A.n I own Nothing.
I have some Good news and Bad news. The good news is that Assassins Creed 3 is getting remastered and will be out in March 2019, even better is it is included in the Seasons Pass for Assassins Creed Oddessy. I am getting a Season Pass with my Gold Edition of the game so I will be getting the Remastered AC3 for free...score.
Now the Bad news, unfortunately updates will be very slow over the next month or two. I work in a Hotel and from early September to mid November is the busiest time of the year. This is due to Spring and where I live and we have a lot of Spring Festivals and events on, plus it's school hoidays so we will be getting a lot interstate and international torists.
I will try to post updates when I can but this busy period is going to limit my writing time. Unfortunate this will affect all my stories...so for those of you who also read Lord of the Castle updates will be slow on that one as well.
However the BountyCompetition is still open and I am still taking entries.(See Chapter 72 for details)
As always Please Review
"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIX OUR SHIP?!" Luffy screamed angrily.
Kaku had returned a few minutes earlier and Luffy and Nami were eager to throw there suggestions on how to improve the Merry at the Shipwrights. Kaku and Iceberg had to calm them down as they first had to listen to Kakus analyses of the ship before they could discuss plans and what add-ons would be possible.
Connor wondered where Usopp was when one of the workers brought over the other two briefcases claiming them to have been left lying around unguarded. Nami made a mental note to scold Usopp for not paying attention to their money a second time. But the Merry's negotiation had to come first and they could always tell Usopp the result later.
Unfortunately the news hadn't been good as Kaku claimed the Merry could not be repaired.
Kaku sat down on a pile of nearby wood.
"I'm sorry but like I just said, your ship cannot be repaired…not by us and not by anyone in the world," Kaku replied in a sombre but completely professional tone.
"But why not…we got here just fine," Connor claimed.
"Is something wrong with the Keel?" Paullie inquired his fellow shipwright.
Kaku looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah, it's broken beyond repair," Kaku said sombrely
"But…Aren't you guys the greatest carpenters in the world? If the money you want, we have lots of it," Luffy cried desperately and pounded on the briefcases.
"It's not the money," Kaku tried "It doesn't matter how much money you have. Your ship simply cannot be repaired. It's amazing how far your ship has come, even in the state that it's in right now,"
"What exactly is preventing you from fixing the Merry?" Nami asked, trying to defuse the situation.
"Do you know what the keel is?" Paullie asked.
Luffy and Connor both shook their heads in response.
"Isn't that that long beam at the base of the ship?" Nami answered.
"Correct, The Keel is a support that runs through the ship, from bow to stern. It's the most important piece of timber in the ship," Paullie said seriously.
"Shipbuilding begins with properly aligning the keel and attaching the stem, sternpost, frames and so on and so forth. No piece of timber can stay in place without the keel," Paullie explained. "The keel is the foundation of the ship's frame, its life…it's back bone if you will. Even when it's badly damaged, it can't be replaced,"
"But why not?" Luffy asked.
"Because doing so would essentially be the same as building a ship from scratch. So, we're telling you, no one can fix it. If you Keel is broken then your ship is just a pile of wood destined for scrap," Paullie claimed.
"HEY HOW CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Nami shouted, angry at the way Paullie described the Merry.
"I'm just telling you the truth," Paullie huffed "No need to get pissy about it,"
"Then…Then just remake it from the start," Luffy tried "if it can't be fixed then build us another one,"
"That's not possible either," Hattori said from Lucci's shoulder.
"Why not?" Connor asked "he just said fixing the Merry would be like re-building it,"
"We can easily build a new ship of the same size, shape model and design, but it will not be like remaking your old one," Hattori explained "no two trees are the same, so in reality we can't 'remake' your ship,"
"What are you talking about?" Nami asked completely confused.
"Are there two completely identical trees in the world?" Hattori went on "Ships are all built from wood, the size and shape depends on the tree the wood came from. So even if we have the blueprint for your ship, we can't build it identical to your previous one,"
"If we build an identical ship to your old one, the ones who will feel 'this isn't our ship Will be yourselves," Hattori said and pointed directly at Luffy.
