Upon arriving at Banaro Island, towed by the Franky Family, Luffy and his crew looked up at a distinctively shaped, colossal rock. It was called "Banana Rock," a landmark of Banaro Island. After docking the ship in a corner of the prepared port, Franky disembarked and spoke to Luffy and the others.
"Yo, you guys wait here a bit. I'm gonna go book a spot on the Sea Train to Water 7 for your ship."
"...Hold on, Franky. What's a Sea Train? And putting a ship on it?"
"Huh? What, you guys don't know about the Sea Train?"
Franky pushed his sunglasses up in surprise at Nami's question. His expression seemed to say, "How can you not know about something so convenient and wonderful?"
"The Sea Train is a train that carries things from island to island without needing a Log Pose. It's a fantastic invention that uses a steam engine to turn paddle wheels, allowing travel between islands just by running on tracks!"
"From island to island…? And a steam engine with paddle wheels…?"
Nami seemed to be struggling to picture it, several question marks appearing above her head.
Franky laughed, saying, "It's probably hard to imagine without seeing it," and invited them to follow him into the station. Nami exchanged a look with Luffy, and along with Usopp, Chopper, and the others, they disembarked, their faces full of curiosity.
A station was built along the coast, a short distance from the port. Franky was at the entrance, talking to a station attendant. While they observed the station from the outside, a loud "Choo-choo!!" echoed.
"Wh-What's that!?"
"Hey, look at that!!"
A ship—the Sea Train, Puffing Tom—raced across the sea, spewing black smoke. Astonished by the sight of the train, they continued to watch as it slowed down and stopped at the station. Franky, noticing their gaze, looked proudly towards the Sea Train.
"How 'bout that, amazing, right? That's the Sea Train, Puffing Tom! Tom, a great shipwright, built it!!"
"Yeah, amazing. I'm surprised…"
"It uses steam to turn the paddle wheels… and these things swaying just below the water's surface are the tracks, right? I see…"
Beside Luffy, whose eyes were wide with surprise, Nami understood how the Sea Train moved. Indeed, this way, one could travel from island to island. Unlike ordinary sailing ships, the travel time would likely be significantly reduced. However, that was as far as Nami's understanding went; the detailed principles were a complete mystery to her. Franky, looking proud, listened to Luffy and the others' words of praise, rubbing under his nose.
"To build something like this, there are some amazing people out there."
"Yeah, Tom-san is a great shipwright! For the shipwrights of Water 7, he's both an idol and someone they want to surpass."
"Huh…"
"It's incredible… By the way, when you said you'd put the ship on the Sea Train, did you mean you're going to put the Merry on that thing?"
"...Nah, a ship wouldn't fit on that, would it!?"
Visually, it didn't look large enough to carry a ship. Wondering what Franky intended, they looked at him, and he shrugged with an exasperated expression.
"No way a ship's gonna fit on that. There are special cars for carrying ships. Booking means getting those cars connected."
"Ah, so that's how…"
It was impossible to load a ship onto the passenger cars. Apparently, there were special cars for ships the size of the Merry, and it would be loaded and transported on one of those. Perhaps designed to accommodate giants, the station was built quite spacious. A ship the size of the Merry could easily fit within the station premises, and loading it would likely be possible. The only question was who would do the loading.
"Don't worry, they'll handle the loading. You guys just worry about the money."
"Right, that's it! How much will it cost!?"
"Moving the ship won't cost much. It's just adding labor and transport fees on top of the train's regular run, so about 100,000 at most. The problem is the ship repair costs."
Since a full inspection couldn't be done at sea, they would look at it now, but depending on the location and extent of repairs, buying a new or used ship could be cheaper. Even in that case, the salvaged ship would need to be moved to Water 7 for dismantling, so Franky had come to book the Sea Train in advance, knowing it would be necessary either way.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that. We have money."
"Oh, confident, are ya, Straw Hat bro? You know how much one ship costs?"
"Dunno. But—"
"Alright, alright, no more talking. For now, you don't need to worry about the cost. Unless it's an outrageous amount, we have savings too."
"I see. Well, pirate savings are usually nothing to write home about… but I won't ask."
"So, you said you booked it, but when is it?"
