The Aqua Laguna had passed. The greatest storm to hit the City of Water in decades had swept over the island, tearing away the old, the weak, and the decayed, leaving behind a city washed clean. The skies were a brilliant, unbroken canvas of twilight orange and deep violet as the sun began its descent.
But on the rocky shores of Scrap Island, the pirate docks where Franky's dismantling business used to thrive, the atmosphere was anything but serene.
A crowd had gathered at the edge of the docks, their eyes glued to the horizon where the Sea Train tracks disappeared into the endless ocean. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a sword.
Zambai, the acting leader of the Franky Family, paced back and forth, biting his thumbnails. His armor was dented, his clothes were ragged from the earlier fights in the city, but his eyes were wide with desperate hope.
"They should be back by now," Zambai muttered, looking at his pocket watch for the fiftieth time. "Iceberg aniki said they would bring Aniki back. What if... what if the government got them? What if Enies Lobby was too much?"
"Stop your blubbering, Zambai!" yelled one of the square-sisters, Kiwi, though her own voice trembled with unshed tears.
"Yeah!" Mozu added, clutching her sister's arm. "Aniki is SUPER strong! And those Straw Hats... they flew a ship into a storm! They aren't normal!"
Standing a few paces away from the chaotic bounty hunters was Iceburg. The Mayor of Water 7 and President of the Galley-La Company stood perfectly still, his tailored suit ruffled by the sea breeze. His face was a mask of stoic calm, but his knuckles were white as he gripped the wooden railing of the dock. He had risked everything—his life, his city, his legacy—on the word of a pirate crew.
Beside him sat Kokoro, the stationmaster. She took a long, deep swig from a bottle of rum, her cheeks flushed. "Nyahaha! Don't look so grim, Ice-boy! The sea is full of miracles. If anyone can pull off the impossible, it's that wild bunch!"
"Granny! Granny! Look!"
Chimney, the energetic little girl with pigtails, was jumping up and down on a stack of wooden crates, pointing frantically at the horizon. Her pet rabbit—which was actually a cat—named Gonbe, bounced alongside her. "Nya! Nya!"
Iceburg's head snapped up. Zambai stopped pacing.
There, appearing from the golden mist of the setting sun, was a silhouette. It was moving fast—far too fast for a standard sailing vessel. As it drew closer, the distinct sound of powerful, rhythmic engines echoed across the water. The blue flames of the Valkyrie thrusters reflected brightly against the surface of the sea.
It was the Going Merry.
"It's them!" Zambai screamed, tears instantly cascading down his face like twin waterfalls. "THEY CAME BACK!"
The Going Merry glided smoothly along the Sea Train tracks, its modified magnetic wheels humming. As it approached the docks, the thrusters powered down, and the ship detached from the rails, drifting perfectly into the wooden harbor.
With a heavy thud, the wooden ramp of the ship lowered onto the dock.
For a breathless second, no one moved.
Then, heavy, metallic footsteps echoed down the ramp. A massive shadow fell over the wood.
Stepping out into the golden evening light was a man with massive, star-tattooed forearms, a shiny metallic nose, blue hair, and a very distinct speedo.
"SUUUUUUUUUPEEEEER!" Franky roared, throwing his arms together above his head in his iconic pose.
"ANIKI!"
The entire Franky Family—all fifty of them—screamed in absolute, hysterical joy. They surged forward like a tidal wave, tackling the cyborg. They piled on top of him, weeping, wailing, and hugging every metallic limb they could reach.
"You're alive! You're really alive!" Zambai sobbed, burying his face in Franky's chest.
"Get off me, you crybabies!" Franky yelled, though thick, manly tears were streaming down his own face behind his sunglasses. "I'm a cyborg! Water makes me rust! Stop crying on me! I love you guys!"
Iceburg watched the scene, a slow, profound smile spreading across his face. The tension left his shoulders. He walked forward, stepping through the weeping bounty hunters.
Franky looked up. The two brothers, separated by ideology and tragedy for years, locked eyes.
"You look like scrap metal, Bakaburg," Franky grinned, wiping his eyes.
"And you're still wearing a speedo in public, Cutty Flam," Iceburg replied.
They didn't hug. They didn't need to. Iceburg extended a hand. Franky took it. The grip was firm, a silent acknowledgment of the past healed and the future secured.
Iceburg let go and looked up at the deck of the Merry. The Straw Hat Pirates were leaning over the railing, looking down at the reunion with warm smiles.
Iceburg's eyes found Ben, who was standing near the helm, adjusting his glasses. Then, he looked at Luffy, the boy in the straw hat who had declared war on the world.
Iceburg, the proud Mayor of the greatest shipbuilding city in the world, placed his hands at his sides and bowed deeply at the waist.
"To the Straw Hat Pirates," Iceburg's voice rang out, loud and clear over the crying Franky Family. "You saved my brother. You struck a blow for freedom that history will never forget. Thank you."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, sitting on the railing. "It was nothing! We just went to get our friend back!"
"Yeah!" Chopper cheered from the deck. "Robin and Franky are safe!"
Franky stood up, gently pushing his family aside. He looked at Iceburg, then up at the Merry, and finally out toward the open ocean. His eyes burned with a new, uncontrollable fire.
"Iceburg," Franky said, his voice deadly serious. "I saw it. I saw the power they have. I saw what they are going to do to this world."
"And?" Iceburg asked.
Franky turned to the Straw Hats. "I've been hiding on this island for years, building weapons to fight my own guilt. But no more. I'm going to do it. I'm going to fulfill my dream, and Tom's dream!"
Franky pointed a massive finger at Luffy.
"Straw Hat! You need a ship that can sail the harsh seas of the New World! A ship that can conquer any storm, fight any enemy, and reach the end of the line! I'M GOING TO BUILD IT! The Ship of Dreams! The most powerful ship in the whole damn world! And I'm giving it to you!"
Luffy's eyes bulged out of his head. They turned into massive, shining stars. "A NEW SHIP?! THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD?!"
"SUUUUPER POWERFUL!" Franky roared.
"WOOOOOOO!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper screamed, jumping up and down on the deck in pure ecstasy.
"But before that!" Luffy suddenly stopped jumping. His face turned deadly serious. His stomach unleashed a growl so loud it literally vibrated the wooden planks of the dock, startling the seagulls in the sky.
Luffy took a deep breath, throwing his arms wide.
"WE WON! WE GOT ROBIN BACK! BANQUET!!!!"
"YEAAAAAAAH!" The entire crew and the Franky Family cheered in unison.
---
A true pirate banquet requires three things: mountains of food, oceans of booze, and a roaring fire.
The moment the word 'banquet' left Luffy's mouth, the docks of Scrap Island transformed into a beehive of frantic, joyful activity.
"Alright, listen up you uncultured brutes!" Sanji yelled, vaulting over the railing of the Merry and landing smoothly on the dock. He rolled up the sleeves of his blue dress shirt. "We have a crew of monsters, four Giants, and fifty bounty hunters to feed! We need ingredients, and we need them now!"
"Vivi!" Sanji called out. "I need your organizational skills!"
Vivi slid down the ramp, an apron already tied around her waist. "I'm on it, Sanji-kun! Franky Family! Divide into three squads!"
Vivi pointed with absolute royal authority. "Zambai! Take Squad Alpha into the city markets! Buy every ounce of spices, vegetables, and rice you can carry! Charge it to the Mayor's tab!"
"Wait, what?" Iceburg blinked.
"Squad Beta!" Vivi continued, ignoring Iceburg. "Bring out the largest cauldrons, grills, and spits you have in your dismantling yards! Squad Gamma, with me! We're setting up the prep stations!"
"YES, MA'AM!" The Franky Family saluted the blue-haired princess, terrified and awed by her commanding presence, and immediately scrambled to obey.
"Sanji!" Dory's booming voice echoed. The Giant, still comfortably shrunk to human size alongside Brogy, Oimo, and Kashii, grinned down at the cook. "We will provide the meat! The seas of Water 7 are rich today!"
"Gebababa!" Brogy laughed, hefting his Uru-metal axe. "We shall hunt the greatest Sea Kings for the feast!"
The four warriors waded straight into the ocean. Even at human size, their Elbaf strength and Haki were more than enough. Within minutes, they were hurling massive, unconscious sea monsters onto the rocky beach.
Meanwhile, Zoro was given a simple task.
"Zoro," Nami said, placing her hands on her hips. "We need a bonfire. Go into the ruined sectors of the lower city. Collect broken timber from the houses destroyed by the Aqua Laguna. Walk straight down that road, pick up the wood, and walk straight back. Do you understand? Straight back."
