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Chapter 325: The Franky Family

Arc: Water Seven · Saga: Water Seven · Released:

Summary

The crew has reached Water Seven, the shipbuilding island of canals. In the chapter’s cold open, the Franky Family — a gang of bounty hunters (“We’re the Franky Family! / We can silence even crying children!”) — board the Going Merry to take Zoro’s 60-million-berry bounty, round up the rest of the crew, and seize the ship. Zoro, alone aboard, dismantles them with a two-sword technique (“Rhino… Cycle!!”), calls them “useless jerks,” and they flee. Meanwhile Robin and Chopper stroll the Water Seven Backstreet Shopping Area, admiring the clear canals, a mask shop, and pedestrians in costume — Robin deduces a costume festival is on at San Faldo, another island on the Sea Train route. A masked figure brushes past Robin and quietly identifies itself: “I’m with CP9.” / “I’m heading in!” — Robin freezes, watching it go (first on-page CP9 mention; her wariness foreshadows her past with the World Government). Elsewhere Luffy, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji cash in their Skypiea gold at a currency exchange — appraised at “300 million berries” for its historical value and purity — planning to repair the Merry and “spend the rest on a bronze statue.” Nami menaces the appraiser (“if you lie one more time… I’ll scalp you”). They head for the shipbuilding factory (Dock 1) of the Galley-La Company, where the square-nosed carpenter Kaku stops them. They ask to see Mr. Iceberg — mayor of Water Seven, president of Galley-La, and the man who also runs the Sea Train — armed with an introductory letter from Ms. Kokoro of Shift Station. Kaku tells them to wait ten minutes while he “jots over” to assess the ship at Rocky Cape, then leaps off a huge drop and dashes across town at blinding speed — “Mountain Wind,” the Galley-La Dock 1 carpentry foreman: Kaku!

New reveals

• Water Seven — the crew’s destination: a canal-laced shipbuilding island on the Sea Train route, with a Backstreet Shopping Area, a currency exchange, and “Main Street, Ship-Building Island” (pp. 6, 10, 14).
• The Franky Family is introduced — a gang of bounty hunters who board the Merry to claim Zoro’s 60-million bounty and the rest of the crew: “We’re the Franky Family! / We can silence even crying children! / …we’re gonna take that head of yours for the 60 million berries it’s worth!” (pp. 2–3). They flee after Zoro routs them; Zoro calls them “useless jerks” (p. 5). (This is the Franky Family gang — the cyborg Franky/Cutty Flam himself does not appear or get named on-page this chapter.)
• Zoro fights solo aboard the Going Merry and defeats the Franky Family with a two-sword technique, “Rhino… Cycle!!” (pp. 4–5). Boast tell: “Two-sword style…” → “Rhino Cycle.”
• CP9 is named on-page for the first time — a masked figure on the Water Seven backstreets tells Robin “I’m with CP9. / I’m heading in!” and walks on; Robin reacts with silent grim alarm (pp. 8–9). (First appearance of “Cipher Pol No. 9” in the series; the speaker’s identity is not revealed here.)
• The Skypiea gold is appraised at 300 million berries at a Water Seven currency exchange — “Its historical value, its purity… this is amazing gold” — earmarked to “fix up the Merry Go” and build a bronze statue (pp. 10–12).
• Galley-La Company is introduced — Water Seven’s premier shipbuilding firm; the crew goes to its shipbuilding factory (Dock 1) for an estimate on the Merry (pp. 13–15).
• Kaku is introduced: a Galley-La ship carpenter with a distinctly square nose, the Dock 1 carpentry foreman nicknamed “Mountain Wind,” who “runs around town freely” at superhuman speed (pp. 15, 17–19). Caption: “KAKU — GALLEY-LA COMPANY SHIP CARPENTER” (p. 15).
• Mr. Iceberg is named — the mayor of Water Seven, “President of our firm, the Galley-La Company,” who “also manages the Sea Train” — “there’s not a soul who doesn’t know of him in Water Seven” (p. 16). Stated to be 23 years old but “told he looks old” (p. 16).
• Ms. Kokoro of Shift Station wrote the crew an introductory letter to Iceberg (p. 16) — the off-panel link back to the Long Ring Long Land arc’s station-keeper.
• San Faldo — another island on the Sea Train route — is holding a costume festival, which explains the masked pedestrians on the Water Seven streets (p. 7).
• The Yagara (bull-shaped canal gondolas / mounts) are referenced as the town’s water-taxis (“Jot over… on the Yagara?”, p. 17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Zoro (defends the Merry, pp. 2–5), Nico Robin & Chopper (backstreets, pp. 6–9), Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Sanji (currency exchange + Galley-La, pp. 10–19) (Straw Hat Pirates)
• Franky Family: Franky Family — the bounty-hunter gang aboard the Merry (pp. 2–5)
• Galley-La Company: Kaku (named p. 15, foreman p. 19), Iceberg (named/referenced p. 16) (Galley-La Company)
• World Government: CP9 (named by a masked figure to Robin, pp. 8–9)
• Off-panel / referenced: Kokoro (introductory-letter writer, “Shift Station,” p. 16)
• Locations / concepts: Water Seven (Backstreet Shopping Area, currency exchange, Main Street / shipbuilding factory, Dock 1), San Faldo (costume festival, Sea Train route, p. 7), Sea Train (managed by Iceberg, p. 16), Going Merry (to be repaired), Yagara canal-mounts (p. 17)
• Cover serial: Gedatsu — “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 11”

