Translator: PapaSmurf0700
As Franky and Robin's conversation unfolded, the Straw Hats reacted in their own unique ways.
Bai Ye, who appeared nonchalant, hid a flicker of surprise beneath his calm demeanor. Zoro and Sanji stood nearby, their expressions serious but not inclined to add anything. Merry and Chopper, on the other hand, buzzed around Robin with eager questions, clearly fascinated by the secrets she hinted at.
Robin and Usopp squinted at the designs in Franky's hands, but, after a moment, both shrugged and let it go—it was beyond them to decipher.
Luffy, meanwhile, scratched his head, clearly growing impatient. "I don't care about all this ancient kingdom stuff," he grumbled. "Franky, didn't you say there was a way to speed things up? What's the plan?"
Franky chuckled, waving off the detour in the conversation. "You're right, Luffy. We did get a bit sidetracked there, didn't we? Wahahaha!"
"Here's the deal," Franky continued, "whether it's upgrading the Golden Merry using ancient shipbuilders' techniques or restoring the Ark Maxim to its full glory, it's a massive job. It'll take about a month, but... I had a stroke of genius!"
He paused dramatically, grinning wide. "Instead of doing one or the other, why not combine both tasks and build a pirate ship that can sail the skies?"
"Absolutely su~per!!" With that, Franky struck his signature pose, hands on his hips and beaming, as if he'd just revealed the ultimate surprise.
The moment Franky finished his announcement, Luffy sprang up, practically glowing with excitement. "Whoa!! A flying pirate ship? The Super Golden Merry that can soar through the sky?!" His eyes sparkled with awe. "That's gonna be amazing!"
Unable to contain himself, Luffy turned to poke Bai Ye in his excitement, only for Bai Ye to gently hold him back, trying to keep the overexcited captain in check.
Merry, the spirit of the Golden Merry, was equally thrilled, her wide eyes shimmering with hope. "I'll really fly?" she whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "If I can do that, I'll take everyone to the moon myself!"
Though she hadn't voiced it, Merry had been a bit wistful about the idea of them going to the moon on the Ark Maxim instead. Golden Merry had been with them since Syrup Village, carrying the crew through endless adventures, and the thought of journeying to the moon with her friends filled her with joy.
Usopp grinned, rubbing his nose with pride. "Hahaha, looks like we'll be renaming her the Flying Merry soon!"
Chopper held Merry's hand and started bouncing up and down. "Flying Merry! Flying Merry!" he chanted, his excitement echoing through the group.
With anticipation running high, everyone shared looks of eager agreement. They were all on board with Franky's plan, ready to see their beloved Merry take to the skies.
Franky soon turned to Bai Ye for help, recognizing that merging the Ark Maxim with the Golden Merry would be no easy feat. Even with the powers of his Munch-Munch Fruit, he'd need to dismantle parts of the ship before even attempting the fusion. But with Bai Ye's unique refining technique, Franky was confident he could complete the ambitious project within half a month.
Bai Ye readily agreed to help, having originally planned to use his refining skills to strengthen the Golden Merry's keel since her creation. He hadn't anticipated, however, that things would turn out quite like this. Reflecting on it, Bai Ye couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected turn. Once, he'd hoped to have both the Golden Merry and the Thousand Sunny, or at least Merry's ship spirit within the body of the Thousand Sunny. Now, he felt a pang of apology toward the Thousand Sunny, a ship whose potential would remain unrealized in this timeline.
With Master Tom's research notes, module assembly technology, and the Ark Maxim's blueprint at hand, Franky set out with renewed ambition. Interestingly, the blueprints in Franky's hands no longer bore any trace of the Thousand Sunny's original design. This wasn't surprising; Franky's vision had expanded tremendously with the new knowledge he had acquired. And with his dreams now stretching further than ever, he saw in this new Golden Merry the potential for a revolutionary change at sea.
According to Bai Ye's own theoretical insights, the upgraded Golden Merry would become something the world had never seen—an innovation that could reshape the seas themselves.
Franky, driven by his own ambition, threw himself completely into the shipbuilding project. Thanks to his robotic modifications, he even decided to forgo sleep, dedicating day and night to the work. Bai Ye, on the other hand, only needed to help for a couple of hours each day. Any more, and he'd likely have protested Franky's relentless pace.
During this period, the Straw Hats took the chance to rest and reflect on their recent battles, integrating what they had learned and honing their skills. Of course, for Bai Ye—who hadn't even needed to lift a finger in the last fight—it was more about observing than refining. As for Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, the intense confrontations at Enies Lobby hadn't pushed them forward as much as earlier battles. Still, they had all been growing at an impressive speed prior, and the impact of those experiences was already showing.
But the real focus turned to the others.
Franky, thanks to his unique ability to consume and merge with practically any material, had the potential to grow endlessly in strength. The only limitation he faced was his own imagination. For him, this shipbuilding project was just as much a step forward as any battle.
Then there were Usopp and Nami, two of the earliest members of the Straw Hats. Compared to Zoro and Sanji, their rate of improvement had indeed been slower, something they had come to accept. Yet, in certain situations, they shone just as brightly as the crew's core fighters. Nami's control over weather with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and Usopp's arsenal of custom-made weapons made them forces to be reckoned with. Though specialized, their unique talents had proven invaluable.
In the original story, Robin stood out as the strongest among the non-main fighters. But now, her abilities could only be described as "decent," placing her on par with Nami and Usopp. Robin's complicated past had given her little drive to strengthen herself. However, after the incidents with Aokiji and Water 7, she made a choice to actively build her own strength. After all, as one of the older members aboard the ship, she felt a growing responsibility to contribute more. Besides working on combination skills taught by Bai Ye, Robin began developing her Devil Fruit ability, the Hana Hana no Mi, with greater dedication.
Then there was Chopper, who faced his own unique challenges in growing stronger. Even with intense training since joining the crew—and Bai Ye's continuous support—progress wasn't simple. Being just under sixteen, Chopper, the crew's young doctor, found it a bit daunting to work toward awakening haki. Luckily, he had his Perfect Rumble Ball. When he took it, Chopper experienced a huge boost in physical strength and gained flawless control over his seven transformations. This allowed him, for example, to activate Arm Point while staying in Brain Point, making him far more versatile in battle and boosting his confidence.
Meanwhile, Merry couldn't help feeling a bit envious of Chopper's progress. Being connected directly to the Golden Merry ship meant that her strength was intricately tied to the vessel itself. All she could do now was patiently await the ship's upgrade, which would also amplify her abilities. It was both a strength and a limitation for her. Still, Merry was not idle; she was steadily fortifying her body by following a series of techniques provided by Bai Ye.