Franky was pretty open about everything he did — except what he did in his workshop.

If anyone asked, he’d answer. But it’d be very vague and ambiguous. You didn’t see him as a serious person, but he meant business whenever it came to his workshop or most recent inventions.

Needless to say, you were curious. You didn’t understand why he felt the need to hide what he did from you. Surely what he did in there wouldn’t be any worse than what anyone else could conjure up in their heads on a whim.

And before you could stop yourself, you found yourself in front of Franky's workshop, your thoughts clouding your mind so much that you didn’t even register your feet moving faster than your brain.

Your knuckles made contact with the door before you could stop yourself.

Franky was about to open his mouth and yell at whoever was at the door to buzz off, that he was busy and didn’t want any company at the moment, but something in that knock made him stop.

That knock — it wasn’t loud or persistent. It was absentminded and controlled.

It was yours.

"…Come in." He finally said reluctantly.

Pushing the hefty door open, you took in the sight of maps and blueprints around you.

The workshop was just about everything you’d expect. It was filled to the brim with cola — and had the scent of engine oil and rust lingering around it.

He gestured you over with a beckon of his cybernetic hand, not even bothering to look up from his new creation.

"You’ve always wanted to help around my SUUPER workshop, right? Well, now’s your chance!" He looked up from one of his new mechanical detachments for the Sunny with an exuberant smile.

Franky didn’t usually allow anyone to step foot into his workshop, but he was willing to make an exception for you.

Turns out that something with the gears for the Sunny was having some malfunctions, and he needed some assistance with it. Franky didn’t want to ask for help — he was usually independent about his personal tools and creations, and he assured himself that he could handle it without the help of someone else.

You were pretty good with your hands, though. Obviously, you were no expert compared to Franky, but you knew your way around a couple of bolts and screws.

Handing you a few tools, you got to work.

And you were doing exceptionally well. Very well, actually. His inventions were really complex, and they worked in different ways that were beyond human comprehension. So, he was surprised.

You couldn’t help but notice the side glances he gave you every so often, his smile widening whenever you got that thinking expression on your face. Franky was glad he had someone else besides Usopp and Chopper helping him with his work. Things were going pretty good.

Whenever the other insisted on helping him, it always ended with something going wrong — whether it be someone getting cola or soy sauce splattered all over them, or one of the systems going haywire because someone couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.

Until they weren’t.

A pretty faulty system in one of the compartments that helped with the Sunny's blasts was acting up while you were trying to fix it, hissing and clunking in protest to your advances.

Franky finally looked up from the Sunny's gear, his eyes widening like rings as he watched you fumble with the broken system.

He tossed it to the side earlier, planning to dispose of it later on. He definitely didn’t expect you to pick it up and start messing with it.

"H-HEY! CAREFUL WITH THAT —" He warned, the compartment for the Sunny's new gear clattering to the floor as he went over to assist you.

However, it was too late.

Black exhaust erupted in your face just from one wrong turn of your wrench, the putrid smell hitting you smack dab in the face like a freight train.

His hand stopped just before your now charred front, his other hand going up to cover his mouth. He should’ve told you not to touch that one, but you already did. And now you were paying the price for his mistake.

Snicker!

"Ha — snrk —" He cracked up underneath his hand in a weak attempt to seal his snickering.