Crazy trouble with love part 10
Amande and Franky
Series: One Piece
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Amande stared across the ocean as she saw a speck in the distance, slowly growing larger as time passed. She inhaled and blew some of the smoke from her mouth, her cigarette not even moving as she kept a blank expression. "We're almost there."
"Yes, ma'am, we will arrive at Water 7 within the next few hours, ma'am!" A chess soldier remarked from behind her, saluting her as she didn't react.
"I see. What's the condition of the ship? Did we sustain any damage when crossing under the Red Line?" She asked, her tone neutral.
"No, ma'am, the hulls are holding steady and strong." the chess soldier remarked quickly.
"I see. That is not good." She remarked, making the soldier look at her in confusion.
"Ma'am?"
"How are we supposed to assess the shipwrights here if there isn't a ship for them to fix?" She asked, moving one of her hands to rest on her sword's hilt. "I'll give them enough to work with."
"Ma-WAH!" he let out, jumping back as she drew out her sword and swung it down, cutting right through the wooden planks under them before he could say a full sentence. With a large gash, she slowly walked over to the rail and cut it right off, letting the top part fall over and into the sea. "M-Ma'am, please, stop! You'll sink us!"
"No, I won't. Only fools would sink themselves; I'm just damaging the ship. We'll make it to Water 7 before we have to worry about that." She remarked, glancing back at the island they were heading to. "That island is home to the best shipwrights in the world, and Mama wants us to take a few back home, especially those who can work just as well with food as they are with wood."
The soldier shook nervously, watching as she walked over to the mast and began to slowly dig her blade into it from an angle, cutting into the wood like it was butter, and gulped. "Y-Y-Yes, ma'am."
She didn't bother responding as she resumed her work. Big Mom expected only the best for her, and she refused to deliver anything less than that, no matter the cost.
After a bit longer and finishing up on the damages, Water 7 soon came into full view. Her eyes roamed the large city, taking it all in. While it paled compared to Toto land, it was still an impressive city. The waterways leading through it were something to acknowledge, but as the half-damaged ship got closer, her eyes noticed something. She saw what looked like a large dust cloud coming from a part of the city close to the island's edge and frowned as she squinted, trying to see what was causing it.
"Ma'am, shall we dock at-"
"Quiet." she cut him off without turning her head, taking note of the dust cloud turning and running by one of the paths that turned and was parallel to the ship as it kept going. She narrowed her eyes to focus and started to pick out shapes. She noticed figures dressed in matching black overall armor/overalls with a large red star on them when she saw a larger figure in the dust cloud.
"Hahahahahaha! Those assholes didn't see us coming!" One of the figures in overalls laughed.
"Yeah, those idiots thought they could stiff the Franky family and get away with it?!"
"We kicked their asses with big bro here!"
"Yeah!" another called as Amande stared and watched the dust begin to disperse. There, standing tall, was perfection.
Her eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, her cigarette falling to the floor with everything around her going mute.
There he stood, a buff figure with large, misshapen arms with blue stars on them, and they were holding a man up by his head with ease. He glared at the thrashing man through black sunglasses, his hair styled into a giant blue pompadour, which moved as he shook his head in disappointment and frustration. "You guys are idiots, huh?"
"Eh? What do you mean?" The figure got out as they tried to free themselves from the blue-haired man's grasp to no avail.
"I mean, you idiots thought you could screw with my family and then stick around afterward?" he let out a scoff as the man glared and tried to let out a yell and swing his fist at the man's face, but when it made contact, he cried out in pain and pulled back.
"Yeow! Y-Your face!"
"Eh? First, you screwed with my family, and now you got a problem with my face?" The man asked, glaring down his metal nose and chin with three points. "You do have a death sentence."
The man squirmed harder before the blue haired man lifted him up with ease before throwing him through the air with complete ease, sending the man falling down into the water without turning around. "Now then, which one of you bums are next?!"
Back on the ship, Amande felt like she couldn't breathe, she could only stare ahead as her heart beat in her chest like a drum. She watched as the blue haired man started to lead his group down the street, all of them kicking up another dust cloud while swearing she could feel butterflies in her stomach.
That face, that body, how he held his family in high regard and didn't take any shit about how he looked or acted; it was all so clear to her. Amande knew deep in her soul that every other man she'd ever meet from then on out would leave her wanting, for they could never measure up to the person she'd just seen on the shore.
"Uh, ma'am?" the chess soldier spoke up, noting how quiet Amande had gone and was curious. "Is everything alright?"
"...Yes, I'm fine. I'm going to scout ahead; I'll be back soon." She said, barely hesitating as she saw Franky and his group beginning to make their way inland. She couldn't just let him get away from her, not now!
"Uh…yes ma'am, we'll be reaching the docks very shortly."
"No, I mean, I'm going now." She said, stepping up onto the railing of the deck.
"Huh?" The man started before with a blast of air; Amande had slept off, shattering the railing beneath her as she headed towards the island ahead of her. He let out a sigh, but resigned himself to merely making sure the boat was taken care of properly, or else it would be his head on the line.
Meanwhile, Amande landed on the rubble that made up the island's shore, looking around calmly, if a bit fast, trying to spot Franky. When she didn't see his blue hair anywhere, she let out a low huff while taking out a fresh cigarette. Lighting it up, she took a second to inhale and blow out some smoke, needing to keep her mind steady. 'Ok, it's fine, you're fine. This is an island, and from what you heard, it's clear he lives here, so you don't have to worry about him leaving anytime soon.'
She made her way off the rubble and stepped into the town, looking around and closed her eyes. 'If I hope to find that man, I should ask around and see if anyone knows useful information.' She kept walking until she felt the faint haki signatures ahead, signaling civilians. 'Perfect, they might be able to tell me about Franky and his family.'
With that in mind, she headed right into town, noting people seeing her and looked caught off guard. Not in a negative way, but in a way they had never seen someone of her tall stature, which didn't bother her. She knew she wasn't normal, she knew people were intimidated by her, and her attitude didn't help, but she didn't care; why would she? Why waste her time with the opinions of people who didn't matter?
"Excuse me." she spoke up to a nearby man who gulped when he saw her look down at him with an expression that made him get goosebumps. "I'm looking for someone."
"O-Ok, um, who?" The man asked, staring up into the pale woman's face, her hat casting a dark shadow over it, with her cigarette giving it an eerie light.
