Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Back To Normal
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The cry that could only come from the Strawhat crew's doctor reverberated through the ship, causing all crewmates to pause in their activities for just a moment, before continuing with what they were previously doing. The yell was normal, well, normal for the people aboard the Thousand Sunny, that is.
Two Strawhats in particular were out and about on the main deck, under the blue, blue sky and enjoying the slight breeze that came every now and then. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything was perfect.
"Franky!" Chopper gasped, looking frantic, "Oh, no, this is bad!"
"Do not fret, little racoon dog, everything shall be alright should you put your mind to it."
Or… not.
Franky's eccentric blue hair was slicked back, not a hair out of place. He was dressed in a robust black suit and tie, an outfit not unlike something his fellow crewmate, Sanji, would wear. The most peculiar thing of all, however, was the fact that his usual blue speedo wasn't there. Simple black tuxedo pants replaced the signature article of clothing, making the cyborg nearly unrecognizable. Chopper was willing to bet, that if a marine ship came by right at that moment, they would be drawing up another wanted poster in no time, for the 'new' Strawhat pirate.
This was bad. Really, really bad.
And it was all his fault. "I'm so sorry, Franky!" The reindeer exclaimed, over and over again.
Franky ignored the tanuki before him tactfully. He took off his triangular shaped sunglasses, eyeing them in his hand with an expression akin to disgust. Then, with a shrug, he tossed them over his shoulder.
"No!" noticing the movement, Chopper dived for the sunglasses, just managing to save them from a fateful end by transforming into his second form.
Cradling the accessory as if his life depended on it, the ship's doctor turned to glare furiously at the renewed Franky, ready to give the cyborg a piece of his mind. He stopped abruptly, however, when he saw the blue-haired man wander off towards the kitchen.
He raced after him, cursing to himself. Why, oh why had he mistaken Robin's Darjeeling tea for cola? Looking back, it was actually a very idiotic move on his part. Robin would never drink cola! It was either coffee, or a fruity drink, or – ah! He was getting off track!
The reindeer shook himself in the middle of his inner scolding, and quickly scurried off in the direction of the now polite and calm Franky.
This was bad. This was really, really bad.
"Haha! Franky, you look funny with your hair like that!" Luffy laughed, clapping his hands in glee upon seeing his Nakama's sudden transformation. Meanwhile, in the background, Chopper was still running frantically around.
"This is a disaster!" he sobbed every few minutes.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in frustration. "Luffy, can we please concentrate for a moment, here?"
Luffy cocked his head to the side, uncomprehending. "Why do we have to concentrate, Nami? Just go get some cola for Franky and everything will be good again!"
Nami scowled. "For the umpteenth time, we don't have any more cola!"
Luffy, unconcerned, stuck his finger up his nose. "Then go buy some."
Sanji punched Luffy on the head. "Aho! Look around you. We're surrounded by miles and miles of seawater."
Zoro opened an eye lazily from his place on the deck. "Then let's just go to an island." His tone suggested that he thought the cook was dumb, which he did.
A tick appeared on Black Leg Sanji's forehead. "Baka!" he shouted, "It will take days for us to get to the nearest island. And until then, we're stuck with Fancy Franky!"
"This is a disaster!" Chopper cried, mostly to himself.
"Would anyone care for some Darjeeling tea?" Franky asked politely from the sidelines, taking a porcelain pot and cup from his stomach compartment.
"I would love some," Robin replied, taking the steaming cup from the cyborg's hands.
"Robin!" Nami protested, "You too?"
"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed, "do not worry, Nami-san, the next few days will fly by before you know it! Look on the bright side! At least we are all still alive! Oh wait, I am, in fact, dead. Skeleton joke! Yohohohohoho!"
Luffy laughed.
"Ne, ne, Nami," Usopp spoke up, brandishing a finger importantly, "do not fear! Captain Usopp is here! My crew of ten thousand men and I will ensure that Franky is subdued!"
"This is a disaster!" Chopper said again.
"Don't worry, Nami-swaaaan!" Sanji shouted, hearts in his eyes, "I'll make sure nothing bad happens!"
Zoro snorted.
Sanji glared. "Do you have something to say, Marimo?"
"Yeah, actually," Zoro replied, "You're such a lovesick fool, Dartboard Brow."
"Why you–!"
Sanji and Zoro then proceeded to get into a fight, raising up dust in the process.
