"What do you mean the Merry can't be fixed!!"
The first to snap was Usopp, who held an especially deep attachment to the Going Merry.
His face contorted in anger, he glared at Franky and bombarded him with words.
"Didn't you take on the repairs because you could fix it!? If you're just spouting nonsense, I'll knock you out, you bastard!!"
"Oi, Usopp, calm down!"
Zoro grabbed Usopp, who was on the verge of throwing a punch, in a full nelson to restrain him. Luffy and Chopper were also shaken, but seeing Usopp's fury, they exchanged glances.
Franky watched them without any sign of being perturbed, but soon averted his gaze and turned to Nami, who was sitting in front of him.
"Do you know what a 'keel' is, sis?"
"...It's at the bottom of the ship..."
"That's right. It's the foundational part that supports the ship from bow to stern. The very base."
In human terms, it was like the spine.
It wasn't something that could be easily replaced like a mast if damaged, nor could it be repaired.
That part, Franky said, was severely damaged.
"You can see the ship loaded behind us from that window, right? You should be able to see that the keel part directly beneath the ship is broken. Normally, it wouldn't be like that... Did you drop the ship from a high place or something? It's badly damaged."
Usopp scrambled to the back door, trying to look at the Merry to prove Franky wrong.
However—because he had the sharpest eyes among the crew, because he had been involved in ship repairs more than anyone else... he understood that Franky's words were true.
They had crossed many seas.
They had journeyed many paths.
But with each island they surpassed, the Merry had sustained damage, and they had never been able to repair her perfectly.
"B-But! The Merry has run fine all this way!"
"You had to send out a distress signal because she couldn't run, didn't you?"
"...!!"
That was it.
No matter how much Luffy and the others believed in the Going Merry, the reality was that she was at her limit.
Otherwise, her planks wouldn't have been torn off by the crashing waves, and her main mast wouldn't have warped just from pulling the ropes to furl the sails.
Luffy and his crew were already facing an undeniable reality. This could not be overturned.
"Really... can Merry no longer sail...?"
A silence fell after Chopper's murmur.
In the heavy atmosphere where no one could say anything, Franky, as a craftsman, spoke with a serious expression.
"Well, I can understand why you guys can't believe my words. She's a ship you've cherished. You'll need time to accept it."
"...Then, can't you build the same ship?" Luffy asked.
"Strictly speaking, you can't build the 'same ship'," Franky replied.
Just as no two trees grow exactly alike, no matter how identically they were built, it would never be the exact same ship.
Even if they rode a ship that only looked similar, it wouldn't be the Going Merry that had overcome numerous adventures. The small scratches acquired during their voyages. The graffiti, whose author was unknown. All of those things would disappear... The ones who would feel most keenly that it was a different ship would surely be Luffy and his crew themselves.
He recommended getting a new ship, but either way, they would need time to say goodbye.
If they couldn't trust Franky and his crew, that was fine too.
"Will other shipwrights, not you, say the same thing!?" Usopp demanded.
"The result won't change even if you show it to other shipwrights, long-nosed bro. But if you're worried, you can look around as much as you like in Water 7."
Water 7 was an island with many shipwrights. Starting with the largest, Galley-La Company, there were countless skilled shipwrights.
Since the lack of a trusted shipwright among their own crew was a factor clouding the Straw Hats' judgment, it would be best to have a trusted shipwright convince them.
Shipbuilding was certainly Franky's livelihood, but his financial situation wasn't that dire.
"...We'll do that," Nami said.
"Sorry for the heavy talk. But the seas ahead will be even rougher. As a shipwright, I recommend switching to a bigger, sturdier, and faster ship."
There weren't many passengers on the Sea Train today. The Straw Hat crew and the Franky Family were occupying a section of the last car, but Franky took Mozu and Kiwi and moved to the car in front.
He figured that, whatever the case, they needed time to talk amongst themselves.
Zambai and the rest of the Franky Family weren't here, as they were taking the ship to Water 7, and with just the three of them, they could move around easily.
Declaring that a beloved ship was "no longer usable" was painful for a shipwright, but... this was also part of the job.
Franky plopped down on an empty seat, chugged a cola, and decided to spend the time until Water 7 leisurely.
…
Water 7.
This island, known as the City of Water, had its town built with a structure that was, true to its name, half-submerged in water.
It was an island with a peculiar design, where waterways were more numerous than roads, and travel using waterways was faster than walking.
The port and the Sea Train station were some distance apart, but they couldn't very well leave a pirate ship docked in the port of this World Government affiliated nation. Usopp, though dissatisfied, reluctantly agreed to borrow the Franky Family's workshop as a temporary place to keep the ship.
"This is my home and workshop."
Water 7 was divided into the main island and the lower town. The area with the Sea Train station—Blue Station—was considered the front of the island, and the town on the opposite side of the main island was called the back town.
Docks, numbered 1 to 7, were set up at the front for lifting ships onto the main island.
Beside Dock 6, under the bridge connecting the lower town and the main island, was a hidden shelter that served as the Franky Family's headquarters and workshop.
