One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

V's thoughts drifted slightly away, his mind rapidly scanning the information panels of his partners:

Luffy's Gear 5 form;

Zoro's Ancient Zoan Sword Dragon and Three-Sword Style;

Nami's Cloud-Cloud Fruit and Space Weapons;

Usopp's Track-Trajectory Fruit and Multi-Ammo Technique;

Sanji's Speed-Speed ​​Fruit and Hummingbird form;

Chopper's Fungus Fruit and Form Enhancement;

Robin's twisted nature and flowers

Brook's current Bone-Bone Fruit and the power of the Underworld...

"Hmm," V thought to himself, "Now, only Franky is left who hasn't 'returned' yet."

……

……

Meanwhile, inside Rab's conversion base.

The ring-shaped floating island, like a magnificent aerial engineering theater, floats quietly in the sunlight off the coast of Water Seven.

Inside the island, various types of engineering robots are busy in an orderly manner. The sparks from laser cutting, the arcs of welding, and the low hum of heavy platforms moving together create a symphony full of industrial beauty.

Labu's massive body was securely positioned in the central hole of the ring. Its back, sides, and other key areas were already covered with a composite armor frame that was beginning to take shape, and the base for the internal skeletal reinforcement and neural connection system had been mostly installed.

Having completed his municipal work and Carrera company duties for the day, Iceberg arrived at the edge of the circular island observation platform via a small elevator.

He was wearing a sharp dark suit, and the sea breeze ruffled his neatly combed hair.

Looking at the massive and technologically advanced renovation project before him, Iceberg couldn't help but show an expression of amazement.

“It’s an amazing scale and technological integration…” Iceberg murmured to himself, his gaze sweeping over the automated robots and the details of the precision construction.

"The efficiency of advancing theoretical drawings to this physical progress in such a short time is truly beyond imagination."

Just then, a loud, metallic voice came from the side.

"Iceberg! What are you doing here?"

Franky strode over with firm, confident steps.

Chapter 196 Franky Joins the Team

Franky's newly upgraded body gleamed with a matte black metallic sheen under the base's lights, and he held a data panel displaying real-time progress in his hand, clearly indicating that he had undergone another round of modifications using resources provided by the World Government.

Iceberg turned around, a gentle yet slightly teasing smile on his face: "What? I also contributed half the credit to Lab's modification blueprints. Can't I, as the designer, even check on the progress?"

Franky chuckled and habitually tilted his head back: "You... you know how to pick your timing."

"But it's perfect timing. The welding data for the third armor plate in the East District is a bit abnormal. Your presence will allow you to help me check the structural stress model."

The two walked side by side toward the central control console. Iceberg brought up the holographic design drawings while observing Laboon's massive body inside the ring-shaped island.

Engineering robots are methodically carrying out skeletal reinforcement work on the whale's body, with sparks from laser welding flashing like stars.

After a moment of silence, Iceberg suddenly spoke, his tone half-joking and half-serious:

"I said... Franky, I've seen you've been working really hard for the Straw Hat Pirates lately, and they've treated you very well, even giving you a stronger body."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Franky: "I think... why don't you just join their group!"

"Anyway, deep down you're someone who yearns for the sea and adventure, and your abilities are very useful to them."

“You have protected Mr. Tom’s dream in another way.”

"Now, perhaps it's time to embark on your own 'Super' journey."

Upon hearing this, Franky paused slightly.

He looked at the outline of the Merry on the monitor screen, then at the construction site in front of him, a place he had poured his heart and soul into and full of endless possibilities. Deep in his mechanical eyes, a trace of the excitement that belonged to a sea warrior quietly flashed.

Franky was silent for a few seconds, his mechanical fingers tapping unconsciously on the data panel, making a soft "click" sound.

Iceberg's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in his heart.

"Join their group..." Franky repeated the words under his breath, data streams flashing rapidly in his mechanical eyes. "I wonder... if they'd even be willing..."

"Of course I'd love to!"

Just then, a voice suddenly came from above their heads.

Franky and Iceberg looked up at the same time, only to see V and Luffy appear at the top of the sky island at some point, slowly descending on a ladder.

The cloud ladder was made using Nami's Cloud-Cloud Fruit ability, modeled after the cloud bricks of Skypiea. The soft, white clouds carried the two of them down smoothly.

V stood beside Luffy, a gentle smile on his face: "It's a good thing we came, otherwise we might not have heard that."

"Luffy, your time to step in as captain has come!"

Luffy stood at the edge of the ladder, a signature bright smile on his face:

"Frankie! Do you want to join us?! Super—!!!"

