"So you've heard of me. Good. How about it, want to join my crew?" Bellamy felt a sense of pride knowing his name was finally getting out there.
"I can't. I still have something very important to do."
Until he had his revenge, Franky would not set sail under any circumstances.
"Something important? You mean getting revenge on Spandam?" Bellamy knew exactly what Franky needed. "Let's go. I'll help you kill Spandam right now."
"What did you say?!" Franky was stunned. This man wanted to help him get revenge? If it was Bellamy, maybe he could actually do it.
"Spandam is the chief of CP9!" Although Franky was incredibly excited, he still gave Bellamy this crucial piece of information. He dreamed of avenging his master every day, but not like this. The chief of CP9 was the face of the World Government; doing something like that would get you hunted by the Marines until you were dead.
Franky clearly didn't understand what kind of person Bellamy was. Forget a mere Spandam; he would dare to kill a Celestial Dragon. Bellamy was also well aware that the World Government had surely covered up many of his worst deeds. For example, the incident where he destroyed the Heavenly Tribute fleet had caused no stir in the world. Aside from a few rumors in the black market, the event had been completely erased by the World Government.
In response to Franky's warning, Bellamy just smiled. "Everyone in CP9, except for Spandam, has already been killed by me."
This incident had also clearly been suppressed by the World Government; not a whisper of it had reached the outside world.
"I see!"
Franky had always been filled with regret over what had happened back then. His real name was Cutty Flam. Born into a pirate family in the South Blue, he had entered the Grand Line with his parents before he could even remember. At the age of ten, he was abandoned in Water 7 by his parents, who deemed him too difficult to manage. Tom, seeing the boy's innate talent for building cannons and weapons, took him in and raised him as his apprentice.
Because of his natural love for weaponry, Franky had secretly built a series of battleships called the "Battle Frankies" using materials he pilfered while working for Tom. Spandam found out about these ships, and what followed was an event that Franky regretted to this day. Spandam used the battleships to attack a judicial ship. To protect Franky, Tom took the blame. After a trial on Enies Lobby, Tom was sentenced to death.
The incident left an indelible scar on Franky's heart. All these years on the island, he had often lamented his own foolishness, which had led to his master's tragic death. If Bellamy could help him kill that bastard Spandam, Franky would do anything. Joining a pirate crew? He would agree to that right now.
"If you can help me kill Spandam, you can have my life." Franky pounded his steel chest, readily selling his life to Bellamy.
"Done!"
Since Franky was so straightforward, Bellamy didn't waste any time. He immediately took out a Den Den Mushi and called the World Economic News Paper.
"Get me the latest intelligence on Spandam. I need to know where he is now."
That useless Spandam had a Doriki of only 9, weaker than a regular Marine soldier. As long as he could find him, Bellamy could kill him with a Finger Pistol snipe from miles away. What he didn't know was that the grass on that waste of space's grave was already three meters high.
Even Franky wasn't aware that Spandam had been executed by the Five Elders. Such secret intelligence was not something they could obtain through their channels. Fortunately, the World Economic News Paper lived up to its reputation as one of the most well-informed organizations in the world. Before long, a contact informed Bellamy of Spandam's death.
"So the guy's already dead?" Bellamy looked at Franky, his face full of astonishment. "How did he die?"
"Dereliction of duty leading to the annihilation of CP9. He was sentenced to death by the Five Elders."
This cause of death made Bellamy's expression a little strange. It felt like this had a lot to do with him. Dying because CP9 was wiped out... didn't that mean he died because of him? But since the man was already dead, it saved him a lot of trouble.
As for Franky...
Bellamy thought for a moment and told Franky the whole story. He trusted that this man of honor would make the right choice.
"That's great! That bastard Spandam finally got what he deserved!" Franky couldn't help but shout with excitement upon hearing the good news.
"Mr. Bellamy, can I find out where his grave is?"
"Hmm?"
"I want to use his ashes as an offering to my master."
"No problem."
Bellamy would naturally grant such a small request. He dialed the World Economic News Paper again and asked for the location of Spandam's grave.
"Let's go. We'll leave now."
The World Economic News Paper was not a trustworthy organization. If someone wanted to buy information on his whereabouts, Morgans would absolutely not hide it for him. By purchasing two pieces of intelligence from them, Bellamy had essentially exposed his own location. He had to set out for the New World as soon as possible.
Franky had no attachment to Ship-Scrapping Island. He gathered some useful tools and immediately boarded the ship with Bellamy. The moment he stepped on board, he had officially joined the Bellamy Pirates.
Bellamy introduced the pervert in a speedo to his crew. "This guy's name is Franky. From now on, he's our shipwright."
"Yo! A shipwright, you say? This SUPER guy is getting excited!"
"SUPER!" Franky clasped his hands together, raised them high above his head, and struck an incredibly embarrassing pose.
Drake and the others stared, dumbfounded. "Captain, this..." Is this pervert really our new crewmate? Their eyes were clearly questioning Bellamy: was it really a good idea to bring someone like this on board?
"Ahem." Bellamy couldn't help but cough a few times, signaling Franky to tone it down a bit. He knew the guy was a bit over the top, but Franky was an apprentice of the legendary shipwright Tom, making him the best shipwright around, second only to Iceburg. The fact that he had developed black technology that used cola as an energy source was a testament to his incredible skill. With that kind of talent, Bellamy could tolerate any eccentricity.
The Bellamy Pirates desperately needed a top-tier warship. Franky's place on the crew was set in stone; no one could change Bellamy's decision.