How could they possibly be afraid that Franky would drag them down?
Having been Franky's brothers for so many years, they truly regarded Franky as their older brother. Half a year ago, when they didn't see Franky return, they all cried their hearts out.
They would even shed tears from time to time during these six months, but who could understand the excitement they felt when they saw Franky again just two weeks ago?
Franky's survival is fantastic news for them, but it also brings with it a new problem they must now face!
Franky's bounty is a whopping 200 million Beli! That amount is truly unimaginable for them!
Therefore, it's natural for them to worry about Franky. Franky is afraid he'll be a burden to them, and they are just as afraid they'll be a burden to him.
If the enemy uses them to threaten Franky and force him to submit, based on their understanding of Franky, he will definitely compromise!
So while they were happy during this time, they were also worried about how to handle the situation!
They roughly knew the current situation until a few days ago when Franky occasionally mentioned wanting to join a pirate crew.
Franky joined a pirate crew, but he was afraid they wouldn't accept it, so he brought it up subtly.
Don't ask them how they know; it 'Franky just that they've known Franky too well over the years.
They know so much about him that they can even predict what color underwear he'll wear tomorrow!
Although they were somewhat disappointed when they first heard the news, they were mostly relieved.
This way, Franky's safety can be guaranteed, provided, of course, that the pirate crew he joins is strong enough!
They've figured it out: if the pirate crew Franky joins isn't strong enough, then they'll go to sea with Franky and form their own pirate crew!
No matter what happens, they will protect their leader!
The thought was quickly extinguished when they heard Franky say that he had joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
Are you kidding me?
Which is the strongest pirate crew in the world today?
Is it a pirate crew led by one of the monsters of the New World? Or perhaps a pirate crew led by a top-tier powerhouse revered as one of the Four Emperors?
Neither!
If you were to ask anyone in the world today which is the strongest pirate crew, they would undoubtedly say one name without hesitation— the Straw Hat Pirates!
Admittedly, the Straw Hat Pirates do not have a strong subordinate force, and they are just a rookie pirate crew that has been at sea for less than a year.
However, after the Summit War, Captain Straw Hat Boy Luffy's bounty reached one billion, earning him the title of a super rookie!
The other members are also quite strong, with substantial bounties, and each of them demonstrated outstanding abilities during the Paramount War.
Even so, the Straw Hat Pirates are still far behind other top-tier pirate crews, especially compared to those Yonko-level pirate crews.
So why is the Straw Hat Pirates able to become the World's Strongest?
There's only one reason!
The Straw Hat Pirates possess nuclear-level combat power! This has created a significant gap between them and other top-tier fighters!
That's right, we're talking about Xia Chen! Ever since the world learned that Xia Chen had breached the Marine Headquarters, the title of the World's Strongest Man has undoubtedly been bestowed upon him.
And it's even more impressive than any previous World's Strongest champion!
What's even more frightening is that Xia Chen is only seventeen years old! To have such strength at such a young age, it's hard to imagine how powerful Xia Chen will become in the future!
It can be said that Xia Chen single-handedly earned the Straw Hat Pirates the title of the World's Strongest pirate crew!
Bringing his thoughts back to the scene, one of Franky's henchmen swallowed hard and asked, "Was that handsome young man the World's Strongest Man?"
"That's right! He is none other than Rex Lapis Xia Chen, the man with a bounty of 10 billion!" Zanbai said with a solemn expression.
Ten billion! That's an astronomical figure! If Franky's two hundred million was considered a very high amount by them, then ten billion left them speechless. It's fucking outrageous!
"But he doesn't seem fierce at all! On the contrary, he seems very approachable, and... he's so handsome! What do you think would happen if we went to meet him?"
Two voices, different in tone but saying the same thing, came at the same time, making Zanbai's heart leap into his throat. He turned around and roared at the owner of the voice:
" Kiwi, Mozu! You two better be rational. Don't rush to approach him just because he's handsome. Do you even know what kind of person he is?"
"Even though he's the boss's partner, if you upset him, you two could both die several times over if he sneezes!"
Although Zanbai's words were mostly meant to intimidate the Square Sisters, and he didn't think his boss's companion would be that kind of person, he still didn't want to have any contact with Xia Chen.
There was no way he could do it; the 10 billion bounty was just too terrifying.
--
On the other side, on the way to the new ship, everyone was chatting about the various interesting things that had happened to them over the past six months.
Usopp, perhaps because he hadn't boasted in a long time, started exaggerating wildly, making Chopper occasionally chime in with starry eyes.
Really?
Meanwhile, Zoro and the others, who were listening to Usopp's boasting, were speechless. If you were somewhere else for the past six months, we would have just taken your boasting as a story.
But the problem is, we've been together for the past six months, so this exaggerated claim is a bit inappropriate, isn't it?
After listening for a while, Sanji really didn't want to listen anymore. He looked at Xia Chen and asked, "By the way, Xia Chen, where have you been for the past six months? You haven't mentioned it before!"
Upon Sanji's words, everyone turned to look at him, curious about where Xia Chen would be going for the next six months.
"I've basically stayed on one island the whole time; I haven't gone anywhere else!"
"Staying on an island? And not going anywhere? Xia Chen, this isn't like you at all!"
"Come on, tell me, which island are you staying on? You've managed to stay for half a year! It's not an island with lots of ladies, is it?" Sanji teased Xia Chen, winking at him.
" Sanji! Do you think Xia Chen is Sex Fiend like you? He definitely wouldn't..."
"That's right, I'm on an island full of women! I'm the only man on the entire island!"
Usopp's words were cut off by Xia Chen's words, and he looked at Xia Chen with disbelief and shock in his eyes.
It's as if it's saying, "I misjudged you. I never thought you were this kind of person. And I even tried to explain things to you!"
"An island without men... could it be Amazon Lily?" Robin asked, stroking his chin.
"Yes! It's Amazon Lily!"
" Hancock and I are like brothers, close friends!"
"!!!"