"You're kidding, right?! Admiral Zanka no Tachi?!"
"That kind of thing can actually be built?!"
"I don't believe it!!"
The two of them completely lost their composure.
Honestly, who wouldn't panic after suddenly hearing that their own superior had constructed a world-destroying weapon?
The fact that Kuzan and the others did not start cursing outright already showed impressive restraint.
Ezra D. Vale casually dug at his ear and said, "I haven't even seen what it looks like yet. What are you two getting so worked up about?"
They calmed down slightly.
No, not at all!
Iceberg's confident expression already said everything.
There were too many shocking points to process.
They could not even keep up with their own disbelief.
Ezra shrugged, ignoring their resentful stares, and finally arrived in front of the dock.
Iceberg's face was filled with excitement.
"Admiral Vale, please watch closely. The strongest super battleship in history!"
With that, Iceberg slowly opened the massive dock doors.
A gigantic warship appeared before them.
The entire vessel was dark crimson.
At the bow were two enormous cannon barrels.
Along both sides were thirty cannons each.
And the sheer size of the ship was absurd.
Ezra and the others were stunned speechless.
Iceberg cleared his throat, snapping them back to reality.
"Admiral Vale, everyone, please come aboard and take a look."
He led them onto the ship.
Only then did they truly grasp how massive it was.
It felt like the entire Marineford headquarters could fit inside.
"Admiral Vale, the volume of this battleship is fifty times that of a standard fleet-admiral-class warship."
"And its energy source comes from a certain substance within seawater. The principles are difficult to explain, but I can confidently say this ancient weapon is the most perfect creation I have ever produced."
Ezra nodded.
If nothing else, the size alone suited his taste perfectly.
"Admiral Vale, next I'll explain the weapon systems."
They followed Iceberg into a control room filled with advanced technology.
He pressed a button on the console.
The warship instantly transformed.
The deck split apart from the center, revealing a colossal cannon.
Kuzan's eyes nearly popped out.
"What… what is that?!"
Iceberg smiled proudly.
"This is the core of Pluton. Its ultimate attack. One shot is enough to blast straight through an entire island."
Then he looked toward Ezra.
"Admiral Vale, are you satisfied with this battleship?"
Ezra laughed softly.
"Iceberg, is there any possible reason for me not to be?"
Meanwhile, Kuzan and Rosinante wandered around like country bumpkins, touching everything in amazement.
"Oh, right, Admiral Vale," Iceberg added. "Please give this ship a name."
Ezra rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
"Since it's Pluton… let's call it Bruton."
"The name comes from the god of the underworld in ancient Roman mythology. It matches the identity of an ancient weapon perfectly."
"Iceberg, I can take it with me now, right?"
"Of course, Admiral Vale!"
Iceberg then spent some time teaching Ezra and the others how to operate the ship.
After quite a while, Iceberg wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Finally… Balin, press that switch."
"Yes, Mr. Iceberg."
Balin pressed the control.
Ahead of them, a massive underwater tunnel suddenly opened.
"Now that's some serious engineering," Ezra said with admiration.
"Let's go, Admiral Vale," Iceberg replied.
Ezra nodded and piloted Pluton into the tunnel.
Behind Water Seven, on a nearby island, a mountain split open from the middle.
The colossal battleship slowly emerged.
A smile curled on Ezra's lips.
"The handling feels incredible."
They sailed the enormous warship toward the harbor.
The soldiers who had remained on the original Marine vessel looked up at it.
Their jaws nearly hit the ground.
"What the hell is that?!"
"That's ridiculous!"
"It's way too big!!"
"That thing's bigger than the Moby Dick, isn't it?!"
"Bigger? It's on a completely different scale!"
"Whose ship is that?!"
"It can't be another pirate supernova, right?!"
Just as everyone was shouting in shock, the massive battleship charged straight toward the Marine vessel.
Everyone froze.
"Damn it! Enemy attack! Get off the ship, now!"
The soldiers scrambled to evacuate.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion rang out.
Ezra's original warship was completely destroyed.
The soldiers grabbed their weapons, fury in their eyes.
"I want to see who dares to destroy Admiral Vale's ship!"
They aimed their guns at the super battleship.
Then they saw Ezra walking down from it with Kuzan and the others.
Everyone fell silent.
"…Admiral Vale?!"
Ezra paused, looking at his men.
"Oh? Why are you all off the ship?"
The soldiers were speechless.
Why do you think?!
Ezra raised an eyebrow, sensing an intense wave of resentment.
Kuzan gently nudged his arm.
"Admiral Vale… look over there."
Ezra turned his head.
A twisted pile of scrap metal was slowly sinking into the sea.
"Oh… that looks like my ship."
He instantly understood.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he laughed.
"Ahahaha… first time driving this thing. Still not used to it. Sorry about that. I didn't even notice there was something in front of me."
Everyone was utterly speechless.
But more than anything, they were overwhelmed by the sheer presence of Pluton.
"Rosinante, you and Kuzan take everyone aboard to look around," Ezra said. "Have them choose their cabins too. From now on, this will be our battleship."
Rosinante's eyes lit up.
"Yes, Admiral Vale!"
He and Kuzan led the soldiers onto the ship.
Meanwhile, Ezra accepted Iceberg's invitation to a nearby restaurant for a meal.
While his subordinates explored the warship, a pirate ship slowly approached Water Seven in the distance.
Blackbeard stood at the bow.
His mouth hung wide open as he stared at the colossal vessel.
"This… this is the pirate ship of my dreams!"
he said, trembling with excitement.
At that moment, he probably did not know.
No, he definitely did not know.
That the coming period of his life was about to become unforgettable.