The next day dawned quiet, the Going Merry resting silently, as if resigned to its fate. The Straw Hats bustled around, breaking the stillness as they unpacked their belongings and transferred everything temporarily into Lucas's storage dimension.
"Careful!" Nami's sharp voice rang out, breaking the silence as she supervised the process. Her commanding tone ensured everyone kept moving efficiently.
"Gotta say, that ability of yours is really useful," Sanji remarked, glancing at Lucas as he handed over yet another crate to vanish into the storage dimension.
"I know, right?" Lucas replied with a smug grin, clearly pleased with the compliment.
With the packing complete, Lucas turned to the Merry, a glass bottle in his hand. "Now that everything's taken care of, I'll handle the Merry," he announced. Stretching out his hand, a wave of shimmering mana poured from his palm, enveloping the ship. The Merry began to float, its damaged form glowing softly as it appeared to repair itself, inch by inch. Planks realigned, cracks sealed, and the ship's structure seemed renewed, shrinking steadily until it was pulled into the bottle Lucas held.
"And that's that," Lucas said with finality, holding up the bottle. Inside, the Merry floated on a miniature sea, an eternal symbol of their journey so far.
He handed the bottle to Usopp, who looked at it with a mix of awe and reverence. "Now, the Merry will always be with us," Lucas said with a soft smile. It was a gesture reminiscent of the Black Pearl from tales Lucas had once recounted, and the act seemed to comfort the crew.
"Okay! Off to the shipyard!" Luffy declared, breaking the sentimental moment with his usual enthusiasm. The crew rallied, ready to move forward, though Sanji voiced his concern for Robin. He and Chopper decided to split off and search for her while the rest made their way to Dock 1.
As they walked, the city buzzed with troubling news—Iceburg had been attacked. Though not confirmed dead, he was in critical condition, and the identity of the assailant remained a mystery. The unease hung heavy over the group, the weight of the unknown bearing down on them.
"Uhhhhh!" Lucas suddenly halted, looking dramatically troubled.
"Guys?" he began, and the others turned to him with confusion etched on their faces. "Where's Zoro?"
The question hit like a slap, and the group froze, genuinely dumbfounded that none of them had noticed his absence.
"Oh, come on!" Nami groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He'll show up eventually," she added with a dismissive wave, clearly too frustrated to dwell on it.
"Will we even be able to meet up with him?" Lucas muttered as they resumed their trek toward the shipyard.
As they arrived at Dock 1, they found it teeming with townspeople, their voices laced with worry for Iceburg. The crowd's tension was palpable, and navigating through it was an ordeal.
"Um, excuse me," Nami said, addressing a man perched on a Yagara boat nearby. "Do you know how to get to the HQ?"
"I do, but if you're thinking of sneaking in, forget it," the man replied bluntly. "That place is heavily guarded right now. You'd probably be treated as suspects if you tried to break in."
"Oh no, we're just as concerned as you are," Lucas interjected smoothly. "We thought maybe that place wouldn't be crowded, but it seems we'll just have to wait here. But it *is* through this dock's door, right?"
"Uh, yeah," the man nodded. "You'd be lucky if you were a news reporter, though. Some of those guys were let in."
Meanwhile, near a bridge by Dock 1, an unusual scene began to unfold. A man, whose eccentric appearance and questionable fashion sense could easily be mistaken for that of a pervert, stood at the edge of the bridge. Music began to play, catching the crowd's attention like a magnet.
"Wha... That music—don't tell me!" someone in the crowd whispered, panic creeping into their voice.
As the music swelled, it became clear who this dramatic figure was. Behind a hastily set-up curtain, the man and two women danced before stepping into the spotlight with flair. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"It's Franky!" someone shouted.
"What's he doing here?" another whispered nervously.
"Is he here to cause a ruckus?"
The crowd murmured uneasily, their eyes fixed on the flamboyant figure.
"Huh? Franky? Could it be…" Nami trailed off, her voice tinged with alarm as she stared at the man.
"Yeah. It's him," Luffy said darkly, his gaze steady, his tone laced with disdain. His body tensed as if ready for action.
"You think he's here for revenge?" Lucas remarked, folding his arms and watching Franky with intrigue.
"Well, whatever it is—" Luffy's tone hardened as he finished, "he's not gonna get away with it!"
"Show yourselves, Straw Hats!" Franky bellowed, his voice booming over the crowd.
"Hey! Sea-water panty guy! You looking for us?!" Luffy yelled back without hesitation, his voice filled with challenge.
