Disclaimer: This SUPAH disclaimer is hereby Franky approved!
Franky in…
Dancing Cola
"Oi, Franky! Didn't you once say that your cola was the water of life?"
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Franky looked up from his bottle of ice- cold cola. He'd been working the entire day, doing odd jobs, fixing parts of the Thousand Sunny and tinkering with another one of his numerous projects. The busy shipwright had decided he could afford a well-deserved break, and was enjoying it. Until, he heard the cook's familiar smooth voice and the surprising question.
It wasn't unwelcome, but he didn't expect company from anyone other than Usopp while he was hard at work either.
Franky downed the rest of his drink and frowned a little at his crewmate. "Yeah?" he offered, bewilderment plain on his face.
"Well…" Sanji glanced at the ground and lit another cigarette before facing him again. "Your 'water of life' just ran out."
He reacted right away and the glass bottle shattered in his big hands. "What?"
"Like I said-" The cook's eyes widened as Franky grabbed him by the shoulders roughly and shook.
"What do you mean it's all gone?"
Sanji frowned. "We might be able to find a substitute until we reach the next island, but…"
"Hey, Franky!" Luffy chose this time to race up to the two and skid to a halt before a collision. He must have filled his quota of those today. "Are you done with that cool, new thing? Can I see it?"
His eyes glinted with childish excitement. Franky let his arms drop to his sides. "Not now, Luffy-bro."
"Aww!"
Sighing, Sanji tried to console the down hearted Franky. "It shouldn't take too long and I have some other drinks you can choose from. The Sunny can run without cola power right?"
The cyborg scratched his head and nodded. He winced a little at the suggestion of experimentation; the Enies Lobby incident showed the cons of the idea, but tried to brighten up anyways.
"Yeah. Sunny-go is wind powered like any other ship. Cola is mainly a necessity for the extra functions, so as long as we don't meet up with any Marines in a bind we should be okay."
"Good," the blonde cook could hardly hide his relief. If the Thousand Sunny always needed the sweet drink there was a weakness that could be exploited. After all, how bad could it be with just having their shipwright a little low on energy?
It's not like he had a shortage of it.
Luffy was quickly getting impatient with the conversation. "Fran-kyyy!"
His nakama finally responded. "It's almost ready."
"Yosh!" Satisfied for the time being, the rubber captain ran off to bug some other unfortunate soul on board. Neither Franky nor Sanji noticed the devious smile on his face.
Finished delivering his woe-be-gone message, Sanji started to walk back to the kitchen when he detected an undertone to Franky's renewed cheerfulness. He decided to check one last thing with the cyborg.
"How long do you think you can last on what you have?" he wondered.
"Oh." With a metallic hiss, Franky opened the compartment in his stomach to show the cook and grinned. "I loaded up recently and have the maximum of three full bottles. Like with the Sunny, if we don't get in a fight I should be okay for a couple weeks, give or take."
Sanji gave him a quizzical look. "Lucky."
"Yup." Franky closed his stomach and turned back to his work, as did Sanji. His grin had been replaced by a concerned frown.
0~0~0
It was inevitable that he would be looked for by Luffy once again. However, Franky couldn't help not-so-secretly hoping it wouldn't be so soon after his discussion with Sanji and a mere couple hours of progress.
He heard the boy before he saw him. "Franky- ah!"
"Ah?" The shipwright gave up on any chance he would finish repairs, most of them were small or finished at this time, and turned to see Luffy trip over none other than Zoro.
His face hit the ground and his limbs went a flailing, yet he bounced up almost immediately, a grin in place. "Hey!"
"Zoro, are you okay?" Chopper had tagged along with Luffy and focused his attention on the victim. Who was still sleeping peacefully, sprawled on the deck. The doctor stopped there, but Luffy persisted.
"Guess what?" he exclaimed louder than necessary.
Franky wasn't in the mood for games and cringed from the noise. "I'm right here, Straw hat-bro."
"I got some stuff to replace your cola!"
Oh crap… His eyes widened slightly behind his sunglasses. How did Luffy know he was…? Oh, yeah, he'd been there most of the time and he'd chosen to pick up on this when usually nothing registered in that one-track mind of his.
Quickly, Franky regained his composure, yet shook his head at the captain's announcement.
"No thanks, Luffy-bro. I'm set for a while-"
"Ahh! Luffy! Where'd you get that?" Chopper squeaked in fright, his face very much saying how he regretted getting involved in this.
