...
Doflamingo wore a wicked smile as he quietly tallied how many of Luffy's future crewmates he had already taken for himself.
Ace? Raised by him.
Sanji? A soon-to-be hired gun in his employ.
Usopp's father? Eliminated long before the kid could even be born—no chance he ever would be now.
Nico Robin? Already captured and put to work.
The ones still untouched? Zoro, Nami, Chopper, Brook, Jinbei, and Sabo.
Unfortunately, Monkey D. Luffy hadn't even been born yet—couldn't have some fun with him...
"BOSS?!"
Tesoro called out, snapping Doflamingo out of his scheming trance.
Doflamingo pulled his thoughts back and replied coolly,
"Bring the kid in. I want to judge for myself just how deep his thirst for vengeance runs."
Franky's tech capabilities were wide-ranging—mostly revolving around weapons development and modification.
The fact that he could turn cola into a usable energy source alone made him worth investing in.
But until now, Doflamingo hadn't had the time to properly evaluate him.
"Right away, BOSS!" Tesoro gave a crisp nod and turned to head toward the combat division.
As he walked away, Doflamingo's near-inhuman mind suddenly recalled Franky's technical profile.
"The Wind Cannon, capable of destroying a battleship, requires only 1.5 bottles of cola."
Doflamingo's eyes widened slightly.
Only 1.5 bottles of cola?
Was that really cola?
No, screw that—this was a future energy source of nuclear-level importance!
No—wait. The point wasn't even the cola. After Franky turned himself into a cyborg, he could run on all kinds of power sources.
This method of converting energy—that was the true value.
Franky definitely had the ability to interpret part of the blueprints for Pluton.
"Fufufufufufu~"
Doflamingo chuckled, lips curling upward in satisfaction. So the key to unlocking Pluton's full potential had been sitting under his nose all along.
Across from him, Trebol shivered at the eerie laugh and leaned in cautiously, a slimy smile on his face.
"Beh-heh-heh... Doffy, what's so funny? Did something good happen?"
"Nothing," Doflamingo waved him off. "Just remembered something that made me happy."
...
Outside the God Palace.
"Phew..."
Franky took a deep breath as he stared up at the cloud staircase leading to the sacred hall.
For once, he'd put on a pair of pants and traded in his usual look for a properly fitted suit.
Still, it didn't feel quite right.
He turned to the two men beside him and asked, "Gladius, Tesoro-san—do I look okay like this?"
"You don't look like a pervert anymore," Gladius replied dryly.
"Gladius! Is that really the point right now?!"
Franky's attempt at maintaining composure completely crumbled. His left hand popped out like a spring and grabbed Gladius by the collar, shaking him back and forth.
A calm hand landed on Franky's back, making him jolt.
Tesoro's encouraging voice followed.
"You're looking good, Franky."
"Show the BOSS what you can do. He values people with talent and rewards them."
To Tesoro, Franky reminded him of himself when he was struggling to survive in Sabaody Archipelago—helpless against fate.
The BOSS had given him a chance back then.
Now, he was ready to give that same chance to Franky.
"Go on."
"I understand, Tesoro-san."
Franky nodded and took a deep breath before setting foot on the cloud steps.
Step by step, he climbed higher.
Inside the God Palace, Franky took in the scene.
All the big names of the Donquixote Family surrounded a short figure in pink at the center of the room.
To Franky, Doflamingo loomed like a god—larger and more distant with every step.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Suddenly, a voice boomed out like a thunderclap.
"Franky. What do you want?"
"What... do I want?"
Franky repeated the words under his breath. His eyes flared with a strange light, like fire igniting deep within them.
A memory flashed before him: Tom-sensei, bloody and beaten, shielding him and Iceburg with his body.
The sound of the Sea Train roaring down the tracks echoed in his ears.
The pain. The grief. The helplessness.
All of it came flooding back, burning into something sharper—something that finally had a name.
"Vengeance! Revenge! I want revenge on the World Government!"
Franky shouted with all his might—so loud his knees nearly gave out from under him.
Only then did he realize his newly tailored suit was completely soaked through with cold sweat.
"Fufufufufufu... A satisfying answer!"
Doflamingo gave a small nod, both pleased with Franky's words—and impressed with his own emotional manipulation.
He had first broken Franky's mental defenses with his Conqueror's Haki...
Then used his Observation Haki to drag the man's deepest trauma to the surface.
Franky could feel Doflamingo's eyes boring into him, and instinctively lowered his head, chilled to the bone.
This was the man who had killed the Golden Lion and blasted a Navy Admiral to hell—
What a terrifying monster.
"So... what are you prepared to offer in return?"
Franky stood up straight and fired off the words he'd rehearsed in front of the mirror more times than he could count.
"Doflamingo-sama! I'm skilled in weapons development and engineering. I understand part of the blueprints Tom-sensei left behind for Pluton."
"And I'm willing to offer anything—my life, whatever it takes. All I ask is that when you go to war with the World Government... you take me with you! Let me kill Spandam!"
The moment he saw the headline that Doflamingo had killed Zephyr, Franky had known—
The stronger Doflamingo became, the closer the World Government came to total destruction.
Across the room, Judge and Caesar exchanged glances, frowning.
This punk wanted to compete with them?
"Fufufufufufu... Not bad. I approve."
Doflamingo stood and walked right up to Franky.
Of course he liked this guy. They were kindred spirits—both fatherless, both broken by the world.
Franky couldn't help but take a step back. Even without ill intent, every fiber of his body screamed that he was in danger.
Then, like a lid going on a jar, Doflamingo's massive hand landed gently on his head.
"From this day on, you're part of the Science Division. You'll be given access to the Pluton blueprints."
"Remember—deliver results, and you'll be rewarded."
"If I'm satisfied enough... I just might hand that idiot Spandam over to you myself."
His voice trailed off as his body vanished into thin air.
"Really?!"
That last line shook Franky to his core.
Not just the chance to see Tom-sensei's legacy again...
But to face him. The man named Spandam.
"Of course it's true," Tesoro said with a nostalgic smile, recalling his first visit to Skypiea.
"You know, your grudge being against Spandam is a surprise. Funny enough—on my first visit here..."
"The BOSS executed an entire CP squad by sky burial."
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg