Who Is Franky?

Franky, originally named Cutty Flam, is the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates and a cola-powered cyborg. He is a genius inventor who built their current ship, the Thousand Sunny. Franky is the seventh member to join the crew after the events of Water 7 and the Enies Lobby arc, following a brief stint as an antagonist who stole the funds the Straw Hats required to purchase a new ship. He made up for this theft by using the funds to purchase the materials to build the Thousand Sunny.

Appearance

Franky is a towering, muscular cyborg with bright blue hair, a metallic nose, and a three-pronged chin. After the timeskip, he has large robotic arms, red ball-and-socket joints on his shoulders marked "BF-37," and large blue cubes on his forearms. He typically wears a red, coconut-tree-patterned Hawaiian shirt over a pair of red swim briefs with a yellow star and a large gold chain around his neck. Also, we can’t forget that his nipples can light up!

Personality

Franky is an eccentric and free-spirited individual who loves to draw attention to himself. His trademark phrases include shouting "SUPER!" while striking a specific pose and "AOW!" when he is excited. Despite his outlandish and tough exterior, he is deeply compassionate and easily moved to tears by touching stories or moments. He is fiercely protective of his friends. He is incredibly proud of his creations, including the Thousand Sunny and the giant mecha, General Franky. He is especially devoted to the Thousand Sunny and refuses to let any harm come to it.

Background

As an apprentice to the legendary shipwright Tom in Water 7, Franky showed immense talent for building warships. However, his creations were eventually used by the World Government to frame his master. The World Government had originally sentenced Tom to death for building the ship, Oro Jackson, for Pirate King Gol D. Roger. However, Tom negotiated a pardon by dedicating years of his life to constructing the Sea Train, known as the Puffing Tom, which successfully connected Water 7 to other islands. 

After completing the Sea Train,Spandam, the head of Cipher Pol 5 (CP5), made a new move against him. Spandam's true goal was to force Tom to surrender the blueprints for the ancient weapon Pluton. Spandam's agents stole Franky's Battle Frankies, a fleet of heavily armed battleships that Franky had built to hunt Sea Kings. Spandam used these distinctively designed ships to attack a judicial ship carrying the judge for Tom's trial.

By using Franky's ships, Spandam successfully framed Tom and his apprentices for the attack, making it appear as if they were turning against the government. Faced with a renewed conviction that would send Franky to jail, Tom used the pardon he earned from building the Sea Train to forgive the new crime instead of his original sentence. He accepted responsibility for the actions of Franky's ships, declaring that he was proud of all his creations. This protected Franky and their other apprentice, Iceburg, but sealed his own fate. As a result, Tom's original sentence for building Roger's ship was reinstated. He was taken aboard his own Sea Train to Enies Lobby for execution.

In a desperate attempt to rescue his mentor, Franky was run over by the very sea train that Tom had created. To survive his catastrophic injuries, he rebuilt his body using pieces of scrap metal, turning himself into a powerful cyborg. After returning to Water 7, he became the boss of the Franky Family, a gang of ship dismantlers. Initially an antagonist to the Straw Hats during the Water 7 arc, he eventually joins them to help save Nico Robin and fulfill his dream of creating a ship that can sail around the world.

Powers and Abilities

Franky's powers and abilities stem from his self-modified cyborg body, which he continuously upgrades with new technology. Fueled by cola stored in his stomach, his extensive arsenal includes built-in weapons, superhuman strength, and the ability to pilot the giant robot, General Franky.

Cyborg Abilities

Franky's cyborg abilities come from his numerous modifications. His upgrades, particularly those after the time skip, have given him immense strength, durability, and a wide array of built-in weapons.

General Cyborg Powers

• Superhuman Strength and Durability: Franky possesses incredible strength from his modifications, allowing him to overpower even large animals. His armored front is highly resistant to attacks from firearms and artillery.

• Cola-Powered: His cyborg functions are powered by cola, stored in a refrigerated compartment in his stomach. The amount of cola and even the type of drink can affect his strength and personality. His back is his main vulnerability, as he was unable to modify it himself.

• Hair-Based Power Meter: The style of his hair is tied to his cola supply. When full, his hair stands up, but it sags when he is running low on fuel.

Vehicle Abilities

• General Franky: Franky can pilot a large, powerful robotic mecha made from the combination of his Kurosai FR-U IV motorcycle and Brachio Tank V. The mecha is equipped with a large sword named "Franken" and is capable of launching a powerful "General Cannon" air blast.