And Franky could see why.
Luffy drew out a green bottle and shook the liquid inside. "See?" he smiled obliviously. "I got some of…"
…the sake from Zoro's stash.
These kinds of things always happened, so Franky shouldn't have been surprised, but… there were levels of stupidity even Luffy couldn't reach and here was a premiere example.
Rule one, don't touch Zoro's sake, though, technically it wasn't his as Sanji was bound to point out. Only, the swordsman enjoyed his drink the most and if that alcohol mysteriously vanished or was severely depleted he wouldn't be happy. A murderous rage might be more adept of a description as Franky or any other Straw Hat would know.
Rule two, don't put supposed sake into a usually cola-powered cyborg. This rule was more self-proclaimed with Franky's unwillingness to see what would happen. But that reluctance and fear extended to the most logical of the crew, namely Nami, with thoughts of disaster in mind, who once forbade Luffy and Usopp from trying the unknown for just the kicks, whether there were explosions involved or not.
Now, Luffy was smiling and he had several more bottles in the crook of his arm. Franky began to protest. "Oi, oi. You should put that back now before-"
"LUFFY!" Zoro's furious voice made Franky, Chopper and the captain freeze. He was on his feet, somehow switching from a deep sleep to complete alertness in a nanosecond. Franky wondered if the mere mention of alcohol had awakened him, and saved the shipwright from further discomfort.
Already on his feet, Zoro stalked towards the rubber boy, who made the mistake of dropping his arms in the act of making a run for it.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
All four bottles of sake broke, the liquid running over the wooden deck. They watched with wide eyes for the swordsman's reaction and weren't disappointed.
Before he could say anything other than, "Sorry!" Zoro grabbed Luffy by his shirt, drew back his arm, and punched him straight into the nearest wall by the staircase. Dust blew out from the splintered wreck and Luffy tried to wrench his head from the debris, the force of Zoro's rage more effective than anything.
Chopper had hidden behind the very durable Franky and peeked out, obviously wanting to help even where it wasn't needed or wanted, but wary of the swordsman. Zoro drew a hand through his ruffled hair and frowned down at Luffy with an expression saying how very much he wanted to punt the boy as far as possible.
Exasperated, Franky surveyed the damage from a safe distance and took a deep breath. As soon as he did repairs, his nakama had to bust up the poor ship again. He was beginning to regret putting so much effort into a cause that was doomed at the start. For several moments, he struggled to control his traditional anger when the Sunny was caught in the crossfire and was failing miserably when he remembered the mess he still had to clean up.
"Chopper, could you sweep up the glass before Nami sees?" Franky asked. They were all aware of the navigator's moods and the reindeer nodded before scampering off. Zoro was yelling at Luffy and it looked like it would take a while for them to cool down, so he headed below deck, shaking his head.
Sure, Franky loved having fun and was far from a responsible adult, like Robin, but there were occasions where he felt considerably more mature than his crewmates. Usually ones that didn't make his job as shipwright easier, it was a wonder their old ship had lasted as long as it had, he thought as he disappeared from sight.
"I see something!" Usopp shouted from the modified crow's nest barely five minutes later.
Nami looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. "What is it?"
"Ah… um… it's… the Marines!"
The other Straw Hats were paying attention now and looked past the waves to see the blue seagull emblem of the Marine Navy amidst a snowy white sail. They'd found them.
0~0~0
In the depths of the ship, in the cargo hold connected to various other compartments that carried the supplies that were too big or numerous for elsewhere, Franky gathered up the tool belt he'd left there earlier and prepared to leave. That is, until he found what he'd subconsciously been searching for.
Hidden behind rope, a sack of dried goods, and barrels was another barrel much like the rest, except on its side was stamped the words: FRAGILE. HANDLE WITH CARE.
This was how Franky normally labeled vital parts of the Thousand Sunny's many features, including cola, but he could hardly dare to hope. He took hold of the barrel and pried it open swiftly before looking inside.
A big smile spread across his face at his unbelievable luck. The barrel held at least five gallons of cola that would definitely hold him and the Sunny in case of emergency and past that.
Franky probably would have danced for joy if he hadn't heard the commotion from above and it was definitely trouble if it reached this far below deck. He closed and sealed the barrel quickly and was about to race upstairs when it occurred to him that the cola could be useful above.
He tucked it under his arm and sprinted to the deck, where a crisis was already underway.
The navigator was barking orders to every member of the crew.