"A man with blue hair, in a pompadour, with a red shirt with yellow flowers on it, and no pants," she explained while trying to keep from getting excited at recalling his look with the hat covering her cheeks as they felt flushed. "Have you seen him?"
"Y-You're looking for FRANKY?!" The man cried out, paling. There was no doubt in his mind that the only person looking for Franky and looking like that was clearly a bounty hunter.
"Yes." she replied, noting the man backing up and several people who heard him looked nervous now. "You know him?"
"Y-Yeah, he runs the Franky family, the ship breakers! Their clubhouse is on the other side of the island!"
"Perfect." she turned away and began walking away, making the man let out a breath of relief with Amande tried to avoid skipping there with her heartbeat going faster now that she had a location. 'Just wait, Franky, I'm coming~.'
"W-Wait!" another man let out, making Amande stop and glance over with a frown, making him gulp. "T-They're dangerous! They're the worst gang in the whole town! You could get hurt!"
Amande didn't stop, but she did internally scoff. Given what she's been through? She doubted she would be quick to get injured in a place like this.
Meanwhile, at Franky's house, the gang was celebrating and partying. They had a large spread set up for anyone to grab whatever they wanted while tossing cash all around in the air.
"Did you see how those losers ran? What a bunch of wimps!"
"Yeah, we sure showed them!"
"Yeah, I can't wait for the boss to come back with the good booze! Good thing those numbskulls were loaded!"
The members cheered and clinked glasses together, while Kiwi and Mozu smiled at seeing everyone in high spirits. They rested near the door, waiting for Franky to come back, chuckling over how they tricked him into volunteering to get more booze for the party.
"So, what do you think he'll get?"
"Something that can be mixed with cola, probably."
"Well that hardly narrows it down." Mozu remarked before they heard a knock on the door. "Huh? Is he back already?"
"You kidding? Franky would have kicked the door down before actually knocking."
That made the sisters share a look and nod before putting a hand on their swords with Kiwi putting her ear to the door. It was quiet for a few seconds before the knocking came again, but harder.
'Definitely not Franky.' Mozu thought as Kiwi looked at her, it was clear she had the same thought on her face. "Who is it? What do you want?"
"Is this where the Franky Family resides?" A calm female voice asked, making Mozu and Kiwi look at each other in confusion.
"... Yes, our name is on the building."
"Is Franky here?"
"...No, why do you want to know?" Kiwi asked suspiciously.
"I…I….would like to see him."
"...alright, how about you come back later?" Mozu suggested as Kiwi nodded.
"I can wait."
"We weren't inviting you to."
Amande furrowed her brow, feeling annoyed, but kept it together and kept her voice cool. "It's no trouble, I'm very patient."
"This ain't up for debate, you're not coming in," Mozu said as she tightened her grip on her sword.
Amande narrowed her eyes, hand resting on her own. "I'm not leaving."
"Yes, you are!" Kiwi shouted in frustration, unknowingly getting the attention of some of the closer members of the Franky family. "Now buzz off, or else!"
"Hey, what's going on?" one of the men asked, holding off from his third cup of beer.
"Some crazy woman is outside; she refuses to leave," Mozu interjected, moving her way towards the peephole. "She's probably someone who has an issue with bros no pan-HOLY SHIT."
"What is it?" her sister asked with concern.
"Whoever this chick is, she's bad news!" She cursed, moving away from the peephole. "She's huge!"
Kiwi took a look and went wide eyed, backing up. "Who has a neck that long?!"
Amande frowned as she heard that. "Enough of this, let me in, or I'm coming in, the choice is yours."
"Oi oi, if this chick is for real, I say we show her what the Franky Family is all about!" one guy slurred, stepping forward with others cheering in, getting up and cracking their muscles.
"No, wait, stop, that's a really bad id-" Kiwi started, only for the fool to start to pull the door open before she could stop him.
"Woah!" several let out when they saw Amande slowly walking in without hesitating.
"Good. Now, when will Franky get ba-"
"Leave big bro alone!"
"Scram!"
She watched as the family surrounded her with numerous weapons brandished and the boys looking cocky. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Are you really going to do this? I came here just to see Franky."
"Yeah!"
"I urge you to reconsider, it would get complicated if he came back after I beat you all." She said blankly, similar to how someone would comment that the air next to the ocean is salty, as if her victory over them was a mere fact of life.
That got her silence, which was quickly crushed as they all burst out laughing, acting like she just said the funniest punchline in town.
"S-Someone has a big ego to match their neck!" one of the Franky family laughed, making Amande's eye twitch in annoyance.
"Oi lady! We're the toughest gang in the whole town!"
"If you say sorry, maybe we won't beat you so bad!"
"I will not apologize for speaking the truth, it is you who have to apologize." She remarked, casually placing one of her hands on the hilt of her sword.
"Not a chance!" spoke up Kiwi as she and Mozu drew their swords warningly.
"You either beat it or we MAKE you beat it."
"Fine, just so you all know, you asked for this fate, " she remarked as she began to slowly unsheath her sword.
The group, mostly the guys, figured this would be over quick. The camera panned away from them however and went to where Franky currently was. The blue-haired cyborg was humming a tune to himself as he made his way back to the Franky house, several large brown bags brimming with liquor and cola in his arms.
"Ahhh, tonight's gonna be one hell of a party." he let out with a wide grin, eager to get drunk, refill his tank, and stuff his face from all the food they got. Just another time to celebrate a successful job. Of course there wasn't much to be expected regarding his family. However, as he got closer to the house, he began to see the door was open, except instead of the sounds of revelry coming from the house, he could hear the swish, clangs, and bang of active combat, along with the cries of pains from the Franky family. He immediately became concerned and dropped the drinks, running towards his home.
When he got to the front door, all he saw in front of him was a scene of utter carnage: tables were strewn about, multiple members of the Franky family lay lying on the ground, and in the middle of it all stood Amande, sword in hand. She didn't even notice him as she surveyed around, taking note of nobody else left standing.
"Good, it seems they're finally done." She muttered to herself.
"OI! YOU!"
She glanced over her shoulder and felt her heartbeat pick up quickly with her face getting warm when she saw it was Franky who did not look happy. "Franky…"
"Yeah, it's me, and what did you do to my crew?!" He snapped, glaring at her.
"Oh! T-They're still alive, they were just…being….stubborn." she tried to explain, but was too distracted by his chest that it made her face get hotter. 'Ahh, he's so much better up close than from my ship.'
