Franky, a tough and often overlooked member of the Straw Hat Pirates, is a cyborg character in the One Piece series. His existence as a cyborg lays the foundation for the storyline in One Piece and brings readers into some of the intriguing mysteries surrounding Franky. This article will explore Franky’s past, discuss the main themes related to his character in the series, and reflect on his future fate.
After being involved in an incident on a sea train that nearly took his life, Franky chose to transform himself into a cyborg in response to this traumatic experience. Fortunately, he managed to save himself during the incident by utilizing the debris of a mysterious abandoned ship nearby. It was here that Franky’s feeling of being discarded, isolated, unwanted, and abandoned began.
The abandoned ship he found resembled MADS, a ship designed by Du Feld. It is possible that the ship Franky found was the remains of MADS after its dissolution and the capture of Vegapunk. The relationship between Franky and Vegapunk becomes clearer when the ship he found is believed to be owned by MADS. This also provides a strong foundation for his bond with Kuma, considering that both are cyborgs and become a factor that strengthens their bond.
While Kuma has lost most of his humanity, Franky managed to retain most of his human attributes. He highly values his humanity, and his core philosophy is that every individual has the right to live. This strong belief in the right to life gives Franky a deep connection to Nico Robin’s experience in Enies Lobby.
Digging through Franky’s past reveals that he was abandoned by a group of pirates who left him feeling neglected and hurt, creating a traumatic experience for him. Through interactions with Robin in Enies Lobby, Franky realized that Robin had a similar emotional reaction, seeming to be running away from something she was hiding.
In a chapter that focuses on Franky, he discovers an old lab left behind by Vegapunk, which brought back memories of the neglect he experienced. Franky’s future fate can be further revealed through Kuma, as Vegapunk becomes the link between Franky and Kuma.
Due to the effects of the Pacifista Project, Kuma has lost his humanity entirely, and now he is nothing more than a living weapon. This fate is one of the possible future outcomes Franky may face, as revealed by Eiichiro Oda. In SBS 101, Oda showed signs that there are bright and positive futures as well as bad and unfavorable futures for the Straw Hat Pirates, including Franky.
Looking into Franky’s future, we can see that he will face challenges that will determine his fate. Due to his previous traumas and experiences of being neglected by humans, his future is uncertain. This uncertainty mirrors Kuma’s fate, which is a tragic outcome. Oda uses these connections between Kuma and Franky to explore potential tragic situations that could result in Franky losing his humanity.
In conclusion, Franky’s character plays a significant role in the One Piece storyline. As a cyborg, he brings a unique perspective and sets the foundation for the plot, adding to its complexity and depth. By exploring his past, present, and future, we see how his experiences and core beliefs shape his character and lead to the uncertain fate he faces.