"Luffy, take the sails! Chopper, secure the ropes!"
"Hai!" They both hurried to do as told, Chopper transforming to Heavy Point while he did.
Up in the crow's nest, Usopp adjusted his goggles. "Oi! I think they're firing-!"
BOOM!
A cannonball shot from the Marine ship and hit the water nearby the Sunny, sending a wave rocketing into its side. It shook the ship and they began to lose their footing. Franky slid before he righted himself and rushed to help.
Nami turned the steering wheel when she stiffened. "Robin, can you take the helm?"
"Yes, Nami-san." Robin took control of the Sunny's direction immediately. Without explanation, Nami ran into the navigation room.
Looking at the cola he held tightly, Franky contemplated using it for a hasty escape. It would be the easiest way, but would there be even bigger dangers before the next island?
His decision wasn't prolonged, however, as two of his nakama hailed for his attention.
"Franky! Get your lazy ass over here!" Zoro hollered.
Both he and the cook were manning two oars in the absence of the ship's built in paddles, their arms pumping simultaneously to move through the waves.
"Yosh! Coming!" Franky sprinted toward them.
Sanji felt the need to elaborate. "Took you long enough, shithead."
As he reached the other men, Franky put down the barrel. Everyone knew they were low on cola and Coup de Vent was an impossibility; until now. The circumstances had changed for a little while. He glanced at the pursuing ship as he grabbed a paddle. They were close, so close that if he didn't take action and use it soon it would be too difficult.
SPLASH!
Another shot hit the ocean, this time ramming the ship hard enough to tilt Sanji, Zoro and Franky to the opposite side of the deck and for Usopp to be flung into the air. Snatching the net against the mast saved him, but their situation was not improved.
The impact from the cannon ball had sent the barrel of cola crashing into a wall and Franky could see the dark liquid pouring out. It was gone like their last chance for escape.
"Damn it!" he yelled.
"Gah! They're going to board!" Usopp yelled.
Zoro got up, rubbing his head and groaning. "Where's that witch? Isn't she supposed to get us out of here?"
"Shut up, marimo!" Sanji growled and glared down at the broken paddle in his hand. The one Franky held was similarly destroyed. They'd hit the Sunny with their most recent firing.
"I see some rather sharp rocks up ahead," Robin observed from the helm, which was spinning out of control.
Hurriedly, Chopper ran to the railing and looked out. "Ahh! You're right!"
Clink! Clink!
Grappling hooks and planks bridged the gap between the two ships, as the Marine galleon drew next to them. Uniformed men raced across, guns a blaring and cutlasses bared.
Next to Franky, Zoro and Sanji leapt into the fray, kicking and cutting any flesh that got in their way. Luffy also appeared with his signature punches and wide grin. Nami raced out and was at the wheel, using the emergency option he'd installed and trying to avoid the incoming rocks.
Brook's sword sung its way to victory, Chopper's Rumble Ball obliterated its opponents and Usopp's Fire Stars burned with minimal damage to the Thousand Sunny.
Small fry like this were no problem for the Straw Hat crew and Franky watched proudly, throwing steel jabs and breathing fire at any Marine that managed to sneak past the front line. But, he couldn't participate any further with his limited supply of power. There were definitely drawbacks to his strength. However, Franky pushed on and they had just sent the last Marine flying when there was a high-pitched shriek.
"We're going to hit!"
They stared in disbelievement at the huge spires of stone looming ahead. Their navigator had done her best, but the currents had swept the Sunny, and them, up with defiant force. If they crashed… Franky had no doubt that the ship would survive, built as sturdy as she was, but… they wouldn't.
The others were having trouble comprehending what to do next, astounded by the perils that came one after the other. Compared to natural hazards like this, the Marines were nothing.
Franky reacted and jumped to the stern of the Sunny, knocking Luffy out of the way. He faced the dark sea behind them and raised his arm determinedly. His face and mind was set as he fired into the oblivion.
"Coup de… VENT!"
It wasn't much, but the huge gust of air from Franky's impulsive attack lifted them into the sky and the shot forward over the jagged rocks. As they passed over with shouts of surprise and advice to hold on tight, he imagined them as teeth in a gaping maw of frothy water. Franky would not let them get his nakama and his final thought was unswayed by the instinctual terror as they collided.
0~0~0
Tramping through dense foliage and over huge rocks, Franky was not feeling super. The island he was now on was a mass of giant mountains and enormous ferns, making progress painfully slow.
