One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

The pale golden light, carried by the slightly stifling sea breeze, dispelled and repaired the accumulated fatigue and damage from years of labor on everyone's bodies.

The shoulder aches from constantly carrying heavy loads vanished.

Slightly hunched and worn backs slowly straightened.

Even lungs that had grown uncomfortable from long-term wood dust inhalation now felt revitalized, brimming with new energy.

The shipwrights' expressions towards Jake had transformed from initial dissatisfaction to goodwill—even bordering on admiration.

Most workers here relied on physical strength for their livelihood.

A healthy body was their lifeline.

They couldn't afford expensive doctors, so when minor ailments struck, most simply endured the pain through sheer willpower.

Yet no matter how strong their resolve, physical suffering inevitably affected work efficiency, reducing their daily earnings.

But now, with Jake—a Devil Fruit user who seemingly possessed healing abilities—establishing good relations with him meant never worrying about body pains again!

This comparison made the relative importance between Franky and Jake abundantly clear to everyone.

Moreover, Franky wasn't particularly likable—hot-tempered, constantly picking fights.

Though often loyal, few maintained close friendships with him.

Their earlier support for Franky stemmed merely from shared workspace camaraderie.

So when Franky regained consciousness, he found nearly all shipwrights gathered around Jake and Monet, their faces radiating dissatisfaction.

Instinctively touching his abdomen where Jake had struck him—where bruises or wounds should have been—he felt no discomfort.

Instead, his mental clarity seemed enhanced.

Between his comrades' changed attitudes and his own physical transformation, Franky's mind spun with confusion.

Nearby, Iceberg approached the still-dazed Franky.

"What's wrong? Feeling strange?"

"What happened?, What happened?..."

Clearly still groggy from just waking, Franky's words came out disjointed and peculiar.

Listening to Franky's repeated "What happened?" Iceberg shook his head and sighed, saying.

"You should cause less trouble for Tom-san in the future. If those two Marines hadn't been so reasonable this time, you'd have been in real trouble."

Franky snorted dismissively at Iceberg's words and retorted.

"What's the big deal? Those guys were just low rank Marine soldiers. Even if I'd beaten them up, it wouldn't have mattered—especially since I was the one who got beaten!"

Iceberg knew Franky's personality well and understood how to make him reconsider his actions next time.

"First, those two Marines aren't ordinary soldiers. Both of them are Devil Fruit users and at the very least, they'll become Marine officers of commodore rank or higher in the future."

"Second, in this incident, you were completely in the wrong. If those two Marines hadn't chosen not to hold you accountable, you'd probably be locked up in a Marine base right now."

Franky still showed little remorse.

He merely glanced in Jake's direction and said.

"Even if I were locked up, I'd be out in a few days!"

Hearing this, Iceberg glared at Franky angrily before lowering his voice.

"Do you have any idea how serious this incident became? Even a Marine Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters got involved! Not just Lieutenant Commander T-Bone, but also Vice Admiral Kizaru from Marine Headquarters! The man who's about to be promoted to Admiral even publicly vouched for those two Marines!"

"That—that was just the Marine higher-ups putting on a show! Can you really claim Kizaru has any special connection with those two just because of that?"

Seeing Franky still being stubborn, Iceberg coldly replied.

"After Vice Admiral Kizaru vouched for them, he specifically asked—in front of everyone—how their training had gone the day before. He even said he'd check their progress tonight. Who do you think that message was really for?"

"I... I..."

Seeing that Franky remained somewhat defiant, Iceberg decided to play his trump card.

"Franky, I know your personality. But before you do something like this, have you ever considered Tom-san?! You should know—Tom-san only gained his freedom by making a deal with the World Government. His status is still sensitive! If this incident angers the Marines, then once the Sea Train technology no longer requires Tom-san expertise, that'll be the day he dies!"

These words shattered Franky's pride completely.

To him, Tom wasn't just his teacher—he was his father, his family, his only support and his life purpose.

If Tom were ever to die because of him, Franky would slaughter all those responsible before taking his own life in atonement.

Thus, when it came to Tom, Franky's attitude visibly softened.

He turned to Iceberg and said.

"Thank you, Iceberg. My brain doesn't work as well as yours sometimes, but even i know right from wrong."

With that, Franky strode straight towards Jake, who was surrounded by the crowd.

Iceberg watched Franky's departing figure but chose not to stop him, knowing exactly what Franky intended to do next.

The shipwrights observed Franky's approach with mixed reactions.

Those less familiar with him wore expressions of confusion, while closer acquaintances whispered urgent warnings with visible concern.

"Hey! Franky! That guy over there was the one who treated your injuries! Don't go picking fights with him again!"

But Franky didn't respond to anyone.

He just kept his head down and walked straight toward Jake.

Seeing this, Monet slightly furrowed her brows, a faint chill emanating from her, but Jake stopped her.

Jake extended his arm, blocking Monet's path, then looked at Franky with a gentle smile and said.

"Feeling better now?"

After Jake spoke, Franky immediately dropped into a kowtow and said to him.

"I'm sorry! I acted impulsively earlier! If you guys still have any grievances against me, feel free to beat me up as you please!"