Robin and Law were stunned. The One Piece, was this? Could it truly change the world?
Yet, in a way, it would. Abandoning the land to ascend to the skies, wasn't that the ultimate upheaval?
If that's not "changing the world," what is?
Still, the sheer scale of the plan left them reeling.
"Why create sky islands? What's the point?" Law asked.
"You still don't know about the Void Century, do you?" Roy smiled.
"History? You know the truth of the missing hundred years?!" Robin's voice trembled with excitement.
"Fragments of it. Once, there were five continents, vast landmasses, closely connected. Then, a disaster occurred, no one knows if it was man-made or natural, the sea levels rose by 200 meters. Whole civilizations drowned and most of the world's land was flooded. Humanity fled to higher ground. Back then, Joy Boy went to sea to find a way to solve this problem."
"The same is happening today. The seas keep rising. Soon, only places like Wano and Elbaf will remain above water."
"The whole world… will be submerged…" Law muttered.
"So, eight hundred years ago, they planned to use Pluton to build Sky Islands for people to live in." Robin reasoned.
"That's how it seems," Roy agreed.
"Then why did twenty kingdom oppose it?" Robin asked.
"Who knows? Maybe other Poneglyphs hold the answer. But the gist is obvious, if the world unites under one sky, who rules it? Harmonizing countless races and cultures? A beautiful dream, but politically impossible."
Roy could only chalk it up to human nature. No matter the reason, asking rulers to abandon their current interests for the sake of the whole world was almost impossible.
Robin and Law fell silent. Roy glanced at Pluton, then jumped straight in.
Startled, they watched him swim down to the depths, only then remembering Roy wasn't a Devil Fruit user.
An Emperor who had reached that level without a Devil Fruit… that alone was terrifying.
Beneath the water, Roy saw Pluton chained in place with two massive links.
A touch to the hull told him immediately, Adam Wood.
There's a saying:
"Dry, lasts a thousand years. Wet, lasts ten thousand years. Half-dry, half-wet, lasts half a year."
He remembered watching dragon boat races in his past life, how they stored the boats underwater in rivers to keep them from drying out.
Similarly, Pluton was kept in fresh water, not seawater. The lack of salt slowed corrosion, protecting the ship.
Holding his breath for minutes, Roy swam deeper to inspect the inside.
"So that's it…"
Inside Pluton, the problem was clear, it could create Sky Islands, but the machinery, no matter the metal, would still corrode in water over centuries.
Even fresh water corrodes. Adam Wood protects the hull, but what about the machines inside?
The best solution was to isolate them from air and water, so they were sealed with Yarukiman Mangrove resin, forming a bubble coating.
Breaking through the coating, Roy found stale air, no one had been here in ages.
The instruments were intact, but the power source was gone.
"To start Pluton and keep producing Island Clouds… it needs a massive power source. That means… Vegapunk's Mother Flame."
The Mother Flame was the perfect power supply.
"Had Joy Boy foreseen this? Stacked the deck so every variable, people, technology, timing, would converge in this era? Roger, that bastard, had played his part too. His Great Pirate Age wasn't just about freedom, it was about arming the world against the World Government."
'"Even knowing the One Piece, he couldn't change the world alone. He had to rely on others to overthrow the Celestial Dragons… or stir up chaos through piracy. Marines, pirates, the Revolutionary Army, all just forces in play. Without the 'world,' the World Government is nothing but the Celestial Dragons."
Murmuring to himself, Roy realized the truth was almost in reach. The timing was coming.
"The Mother Flame… I have to get it. Time to head back for Egghead."
Leaving Pluton, he surfaced. Robin and Law were waiting. Roy dried himself while they prepared to question him.
"Can Pluton still work?" Robin asked.
"Not as it is. It needs a power source," Roy replied.
"A ship without power is useless. Where do we find one for it?" Law asked.
"I already know," Roy said.
The two exchanged a glance, feeling like they knew nothing compared to him.
"When will Wano open its borders?" Sukiyaki asked.
"That's up to your grandson, Momonosuke. When he decides, the walls will fall." Roy said.
"Momo can open Wano?" Robin was surprised.
"What do you think? Zunesha has always obeyed the Kozuki Clan. Once he declares it, Zunesha will help break down Wano's outer walls, that's how the country opens."
"Opening Wano… needs Zunesha's power?" Law asked.
"Yes."
"The Zunesha you mean… is Zou?" Sukiyaki asked.
"Yes," Robin nodded.
"In Kozuki history, the clan and the Mink Tribe were sworn brothers. Zunesha and the Kozuki Clan had a deep bond. Every few generations, someone is born who can speak to Zunesha. Now it's Momo, he can command the elephant." Sukiyaki explained.
"Your useless grandson's only use is that. Anyway… he's here. And I'm not letting him take my spoils," Roy said, standing and looking to the horizon.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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