"The day after tomorrow. The inspection won't take long, but you'll probably be bored, so you can look around the island."
Franky pointed towards the island's interior, and Luffy, looking excited, started to head that way, saying, "Then let's do that," only to be immediately stopped by Nami and Usopp. It was obvious that letting Luffy loose in town alone would only lead to trouble. They needed to return to the ship, leave someone on watch, and go get supplies if needed. …Their plans had been disrupted, so the food rationing also needed adjustment.
"Anyway, let's go back to the ship for now! We need to share our plans for the future."
"That's right, Luffy! Let's go back for now."
"...Okay."
"You look so reluctant!"
Chopper couldn't help but retort at Luffy's utterly unenthusiastic expression.
…
"Ah, right. About precautions in this town…"
By the time Franky turned around, as if just remembering, Luffy and the others had already returned to the ship. He scratched his cheek, then composed himself, thinking, "…Well, it's not like anything will happen in a day or two," and returned to filling out the paperwork for the Sea Train reservation. The old man at the reception chuckled lightly, recalling Luffy and his crew who had just been there.
"They don't look like gamblers, but many pirates are weak to taunts. It's not in the papers, but… take a look at this."
"Huh? …Hold on, Straw Hat Luffy, bounty 100 million Berries!?"
"You can't judge a pirate by their looks. You know that, right?"
"…Yeah, you're right."
Franky had been working as a shipwright for a long time and had seen many pirates, but he had only encountered a handful with bounties exceeding 100 million. Some years were called dangerous generations, producing three or four such individuals, while other years saw none. Though they were prodigies as pirates, their recognition often came after many tragedies, making them existences the world would be better off without. Luffy's name hadn't been among those recently making headlines, which, conversely, meant he could be a dangerous individual who had caused an incident the government was trying to cover up.
"There have been especially many recently. There should be one more on this island… Hope they don't cause any trouble."
"This is Twilight's territory, right? I can't imagine any pirate would try to make an enemy of that person."
At Franky's words, the man stroked his chin and shook his head.
"Do you think someone capable of such profit-loss calculations would become a pirate? Most pirates are either dreamy idiots or idiots who find pleasure in stealing from others."
Banaro Island was originally uninhabited. People who had fled from other islands established a new pioneer village there, built a foundation for their lives, and were on the verge of being wiped out by pirates when Twilight rescued them.
The sight of Feiyun, colossal even compared to giants, shattering ships with a single swing of her arm was vividly etched in the man's memory. From there, things happened quickly. Initially developed as a trade hub, the leadership changed midway, altering the direction of town development, and it eventually became an island providing pirates with alcohol, food, and gambling.
"…Awoo, awoo, you've had it rough too, huh~~"
"Why are you crying?"
"Idiot! I'm not crying! Idiot!"
Seeing Franky crying a waterfall of tears, the man's sentimental mood receded. He chuckled wryly, let out a small sigh, and urged, "Hurry up and fill out the papers." They had been talking so much that the paperwork hadn't progressed.
…
What Luffy and the others saw when they returned to the ship was Zoro and Sanji disembarking with a somewhat tense atmosphere, talking to each other. The two weren't fighting. The one they were glaring at was a single man. He had shaggy hair, wore sunglasses, and showed no sign of intimidation before Zoro and Sanji. A cigar was clamped in his mouth, and despite his protruding belly, his posture was good.
"What're you doing, Zoro, Sanji?"
"You're back, Luffy."
"A guest for you. He was being noisy, demanding to see you, so I was thinking of quieting him down."
Sanji, puffing on his cigarette, had a sharp gaze. The man hadn't just asked to see Luffy; he had likely been quite provocative. He didn't look like he could fight, but perhaps Sanji had refrained from acting, thinking that causing trouble on this island would interfere with the ship's repairs.
The shaggy-haired man turned, pushed his sunglasses up, and caught Luffy with his own eyes. Usopp, Chopper, and Nami, intimidated by the sharpness of his gaze, quickly hid behind Luffy, peeking out cautiously.
"Wh-Who!?"
"Hmph… You're Straw Hat?"
"Yeah. Who're you, old man?"