"I'm not an idiot, witch," Zoro grunted, drawing one sword. "Get wood. Come back. Simple."
Zoro walked straight down the road.
Thirty minutes later, Zoro was somehow standing in the middle of a high-end commercial district on the exact opposite side of the island, holding a massive, pristine wooden mast from a newly constructed galleon that he had "found," surrounded by very angry shipwrights.
Back at the docks, Usopp and Chopper were in charge of ambiance.
Usopp, wrapped in bandages from head to toe (the result of Robin's highly educational 'parenting lesson' in the Time Chamber), limped around the docks.
"Ow... my pride... my bones..." Usopp groaned. But he pushed through the pain. He pulled out a box of high-tech gadgets Ben had helped him build.
He loaded special, non-lethal flare arrows into his transforming bow. He shot them into the sky, where they exploded into glowing, floating orbs of soft yellow and orange light that hovered over the docks, illuminating the area perfectly.
Chopper, in his Heavy Point form, was carrying massive boulders and chunks of concrete from the scrap yard, arranging them in a massive circle to serve as seating for the crew.
Robin stood near the center of the camp, a serene smile on her face. She wasn't carrying anything, but she was doing the work of twenty people.
"Cien Fleur."
Hundreds of hands sprouted along the long wooden tables the Franky Family had set up. The hands passed plates, arranged silverware, folded napkins, and even chopped mountains of carrots and potatoes at blinding speeds, dropping them directly into the boiling pots Vivi was managing.
"Robin-chwan! Your hands are as beautiful and efficient as ever!" Sanji swooned, spinning around as he tossed a massive slab of Sea King meat into the air, slicing it into paper-thin steaks before it hit the grill.
Franky and Iceburg, their rivalry completely forgotten, were using their combined shipwright skills to construct a towering, fifty-foot wooden structure in the center of the docks for the bonfire.
"Hammer it down, Bakaburg!" Franky yelled, shooting nails from a hidden gun in his palm.
"I'm hammering, you speedo-wearing freak!" Iceburg yelled back, swinging a massive mallet.
As night fully enveloped Water 7, the bonfire was lit. The flames roared high into the sky, casting dancing shadows against the water. The smell of roasting Sea King meat, spicy curry, sweet fruits, and salty ocean air blended into an intoxicating aroma.
"FOOD IS READY!" Sanji roared, kicking a massive gong.
The stampede was instantaneous.
---
The feast was chaotic, beautiful, and utterly gluttonous.
Luffy sat at the head of the main table. He didn't use a fork. He didn't use a plate. He was simply inhaling entire roasted boars, bones and all, his rubber stomach expanding to the size of a beach ball before instantly compressing as his terrifying metabolism went to work.
"MEAT!" Luffy cheered, dual-wielding giant turkey legs. "SHISHISHI! THIS IS THE BEST!"
Zoro, having finally found his way back (after getting a ride from a very confused Yagara Bull taxi), was sitting with the four human-sized giants. They were engaging in a terrifying drinking contest, emptying barrels of Water 7's strongest rum in single gulps.
"To the Magician!" Oimo cheered, wiping foam from his mouth. "For freeing us from the gate!"
"To the Straw Hats!" Kashii roared, clinking his barrel against Zoro's.
Nami and Robin sat together, elegantly sipping high-end wine that Nami had definitely stolen from Spandam's private reserve. Chimney and Gonbe were running circles around them, full of sugar and energy. Kokoro was already completely hammered, singing a slightly off-key mermaid shanty to anyone who would listen.
Ben sat near the bonfire, eating a modest plate of curry. He watched his crew, his found family, laughing and celebrating. The heavy, dark atmosphere of Enies Lobby was entirely washed away.
But Ben felt that the ambiance was missing one final touch.
"A pirate king's banquet needs music," Ben murmured to himself.
He stood up. He walked over to a stack of crates near the bonfire. With a flick of his wand, he conjured a sleek, modern DJ setup—two massive magical subwoofers, a mixer, and two turntables powered by the Arc Reactor's wireless energy field from the Merry.
Ben adjusted his glasses and looked toward his daughter, who was currently eating a mountain of ice cream.
"Merry!" Ben called out. "You're up. Let's shake off the dust. Give them something to bounce to."
Mini Merry's eyes lit up. She slammed her spoon down. "Aww yeah! Duty calls!"