Yet in the face of everything, there was some good. They had landed farther into shore, away from the worst of the pointed stone above the waves and Franky had seen that everyone was safe up to the point where they were thrown into different directions by the impact. It would be a test to see they were similarly healthy when they were reunited.
His confidence in his crewmates was strong enough that his main concern was finding the Thousand Sunny and making any repairs as soon as possible. The shipwright didn't have a knack for navigating like Nami, but he wasn't directionally impaired like Zoro. If he headed west where he'd seen the Sunny last he should get there eventually.
As he brushed away the absurdly large fronds that were always nearby, Franky thought back to how he now had only one and a half bottles of cola left to power him. That Coup de Vent used a lot, but he didn't regret it. No, the shipwright hardly regretted any of his decisions.
The ones he did were branded permanently into his memory.
A suspicious rustle in the bushes made him stop suddenly. It also stopped and Franky took a step toward the moving plant, looking for whatever was inside. Then a pair of eyes gleamed back evilly and he had no time to back away when a ball of fur launched itself at his head.
In an instant it had latched on and Franky took drastic actions.
"Ahh!" he screamed and took hold of the creature, trying to pull it off before it pulled his hair out.
That's when the sounds of someone sobbing reached his ears. Franky dropped his hands and paused in his frantic prancing. That voice…
"Chopper-bro?"
He couldn't believe he'd found the little reindeer so quickly, but then again, he'd been walking since the morning and now the sun was high in the sky.
The doctor choked back a sniffle. "Franky? I thought I'd never find anyone! I'm so happy! Wah!" Chopper buried his face in the cyborg's blue hair.
It seemed like he hadn't realized whom he'd thrown himself at. Franky began to ask him questions while he resumed walking along the rocky terrain.
"Oi, what were you doing in there?" he wondered and ducked beneath an overhanging branch.
Chopper also ducked and replied shakily, "After we were separated, I fell through a tree into a nest and a gigantic eagle went after me. I was hiding when I thought it heard it… I was going to fight, but it was you…"
Smiling at the reindeer's bravery, Franky patted his head.
"Well, I guess it's the two of us now. Want to help me look for the others?"
"Sure!"
After hours of searching fruitlessly, they stumbled upon a freshwater spring and decided to take a much-needed break. The cool water was revigorating on Franky's face as he washed the dirt off. It tasted clear and clean and he began to feel his energy returning.
Nearby, Chopper was drinking in Walk Point when he abruptly stiffened and looked into the trees. Franky stood as the doctor sniffed tensely.
"What is it?"
"I…" he tried to look for a word to describe what he smelled. "I don't know," he admitted.
"Hmm…" Franky wasn't reassured.
For a while he'd had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it was only getting tighter as they moved forward. This place combined with the lack of nakama and cola made his hair stand on end.
"Franky?" Chopper moved to his side and looked at him.
"Yeah?"
"Why haven't you been dancing lately?"
He glanced at the little doctor curiously and his concern seemed genuine.
"I mean, you're usually really energetic," Chopper explained.
"Huh, yeah," Franky smiled. "Well, I don't know, Chopper-bro. Guess it just there's a time to be serious and there's a time to be relaxed."
The shipwright was quite proud of his profoundness, until that moment was shattered.
"I like it better when you're not serious."
His honest answer was said with a childish tone that reminded Franky that Chopper was still the youngest of their crazy crew. He laughed and the doctor joined in.
Their mirth during a crisis might have lasted longer if someone hadn't crashed down from above.
Both pirates narrowly avoided getting hit by the speeding projectile, with Chopper being the quicker of the two. Franky could feel the wind from impact as a monkey hit the ground. Except it wasn't just any monkey, it was the infamous Monkey D. Luffy.
He was staring at the smoking hole and ventured a little nearer when a scream pierced the air. His head jerked up as another person fell, but landing on his chest instead.
Franky's surprise was significant enough that he fell backwards. When he recovered his senses he looked at the long-nosed man lying, panting across him. He didn't move as he rose to a sitting position.
"You too, Usopp-bro?" His reindeer companion, who was investigating the hole, mirrored the shipwright's bewilderment and he rubbed a bump on his head sorely.
Usopp didn't move and didn't say anything between his wheezing breaths and Franky was about to shake the poor sharpshooter when there was a cry from the hole.