"Good, so I won't have to kill you." He growled, cracking his neck as he glanced down at everyone, and noticed while they had the beginning of some nasty bruises, no one looked like they had any severe cuts.
"I didn't want to hurt them too badly. I didn't come here to cause anything, I came here looking for you." she remarked, her hat obscuring her face to hide her blush while trying to keep her voice even and calm.
"So, you came here for me, one of the losers me and my family beat up put a bounty on me or something?" He remarked, eyeing her over. While he did note that she looked terrific, he could also tell she wasn't a pushover, if the state of his family was anything to go by, at least.
"I came here to ask if you'd please come with me. Just the two of us and nobody else." she spoke, while internally she was squealing and her cheeks turning darker. 'Oh dear, I really did it. I asked him on a…a ...date…'
"I see, so that's what this is… I gotta say, not exactly a SUPER way to ask someone to a duel." He growled, striking the pose as he said his famous line.
Amande could only stare in wonder at the pose, so much so that her mind could barely register what Franky had said. She swore she saw sparkles around when he did it, making her swoon and sway slightly, righting herself before she fell over and shook her head. 'So…so cool~'
"But if you want my head so bad? Then you're gonna have a hard time getting it." he remarked while raising his fists up in a ready stance.
That sentence and stance, however, finally hit home to Amande that, at some point, she had messed up, and she and Franky were not on the same track. "Wait." she held her hand out, shaking her head as she raised her hat slightly to look him in the eyes. "There's been a misunderstanding; I don't want to turn you in for some measly bounty, nor do I wish to kill you."
"Oh? Then why else would you storm in here, beat up the Franky family, and then challenge me like that?" He asked, tilting his head in confusion as Amande colored a bit, realizing she went a bit overboard in her eagerness to see him.
"I….I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out. You and I. Just…Just the two of us. For a bite to eat!" she got out, trying to keep her blush from being seen as she looked away with her hat covering most of her face.
"...HUH?! Wait, wait, hold on, you did all this, broke in, beat everyone up…. Because you like me?"
Amande felt her face turn darker than it should and didn't say it vocally while the twins were back on their feet, checking up on everyone and taking note that surprised them.
"Wow, she really did leave everyone alive."
"I didn't want to kill anyone, I just wanted….Franky~" She let out, actually swooning a bit as she said his name, and now that the tension was beginning to leave the room, there was no mistaking her reaction as anything but someone with a big crush on someone else.
Franky lifted up his sunglasses, letting this all sink in before holding his chin as he let this sink in. He didn't normally have much luck with women given his reputation, nor really attract many like her who had a surprisingly long neck, but also could single handedly take on his ENTIRE gang. "Well… I suppose it wouldn't be SUPER of me to just turn you away after all that trouble, huh?" He grinned, looking up at her as he gave her a wink.
Amande felt like she took a hit to the chest, reeling back with a gasp as she pulled her hat down to cover her face, feeling butterflies coming back. "S-S-S-So…that's a….yes?"
"Yep, it is! Do ya want to go now?" He asked, grinning as her hat nodded quickly. 'Heh, for someone that big she can be pretty cute when she wants to be.'
"P-P-Please, lead the way. I'm…I'm not from around here."
"No problem. I'll show you the best spot around to grab a bite to eat." He grinned, beginning to move towards the door, with Amande following quickly. "Just a heads up, we might have to take a bit of a weird path. A lot of the city is built around the canals, and some are pretty narrow."
'If it means I get to spend more time with you, I wouldn't mind getting lost~' She thought in her head, but responded back with a casual, "Sure."
"SUPER!" Franky cheered, missing how her face went red as she watched him.
As the unlikely duo began to make their way into the city proper, the people of Water Seven couldn't help but stare. On one hand, there was Frankly, loud, flashily dressed in nothing but a Hawaiian shirt, thong, and gold chains. Meanwhile, he was strutting down the street side by side with a woman who looked like she was from high society, with a beautiful dress and hat, her sword by her side, somehow not looking out of place. However, they did take note of her unusually longer than average neck, and pale skin and equally pale blue hair, they still made a strange duo.
Amande took notice, but didn't say anything. That didn't mean she wasn't aware of the whispering that annoyed her. 'These weak idiots, it's as if they've never seen two people together before. They better not make Franky reconsider agreeing to getting dinner with me, if they ruin this date I'll sink this island.'
Franky lead the way and brought them to a restaurant filled to the brim with customers. As soon as they stepped inside, all talk stopped, leading to everyone looking at them. Awe in Amande's case, and fear in Franky's case. "C'mon, I know a good spot in the back. The food here is great!" He grinned, as if oblivious to the looks they were getting.
Amande gave a smile and followed him, having to bend her head down slightly from hitting the ceiling as they walked past the tables. They each took a seat across from the other with a server walking over, looking nervous and sweating.
"W-Welcome, uh… h-how can I help you two this evening? C-Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'll have a tall cola." grinned Franky with Amande looking at the menu.
"Sweet tea with lemon."
"R-Right away!" The server said before practically running away.
"Damn, everybody seems pretty jumpy tonight, huh?" Franky remarked as Amande sighed.
"I think that may be because of me, unfortunately I'm not exactly… normal." she nodded at herself, the patrons slowly going back to their own business, albeit the volume lowered. "I'm not from around here and stand out, so it makes sense they'd stare."
"Nah, it's probably my fault, I do run the underworld on this island. If anything they probably can't stop staring at you because of how SUPER you are." Franky remarked with a grin.
Amande felt her cheeks heat up, looking away quickly with her hands fiddling together on her lap. "T-Thank you." 'Ahhhh! D-Don't say that in public! I might not take it!'
"No problem. So, what brings you here anyway? I doubt it was just my good looks." He joked with a grin.
'It is!' she internally screamed, biting her lip to keep it inside as she gulped and tried to calm down. "A-Actually, me and my ship came here to see if the reputation of Water 7 was true; that they had some of the best shipwrights in the world. You see, I'm not from around here actually. I'm from beyond the Grand Line."
"Oh? You traveled here from one of the blues? Damn, you must really need a good shipwright then, huh?" Franky whistled, his eyes widening a bit in surprise.
"Well it just so happened the ship sustained bad damages, but I was sent here by my mama to find some of the best shipwrights and see if they would be interested in coming back with me." she replied right as the server came back and set their drinks down, giving a bow and bolted back to the kitchen in the blink of an eye.
