After Rolan and the others boarded the ship, they saw Franky lying motionless on the deck, bubbles gently rising from his nose.
Without much concern, Enel casually summoned a small bolt of lightning that struck Franky.
Pop!
Immediately the bubble popped and Franky's body jerked. He bolted upright, eyes wide as he stared at the burn-marks on his limbs. Then he looked around, bewildered. He realized he was somewhere unfamiliar, with Rolan and unfamiliar faces standing before him.
"Where is this place?" Franky blurted out.
Rolan glanced at him calmly and asked, "Where do you think you are?"
Franky's eyes sharpened as he took in Rolan. "Could this be… your ship?"
Rolan inclined his head coolly. "Yes. Welcome aboard. And don't pretend you're dumb."
Franky shook his head as clarity returned, rubbing his arms. "You're sailing somewhere? Wait — let me down. I want to stay in Water 7."
Rolan didn't move. Franky stumbled toward the railing. But before he could jump, a large package came flying from the shore and struck him square in the face with a thud. He collapsed back to the deck.
A voice from the shoreline shouted: "Goodbye, Big Brother Franky! Take care aboard Lord Rolan's ship."
Franky lifted his head and saw a line of his old subordinates waving at him. Their usual grimy, metal-laden outfits were gone. Instead, they wore simple shirts and shorts, giving them a cleaner — almost respectable — look. Franky's jaw dropped.
"What the hell?" he muttered. "Are you really the Franky Family? Is this how you treat your big brother?"
At that moment the crowd parted, revealing Iceburg walking up to the ship's edge. He wore a coat, and in his chest pocket sat a little mouse. Iceburg looked at Rolan, voice calm. "Well then. Leaving so soon?"
The former Franky Family members bowed deeply to Iceburg. "Big Brother!" they all said in unison.
Franky's eyes bulged. "Hey! I'm right here! What are you doing?"
One of them spoke up quietly, "Franky-san, our Big Brother is Iceburg-san now."
Franky's confusion turned to disbelief. Why had his crew, loyal to him yesterday, transferred their allegiance to Iceburg?
Rolan leaned forward slightly. "Iceburg-san, we're setting sail. If you need anything, call us on the Den Den Mushi."
Iceburg clenched his fists and nodded once. "Understood. Water 7 is safe in my hands."
Rolan and Iceburg had spoken the night before, and it seemed they had come to an understanding. Iceburg's ambition for Water 7, Rolan's territory plans — they aligned.
Rolan reached out and patted Franky on the shoulder. "Come on. Let it go."
Franky turned slowly toward Rolan, confusion and hesitation warring in his eyes. "I… I…"
Rolan's tone was neutral but firm. "Come aboard. You'll be our chief engineer on the Ion Tempest."
Franky stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. Since you asked — I'll give it a shot."
In Rolan's mind he heard a mechanical voice: "Mission update: Partner acquired. Rewards: Memory Alloy x1, Devil Fruit Side Effect Elimination Card x1, Indestructible Thong x1, Red High Heels x1, Senzu Beans x2000."
Rolan's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Devil Fruit side-effect card. This was exactly what he had hoped for. If he gave that card to Nami, many of his plans could move forward. Franky might just be his good luck charm.
Franky sensed Rolan's lingering stare and clutched at his clothes, a flush rising on his cheeks. "What are you looking at? I'm no Brokeback Mountain pervert!"
Rolan snapped back to himself, feeling a surge of disgust. He delivered a sharp kick to Franky's side. "I'm a proper man, and I don't swing that way."
...
Out at sea, Rolan helped Nami get accustomed to the water. She floated beside him, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Nami," Rolan asked calmly, "how does that feel?"
Nami's face lit up. "Rolan! I… I don't seem afraid of the water anymore." She wrapped her arms around him. "I can finally swim again."
She drifted away, exhilarated. The Devil Fruit Side Effect Elimination Card's magic seemed to have worked perfectly. Rolan felt a quiet satisfaction.
He turned his gaze toward a small island nearby. "Let's test the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's power on that island," he murmured to himself.
Meanwhile, on the shore of the island, half the land had transformed into barren desert sand while the other half crackled with electricity. Two figures stood there: Crocodile and Enel, locked in combat.
Back on the ship, Franky was already tinkering, using the memory alloy to enhance his mechanical body.
Nami swam around happily before swimming ashore. Without changing out of her bikini, she bounded straight to Rolan and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for letting me feel the joy of swimming."
Rolan averted his eyes and said flatly, "We're not done yet. Next, we experiment."
Nami nodded, eyes locked on the transformed island — half lightning, half desert. Crocodile and Enel had ended their fight and returned to the ship.
Nami closed her eyes and transformed into a white cloud, rising above the island. Rolan followed, hovering beside her.
"Begin," he said quietly.
Nami nodded.
On the ship's deck, Crocodile stood by the railing, exhaling a deep drag of smoke. He glimpsed up at them. "Has it begun?" he asked.
Enel popped a senzu bean in his mouth, instantly refreshed. His expression turned serious as he watched.
Rolan activated his electromagnetic power. Slowly, the island began to lift, as though being pulled from beneath. Nami responded instantly, creating a vast cloud base underneath the floating island that kept it aloft.
Rolan called out, "Let go."
When Nami affirmed, Rolan released his grip entirely. The island settled gently on the cloud cushion, which hovered over the sea like a hovering ship.
Because the Cloud-Cloud Fruit had no side effects, the cloud base remained stable even though part of it skimmed the water.
Crocodile exhaled smoke again, impressed. "It worked."
Enel shook his head in disbelief. "That actually worked."
Nami floated back into Rolan's arms, wrapping herself around his waist, excitement shining in her eyes like a child's.
Rolan's lips pressed into a thin line. "You tired out?"
Nami shook her head. "Not at all. Once the island clouds were formed, I didn't need to hold them up anymore. Now they'll follow wherever we go."
Rolan's expression softened. "You did well."
She looked up at him with a grin. "What's my reward?"
---
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