Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Bai Ye murmured to himself, "Robin?" As he spoke, memories began to surface. It seemed that in Iceburg's office, there had been a bounty poster for Robin, which Kokoro must have seen.
Granny Kokoro nodded, her face taking on a somber expression. "That's right, she is a poor child. I've read over and over again what happened to her in Alabasta. Although the news didn't cover much, it was certainly about the ancient weapon—Pluton."
Seeing Bai Ye nod in understanding, Kokoro continued, "Then, you must know exactly why that kid Robin was wanted."
Bai Ye responded gravely, "Because she alone can awaken ancient weapons, bringing them back into the world."
At this moment, Bai Ye grasped Granny Kokoro's underlying concern. Kokoro nodded again and elaborated, "That's right, in the eyes of some, ancient weapons symbolize destruction, and those capable of reviving such weapons are seen as demons. But you may not know, it's not only archaeologists like that child who can do this."
"There is another type of person who can also awaken ancient weapons."
"That is..." Bai Ye interjected, looking Kokoro squarely in the eyes, "Is it a special craftsman? Or, the shipbuilder who possesses the blueprints for constructing the ancient weapon—Pluton? Is that why you boarded the ship, Granny Kokoro?"
Kokoro was briefly taken aback by his directness but then burst out laughing, a sound of relief mingling with amusement. "Hahahaha! It's really something talking to you, Bai Ye, the Priest known as the man behind the Straw Hats. It's so easy to talk to you."
"That's right, I boarded this ship with you and headed to Water 7 just to bring along an idiot."
"Oh?" Bai Ye expressed, his voice carrying a hint of surprise despite his suspicions.
Kokoro took a deep gulp of her wine, then as if resolving herself, she began, "Mr. Tom had two outstanding disciples. Once, the lives of the three of them were very good, until..."
Over the next while, Granny Kokoro recounted the story involving Tom, Frankie (formerly known as Cutty Flam), and Iceburg. Bai Ye, already familiar with the original story, listened intently, appreciating the depth and personal insights Kokoro brought to the tale.
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Because Roger, the Pirate King, was executed, Tom, the shipbuilder who crafted the Pirate King's ship, was naturally marked as a target by the World Government. During this tense period, Tom managed to buy himself more time by offering his sea train design drawings as a form of reparation.
However, in a desperate bid to secure the blueprints of the ancient weapons, the World Government dispatched Spandam. This situation highlighted a grim reality: sometimes those who claim to uphold righteousness or rule are capable of actions far dirtier than those of the pirates they condemn.
Spandam manipulated the situation by using a ship built by Franky to attack a judicial ship. This was done to prevent Iceburg and Franky from being implicated and to avoid handing over the blueprints of Pluton. Tom used the credit he earned from building the sea train to offset the crime associated with the attack on the judicial ship.
Yet, this act put Tom in a dire position, as he still faced charges for "creating the ship of the Pirate King," which meant facing the death penalty.
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When Luffy heard the story, his reaction was explosive. He jumped onto the table in the meeting room, his expression seething with anger. "Unacceptable!!" he shouted. "Uncle Tom is obviously a good man!"
At this moment, everyone except Zoro was seated her , following Bai Ye's directive that no information related to the Straw Hats should be withheld from the crew, especially if it pertained to the Pirate King.
Luffy's passionate reaction seemed to keep him wide awake, a rarity when stories were told, probably because of its connection to the Pirate King. Usopp, caught up in the emotion, also jumped onto the table, dramatically flapping his cloak, ready to make a grand statement: "That's right! Luffy is right!!..."
Before Usopp could continue, Nami intervened with a loud bang of her fist on the table.
"Just say it, what are you doing stepping on the table?!" she scolded.
Both Luffy and Usopp sheepishly stepped down, murmuring, "I'm so sorry~~~"
It was then that Robin, who had been following the conversation closely, spoke up. "So, the 'idiot' that Kokoro mentioned must be one of Mr. Tom's two disciples." Her understanding of the nuances, having faced similar situations herself, led her to quickly grasp the essence of the story.
Granny Kokoro looked at Robin and nodded in affirmation. "That's right, little girl." She continued, "Iceburg, the head of Galley-La Company, is one of Tom's disciples. And, speaking of which, in that guy's room, there is still your bounty poster."
Sanji, overhearing this, reacted with alarm. "What?!" he exclaimed, "That Iceburg is some kind of predator targeting such a young lady like Robin..."
Kokoro quickly corrected him: "You misunderstood. Iceburg has always wanted to kill you, little girl."
This revelation stunned everyone in the room, except for Bai Ye. Chopper, visibly anxious, cried out, "Why? Robin doesn't even know Iceburg."
Bai Ye, cutting through the confusion, interjected sharply, "Because Robin is considered dangerous, isn't it?"
Kokoro explained, her voice heavy with meaning, "That's right, since Tom's death, Iceburg has been overwhelmed with guilt. He believes that having the ability to awaken ancient weapons is a sin, so he sees Robin as a demon, especially since his master died because of this." Her words left the room enveloped in silence as everyone absorbed the gravity of the situation. Understanding Iceburg's perspective tempered their feelings toward him.
Then Kokoro shifted the topic slightly. "Then let's consider bringing another person along."
Nami interjected, "You've also mentioned that Iceburg's status is quite high now, and he probably doesn't need our help."
Kokoro laughed heartily, "Hahahaha, you're very sharp, but... the person I'm suggesting you take is not Iceburg but another disciple of Tom—Cutty Flam, or Frankie."
At this revelation, conversation among the Straw Hats ceased, and all eyes turned to Luffy. When it came to deciding on new crew members, the final say always rested with Luffy.
Seeing everyone's expectant looks, Luffy asked curiously, "Frankie? What kind of man is he?"
Granny Kokoro answered, "That child, like Iceburg, possesses top-tier shipbuilding skills. And he has a very kind heart. After Master Tom died, he tried to intercept the train escorting Tom and was seriously injured in the attempt." She continued, "He survived by using his mechanical skills to transform his body into that of a modified human. Also, if you're thinking about upgrading the Golden Merry..."
Before Kokoro could finish, Luffy's eyes lit up, and he interrupted excitedly, "Transformed Robo-man!! It's decided, I must let Frankie join my ship!"
The rest of the Straw Hats exchanged knowing looks. Their expressions seemed to say: We just knew it…