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Chapter 329: My Name Is Franky

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

Summary

At the Galley-La shipbuilding site, the shipwright’s verdict lands: the Going Merry “cannot be returned to its original state” — even with money it can’t be truly fixed, and the crew would have to spend their full ~300,000,000 berries to commission or buy a ship capable of the journey ahead. Nami races back on the Yagara bull to tell the others; Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper absorb the blow, all of them attached to the Merry and dreading Usopp’s reaction. The chapter then cuts to the Franky House on Water Seven’s northeast-coast outskirts, where the Franky Family — a gang of ship-dismantlers and bounty-hunters — throws a party celebrating the 200,000,000 berries they robbed from the Straw Hats, “the whole 200 million” their cyborg boss had dreamed of for three years. The celebration is interrupted by a battered Usopp, who came alone to take the money back: “We need that money! We were going to use it to repair the Merry Go!” The boss mocks him — society doesn’t consider robbing pirates a crime, the money “stolen in the first place” is now theirs, and the Straw Hats were foolish to leave “a good-for-nothing crewman like you” guarding it. Usopp fires an Exploding Star to no effect; the boss looms over him, naming himself: “Remember this, long-nose boy. My name is FRANKY.” Usopp is beaten down again. In flashback we learn Usopp had been left to guard the ship and the remaining 100,000,000 berries (he begged off the main assault, “I’d only be in the way… plus, I’m scared”), then went after the Franky Family on his own. In the present, Sanji and Nami search the streets — “Usopp isn’t here! But this is where Nami said he’d be” — as the Franky House roars with laughter and Usopp, broken, cries “Give it baaack!”

New reveals

• FRANKY is named on-page for the first time — the cyborg boss of the Franky Family introduces himself: “Remember this, long-nose boy. My name is Franky.” (p. 13). He is a large, muscular figure with the gang’s clown-style war paint, dwarfing Usopp.
• The Franky Family / Franky House — a gang of ship-dismantlers and bounty-hunters based on Water Seven’s northeast-coast outskirts; their headquarters is the star-emblazoned “FRANKY HOUSE” (p. 7). Members rage “How dare you attack the Franky Family!” (p. 10).
• The stolen money: 200,000,000 berries. The Franky Family robbed the Straw Hats and celebrate it as the windfall they never managed to save in three years — “the whole 200 million berries!” Franky doles out 5 million for the party (pp. 7–9). He says it’s “our money now” and “society doesn’t consider stealing from pirates a crime… it’s probably dirty money you stole in the first place” (p. 12).
• The Going Merry can’t be saved. A Galley-La shipwright rules the ship “cannot be returned to its original state” (p. 3); Chopper’s “It can’t be fixed?!” (p. 5). Ships “accumulate stress and damage” and, unlike humans who grow stronger each time they cross the sea, can’t simply be restored (pp. 5–6).
• The crew treasury is ~300,000,000 berries. They’d “have to spend all 300 million to have a ship that’s capable of the journey ahead” (p. 4). Of that, ~200M was stolen (Franky House) and Usopp was guarding the remaining 100,000,000 aboard the ship (pp. 4, 12, 14).
• Usopp’s solo raid fails. He attacked the Franky House to recover the money and was beaten badly; his “Exploding Star” has no effect on Franky, who derides his “meager weapon” (pp. 2, 10–13).
• Usopp begged off the main assault out of fear (“I’d only be in the way if I went on the attack… plus, I’m scared”) and was left to guard the ship and the 100M, then chose to confront the Franky Family alone anyway (p. 14).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Nami, Sanji, Zoro, Chopper, Usopp (on-page); Luffy and Nico Robin (referenced — “it’s up to Luffy and the other two to decide,” “I’m also worried about Robin,” “hang on until Robin comes back”) (Straw Hat Pirates)
• Franky Family: Franky (named p. 13), assorted dismantler/bounty-hunter members (Franky Family)
• Ship / concept: Going Merry (“Merry Go”) — the Galley-La verdict; Galley-La shipwright (unnamed on-page)
• Locations: Water Seven (northeast-coast outskirts), Franky House, the Galley-La shipbuilding site
• Cover/title splash: Gedatsu — “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 14: ‘I Unexpectedly Brought Him Down.’”

