One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

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……

Inside the control room.

The cold metal walls reflected the pale blue light of the instruments, and the air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with machine oil.

Franky felt a blur before his eyes, and the scenery around him changed from a shipyard filled with blueprints and timber to this enclosed space full of futuristic technology.

He subconsciously looked around and saw the control panel, the floating light screen, and various sophisticated and unfamiliar instruments and equipment. There were even two blank-faced figures standing neatly in the corner.

It turned out to be Blackbeard and Crocodile, who had not yet gained V's complete trust (control).

"Where is this...?" Franky blinked, his blue airplane head bobbing slightly with the movement.

“My control room.” V’s voice came from beside him, calm with a hint of barely perceptible interest.

He didn't hold back much from this future partner.

"Next, I will complete your transformation here."

Franky swallowed hard, his metallic chest rising and falling slightly.

Although he had long been fascinated by the technology, when the moment actually arrived, facing V's deep and unfathomable smile and the cold environment around him, he still felt a sense of instinctive tension.

In particular, he saw some clearly human components in the containers around him.

Even though those components were covered with a mechanical shell, their lifelike appearance still made Franky's heart tighten.

“Don’t worry,” V said, as if he could read his mind. He walked to a large instrument and quickly slid his fingertips across the screen. “Your physical foundation is very good, especially the self-modification part… very creative.”

"I will optimize and upgrade based on this, without erasing your own 'personality'."

He turned his head, his gaze behind his glasses landing on Franky: "However, the process might be a little...exciting."

"Would you prefer to participate personally, or be given anesthesia?"

Franky took a deep breath and slapped his muscular chest hard, making a dull metallic clang.

"Of course I'll participate myself!"

"No one understands my body better than me!"

"What kind of thrills haven't I, Franky, experienced!"

V smiled slightly and said no more.

He gestured for Franky to lie down on the central control panel.

As Franky lay down, several soft mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, precisely securing his limbs and torso.

Immediately afterwards, a light blue halo appeared around the control panel, enveloping his entire body.

“First, there’s neural connection and sensory enhancement.” V’s voice echoed in the room, calm as if describing experimental steps. “You will temporarily lose control of your body, but your consciousness will remain clear.”

"If you feel unwell... you can stop at any time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Franky felt a cold touch on the back of his neck, followed by a slight stinging pain—as if countless extremely fine needles were piercing his spine at the same time.

The next second, his vision suddenly changed!

The view of the control room, which was originally visible to the naked eye, was instantly covered by layers of data streams and three-dimensional structural diagrams.

He "saw" the internal structure of his own body: the stress distribution of the metal skeleton, the active state of the remaining biological tissue, the flow path of energy circuits...

Every detail flooded into his consciousness in a way that transcended vision.

"This, this is...!?" Franky tried to speak in shock, but found that he couldn't even manage the slightest muscle twitch.

“This is a temporary prosthetic eye and brain-computer interface for the surgery. I’ve already connected you to the system.” V’s voice rang out directly in his mind, clear and gentle. “Relax, let your consciousness follow the data flow… You’ll get used to it soon.”

As time went on, Frankie's initial tension and discomfort gradually subsided.

Instead, he experienced a wondrous, unprecedented sensation—he felt like an observer, examining his own body with absolute rationality, while simultaneously being able to clearly perceive every step of V's actions.

The metal skeleton was further reinforced and connected to a more efficient energy conduction network;

The original mechanical joints were replaced with biomimetic structures with cushioning and dynamic adjustment functions;

The power core inside the chest cavity has been upgraded, increasing the output power several times over, while also becoming more stable;

Even on its back and shoulder blades, V has reserved modular interfaces for future addition of additional functional units...

The entire process was meticulous and efficient, with not a single unnecessary movement.

Frankie's initial apprehension had vanished, replaced by an increasingly intense excitement and anticipation.

He realized that V's transformation was not a simple "enhancement," but a true "evolution"—pushing his body to a level he had never imagined while preserving his personal style and creativity.

After getting to know him better, he even started asking V a lot of questions.

V answered each question patiently without the slightest impatience.

As time went on, a smile of gratification, like that of an aunt, even appeared on his face.

It's like... looking at a student who satisfies you.

Chapter 176 Unveiling

After an unknown amount of time, the blue light enveloping Franky's entire body gradually faded away.

The robotic arm slowly released, and the control panel returned to calm.

