This world was crap. To live a decent life, to have your human rights recognized, you needed a staggering amount of heavenly gold. There were several ways to obtain money, but heavenly gold increased in proportion to a country's population. In some cases, it was more profitable to reduce the population than to earn money. If your human rights weren't recognized, not only would you not receive the protection of the Navy or the World Government, but you could even become a target for slave hunters. It was a reign conceived entirely around the Celestial Dragons.
The man, hailing from a non-affiliated country in the South Blue, knew this well. That was why he left his island. …Even knowing that leaving the island wouldn't change the rules that governed the world.
…
The Going Merry, battered by the storm, was in no condition to sail. At Robin's suggestion, they decided to request maritime rescue. The maritime rescue service, conceived and provided by Twilight, operated on a system where sending a Den Den Mushi signal to a specific number would be picked up by radio towers on islands under Twilight's influence, pinpointing the ship's location through triangulation.
There wasn't a specific Den Den Mushi for this; a signal sent from anywhere in the world would be caught by the nearest radio tower. However, since ships were dispatched from nearby islands, it took a fair amount of time and money, so many preferred not to rely on it if possible. Still, many sought help, knowing their lives were irreplaceable.
"Are you the pirates who requested rescue?"
The men arrived roughly a day and a half after the rescue request was made. While triangulation provided a general location, its accuracy wasn't particularly high. The unobstructed open sea offered good visibility, but ships could be carried by currents, and discovery could be delayed depending on the weather. A day and a half after a rescue request was considered quite fast.
As for Luffy and his crew, who had called for help, they had nothing much to do, so they passed the time idly, listening to the radio, fishing, doing strength training, or reading, each to their own liking.
"AWOOOO!! You guys look like you're takin' it easy!! But I can tell the state of your ship just by lookin'! You're lucky to be alive in this condition! Real lucky!!"
The man struck a strange pose, raising both arms and tilting his body. The two women with square hairstyles behind him mimicked the pose, and the man stylishly introduced himself.
"The name's Franky!! I'm the boss of the Franky Family, a crew of dismantlers and shipwrights, that's me!!!"
The man in swim trunks, an aloha shirt, sunglasses, and a blue pompadour had an air about him that would make you believe he was the pirate, not the rescuer.
Amidst the dumbfounded crew, Chopper inadvertently muttered.
"What… is that…"
"Don't you know, Chopper? That's a pervert."
"So that's a pervert, huh."
"Hey, hey, long-nosed bro, don't praise me so much."
"I'm not praising you!"
Usopp waved his hands in denial at Franky, who was blushing for some reason. For Franky, who took pride in being a pervert, the word was likely a compliment, not a denial or insult. He was a type of man Usopp couldn't quite understand.
"Anyway, first, let me see this ship of yours! I'll tow ya, but it'd be a problem if she sank on the way!"
"Whoa, that's reassuring! Countin' on you, swim-trunks man!"
"Mozu, Kiwi. You two get ready for towing."
"Got it."
"Leave it to us, bro."
Usopp didn't know Franky's skill as a shipwright, but figured he must be a reasonably skilled technician since he came to rescue them. He led Franky into the ship.
Mozu and Kiwi, apparently starting towing preparations, began giving instructions and bringing out thick ropes. The men called the Franky Family moved efficiently, preparing for the tow as if accustomed to this kind of work.
Luffy and the others, with nothing particular to help with, were idle. Then, a man who seemed to be Franky's second-in-command—Zambai—boarded the Merry and began explaining various things.
"Who's the captain of this ship?"
"Me."
"I'm the navigator. If it's about the ship, I'll listen too."
"Right. Then, about the fee for this time."
Naturally, maritime rescue wasn't a free service. It was merely a system to increase survival rates; their job was to rescue anyone, pirate or otherwise, as long as they paid. The Franky Family was a subcontractor, so as long as the money was paid, they weren't interested in their clients' backgrounds.
"Do you even have money?"
"Yeah, we do. Eight hundred million."
"Eight hundred million!?"
"Luffy! Don't go spilling our financial situation!!"
"What's the big deal? It's not like it'll decrease."
"It might decrease, you know!? Stop talking without thinking!"
Nami pulled Luffy's cheek with a stretch. No matter how much Luffy was the captain, it seemed the day he could win an argument against Nami would never come. Pirates were basically living day-to-day, hand-to-mouth. Even if they had some savings, it was usually just enough to buy food and medicine; they rarely carried sums exceeding a million. To casually mention a figure far beyond that, in the hundreds of millions, made Zambai's eyes widen.
"Well, if you have that much, there's no worry. The ship repair and rescue fees, all together, will be 100 million. Pay up."
"Don't be ridiculous!!"
Nami and Luffy snapped at the blatantly inflated price. "Well, yeah, guess so," Zambai conceded, scratching his head as he corrected himself.
"The minimum price is around 500,000. How much more it'll be depends on how much emergency patching is needed."
