"Hey! Why'd you suddenly turn?! We're going the wrong way!" Usopp yelled, frantically grabbing the edges of the boat.
"Well," Paulie said with an unsettling grin, "I'm thinking I might just take a little detour. After all, eight hundred million is a lot of cash."
"Hey! Easy! I said I'm sorry, okay!" Paulie yelled, his voice tinged with frustration as Rob Lucci dragged him back by the ear with little effort. The scene was almost comedic if not for the tension in the air. Paulie's rebelliousness was matched only by the sheer strength of Lucci's grip, and his protests echoed through the shipyard.
"You went too far this time. Don't drag others into your matters," Lucci muttered, his sharp voice carrying authority as his pet pigeon, Hattori, perched on his shoulder. But then the unexpected happened—the bird spoke.
"You went too far this time," Hattori repeated, as if echoing Lucci's reprimand with eerie precision.
"You had me worried there, Usopp. How'd you even get captured so easily like that?" Luffy asked, his tone as casual as ever, though there was a hint of amusement in his grin.
"Shut up! Not everyone is as strong as you, you know!" Usopp snapped, glaring at his captain, who just laughed it off.
"And you," Nami interjected, rounding on Lucas. "What was that? Letting your friend get captured like that!"
Lucas raised his hands defensively, his expression a mix of guilt and mild irritation. "Sorry! I was going to act, but then I saw this guy running toward them, and since he was closer, I figured he could handle it," Lucas explained quickly, nodding toward Paulie.
"No excuses!" Nami barked, her arms crossed and her glare unwavering.
Lucas sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. No excuses…"
A few minutes passed, and Nami finally let the matter go, though her disapproval lingered in the air. Turning her attention to Kalifa, she asked, "Who were those people anyway?"
"They are the Franky Family," Kalifa answered matter-of-factly, her tone sharp and professional. "Professional ship scavengers. They also work as bounty hunters and scrap the ships of pirates they take down for money."
"Anyway, apologies for this punk's actions," Hattori said, the bird's polite yet robotic delivery catching everyone off guard.
"Haa! The bird just talked!" Luffy gasped, pointing at Hattori with wide, awestruck eyes.
"Damn it, Lucci! I said I'm sorry, didn't I?" Paulie grumbled as Lucci finally let go of him, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground next to Luffy's feet.
Paulie stood up, dusting himself off before addressing Luffy. "Anyway, the guy I saved is your friend, right?"
"Yeah, thanks for that," Luffy replied with a genuine smile, his gratitude clear.
"Naah, don't mention it. Just forty million is enough for me," Paulie said casually, as though it were a normal request.
Before anyone could react, Lucci delivered a sharp smack to Paulie's head, nearly knocking him over. "That's no way to treat our customers," he said bluntly.
"There it is! It talked again!" Luffy exclaimed in amazement, pointing at Hattori once more. His reaction was so childlike and exaggerated that even Nami had to suppress a laugh.
Meanwhile, Paulie, completely unfazed by Lucci's reprimand, snapped. "Damn it, Lucci! That's it!" he yelled, lunging at him. The two began to brawl fiercely right then and there, their fists flying and kicks landing with alarming precision.
"Hey! Isn't that a little bit too much?" Nami remarked, her eyes wide as she watched Paulie fiercely retaliate against Lucci.
"Nmaa, don't worry. It's normal for them," Iceburg said nonchalantly, hands tucked into his pockets as though this level of chaos was an everyday occurrence.
The dust settled, revealing Lucci standing perfectly unharmed, his fingers casually digging into the ground. His cold and unshaken composure filled the air with tension, but it was Luffy who broke the silence as he stepped closer to Paulie.
"Mister, wait a minute, can't you see?" Luffy began, his tone unusually serious for a moment. Paulie raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Huh?" he muttered.
"The real instigator here… is the pigeon. He's the one talking smack about you," Luffy declared, dead serious, pointing directly at Hattori.