Luffy understood and he looked down in sadness.
"So…you can't fix our ship and you can't build us replacement….does that mean the Going Merry won't ever sail?" Connor asked in sorrow.
"That is correct," Hattori said "Either you let us take it apart now and we can use the wood or you let it sink naturally,"
Nami's and Connor's expression went from saddens to worry, the Straw Hats had 3 devil fruit users on in the crew and if they let the Merry sink then they would be stranded out on the ocean. So that was not an option and they doubted they would have the heart to tear the ship apart. Nami looked over to Luffy, whose face was blank.
"Luffy…Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm sorry to say this but your ship has lived out its life," Iceberg said sincerely "With your old one gone, you can buy a brand new ship. Your ship is an old model and seas ahead only get more rough from here on so…"
"No I don't want a new ship," Luffy said firmly.
"You need to understand, your ship is doomed," Kaku tried.
"OUR SHIP IS THE GOING MERRY!" Luffy shouted with a mix of anger and sorrow conviction "IF YOU JUST FIX IT WE CAN DEFINITELY KEEP GOING. WE SAILED ON IT TODAY JUST FINE. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, YOU DON"T KNOW HOW STRONG OUR SHIP IS!"
"Then you could just sit with your ship and watch your whole crew die and sink with it?" Iceberg responded coldly "do the lives of your crew mean nothing to you?"
Luffy didn't respond.
"Little punk and you call yourself a captain," Iceberg spat.
"Everyone calm down," Kalifa intervened "this subject is obviously causing some emotional distress,"
Iceberg let out a sigh.
"Your right…this is not helping," he agreed.
"That's enough talking for today, take some time to think about your situation," Iceberg said "Just know that no carpenter in the world can fix your ship,"
"That is the sad truth of the matter," Kaku added.
"You have a lot of money right? With what you've got, we can build you the latest and sturdiest model ship and you'd still have money to spare," Iceberg claimed "Kalifa,"
"Here take these catalogues. One for new ships and one for second had ships that we sell, you can choose a newer design and use these for price comparison," Kalifa said and held out two catalogues to Luffy.
However Luffy did not take them, he merely stared at them as they were a threat or touching them would kill him. Connor saw that Luffy was not going to take the catalogues so he stepped forward.
"I'll take them," Connor said and held out his hands.
Kalifa bent down and handed it to the boy.
"If you lose them you can come back and get a replacement," Kalifa claimed.
Connor nodded and looked up at Luffy in concern. If Luffy and Nami were reacting like this he could not imagine how the others were going to feel once they found out…espsilily Usopp.
"Come on, I'll show you out," Pullie said and he started to walk towards the exit.
"Yeah," Luffy said in an angry tone "I don' like this place anymore,"
Luffy walked over to the brief cases and picked one up. However he blinked and stared at it for a moment. He then picked the other two up to test them and found that only one was heavy.
He lifted the two lighter ones up and down.
"What are you doing now Luffy?" Nami asked noticing the captains' odd behaviour.
Luffy looked at her.
"It's light," he said, holding up the two cases.
"What?" Nami said "Don't joke around. There's a hundred million in each of those. How can it be light?"
"I don't know…it just is," Luffy claimed.
Nami marched over to him and snatched the briefcase out of the captain's hand. However like luffy said it felt very light. Nami quickly opened it and the other lighter one to find it completely empty.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Luffy and Nami screamed together.
"What the hell are you screaming for?" Paullie demanded and rushed over.
"2….2…200 MILLION BERI!" Luffy exclaimed "GONE!"
"These aren't even our briefcases," Nami cried now that she got a better look at the cases.
Lucci, Hattori, Iceberg, Kalifa and Kaku all turned and glared at Paullie.
"WHAT'S THAT LOOK FOR…I DIDN'T TAKE IT!" Paullie shouted back, defending himself from the accusatory stares.
