~Third~

"I see so this is the city of water huh? Pretty impressive place, lives up to it's name for sure i mean look around clean water, clean streets and fresh fruits"Sanji said "I'll say, the architecture is quite pretty too"Nicole said looking around sitting on the Yagara behind the cook.

"Any luck spotting a store?"Sanji asked "None yet"Nicole said, they came to a stop infront of a store on the water as Sanji was buying produce off the shopkeeper, Nicole asked about swords shops "I know of only one around here, just take a left at that corner and you're there"the shopkeeper said "Thank you"Nicole smiled.

"You heard her Sanji"Nicole said turning to the chef "Right, thanks for everything ma'am"Sanji smiled at the shop keep leading the Yagara to the directions given, they arrived at the front of the shop in no time, Nicole got off "I won't be long, hopefully, stay here"she said "Sure thing" Sanji said getting on shore too stretching his legs.

"Robin?"Sanji wondered spotting her, he went after her but she disappeared, Sanji tried find his way back but got lost "Don't tell me Zoro's brain funk is getting to me too"the chef sighed, meanwhile Nicole got out of the shop two new swords at her hip, the pin secured on the black one.

"Sanji?"Nicole asked looking around, the Yagara was still here but no sign of Sanji or the food, she hummed a bit and closed her eyes to focus, the city was pretty noisy but she eventually located him "I should probably head back to the Merry though, which way was it again?"she wondered and focused in on Zoro "Come on cutie this way"she smiled getting on the Yagara and steering the way.

~skip~

"Zoro!"Nicole called as she walked over to the ship "Nicole, where's Sanji?"Zoro asked "I lost him but check it out"Nicole said and held up her new swords "Nice!"Zoro smirked, Nicole hopped on the ship "Hey, someone came by and assessed the ship"Zoro said as she walked over to him "Yeah? What they say?"she asked.

Zoro frowned a bit making Nicole worry "They can't repair it"he said, Nicole frowned too sitting next to him looking at the sheep figure head "I had a feeling, the keel is damaged?"she asked "That's what they said, it could snap at any moment"Zoro said, Nicole leaned on his shoulder "How do you think the others will react?"she asked.

Zoro circled his arm around her waist "They won't like it, i'm most worried about Usopp though, who knows how he'll react"he said "Yeah, he cares about Merry the most"Nicole said "What about you?"Zoro asked turning to look at her, Nicole looked back "I'll miss her of course but Merry's at her limit, she's been a great matchmaker though"she smiled at him, Zoro smiled back, neither couldn't help it as they kissed.

Nicole pulled back from it after a while "I guess we're back on then"she giggled a bit, Zoro chuckled "Then there's one thing i'd like to tell you"he said "What?"she asked "I've always loved you"he said, she giggled again "I know"she smiled and kissed him again.(that was on a total whim but i'm keeping it in we'll see if they have a bump in the road again or will it be smooth sailing from here on)

~skip~

Sanji and Chopper came back on the ship, Zoro told them what he told Nicole "What is that true?"Sanji asked "Well that's what the shipwright said"Zoro said "Merry can't be fixed even if we have money? Then what's going to happen to her?"Chopper asked "Beats me, honestly it depends on how Luffy and the others react after hearing the assessment either way i'm sure they'll get it sorted out while they're at the ship yard"Zoro said.

"It just seems so extreme i mean look at her, same old Merry she's always been we've travelled together all the way from East Blue to this place why now?"Sanji asked "It's exactly because now, as we've become stronger the Merry's had more and more damage to her, it's piled up, my guess when it became too much is when she was dragged to the altar in Skypiea"Nicole said.

There was a beat of silence "It's all so hard to accept and what's Usopp's gonna say when he hears about all this?"Sanji asked "I don't wanna leave her i love the Merry"Chopper said, Nicole pulled the reindeer in for a hug "Believe me we all feel the same, but like i've said before we all have our limit and Merry has reached hers, there's nothing we can do"she said.

Chopper sniffed a bit crying in her shoulder "The Merry's in trouble and Robin is still missing, i'm worried about both of them"Sanji said "Hey everyone!"Nami called "Hey look it's Nami and she's alone"Chopper said running over drying his tears "That's weird i wonder what happened to Luffy and Usopp, Nami is everything alright?"Sanji asked waving her over.