She skipped over to the crates and hopped onto a small stool Ben had materialized for her. She pulled a massive pair of DJ headphones and slapped them over her ears. She turned her cap backward, adjusted her aviator shades, and grabbed the microphone.
"Yo, yo, yo!" Mini Merry's voice boomed over the magical PA system, cutting through the noise of the feast with perfect street-style bravado. "Water 7, what is good?! Are y'all ready to turn up?!"
Everyone stopped eating and looked at the tiny girl operating a futuristic soundboard.
"Make some NOISE for the Straw Hat massive!" Merry shouted, aggressively twisting a dial. "We pulled up on the World Government, disrespected their entire set, and bounced with the VIP! Now we're back, and we droppin' beats heavier than the Aqua Laguna, ya dig?!"
"YEAAAAAH!" The Franky Family cheered, completely swept up in her energy.
"Let's get this party started right!" Merry slammed her hands on the turntables.
A heavy, synthesized, tribal drumbeat suddenly blasted from the massive speakers. It was a rhythm so infectious, so incredibly bouncy, that the ground itself seemed to vibrate with the bass.
It wasn't a pirate shanty. It wasn't classical music. It was an absolute banger from another world.
"I like to move it, move it!" Merry shouted into the mic, perfectly matching the legendary hype of King Julien.
"I like to move it, move it!"
"I like to move it, move it!"
"Ya like to... MOVE IT!"
The beat dropped. A heavy, bouncing reggae-dancehall bassline exploded across the docks.
Luffy was the first to react. He swallowed a whole ham, his eyes going wide. His rubber body instinctively reacted to the bouncing bass.
"WOOOOO!" Luffy screamed. He jumped into the clearing around the bonfire. He didn't do a traditional dance. He literally used his Devil Fruit to turn his entire body into a bouncing rubber ball, ricocheting off the ground, the crates, and the tables perfectly in time with the beat.
"I like to move it, move it!" Merry chanted.
Usopp and Chopper, caught in the infectious rhythm, leaped onto a table. They linked arms and began doing a perfectly synchronized, highly energetic side-step dance.
"Sing it with me, fam!" Merry yelled.
"WE LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp screamed back, completely out of tune but filled with joy.
"Go Chopper! Go Usopp!" Vivi cheered, clapping her hands to the beat, her red hair bouncing as she swayed gracefully to the music.
Caroo the duck was beside her, shaking his tail feathers furiously, quacking in time with the drums.
"Physically fit, physically fit, physically, physically, physically fit!" the track boomed.
Franky heard the lyrics. He took it as a personal challenge.
"SUUUUPER FIT!" Franky roared. He ripped off his unbuttoned shirt, leaving only his speedo. He leaped into the center of the dance floor next to the bouncing Luffy.
Franky began doing a flawless, robotic pop-and-lock routine. Every time the bass hit, his cyborg joints locked perfectly into place. He flexed his massive forearms, doing the robot dance with actual robotic parts. To add to the spectacle, he opened his palm blasters and shot tiny, harmless, multi-colored laser beams into the night sky.
"Look at those servos!" Iceburg yelled, genuinely impressed, doing a slight shoulder-shimmy himself.
"Woman! You're cute, and you don't need no make-up!
Original cute, and you don't need no make-up!"
Sanji heard the lyrics. His eyes turned into massive, throbbing red hearts.
"NAMI-SWAAAAAN! ROBIN-CHWAAAAAN!" Sanji hollered, spinning like a top.
Sanji dove into the dance floor. He unleashed a masterclass in breakdancing and Capoeira. He spun on his head, flared his legs, and did continuous backflips, perfectly syncing his acrobatic kicks to the heavy reggae beat, all while blowing kisses toward the ladies' table.
Nami laughed, actually standing up and doing a beautiful, rhythmic hip-sway, singing along with the crowd. "WE LIKE TO MOVE IT!"
Zoro, however, was having none of it.
The swordsman sat cross-legged near the edge of the bonfire, a massive barrel of booze in his arms, scowling at the utter ridiculousness.
"Idiots," Zoro grunted, taking a massive swig.
At the table, Robin took a delicate sip of her wine. Her eyes twinkled with pure, mischievous amusement.
"Oh, I think Mr. Swordsman wants to dance," Robin smiled serenely. "He's just shy."
Robin crossed her arms over her chest. "Ochenta Fleur." (Eighty Flowers).
Zoro froze. Suddenly, dozens of pale, elegant hands sprouted from his shoulders, his back, his hips, and his knees.
