-Real world-
The Sky Screen concluded its broadcast with flames consuming Dressrosa's entertainment district—a fitting end to such a brutal night. The massive explosion had erased an entire city block, leaving only a handful of survivors wailing among the rubble. When gods wage war, mortals always pay the price. Such was the eternal fate of the weak.
Water 7 remained as prosperous as ever, its sea train network connecting the surrounding islands in an endless cycle of commerce. The shipbuilding industry flourished, but tonight, many residents were gathered around public Sky Screens, watching the carnage unfold in distant lands.
Few people on Water 7 cared about the deaths on Dressrosa. The sight of Franky—the island's most notorious delinquent—reduced to half a mechanical head raised one pressing question: could robots even survive such catastrophic damage?
The Franky House, established by its namesake to shelter orphaned children, held a complicated reputation throughout Water 7. While the organization occasionally fought pirates, it operated essentially as a criminal gang. Their primary business involved ship dismantling, supplemented by petty theft and protection rackets. Violence against rivals was commonplace.
"Boss is gonna be so super awesome in 5 years!" one subordinate exclaimed, watching the broadcast with starry eyes. "Robots and lasers—that's every man's dream!"
"That explosion could flatten a Marine battleship," another added admiringly. "Boss was right to head out to sea."
"Wonder if he still likes women as a full robot," a third mused with genuine curiosity.
The Franky Family minions had no idea where their boss had disappeared to. He'd been called away around noon and never returned—though they assumed he was simply lying low after such a public display.
"Boss Franky went from cyborg to full robot," Square Sister whispered to her companion. "Think his personality changed too? Does he still... you know?"
"That thing between men's legs might not work anymore," Cube Sister replied with a snicker. "All that mechanical upgrading..."
The two fan-headed women continued their gossip with the casual crudeness that sometimes made female conversations more explicit than their male counterparts.
Their lively atmosphere shattered when a battered figure crashed through the Franky House doors. The injured man—clearly one of Franky's subordinates based on his clothing—clutched bleeding wounds as he struggled to speak.
"Run!" he gasped, pain evident in every word. "Everyone needs to run! The World Government's dogs are coming!"
His warning came too late. Two figures in immaculate black suits materialized in the doorway, their presence radiating lethal authority. Most of the Franky Family had been watching the Sky Screen, making identification immediate and terrifying.
"Rob Lucci and Kaku!"
"What are those government assassins doing in Water 7?"
"They're here for Boss Franky!"
The orphans Franky had raised from childhood possessed fierce loyalty—not one would betray their surrogate father. Despite the overwhelming disparity in strength, they grabbed whatever weapons they could find and charged at their impossibly outmatched opponents.
"These aren't pirates, but they're just as stubborn," Lucci observed coldly, addressing his partner. "Kill them all, Kaku. They're not worth the effort."
For CP9 agents trained in Rokushiki martial arts, slaughtering armed civilians was child's play. A few precisely aimed Rankyaku wind blades could eliminate dozens in seconds. Kaku showed no mercy during mission execution—within minutes, the Franky House was littered with corpses and screaming wounded.
When the massacre ended, only the two CP9 agents remained standing. Kaku had attempted enhanced interrogation techniques during the slaughter, trying to extract Franky's location through systematic torture. Despite unimaginable agony, these stubborn orphans revealed nothing about their beloved boss.
"Burn this place down," Lucci decided when direct interrogation failed. "If Franky won't return voluntarily, we'll force his hand. This extermination tactic works well on people who value friendship."
A third figure entered the charnel house—a familiar woman whose black hair and red dress marked her as the agent known as Ada. Her appearance on the Sky Screen had made her recognizable worldwide.
"We need to resolve this situation quickly," Ada announced, surveying the carnage with professional detachment. "Any further delays will be difficult to explain to our superiors. We've been on this island too long already."
She approached the fan-headed sisters, both wounded but still breathing. Despite their shared gender, Ada showed no sisterly mercy as she crouched beside Square Sister.
A crack appeared in Ada's palm, releasing a pale, segmented parasite that writhed with disturbing vitality. These mature specimens were far more effective than eggs for immediate control purposes.
"No, please—" Square Sister's desperate plea was cut short as Ada forced her mouth open and inserted the creature. The parasite burrowed through her nervous system with horrifying efficiency, reaching her brain within seconds.
The transformation was immediate and absolute. Square Sister's eyes became vacant, her personality completely suppressed as the parasite established neural dominance.
"Where is Franky hiding?" Ada commanded.
The parasitized host had no capacity for resistance. "Franky was summoned by Galley-La Company employees around noon. He never returned."
Ada's expression showed mild disappointment at this predictable answer. Her cold gaze settled on the now-useless host as she issued a final command to her parasite. "When Franky returns, give him an appropriate surprise."
She repeated the infection process with Cube Sister and the few other survivors, each providing identical information about Franky's whereabouts. With interrogation complete, Ada proceeded with Lucci's arson plan—the burning Franky House would serve as a beacon to draw the cyborg home.
The three CP9 agents ignited the building's exterior and established a perimeter, discussing recent developments while they waited for their target to appear.
"The World Government is reaching a breaking point over the Sky Screen situation," Kaku observed, his usually stoic demeanor betraying genuine unease. "Unless we're on critical missions, all operatives across the four seas have been recalled to Enies Lobby for emergency briefings."
Even someone as thick-skinned as Kaku could sense the shifting winds. The atmosphere within government circles had become suffocating.
"The Sky Screen's source remains unidentified," Lucci replied, feeding his ever-present pigeon companion. "Whether it stems from Devil Fruit powers or something else entirely, the Five Elders are genuinely panicked. I've never seen the World Government this rattled."
The memory of his future defeat through some technique called "Domain Expansion" gnawed at Lucci's confidence. The uncertainty of what would happen to his beloved pet pigeon only added to his irritation.
"Commander Spandam can't handle the pressure from above," Ada interjected, her intelligence network providing insights unavailable to standard CP9 agents. "He's stopped caring about the Five Elders' obsession with Pluton's blueprints. Spandam just wants credit for something—anything—so he's planning independent action. I suspect we'll all be reassigned to East Blue operations within days."
East Blue represented safe, low-risk assignments compared to their current mission parameters.
The Franky House burned for nearly an hour, black smoke billowing into Water 7's evening sky like a funeral pyre. Anyone standing on elevated ground could witness the destruction, but despite CP9's patient vigil, the orphans' beloved boss never appeared to save his burning home.
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