A familiar, hat clad boy peeled himself from the ground and hopped out of the Luffy-shaped crater. He looked around as if nothing had happened and sighed, "Ah~! That was scary!"
"Luffy! That's an understatement!" Usopp abruptly shot to his feet, startling Franky. "Why is it that whenever I'm with you I'm in the most danger?"
Franky and Chopper exchanged dumbfounded glances as Usopp shouted at the rubbery captain for being reckless, stupid, the usual things and said captain paid absolutely no attention.
Instead of his irate crewmate, Luffy fixed his gaze on a curtain of vines and leaves ahead. He stared at for a couple seconds before he charged through, leaving the others in the dust.
"Wait for us, Luffy-bro!" Franky ran after him, Chopper following and dragging Usopp behind.
They plunged past the greenery after Luffy to almost trip over each other as a sudden decline appeared. It wasn't very steep, but it caught them off guard, along with the change in scenery.
Lush green, rolling hills filled Franky's vision, seeming out of place in the general roughness that pervaded this island. But, the oddest, and most amazing part was the grove of trees nestled in the dip at the bottom. From what he could see, they were laden with fruit or in full bloom depending on the tree. Several sakura elicited a gasp from Chopper and the peaceful sight made Usopp exhale with relief.
And Luffy had vanished right in that direction.
That same feeling from earlier shimmered up Franky's spine, but he began to run after the rubber boy again.
The grass was as feathery as it looked and, as they reached the trees the fruit was even more enticing. A growl told him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast and the evening was ushering in.
"I think I'm getting I-can't-enter- this-creepy-orcharditis," Usopp moaned despite his pleasure from earlier.
Chopper rummaged in his backpack that he'd been able to keep during the separation. "Really? Here, I think I have a shot that might help." He drew out a long needle and pumped it expertly.
Usopp's face went pale. "Uh, I'm cured! What a miracle!"
He grinned, but Chopper's inherent worry stayed. "You sure?"
"Yeah! See?" He did a little jig and Franky chuckled.
Feeling reassured by his nakama's presence, he entered the grove of trees. Like Usopp had mentioned, they were indeed arranged in an orchard, though it was too wild and outgrown to be tended.
There was fruit of every shape, size and color and they took it all in while they kept an eye out for Luffy. Plums, peaches, cherries, apples, apricots, pears, it didn't matter when they ripened normally, their existence here defied the rules. After noticing the variety and the many fruit that he could not recognize, he was thoroughly captivated, but he also wanted to leave.
This orchard was too convenient. It had appeared right as he and Chopper found Usopp and Luffy, or they found them. The food was what they needed and exhaustion from the day's events was seeping into their bones. It felt way too much like a trap…
Out of the corner of his eye, Franky saw Usopp pluck a plum from a nearby tree. He was about to take a bite out of the plump fruit when it was suddenly knocked out of his hand and his mouth closed on empty air. Usopp turned to the cyborg in surprise.
"What was that for, Franky?"
"Don't eat anything until we know it's okay."
Franky's frown and assertiveness was enough for the sharpshooter to nervously comply. Chopper recoiled from the fruit on the ground as if it would bite him. "I could take samples…" he trailed off when his nose twitched. "Oh! I found Luffy!"
"Supah!" Franky cheered and they chased after Chopper.
When they got to the captain it was too late, or so they thought.
Cores and pits littered the grass at the bases of several trees and sitting underneath a cherry tree was a very happy Luffy. He noticed them and waved spastically.
"Hey guys! You need to try this! It's not as good as meat, but it's really tasty!"
It was a predictable greeting from Luffy. Despite being in a strange place or in dangerous situations his attitude always remained perpetually optimistic.
"Oi! Don't eat that! It might be poisonous!" Usopp warned frantically, pointing at the fruit.
"Huh? Whaddya mean?" Luffy asked with his mouth full, juice all over his face.
Stepping in, Franky picked up a fallen fruit. "Luffy-bro, you should've waited for us."
"Sowwy," he took another bite of an apricot. "I was hungwy."
"Yeah, I know…"
He was ready to leave and would probably be able to get Luffy to follow. All that was required was promises and a return to reality. The reality where their nakama were scattered all over this deceitful island.
Tentatively, Chopper licked the juice of an apple. "It tastes alright."
"Then it's not just the fruit…" Franky stroked his chin. He wasn't adept at strategizing and got things done with a fury-packed punch and handful of nails. But, someone had to do something. "It could be a different sort of trap with…"
"Those?"