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title page: “Chapter 325: THE FRANKY FAMILY.” Cover serial caption: “GEDATSU’S UNEXPECTED LIFE ON THE BLUE SEA, VOL. 11: ‘UNEXPECTEDLY, I STRUCK UPON SOMETHING’.” Inset art: two figures (a hammer-bearer and a digger) silhouetted against a black mass underground, with the “ŞŞŞ” steam-puff of Gedatsu’s Skypiean signature.
• pp. 2–3 — “KLANG!!!” — the Franky Family boards the Going Merry; Zoro alone. “Hmph. Pirate Hunter Zolo, eh?” / “We’re bounty hunters.” → “We’re the Franky Family! / We can silence even crying children! / …we’re gonna take that head of yours for the 60 million berries it’s worth! / …and round up the rest of the crew! / Then we’ll hide out on board… GET ‘IM!”
• pp. 4–5 — Zoro counters: “Two-sword style…” → “Rhino… Cycle!!” The Franky Family is blown off the ship; Zoro: “Useless jerks.” (p. 5)
• pp. 6–7 — Robin and Chopper in the “WATER SEVEN BACKSTREET SHOPPING AREA”: “The water is so clear and the town so pretty.” / “A mask maker…” Robin deduces a costume festival is on at San Faldo, another Sea Train island. Robin: “Ever since I was little, I’ve observed people’s moods and listened to them talk… a habit of mine.”
• pp. 8–9 — A masked figure brushes past: “I’m with CP9.” / “I’m heading in!” / “Robin!” — Robin stops dead, watching it go (KLAK… KLAK). First on-page CP9 mention.
• pp. 10–12 — Currency exchange: “A HUNDRED MILLION BERRIES?!” → appraiser: “Its historical value, its purity… this is amazing gold… worth that much.” → “300 million berries.” Plans: fix the Merry + a bronze statue. Nami threatens the appraiser (“I’ll scalp you. That’s all!”). Luffy nearly drops the gold in the canal.
• pp. 13–14 — They decide to drop the money at the ship first (the Franky Family attack is the reason — “they won’t let us carry the money anymore”). “WATER-WATER CAKES!” gag.
• p. 15 — Dock 1 entrance (“1”); Kaku stops them: “Only authorized personnel are allowed inside the factory. / What is your business at the dock?” Caption: “KAKU — GALLEY-LA COMPANY SHIP CARPENTER.” Note: “this man’s nose is square.”
• p. 16 — Kaku reads Kokoro’s introductory letter (“from Ms. Kokoro at Shift Station”); explains Iceberg is “the mayor of Water Seven,” “President of our firm, the Galley-La Company,” and “also manages the Sea Train.” States he’s “23” but “told he looks old.”
• pp. 17–18 — Kaku: “I’ll jot over and assess the condition of the ship… Just stay here for ten minutes.” Then “DASH!!” — leaps off a ”…HUGE DROP!” off the edge of the city.
• p. 19 — Kaku dashes across town: “They call him… Mountain Wind. / He’s the Galley-La… / Dock One… / Carpentry foreman… / KAKU!”
• p. 20 — SBS “Question Corner” (onion-cake gag; the in-eyelid-lift question re: vol. 30 ch. 277; “Tornado Tempo/Chimpo” pun). Not story content.

Open questions raised

• Who is the masked CP9 figure that spoke to Robin, and why is “heading in”? (pp. 8–9.) What is CP9?
• Why does Robin react with such alarm to the name CP9? (p. 9.)
• What is Kaku really — an ordinary carpenter, or something more (given his “Mountain Wind” superhuman speed and the leap off the city’s edge)? (pp. 17–19.)
• Will Galley-La / Iceberg agree to repair the Going Merry, and what will the verdict on the ship be? (pp. 15–17.)
• What will the Franky Family do after being routed — will they come back for the 300 million? (pp. 2–5, 13.)