"So noisy," a carpenter complained as he came over. He noticed Kaku and looked at him "Hey Kaku, what did the Franky Family want?"
"Franky Family?" Kaku asked confused.
"Yeah I saw you with them earlier," the shipwright claimed.
"What are you talking about? I haven't seen them all day," Kaku responded.
"That's weird…I'm pretty sure I saw your long nose…" the carpenter thought.
"Wait a second…you saw a man with a long nose?" Connor asked overhearing the conversation.
"USOPP!" Luffy exclaimed
"What is he doing with the Franky's?" Nami asked.
"Well…they were carrying him…he looked beaten up and bloodied," the carpenter clarified.
"THAT'S KIDNAPPING!" Nami yelled.
"Luffy go find him," Nami ordered, but her captain was already rushing off at break neck speed.
"Wait Luffy…Do you know where you're going?" Connor called out.
"Hey, where do the Franky's live?" Nami asked Paullie desperately.
"The Scrap yard if you start from where you docked your ship, then go northeast along the beach you'll find a place. You can't miss it…it has a giant sign saying Franky House out the front," Paullie answered.
Nami nodded, she picked up the one full suitcase and ran out of the Shipyard with Connor in tow. They boarded the two Yaggara and started to swim around Water Seven, desperately trying to find Luffy and any sign of Usopp.
"LUFFY! USOPP!" Nami yelled at the top of her lungs "WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"Dang it where can those two be?" Nami said to herself, deciding to return to the ship for now.
Connor was in the second Yaggara, thankfully the bull understood that both Connor and Nami had to stick together and followed the Yaggara that Nami was riding. Connor was looking left and right constantly, trying to spy any sign of the two missing crew members.
He noticed a large crowd beneath a bridge they were currently crossing and at first Connor did not think too much of it. However he got a better view of what had attracted the crowd as the bridge rounded a bend and his eyes widened at what he saw.
"Nami look," Connor said urgently and pointed to the crowed.
Nami looked in the direction that Connor was pointing and gasped. She urged the Yaggara to get down to the crowds. The Bulls obeyed and in a few minutes Nami and Connor were climbing off there Yaggars and weaving through the crowds.
What he saw horrified him. There was Usopp badly beaten, burned and bloodied all over.
"Usopp?" Connor whispered.
"USOPP!" Nami screamed in worry and distress.
She kneeled down to Usopp and cradled him cautiously while Connor spoke to a few people in the crowed trying to determine what happened.
"They took it…Nami…They took all the money" Usopp cried weakly "I'm so useless,"
Connor stopped what he was doing and looked over at the sniper.
"I'm sorry everyone," Usopp sobbed in shame "We were finally going to fix the Merry, but I screwed up and lost it all,"
"That doesn't matter," Nami responded, trying to comfort him.
"Nami…is he going to be okay?" Connor asked worriedly.
Nami looked to him and nodded.
"I'll take care of him, go back to the Merry and let anyone who is there know what happened. If Choppers there bring him back here," Nami ordered.
"But earlier you said…" Connor started.
"Well listen to what I'm saying now," Nami snapped forcefully making Connor freeze "Go back to the ship and get help,"
"Go Connor now," Nami ordered.
Connor nodded, he turned around and got into the Yaggara with the last full brief case filled with money.
"Can you take me back to the rental shop that we were at earlier?" Connor asked the Yaggara.
The bull nodded and swam off, Connor looked back at Usopp and Nami, he hoped the sniper would be alright.
Once Connor had gone Nami had asked a bystander if there was a doctor's office nearby as Usopp needed emergency medical treatment. There wasn't but the citizen directed Nami to nearby pharmacy a few stores down. Nami ran to the shop and bought lots of badges and rubbing oil. She wasn't a doctor but she knew first aid and she could at least help alleviate some of the Usopps pain before chopper arrived and gave him proper medical care.
Nami paid for the supplies and ran back to where she had left Usopp only to find him gone and bloody trail left behind. Nami followed the trail only for it to end by the canal at the end of the street.