Considering the labor costs for moving the ship and the materials for emergency repairs, this was actually on the cheap side. Pirates who absolutely refused to pay would have their bounties handed over to the Navy, and any usable parts from their remaining ship would be salvaged for materials, which was often more profitable. Nami looked slightly reluctant but agreed to the amount, understanding that the large sum on hand was a fair trade for their safety.
Just as the explanations concluded, Franky and Usopp returned to the deck.
"Ah, bro! How was it?"
"Needs a bit of patching. The leaks and rudder need to be fixed at the very least. The rest can wait, she won't sink."
No sooner said than done, Franky briefly returned to his ship and then re-entered the Merry, carrying materials and tools. Usopp watched Franky's work with fascination, letting out a sigh of admiration at the skill with which he quickly repaired the leaking hole and the broken rudder.
"Whoa… Amazing. Can it really be fixed this cleanly?"
"Well, bro, I've been in this business for 20 years. Don't underestimate me."
"Twenty years!? No wonder you're amazing…"
"But this ship of yours is a good ship too. It's clumsily but properly maintained. You can tell when a ship is well-loved."
"Sorry for being clumsy."
Franky laughed as he stroked the mark of a previous repair where the hole hadn't been sealed properly and was leaking. Usopp snorted, looking sulky. Neither Usopp nor Zepo were shipwrights; they had merely been mimicking the job because they were somewhat dexterous. Compared to a professional, they were clearly far inferior. Franky looked at Usopp and laughed, "My bad," then climbed onto the deck with the remaining materials and tools.
"From here… Banaro Island is the closest. Zambai, head for Banaro Island for now. Take the helm."
"Huh, not Water 7?"
"Yeah. Looks like she'll need a full inspection there first."
"Understood, bro!! Alright lads, destination is Banaro Island!!"
Following Zambai's instructions, the ship slowly turned and headed towards Banaro Island. The Franky Family's ship was towed by two mysterious creatures, allowing it to cross the sea without regard for wind direction. Franky himself didn't return to his ship but was inside the Merry, receiving tea from Sanji. Everyone except Luffy and Chopper was inside the ship, curiously watching the horse-like creatures pulling their vessel.
"What are those? Never seen creatures like that."
"Those are 'Bulls.' Among several ranks, they're the top-tier 'King Bulls.' They can easily pull a ship this size."
"Huh… There are some rare creatures out there."
"Some people have sea beasts pull their ships, or even creatures that eat Sea Kings. You don't see King Bulls much outside of Water 7, though."
Crossing the sea was risking one's life. Besides the weather, attacks from pirates, sea beasts, or Sea Kings were always a possibility. The Franky Family's ship, the "Battle Franky 55," was heavily armed and could even take down Sea Kings, but in the face of a giant storm, there was always the chance of sinking helplessly.
Many ships were at the mercy of the wind, but having creatures pull them offered the advantage of being able to proceed regardless of wind direction even in rough weather. Though, being living creatures, their performance could vary depending on their condition, so it wasn't absolute.
"By the way, what's that raccoon dog doing?"
"Ah, Chopper can talk to animals. He's probably talking to your King Bulls."
"Hoh. A Zoan-type ability user, huh. Talking to animals, that's a strange ability."
Franky had been watching Chopper, who was talking to the King Bulls near the bow of the Battle Franky 55, with a curious expression, but Usopp's words made him nod in understanding. Devil Fruits were supernatural powers beyond human comprehension. Even if he couldn't understand it, he could accept it as "just the way it is."
"It'll take about a day to get to Banaro Island from here. Mind if I inspect the ship in the meantime?"
"Yeah, we were planning to get this ship repaired in a dock anyway. It'd be great if you could look at it beforehand."
"But Usopp, is that pervert any good?"
"AWOOOO, don't talk down to me, curly-brow bro. I've been in this business for 20 years! I'm a shipwright with a solid reputation from Twilight, ya know!?"
"Indeed, maritime rescue is a service provided by Twilight. Since he came here for that, I think it's safe to assume his skills are reliable," Robin commented.
"…Well, if Robin-chan says so."
Sanji seemed satisfied for the time being after Robin answered his question. Meanwhile, Franky reacted to her name.
"…Nico Robin?"
His sunglasses hid his eyes, but Franky looked at Robin with surprise. Robin, having no prior acquaintance, showed no reaction. Robin had a bounty on her head for a long time; many were concerned not just because of the amount, but because she was a survivor of Ohara. Figuring this was another such case, Robin outwardly pretended not to mind while observing Franky's reaction. If things went badly, the government or Navy could come flying.
"What, you know Robin-chan?"
"It'd be weirder if I didn't. She's… no, never mind. You guys must know what you're doing, letting her on board. More importantly, a refill on the tea."
"It's hot, so be careful."
"Yeah, thanks, bro… So, yeah. You'll need time to think about what to do with the ship, right? And you'll need to get the money ready, so a few days' time… Buahot!!"
"I just told you it was hot, so be careful!"
Perhaps it was hotter than he expected; Franky yelped and fell over after taking a sip of the tea.
…
And so, just as Franky predicted, the group arrived at Banaro Island about a day later. The holy land of gambling, where anything and everything was wagered—the island ruled by Buena Festa, the "Festival Master."