A sharp cry echoed across the rubble of the destroyed Franky House.
Broken beams and shattered metal littered the ground, the smell of smoke still lingering in the air.
"Awoo!!!"
Franky stood among the ruins, holding a crumpled newspaper in his trembling hand. His face twisted with fury as he stared at his defeated family members scattered around him.
Bruised bodies lay groaning, some propped against debris, others flat on their backs.
"So, Straw Hat brought a filthy Celestial Dragon, just to smash up my Franky House?"
His expression darkened, veins bulging along his neck.
The words seemed to scrape out of his throat.
"That's super disgusting! I'm so angry I could breathe fire!!!"
Before anyone could react, Franky actually exhaled a torrent of flames.
The heat warped the air in front of him.
The newspaper containing Shirogai Yamikuro's portrait burned to ashes in seconds.
Charred fragments drifted upward, disappearing into the smoke.
"Big Brother Franky… maybe we shouldn't take revenge…"
Zambai, bruised from head to toe, watched the ashes drift away and swallowed nervously.
His voice lacked confidence, weighed down by fear.
"If he really is a Celestial Dragon…"
"Even if an Admiral showed up and destroyed the Franky House, I'd still demand responsibility!"
Franky stomped forward, flames of anger practically leaking from his mouth.
Each step cracked the rubble beneath his feet.
"Let's go. I'll take all of you to settle this score with those bastards!"
---
The path to Iceberg's residence was only accessible through Dock 1.
Normally busy, the area now felt suffocatingly tense.
Outside Dock 1, countless Bru boats filled the waterways. Concerned citizens of Water 7 had gathered, anxious for any update about Iceberg's condition.
Whispers and worried voices overlapped endlessly.
Among the masses floated a tiny Swordfish Bru boat with Luffy and Nami aboard, barely noticeable in the crowd.
They were swallowed by the sea of people.
"The World Government suddenly labeled Shirogai as a Celestial Dragon…"
Nami whispered, gripping the controls tightly.
Her knuckles had turned white.
"Luffy, I really think this is connected to what happened with CP0 last night."
"Yeah… but we won't know anything for sure until Shirogai gets back."
Luffy pressed down on his Straw Hat, still confused.
His brows furrowed beneath the brim.
"Why would they say he's a Celestial Dragon?"
"Where did Shirogai disappear to, anyway…?"
Nami looked around helplessly.
There was no sign of him anywhere.
"There are so many people… how long do we have to wait here? Oji-san, any idea when we'll be able to go in?"
A middle-aged man beside them, cigarette in hand, sighed deeply.
Ash dropped into the water below.
"Girl, no one knows. Iceberg-san's attack is too big of an incident. Everyone's desperate to hear what happened. If they let us all in, it'd turn into chaos, so we can only wait."
"He really is loved by the whole city…"
Luffy admired the shouting crowd pressing against the dock.
The concern in their voices was unmistakable.
A sudden uproar echoed from the direction of the main street.
The noise cut through the anxious murmurs.
"Hey! They're fighting! They're fighting!"
Whispers rippled through the citizens.
Heads turned all at once.
"That damned Franky again! Fighting at a time like this?!"
"Could Franky be the culprit?! Maybe he knew Iceberg-san would be killed and wants to replace him!"
"Huh? Wait—look carefully! The person Franky is chasing… isn't that the Celestial Dragon from the newspaper?!"
"What?! Here?! We'll get dragged into a Government incident!"
"Franky's insane! He's picking a fight with someone like that?!"
---
"Huh? What are they talking about?"
Nami frowned, unable to fully hear the conversations. She turned toward the distant commotion.
Dust clouds rose between the buildings.
"What idiot would pick a fight when the mayor was just attacked?"
She muttered, leaning forward to see better.
Two figures burst forward through a cloud of dust.
"Awoo!!! Don't run!"
A half-naked man wearing only swim trunks and a massive blue pompadour chased while shouting:
His voice boomed across the rooftops.
"I heard you used cheap tricks to make my Franky Family fight each other! I'm super angry! I'm gonna teach you a lesson! Strong Right!"
His mechanical fist detached and rocketed forward.
Metal screeched as it tore through the air.
"Heh."
The figure ahead—running with relaxed ease—tilted his body just enough to avoid it without even glancing back.
The attack missed by mere centimeters.
"As a pervert, you're impressively loyal and righteous. I'll give you that."
"Thank you— no wait, stop praising me!!!"
Franky yanked his chain after the fist snapped back into place.
His anger only intensified.
"I'm still gonna beat you down!!!"
The two sprinted across rooftops and bridges until they arrived above Dock 1.
Tiles shattered under their feet.
---
When Nami finally recognized the figure in front, her eyes widened.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Shirogai?!"
He was one of the calmest people in their whole crew. The last person she'd expect to stir trouble.
"Shirogai is fighting?! I'm going!"
Luffy crouched, ready to leap.
His muscles tensed instantly.
"Idiot Luffy! Does Shirogai look like he needs your help?"
Nami yanked him back.
Her grip was iron-tight.
"Let's not make things worse. But who is that guy chasing him?"
The middle-aged man beside them stared, particularly at the furious pompadour.
Recognition flashed across his face.
"Girl… that's Franky. The head of the Franky Family. A menace of Water 7."
"He's Franky?!"
Nami's fury exploded.
Her eyes burned.
"That's the bastard who stole our 300 million Berries?!"
"Three… three hundred million?!"
The man nearly dropped his cigarette.
His jaw hung open.
"Franky's gang steals scrap! They'd never steal something worth that much!"
"Luffy!!"
Nami grabbed Luffy's shoulders and shook him violently.
Her voice trembled with rage.
"Go beat that idiot up! Ask where he hid our money! All that was for the Going Merry!"
Her voice cracked for an instant when she said Merry's name, but she swallowed it down and smacked Luffy again.
"We're getting that money back!"
"And Usopp's injuries… most of them were because of him!"
Luffy snarled, stretching his arm toward a rooftop.
His eyes were blazing.
"That bastard hurt Usopp!"
Franky heard Luffy's roar and turned, pushing his sunglasses up.
His expression twisted.
"You're Monkey D. Luffy, right? Looks like you helped wreck my Franky House too!"
His cheeks swelled.
"Feel my wrath!!!"
A massive wave of flames blasted from Franky's mouth.
"Franky Fire Breath!!!"
"It's hot!!!"
Luffy, caught midair, burned from the sudden inferno.
His skin singed instantly.
Even so, he clenched his teeth through the pain.
"Gum-Gum… Fire Bullet!!!"
His fist shot forward, smashing into Franky's chest.
"Gah!!!"
Franky hadn't expected someone engulfed in flames to strike with such force.
The impact shook his body.
He flew backward, crashing through a wooden railing.
---
Carpentry Headquarters – Iceberg's Room
"So… the attackers were pirates? The Straw Hat Pirates?"
The shipwrights murmured anxiously as Iceberg—freshly awakened—confirmed that one of last night's attackers had been Nico Robin.
Shock rippled through the room.
"Robin… she's with the Straw Hats right now."
Secretary Kalifa stepped forward hesitantly.
Her expression was grave.
"Mr. Iceberg… you haven't seen today's paper yet. According to the World Economic News, the Straw Hat Pirates' vice-captain, Shirogai Yamikuro, is actually a Celestial Dragon. A noble of the World Government…"
________
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