"Hmmm, well I can tell you right now you might not have much luck. A few years ago maybe, but since Iceburg unionized all the shipwrights they're insanely loyal to him and the island." Franky took a sip of his cola, giving a wide grin and pumped his fist up. "Wooh! That's the good stuff."
"I can assure you, my mama is not someone who tends to take no as a good answer. She tends to get what she has her eye on, or else." remarked Amande, taking a sip herself. "She's not a woman many would take lightly if they want to survive."
"I don't doubt that, and I don't doubt you could find a shipwright, just warning you that you might not get the best of the best." Franky conceded. "When it comes to shipwrights you want them to be happy and loyal, or otherwise on your next voyage the last ship they work on might have an 'accident'. Just keep in mind the shipwrights here are damn loyal to Iceburg, and everyone on the island loves him, so just be careful." Franky remarked as she sipped her tea and considered his words.
"I see… and are you included in that list of people loyal to him and the island?" She asked curiously, as if testing the water. 'Please say no, please say no, please let there be a shot of you being convinced to come with me to Totto land!'
Franky looked down and let out a scoff. "Me? Loyal to him? Not a chance. I wasn't gonna be loyal to someone who rolled over and sided with the people who took away Tom. I wasn't gonna leave though, this place is my home and I'll do things my way."
Amande bit down a small sigh of disappointment as she heard the remainder of his words. So he was loyal to the island, that would make things difficult, but she had time, she could see if she could convince him, but she knew already she didn't have it in her to kidnap him, she just knew the idea of him hating her for that would practically kill her if it happened.
"U-U-Uh, w-w-what would you two like?" the server asked as she came back with a forced smile.
"I'll get the burger, medium rare, extra bacon." Franky said by reflex as Amande glanced down at the menu.
"Foot long sub with extra spinach."
"Alright, we'll get that right out!" she squeaked before practically running off again.
"So, what kind of ship are you looking to get repaired? Must have been pretty remarkable to have you as the captain." Franky said with a grin.
"O-Oh! I-I-It's nothing really great, j-just one of the usual ships we have in mama's fleet." she tried to wave her hand and not stumble over her words.
"Whoa, a fleet? Are you royalty or something? That would explain a lot." He said, rubbing his chins curiously.
"W-W-Well, I mean, in a way yes. We're a big family with mama ruling over the islands, and her children do hold a different rank for their own island…"
"Sounds SUPER, but if you rule over all these islands, why don't you have a shipwright already?" Franky asked in confusion.
"We did, but he's gotten old, and he was paranoid and didn't take on any students, so we need to find a replacement before he croaks, so I'm here to see if I can find a shipwright who can work with a very special type of material." Amande explained. "It's something you normally wouldn't see being used by most ships."
"Well I've dabbled a bit in building, lay it on me, maybe I can refer you to someone in the shipbuilding yards no one would miss?"
"Well, it's… it's food. Waterproof and strong food, but still food."
"...food?" he repeated, sounding caught off guard and lowered his shades a little, which in Amande's eyes made him look cooler and had to squeeze her lap to keep from swooning. "The kind we're about to have?"
"N-Not quite, she likes to focus on candy and gingerbread… I think my ship was made of peanut brittle." She said, looking away a bit. 'Why am I getting embarrassed, how is making me feel like this with just a look?!'
"Pastries?" he leaned back and rubbed the back of his head, his shades covering his eyes again. "That's…the first I've heard. Never seen a ship made with those before."
"Well, mama is a bit eccentric, and what she wants she gets so…"
Franky felt something connecting in his head, making his shades drop down as he went wide eyed. "Wait! Your mama! Is she…"
"A…yonko? Yes." She said, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped down her shirt. This… this was the make or break moment, and she wasn't ready! Anyone outside of Totto land who realized this truth had one of several reactions, but more often than not they ran off, treated her like she was a bomb that could go off at any time, or pretended to be nice only to call the marines. She… she didn't know how Franky was going to react, she wasn't ready! This, this was a disaster-
"Cool, so what's it like in the new world, is everything there made of food?"
"Eh?" she got out, snapped out of her inner worry at Franky's question.
"Is the new world made of candy or is that just your mom's area?" He repeated curiously.
She looked at him silently, taking a sec to let it sink in, took a swig of her tea, and inhaled. "Just hers. She has an enormous appetite and it's been that way since I was growing up, and she has been working to create what is the perfect land where everyone lives in peace."
"Damn, sounds kinda wild, though I guess that makes sense why the ships are made of candy, sounds like a SUPER place." He grinned.
'I want him, I want him, I want him, I NEED him~' Amande felt her face heating up more. He wasn't freaking out, he didn't run off, and he seemed to be genuine! Her heart was beating faster and making her cheeks heat up.
"Here's your food, please enjoy, andpleasedon'thurtme!" The waiter said, practically spitting out the last part as fast as she could before running away after dropping the couple's food in front of them.
"Sweet, I'm starving." Franky didn't wait before he started biting into his burger, Amande not touching hers as she watched him and had to tilt her hat down to cover her face.
'He…he's even better than I hoped… he's perfect~' She thought, gingerly picking up her food. She tried to keep her face hidden as she ate, not wanting to look messy while over hearing some of the people whisper.
"Did you know Franky had a girlfriend?"
"No, I didn't think anyone would be safe near him."
"I've never seen someone as tall as her before."
"You think she's some noblewoman?"
"If she is, why would she be seen with a punk like that?"
"Maybe he's blackmailing her and she has no choice."
Amande wanted to be mad, she wanted to get up and yell at them for gossiping about her and Franky, and for talking down to Franky, but she couldn't help but smile at the idea of being called his 'girlfriend'. It made her face so warm she was worried she'd start getting lightheaded, but quickly downed some more tea to cool off.
Soon she and Franky had finished their meals, and the server was nervously approaching them, bill in hand.
"Y-Y-Your bill." she spoke before Amande turned to her with a cold look that made her shiver. "O-O-O-Or don't worry! Y-You don't have to pay! It's free!"
Amande kept up her look before reaching into her pocket and set down several beris on the table as the two got up and made their way out. "Keep the change."
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
As they walked out Franky glanced at her. "Thanks for paying, but are you sure you didn't want me to pay?"