"Well, not everyone can fit in here, so usually they're at the Franky House we built in the back town... but this time we need to do some work."
A giant galleon wouldn't fit, but a ship the size of the Merry could easily fit in the headquarters.
After bringing the ship in through the waterway, Franky securely moored it with ropes to keep it from moving.
"This should do it. I can't look after your luggage, so you'll have to keep an eye on it yourselves, but basically, only people related to us should come in here."
"Yeah, thanks, Franky," Luffy said.
"Don't mention it. I don't dislike guys who take care of their ships."
Although there had been some trouble on the Sea Train, Franky had been kind to Luffy and his crew. Usopp still seemed angry about Franky saying the Merry was done for, but the other members weren't showing outright disgust.
In any case, they decided to have another shipwright look at it first and then think.
Luffy and his crew decided to head to the main island, where Galley-La Company, the island's top shipwrights, was located.
That being said, they couldn't all go traipsing over there together.
As usual, Zoro stayed behind to guard the ship. Luffy, Nami, and Usopp went to Galley-La Company. Sanji and Zepo went out to buy provisions, and Robin, Chopper, and Pedro decided to take a stroll through the town.
"This is an amazing island," Luffy remarked.
Leaving the Franky Family's headquarters and heading towards the main island—the center of the island—they soon came across a waterway.
Waterways crisscrossed everywhere, and as they had seen when moving the Merry, it seemed that using waterways was a prerequisite for life here. Franky had advised them beforehand to "use Yagara Bulls for transportation," so they rented two Yagara Bulls from a rental shop and began to move.
"This is comfortable!" Nami exclaimed.
"Yeah. It's nice not having to walk yourself."
"...You guys look like you're having fun. Even though the Merry is in serious trouble," Usopp grumbled.
"You're not a professional shipwright either, Usopp, so we decided there's no point in us just thinking about it ourselves, right?" Nami reasoned.
"But still, isn't worrying about it what crewmates do!? We've been relying on her all the way from the East Blue... To have some guy who knows nothing about all that tell us she can't run anymore and just abandon her, isn't that too heartless!?"
"Well, we love the Merry too, and if possible, we'd like to continue our journey with her, but..."
In reality, Nami was also anxious since the ship had almost sunk once.
The damage inflicted by Bellamy and his crew in Jaya was still fresh in her memory, and the ship had been slightly flooded from the impact of falling from Skypiea just the other day.
Nami intuitively felt that Franky's words about the Merry being unfit for future voyages were correct.
"If the ship can be fixed, that's the best outcome. For now, let's focus on meeting the shipwrights at the shipyard," Luffy said.
"...Yeah," Usopp nodded, though his head was still bowed.
In a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, they arrived in front of the shipyard marked No. 1, where a crowd of people had gathered, talking amongst themselves.
"I wonder what happened," Nami thought.
"Let's ask," Luffy suggested.
When Luffy asked a nearby man, he cheerfully explained that pirates had apparently rampaged inside Dock 1, and the craftsmen had taken them down.
The craftsmen of Galley-La Company were the pride of Water 7, everyone's aspiration, he said.
Luffy became even more excited to meet them. However, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, and it seemed impossible to enter the shipyard.
"What do we do? It doesn't look like we can get in," Usopp said.
"There's a fence set up between the shipyard and the road, and it feels like 'No Unauthorized Entry'," Nami observed.
"Excuse me!" Luffy called out.
"Hey, hey, hey!!"
While Usopp and Nami were discussing, Luffy tried to climb over the fence and was stopped by the surrounding people.
Luffy clearly didn't look like a craftsman, and they had likely stopped him out of goodwill, thinking it was wrong for an outsider to enter.
"You can't just go in! This area is off-limits to anyone not involved!!" a man said.
"But I have business with the shipwrights," Luffy replied.
"Then you should follow the proper procedures first──"
The onlookers' attention began to turn towards the altercation between Luffy and the passerby.
Pirates and Galley-La Company craftsmen had just clashed, so they were probably curious if pirates were causing trouble again.
Just as Nami was about to open her mouth to stop things from escalating, a voice called out from the other side of the fence—that is, from inside the shipyard.
"That straw hat! You're 'Straw Hat' Luffy, aren't you!?"
Luffy and the others turned their gazes towards the voice and saw a woman in a suit approaching briskly.
"Yeah, I'm Luffy."
"I knew it! I never thought I'd meet you here! By the way, what's all the commotion?"
"These guys were trying to enter the shipyard without permission, so I couldn't help but stop them..." the man explained.
"I see. You, do you have some business at the shipyard?" the woman asked Luffy.
"Yeah. I want you to look at my ship."
"I see! Then you're a customer. But it's a bit problematic for you to come inside, so let's talk outside."
Her wavy brown hair swayed every time she smiled.
The woman climbed over the fence with some difficulty, dispersed the onlookers, and then turned back to Luffy and his crew.
The woman smiled, a smile so captivating that Luffy and his crew couldn't help but be charmed.
"Then let's start with introductions! I'm Caterina. A member of Twilight!"