"Wait, really?" Nami's voice shot up, her concern plain on her face.
"He was taken by the—or should I say, carried by—the Franky Family," Lulu replied, rubbing the back of his neck as though he were still piecing things together.
"What!!!" Luffy and Nami exclaimed at the same time, their voices echoing through the dock. The news seemed to hit them like a wave, and panic crept into their expressions.
"I thought it was Kaku for a minute," Lulu muttered in the background, clearly still perplexed. Meanwhile, Nami and Luffy paced frantically, trying to understand why the Franky Family would target Usopp.
"Could they still be trying to ransom him?" Lucas wondered aloud, brushing his chin thoughtfully as if trying to piece together a puzzle.
"Maybe he's your younger sibling," Lulu mumbled, his eyes flicking between Lucas and the thought of Usopp's and Kaku's similarly peculiar noses.
"Usopp was kidnapped! Luffy, quick, you go—" Nami began, already directing Luffy in her typical take-charge manner. But Luffy was gone before she could even finish her sentence, bolting with his usual impulsiveness.
It was Lucas who intervened, catching Luffy mid-run by grabbing the back of his vest. "Luffy, what are you doing?" Luffy protested, squirming in Lucas's grip.
"Did you forget that I'm here?" Lucas said matter-of-factly, his tone calm but laced with a hint of annoyance. Without waiting for a response, he turned to the others. "Excuse us, but it seems we've got some things to take care of."
Before anyone could question him further, Lucas opened a glowing portal beneath them. The Straw Hats, startled by the sudden shift, fell through it and landed moments later on the main deck of the Merry.
Sanji and Chopper, who had been on the ship, spun around in surprise. "Guys!!" they exclaimed, rushing over to the group.
"Wait, where's Usopp?" Chopper asked, noticing immediately that one of their own was missing.
Luffy's expression darkened, and without him needing to say a word, the others understood. Something serious had happened.
"Who did it?" Sanji and Zoro asked simultaneously, their voices low and dangerous as their resolve deepened.
Lucas, staying composed, waved his hand. A compass appeared, floating mid-air, its needle spinning briefly before locking onto Usopp's exact location. "Just follow the compass. I'll stay here and watch over the Merry," Lucas said, his tone level but reassuring.
The crew wasted no time, immediately preparing to leave. "I hope he's still alright," Nami muttered under her breath, gripping her staff tightly.
"Don't worry about it," Lucas said, handing her a small satchel. "Here, take this."
"Huh? What's this?" Nami asked, eying the satchel with mild confusion.
"It's the money, of course. Well, half of it," Lucas replied casually. "I'm going to commission that other ship with another company—it'll be like our backup," he added, turning to leave.
"Wait, how am I even supposed to use this thing?" Nami called after him, staring at the mysterious satchel.
Lucas simply waved her off with a faint smirk, leaving her to figure it out as the crew set their sights on rescuing Usopp.
'Dun!' The door to the Franky house burst open, kicked so hard it nearly flew off its hinges. Sanji, Zoro, Chopper, and Luffy stormed in, their expressions dark and seething with anger.
"Where's our friend?!" Luffy roared, his voice echoing through the room.
The Franky Family members lounged about, snickering among themselves as if unfazed by the Straw Hats' appearance. "First, give us our money," one of them sneered.
"Don't listen to them, guys! I'm okay!" Usopp shouted, his voice strained as he struggled against the ropes tying him to a chair. His loud declaration drew their attention to him in the corner of the room.
"Usopp!" The four Straw Hats called out in relief, their expressions softening for a moment.
"Quiet!" barked one of the Franky goons, silencing Usopp with a threatening glare.
The four Straw Hats tensed again. Their irritation had already reached boiling point when they barged in, but now, seeing Usopp bound and mistreated, that relief turned into a cold rage. The smirk faded from the Franky Family's faces as the Straw Hats pounced, their fury unleashed. What followed was less of a fight and more of a decisive rout. Blows landed, bodies flew, and within minutes, the entire hideout was reduced to rubble. Members of the Franky Family lay scattered across the wreckage, groaning in defeat.