"It's fine, I asked you out, so it only makes sense I pay for our meal." she replied while glancing at his body and tried to keep from staring. 'And I don't know where he'd have beris, I don't see any pockets. Unless he stores them-AHHH!' she quickly pinched her nose and bit her tongue. 'DON'T go there! Don't come across as a pervert!'
"If you say so…. Though I suppose I'll have to be the one to pay next time we go out, huh? After all, usually a guy is supposed to pay for the first date, right?" He grinned before pausing as he saw her freeze. "Oh damn, sorry, I uh… well I just assumed… this was a date, right? If not I'm sorry about tha-"
"YES!" she let out quickly before covering her mouth as she tried to keep her cool and cleared her throat. "I mean…yes…I would be fine with that." she got out with a light squeak and her mind swimming. 'A date! A date! He really called it that! Oh YES! My first real date, and with an amazing man! Ahhh~, and he already has plans to do it again? Ahhhh, this day keeps getting better and better!'
"SUPER! I'm glad I got that right!" Franky grinned, doing his famous pose as he saw her waver a bit as she watched him do it. 'Ok, I think I'm starting to get a read on her, I think she likes it when I do this. Damn, I really hit the jackpot finding someone like her who likes someone like me.'
'My heart will give in at this rate!' Amande thought, covering her face as she grit her teeth and tried to take deep breaths. "H-H-Hey, w-why don't we find a spot to sit and talk more? L-L-Let our meal digest?" She tried to offer to keep the date going longer.
"Sounds SUPER, I know a place, follow me." He grinned, before pausing and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, this place can be a bit of a maze and I'd hate to lose you before the date is over, mind if I take your hand?" He offered, reaching out his hand.
"My..my….my hand?"
"Yeah, or if you don't want to, that's fine, it's this way." Franky said as he began to move forward. 'Damn it Franky, you're moving too fast, dial it back.'
'Hand holding?! So soon!?' She thought, her face red as she followed Franky. 'He-he's just like the stories we read as kids, did I find prince charming?!'
Soon Franky had led her to a piece of wall that overlooked the ocean, one that was hidden away behind a large building, so the two of them were alone. He stretched out his arms, puffing out his chest, and let out a deep breath with a smile. "Ahhh, this spot is perfect for when you need to get away and breath in the ocean air."
"Indeed, it's nice." Amande nodded, glancing back at him. 'What do we talk about now?'
"So, what's it like having a big family?" Franky asked as she let out a sigh at the easy escape.
"It's nice, though I have to admit, with over 100 siblings I do have some that I favor over others, there's no avoiding it."
"A hundred?!" Franky let out, his eyes bugging out under his glasses in surprise.
"And counting, mama wanted a large family, and like I said, what she wants she gets. Lots of political marriages and flings, so almost none of us know the other side of our family." she clarified as Franky tried to picture that many kids in one thought bubble, and was struggling. "Many wouldn't know we were siblings given how vastly different we appear compared to each other."
"Wow, sounds like a lot, I only had one brother, we weren't related by blood but we were raised together, so he was like one to me."
"One?" She looked confused. "But I thought those others were your family?"
"Kinda, they're my gang, for sure. I collected them off the street, got them straightened out, and while they are my family, they're not the people I grew up with."
"Oh, so…what's your opinion on having a big family?"
"I'd love one, the bigger the better! Though I'll play it by ear." He said with a grin. "Why, trying to figure out how many kids I want?"
'Kyaaaaa!' Amande screamed in her mind, averting her gaze quickly. "N-N-N-Nothing like that! I-I-I just…didn't know if you found them annoying or too much…"
"Nah, kids are great, and besides, they're not kids forever, right?"
"R-Right… so, what do you do here? You said you run the underground?"
"Kinda, me and the boy's main line of work is ship wrecking, when people get a new ship and need to get rid of the old one they send it to us, we break it down, sell the good parts and take the best bits for our place. Outside of that I keep an eye on the streets, make sure no scumbags linger, and have fun." he remarked while looking out at the sea, gaining a serious look. "I don't want my home to go down the drain, that's why I knew if I ran the underground myself, I'd keep everyone in line and it'd be more peaceful."
Amande nodded as she looked at him, and couldn't help but think how cool he seemed at that moment, feeling like a heroic character from myth. "I understand, your home's safety must always come first, that's what mama taught me."
"And I won't let anyone mess that up. I won't let Tom's memory go to waste." He said, sighing. "This… this is nice, I can't really open up like this with the Franky family, I have to be strong for them, because if they see me as being tough, they know they're safe."
"My big brother is similar. He's the strongest out of us all, and someone we can all unanimously respect. None of us would dare disrespect him or get him mad, and even though some of us are able to handle ourselves, knowing he's around makes it easier on our minds." She said with a smile. "He's the best of us, but because of that he can never stop being that, and I can't help but wish he could."
"Sometimes being tough and strong can be a real pain, but if it means keeping those we care about safe, then in the end it's all worth it." Franky agreed before pausing. "Amande… I hope I'm not saying this too soon, but… Well I like you, you're amazing, smart, I was hoping we could do this again tomorrow?"
Amande felt her heart nearly pop out of her chest with each compliment, her face turning bright crimson with steam leaking out of her ears. "R-R-R-Really?" she got out in a squeak.
"Yeah, I am, though if you don't want to, that's o-"
"No, I do!" Amande said, her mind racing. 'How do I show him I'm serious?! Wait, yes, I could ... .no, just do it Amande, don't think!'
"Great! We can meet back here if you want." He suggested before he saw her quickly leaning down, and seeing her face completely red before he found her suddenly kissing him on the cheek, the mark covering half his face due to her size as she pulled back just as quickly.
"S-Sounds good, I can't wait!" she let out before giving a quick bow and took off running, kicking up a dust cloud from the force.
Franky could only stare, his face heating up as he tried to process what just happened. "Did…did that really just happen? Super…SUPER!" he let out, louder than he ever got out while striking his pose, Amande covering her face as she overheard him.
(Later)
"So let me get this straight, your brother ate a devil fruit, and now just covers himself in cream… even though he doesn't have to?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Huh… weird." Franky remarked, leaning against Amande as the two rested on a massive blanket. "So, any luck with the shipwright hunt? You've been at it for almost a month now, right?"
"Yes, and you were right. I haven't managed to find any that aren't loyal to Iceburg. They're very stubborn even when I listed off the perks that came with working under mama."
"I get it, I told you it was gonna be hard, and it's not like you can hire any without them agreeing to it, or they'll do a shit job." Franky remarked before pausing. "Uh…. how's your mom taking all this, didn't she expect you back by now?"
