How did he know?
Tom, the yellow-skinned fish-man shipwright from Fish-Man Island, forced down the shock in his heart and cautiously handed the stack of papers to the young man in front of him. Of course, Tom knew what kind of monster this young man named Roa was. His bounty was four billion! No one in the world had a higher bounty than him, not even Roger! In fact, going back eight hundred years, in this long history of pirates, only one person's bounty was higher than his: Rocks!
And the most terrifying thing about this young man, whom even Roger called a disaster, wasn't his strength. It was his reckless personality that reveled in the suffering of others!
But, regardless of his strength and personality, how did he know about this blueprint, which was only passed down among the most distinguished shipwrights of Water Seven? There was no reason at all; the information had never been leaked!
Tom couldn't figure it out.
But not being able to figure it out didn't stop Roa from reaching out and pulling the blueprint from his hand. As Roa took the blueprint, Tom instinctively tightened his grip, though it was meaningless. This blueprint was a treasure passed down through generations of shipwrights! It was kept to prevent anyone from using the ship that was completed in Water Seven eight hundred years ago to wreak havoc. It was a contingency plan left by the ancient shipwrights to counter a rampaging Ancient Weapon! If this blueprint fell into the hands of a lunatic like Roa, what would happen to the world was completely unpredictable!
But if he didn't hand over the blueprint, all of Water Seven would be destroyed. As Roa casually took the blueprint, Tom closed his eyes in agony.
"Thanks."
Roa smiled and took a quick look at the blueprint. It was a very old paper, and one could tell the marks of time at a glance. On the cover of the blueprint was a word: "Oh, Pluton..."
Roa raised the corners of his mouth. "Master Tom, what kind of power do you think this weapon holds?"
Tom's body trembled. This guy even knew who he was! Did he already know that the Pluton blueprint was on him? So what was he doing just now? Was he testing him? Thinking of this, Tom couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. Thank goodness, he didn't hesitate too much! Otherwise, who knows what would have happened!
Seeing that Tom didn't answer, Roa didn't care and opened the blueprint in his hand. What came into view was a dense mess of text and numerous intricate and complex diagrams.
This was really—
"I can't understand it at all."
Roa shook his head helplessly. He wasn't a scientist; his skills lay in other areas.
"Judge!"
So, Roa turned and shouted.
"Coming! Boss! I'm coming!"
Judge, who was taking a break from his research to watch the show, rushed over, a look of anticipation on his face as he looked at the blueprint in Roa's hand. Was this blueprint what the Boss wanted? A blueprint passed down from ancient times eight hundred years ago! After becoming familiar with the ancient scientific documents he obtained from Ohara, Judge already knew very well that during the Void Century, there was once a period when science and technology were highly advanced! The technology at that time was probably far beyond that of the current era! So, for the Boss to value it so much, what exactly was recorded on this blueprint?
"Have a look."
Roa casually threw the Pluton blueprint in his hand to Judge. "See if it's real or fake." Although it was highly unlikely that Tom would dare to deceive him, it was better to be safe than sorry, wasn't it?
"Yes!"
Judge impatiently opened the blueprint and began to read it almost greedily. Just a few seconds later, Judge couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "Boss! What is this? There are many technologies here that I've never even heard of! Can a weapon really be designed this way?"
"So, it's real, right?"
Roa didn't answer Judge's question directly. He just raised an eyebrow and asked.
"It's absolutely impossible for it to be fake!"
Judge didn't hesitate and said decisively. "I've seen many of the technologies in the documents from Ohara! Those ancient technologies are definitely not something an ordinary person can forge!"
"That's good."
Only then did Roa nod with satisfaction. Although he didn't even dare to think about the catastrophic consequences that would be brought about after the Pluton blueprint fell into Roa's hands, what else was there to say now?
Tom took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Roa, you have what you want. As a man of his word, you should keep your promise and leave this place!"
Roa nodded in agreement. "Master Tom, you're right. I've gotten what I want, so it is time to leave."
Tom's tense face finally relaxed. In that case, he didn't know what the future would hold, but at least Water Seven was safe.