Luffy, unfazed by the man's intimidating presence, questioned him in his usual manner. The man chuckled softly, acknowledging Luffy's courage, and introduced himself.
"I'm Festa. You know me as Buena Festa?"
"Dunno."
"Idiot! Why don't you know!? Buena Festa is a pirate who lived in the same era as the Pirate King, right!?"
Usopp, apparently knowing this much, yelled while repeatedly hitting Luffy's lower back. The name "Festival Master" Festa was widely known. An entertainer who, under the banner of a festival by pirates, for pirates, received funding from various patrons in different locations, holding various festivals that delighted both participants and spectators. Usopp pointed at such a man, demanding to know what business he had with Luffy. In response, Festa glared sharply at Usopp.
"Lived in the same era as the Pirate King, huh… Don't make me laugh! There are plenty of those. Does being born in the same era, living and pirating, make you great? No, it doesn't!? What's important is what you did in that era to become known, and what you did to spread the frenzy!!"
Glared at with a "Am I wrong!?", Usopp, though half-scared, showed understanding of Festa's point. Satisfied that Usopp understood, Festa forcibly calmed his rising tension and turned his gaze back to Luffy.
"I know you, Straw Hat Luffy. The top up-and-comer from the East Blue. You defeated Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Arlong the Saw for 30 million. And you took down Crocodile for a 100 million bounty, right?"
"...!"
"Don't be surprised. I'm currently under Kanata's care. I hear things… So, yeah. One thing, I wanna ask."
Festa removed his sunglasses, held his cigar in his hand, and asked with a serious expression.
"Why are you a pirate?"
In response, Luffy's answer was extremely concise.
"To become King of the Pirates."
It was an answer without a shred of hesitation or doubt. Festa's eyes widened at the immediate reply. There was no doubt in Luffy's eyes. It was clear that was his sole objective, and it was immediately apparent he wasn't saying it for fun or to deceive.
"I see, King of the Pirates, huh… Hahha!! Hahahahahaha!!! That's a good look, Monkey D. Luffy!! I like ya!! —But, you can't become King of the Pirates. Give it up."
"What!?"
"It ain't about motivation. You're too weak right now. Who do you think is aimin' for that seat? You know who you're tryin' to compete with? You probably don't, huh! As you are, you'll just get squashed like a bug!!"
Festa clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter as if something was hilarious. By the time Luffy clenched his fist, Usopp had already aimed his slingshot and fired a "Gunpowder Star." However, Festa, despite not seeing it, dodged by slightly leaning his body. Ignoring Usopp's wide-eyed surprise, Festa made a proposal.
"But you came to this island at a good time. Hey, you wanna be in my show? If you show me somethin' good, as thanks, I'll set you up with some enemies you're definitely gonna run into later! From here on out, if you're gonna be King of the Pirates, there are tons of enemies you gotta overcome. Knowin' that level ain't a bad thing, ya know."
"Wh-What do you mean, enemies I have to overcome!?"
"Enemies are enemies. This sea is crawlin' with competitors aimin' for King of the Pirates, ya know!"
There were at least two monsters seriously aiming for it. Whether he avoided them or clashed with them, knowing the level of the seas ahead would definitely not be a disadvantage. And this wasn't just about Luffy.
"Bring your crew too! Claimin' to be the Pirate King's crew at that level is a joke!"
Mere bravado wouldn't cut it in the seas ahead. Crocodile had once said it too. Luffy had pushed forward with youth and momentum so far, but a time would surely come when he would have to stop. If they had to fight these enemies eventually anyway, knowing about them now wasn't a bad thing at all. Zoro, at least, felt that way. And after witnessing the monstrousness of Maraptonoka and Komurasaki on Skypiea, he felt it in his bones that it wasn't just a cliché to scare youngsters.
But the decision was Luffy's. Zoro intended to support Luffy's decision and didn't offer his own opinion.
"What'll it be, Straw Hat!?"
"I'll do it."
"Luffy!?"
Nami and Usopp looked aghast. Even if he was provoked, wasn't he falling for taunts too easily? They looked at Zoro, pleading for him to stop Luffy, but Zoro too was eager, a fierce grin on his face. At that moment, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper realized. They had no allies.