"I've managed to keep her under control by explaining that finding the best of the best won't be easy and if I'm not careful we may have to settle with a subpar one, which got her to relent and let me stay longer." Amande admitted before sighing. "But at this rate I'm sad to admit that I'm running out of time… soon I'll have to leave, I'll either have found some shipwright, or have to go home to tell mama I failed."
"Damn… at this rate I'd recommend just finding a baker who is good with tools."
"We have plenty of those, and chefs, but finding someone who can work with the material for a ship? Harder than it sounds." Amande groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Doesn't help the few shipwrights who will talk to me won't take me seriously when I tell them they have to make a ship with food…"
"Didn't you get one of those bozos to work on your ship you came here on?"
"Barely, but we keep finding bite marks in random spots so we don't dare bring them home." She groaned. "At this point I think we just need to force the asshole who used to build our ships to teach some apprentices."
"Damn, it almost makes me wish I still built ships."
"You'd probably be able to make it work twice as fast." She groaned. Amande had been ecstatic when she first learned Franky was a former shipwright, but after a quick explanation she disheartenedly agreed not to ask him to build a ship for her. It would have been another great reason to bring him home, but even she knew not to push it.
"So, I was thinking…. There's this spot I travel to for special supplies for the house… after you have to leave, do you want to try and meet up there? It's a big hub for the black market, might be a place you can get to easily, at least easier to get to than Water 7?"
"Would you consider it another date?"
"Of course, any day I get to spend a minute with you is like a minute in heaven." He grinned, watching with a smile as her face heated up.
'Ahhhh! No fair! Giving off a smile like that would make any girl swoon!' She pouted as he chuckled.
"Sorry, you know I can't help it, you're just too cute when flustered~"
"...cheating." she muttered, using her hat to try and cover her face and smile. As he laughed, the calm was broken by the sound of Den Den Mushi going off. "Huh?" She muttered, patting her dress before pulling out a small snail. "They know not to call me unless it's an emergency…"
"Miss Amande." came the voice from one of the chess soldiers.
"What is it? I'm busy."
"I have good news, one of the shipwrights was fired for punching a marine captain, they've come to us to avoid prison, we can finally return home."
Amande's eyes widened, momentarily caught off guard. She shook her head and kept her cool tone. "Pardon me?"
"Yes, he's one of the top people working for Iceberg, but the marines are putting pressure on him, so he got Iceberg's permission to leave."
"How much time?"
"We can set sail tomorrow morning."
"...I see." She said, her face unreadable as she hung up.
"Guess the vacations over?"
"I…yes, I think so, I have to… are you sure you want to stay here?" she asked, looking down at him. "There's a lot of things you could get to see if you came with. It's dangerous, but you'd be protected and see things you won't here."
Franky sighed as he shook his head. "I'm sorry… but no, I can't go with you, I'm sorry."
"I….I figured you might say that." She sighed, her eyes slightly tearing up. "I… I understand Franky, but I don't have to like it."
"And I'm not telling you to. Making you sad isn't something I like either, but I'm too stubborn to give up on my goal here."
"Yeah… but at least we have the night to make it a memorable goodbye."
"Oh believe me, I'll make it nothing less than SUPER!" Franky promised with a grin, making her smile and blush slightly.
"You really know what to say to a lady." She smiled, slightly shaking her head fondly.
(Later)
"So, this is it." Amande said with a sigh, standing on the dock with a frown.
"Yeah." Franky looked up at her while feeling his chest tighten up since he could tell she was close to tears. He stood tall and tried to smile. "Hey, don't think of this as a real goodbye. If anything, there's a big chance we might run into each other again down the line. Big world, big ocean, and all kinds of weird things have happened." He said as she sighed.
"Yes, but as you said, it's a big ocean, and I'll be on the other side of it from you." She said as he sighed and patted her leg.
"Hey, it'll be alright; we have each other's Den Den Mushi numbers, we can call each other and keep in touch; we can make it work, I know it!" he gave a grin, which helped Amande feel a little better, but kept frowning.
"Do you promise to call me later?"
"I'll do more than that. I'll answer anytime you ring. No matter what's going on, I'll make time and pick right up."
"I'll hold you to that, I promise." She said as she kneeled down to be at eye level with him. "I love you Franky, I know you know that, and I swear on the seas I will see you again, no matter what."
"And I ain't kicking the bucket before I see you again, consider that a promise." He said before grinning widely. "Consider it a SUPER promise, and here is something to make it official." He grinned as he leaned forward and gave her a kiss.
Amande closed her eyes and leaned in, feeling her heartbeat skyrocket while trying to keep the kiss going as long as possible. Eventually, though reluctantly, she pulled away and stood up, her red face partially hidden by the shadow of her hat. "Until we meet again, Franky."
"Take care and I'll make sure to call you later tonight." He called with a smile as she nodded, then turned to make her way onto her ship. 'God I love that woman~'
Amande stepped on deck, giving a cold expression as the soldiers stood at the ready.
"We're ready to-"
"Get to it." she cut the soldier off bluntly and without hesitation, watching as they rushed to get the ship moving before looking over the railing at Franky who grinned up at her.
"Remember! We'll meet again! And it'll be SUPER!" He struck his pose, making Amande grab her chest and use every ounce of willpower she had to NOT say screw it and jump overboard to stay here.
'Restrain yourself, Amande; you're a powerful pirate; you have to go back home to Mama now….' She thought, biting her bottom lip as she stared at Frank as the ship began to move away from the island. "I'm holding you to that, Franky!"
(Later)
Galette frowned as she stared at her sister, who was sitting in a chair and staring out to the sea; a small, almost missable smile on her face, one she had rarely seen before she'd left to get Big Mom her new shipwright, but a feature that was growing more and more common after her return. It wasn't something many noticed, but she was sure she and a few of their other siblings picked up on it and were curious since she didn't say much on how or why it took so long. She'd been watching her from the far side of a large food, pretending to read a book as she kept her eye on her.
But whatever happened caused her sister to show a more warm expression as opposed to her usual cold exterior. Either way, whatever had happened she was keeping it to herself, and the crew she'd taken with her were silent on the matter as well, leaving the change in attitude a mystery, one Galette desperately wanted an answer to.
"She still at it?" whispered a voice behind her, making her turn to Poire who gave a grin.