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title splash: “Chapter 329: MY NAME IS FRANKY.” Below it, the ongoing cover serial “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 14: ‘I Unexpectedly Brought Him Down’” — Gedatsu (Skypiean priest, ex-Enel’s god-squad) triumphantly raising his arms over a felled figure in a Blue-Sea setting.
• p. 2 — Nami narrates Usopp’s beating: “They were merciless… I shouldn’t try to move him.” Recap of going to “bash their heads in” at the Franky House and recover the money; “And don’t you worry about the money!”
• p. 3 — Nami rides the Yagara bull (“Step on it, Yagara!” / “Moo! Moo!!”); Galley-La verdict in fragments: “…that ship cannot be returned to its original state,” “we were finally gonna… be able to fix Merry…”
• p. 4 — The shipwright’s full assessment: “We’ll have to spend all 300 million to have a ship that’s capable of the journey ahead… That money is absolutely essential! We have to get it back!!”
• p. 5 — “It’s up to Luffy and the other two to decide”; Chopper: “It can’t be fixed?!”; the Merry shown afloat — “from the East Blue to here, it made it across the sea just as we did!”
• p. 6 — “Ships are different… they accumulate stress and damage”; Sanji “I love the Merry Go! It just sticks in my craw!”; worry about what Usopp will say, and about Robin; “Nami’s back… she’s alone.”
• p. 7 — Caption: “Water Seven Outskirts, Northeast Coast.” The FRANKY HOUSE (star sign over the door), surrounded by dismantlers; “Did you say 200 million?!”
• p. 8 — Inside the party: “You did it, Bro, after three long years!” The boss’s hand on the loot — “I can get that thing I’ve always wished for!”; gags about always ending up broke after a windfall.
• p. 9 — “The whole 200 million berries! We never managed to save up!” The boss tosses out “five million berries” for the party — then KRASH!!! as Usopp attacks.
• p. 10 — “How dare you attack the Franky Family!” / “Who the heck are you!” DOOM!!! — Usopp stands in the smoke, slingshot drawn, demanding “Give me back… that money!!” “You’re that weakling from earlier?!”
• p. 11 — The Family beats him; Usopp: “We need that money! We were going to use it to repair the Merry Go! There’s no way I’m handing it over to you!”
• p. 12 — The boss mocks Usopp from his seat: “It’s our money now… society doesn’t consider stealing from pirates a crime… I feel sorry for Straw Hat Luffy, if the only one he had to guard the money was a good-for-nothing crewman like you!”
• p. 13 — Usopp’s “Exploding Star!!” fizzles; the boss looms over him: “If you want to leave this town alive… do not defy me. My name is Franky.” “Thanks for the 200 million berries.” The Family laughs off his “meager weapon.”
• p. 14 — Flashback: Usopp, “I’d only be in the way… plus, I’m scared,” left to guard the ship and “the 100 million berries.” Present: Sanji & Nami search — “Usopp isn’t here! But this is where Nami said he’d be.”
• p. 15 — Franky House by the sea roars with laughter (“WAAAAHAHAHA”); a broken Usopp sobs “Give it back!” / “Give it baaack!”

Open questions raised

• Who exactly is Franky — and what is the “thing I’ve always wished for” he can finally buy with 200M? (pp. 8, 13.)
• Can the Going Merry be saved at all, or must the crew abandon her? How will Luffy decide? (pp. 4–6.)
• How will Usopp react to losing the money he was guarding and to the verdict on the Merry — given his shame at being called a “good-for-nothing crewman”? (pp. 12, 14.) (Sets up his break with the crew.)
• Where is the remaining 100 million berries — and is it still safe, given Usopp left his post? (pp. 14–15.)