He shouted "Super" at the end, mimicking Frankie's posture and tone. Although it wasn't quite standard, his enthusiasm was unreserved.

Franky was stunned, and his face instantly turned red with embarrassment.

He opened his mouth, his metal jaw opening and closing slightly, but he couldn't make a sound immediately.

Even a pervert like Franky couldn't help but feel embarrassed when the person he was talking to overheard him and he wanted to share their true thoughts.

He subconsciously looked at the iceberg beside him.

Upon seeing this, Iceberg's lips curled into a knowing smile.

He immediately reached out and slapped Franky hard on the back, which, despite being made of sturdy alloy armor, made a soft "clang" sound.

"What are you waiting for!" Iceberg's voice was loud and encouraging. "Haven't you been itching to do it for a while now?"

"Water Seven is too small; it shouldn't be your stage..."

Iceberg's tone softened and became serious as he gazed at the distant blue sea, the direction where the Going Merry was anchored and the starting point of a wider world.

"Mr. Tom entrusted everything to us, hoping that we would protect it, but even more so, he hoped that we would inherit his will to create, to sail, and to witness this era."

"You have completed your mission in Water Seven, Franky."

Iceberg turned his head and stared directly into Franky's mechanical prosthetic eyes, as if he could see through the metal and into the still-hot-blooded man within them.

"Now, it's time to go on your own journey."

Frankie remained silent.

On the round island, engineering robots continue to work in an orderly manner, with welding sparks falling like stardust.

The sea breeze blew, lifting the signature strand of blue hair on his forehead.

Fragments of memory flashed rapidly through the brain-computer interface.

Mr. Tom's hearty laughter, the cold shackles of Enies Lobby, the roaring sea train at night...

"I……"

Franky took a deep breath, even though his mechanical body didn't need to breathe, it had long been a habit for him to express his emotions.

He raised his head, and the mechanical arm slowly rose, clenched into a fist, and then suddenly spread out to the sides!

"Super—!!!"

The loud shouts echoed throughout the roundabout, even startling the flying fish leaping from the sea below.

Franky struck his signature pose, his steel body gleaming in the sunlight, and his face once again beamed with that wild, unrestrained, and passionate smile.

"Since you've both said so!" Franky strode towards Luffy and V, his metal feet striking the alloy floor with a resounding clang. "Then I, Franky the Great, will gladly join you!"

Unlike the mutual support that developed between the CCP members after going through hardships in the original work, Franky now feels mostly gratitude towards the Straw Hat crew.

Although he also helped the Straw Hat crew with many things.

From the renovation and upgrade of the Merry to his current role as the chief director of the Laboo renovation project, he has poured his heart and soul into it.

But one side is adding flowers to brocade, while the other side is providing charcoal in snowy weather; they are not on the same level at all.

Upon hearing Franky's words, Luffy's smile widened, and he immediately put his arm around Franky's shoulder.

"Great!!" Luffy's eyes shone brightly, his voice filled with pure joy. "Our shipwrights are finally all here!!"

V also slowly walked down the ladder and extended his hand:

"Welcome to the team, Franky."

"Your and Iceberg's technology are indispensable to the Merry's success today."

"From now on, the entire renovation and upgrading of this ship will be entrusted to you."

Franky grasped V's hand, the metal palm providing a firm grip.

"Don't worry! Super—!!!"

"Leave it to me, and I'll make the Going Merry the coolest and strongest ship on the sea!"

He straightened his chest, his mechanical eyes flashing red light. "But before that..."

He turned to look at Laboon's massive body below and the busy engineering robots on the atoll. "We need to completely transform this guy Laboon first!"

“Of course.” V nodded, his gaze also falling on the magnificent renovation site. “Labu’s renovation is the top priority at this stage. With your wholehearted involvement, the progress should be able to be accelerated considerably.”

“Also, Mr. Iceberg…” V looked at Iceberg, “How is the Thousand Sunny project I proposed earlier progressing?”

Chapter 197 Hades Design Blueprints

"The Thousand Sunny..."

Iceberg took a deep breath and pondered for a moment:

“Mr. V, the ‘conceptual blueprint’ you proposed back then was less a shipbuilding blueprint and more a concept of a ‘mobile fortress’ or an ‘ecological ark’.”

"With the Adam Tree as the main keel, combined with a Seastone alloy frame, it integrates an ecological cycle system, a fully automatic combat module, a deformable hull structure, and even the 'secondary energy core' and 'instantaneous boost' you mentioned..."