Seeing his companions praise him, Franky nodded with satisfaction.
Then he swept his gaze over the two in front of him and said with a confident smile, "What about you? How has your training been over these three months?"
"I've gotten stronger, too."
Luffy grinned, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I'll definitely give you a big surprise!"
"Only a little bit."
Sanji's lips curved slightly as he flicked the cigarette in his hand. "But it'll definitely be stronger than that moss-head!"
At this moment, the three of them smiled at one another, as if showing their confidence to their companions. Their eyes were no longer filled with the loss and regret of before; instead, their whole bodies brimmed with determination and confidence.
They had become stronger!
However, at this time, a voice sounded.
"The time is about right."
"If you have anything to say, say it slowly once you're on the ship."
Ian directly interrupted the three of them. "If you don't set off now, by the time you reach Marineford, the public execution will probably already be over."
The three: "...?!"
As soon as these words fell, the three snapped back to their senses. Then, as if remembering something, Franky frowned slightly and looked at Ian. "Mr. Ian, the others..."
"The time is a bit tight. If I let Kuma go pick them up, the round trip would probably make us miss it."
Before Franky could finish, Ian had already guessed what he wanted to say and waved his hand. "But don't worry. You go to Marineford first. Later, I'll have Kuma send them over. Rest assured, I guarantee they'll arrive before the public execution."
"So that's how it is."
Hearing Ian's words, both Sanji and Franky let out a sigh of relief in their hearts. Then the three of them looked at one another. They wonder how everyone's training has gone.
It really makes them look forward to it!
"Then let's set off!"
Luffy didn't hesitate any longer. He pressed his right hand against his hat and took a deep breath. "See you at Marineford. When the time comes, we will all bring Teach back together!"
Hearing their captain's words, Sanji smiled and flicked his cigarette. But then he seemed to remember something and looked at Franky with a puzzled tone.
"Wait a moment, where's our ship?"
"Don't worry, I've already built it."
Franky gave a thumbs-up and said confidently, "It's an absolutely awesome partner!"
As he spoke, he walked straight over to the ship moored on the sea beside them, covered with a tarpaulin. Amid everyone's puzzled gazes, he reached out his hand, gave a slight smile, and then suddenly pulled the tarpaulin off.
With Franky's movement, at this very moment, a ray of afterglow fell down, landing perfectly on the ship that had just been uncovered.
In an instant... Or rather, as if by perfect timing, a golden radiance burst forth from the ship!
"This is our new partner. Pretty awesome, right?"
Luffy and Sanji: "...?!"
At this moment, the two stared at the ship in shock. Even though it had not yet sailed, just from its outward appearance alone, everyone could already feel that this ship was extraordinary.
Even Ian looked at the ship with some surprise.
However, it wasn't that he was dazzled by the ship like the others, but rather that this ship... was somewhat different from the Thousand Sunny in his memories!
The lion figurehead, triangular sails, skull-and-crossbones... all of these were there, or rather, the overall framework was the same. But why was this ship so golden?
And it even felt somewhat familiar?
Before Ian could ask, looking at the shocked crowd in front of him, Franky lifted his chin proudly, extremely satisfied.
"I especially referenced Mr. Ian's ship for this, and not only did I use the same type of materials as Mr. Ian's ship, but I also used the world's sturdiest tree, Treasure Tree Adam. Then, adding everyone's previous requests and my own wisdom, I built it. It's pretty beautiful, right?"
Ian: "..."
No wonder!
Hearing Franky's words, a look of realization appeared on Ian's face as he gazed at the golden version of the Thousand Sunny. So it used the same materials?
"It really is an extremely impressive ship."
Rayleigh, standing to the side, also voiced his admiration as he looked at the ship shining under the sunlight. "Mr. Ian's Sun Ring's ship? No wonder it looks like the sun as well!"
The Umbrella Corporation boss's exclusive vessel was quite famous on the seas, possessing light-like speed and also known as the sun that fell upon the ocean!
But as for God of the Sun... Rayleigh glanced at Ian, who was looking at the ship beside him, smiled, and didn't say anything further.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Sanji were also happily looking at the ship. From their expressions, it was clear that they were extremely satisfied with it.
"It's really amazing. If Nami and the others saw it, they would definitely love it too."
Luffy grinned as he sat on the bow of the ship. Then, as if remembering something, his right hand stretched out again, he grabbed a pillar on the dock, and landed back on the dock.
Then he shouted to Sanji and Franky: "Sanji, Franky!"
Sanji and Franky: "...?!"
Hearing their captain's call, Sanji and Franky were startled for a moment. Then, as if they understood something, they walked over to Luffy. Under everyone's puzzled gazes, the three of them bent at the waist together and spoke with a solemn tone.
"Thank you all for your care and guidance. We will definitely never forget your kindness!"
As these words fell, looking at the three of them in front, Zephyr, Ace, and the others all showed smiles on their faces. Even Ian couldn't help but smile.
After exchanging a glance with Zephyr, Ian nodded and walked up to Sanji.
"There's no need for thanks."
Ian said with a smile as he heavily patted Luffy on the shoulder while speaking earnestly.
"In the future, when you cause trouble out there, just don't say you were taught by us. If it really comes down to it, just say it was Silvers Rayleigh who taught you. That guy is the King of the Pirates' right-hand man and isn't afraid of trouble!"
Rayleigh: "..."
This guy!
Hearing Ian's words, Rayleigh, who had just been feeling somewhat relieved and moved, immediately had a face full of black lines.
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