Figuring that Usopp got on a Bull the navigator looked up and down the canal for any sign of Usopp but he was gone.
"He's gone…dam it. Can this day possibly get any worse?" she asked her self irritably.
She headed back to her Yaggara and decided to go back to the ship. With any luck she would get back before Connor brought the rest of the crew back here.
Peninsula, Going Merry
Zoro had been staring off into space, lost in deep and solemn thoughts. He had been like that since Kaku left; every now and then he would glance sadly at the ships figure head for a few moments in sad silence.
Sanji and Chopper came back together, the cook had various shopping bags and Chopper was helping to carry them. Once they got on board they had immediately noticed the sad atmosphere and as soon as the fresh food had been stored Zoro told them the news.
"You're serious…. That's what the carpenter said?" Sanji asked in disbelief.
"Yeah…the Merry can't be repaired," Zoro claimed.
"Are you sure he wasn't exaggerating?" Sanji asked "The ship looks as good as always. Didn't it make it all the way from East Blue with us?"
"That's right and we went up to the sky with it and came back down again," Chopper added "The Merry is strong,"
"That's probably why it can't be repaired…it's just been through too much," Zoro claimed.
"So…what does that mean for us?" Sanji asked "This crew I mean?"
"If we want to keep sailing we need a new ship," Zoro said "and that is up to Luffy,"
"B…B…But I like the Merry," Chopper sniffed as he started to cry.
"We all do but if we want to continue…we have to say goodbye to it," Zoro sighed "and….if that is what Luffy decides then we must standby it,"
The trio were silent, then all looked down in sorrow. This was there ship, their companion and now someone told them it was unfit for sailing.
"I just can't accept this," Sanji said defiantly "This ship is our home…we can't just up and leave it…what would Usopp say about this?"
"He'd probably break down," Zoro answered "So Chopper, where's Robin? She should know about this too,"
Chopper looked up at Sanji and he then explained how Robin had gone missing. Chopper thought it was his fault because he wanted to look in a book shop. Sanji also added that he thought he had seen Robin with a masked man earlier and she looked very afraid.
The swordsman sighed in exhaustion.
"Great, the Merry's broken beyond repair and now Robin's missing," Zoro groaned "Could this afternoon get any worse?"
"GUYS!" a voice yelled, coming from the city.
The three walked over the landside of the ship and saw Connor running towards them, he was by himself.
"Oh Connors back," Sanji stated.
"Hold on…where's Luffy, Usopp and Nami?" Chopper asked "Didn't he go with them?"
They looked to see Connor running towards the ship carrying a big briefcase; he stopped by the Merry's side and took a moment to catch his breath before looking up at them.
"You're here…good…" Connor panted.
"Kid, what are you doing back here by yourself?" Zoro demanded.
"Things are bad….they've taken a turn for the worse," Connor claimed.
He was about to tell them when he noticed they were one member short.
"Hey…where's Robin?" Connor asked.
"Missing," Sanji answered as he lit his cigarette "Chopper and I looked all over the city to try and find her,"
"WHAT?!" Connor cried in shock.
"Calm down, why did you come back alone?" Zoro asked "where's Nami, Luffy and Usopp,"
"We…we got robbed," Connor cried out.
"Robbed?" Sanji asked.
Connor nodded.
"Yeah, by some local gang called the Franky Family. They stole 200 million Beri from us out of the 300 we had. What's worse they beat Usopp up and dumped him broken and blooded in the street," Connor explained.
Dark shadows fell over Zoro and Sanji's face; they were clearly pissed off but remained silent. Chopper however was panicking about the state of Usopps health.
"Nami and I found him and she sent me back here to see if Chopper was back or anyone to get help,"
"You've got to be kidding me" Chopper cried out "Doctor…Usopp needs a doctor,"
"That is why he came back," Sanji pointed out.
"AH….I'm the doctor," Chopper remembered and he ran off to get his medical bag.
"Great, now we're in even deeper shit," Zoro groaned, rubbing his forehead, trying to rid himself from an upcoming headache.