• Thousand Sunny functions: As the creator of the Straw Hats' ship, the Thousand Sunny, he designed several unique features, including the escape function, "Coup de Burst," and the sub-craft system, "Soldier Dock System".

Weaponry and Attacks

• Pre-Timeskip:

  • Franky Fireball: He can breathe fire at opponents.

  • Strong Right: Franky can launch his right forearm like a rocket, which is attached by a chain to his elbow. He can then reel it back in.

  • Weapons Left: His left hand contains a set of gun barrels and a gun sight. He can fire small, rapid-fire explosive pellets, or a single cannonball.

  • Coup de Vent: Franky connects his arms with a T-shaped pipe and unleashes a powerful, concentrated blast of compressed air.

  • Coup de Boo: He can inflate his buttocks and release a powerful fart to propel himself forward, acting as a form of jet propulsion.

  • Franky Kentauros: By splitting his legs, he can assume a "centaur" form with four legs, which he primarily uses to trap opponents. 

• Post-Timeskip Additions:

  • Franky Radical Beam: His most powerful attack is a laser beam fired from his hands, similar to the technology of the Pacifistas.

  • Franky Rocket Launcher: He has explosive missile launchers built into his shoulders.

  • Franky Cannon: Powerful cannons are integrated into his shoulders.

  • Franky Tank: He can produce treads from his legs to move like a miniature tank.

Inventor and Shipwright Skills

Franky is a master shipwright and a genius-level inventor, with skills honed under a legendary master and later refined through self-taught, high-tech advancements. His inventions and shipwright abilities extend beyond shipbuilding to include weapons, cyborg modifications, and vehicles.

• Materials Expertise: He built the Thousand Sunny using Adam Wood, an incredibly resilient and rare type of lumber that was also used for the Oro Jackson.

• Rapid Construction: Working with the Galley-La foremen, he built the Thousand Sunny in just three days, an extraordinary feat of speed and skill.

• Wano Carpentry: During the Wano Arc, his carpentry skills were so refined that his craftsmanship was called "perfect" by his superiors, and he was able to restore multiple ships for the raid on Onigashima.

• Repair and Maintenance: As the Straw Hat shipwright, Franky is responsible for the upkeep and repair of the Thousand Sunny and all other crew equipment.

• Self-Made Cyborg Body: After a near-fatal accident, he used his ingenuity and scrap parts to turn himself into a cola-powered cyborg, the BF-36, which he later upgraded to BF-37 and BF-38.

• Pacifista Laser Replication: During the time skip, Franky was able to reverse-engineer and recreate the laser technology developed by the genius scientist Dr. Vegapunk, which was originally thought to be impossible.

• Custom Weaponry: Franky has developed numerous personal weapons integrated into his body.

• Blueprint Mastery: Franky was entrusted with the blueprints for the ancient weapon Pluton before burning them, demonstrating the high level of respect his master had for his engineering skills.

• Vehicles and Tools: He has created many secondary inventions for the crew, such as:

  • Soldier Dock System: A system of five miniature vehicles built into the Thousand Sunny.

  • General Franky: A large, shogun-inspired transforming mech that Franky can pilot.

  • Upgraded Clima-Tact: He assisted Usopp in upgrading Nami's primary weapon, the Clima-Tact.

Goals and Reputation

Franky's main goal is to build a "dream ship" that can sail to the end of the world, following in the footsteps of his mentor, Tom. After constructing the Thousand Sunny for the Straw Hats, his dream shifted to seeing his masterpiece successfully circumnavigate the globe. Franky recognizes that his dream is intertwined with Luffy's. He believes that for his ship to be the greatest in the world, it must carry the future Pirate King to the final island, Laugh Tale.

As the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates, Franky's reputation is built on his exceptional craftsmanship, innovative cyborg technology, and deep connection to the history of shipbuilding. After the Wano arc, the World Government recognizes Franky as a significant member of Emperor Luffy's crew. However, his reputation is not as feared as some of his crewmates, leading some to argue his bounty is disproportionately low. 

Though, it should be noted that the current bounty poster does not actually feature Franky, it shows an image of the Thousand Sunny’s figurehead, while previous bounty posters showed the General Franky, so the argument can be made that anything he does outside of the the General Franky robot or the ship may not actually be attributed to him, despite his infamous recognition as a member of the Straw Hat crew. His most recent bounty is 394,000,000 Berries, issued after the Wano Country Arc.