Everyone's necks craned, even Luffy's, to see a swarm of pink and white headed straight toward them. Usopp lowered his arm and shook violently.
"Agh! Let's run!"
The vote was anonymous and, with the sharpshooter leading the way, they fled down the lines of deceptively beautiful trees. Luffy had his pockets stuffed with fruit and would've grabbed more, but Chopper used his head to start him running. After that, the swarm of countless airborne creatures was a constant reminder that if they didn't keep going, they would never leave.
Franky didn't care to take a glance behind him to see what they were exactly. As long as he knew their intent that was plenty and the distance between them and their pursuers could be judged by the beat of a thousand tiny wings.
Their goal drove them faster and faster. If they could escape the orchard, they'd be safe, was the theory and Franky prayed to whoever may be listening they were right.
Finally, they could glimpse the last pair of trees in the distance.
They poured forth all their speed, pelting forward to a safe haven.
And that's when things went wrong. Luffy's hat was blown off by the wind and fell behind them. Of course, he skid to a halt and turned back to get it.
"Luffy! Wait!" Chopper yelled and began to run back as well.
Then Franky's arm shot out and prevented the little reindeer for going any further. "I'll get him."
"Franky-!" Usopp and Chopper started to protest, but Franky was already pelting after the rubber boy.
"Keep going! We'll meet you there!"
Though the shipwright couldn't see, his other crewmates did as told and continued to run to the end of grove.
Meanwhile, Luffy had caught up to his beloved hat. Smiling, he swiped it off the dirt and laid it on his head. It would be unforgiveable if he lost it, his entire crew knew this, but sometimes that hat caused more trouble than it was worth.
As the boy straightened from fetching it, the swarm of things descended, having closed the distance since then. There was no escape as the menacing pink and white cloud dived to devour Luffy.
Abruptly, several missiles shot forth and exploded in the air. The creatures were forced into chaos and many were burnt to a crisp, though hundreds more were left. Franky quickly tucked Luffy underneath his arm and dashed the hundred meters of trees until they were free.
Several of their attackers landed on Franky's shoulder and back. He swiftly smacked them, but not before their pincers left bloody marks. He threw Luffy ahead and let loose a burst of fire.
Ducking underneath the resulting smoke from above, he dove past the last tree. Exhausted, he lay there panting before Usopp, Chopper and Luffy came to his side.
"Are you okay?" Usopp asked nervously. The rubber boy looked at Franky unhappily, or more so the wounds he bore while Chopper morphed back to Brain Point and tended them.
He disliked the tense atmosphere and shrugged it off with a grin. "Yeah. Seems like those bugs didn't enjoy being fried."
At that, Luffy's brightness returned. "Haha, yeah! And you look pretty funny yourself?"
"What?"
Usopp also smirked. "Your hair, Franky."
"Oh." The shipwright noticed the shock of hair falling over his face, drooping in contrast to its usual upright do. After swiping it out of his eyes, he checked his cola supply, though he had a good idea of what he would find. "Guess that was my last bottle, I'm all spent now." A touch of disappointment tainted his earlier cheerfulness.
"There!" Chopper exclaimed, putting a Band-Aid on a pincer wound on his back and lowering his shirt. "You're lucky they were shallow."
Franky stood up. "Thanks, doctor."
"Heh, that won't make me happy at all you bastard." The reindeer wiggled in glee.
After that scare escaping the orchard, they plodded onward. Each step got heavier and heavier and their eyelids drooped. Franky's exhaustion was distinct, drained as he was from defending his nakama, but it was nothing compare to poor Chopper's. Within the hour, the tiny doctor had passed out and the cyborg proceeded to carry him the rest of the way.
Even now, he was snuggled into his back and Franky and the others wearily moved along a thin, winding path between darkening rock formations and a section of forest. Nocturnal animals were beginning to awaken, with other signs of night appearing.
When Luffy's step faltered, Franky knew they were at the end of their tether. If they didn't stop soon for the night, no matter how important finding everyone was, they would collapse, in full view of any predators and easy prey.
Yet, just when the shipwright was about to suggest this, the captain was too determined to let anything like physical exhaustion stop him when his mind was set, a miracle happened. They rounded a corner under an arch of stone and on the other end was the familiar shape of a sunflower lion head. Usopp, Luffy and Franky exchanged wide grins that shined white in the dark and welcomed the promise of comfort in discovering the Thousand Sunny and the reassurance that they would be reunited with the others soon.
