Chapter 163: [163] : [BONUS] – Charging Towards the Final Throne! The Public Execution of Fire Fist Ace!

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“Franky… Go with them,” Iceburg said, looking seriously at Franky.

Iceburg’s meaning was clear—

With a 100 million Beri bounty and the Pluton blueprints almost certainly in his possession, Franky was now in an extremely dangerous position.

Whether it was the World Government or the countless pirates and bounty hunters looking to make a name by taking his 100 million Beri head—neither were threats Franky and the Franky Family could handle on their own.

The only reason Franky had been able to work on the ship peacefully so far was because of that man’s presence—

Sky Sovereign Rowen!

Only by boarding their ship could Franky be truly safe. Besides, for Franky to achieve his dream, joining their crew was the best possible opportunity.

An Emperor-level super pirate crew. Not just anyone got a chance to join something like that. On these seas, the mere appearance of an Emperor’s Jolly Roger struck fear into the hearts of countless people.

Though Franky’s bounty was “ONLY” 100 million Beri, if he truly joined this crew, he would instantly become a major figure on the world stage.

Whether for safety or for his dream, Franky joining this ship was the best choice.

Zambai and the others understood this deeply, which was why they urged their Big Bro Franky to go with the Straw Hats.

They weren’t afraid to die—especially not for Franky; their willingness to storm Enies Lobby was proof of that.

But they also knew that against the World Government and the endless tide of pirates seeking Franky’s bounty, they were too weak…

If Franky stayed with them, the eventual outcome would either be getting wiped out by the World Government or killed by glory-seeking pirates and bounty hunters.

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“I’m not the kind of man who joins a crew just because he’s afraid to die!” Franky declared stubbornly, his ’pervert’ pride making it hard for him to back down.

“Big Bro Franky… y-you’ll be a burden to us!” Zambai finally blurted out, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t let his Big Bro stay here and wait for death.

Even if it meant severing ties with him, he had to do it…

“HAHHHH??” Franky pushed up his sunglasses, his eyes turning dark.

WHAM!

Franky’s fist slammed into Zambai’s head, knocking him to the ground.

“DON’T SAY STUPID THINGS. YOU DAMN UNDERLINGS!” Franky roared.

He understood Zambai’s intention.

These lovable underlings of his weren’t afraid of death—they had gone to Enies Lobby to rescue him without a second thought. At the time, who could have guaranteed they’d come back alive???

They were facing the monolithic World Government. They went to a place like Enies Lobby fully expecting not to return.

Saying those hurtful things now… was only to make him leave with the Straw Hats without any worries—

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“Franky,” A calm voice said. Franky turned, startled, to see Rowen had placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You have to cherish your comrades’ feelings. Making them worry like this… that’s not what a real ’Pervert’ should do, right?” Rowen said with a smile.

This battle at Enies Lobby had not only forged a true Powerhouse’s Will within Rowen but had also given him a new understanding of the word ’comrade’.

“Shishishi! That’s right!” Luffy yelled with a grin. Everyone else smiled in agreement.

Rowen’s words struck a deep chord within Franky. Looking at the worried eyes of his underlings, the iron-willed man’s eyes began to moisten.

“The shipwright’s job on this vessel—is yours! COME ON! GO WITH US TO THE END OF THE WORLD!” Rowen declared, laughing heartily.

“Guess I have no choice! A great ship like this, and you guys only know how to patch holes! The shipwright of your crew—WILL BE ME!” Franky wiped the tears from his eyes, a broad grin on his face.

A Pervert’s farewell… No tears needed… Franky would say goodbye to his underlings with a smile!

“YOSHA! A NEW COMRADE!” Luffy cheered.

“That’s great!” Chopper bounced up and down, dancing with joy.

Everyone else smiled.

“BIG BRO FRANKY!” The Franky Family burst into tears.

“D-Don’t cry, You bastards! Big Bro Rowen and Big Bro Straw Hat are trustworthy men!” Zambai choked out, desperately trying to stifle his own sobs.

As Franky’s most loyal underling, Zambai knew Franky’s ’pervert’ code well.

CRYING AT A PERVERT’S FAREWELL WAS UNACCEPTABLE!!

Big Bro Franky didn’t want them to worry—they, in turn, didn’t want him to worry.

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“SET SAIL! HOIST THE MAINSAIL!” Nami commanded with a smile.

“OOOHHH!” Rowen and the others raised their arms, laughing heartily.

The new Going Merry, with its new comrade Franky, set sail once more!

Next destination: The Florian Triangle.

Rowen looked at Nami expertly commanding the ship’s navigation and smiled.

There, another target whose ’fortune’ could be plundered awaited—The Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria.

And also… Rowen’s Observation Haki sensed a familiar, powerful presence in the nearby sea.

Iron Fist Garp—

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“Vice Admiral Garp, the Going Merry has set sail. Should we continue to approach?” Garp’s adjutant, Bogard, asked, saluting.

“Let’s get a bit closer. Just a look from afar. That brat Sky Sovereign Rowen’s Observation Haki has surely detected us already,” Garp replied, looking towards the distant, faintly visible Going Merry with a smile.

“Aren’t you going to meet your grandson, Garp?” Gion, still on Garp’s ship, asked.

“Forget it. Even Sakazuki lost to that brat. And the Buster Call suffered such a major defeat… Even if we met, with my status, there’s not much I could say to Luffy. With Sky Sovereign Rowen around, Luffy has been completely swept into the center of this era,” Garp sighed.

