The night after Luffy agreed to let Franky build their ship, the Straw Hats allowed the cyborg to leave.
However, Nami, ever the pragmatist (and slightly sadistic), was worried he might pull a fast one.
So, she kept Franky's two "little sisters"—the Square Sisters with the gravity-defying block hairstyles—as hostages.
Thus, Mozu and Kiwi stayed on the Going Merry.
Ray found the situation amusing.
Ever since Loguetown, Nami seemed to have developed a liking for taking hostages.
He hoped she hadn't awakened any strange tendencies tough.
...
The next day, Franky arrived early at the abandoned dock where the Merry was anchored. His mission: secure the legendary wood.
Accompanied by Luffy, Nami, and Ray, Franky led them toward the Sea Train station. Their destination was Pucci, the Gourmet City, where a massive black market auction was being held.
Ray, bored and wanting to ensure things went smoothly, decided to tag along.
To keep Franky cooperative, he brought the Square Sisters.
The rest of the crew stayed behind to rest and monitor Robin's movements via Chouchou.
...
The Puffing Tom chugged across the ocean tracks, leaving a trail of steam against the blue sky.
Inside the carriage, Luffy was a menace. He bounced from the left window to the right, mouth agape.
"SUGOI! We're running on the water! Look at that fish! Look at that bird!"
He was the picture of a country bumpkin visiting the big city.
Ray, meanwhile, was suffering.
He had donned a full-face mask, but it did nothing to stop the harassment from the Square Sisters.
Mozu and Kiwi, despite being nearly electrocuted by Nami earlier, were clinging to Ray like koalas.
"Oh my~ Ray-sama arms are so firm!"
"And his tail is so fluffy!"
Ray sighed.
'As expected of underworld groupies. Their boldness is S-tier.'
To avoid recognition at the auction, everyone—Franky, the sisters, Luffy, Nami, and Ray—wore masks and heavy cloaks.
They looked less like pirates and more like a cult attending a masquerade.
Franky sat opposite them, observing.
He watched Luffy annoying the other passengers and Ray suffering in silence. His curiosity grew.
'How can someone so naive be a ruthless villain?'
But when his eyes fell on Ray's masked face, Franky felt a chill.
Even hidden, Ray's aura was cold.
'This Ray... he feels dangerous. Like an assassin.'
'And judging by Nami's deference and the way they all look to him for decisions... is Ray the real captain?'
Franky frowned behind his mask.
'But that doesn't make sense. Last night, when i recall the aura straw hat exuded last night.. that was the aura of a ruler. How could such a monster like that not be the captain?'
'This crew is weird. I can't figure them out.'
Franky sipped a cola, his mind racing.
'I hope my guys successfully contacted Iceburg. I need to get out of this mess.'
Ray glanced at Franky.
He could practically hear the gears turning in the cyborg's head.
He didn't care.
Franky was guarded now, but Ray knew the magic of Luffy. Franky valued loyalty and "hard-boiled" spirit; Luffy was the embodiment of those traits.
Give them a few hours. They'd be best friends.
Sure enough, with thirty minutes left in the journey, Luffy and Franky were already arm-in-arm, singing a song about underwear.
"SUPER~!"
"SUGOI~!"
Ray smirked behind his mask.
'See? Easy.'
...
Pucci, The Gourmet City.
Under Franky's guidance, the group arrived at the entrance of the underground black market.
Getting Luffy inside required drastic measures.
Ray had to knock him unconscious and drape him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes to keep him from blowing their cover.
Franky stared, petrified.
'They... just knocked out their captain?'
'Is Ray the mastermind? Or do they trust each other so much that Luffy doesn't even have his guard up?'
'Or... is Ray just that much stronger?'
'My brain hurts. I need cola.'
Franky opened his stomach hatch, swapped out a fresh bottle of cola, and sighed.
This crew was so weird!
Even unconscious, Luffy was a problem.
As they walked through the market streets, his rubber arm snaked out, grabbed a kebab from a stall, and stuffed it into his sleeping mouth.
"Mmph... meat..."
Ray and Nami had to tie him up with rope.
Ray facepalmed.
'This guy.... Can't you wait until AFTER the auction?'
...
The Auction House.
Thanks to Franky's status as the underworld boss of Water 7, the black market staff treated them with respect.
They were ushered into a private VIP room overlooking the stage.
The room was luxurious, stocked with unlimited meat, fruit, and alcohol.
Once the door clicked shut, Nami delivered a wake-up punch infused with Armament Haki.
BONK!
"Ow! Why?!" Luffy whined.
Then he saw the buffet. His anger vanished. He tore off his mask and dove into the food like a woodchipper.
Although the auction was thirty minutes away, their room became the center of attention for the staff.
Waiters ran back and forth, refilling platters that vanished in seconds. The guests below whispered about the gluttons in the VIP box.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
A tall, burly figure entered the venue, escorted toward the VIP section.
He had purple hair, sunglasses, and a massive mechanical arm made of Seastone—the Battle Smasher.
He was flanked by a stoic man in ninja garb (Binz) and a beautiful woman in a suit (Ain).
"Black Arm" Zephyr.
The moment they entered, a red light flashed in both Ray and Luffy's eyes.
Their Observation Haki screamed.
Luffy stopped chewing as he looked at Ray.
"Ray. A strong one is coming."
Ray nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the wall separating their rooms. "Very strong. Let's observe first. See if they're enemies."
"Mm."
Franky and the sisters looked confused. "Did you sense something?"
Nami, recognizing the shift in their demeanor, paled.
She knew this look. It meant a monster was nearby.
She immediately sprinted to Ray and hugged his tail.
"Protect me!" she squeaked, stroking the fur for comfort.
Ray's eyebrow twitched. 'Not the time dumbass.'
With a flick of his tail, he launched Nami onto Luffy's head, knocking over a tray of roast chicken.
The commotion was loud enough to be heard next door.
...
Next Door.
Ain leaned close to Zephyr. "Zephyr-sensei, should we keep an eye on the room next door? They're noisy."
Zephyr leaned back on the plush sofa, lighting a cigar. He smiled, but his eyes were sharp behind his shades.
"Let's wait until after the auction to meet them."
His smile faded, replaced by the grim focus of a veteran Admiral.
'Just now... for a moment, I sensed a presence no weaker than my own.'
Water 7 was in Paradise, near Marine Headquarters.
Powerful individuals here were usually Marines or CP agents. Big-shot pirates rarely lingered this close to the calm belt.
He knew every high-ranking Marine and agent. He didn't know that presence.
"Hmph," Zephyr exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Ain, Binz. After the auction ends, we'll follow the people in the next room."
"Yes, Zephyr-sensei!"
"There are only two possibilities," Zephyr muttered to himself. "Either a top-tier CP agent hiding his tracks... or a monster pirate who hasn't yet entered the New World."
He clenched his mechanical fist.
'Is it you... Straw Hat Luffy?'