A series circumstances that test the blood and bond of each of the strawhats.
— Will be a multi-chapter fic—
Thinking about how Franky's body works was interesting. He's been shown bleeding post-time skip, and is still referred to as a cyborg, which means he has organic parts of himself still, but ta the same time he's mostly machine. Just made me wonder, and I took some literary liberties with the whole idea.
Enjoy!
(Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any related characters)
"Blood relatives often have nothing to do with family,
and similarly, family is about who you choose to make your life with." ~Oliver Hudson
Zoro and Franky
~In which Franky is still very-much human, and Zoro doesn't make a big deal out of much~
Things about the Sunny were relatively simple.
If one of them needed something that another of them could provide, it would be provided at some point. If Nami needed alterations to her climatact, Usopp would take a look at it and get it back to her as soon as possible. If Chopper needed an unfamiliar book that somehow associated with his familiar medical genre, Robin would be more than happy to help provide one for him. If Brook needed to have reassurance that he was no longer alone on a ship, plenty of happy expressions and friendly touches would be given to him. If Luffy wanted meat, he would receive meat.
Some members of the crew need a lot, others need very little.
That's why, when Usopp informs Zoro that Franky needs to speak with him about something, the swordsman wonders if he's heard incorrectly. The shipwright rarely asks for anyone's help, especially not Zoro's.
And so he goes without question.
He finds Franky deep within the ship after wandering around aimlessly for probably an entire hour. The large man is tweaking something in his shoulder, a screwdriver held in the strange small hand that emerges from his larger one. Franky seems frustrated, a slant to his eyebrows that typically is reserved for battles and moments of irritating teasing amongst the crew. Here, alone in the bowels of the Sunny, one arm splayed out seemingly uselessly, it seems out of place.
Zoro clears his throat to alert the other man of his presence, meeting the cyborg's eyes when he is found in the doorway.
"Ah, Zoro-bro!" Franky smiles at him, "I wondered if Usopp had bailed in telling you I needed you, but apparently you just got lost again."
Zoro growls quietly, "I didn't get lost. I knew exactly where I was going. The walls must've changed or something. You should really look into that."
"What I should look into it putting up some signs," Franky mutters to himself, tossing the screwdriver down on the table beside his outstretched arm, "Anyways, I have a favor to ask."
Zoro says nothing as Franky motions towards his arm, "During this last fight, I felt something snap in my shoulder conduit. As far as I can tell, it's close enough to where a few veins and arteries are, which makes it more difficult to repair."
"So, have Usopp help you," Zoro grumbles lightly, glancing at the limp, metal appendage settled on the table-top.
"I plan to, along with Chopper," Franky assures, "But, with the little amount of blood I have left, if anything goes wrong then I'll be screwed."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Nothing," Franky says, and Zoro gives him a look that's mixed between irritation and perplexion.
Franky raises his large, movable hand as if to stop any assumptions the swordsman could make about calling him there.
"Nothing," he says again, " but… "
Zoro quirks an eyebrow, crossing his arms expectantly.
"If worse comes to worse, though…" Franky seems uncomfortable saying it, and Zoro simply waits patiently for his friend to finish, "Would you be ready to... give me… some of yours ?"
Zoro blinks. Franky cringes at the idea.
"Me?" Zoro questions.
Franky nods, "Yeah, you're the only one who could ."
Zoro grunts, nods once and then turns as if to leave, "Yeah, sure."
In Zoro's mind, he means ' of course' and ' without question ', but to Franky, the answer is somewhat careless. Like making a decision on where to eat, or what color to paint something— this is bigger than either of those and this bothers the cyborg. He doesn't like asking Zoro for this, he wouldn't like asking anyone for this yet he has to.
"Wait a minute," Franky grumbles, "What do you mean 'sure'?"
Zoro pauses in his departure, turning back to the cyborg. He takes in the baffled expression, shrugging his shoulders, "It means 'yes'."
Franky is taken aback, "Just like that? You're fine with this?"
After spending two years working only on oil and wires and metal, blood seems like such a precious thing in the back of Franky's mind. Like something that should be kept in a jar labeled ' for emergencies only '. He bleeds still. He'll always bleed as long as he lives, but now it's just more of a marvel than a simple way of nature. When he bleeds, it's a testament to how much of an asskicking he took. If he loses to much of his blood, which could be nowhere near as dangerous an amount to any of the others, and he'll be done for.
To be so nonchalant…
Zoro may understand, or he may not. But to the swordsman he only sees that a nakama needs help, and he has the means to ensure nothing bad happens. That's the only information Zoro needs.
And besides...
"I lose plenty of blood as is," Zoro grunts with slight humor as he turns to leave once again without a second glance at the bemused shipwright, "Might as well make good use of it."
Next: Usopp and Robin