"What about Luffy, Where is he?" Sanji asked.
"Uh….I don't know," Connor said, a bit embarrassed "He ran off on his own once we found the money gone,"
"Typical," Zoro muttered in annoyance "For now we should focus on healing Usopp,"
Connor nodded.
"Once Chopper gets his medical equipment, I'll take you to where I left him and Nami," Connor agreed.
Connor boarded the ship and Sanji put the remaining money away safely. Chopper re-emerged a few moments later and hopped off the ship with both Zoro and Sanji. They were eager for a fight and were worried about their crew mate. They were about half way to the Bull rental station when they saw Nami coming from the opposite direction with Luffy.
But Usopp was not with them.
"NAMI-CHANNNN!" Sanji called out happily.
"I thought you said she was with Usopp," Zoro said looking at Connor.
"She was," Connor claimed.
"He's right I was…but Usopp ran off," Nami claimed.
"How? Connor said he was broken and bloodied?" Chopper asked.
"He is…after I sent Connor back to the ship I went into a nearby pharmacy for some bandages and other first aid supplies," Nami explained "I was gone maybe a minute or two and when I got back Usopp had vanished,"
"If Usopp was badly hurt then wouldn't he leave a trail?"
"Yeah…except he got on a Yaggara and took off. His trail ended at the edge of the street," Nami sighed.
"Then…Where did he go?" Chopper asked.
"I don't know, I found Luffy in the canals on my way back to the ship," Nami said.
"Why was he in the canals?" Sanji asked.
"I was trying to do that big long jump…like that guy from this afternoon," Luffy claimed.
'Idiot,' the entire crew thought.
"That's nice but we need to find Usopp, he's badly hurt," Chopper urged "Can either you or Connor think of anywhere he might go?"
"No….we didn't go anywhere but the shipyard today," Nami said.
"He might have gone to that Mizu meat stand," Luffy suggested.
Nami smacked him in the head for that. The crew were silent for a minute trying to figure out where the sniper could have gone. The problem was they had only arrived in the city this morning and none of them were familiar with the layout so they had no real leads.
"Well…he was feeling really bad about losing the money…" Connor remembered.
"Yeah and…..wait…you don't think he went after the Franky Family on his own do you?" Nami gasped.
"It's what I would do," Luffy said.
"Where's this Franky Family base?" Zoro asked and gripped his sword.
"It's just at the end of the beach," Nami answered "But what happened to the last 100 million Beri?"
"It's safely stored away on the Merry," Sanji answered.
"AND NO ONES GAURDING IT!" Nami yelled.
"WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES RIGHT NOW!" Zoro yelled back.
"Alright I'll guard the money you lot find the other 200 million, beat up the Franky's, find Usopp and treat his injures," Nami ordered "so I can beat him up again for making us worry,"
Nami turned and ran towards the Merry before anyone could respond.
"Does she want us to do it in that order?" Connor asked.
"Knowing her…yes," Zoro answered "but we'll just see who we find first. Usopp or the Franky's,"
Franky's Family Hideout,
The Fraky Family were in high spirts, they had just successfully robbed 200 million Beri's of some weak long nose pirate; the head of the family had been the most exited as he had very very specific plans for the money. The entire Family was about to start celebrating when their front door exploded.
"What the?" One of the Franky members exclaimed.
There, where the door once stood, was Usopp, standing beaten and bloodied but tall and proud; he had his slingshot in hand and he was glaring murderously at the Franky Family.
"Oh…come back for another beating?" the leader asked mokingly.
"The Money," Usopp growled savagely "Give. It. Back,"
The Straw Hats
Following the directions that Nami had given them the crew raced towards the Franky's Family's base. It took them about 15 minutes to get there from they're ship; when they arrived the crew saw Usopp completely beaten, broken and bloody body not far from the Franky's house. The five of them stared over their fallen comrade, their expressions blank; Connor noticed that he had a lot more injures than before and several new ones as well.