"What the—?!" Zoro dropped his barrel. "Hey! Woman! Stop this!"
The hands ignored him. They grabbed his limbs with surprising strength. Against his will, Zoro was forced to stand up.
"I like to move it, move it!" the crowd sang.
The hands on Zoro's hips forcibly swayed him to the left. The hands on his arms raised them in the air. The hands on his knees forced him to step in time.
Robin was using her Devil Fruit to physically manipulate the demon-aura swordsman into doing a flawless, incredibly passionate Salsa dance.
"I'M GONNA CUT YOU!" Zoro roared, his face burning bright red with ultimate humiliation and homicidal rage as his body dipped, twirled, and shimmied perfectly to the reggae beat.
---
The party was at its absolute peak. The music was booming, the fire was roaring, and the entire Franky Family was singing the chorus of Madagascar's finest track at the top of their lungs.
Suddenly, a massive, furious roar cut through the night air from the cliffside above the docks.
"STRAW HAT PIRATES!!!"
The music didn't stop, but several heads turned.
Charging down the rocky path toward the Scrap Coast was an army of over a hundred Galley-La shipwrights. They were armed to the teeth with massive saws, heavy mallets, wrenches, and pitchforks. Leading the charge was Paulie, swinging his rope, alongside Tilestone and Lulu.
"WE'RE HERE TO AVENGE MR. ICEBURG!" Paulie screamed, his face red with righteous fury. "YOU THINK YOU CAN ATTACK OUR MAYOR AND GET AWAY WITH—"
Paulie froze in his tracks, skidding to a halt on the dirt. The shipwrights behind him bumped into each other in a chaotic pile-up.
They stared at the scene before them.
The Straw Hats weren't fleeing. They weren't hiding. They were in the middle of a massive rave.
But what completely short-circuited Paulie's brain was the sight near the bonfire.
Standing right next to the speedo-wearing cyborg, holding a skewer of Sea King meat in one hand and awkwardly popping his shoulders to the bass drop, was none other than Iceburg himself. The Mayor of Water 7. The man they had come to avenge.
"M-Mr. Iceburg?!" Paulie stammered, dropping his rope. "You're... you're here? And... dancing?!"
Iceburg paused mid-shimmy. He blinked at the hundred angry men holding weapons. He looked at the Straw Hats, then at Franky.
"Ah," Iceburg said softly, scratching his cheek. "I knew I forgot to make a phone call."
"You forgot to tell us?!" Tilestone roared, veins popping on his bald head. "We thought they tried to kill you!"
"It's a long story," Iceburg waved his hand casually. "The Straw Hats actually saved me. And they saved Franky. We're celebrating."
Paulie stared. Lulu stared. The entire Galley-La company stood there, weapons raised, completely utterly bewildered. They had come for blood, and instead found a barbecue.
At the DJ booth, Mini Merry grinned. She didn't let the awkward silence linger. She grabbed the crossfader and slammed it up.
"Yo, shipwrights!" Merry screamed into the mic. "Drop the hammers and grab a plate! The bass is too heavy for bad vibes! SING IT!"
The massive subwoofers blasted the chorus back to maximum volume.
"I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!"
Luffy bounced over to Paulie, stretching his rubber arm to hand the furious foreman a giant, dripping piece of roasted meat. "Eat! It's good!"
Paulie looked at the meat. He looked at the bouncing rubber boy. He looked at his beloved Mayor, who had gone back to awkwardly shoulder-shrugging with Franky.
Paulie sighed. He dropped his weapons.
"Oh, what the hell," Paulie groaned. He took a bite of the meat. His eyes widened. "Damn, that's good."
"Let's go!" Tilestone roared, throwing his giant hammer aside.
The infectious, heavy reggae beat was impossible to resist. The anger melted away, replaced by the universal truth of a good party. The Galley-La workers flooded the docks, mingling with the Franky Family—their long-time rivals—and the Straw Hat Pirates.
Within minutes, the vengeful mob had turned into a synchronized dance troupe.
"WE LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" Paulie, Tilestone, and a hundred shipwrights sang at the top of their lungs, jumping up and down to the heavy bass.
For that moment, under the starry sky of Water 7, there were no World Governments, no assassins, and no rivalries. There was only the music, the feast, and the unbreakable, chaotic, beautiful bond of a city and the pirates who saved it.
It was the greatest banquet the Water 7 had ever seen.