Every now and then, patting the sanded-smooth wood of the Thousand Sunny, Franky would reflect on just how close his dream was.

He had an advantage over the others. He had a finite goal, something he knew could be attained—that perhaps already was. He knew that the task of a ship overcoming the Grand Line could be done. And while the man had never exactly thought himself a cynic, other members of the team weren't quite so assured of their goal.

No one had ever been known to find All Blue. No one had ever mapped the world. No one had cured any and all sickness before. There was no pre-paved path for some of these crewmates. They were winging it, hoping to figure it out on their own.

And still Franky thought he was pretty damn well off over a couple of the remaining. Zoro's guiding teacher was an enemy, someone he knew through driving desire to beat but nothing personal. Luffy had less. Luffy had a legend, a man who was by now almost more an idea, as much a toss-up as any of the others.

Franky knew his predecessor firsthand. Tom wasn't as famous as Mihawk or Roger, but Franky had known him as a man before he'd known him as a name. He had seen just how achievable his dreams could be, known the mortal in all his flaws and unending virtues. Franky knew exactly what sort of person it took to accomplish his dreams.

But while the others might have had more of a drifting idea of exactly what needed to be done, no clear outline ahead of them, it almost made them seem all the luckier. Any time the shipwright thought to mention it, he stopped himself with a smirk. He already knew what Luffy had to say on the matter.

"That's what makes it an adventure!"