Luffy was no longer the child he could freely beat up with his ’Fist of Love’—

—He was now a great pirate with a bounty over a billion. In the first half of the Grand Line, there were no more opponents for them.

Next, they would inevitably have to face the Four Emperors of the New World!

At this point, Garp could no longer offer Luffy any advice. Just watching his grandson sail away from afar was enough.

’I just wonder which Emperor—Sky Sovereign Rowen has chosen as his target? Given Luffy’s situation, Red-Hair and Whitebeard are likely excluded for now. It should be Kaido or Big Mom… Neither of those two are weak… Once war breaks out, the outcome will be unpredictable… I hope we can meet again, Luffy.’ Garp sighed, watching the faintly visible Merry.

At this moment, he wasn’t a Marine Hero, but just an old man worrying about his grandson.

“Rowen…” Beside Gion, Tashigi’s eyes were filled with complex emotions.

She had vowed to arrest Rowen, but the gap between them was only growing larger. Even a Marine Admiral had been defeated by him.

Could she… truly stand before Rowen as an equal again? Thinking of her past vow, Tashigi bit her lip hard.

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“No intention of meeting, huh?” Rowen’s Observation Haki had locked onto Garp’s position.

Garp’s words were also picked up by the electric waves from his Rumble-Rumble Fruit combined with his Haki.

Rowen didn’t intend to tell Luffy and have them meet.

They were on opposite sides—why add unnecessary trouble?

The original Straw Hats who stormed Enies Lobby were on a completely different level than the current crew.

Garp, in his capacity as a Marine Hero, couldn’t freely make contact with them. Their meeting would cause massive waves across the seas, just like the meeting between Whitebeard and Shanks.

Rowen was now a Super great pirate on the same level as Whitebeard and Shanks. Besides, if they were to meet, the Summit War wasn’t far off…

“Franky, let’s have a shot,” Rowen said, looking towards Franky.

“AWO! Wanna test out the performance of the ship I modified?!” Franky exclaimed excitedly.

“Is it coming?!” Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp’s eyes turned into stars.

Nami immediately grabbed Rowen’s arm.

Vivi, though now incredibly strong, still acted like a young girl before Rowen, grabbing his other arm and hiding in his embrace.

Robin’s eyes flickered, then she smiled elegantly, wrapping her arms around Rowen’s neck from behind.

“GURGLE! GURGLE!” The unique propulsion system Franky built, combining the Coup de Burst and Rumble-Rumble Fruit power, began to charge.

“THUNDER-BURST——!!!” Franky yelled, slamming the launch button.

VMM!

Terrifying energy gathered at the stern of Merry!

The combined power of the Coup de Burst and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—the Thunder-Burst—was unleashed instantly!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Accompanied by a deafening roar of hurricane-force winds and crackling thunder, the Going Merry shot forward like a meteor, leaping off the sea surface and rocketing towards the horizon!

“YAHOOOO!” Luffy yelled excitedly, clinging to Merry’s railing.

Chopper and Usopp clung desperately to Luffy, their earlier excitement turning to tears of terror.

“Hey, hey! This power is no joke!” Zoro and Sanji also gripped a railing tightly.

“KYAAA!” Nami and Vivi screamed like young girls, holding onto Rowen’s arms for dear life.

Robin also held on a bit tighter. At this speed, even with her Flower-Flower Fruit, she felt a bit unsteady.

“Didn’t expect it to be this powerful,” Rowen laughed heartily, beautiful women in his arms, feeling the rushing wind, his mood excellent.

With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit’s energy added, this Thunder-Burst was several times faster than the original.

Only the new Merry, arguably the strongest pirate ship on the seas now, could withstand such energy!

Franky was also ecstatic. For a ship he modified to reach such heights, was an honor for him as a shipwright.

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“Bwahahahaha! Setting sail like that—as expected of my grandson,” Garp laughed, watching Merry instantly fly out of their sight.

“It seems their pirate ship has been reinforced and upgraded,” Gion sighed.

The first half of the Grand Line’s climate was already bizarre and terrifying, but compared to the New World, it was child’s play.

That’s why New World pirates called the first half ’Paradise’.

Without a good ship, completing the New World voyage was impossible.

But now, this new Merry, capable of withstanding such a terrifying energy blast and flying unharmed—one could only imagine the quality of its materials.

With this ship, Sky Sovereign Rowen and the Straw Hat Pirates had completed their most important puzzle piece, and were truly beginning their charge towards the final throne—

—Towards that ultimate Great Treasure—ONE PIECE!

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“Vice Admiral Garp. A call from HQ!” Just then, Garp’s adjutant, Bogard, rushed out from the cabin, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

“Hm??” Garp suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“Fleet Admiral Sengoku requests you and Vice Admiral Gion return to HQ immediately. An emergency HQ meeting is about to be convened! The topic for discussion is—” Bogard swallowed hard.

“The public execution of Whitebeard Pirates 2nd Division Commander! Fire Fist Ace!”

Bogard’s words made Garp’s pupils constrict sharply.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY???” Garp completely lost his composure, his eyes turning bloodshot as he grabbed Bogard by the collar and roared.

“F-Fire Fist Ace has been captured. Imprisoned in Impel Down. The one who captured him was former Whitebeard Pirates 2nd Division member, now one of the Seven Warlords—Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach!” Bogard knew about Garp’s relationship with Ace, but could only follow orders and report.

“ACE!!!” Garp roared, then closed his eyes in anguish.

Ace’s identity had been exposed!

“Back to HQ!”

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