Nami got on the ship and explained what happened, the others went off in search of Usopp and saw that he was gone "Hey Usopp!"Chopper called "Guess he left"Sanji said, Nicole hummed her eyes closed, she groaned in frustration throwing her hands up "I'm not locating him! It's too noisy"she said "Look at this"Chopper said spotting a trail of blood.

"That idiot i guess he walked off somewhere on his own"Sanji said "Wait you don't think that he"Zoro trailed off "It's very likely, the fact is i can't locate him, which means he's probably in bad shape so his 'voice' is weaker"Nicole said, just then Luffy came flying in and fell into the canal, Sanji fished him out "What are you doing? And where the hell did you fall from?"the cook asked as Luffy coughed up water.

"The shipyard, i was trying to jump around like that carpenter to look for Usopp"Luffy said "Are you alright?"Chopper asked "Yeah, oh that's right i almost forgot we got a terrible problem, Usopp was abducted and so was the money"Luffy said "We know that's why we're here come on we were just about to head over to the hideout of the guys that did it, i bet that's where we'll find Usopp and the money, maybe he felt responsible for what happened and went to deal with the Franky family on his own"Sanji said.

~skip~

The crew found Usopp right outside of the city near the Franky family hideout "Is he breathing Chopper?"Luffy asked "He's unconscious but yes he's breathing, he'll live i can save him" Chopper said 'No wonder i had a hard time locating him' Nicole thought looking at the battered and bruised Usopp laying on the ground.

"You wait for us out here, kay Usopp?"Luffy said lowering his hat as Sanji lit his cigarette while Zoro tied his bandanna, Nicole set her death glare on the house up ahead and Chopper growled angrily "We're gonna level that stupid house to the ground"Luffy said as the group walked forward.

They reached the house just as someone walked out and Luffy punched them back, the dust cleared and the Franky family gulped as the first thing they saw was piercing yellow eyes, they felt the cold hand of death reaching for them as they faced that deadly glare, the Franky family wasn't scared however what could five people do against all of them.

They couldn't be that strong with that weakling of a long nose in their crew "Let's go come on shrimp"one guy said walking forward however Luffy easily punched them back "Hey! Hold on wait a second you guys let's talk about this first okay?"one guy asked "We're not here to talk, you should have headed the warning because now you face the fangs of a monster"Nicole said.

The Franky family flinched back realizing the piercing glare they faced had been that warning, just like the rumors about the She Wolf say, "Okay guys fire the cannons!"the guy said a panicked tone clear in his voice, the Franky family fired cannons however Zoro easily sliced up the cannon balls followed up by Nicole slicing the cannons themselves in half.

The Franky family freaked out realizing they had picked on the wrong crew, they running away to the back door but Sanji kicked them down, they tried using the windows to escape but Chopper chopped them down.

"Wait! You guys! It's the money right? You want the money back, the two million berries the long nose guy had is that it? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but that pile of money isn't here any more the boss took it all and went on a shopping spree and since he's buying things on the black market we have no idea where he might be or even how to find him so no matter how much of rampage you go on that two hundred million won't be coming back so why don't you and"the guy was cut off as Luffy punched him sending him flying.

"Shut up that's enough out of you, this has nothing to do with the money"Sanji said "Damn straight it's too late for that"Zoro said "You guys hurt our friend"Nicole said "Not even your bones will be left when we're done"Luffy said.

The Franky family freaked out but they weren't backing down yet, they fired a special cannon but the Strawhats evaded the ammo and rushed at them, the Franky family rushed back but they were no match for the Strawhats, the whole building blew up ending the fight.

The Strawhats were standing among the rubble "Should we go after Franky?"Sanji asked "And start looking where?"Zoro said "I'd tell you but i don't know his voice so don't ask me, although logical thinking says he's probably on the sea train by now"Nicole said "Oh man looks like these idiots really didn't know where he took the money and if we do find him if he spent it then there's no getting it back"Sanji said.

"Well refunds are a thing but not so much on the black market"Nicole said "What now? Even if we wait around for him he may not be back for quite a while"Zoro said "Okay! The first aid treatment is all done! We need to take him back on a stretcher so i could use some help over here!"Chopper yelled over from where he had been treating Usopp.

"Hanging around here won't do any good, let's head back to the ship for now we left Nami there all by herself and Robin's still missing, the ships a problem too"Sanji said "Yeah"Zoro said as him and Nicole walked off going on ahead "Hey Luffy!"Sanji called to him "I've made a decision, about the ship, it's time to part ways with the Merry, we'll say goodbye to her here"Luffy said.