Nagato in One Piece - Chapter 16
“Human Path…” On the deserted shore, emptied due to the threat of Aqua Laguna, Nagato placed his hand on Franky’s head, silently chanting, “Mind Reading.”
The Human Path’s power of the Rinnegan is a hundred times more potent than the mind-reading secret techniques of Konoha’s Yamanaka Clan. What Yamanaka Inoichi needed a full set of equipment and a long time to extract from a person’s mind, Nagato could decipher in just a few breaths with the aid of the Rinnegan.
“So, the blueprints for Pluton are with you,” Nagato murmured, opening the iron plate on Franky’s abdomen.
Following the steps in Franky’s mind, he first pressed a small bump on the side of Franky’s iron nose, then sequentially opened hidden mechanisms in Franky’s abdomen. Finally, a panel above the cola storage compartment slid open, revealing a stack of yellowed papers!
Nagato glanced at the papers and quickly tucked them away.
The blueprints were filled with overlapping, disorganized diagrams and ancient, incomprehensible text. Franky himself had once tried to decipher them but concluded that without the correct sequence of steps and an understanding of the materials required, it was impossible to build the weapon. Without knowledge of the ancient language, one wouldn’t even know what materials to use.
With the blueprints in hand, Nagato restored Franky’s body and disappeared into the ground.
Deciphering the blueprints for Pluton was a task for the future, not something urgent now. Nagato acted quickly to prevent them from falling into the hands of the World Government and to keep them as a strategic reserve.
He wasn’t worried that Aqua Laguna would endanger Franky and the others.
Nagato’s proficiency with genjutsu was limited. Making ordinary people sleep for five minutes was his limit, enough time for them to leave before the massive tsunami hit.
Five minutes later, Franky was the first to wake up.
“Who the hell ambushed me?” Franky yelled, leaping to his feet and looking around wildly.
Unable to find his attacker, Franky was just angry. He called over the Square Sisters to wake them up.
“Big bro, what happened?” Kiwi and Mozu asked as they awoke.
“I don’t know,” Franky replied, walking towards Usopp, seething with anger. “Must’ve been a trap set by that guy. Thought he was alone and easy to deal with. Pirates are so sneaky…”
“He’s knocked out too!” Franky shouted, seeing Usopp lying on the ground.
“But this guy held onto something tightly even when he passed out. Must be some valuable treasure…” Franky crouched down, observing with interest.
“Treasure?” Kiwi and Mozu’s eyes lit up as they ran over. “Since we haven’t finished getting back at the Straw Hats, let’s take some interest from their crewmate.”
“Right!” Franky opened Usopp’s pouch, saying, “It’s only fair to take stuff from our enemies!”
“What’s this…” Franky and the Square Sisters were speechless when they saw what was inside.
They were both shocked and hesitant because inside was a Devil Fruit!
Usopp had found this treasure on Skypiea, a Devil Fruit. Coincidentally, it was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which reappeared on Skypiea after Enel’s defeat by Nagato!
With its unique electric shape, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was easily identifiable as an electricity-based power.
The Straw Hat crew had decided to keep the fruit until they found a suitable new crewmate, as Luffy, Chopper, and Robin couldn’t eat it, and Zoro and Sanji didn’t want to. Usopp, feeling unworthy, agreed to safeguard it.
However, after the Going Merry was damaged, Luffy and Usopp fought, eventually parting ways. Luffy left both the Merry and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit with Usopp. After a series of events, the fruit ended up in Franky’s hands.
“Huh…” Usopp began to stir as the genjutsu wore off.
Usopp groaned, slowly waking up, but it was too late. Franky already had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in his hand.
“Ah! The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, give it back!” Usopp, seeing his treasure in Franky’s hands, lunged at him.
But Franky easily fended off Usopp’s attempts, holding the fruit high above his head, mocking Usopp. “Hahaha! Once it’s in my hands, you can’t get it back!”
“Damn it!” Tears streamed down Usopp’s face, not from fear or sadness but from frustration and anger. “The Merry and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, they were entrusted to me!”
This was why Usopp hadn’t eaten the fruit even after leaving the Straw Hat crew. The Merry and the fruit were his last connections to his friends.
In a fit of rage, Usopp summoned all his strength and managed to knock Franky down, but the fruit slipped from Franky’s grip and fell into his mouth!
“This tastes worse than crap!” Franky spat, disgusted. “Wait, how would I know what crap tastes like? That’s S~UPER ridiculous!”
Meanwhile, Usopp, who had tackled Franky, felt his spirit crushed…
No joke, he was devastated.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Franky poked Usopp, surprised to see him so easily pushed over. “Even if I took your fruit, it’s natural to seek revenge.”
“And besides,” Franky continued, standing up, “is it really worth acting like you’re dying just because you lost something? A man should stand tall with pride!”
“Forget it, this isn’t fun anymore.” Seeing Usopp still lifeless, Franky lost interest in messing with him. “I thought you might be a tough guy, but you’re just a wimp not worth my time.”
“Let’s go, Kiwi, Mozu!” Franky turned away, addressing Usopp. “Aqua Laguna is coming. If you don’t want to die, you’d better wake up and get out of here, long-nosed wimp!”
Franky walked away, hearing footsteps behind him, and felt even more disdainful. So, he only wakes up when his life is in danger? Pathetic… But letting him die doesn’t fit with Tom’s teachings.
However, the footsteps grew distant, followed by the sound of hammering. Franky turned around, confused, to see Usopp back at the ship, trying to repair the broken Merry.
“Idiot! What are you doing?” Franky ran back, shouting angrily. “Are you so desperate that you think you can fix that wreck of a ship?”
“You don’t understand…” Usopp’s eyes welled up, but he held back the tears, trembling yet determined as he hammered away at the ship.
He wasn’t seeking pity or understanding anymore: “This is my last companion. Of course, I have to stay with it!”
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