Nami stepped forward and patted Usopp on the shoulder, seeing an unconscious and seriously injured Rob Lucci. "It's all thanks to you, Usopp," she said with a smirk.
"Well, you know," Usopp replied, flicking his long nose smugly, "I'm still a top-tier fighter among the Straw Hats!"
"Oh, really?" Nami shot back, rolling her eyes. "Besides Luffy and Zoro, you'd be lucky to take on Sanji. And what about Franky and Ikki? There are others fighting for those spots, too."
"I'd still be in the top six!" Usopp insisted. "Franky, Ikki, and Mari are no match for me!"
"Right, right. Whatever makes you happy," Nami said dismissively before turning to Iceberg and Paulie.
Iceberg said to them, "Thank you, both of you. You saved Barry and me. Since your ship was repaired by my company, I'll waive the cost as a token of my gratitude."
Nami's eyes widened. "Seriously? Then I won't say no! You're so kind, Mr. Iceberg!" To Nami, a free repair was a wonderful thing, and she immediately decided that Iceberg was one of the good guys.
Usopp, more focused on the bigger picture, said, "Mr. Iceberg, I hope you didn't give CP9 the blueprints they were looking for! The World Government's agents are bad news, so you must have them hidden somewhere safe."
Iceberg waved a hand. "It's fine. The blueprints aren't in my possession, so even if they kill me, they won't get them."
Nami and Usopp shrugged, not particularly interested in the details of the blueprints. As long as CP9 didn't get them, they were happy. After all, those agents were the same ones who tried to steal the Straw Hats' money.
Iceberg's words, however, were not as reassuring as he made them seem. He worried that with CP9's relentless pursuit, they would eventually discover the true location of the blueprints and put his younger brother, Franky, in danger.
As it turned out, his fears were justified. On the coast outside the Franky House, two members of CP9, Kumadori and Fukurou, appeared before a cola-guzzling Franky.
"Who the hell are you two?" Franky, wearing nothing but his signature speedo, asked in surprise.
Fukurou unzipped the mouth on his stomach and laughed, "Chabababa! You're Tom's second apprentice and Iceberg's younger brother, Cutty Flam, aren't you? We know your secret! Chabababa!"
Franky stood up and pointed his cannon-like left arm at the strange duo. "How do you know that? What do you want?" he demanded.
"Yoyoi! Cutty Flam, there's no point in getting angry," Kumadori said, striking a bizarre pose. "Hand over the Pluton blueprints or you're dead. Yoyoi! You'll be able to see my mother on the other side, so you should have no regrets!"
Franky immediately understood: they were after the blueprints. He didn't hesitate to fire a volley of bullets from his left arm. The shots rang out along the coast, but Kumadori and Fukurou dodged them with ease.
"Strong Right!" Franky yelled, lunging forward with a powerful punch that connected with Fukurou.
Fukurou was sent flying but used Moonwalk to stop himself mid-air. He winced and wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth, the dent in his chest from Franky's punch a clear testament to its power.
"Chabababa, you're stronger than I thought," Fukurou admitted.
Despite Franky's strength, Kumadori and Fukurou weren't worried. Franky's attacks became less effective as the fight dragged on, and his blue hair drooped from fatigue.
"I can't keep this up!" Franky thought, turning and running toward the Franky House.
Kumadori saw what he was doing and extended his long pink hair, which wrapped around Franky and held him in place. Franky struggled to break free but couldn't.
"What's going on?! I can't move! What are you guys?!" Franky yelled, struggling with all his might, but it was useless.
Fukurou kicked him in the chest, creating a loud bang. "Chabababa! I never would have guessed that after getting hit by that train, Cutty Flam would rebuild himself out of metal. But you're just scrap metal now! Chabababa!"
"Yoyoi! Cutty Flam, you can't escape my life return," Kumadori said. "Hand over the blueprints now, or we'll get rough!"
Hearing the name "Cutty Flam" again, Franky became furious. "Don't call me that! The old Cutty Flam is dead! There's only Franky now! The World Government sentenced my master to death! I'll super-never forgive you! You'll never get the blueprints even if you kill me!"
Fukurou and Kumadori exchanged a knowing glance.
"Chabababa, you may not be afraid of death, but what about Iceberg? Chabababa," Fukurou said.
Franky froze. "You bastards! If you want to kill me, go ahead! But leave Iceberg out of it! Only I know where the blueprints are. If you kill him, I'll kill myself and no one will ever know where they are!"
Franky's threat stopped the two in their tracks.
Fukurou said, "Let's take him to Enies Lobby. The higher-ups can interrogate him there."
Kumadori nodded. "Yoyoi! Exactly! Lucci must've captured Iceberg by now. With both of them, we're bound to learn the blueprints' location!"
Hearing this, Franky became enraged. He dislocated his right wrist, causing his chained fist to fly out and hit Kumadori square in the nose.
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