Nami was right; Usopp had come here alone to get the money back. Even though he was badly hurt he still came and had been beaten again and thrown out like garbage. Chopper was very quick to administer first aid.
"Is he alright," Luffy asked the doctor "Chopper?"
"He's alive, I need to stabilise him but he should be okay," Chopper answered as he tended to the sniper "Although he is unconscious,"
The whole crew took note of dried tears on Usopp, further infuriating him them all. Once Chopper had finished stabilising Luffy took off his hat and put it on Usopps chest. The whole crew turned and glared menacingly at Franky's house.
"Hang tight Usopp," Luffy said solemnly "We'll be back in a bit,"
Sanji lit his lighter, Luffy cracked his knuckles, Zoro tied his bandana around his head, Chopper was seething, and Connor drew his sword; all of them were trembling with rage.
The five began walking towards the Franky house in a confident stride. The aura surrounding them filled with rage, anger, fury. Nothing but pure vengeance on their mind, it was all for their friend who tried so desperately to get back what was rightfully theirs.
As they drew closer to the house, the sound of laughter and partying was heard; but their pace remained the same. If anything the laughter made the already pissed off crew angrier.
Once they approached the door Luffy punched it off its hinges and took some of the wall with it. Unfortunately there was a man behind it who at the exact same time was just about to open the door and he flew back, hitting a few men along the way.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" the Frankie's yelled.
The Franky Family immediately recognized the perpetrators as the crew they had stolen from earlier today.
"That's Straw-Hat Luffy!" one of the Frankie's cried out.
The Franky Family stared at the crew for a moment and then burst out laughing.
"WAHAHA, ARE YOU HERE FOR THE MONEY?!"
"YOU ONLY HAVE 5 GUYS! LITTLE GUYS AT THAT!"
"LOOK THEY BROUGHT A KID ALONG TOO. I BET HE'S EVEN WEAKER THAN THAT LONG NOSED GUY!"
"We'll teach you a lesson. Once we're done with you we'll add your bounties to our haul,"
A large Franky Family member with heavy Armor turned his attention to Luffy
"So that makes you that weak long nosed, softies captain," the large Franky Family member mocked "You must have a death wish coming in here. Hell I'm feeling gracious today. I'll give you a free hit"
Luffy glared at him and drew his fist back.
"GOMU GOMU NO…" he started.
"Ha," The Franky family laughed, he did not see it stretch so far back "You expect to win with fists?"
"BAZOOKA!" Luffy cried and he slammed his fist straight into the center of the armor shattering it compltery and forcing the man wering it to crash into the oppisate wall.
The rest of the Straw Hats took that as their que and walked forward. The Franky Family's confidance instaly left them.
"Hey now," The leader pleaded relising that they were no match for the crew "Let's discuss this peacefully,"
"There is nothing to discuss," Luffy said, glaring at everyone in the room with a very scary and serious raged filled look in his eyes.
The Franky family instantly sprang into action and revealed several large cannons and all of them aimed directly at the crew.
"FIRE" the leader shouted, cannons lined up behind him.
"Santoryu..." Zoro said darkly "KARASUMA GARI!"
With ease, Zoro sliced all the cannonballs cleanly in half, the Franky Family's jaws dropped and eyes bulged out. The sliced cannons harmlessly collided off to the side walls leaving Sanji, Chopper, Luffy and Connor unscathed.
"THOSE WERE MADE OUT OF PURE IRON!" the leader cried. explained before hearing a clank.
"OH GOD…THE CANNONS!"
"God can't save you…because we beat him too," Zoro said in a demonic way.
"THESE GUYS ARE NOT NORMAL!"
"RUN, ESCAPE FROM THE BACK!"
Sanji jumped over landing in between the fleeing Franky Family and the back door.
"You guys should seriously think about who you're robbing from," Sanji stated casually with clear Malice.
"PARTY TABLE KICK COURSE!" Sanji yelled as he kicked several nearby members.
"THROUGH THE WINDOWS!"
"RUN!"