"–disaster!" came Chopper's frantic voice.
"And then, everyone will cheer for Captain Usopp! And they'll be all–"
Sip. Franky looked up. "Ah, Darjeeling Tea is simply wonderful, wouldn't you say so, Navigator-san?"
Nami sighed in frustration. "Idiots." She muttered, "I'm surrounded by idiots."
"What… is this weird contraption?" Franky asked, peering at the object in question.
Luffy laughed. "That's a hammer, Franky!"
"A hammer, you say?"
Usopp nodded his head sagely. "Ah, yes, the hammer. I remember when I took out a thousand men with just that for a weapon. It wasn't easy, but let me tell you about that day…"
Usopp then proceeded to tell Franky all about the day he took out a thousand men with just a hammer as a weapon, and then whipped out his faithful Kabuto and took out ten thousand more with just one shot.
Franky listened with mild interest. When Usopp was done his tale, the cyborg commented, "Are you sure they call you Captain Usopp? Because first of all, I distinctly remember Cook-kun telling me that Straw-hat-kun was the captain of this ship."
"Hn," Usopp said dismissively, "He's just the captain by title. I'm the real captain."
"Is that why the crew is called the Strawhat Pirates?" Franky asked tactfully, "Archeologist-san told me." And with that, the carpenter bounded gracefully away.
Now alone, Usopp the Great was left to sulk on his own, his spirits ruined – that is, until Chopper came ambling by a few minutes later.
Franky sniffed the food before him delicately, before upturning his nose in resentment. Sanji looked up from crooning over Nami and Robin. "Is there something wrong with the food, Franky?"
"Yes, actually." Franky replied, "Not to sound rude or anything, but I only eat the freshest of seafood. And only the rarest, too. Seaking meat is too… barbaric for me. Please fetch me another dish… and this time, maybe with a little more flavour."
A tick appeared on Sanji's forehead. "What did you say, shitty carpenter?"
Franky looked affronted. "Well, I'll never…! This place's service is absolutely horrid! I think I'll just leave." And with another delicate sniff, the cyborg walked out of the mess hall with as much dignity as one could muster.
Nami and Robin giggled under carefully placed hands. Luffy had no such reservations, and laughed out loud, reaching for Franky's food.
Sanji scowled. "We need to change him back, and quick."
Suddenly, Zoro cleared his throat, causing Sanji to look over. "Excuse me, but this meat really isn't up to par with my exotic tastes," the swordsman said in a perfect imitation of Franky. He raised a hand dismissively. "Please get me something more… satisfying."
Cue bowl being thrown at shitty Marimo's head. "Aho!"
Everyone laughed.
"Finally!" Nami breathed a sigh of relief upon catching the first glimpse of an island.
"Thank god," Sanji commented.
"Oh, good!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Eh, are we here already?" Zoro yawned, just waking up from a nap.
"Well, let's go get Carpenter-kun some cola, ne?" Robin remarked.
"Yosh!"
Glug, glug, glug…
The Strawhat crew watched as Franky first drank a bottle of cola, then placed three in his stomach compartment. Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji held their breaths slightly in anticipation.
Zoro yawned. Luffy took a piece of meat from his pocket. Brook made a few skull jokes on the sidelines. Robin silently observed from afar.
Franky smacked his lips, drinking some more cola. Then, all of a sudden, he felt the transformation begin to take place.
His hair popped back into place. Chopper placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Usopp used Kabuto to keep the cyborg's speedo far, far away from him.
"SUUUUUUUPERRRRRRR!" Franky exploded, striking his signature pose. Then, after a moment, "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Oh, no reason." Nami said, a secretive smile on her face.
"It's good to have you back, Franky!" Chopper enthused.
"Eh? What are you talking about? I never left! Last thing I remember, I was asking you for some cola…"
Robin laughed lightly behind a delicate hand. Luffy took a huge bite of meat, chewing in contentment.
There was a comfortable silence. Then, "Why am I wearing a suit?" Franky asked, utterly confused. "I can't feel the breeze anymore!"
The Strawhat crew laughed, feeling a little relieved to have their trusty carpenter cyborg back.
Everything was back to normal.
"Usopp! Give me back my speedo!"
"Then say I'm the captain first!"
"Hey! I'm the captain, Usopp!"
"SUUUUUUPERRRR!"
Well, normal for the people aboard the Thousand Sunny, that is.
The End
Hope you liked it!