Rhett felt an unprecedented sense of being stretched through time. It felt like an eternity, and also like just a moment.
When the blood mist around him finally stabilized and his feet touched solid ground, the air of the Void Century flooded his senses.
It was different from the familiar salt and sea breeze of the Pirate Era. Instead, it carried a strange mixture of energy particles and a metallic scent.
He shook his head. The scene before him quickly went from blurry to clear.
Then Rhett, the Blood Mist King who had seen it all in the era a hundred years later, felt his pupils contract.
He was standing in a vast, white plaza. The ground beneath his feet was made of some smooth, sturdy synthetic material. Looking up, the sky wasn't just blue sky and white clouds. Countless sleek flying vehicles were gliding along invisible paths, their soft shimmering surfaces radiating technology. Compared to the wooden sailboats of the era a hundred years later, they were worlds apart.
The era a hundred years before was more advanced than the era a hundred years after. Only in the absurd world of One Piece.
What shook him even more were the "people" walking on the streets. The plaza he thought he was on was actually a sidewalk.
Giants walked past him, dressed in form-fitting functional clothing, chatting and laughing. They seemed even bigger than the giants of later eras. Some had wings on their backs. Their wings were broad and powerful, their feathers gleaming with a faint light. Much larger than the wings of the Skypieans he knew. Stronger and more natural. They landed lightly, folding their wings with ease.
Many little robots Rhett had seen before were working hard.
Everything here radiated prosperity, advancement, and power. This was truly a — Great Kingdom!
Rhett, in his pirate-style clothes from a hundred years in the future — cloak, boots, timeworn garments — felt like a bumpkin. In this futuristic setting, he stood out. The passersby gave him curious looks, but nothing more. They seemed used to strangers. They were just curious about his fashion sense.
Rhett quickly suppressed his shock. The blood mist instinctively retracted to a thin layer, just enough to sense his surroundings. He listened to the language and saw ancient symbols on distant buildings.
This place was likely the glorious, prosperous — the one erased from history.
"Piruka..." He muttered the name, which only existed in fragmented Poneglyphs and forbidden legends of the future.
The ancient city of Piruka. Not a ruin. It was at the peak of its unimaginable scientific and technological civilization!
Everything seemed so perfect. But Rhett didn't believe it. History had taught him that when there was no gap in power between two sides, there was only oppression. Equality was laughable. Such huge energy consumption, self-sufficiency? Could it be a joke? Interesting.
Rhett concentrated. The thin blood mist around him shifted, imitating the material and shine of the locals' clothes, quickly covering his original outfit. He couldn't copy the functional details, but at least he looked less out of place.
He followed the crowd, trying to observe this seemingly perfect world. Soon, his steps stopped at the edge of the central plaza.
Oh, an unexpected find.
In stark contrast to the surrounding technology, a group of people knelt in the center of the plaza. They were thin, ragged, and out of place among the advanced and powerful. Their eyes were empty. They mechanically performed some kind of kneeling prayer, as if their souls had been taken.
Rhett watched silently, frowning slightly. He wasn't particularly surprised. Things like this happened everywhere. He noticed a well-dressed man nearby, a "local," watching the same scene with a look of habit.
Rhett didn't speak. He just pointed at the group in the center of the plaza with a questioning look. He could understand the language because he had studied ancient writing.
The man glanced at Rhett, probably thinking he was a newcomer from the "moon." He spoke with a condescending tone of "advice." "Oh, them. You're new to Piruka? It's normal. No one wants this. I couldn't stand the rough air of the Blue Sea at first either. But someone has to pay the 'price' for our eternal energy and clean air, right?" There was no gratitude in his voice. Only entitlement.
"Price?" Rhett finally spoke, imitating the man's tone.
"Yeah," the man shrugged. "The ascetics are praying for us. They use their devotion to keep Piruka's energy from running out. It's their honor."
Rhett looked again at the kneeling people. He noticed something. They weren't there willingly. Beneath the numb eyes was the despair of being completely broken and suppressed.
Then his pupils contracted sharply.
Among the thin figures, he saw a face he knew well! Younger, but the eyes, the hair color... no mistake.
It was Witte! His vice captain, who had crossed the Void Century to find him!
But now, her feet were bound by special chains that pulsed with suppressing energy. Similar to Seastone.
She knelt at the front. She was thinner than the others. Her face was pale and bloodless. The people around her seemed especially "respectful," calling her "Holy Maiden."
The man beside him followed Rhett's shocked gaze and nodded knowingly. His tone was even mocking. "Oh, looking at the 'Holy Maiden'? Too bad. Pretty face, pretty name. She had a future. But she betrayed technology for the devil's power of the Blue Sea insects. How pathetic."
He clicked his tongue. "But it's fine. The Holy Maiden will come of age in a few months. Then, she'll be the perfect sacrifice to atone for all of us."
Rhett stared at Witte. At her eyes.
There was no fear in those eyes. No anger. No pain.