"Rumble," Chopper said and put a small golden ball in his mouth and crushed it with his teeth. It took immediate effect.
"Horn Point," Chopper charged lowering his antlers, bucking his head up the moment he felt the enemies hit the tips "ROSE CORONET!"
More Franky's were sent flying leaving the everyone in shock, the Franky's had no idea that Usopp was part of such a strong crew.
"AH…Get the kid use him as a hostage," the leader finally ordered.
Those that could still move and had the strength to strength to fight charged at Connor and tried to rush him.
"Let's get one thing straight," Connor started as the Franky's approached him "I may be a child…"
Connor got ready and once the Franky's were in range he seemed to disappear and several deep cuts appeared on the approaching Franky's Family members that spouted blood.
He then turned and faced the leader.
"But I am not defenceless," Connor said coldly as the bodies hit the floor behind him.
The leader stared at the boy as he and the other members of the Straw Hats approached him.
"W…W…Wait," the leader tired raising his hands in surrender and waving them at Luffy's crew.
"Let's be reasonable, all you want is the money right? The 200 million we stole from that long nose weakling?" the leader pleaded desperately "It's not here anymore…The truth is we don't have it. Our boss Franky took it and went shopping somewhere via the sea train. None of us have any idea where he went,"
The crew stopped there advance and glanced at each other before Luffy walked forward, the leader noticed this and believed he had pacified the crew…but that was his fatal mistake.
"NO MATTER HOW MUCH HAVOC YOU WREAK YOU'LL NEVER GET YOUR MONEY BAURGH!"
"ZAMBAI!" The remaining members of the Franky family cried out as their leader Zambai was defeated with one punch from the rubber captain.
"You talk too much" Connor snarled "this was never about the money,"
"That's right," Zoro agreed demonically "You pissed us off,"
"None of you are leaving with your bones intact," Luffy declared as he cracked his knuckles.
Luffy punched Franky members left and right, Zoro and Connor slashed away, Sanji kicked everyone in the chin, Chopper used his different transformations and even though the entire Franky Family was finished off in an instant the crew kept fighting relentlessly until the Franky's family base collapsed and was nothing but a pile of rubble.
After the fight the Franky's Family base was nothing more than a pile of rubble. The crew had been merciless in there attack. Zoro, Sanji and Connor sat on the ruins of the Franky Family home base, Luffy stood high above on top of the pile or of rubble, looking out over the ocean horizon. Chopper had gone back to Usopp and was treating his injuries.
Zoro and Sanji discussed their options while Connor listened.
"So the money wasn't here after all," Zoro sighed "looks like Farnky did take it somewhere,"
"Think we should go after him?" Sanji suggested.
"Where would we go? His own men didn't know where he was heading or what he was planning to do with the money," Zoro countered "besides even if we did find him…Franky probably will have spent it all by then,"
"Damn bastards," Sanji spat "The small fry weren't lying about the cash. They really don't know where it is. We can only get to Franky after he returns,"
"I don't think he'll be coming back anytime soon," Zoro claimed.
"So what now?" Connor asked.
"It's up to Luffy now," Zoro stated and glanced up at the rubber captain.
They sat in silence until Chopper came running up to them.
"GUYS!" Chopper called out as he ran back over to the rest of the crew "I've done what I can here, help me carry him back to the ship so he can rest,"
Sanji stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants.
"Come on…we're just wasting time here" Sanji said. "Let's head back,"
"Yeah Nami's guarding the ship by herself and Robin is still missing," Zoro agreed.
"Plus we still have the Merry to deal with," Connor added.
Sanji nodded and turned to Luffy.
"Oi Luffy, let's go," he called out to the captain.
Luffy however didn't respond, he just kept looking out to the horizon.
"Luffy, we should really get Usopp back to the ship," Sanji tried again.
"About the ship," Luffy said in a serious tone "I've decided…"
Luffy paused and everyone looked up at him, so none of them would miss what he was about to say.
"It's time…to say goodbye to the Going Merry," He finished sternly.