The big blue-haired cyborg that only wears speedos and Hawaiin shirts, Franky is the lovable weirdo in the Straw Hat crew. Well, they’re all weirdos, but Franky is a special kind. A cyborg run on cola, he was trained by the shipwright for Gold Roger and dreams to build a vessel that navigates the world. So, who is Franky, the Straw Hats’ shipwright?
Fair warning, this article contains spoilers for One Piece up to the Egghead Island arc. So, read on with caution, or turn back now!
Who is Franky in One Piece ?
Franky is one of Water 7’s more obnoxious residents, who leads the ship dismantling crew of the Franky Family. He’s loud, crude, and loves to make a scene with no care for what others think. The Franky Family have taken ships from the bravest pirates that have stopped at Water 7, and dismantled them to leave sailors high and dry. He has no qualms about who he rips off or why, but does have a soft spot for a good sob story.
Really, the cyborg exterior just covers up the emotion he feels. Franky is a loving guy, and cares about those around him he takes in. He joins the Straw Hats and takes on a big brother role to the rest, often trying to be a role model. Despite his initial appearance as a villainous ship dismantler, Franky turns out to be a bigger crybaby than Chopper sometimes.
Who is Cutty Flam?
Cutty Flam is Franky’s real name from his life as a kid with Tom’s Builders. He lived with Tom the Shipwright and Iceberg, along with their group of builders on the docks of Water 7. Cutty Flam was a mischievous kid though, and would often build boats that caused more destruction than anything. While he also helped Tom and the rest to build both the Oro Jackson, Gold Roger’s famed ship, and the Puffing Tom sea train, his mobile weapons made him famous. When the World Government came back for Tom sometime after the sea train was finished, Cutty Flam’s junked projects were turned on Water 7 and used to cause havoc by Cipher Pol.
This lead to Tom being taken to Enies Lobby, damned to face execution as a traitor to the World Government. In his grief, Cutty Flam stood on the Puffing Tom’s tracks to try and stop them, but was only knocked aside into the water. Cutty Flam died that day, while Franky was born from the remains of his body augmented with cybernetic enhancements.
Franky and Iceberg
They never got along very well as kids, but they did have a healthy respect for each others’ ship-building abilities. Franky still talks to his old friend on occasion, despite Iceberg’s status as owner of Galley-La Shipbuilding Company and Mayor of Water 7. This is how Franky eventually comes into possession of the blueprints for Pluton, an Ancient Weapon that Tom had. Tom passed the plans on to Iceberg before he died, but Iceberg in turn gave them to Franky once he realized who he was.
How Did Franky Join the Straw Hats?
Initially, Franky and the Straw Hat Pirates cross paths when the he steals the Merry Go and all their money. While he blows most of it on booze and a party, the other Straw Hats find him to kick his ass. From here he gets entangled in the betrayal of Galley-La by CP0 and the rescue of Nico Robin. Franky stands proud beside the Straw Hat Pirates atop the wall of Enies Lobby. Here, he joins their declaration of war on the World Government. Once the fighting is over, he returns to Water 7 with the rest to heal. The Franky Family knows that he can’t stay there anymore, however, and start to plan.
The Franky Family and Iceberg’s Galley-La builders coordinate with the Straw Hats to get Franky out of Water 7. Granted, they do it by stealing his underwear and letting Robin hurt him in a way nobody ever has. By the time the Thousand Sunny disembarks from Water 7 though, Franky is aboard as an official Straw Hat Pirate.
What Are Franky’s Powers?
While they’re not so many powers, Franky’s technical engineering and know-how make him a great threat in fights. His cybernetic enhancements give him a huge boost to offense and defense, but he improves on them in ridiculous ways. The Franky Centaur, for instance, sees his legs split and form into a back and front pair, like a centaur. It’s largely useless, but he also has various lasers, cannons, and heavy metal fists that get the job done better.
Franky’s drawback is that all of his technological aspects are restricted by the need for cola as a fuel. When he runs out, his hair can’t even stand upright, but when he has some he’s an invincible robot overlord. His Coup de Vent move saves the Straw Hats numerous times in Enies Lobby alone, and his engineering only improves from there.
The Thousand Sunny
Franky’s pride and joy, his masterpiece, the Thousand Sunny is the height of his craft. He didn’t intend to build it for the Straw Hat Pirates, but when he steals their haul of Skypiean treasure and orders a load of wood from the Adam Tree, he kind of owes them. Thousand Sunny is more than worth the money the Straw Hats spent for it, too, with Franky accompanying them along to constantly update the ship.
Franky has fit the Sunny with everything a pirate crew could need and then some. This baby has a tank, submarine, and a miniature version of Merry Go all under the deck. Oh, the cute little lion sun at the bow? That thing opens up to reveal a freakin’ laser beam! He even built his ability into the Sunny as Coup de Burst, allowing the ship to fly away from trouble. This single ability saves the Straw Hat Pirates so many times he has to keep spare barrels of cola on hand at all times now.
The Mecha-Franky
Franky’s other greatest creation besides the Thousand Sunny, the Mecha-Franky doesn’t debut until the New World. After his studies at Vegapunk’s old lab, he finally realizes his long-held fantasy of making a mech suit. He always tried getting the other Straw Hats to make one with him before, but now he has a fully functional mecha to fight in. Franky’s outfitted his newest masterpiece with everything from giant lasers, a drill head, and for some reason, Nipple Lasers.
Nobody questions the last part because Franky is just a strange dude, but the Mecha-Franky speaks for itself. This thing is a force of destruction that rampages through the Onigashima Palace Performance Floor. Franky is still making improvements, and with the recent excursion on Egghead Island, it’s likely a few more upgrades are on the way.
What is Franky’s Dream?
Franky has a dream closely tied to Luffy’s, as he needs the Straw Hat Captain to help him get there. Franky wants to build a ship that can sail the entire Grand Line, and Thousand Sunny is very close. After the Straw Hat Pirates reach Laughtale, no doubt he will sail the Sunny back around to Water 7. He’ll at least go back to gloat to Iceberg for a little bit and see the Family again.
What’s Next for Franky?
Franky is having the time of his life on Egghead Island, mesmerized by all of Vegapunk’s creations. He already built a lot of his weaponry off Vegapunk’s old research, so they have a ton to speak about. Franky may have to fight for time with Chopper and Robin though, as the reindeer wants to speak about medicine while Robin shares the search for the Void Century. He’ll speak to the doctor soon enough, and they’ll probably be able to create more wild ideas.
For the moment in the Egghead Island arc Franky and the Straw Hat Pirates are surrounded by the Navy. There looks to be no hope of escape, but they’ve had worse odds before. While they’ve apprehended the traitor of York, they still have to find a way out of the situation. Knowing the Straw Hats, they’re about to make a big spectacle, and Franky is sure to come up with some fun toys for their breakout. The race for One Piece is just heating up, and Cyborg Franky is going to make sure the Straw Hats win!