Lucas, who had been watching the scene unfold, burst into laughter. "Oh, this is too good," he muttered between chuckles.
"Ohh! I get it. He's probably a ventriloquist!" Nami suddenly said, as if she'd unraveled the mystery of the century.
"Eh?! That's so cool! I didn't notice it at all!" Luffy and Usopp exclaimed in unison, their faces lighting up in amazement.
"Are you guys done?" Lucas interrupted, deadpan and unimpressed, his arms crossed as he shook his head.
"Nmaaa! Now then, let's continue our tour," Iceburg interjected with his signature chuckle, waving them forward into Dock 1.
As the Straw Hats stepped inside the massive shipyard, their jaws collectively dropped. Dock 1 was a marvel, with towering ships in various states of construction, bustling workers, and the scent of sawdust and saltwater filling the air. The intricate craftsmanship and bustling activity left them awestruck.
"It's incredible!" Usopp exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "This is where all the magic happens, huh?"
"Yep," Iceburg said nonchalantly. He glanced at Luffy, who had begun wandering off. "Hey! Get down from there, Straw Hat!" Iceburg called out.
As the group marveled at the shipyard, Kaku returned, leaping gracefully down from a structure. "Iceburg, sir, you're here as well," he greeted.
"Oh, you're back," Iceburg replied as Nami called out to Luffy, trying to pull him back to the group.
"Say, where's Usopp?" Nami asked, glancing around.
"Dunno. I haven't seen him since he checked out those cannons," Luffy replied casually, his lack of concern in sharp contrast to Nami's growing worry.
"So! How much will it cost?" Luffy asked, his smile wide and confident. "We've got a lot of money, so don't worry about it!" He grinned, patting Lucas's back as if they had an infinite reserve.
"Well…" Kaku began, his tone heavy as he hesitated. "Frankly speaking, your ship has suffered significant damage. So… well… I'm afraid no one can fix that ship now."
A stunned silence fell over the group. Nami's face paled, while Luffy's cheerful expression froze, his grin fading into confusion.
"Huh? Is it the keel?" Paulie asked, his professional instincts immediately kicking in.
"Yes," Kaku confirmed, nodding solemnly. "It's severely damaged."
"Whaaat? What do you mean you can't fix the Merry?!" Luffy yelled, his frustration bursting forth. "Weren't you supposed to be the best carpenters in the world? Look, I already told you, if it's money you want, then we have it!"
"I'm afraid that won't cut it," Kaku replied, his voice calm but firm. "You see, the problem is far greater than you may realize. Honestly, I'm surprised it's holding on."
"What's that supposed to mean? Just what is wrong with the Merry?" Nami demanded, her voice trembling as the gravity of the situation sank in.
Paulie, sensing her lack of understanding, turned to her. "Do you know what a keel is, shameless girl?"
"Well… it's on the bottom of the ship, isn't it?" she replied hesitantly.
"When building a ship, you start with the keel. It's like the foundation of the entire ship. And with it damaged, you can't just replace it—it's the same as building a ship from scratch," Paulie explained.
"Then remake the Merry!" Luffy said, his determination unwavering.
"That's not possible either," Kaku replied with a regretful shake of his head. "We can build a ship similar to yours, but we cannot remake it. It wouldn't be the same Merry."
"I see," Hattori added, seemingly agreeing with Kaku's sentiment.
"There it is again! The bird talked!" Luffy exclaimed, distracted once more.
Before their heated discussion could continue, they were interrupted by the arrival of representatives from the World Government. Paulie quickly turned to the Straw Hats.
"You three, hide over there for now," he instructed, gesturing toward a secluded spot nearby.
As the group began moving, Nami glanced around anxiously. "Usopp's still not here, huh?" she muttered.
"Did you guys see someone with a long nose? Kind of like this guy, but different clothes," Lucas asked, gesturing toward Usopp's usual absence.
Peeply Lulu, one of the chief mechanics, perked up. "Oh, I believe I've seen him," he said, his voice carrying a note of curiosity.
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