"If you were trying to spook me, you failed," Galette said flatly before sighing. "But, yes, she is 'Still at it' sister."
"What do you think it is? My money is she found a boy toy at Water Seven ~"
"Does Amande seem like the type to be so easily swayed by something that trivial?" Galette huffed, shaking her head. "Besides, if she did find someone who would sway her like this, why wouldn't she bring him back with her?"
"Maybe he got scared away when he got a chance to REALLY get to know how cold she can be. If I was her, I wouldn't want anyone to know I got stood up like that."
"No, I doubt it's that. If she did get stood up, she'd be in a WORSE mood, not a better one, right?" Galette suggested as Poire paused and then nodded.
Suddenly, they heard the faint buzzing of a Den Den Mushi as Amande suddenly went rigid, then quickly pulled one out at near supersonic speed. She leaned down, holding it close to her head and talking into it. Her sisters could pick up that she was saying something, but the details were too quiet. Out of the few words they could hear, the most interesting to them were "Really?" "I can't wait" and "See you soon.".
Galette and Poire glanced at each other before they saw Amande stand up and start walking away, her cold expression back on her face instantly.
"What was that?" Poire wondered as they watched their older sister leave the room.
"Whoever she was talking to seemed important enough to want to meet with her." Galette remarked with suspicion in her voice.
"Yeah, and I don't think that was Mama, so who was it?: Poire wondered as Galette stood up.
"Well, whoever it is, it might answer the question we've been wondering. Grab Katakuri and meet me at the docks."
"Oooh, we're gonna spy on her?" chuckled Poire with amusement. "And here I thought you got on my back when I did it to find some juicy blackmail material."
"This is completely different." Galette said, shaking her head in annoyance. "This is making sure our sister isn't being blackmailed by someone else."
"Uh-huh. Sure, our sister, who is happier than she's been in ages?" Poire asked sarcastically with a grin. "The sister who you want to bring big bro with us to protect us in case she catches us spying on her?"
"We need to know what's going on with her, and if it's something that might cause trouble for Mama? It'll be on US for not saying something and brushing it aside." Galette remarked back as Poire paled. "Or do you want to end up on Mama's shit list because we were lazy?"
"Alright, alright, geez, you knew I was already in. No need to guilt trip me!" she huffed before following her twin out of the room, pulling out her Den Den Mushi. "I'll get Katakuri onboard and find out what Amande's little secret is."
"Sounds good, see you in an hour. We'll track Amande's ship after she leaves." Galette nodded with a firm tone in her voice.
After talking to Katakuri, who was just as suspicious when informed on what Amande was up to, agreed to come with the twins. Thus they took a smaller ship to follow Amande with, making sure to stay out of sight.
"So… who do you think she's seeing?" Poire asked, glancing at Katakuri.
"I don't know, but from what I got out of the crew on her ship, she's meeting them at the black market island," Katakuri remarked with a frown. "So either they have something on her, or they have great influence."
"It could be someone who's trying to get in Mama's good graces." Galette remarked with her arms crossed. "Make a good impression with one of her kids and Amande might introduce them to Mama directly."
"Yeah… care to put money on it? I bet she's seeing a hunk, probably a royal prince, someone who's good enough for her." Poire said with a grin.
"And I'm telling you that this isn't some random situation to take lightly!" Galette growled, glaring at her twin. "This is serious, our sister could be in danger!"
"If she were she would have told us," Katakuri remarked, interrupting the sibling's squabble. The fact she kept it secret shows it might be something she's confident she can handle on her own."
"Then… if you know she can handle it, why did you come?" Galette asked, looking at him in confusion.
"...Is it wrong for a brother to be curious who has gotten his sister's attention?" He asked as Galette's jaw dropped as Poire began to laugh.
"Hahahahahahaha! Y-Y-Your face! Hahahahahaha!"
"S-Shut up!"
"Y-You have to admit it now! We're just here because we want to see who s-she's dating! Hahahahaha!"
"T-That's not it!" Galette stuttered with her face turning red as her twin slapped the side of the boat while laughing harder.
"O-One of us! One of us!" She chanted as Galette groaned and dropped her face into her hands.
'Ugh, this better be worth it.'
Soon the island came into view with the small ship docking a little bit away from Amande's ship. After paying the fee and making sure nobody seemed stupid enough to try anything, they headed towards the main area where all manner of illegal deals and sales were going on. As the three began to make their way onto the island, they began to rely on Katakuri's observation haki to track her, and soon they were all hidden behind a building, peeking out from around a corner to see her waiting on a bench in what looked like a small park. The bench strained to keep her up, but it held her as she looked around, fidgeting a bit as if anxious.
"Who is she waiting for?" Galette muttered, peeking out from the corner, trying to see if any of the people walking around looked like they were heading towards Amande. All of them merely focused on their own stuff or glanced at her before quickly looking away.
"I don't know, but I've got some Den Den Mushi ready to catch it ALL on video." Remarked Poire, peeking out behind her sister with a grin and holding several of the snails in her hands in a small pile.
"Just make sure you two aren't spotted, alright?" Katakuri remarked, leaning against the wall, not bothering to look himself, trusting his sisters would tell him when to look.
"It makes sense if we figure out who Amande seems invested in seeing. As a family, it'd be in our best interest to make sure it's not some low-grade scum who might be up to no good." Poire said, not taking her gaze off from the street.
"Liar, you're just self conscious." snickered Poire.
"I can have two motives!" her twin threw back in annoyance with Katakuri not bothering to pipe in.
"Oh! Her head moved; I think she's spotted him!" Poire said eagerly as Galette and Katakuri stiffened up, now on alert.
All three focused on Amande, whose posture became straight.
"100 beri says the guy is a hunk." Poire grinned.
"Now is not the time for betting." Galette hissed.
"It's always time for betting!"
"Shut up, you two," spoke Katakuri in a cold tone, making both stiffen up and quickly go quiet. "I think I see him…"
All eyes followed Amande's gaze, with Katakuri's expression the same, Poire's looking surprised, and Galette's turning to annoyance. Which seemed like her regular everyday expression
"…is he behind the big guy?" Poire asked as she saw a relatively tall figure, with bright blue hair, open red Hawaiian shirt and black speedos strutting down the street.
"Who the heck has hair like that?"
"Is he not wearing pants?!"
"Wait, is that his actual nose or a fake?"
"This… can't be who big sis is waiting for!"