"Luffy!" Nami hissed, her frustration and worry clear as she ducked behind Lucas for cover.
"So, you're the guys who messed up my place while I was away," Franky growled, his voice brimming with anger. His towering figure loomed over the Straw Hats as he clenched his fists. "Do you know how angry I feel right now? I won't be satisfied until I beat ya' all into a pulp!" he added, his tone sharp and unwavering.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression calm but laced with irritation. "So what? You guys brought it on yourselves when you kidnapped our friend," he replied evenly, crossing his arms.
"Yeah! And if you're looking for a fight, I'll give you one!" Luffy exclaimed, stepping forward, his usual fiery determination shining through his glare.
"Wow, I kinda feel like I'm in a gang fight right now," Lucas muttered under his breath, glancing between Franky and Luffy as their heated exchange escalated. And sure enough, it didn't take long for words to turn into action—the two charged at each other, fists flying.
"Now our gang leaders are fighting," Lucas sighed, standing at the edge of the chaos, his posture relaxed but his eyes distant as though he were zoning out.
The fight grew intense as water splashed around them, displaced by their movements. Franky, not holding back, unleashed a fiery attack, breathing flames toward the group. Lucas snapped out of his distracted state just in time, conjuring a mana barrier that shielded them from the blaze.
Franky dove into the water, clearly aiming for another strike, but Lucas quickly created a mana bubble, lifting both himself and Nami into the air, safely away from the scuffle.
"Luffy!" Nami cried out, her worry evident as she clung to the edge of the bubble.
"Oh," Lucas muttered, shaking his head to refocus. Below them, Franky landed a powerful punch on Luffy, sending him crashing into the Dock 1 gate. The impact echoed through the area as debris scattered across the ground.
"You see, I'm a cyborg," Franky revealed with a smug grin, answering Luffy's earlier question about how he could breathe fire yet remain unaffected by water. His words carried an air of pride, almost daring them to challenge his resilience.
Luffy, refusing to stay down, stood back up, determination burning in his eyes. "This fight is far from over," he declared, his tone unwavering.
"Hey Luffy, need a hand? I've got just the special guy to deal with him," Lucas shouted, his grin hinting at something unexpected.
"No, I'm good. You just protect Nami for now," Luffy replied, dismissing the offer as he tightened his fist and prepared to dive back in.
Lucas chuckled softly to himself, muttering as he looked at the Omnitrix on his wrist. "Or maybe you wanna try that out…" he said almost teasingly, his voice low enough that Luffy didn't catch it. Lucas wasn't referring to any simple power—he was talking about a unique feature he had been developing with the Omnitrix. Inspired by Vilgax's original plan to exploit it for mass transformation, Lucas had tweaked the mechanics to allow him to temporarily transform others into aliens of his choosing.
Though the feature was still in its testing phase, Lucas was proud of the restrictions he'd added. Unlike Vilgax's vision, Lucas ensured that anyone transformed wouldn't have access to the Omnitrix itself while in alien form. The transformation would remain limited, controlled entirely by Lucas. It was far from what Vilgax had envisioned for creating an army of versatile aliens, but it was a step forward in Lucas's own experiments.
"Once I get this perfected, I'd love to see how the future plays out," Lucas grinned to himself, his eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"What is going on here?" a member of Galley-La exclaimed, his voice booming as he stepped onto the chaotic scene. His eyes scanned the debris left behind from Luffy and Franky's clash, the destruction far too much to ignore. The townspeople, gathered nearby, began to cheer, their relief at Galley-La's arrival evident.
Franky, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Tch! Go elsewhere, will ya? I'm busy right now!" he ranted, clearly irritated by the interruption. His dismissive attitude didn't faze the Galley-La workers, who ignored him entirely as their attention locked onto Luffy.
"How dare you Straw Hats! How dare you show your faces here again!" Paulie yelled, his expression hardened with fury. The rest of the Galley-La crew mirrored his hostility, their tension practically palpable.
"Huh?! What? What are you talking about?" Luffy shot back, his confusion written plainly on his face. He stood there, fists still clenched from his fight with Franky, trying to make sense of the sudden aggression.
Nearby, Lucas muttered under his breath, arms crossed as he observed the escalating confrontation. "Man, I really wanna beat the crap out of those CP-9 guys right now… but I already decided to go Waybig on them when rescuing Robin."
"Huh? What are you guys talking ab—" Luffy started, but before he could finish, Galley-La charged forward, their anger driving them into action. Paulie was the first to strike, whipping his rope out.
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