"Let's go, we'll check it out!" Ryuuto shouted to the others. He then swept them along, rushing straight for the deck of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. Ryuuto was intensely curious about this sudden appearance of one of the legendary weapons.
Thud!
With the sound of several heavy landings, Ryuuto and his group touched down on the deck. As far as the eye could see, everything was forged from steel. Both the deck and the gunwales displayed a level of technology that far surpassed the current era.
Boom!
Soon, the sound of bodies tearing through the air echoed from above. Kaido had arrived with his three All-Stars.
"Kaido, you're here too!" Ryuuto said softly, gripping the Kuidraken's Edge as he warily watched the four figures on deck, Kaido's face a dark scowl. Kaido's gaze, however, was fixed almost entirely on Yamato. He simply couldn't fathom how his own son could be so empty-headed.
Hancock and the others also stood on high alert.
Yamato, meanwhile, was lost in a daze. Having read Oden's journal cover to cover, he never knew that such an Ancient Weapon existed beneath Wano Country.
"The Tengu Pirates? You actually came to Wano! Yamato... you bastard!" This was Queen's first time seeing Ryuuto and his crew. Seeing Yamato standing in their ranks made his tone particularly hostile, as he viewed it as a direct provocation.
King's eyes glinted, eager for a fight.
As for Jack, his expression had become arrogant once more. With Kaido backing him up, the hard-headed All-Star was back to his usual confident self.
Cracker hadn't come with them. At the end of the day, he and Kaido were hardly acquainted. Kaido had only saved him out of consideration for the help Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom, had given him years ago. He had, however, secretly used a Den Den Mushi to contact Big Mom. How could Mom not be involved when a legendary Ancient Weapon was at stake?
But even seeing Ryuuto's group, Kaido had no intention of starting another fight. He was already aware of Ryuuto's strength; a battle between them would not be decided quickly.
"Ryuuto, with a bounty of three billion Berries, and the Pirate Empress, with a bounty of 1.6 billion... neither of them are simple opponents," Kaido thought to himself. Furthermore, he suspected that the appearance of an Ancient Weapon would inevitably draw the attention of Imu.
"I propose we call a truce for now! Let's figure out what this so-called Ancient Weapon is first," Kaido suggested, his eyes narrowing sharply as he addressed Ryuuto.
"Fine. I'll extend that courtesy to Kaido of the Beasts," Ryuuto replied with a slight smile. He had no objection; a temporary truce would make it easier for both sides to explore Pluton.
Thump!
Without another word, Kaido led his three All-Stars and charged into the ship's interior. The true secrets of Pluton lay within.
Ryuuto and his crew followed close behind.
The sheer scale of the ten-thousand-meter-long Pluton was staggering; its deck alone was the size of an island.
Boom! Boom!
Several hours after Ryuuto and Kaido entered the ship's hold, the sky above Wano began to change. Countless dark clouds gathered, forming a colossal purple pentagram. An indescribably powerful energy saturated the air.
"What's happening now?" Orochi, covered in blood, panted as he collapsed to the ground. Before him lay the charred and motionless body of Denjiro. It was just one thing after another. This had to be the worst day of Orochi's life, with one event after another spiraling out of his control. Then again, he was used to it. Besides, the big guy, Kaido, was there to handle it.
Rumble!
As the pentagram coalesced, mysterious runes appeared across its surface. Then, a brilliant beam of purple light shot down upon Wano Country. Within the pentagram, seven figures were slowly materializing.
"Hmph... The air here is truly disgusting," one of the seven figures said as soon as he appeared. He was a Celestial Dragon in a half-kirin form, wearing a hood, and his words dripped with the characteristic arrogance of his kind. He was one of the God's Knights—Saint Rimosifeu Kirin'gom.
"Enough. Let's get to work," Saint Garling Figarland said, frowning at Kirin'gom's attitude. "If we displease Lord Imu, we'll both be held accountable."
"I never thought such a large secret was hidden in this uncivilized country," Saint Ju Peter remarked, glancing down at Pluton with a look of surprise.
"Truly preposterous!" Saint Shepherd Somaz added with a light chuckle.
The remaining three were silent.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn held the Shodai Kitetsu, his expression frigid.
Stokus looked as if he had just woken up. He didn't understand why so many of them were needed for a simple trip to Wano. They were, after all, the greatest power in the world.
Gunshi stood impassively, her expression unreadable. The bandages over her mouth made it impossible to discern her emotions, leaving only her eyes as a faint clue.
"Alright, let's go down," Saint Ju Peter said finally, then transformed into a black blur and leaped toward Pluton's deck.
The other six immediately followed, a cascade of six different colored afterimages.
Thud!
As they landed safely, their attention immediately turned to the ship's interior. The deck itself was rather plain, aside from the absurdly large cannon at the bow, it was mostly empty space.
"So this is an Ancient Weapon?" Stokus said in shock as he examined the weapon at the bow. "Inconceivable. I feel like a single shot from this cannon could obliterate an entire island!"
"No wonder Lord Imu is so concerned," Saint Somaz agreed.
Gunshi silently walked around, taking in the immense scale of the deck. Walking from one end to the other would likely take an entire day.
Meanwhile, inside the ship, Ryuuto, Kaido, and the others were in a state of utter shock. The interior consisted of more than a dozen enormous rooms. At first, they seemed normal, just exceptionally large. But once they pushed open the doors and stepped inside, they discovered these rooms were worlds unto themselves.
