Staring at the unrepentant Franky, Iceburg's chest rose and fell rapidly as he took several deep breaths, struggling to regain his composure. After a moment, he succeeded in preventing himself from committing violence against his foster brother.

Slapping his forehead in exasperation, Iceburg could only marvel at his own tolerance. Despite years of exposure to Franky's peculiar behavior, there were still moments—like this one—when he genuinely contemplated fratricide.

His teeth practically chattering with suppressed rage, Iceburg glanced around to confirm they were indeed in a secluded corner, safely out of the other guests' view. Immediately, the dignified persona of "Mayor Iceburg" and "President of Galley-La" melted away.

He slammed his wine glass onto a nearby table, seized Franky by his suit collar, and hissed through clenched teeth:

"You idiotic bastard! Do you have any concept of the situation here? The man I'm introducing you to is the new Admiral of the Marines, Monkey D. Luffy—the same man who defeated Emperor Kaido! Could you not, for once in your life, just put on a pair of proper pants?!"

Faced with Iceburg's flushed face and genuine distress, Franky fell momentarily silent. He understood perfectly well why his foster brother had brought him here and recognized the effort Iceburg was making on his behalf.

Just as Iceburg began to hope his words had finally penetrated Franky's thick skull, the blue-haired cyborg casually lifted his jacket as if they were completely alone. Without hesitation, he exposed part of his metallic abdomen and opened a panel in his stomach that resembled a refrigerator door.

To Iceburg's mounting horror, Franky extracted an empty cola bottle from his internal storage compartment. Then, with complete nonchalance, he deposited three fresh bottles from the table into the cavity before closing the panel and readjusting his clothing.

Stretching comfortably, Franky struck his signature pose, flexing his massive forearms together above his head.

"SUPER~~~!!"

Iceburg stood frozen, rendered speechless by this outrageous display. He wasn't shocked by Franky's bizarre physiology—he was well aware of his brother's cybernetic modifications. What stunned him was the utter disregard for the situation.

Did this moron hear a single word I just said?

As Iceburg's internal rage meter approached critical levels, Franky seemed to finally register his brother's state. Taking a swig from a freshly opened cola bottle, he looked at Iceburg with innocent curiosity.

"Eh? What were you saying, ice-brain? I was running low on fuel just now and didn't catch that. Mind repeating yourself?"

That was the final straw.

Iceburg's legendary patience evaporated instantly. Disregarding Franky's cybernetic enhancements, he drew back his fist—which, while human, was hardened by decades of shipbuilding—and launched it directly at his brother's face.

"You absolute imbecile! DIE!!!"

The furious punch connected solidly, causing Franky to spray cola from his mouth in a spectacular arc. Without pausing, Iceburg tackled the larger man, and the two began wrestling ferociously in their corner of the banquet hall.

Despite his initial surprise, Franky quickly recovered and started fighting back, his mechanical strength giving him a significant advantage over his entirely human brother.

Meanwhile, after considerable effort, Luffy had finally extricated himself from the parade of well-wishers and social climbers. Instructing Ain and Nami to remain and maintain diplomatic relations, he seized an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

Carefully removing his distinctive white Admiral's coat, donning a pair of sunglasses, and subtly altering his appearance, Luffy dared to return to the party incognito. His strategy proved effective—without the iconic Justice coat marking him as an Admiral, far fewer guests recognized him.

Having not managed to consume a single thing since the banquet began, Luffy wasted no time in seeking out the buffet tables to appease his appetite.

Balancing two heaping plates of gourmet delicacies, Luffy noticed a peculiar figure approaching. The man's face was so swollen and discolored that he resembled a prize fighter after losing a championship bout—sporting two black eyes and blood trickling from both his nose and split lip.

When this battered individual spotted Luffy, he attempted what appeared to be a welcoming smile, but the effort caused such obvious pain that his features contorted into a grotesque grimace. Hunching over with one hand covering his face, he struggled to maintain his composure.

Luffy regarded this strange character with unconcealed suspicion, carefully circling around him before claiming a seat at the bar.

"That pig-faced guy looks oddly familiar," Luffy muttered to himself. "I swear I've seen him somewhere before."

His gaze drifted over the man's tattered light brown pinstriped suit, which now resembled a beggar's rags more than formal attire. Something about the distinctive pattern tickled Luffy's memory, but before he could place it, he was interrupted by a boisterous voice beside him.

"Hey, bro! After loading up on all that food, how about washing it down with something refreshing?"

The speaker thrust a bottle toward him.

"This is my favorite—cola! Help yourself!"

Luffy turned to find himself facing a blue-haired muscular man with an extraordinary physique. The stranger was dressed in the remains of what had once been a formal suit—now hanging in tatters from his upper body—paired incongruously with swim briefs below.

Adding to this bizarre appearance was a prominent lump on the top of his head and a suit jacket that had been completely torn open across the back. Taking in this extraordinary sight, Luffy couldn't help but ask with genuine curiosity:

"Is this... some kind of performance art?"