Franky opened his eyes—if those modified electronic eyes, now gleaming with a pale golden light, could still be called "eyes."

He sat up and looked down at his hands.

The skin still has that familiar metallic texture.

But the moment his fingertips touched his palm, he could clearly "sense" the surface temperature, the depth of tiny scratches, and even the subtle pressure changes caused by airflow...

This subtle feedback, which transcends touch, made him grin.

"How are you feeling?" V stood to the side, holding a cup of tea that had appeared out of nowhere, his tone leisurely.

Since it was a modification for a future partner, V held nothing back and installed all of Franky's prosthetic bodies at level 5 or higher.

Thanks to the gifts from the Navy and World Government agents, V still has some good stuff left.

Otherwise, Franky's outfit alone would already be worth 20 trading points.

Frankie did not answer V's question immediately.

He slowly stood up from the control panel, his metal feet striking the ground with a steady "thump".

Then, he raised his right arm and clenched his fist tightly—

hum!

The armor plates on his arms opened slightly, revealing the newly implanted energy circuits underneath, with pale blue light flowing and swirling within them, emitting a deep resonance.

“This feeling…” Franky’s voice trembled with excitement. He looked up at V, a huge, radiant smile spreading across his face:

"Super—Awesome!!!"

V chuckled softly and set down his teacup: "I'm glad you like it, but the real transformation has only just begun..."

"Next, we need to test the new body's coordination and limits."

"In addition, the database in your mind regarding the modification plan for the Merry should have been updated accordingly—perhaps now you have some brand new ideas."

Franky nodded vigorously, his eyes almost overflowing with light.

He couldn't wait to test this new power, and he was eager to put into practice the wildly imaginative design ideas that had sprung up in his mind from the transformation.

"Let's go!" He leaped off the operating chair, his steps brimming with unprecedented confidence and energy. "I can't wait to show that Iceberg what real 'sky-high and earth-low' looks like!"

V watched his retreating figure, pushed up his glasses, and his smile deepened.

He knew that from this moment on, Franky would become fascinated by this experience of being transformed.

By then, how far away will it be before he officially joins the Straw Hat Pirates and becomes a shipwright?

……

……

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days have passed since the Straw Hat crew arrived in Water Seven.

The gate of Dock No. 1, which had been tightly closed for a long time, finally opened slowly in the morning light.

The moist sea breeze, carrying a salty and fishy smell, rushed into the dock, dispersing the metal dust and wood shavings that had accumulated over the past few days.

In the center of the dock, the outline that had been shrouded in a huge tarpaulin for a long time was now quietly moored in the clear waterway.

Iceberg, Frankie, and a group of key shipwrights from Carrera Company gathered early at the dock, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, anticipation, and an indescribable sense of awe.

Even the usually composed Iceberg couldn't help but lean forward slightly, his gaze fixed on the waterproof tarpaulin that was being gradually pulled open.

"Finally... it's almost finished." Iceberg murmured to himself, his voice trembling without him even realizing it.

This period has been the most disruptive and crazy time of his career.

Teaming up with Franky, and with the CP9 agents who had become as efficient as precision tools after being "processed" by V, they devoted themselves almost tirelessly to the modification project of the Going Merry.

The materials provided by V, known as the "Strongest Alloy Version 16.5," far surpass the performance of any metal in Iceberg's knowledge.

Light as a feather, hard as a drill, it has near-perfect energy conductivity and incredible toughness.

After Franky underwent V's cybernetic modifications, his thinking speed and design abilities experienced a qualitative leap.

His whimsical ideas, once considered "absurd" by the iceberg, are now rapidly being transformed into practical and precise blueprints, supported by powerful computing capabilities and new perception.

Not to mention the data processing and structural optimization capabilities of people like Lucci and Kaku, which are comparable to humanoid computers.

“Laboo’s situation is almost ready too,” V’s voice came from the side.

He had somehow appeared beside the iceberg, his gaze also fixed on the center of the dock, a smile playing on his lips behind his glasses.

"Dr. Crocus laid a good foundation. We mainly upgraded the materials and added prosthetics to key areas."

"Lab is probably already eager to try out its new 'equipment'."

As if to confirm V's words, a deep and joyful whale cry came from the outer sea, penetrating the waterways of the Water City and faintly echoing in the dock.

That was Lab's voice, full of eager energy.