The first room was like a lush, primeval forest filled with towering trees. A number of treehouses were nestled among the branches, still showing signs of previous inhabitants. The room was brightly lit, though the source of the light was a mystery.
When they moved to the second room, the environment changed completely. It was a vast, murky swamp. Countless bubbles rose to the surface, and the faint outlines of skeletons could be seen within its depths. Realizing the danger, the group retreated without venturing further.
They soon arrived at the third room, which was far more conventional. It was a vast, flat grassland, so open they could see the wall on the opposite side. Several tall stone structures dotted the landscape.
"We've passed through a forest and a swamp, and now a grassland. Is this Pluton an Ancient Weapon or some kind of ark? Why does it contain so many different environments?" Van Augur mused, stroking his chin.
This sight had left even Kaido and his All-Stars baffled. They had expected to find an arsenal of weapons, not recreations of living environments.
"Could it be that Pluton's purpose isn't just for combat?" Ryuuto wondered. It was a plausible theory. After all, Uranus's abilities were also far from simple; long-range attacks might just be one of its many functions.
"Should we go in and take a look? We might find some clues," Nami suggested. In the first room, they had found strange murals depicting winged humans performing some kind of ritual.
"I agree. We should definitely go inside," an unexpected voice spoke up. The usually silent King had actually made a suggestion.
"Hmm?" Even Jack shot him a suspicious look.
"Then let's go have a look," Ryuuto said, having no objections. Their goal was to explore the Ancient Weapon, after all. He nodded in agreement with King's proposal.
And so, the group pushed open the door and stepped inside.
As expected, the room was silent. After walking for some time, they reached one of the tall stone houses. Inside, they found many everyday items—a bed dozens of meters long and various tools of enormous size. These objects made them suspect that the owner of this stone house might have been a giant.
"Could it be that giants used to live in this room?" Vivi guessed. The more they learned, the more questions took root in their minds. Ryuuto's thoughts were racing in a new direction.
Just then, they heard voices.
"Is there no one here at all?"
"Where is the control core Lord Imu mentioned?"
Stokus was walking down the corridor outside the room, turning to speak to Saint Somaz beside him. Saint Garling and the others were also perplexed. They had already passed two rooms, peering inside both, but neither looked like it contained a control core.
"Wait! This door is open!" Saint Ju Peter exclaimed suddenly. They had reached the entrance to the third room and found the thousand-meter-high doors ajar.
They proceeded cautiously inside.
An hour or so later, the scene unfolded: Ryuuto and Kaido's group heard the approaching voices from within the stone house.
Crackle!
Ryuuto was instantly on alert, unleashing his lightning to scout ahead. Time ticked by, second by second.
"The God's Knights!" Ryuuto's expression changed drastically as the feedback from his lightning returned. The color drained from his face as he spoke in astonishment.
"So, he has come," Kaido said, his face growing grim.
"It's been a while since I've had a good fight. Let's see if their skills have improved!" Kaido roared, drawing the Hassaikai from his waist as a powerful aura erupted from him.
In that instant, Saint Garling and the others sensed the presence of Ryuuto and Kaido.
"So they were all here!"
"And they're old acquaintances! No wonder Lord Imu sent so many of us."
"Looks like we're in for a real fight today!"
"Hahahahahaha... This is exciting!"
A chorus of voices erupted from Saint Garling's side. Though Saint Ju Peter and Stokus were wary of Ryuuto and Kaido, the presence of so many comrades filled them with a rush of excitement. Perhaps this, too, was part of Imu's mission.
"Long time no see, everyone," Ryuuto said, slowly stepping out to face them. He drew his Kuidraken's Edge, his expression grave. This was not going to be easy. Two of the Five Elders and four God's Knights, plus Imu's personal enforcer, Gunshi—their combined strength was terrifying. Ryuuto had been careless again. He shouldn't have come in. Pluton was clearly beyond his reach for now.
But then again... his side had Kaido and Yamato. That evened the odds. The Five Elders? The God's Knights? They were nothing to be feared.
"It has been a long time! This time, you won't escape!" Stokus declared, swinging his sword, which crackled with intense black and red lightning.
"You brat... back during the God Valley incident, you were just a baby. Don't get too arrogant," Kaido bellowed. "Let's see how you handle fifty years of my power!" He swung the Hassaikai, and countless black and red lightning bolts crackled across its surface.
Thump!
But before anyone else could move, Yamato charged forward.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Stomping on the ground, Yamato shot forward like a white blur, appearing instantly before Stokus. With a fierce cry, he swung the kanabo from his shoulder, and a surge of blue light crashed against Stokus's sword.
Beside them, Gunshi's body erupted with an overwhelming torrent of black lightning. Countless menacing arrowheads materialized out of thin air and shot toward Ryuuto's group. As a user of the Paramecia-type Arrow-Arrow Fruit, Gunshi could summon all kinds of arrows that could lock onto enemies and transform into various weapons, such as fists, high heels, or even giant birds.
Bang! Bang!
Facing Gunshi's assault, Ryuuto's side instantly began to dodge and weave. In a flash, countless arrows slammed into the grassland, sending chunks of turf and dirt flying into the air with a series of deafening impacts.