But.
Roa continued, "So, all of you, come with me. Shipwrights."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tom's face changed, and the mayor and several company presidents on the side also changed their expressions.
"Roa! What do you mean?"
Tom instinctively asked in a startled voice. "Didn't you already get what you wanted?"
"That's right,"
Roa said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "The blueprint and the shipwrights, I have indeed gotten both."
"..."
Only then did Tom remember that Roa had been saying from the very beginning that he was looking for the shipwrights of Water Seven! So, it wasn't just to take the blueprint? That's right. Having the blueprint wasn't enough; he also needed the best shipwrights to help him build the ship!
"No! Roa, you can't!"
Tom couldn't help but panic. "You can't do this! This island relies on the shipbuilding industry to survive! If you take away all the shipwrights, this island will be finished!"
"Oh! I see!"
Roa nodded in understanding. "So, Master Tom, what you mean is that it's better for it to be finished now than to be finished later, right?"
"Well, I'm not opposed to fulfilling that wish for you."
Tom's face instantly stiffened, and then he screamed in terror. "No! Don't! I'll go with you!"
It was only at this moment that he truly understood what Roger meant when he said that getting close to Roa would bring misfortune.
"Excellent!"
Roa stopped talking nonsense and clapped his hands. "Then, everyone, welcome to the Calamity Company!"
The shipwrights looked bewildered and helpless, not knowing what awaited them. No one had the right to object, and no one dared to object. All the shipwrights were escorted onto the back of the giant snail by the clone soldiers. Then, the people of Water Seven watched as the massive fleet rumbled and disappeared into the depths of the sea.
The mayor of Water Seven stood blankly on the shore. All the shipwrights had been taken away, and their proud shipbuilding industry was now completely gone. What would happen to this city? There was no future here anymore...
Roa didn't care about the future of Water Seven. He cared about something else.
At this moment, in the palace at the center of the distant snail fleet.
"Talk to me,"
Roa leaned lazily against the throne, looking down at the crowd, and slowly spoke. "Can you build it?"
His subordinates stood on either side, and in the middle were Judge and Tom. Behind the two of them were the top shipwrights of Water Seven, who were perusing the stack of blueprints.
"This..."
The shipwrights looked at each other. They considered their own skills to be very outstanding, but as they looked through the blueprint, they only felt their scalps tingle. How could there be a ship with such a complex structure in the world? Was this really not a joke?
At this time, only one old, white-haired shipwright spoke in a raspy voice. "Lord Roa, this blueprint has been circulating in Water Seven for hundreds of years. Although our ancestors warned us not to study it, there were still some who tried to replicate it." He paused and continued, "But we never succeeded. The technology required by the blueprint is too complex, and the energy part is almost incomprehensible. It's our limit to just be able to replicate some of the weapons."
Roa looked at the old man. Judging from what he said, this was the person who passed the blueprint to Tom.
"So,"
Roa looked at Judge and Tom. "Is that the case?"
"That's right!"
Tom nodded without hesitation. "Besides the technology being too complex and our skills not being good enough, there's another most important factor: many of the materials and technologies recorded on it have long been lost! There's no way to talk about replication at all."
Roa then looked at Judge. Judge's face, however, was filled with joy. "Some of the lost technologies are recorded in the documents from Ohara, but some are not."
"But Boss, there's a great piece of news! The technology for the most critical energy system is also recorded in those documents!"
"After comparing the two, I already have some ideas!"
"I knew it. Judge, you would never disappoint me!"
Roa immediately laughed happily. In the original story, the Mother Flame created by Vegapunk was probably based on those records, right? Sigh, Vegapunk, you couldn't possibly be an archaeologist, could you?
Tom's eyes instantly widened. This wasn't good! If they really overcame these difficulties—
"I'll leave the energy part to you, Judge."
Roa said. Although Judge already had a lot on his plate, there was nothing he could do. A capable person works more. Good things were still to come.
"Yes, Boss!"
Judge nodded solemnly.
"And then,"
Roa looked at Tom and the others. "You'll be in charge of replicating the weapons on that ship." Energy was the heart, but for Pluton to truly unleash its power, it needed fists! The weapons were the fists!