That reassurance revigorated the pirates and it didn't take much to tell them they had come to the right place at last.
0~0~0
Franky couldn't sleep.
While his body wanted the rest, his mind was the exact opposite. His thoughts were frenzied with how out-of-hand their predicament had gotten so fast. It seemed eons away that he was concerned for their shortage of cola and now they were merely struggling to get by. The Sunny still had much of its supplies, at least from what he could tell from his quick sweep of the ship and that would be crucial if they had to wait for several days before the others found them, but there was still the matter of transporting the ship back to the ocean.
Hopefully it wasn't too far, since it was highly unlikely Franky and the rest had taken the right route. Ugh, but the problems after this were too much to think about. Franky rolled over on the ground by the fire that had burnt out earlier. They'd decided to stay outside, next to the Sunny rather than inside, so in case some of their crewmates were within sight they would see them and the flames if the ship was missed.
If he could get his mind off the present for at least a little while… A munching sound made Franky crack an eye open and he saw Luffy-sitting cross- legged on one of the blankets they'd laid out, eating.
"Luffy-bro?" he yawned and lifted his head. "What are you doing?"
"Nani? Franky?" the boy glanced at him. "I got hungry." He looked a little guilty. "Want some?"
He held out some of the fruit filched from the orchard and his eyes followed to see a rather large pile beside him. Franky was mildly impressed by how much Luffy had collected and realized that he was actually quite hungry. Earlier, his need for sleep had been first priority, but now, since he couldn't seem to doze off, hunger took the forefront.
"Wait." Franky held up a hand and gently shook both Usopp and Chopper awake in turn. Their alarmed reactions were swiftly eased as Luffy pointed to the food and they dug in voraciously.
With a look at the dead fire, Franky gathered more wood and lit it with some of the embers that were still glowing. The soft glow from the flames lit their faces as the fruit filled their bellies.
Chopper sighed happily. "Mmm, this is good."
"Hai," Usopp crunched on a yellow pear. "I'm already stuffed too."
"Oi, Luffy, Franky remarked. "How'd you carry all this here?"
Of course, the rubbery boy had eaten the most out of the four of them and the remains of the fruit were scattered all around him. Yet, he'd found the decency to slow down in the face of everything, so he devoured three portions rather than five.
What Franky hadn't expected was for Luffy to show them a shoulder bag, and then proceed to dig around in it. "When I woke up after I fell, this was next to me. There wasn't any food inside, but Usopp told me to bring it anyway."
"And you didn't bring this up… why?" Franky faced the sharpshooter. Luffy could be excused for forgetfulness, him- not so much.
Usopp smiled sheepishly. "Uh, I don't know. Everything was so crazy I guess I forgot."
That was the truth, so Franky dropped it, though his curiosity wasn't appeased.
"Is there any water in there, Luffy?" Chopper asked.
If there were, it would be a wondrous gift. They had food sure, but they couldn't make do without some fresh water.
Luffy frowned for a moment, then smiled widely. "I think so. Let me look."
Several moments passed where the boy searched through the bag before finally withdrawing a leather canteen. They could all hear liquid slopping inside and it was even better when Luffy found another one.
"Here," Luffy handed one to Franky. "Maybe it'll fix your hair."
Chopper giggled and the cyborg sighed.
"Well, I guess it won't hurt."
While the other canteen was passed around, Franky slid the second into the compartment in his torso. He closed it and waited.
The others watched, then abruptly jumped in surprise as Franky's hair shifted to a very spiky, very blue Mohawk.
He jumped up and did an, if possible, even more hyped up version of his traditional dance. "SUPAH RAD!"
"Rad?" Usopp murmured out of the side of his mouth to the other two.
The little reindeer couldn't do anything, but gape at the shipwright. "I think that was sake you gave him, Luffy."
Luffy laughed and leaped to his feet as well. "It doesn't matter! Let's dance!"
Maybe it was the careless energy that exuded almost unconsciously from Franky that they often took for granted that made the air of celebration so contagious, or maybe it was the good luck that always overwhelmed the bad for the Straw Hat crew in the end that gave them something to celebrate. But, either way, it was as their captain said, it didn't matter, they were there and they were together and dancing was bound to be inevitable.
Prancing around the flickering fire and singing boisterously, their late night antics lasted even later, until they eventually fell asleep, sprawled on top of each other. As the last to drift off, Franky grinned to himself. He was back with nothing in his way to stop him from protecting what he cared for. And he couldn't help noticing that there was no way his nakama hadn't heard the merriment they'd raised.
