Chapter 441: A New Shipwright for the Straw Hats

Usopp had no intention of sitting around waiting to die. The moment the rope tightened around his neck, his right hand whipped a short dagger from his waist. In a flash, he sliced through the rope, then raised his gun and fired at Barry.

Bang!

The shot, loaded with an armor-piercing round, shattered Barry’s left leg on the spot.

“Aaaagh!”

Only after a few seconds did Barry realize his left leg was gone. Blood was pouring everywhere.

Kaku, who’d been slammed to the ground by Luffy, swept his leg out in a wide arc and knocked Luffy down. With a sudden kick, he sent Luffy flying straight across the river into a house on the other side.

“Seriously, is Luffy even trying in this fight?”

Nami huffed, her tone impatient, though her hands were busy locking three iron staffs together at her waist.

Meanwhile, the chaos outside had given those inside a brief window of calm. Kalifa, dressed in a sharp business suit, stepped inside, said something to Robin none of the others heard, and not only untied Bruno but left the place with Robin in tow.

Ye Fan, watching everything unfold from outside, caught all of it—just as he’d hoped. He wanted Robin to truly become one of them, and for Luffy to take his stand against the World Government.

Which meant they’d have to go to Enies Lobby, no matter what.

After knocking Luffy away, Kaku ignored Nami’s tinkering and instantly appeared next to Barry. Without so much as a word, he grabbed him and disappeared in a flash.

Kaku and Barry vanishing left Nami a bit frustrated. She’d just finished assembling her Clima-Tact. If she’d had a little more time, she was sure she could’ve shown those two a proper taste of thunder.

On the other side, Lucci was starting to realize Johnny and Yosaku were a lot tougher than they looked. They might have lacked experience and moved a bit stiffly, but the longer they fought him, the harder they were to deal with.

The two of them were like cockroaches—no matter how many times Lucci knocked them down, they’d just pick themselves up again, as if injuries didn’t even matter.

“Alright, that’s enough for today, Straw Hat Pirates.”

The moment Lucci sensed movement inside the house, he quickly pulled away, hopped onto the rooftop, and sprinted off in a chosen direction.

Johnny and Yosaku wanted to give chase, but Ye Fan immediately called out, “Don’t pursue a desperate enemy.”

If they captured Lucci here, odds were they’d never even make it to Enies Lobby.

“Huh? Where did everyone go?”

By the time Luffy ran back across the river, Lucci and his crew were already long gone.

“Ugh, this is so annoying!”

“The Iceburg from Galley-La Company was attacked and several of his key shipwrights are actually undercover CP9 agents.”

“What are we supposed to do about our ship now?”

Nami glanced at the retreating figures and then back at Galley-La’s front gate. That’s when the real weight of the problem finally hit her.

They were already pressed for time. There was no way they’d be able to wait around on this island for too long—not if they wanted to stick to their plan.

But Galley-La had the best craftsmen by far. Judging by the mess they were in, unless they cleaned house, it would be weeks before they got their act together. So what was going to happen to their ship?

“Don’t worry. That guy’s a famous shipwright too.”

Ye Fan pointed his finger toward the flamboyant figure dancing by the bridge—Franky.

“What? That pervert?” Usopp wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Letting that weirdo fix his beloved ship? Was that really a good idea?

“Well, if Ye Fan says so, let’s have him repair our ship,” Luffy agreed without hesitation.

Luffy never questioned Ye Fan’s judgement and just nodded along.

“Ye Fan, are you sure that guy can really fix our ship?” Nami asked, sounding unsure.

This wasn’t just about repairs—the ship was their partner for all the journeys ahead. No matter how you looked at it, Franky just seemed… unreliable.

“Trust me. Luffy, that guy’s a real pro. He’d actually make a perfect addition to our crew.”

Talk of new crew members made Luffy’s expression turn serious. He glanced up and down, scrutinizing Franky by the bridge.

Franky was still striking poses on the bridge, but suddenly, he felt someone’s icy gaze boring into him. It left him more than a little unsettled.

He scanned his surroundings until his eyes finally landed on Luffy—a guy in a red shirt and blue shorts, not far away.

“Huh?”

“A pervert?” Franky’s face, hidden behind sunglasses, twisted into a look of distaste. Sure, maybe he was a bit eccentric, but he definitely didn’t swing that way.

Luffy’s stare was so intense it felt like he could swallow Franky whole. The sensation made every hair on Franky’s body stand on end.

“Hey, you’re the one wearing your underwear on the outside. You’re the real pervert here.”

Luffy snapped out of his weird mood, picked his nose, and casually walked toward Franky.

Thanks to the chaos of the recent brawl, the locals and journalists had already scattered, leaving the street eerily empty.

“If you aren’t a pervert, why are you looking at me like that, huh?” Franky huffed. “I’m Franky! Show some respect!”

“You’re a shipwright, right?” Luffy asked, a hint of doubt in his voice, but nothing but certainty in his eyes.

Ye Fan said this guy was a master shipwright, so even if he was a total weirdo, he had to have some real ability.

“I only know how to take ships apart. Building them… that’s not really my thing.”

Franky just shrugged, making his feelings clear.

Ever since his mentor Tom was executed, he’d stayed away from shipbuilding. Deep down, he wanted to build the greatest ship ever, but with no money for Adam Wood, the plan stayed a dream.

“I think you’ll be interested in our ship.”

Luffy didn’t give Franky a chance to object. He just threw an arm around his shoulders, hauling him off toward the pirate harbor.

Seeing this, Usopp, Nami, and the others hurried after them. Since Robin hadn’t come out of the café, none of them realized she’d already been taken away.

……

“Super awesome!”

“This is one amazing ship!”

“You guys aren’t just tough—your ship even has a spirit!”

When they got to the harbor, Franky immediately spotted the Golden Merry. Following Luffy, he climbed aboard.

The moment Franky saw Merry, he recognized it as the legendary ship spirit—proof that he was a true master shipwright.

“E-even if you say that, I’m not really that happy about it…”

Merry reacted to praise much like Chopper did, all bashful and flustered.

Merry had been born from the Straw Hats’ joy and hope, so naturally, the ship’s personality reflected a little bit of everyone’s.

“So, what do you think of the ship?”

“Here’s our blueprint. Can you remodel her to look like this?”

Nami was the real force behind the ship’s redesign. As a top-tier navigator who dreamed of charting every sea, sketching the structure of a ship was child’s play for her.