"If you encounter any technical problems, Judge,"
Roa could only look at Judge again. "You can help them out."
"Yes!"
Judge, with his slightly dark eye sockets, didn't hesitate and nodded again. His attitude as a hardworking man moved Roa a little.
So Roa said in a low voice, "But don't stop the progress of your other research because of this."
"Yes, Boss!"
The other research referred to the artificial Devil Fruits and the replication of the Lunarian bloodline. Oh, that's right. After seeing Queen's modifications to his own abilities, Roa gave Judge a new research topic: the modification of Devil Fruit abilities.
But it was just two more research topics. Judge would be fine, right?
After hearing Roa's words, the shipwrights from Water Seven were divided into two groups. The group that didn't know what the blueprint represented was a little relieved. Building ships was what they were best at. As long as they weren't captured to be killed, it was fine.
But Tom and the old man's faces were very grim. They were being asked to help the Calamity Company build weapons? And they were the weapons on the Pluton!!
"So, Boss,"
King, who was standing on Roa's left, asked with some curiosity. "What is this blueprint? It's worth so much of your attention?"
"It can't be valued enough,"
Roa said with a smile. "Eight hundred years ago, a ship was built in Water Seven."
"It had overwhelming firepower, and it was said that one shot could destroy an island! It played a crucial role in the war more than eight hundred years ago!"
Roa looked at Toki, who was standing by his side. "Toki, what was that ship called?"
Toki was suddenly stunned. Immediately, her expression changed. "Could it be the blueprint for the Pluton?" Even she had heard of it. Pluton, the weapon controlled by Joy Boy! It was said to have the power to destroy the world! Had the blueprint been passed down? And had it fallen into Roa's hands? Roa and the Pirate Alliance's actions during this time had once again shown Toki the madness of this young man!
Today, he just took a group of shipwrights from that island. Although it shattered countless families, Toki even felt that Roa had been very merciful. It seemed that he was in a good mood, so he didn't destroy the entire island. She really couldn't imagine what kind of destruction Roa would bring to the world if he really built another Pluton.
"You said, Pluton!?"
All the executives of the Calamity Company's faces changed. Dylan couldn't help but exclaim in shock. "Could it be the Ancient Weapon, Pluton?"
The Ancient Weapons! The Uranus, Poseidon, and Pluton. Each Ancient Weapon was said to have the power to destroy the world!
Doflamingo was dumbfounded. An Ancient Weapon, an existence on the same level as the Celestial Dragons' national treasure, was about to fall into Roa's hands? But in a flash, Doflamingo's eyes darted around. The weapons on the Pluton? Fufufufu! That really got him excited!
Beside him, Bege was also excited! He could also use the weapons of the Pluton!
Teach was also stunned. This wasn't good. Did he still have a chance to fulfill his ambitions? This guy Roa was a little too unreasonable!
"It's very exciting, isn't it?"
Roa chuckled. "What kind of power does the legendary Ancient Weapon hold?"
"Judge, Master Tom, don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Boss!"
Judge was full of fighting spirit.
"..."
Tom silently clenched his fists. Of course, he refused in his heart, but when he looked into Roa's calm eyes, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. If he refused, not to mention Water Seven, maybe even Fish-Man Island would be implicated, right?
So.
"...Okay."
He finally nodded.
"Excellent!"
Roa clapped his hands happily. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's start the research now!"
However, the research on Pluton was definitely a huge and money-consuming project. Was the gold on Sky Island enough? He really didn't expect to be worried about money one day.
In any case, let's go to Sky Island first.
Beside him.
Toki looked at him blankly. He might even get the power of the Pluton! Was Roa in this era just like Joy Boy eight hundred years ago? The only difference was that Joy Boy brought liberation and laughter, while Roa brought disaster and wailing.
In any case, a few days later, they arrived at Jaya Island. In fact, long before they arrived at the island, Roa had already noticed the sea of clouds above. The reason he came to this island was that he could find the location of Sky Island by going straight up from here, without having to search for a route.
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