All three watched him walk through the crowd with a confident strut before turning and smiling as he made his way toward Amande. To their shock, instead of looking past him or annoyed, their sister practically beamed with pure joy as she got off the bench and began to make her way towards the stranger.
As if things couldn't get any stranger, their stoic, serious sister, who has barely ever shown emotion or broken her cold exterior, practically squeaked out, "FRANKY!" before grabbing the man and pulling him into a kiss, lifting him off the ground.
Galette's jaw hung open, Poire's eyes widened, and Katakuri raised an eyebrow.
The man kissed back, the two of them holding it there with Galette rubbing her eyes and double checking to make sure she wasn't going blind.
"What…the…hell?" She muttered before the sound of a Den Den camera going off rapidly broke her out of her shock, as she looked down to see Poire eagerly taking photos as fast as she could. "Really?"
"Hey! I told you I had them ready! I am NOT missing out on this." her twin grinned, switching from each of the different snails to get as many pictures as she could. "Out of all the kind of guys to be Amande's type, I had no idea she was into someone like THAT."
"A guy who looks like a loudmouth, uncivilized thug who…. Is he posing now?" Katakuri said, his eyes widening in surprise.
"SUPER!" he let out, unphased by any of the shady people staring at him like he was nuts. The sight made the siblings grimace, before seeing their sister hold her cheeks and look bright red.
"Oh my god she is totally into this. Our sister is a bit of a freak." Galette muttered in shock, her mental image she'd made of Amande forever shattering; the ice queen she knew now being replaced by the woman who looked like she was completely in love with this weird pervert.
"Boy, he DEFINITELY looks like the shady type, huh Galette? I'll bet he's REALLY the kind of guy who'd be into making a deal with Mama." Poire remarked with sarcasm, looking at her twin with a huge smug look on her face. "Or are you gonna admit you were just jealous she found someone before you?"
"Shut up; it's not like you see anyone either!" Galette snapped as Katakuri sighed. "You're single, just like me!"
"Oh, yeah, real mature, blame me for you becoming a spinster!"
"Keep talking and I'll make you EAT those cameras!" Galette snapped. "I bet you'd have to blackmail someone to get you to date them!"
"Oh fuck you, maybe you can use that stick that's shoved up your ass to do it!"
"I'll stitch that big mouth of yours shut!" Galette snapped as she shoved her sister.
"Oh, you wanna go bitch?!"
"Girls?" Katakuri piped in, but the twins ignored him.
"Bring it on you panda-headed idiot!"
Poire growled and dropped the Den Den Mushis, shoving Galette back before her twin tackled her to the ground. Soon the two were a flailing mass of limbs and insults as Katakuri groaned in disappointment.
'I was hoping they had better senses not to get distracted here.' He thought, glancing back at Amande only to pause as he saw her and her… well he wasn't sure what to ball the blue-haired guy with her yet, but they were both staring at the squabbling sisters, him in confusion and amusement, and Amande in a mix of shock and rage. '...damn it.'
"Wow, guess some folks can get heated this early." Franky joked, but Amande didn't find the scene amusing.
"No…." She muttered, her face darkening as she glanced up to see Katakuri looking out from behind a building next to the twins. "NO!"
"Huh? Something wrong?"
Katakuri sighed and stepped out, revealing himself with Franky lifting his shades to look him over. "Amande."
"Katakuri." She said, her voice like ice. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to keep them safe." He said, gently kicking the still fighting twins, who paused to glare at him only to stop as they noticed he wasn't looking at them, and froze as they looked behind them to see Amande glaring at them.
"Uh…hi sis!" Poire greeted, standing up after pushing Galette off and trying to act natural. "Didn't know you were stopping here too."
"Why are you two here?" She asked curtly. "Answer truthfully or else."
"Uh…we….Galette was being weird and watching you!" she caved, making her twin stand up and glare at her.
"I was NOT being weird! I was suspicious and…." she tensed up and looked at Amande, seeing the woman's eyes narrow. "And… Poire was here to get blackmail on you!"
"You buttery bitch!"
"You were spying on me. You FOLLOWED me." she spoke, slowly pulling her sword out without turning away from them.
"W-Well, yeah, but-" Galette started nervously. "Really, we can explain!"
"There's nothing to explain, you two will be punished." Amande said coldly before Franky cleared his throat.
"Yo, mind if I jump in here?" he asked, snapping Amande out of it and making her look worried, mentally slapping herself on getting distracted.
"Oh, uh, sure, why?" Amande asked, not sure how to react. "We can't kill them but if you really want to be the one to punish them I suppose-"
"Nah, that's not necessary." he shook his head and walked over, giving a smile to the girls. "You two are Amande's sisters? She's told me about you two. And that big guy there must be Katakuri, am I right?"
"Yeah?" Galette and Poire said, glancing at each other in confusion and apprehension.
"Happy to meet you! The name's Franky." he introduced with his hand held out to them.
"Uh… nice to meet you?" Galette said as she and Poire hesitantly shook his hand. 'What is he doing?'
"Now, I get you're curious about me, but you gotta understand; we haven't been able to see each other in ages, and while I'd love to get to know you all, I'd rather spend the limited time I got here with my favorite woman in the world, your big sis." He said, grinning back at Amande, who blushed and smiled at the compliment. "So, I'm sure Amande can answer any questions you have later, but for now, you'll excuse us if we want some privacy, alright? I'd hate to ruin this time by souring things with your sister, am I right?"
"Uh…that…would make sense…" Poire trailed off, still a bit confused.
"So, let's get this punishment over and done with." He grinned, raising both hands before lightly smacking the top of the twin's heads, not hard enough to seriously hurt them, but enough to be felt. "There we go. Welp that seems about right; you ready to go, babe?" He asked, grinning back at Amande, who nodded.
"I've been looking forward to this for weeks."
The twins and Katakuri watched as the two of them walked away, holding the other's hands without hesitation, the twins touching the spot he smacked them on.
"Did…. did that guy just manage to calm down big sis?" Galette wondered in confusion.
"And was he seriously not scared about big bro? He didn't look the least bit phased." Poire remarked, glancing at said big brother.
"He wasn't, he seems like a strange man, though he did keep Amande from dismembering you two, so maybe that's not a bad thing." remarked the taller male gruffly, glancing at the two before turning around. "Let's head back, we learned what we came here for."
"Uh… yeah, sure." Galette said, continuing to stare at the receding backs of her sister and Franky.