"A bunch of hooligans," Sanji remarked, taking a seat on a pile of splintered wood that used to be the hideout's furniture. He pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with practiced ease. "You think we should go for their leader too?"
"Where would we even begin with that?" Zoro shot back, wiping his blade clean with a cloth.
"True. We just found Usopp. If we go out looking for their boss, you might end up lost too," Sanji teased, his lips curling into a smirk.
"Huh?! What's that!? You wanna go?!" Zoro snapped, his voice rising in challenge.
"Come on, guys, let's head back already!" Luffy called, standing at the edge of the rubble, ready to leave.
"Chhh," Zoro and Sanji huffed in unison, reluctantly falling into step behind their captain.
As they approached the Merry, Nami was waiting anxiously at the dock, pacing back and forth. The moment she saw them with Usopp in tow, a wave of relief washed over her face. "You're back!" she called, running up to them. "Thank goodness!" Her smile didn't last long as she quickly scanned the group. "Robin's still not back, huh?" she asked, her worry shifting.
Usopp, meanwhile, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry, guys. Because of me, you had to go through all that trouble…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Luffy reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. His voice carried its usual carefree tone, but there was warmth in his words.
Usopp nodded, but before anyone could say more, Luffy turned to the group with a serious expression. "More importantly, I've made a decision," he announced, his voice firm.
The crew turned their attention to him, the mood shifting instantly.
"I've decided to change ships," Luffy said. "The Going Merry helped us a lot, but its sailing days will end right here."
A heavy silence fell over the crew. Usopp's face was blank, unreadable at first, as if he were processing Luffy's words. Finally, he stood up, his gaze distant.
"So, it's really come to this, huh?" he said, his voice low and steady. He took a deep breath before continuing, "I really didn't want to believe it, but it's fine. It's not like the Merry won't be with us." He managed a small, bittersweet smile, his words holding a weight of acceptance.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Nami asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"The ship mechanic guy said the Merry won't make it that long," Luffy added, looking at Usopp quizzically. "So what do you mean?"
"We've talked it over with Lucas, and he said he has a way for the Merry to come along with us," Usopp explained, his expression softening slightly.
The others exchanged glances, curiosity sparking in their eyes. "Is that why you've been strange since you two had a talk?" Sanji asked, raising an eyebrow at Usopp.
"Yeah, sorta," Usopp admitted.
"The same way I'll carry the Black Pearl, I'll encase the Merry to come with us as well," Lucas chimed in, leaning casually against the mast.
"Huh? What's the Black Pearl?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"It's a long story," Lucas replied, waving his hand dismissively.
"Well, shorten it, damn it!" Sanji and Zoro barked in unison, their patience clearly running thin.
"Okay, okay, jeez," Lucas said, holding up his hands. "The Black Pearl is a ship I commissioned to be made for me, and I'll use my magic to encase it in this glass bottle here. That's how we'll take the Merry with us too—after I restore her, that is," he explained, pulling out a small, ornate glass bottle for emphasis.
"Wait, you can restore the Merry?" Nami asked, her voice tinged with both hope and disbelief.
"Yeah, but I'd recommend we get a new ship that's stronger than the Merry. Even if I restore her, she'll just get banged up again and again," Lucas said with a shrug.
"Huh?! If you two knew this, then why'd you keep it to yourselves?" Nami asked, frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Honestly? I just got lazy," Lucas admitted nonchalantly, scratching the back of his head. His casual response earned him a swift smack from Nami.
"More and more, it seems you're getting more annoying," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Anyway," Lucas continued, brushing off the scolding, "we have the money, so buying another ship isn't really a problem."
The crew exchanged glances, and after a moment of contemplation, they all nodded in agreement. The decision had been made. The Merry's journey as their main vessel was coming to an end, and they were going to get a new ship.
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