His last thought as he closed his eyes was, that water was definitely spiked…
0~0~0
Dawn came a new day, and with a new day came a mohawk-less Franky, possibly with the safe having aftereffects more similar to cola, and new aspirations.
The first of which, for Franky, was to begin repairing the Thousand Sunny. So far, the damage inflicted by the crash seemed minimal, but he couldn't be too sure.
He had just taken out his tool belt and raised his hammer to strike a nail when Chopper and Luffy shouted in joyful surprise.
"Robin! Nami! Brook!"
His head turned in response and the hammer promptly connected with his thumb. Cursing under his breath, he watched as Usopp joined the reindeer and captain to see both women nimbly climb down a tree.
"What were you doing up there?" Luffy asked, eyes wide with amazement.
Nami's fist became reacquainted with his face and Franky winced sympathetically. "Is that how you greet me after we've been forced to wander through this muck for an entire day?" she rebuked.
"Sowwy," Luffy apologized, though it wasn't his fault it was a nightmare to argue with that woman. He held his bloody nose and Nami relaxed with some of her pent-up anger let loose.
She looked to the dark-haired archaeologist. "It was Robin's idea for us to stay up high, out of reach of danger for the night. We moved just this morning, then saw you guys," Nami smiled. "Though my back's going to ache for ages."
At that, Chopper began to fuss over the two women. Suddenly, Franky saw a familiar afro appear at his side.
"Yohoho! Nice to see you again, Franky-san!" Brook greeted lightly. He looked relatively unscathed beside some bumps and bruises on his skeletal face.
Franky clapped him on the back. "Oi! Skeleton-bro! Were you with Nami and Robin?"
"I was," he nodded. "… Until they kicked me out of their tree."
"Oh." It was all Franky could say. The musician had probably deserved it.
Yet, Brook felt the need to elaborate. "… It was probably because I peeked beneath their skirts on the way up."
So, that's where the numerous bumps from furious punches and red marks from countless hands slapping had come from. Franky's prediction was right, Brook had deserved his punishment.
Meanwhile, two more people emerged from the jungle foliage and Luffy's excitement rose to dangerous levels.
"Zoro!" he exclaimed.
"Sanji!" Usopp called the name of the second man.
Cook and swordsman staggered into the clearing where their companions were. Zoro's arm was around Sanji's shoulder.
Am I missing something? Franky wondered in confusion. That's when he saw the gash on the cook's leg, bloody strips of cloth around his knee and how Zoro was supporting most of his weight, but not for long.
With a grunt, Zoro stepped to the side where the blankets from last night were and unceremoniously dropped Sanji.
"Shit!" Sanji paled and snarled. "Watch what you're doing, marimo!"
Adjusting his swords, Zoro retorted, "Shut up! You're heavy!"
"Then it looks like all that training did nothing but make you stupider!"
"Says the one who got his knee shredded by an inanimate object," Zoro huffed and jabbed his thumb in Sanji's direction.
Chopper hurried over. "Don't be so rough with him, Zoro! He's badly hurt!"
"That's what she said."
"Why you-!"
The doctor transformed to Heavy Point as the rivals went at each other again. Luffy couldn't stop laughing and running up to each of his crewmates.
"It's a miracle they both managed to survive," Robin observed and Nami nodded in complete agreement.
"Looks like we're all together," Usopp sighed, but relief was evident in his voice.
None of them liked to be apart from the others. They were more than a crew. They were friends they were family. Smiling, Franky went back to work on the Sunny, the sound of the hammer a constant soothing beat.
They were all back and dancing in their own way and that's how it always should be.
0~0~0
Author's Note: Don't give Franky sake, EVER. Nah, he was all right here, though I was severely tempted to make him crazier. Except it didn't fit in the theme of the story. As for "that's what she said"… I couldn't resist, I'm sorry…
I think I finished this relatively on schedule, though I must say this is the most random ass bizarre scenario I've done yet. I don't know why exactly, but it might have to do with the fact it had no real pattern to the way it was laid out, and I like order damn it! But, never fear, I was appeased in the end like usual. Oh yay for profound ending to humorous (I think?) stories!
The next and last victim is Brook, in which he becomes acquainted with a new friend in a similar situation as he, or not. See you next time! Thanks for reading, for your support and I welcome your wonderful reviews! ;)