weapons on their own comrades, swinging their clubs and blades with wild precision.
"Agh! It hurts!"
"Gah—cough!"
Caught off guard, several were struck down instantly, collapsing to the ground with pained cries.
"You bastard!" Zambai shouted, rage burning in his eyes. "You dare make us fight each other?! Fight me face to face if you have any guts!"
Driven by fury and humiliation, Zambai lunged forward.
"Huh? I actually got close…?" he muttered in disbelief.
For a brief moment, hope surged within him. Maybe Shirogai's ability couldn't affect those nearby. Raising his sword, he shouted,
"Die!"
But his delusion was short-lived.
"Heh… when did you start believing you weren't already under my control?"
Shirogai smiled faintly, lifting one finger.
Zambai froze mid-swing. His muscles locked up, his sword held high in the air, motionless.
"M-My body...!" His voice trembled with horror.
Zambai stared at Shirogai, his body refusing to obey. He couldn't even move his fingers. His entire form stood stiff, a lifeless puppet awaiting command.
"My body... it's not mine anymore?"
The terrifying realization struck him. So this was what his family had felt — the dread of losing control, forced to attack their friends with their own hands.
It's helpless. It's horrifying.
With a loud thud, Zambai fell to his knees, head bowing low before Shirogai. His face twisted between fear and humiliation.
"How does it feel?" Shirogai asked softly, his tone almost playful. "Being stripped of your pride... Not pleasant, is it?"
With a flick of his finger, Shirogai forced Zambai to rise again, his eyes wide in terror as he looked at his comrades still fighting and falling.
"You... you monster!" Zambai spat.
Shirogai tilted his head slightly, his smile cold and elegant.
"Interesting, isn't it? The once joyful Franky Family, now reduced to tearing each other apart."
Nearby, Nami swung her Clima-Tact and knocked out an attacker, glancing back toward Shirogai with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"Wow... Shirogai looks like a villain right now," she whispered. "A very charming villain."
Around them, chaos continued.
"No! Yuta, get away! I don't want to cut you!"
"Someone stop me! I can't control my hands!"
"Please! I don't want to hurt my friends!"
The cries of the Franky Family echoed painfully through the ruins. Zambai's heart ached at the sight.
He knew they were outmatched. He had no right to complain about defeat — but why did it have to be like this? Why force them to experience the agony of cutting down the people they cared about?
"The defeated can be killed," Shirogai said quietly, his gaze sharp as he watched the bloodied scene before him, "but not humiliated."
A cold smile touched his lips.
"Since you broke that rule first, you can't blame me for returning the favor. After all... I learned from you."
"Kill me!" Zambai shouted hoarsely, glaring through the tears forming in his eyes.
"Relax," Shirogai replied with a faint chuckle. "They're still alive. You should thank yourselves for leaving Usopp alive, or none of you would be breathing now."
Zambai's glare deepened, filled with fury and shame.
"But since you left him half-dead and waiting to die," Shirogai continued coldly, "you'll share that same feeling — the edge of death."
His ten fingers straightened.
Thud. Thud.
The last few controlled men dropped like dolls with their strings cut, collapsing in a heap.
By then, Luffy had already destroyed half the Franky House in a fit of rage. The walls were shattered, the roof caved in, the building reduced to rubble.
"Alright," Shirogai said, dusting his hands and smiling faintly. "That's enough. Usopp's revenge is complete."
He turned toward Luffy, who sat silently on a half-broken wooden post.
"Come on. Usopp's about to wake up. We still have to tell him about the Going Merry."
Luffy stared at the sea in silence, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he rose and said in a steady voice,
"I'll tell him. I'm the captain, after all."
Shirogai nodded. "Okay, Do whatever you want."
"Nami, let's go!" he called out.
"Wait!" Nami protested, frantically rummaging through the ruins. "There's still one box of money left!"
"Damn it! They really spent everything so fast?" she yelled, clutching the single surviving box tightly. "That was the money we worked so hard to earn from Sky Island! Those bastards!"
Luffy bent down, gently lifting the unconscious Usopp onto his back.
"Hang in there, Usopp. We're heading back to the Going Merry. Chopper will patch you up."
Luffy carried Usopp, Nami held the money box, and Shirogai walked behind them.
---
Aboard the Going Merry.
"The four hundred million Berries from selling the Sky Island gold... only one hundred million left."
The crew gathered around the table, staring at the small remaining fortune. Silence filled the air.
"It's alright," Nami said with a forced smile. "Even one hundred million Berries should be enough."
Usopp sat there with his head wrapped in bandages, guilt written all over his face.
"This is all my fault..." he muttered miserably.
"It's fine, Usopp," Luffy said, laughing warmly. "Nami and I were tricked too. Don't beat yourself up over it. What matters is... now we can finally save the Going Merry!"
"Huh? Really? One hundred million is enough to fix her?" Usopp asked, his eyes lighting up with hope. He turned to Shirogai for confirmation.
Shirogai nodded calmly. "It should be."
"That's great!" Usopp shouted, hugging Luffy with joy. "That means we can keep sailing on the Going Merry forever!"
"Usopp," Luffy said suddenly, his voice quiet but firm.
Usopp paused. "Yeah?"
"We've decided to build a new ship," Luffy continued slowly. "A stronger one that can survive the seas ahead."
"Of course!" Usopp grinned. "You're thinking of upgrading the Going Merry, right? Maybe adding more cannons? I always thought four wasn't enough!"
Luffy shook his head. "No. If we rebuild her... the Going Merry won't be the same ship anymore. She'll become something new."
The words struck Usopp like a blow.
"You... you're going to abandon the Going Merry?"
He fell to his knees, staring blankly at the deck as silence wrapped around the crew.