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The next day, the news spread like wildfire across the seas: Alex's Royal Court cadres had appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago and captured the Supernova Capone Bege. Delivered by the ubiquitous news birds, the story caused a massive stir, amplifying the tension already gripping the world.
The ominous cloud of war now loomed over the entire sea.
In such a sensitive and volatile period, every move made by Alex—the strongest man of the era—drew significant attention. Even the actions of his infamous Royal Court were enough to spark global intrigue. The fact that this event had occurred so close to Marineford only intensified the focus.
The sudden move by Alex's forces in the Sabaody Archipelago attracted the attention of numerous factions, especially those gathering forces on the sea—and none more so than the Marines, who were actively preparing for the imminent war.
At the behest of the World Government, Cipher Pol had been dispatched to investigate. Among them, Stussy received the task of gathering intelligence, though her initial findings pointed to a simple motive: the capture of Capone Bege for the sake of his Devil Fruit.
However, the timing and location of this action were deeply concerning. It was a reasoning the Five Elders found unsatisfactory. Yet, their trust in Stussy remained firm. Trained from childhood as a loyal espionage agent for the World Government and Celestial Dragons, her credibility was beyond question.
Furthermore, Stussy's infiltration of Alex's inner circle had yielded consistent and valuable intelligence. The Five Elders, while wary, chose to accept her report and focus on understanding the significance of Bege's Devil Fruit. Whether suspicion or paranoia, they resolved to be prepared for anything.
The pressure of these developments, however, weighed heavily on the Marines.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters Building
After ending a call with the Five Elders, Fleet Admiral Sengoku leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples with a look of exasperation. The report from the World Government had left him with more questions than answers.
"Just for a fruit…" Sengoku muttered, skepticism clear in his tone. "If this were about anyone other than Alex, I might believe that."
He exhaled deeply and turned his focus to the room of Marine elites before him. "We'll set aside the matter of Alex and his crew for now. The priority is ensuring an unequivocal victory in the upcoming war."
Sengoku's gaze sharpened as he addressed his officers. "This war holds enormous significance. We must secure absolute victory, to deliver justice to the residents of the world."
"At the same time, we must be fully prepared for the possibility of interference from other forces. We cannot afford to let anyone take advantage of this conflict."
The officers exchanged determined glances. They understood the stakes. The outcome of this war would shape the future of the world.
New World, Sky Kingdom
Deep within the scientific research base of the Sky Kingdom, massive Seastone gates slid open with a mechanical hum. After an extensive identity check and holographic certification, Nico Robin strode calmly into the facility's innermost chambers.
The colossal laboratory, spanning tens of thousands of square meters, housed some of the most advanced scientific equipment in the world. In the central testing area, cutting-edge machines hummed and whirred, their sleek designs a testament to technological progress.
Most striking of all, however, were the hundreds of humanoid figures standing motionless across the testing grounds. These were members of the BIG MOM Legion—cybernetic constructs created by combining bloodline factors with extracted souls. Each unit was capable of wielding Devil Fruit powers and even Haki, a testament to the terrifying advancements in bioengineering.
As Robin approached, she noticed a familiar figure waiting for her. Comps, one of Alex's trusted subordinates, stepped forward with a small package in hand.
"These are the two items Lord Alex requested to be delivered."
After greeting the nation's current chief scientist, Comps, Robin promptly presented the items required for the mission.
Ignoring the frozen Capone Bege, who had already been transported back to the Sky Kingdom, Comps eagerly took the Pluton design blueprints handed to him by Robin. Flipping through a few pages, his eyes lit up with excitement, as though he had found the key he'd been searching for.
"Will it work?" Robin asked, her tone calm but inquisitive.
"With this information, I can be very sure," Comps replied with a confident nod.
Satisfied with his response, Robin saw no reason to linger and risk interrupting his work. She turned and departed quietly, leaving the scientist to his devices.
As Robin exited, Comps wasted no time. He directed his assistants to place Capone Bege into the specialized equipment, initiating the Devil Fruit rebirth process.
After successfully extracting and transferring the Castle-Castle Fruit, Comps handed it off to his assistants for further handling. Without delay, he moved toward the holographic transportation mirror stationed within the lab.
Using the "Transport-Transport Fruit" technology, Comps was instantly transported from the Sky Kingdom, located thousands of meters in the air, to the underground base beneath the former land of Wano.
This base was a sprawling structure, stretching tens of thousands of meters underground. The sheer scale of the facility was overwhelming, even to someone as accustomed to it as Comps, who had visited over a hundred times. Yet, every time he entered, he couldn't help but marvel at what lay within.
Dominating the space was a colossal construct—a mechanical leviathan that seemed to straddle the boundary between battleship and something far beyond this era's capabilities. Painted entirely in sleek black, it was composed of a strange material that appeared to be neither wholly metallic nor entirely organic.
The warship's hull was bristling with gun barrels, densely packed and exuding a menacing aura. Even a single glance at the array of weaponry was enough to make an observer shudder. However, the most striking feature was the massive central cannon extending from the bridge—a weapon nearly a thousand meters long. Its sheer size was enough to make anyone feel like an insignificant ant in its shadow.
This was the Ancient Weapon, Pluton.
The most destructive warship ever built, Pluton was said to be capable of obliterating entire islands with a single shot. Its presence was a testament to the horrifying technological prowess of the ancient world.
"Shirororo"
The sound tells the arrival of Caesar, another scientist obsessed with Pluton's overwhelming destructive power. As he descended, his gaze locked onto the blueprints Comps held in his hands. His excitement was palpable.
"You got the design drawings?" Caesar asked eagerly, his voice brimming with anticipation.
"Of course. And Robin even translated some of the more challenging sections," Comps replied, shaking the blueprints for emphasis. Caesar's eyes followed the movement, his enthusiasm intensifying.
"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's see if we can uncover the technological secrets hidden within!" Caesar exclaimed, nearly trembling with excitement.
Comps and Caesar shared the same fascination with Pluton's ancient and advanced design. Every detail of this ultra-ancient civilization's engineering was a treasure trove for scientists.
The warship's technology, both practical and advanced, far exceeded the capabilities of the current era. It was almost inconceivable that such a marvel could have been created hundreds of years ago.
If they could successfully extract and analyze the advanced technologies within Pluton's design, it could revolutionize the Sky Kingdom's war capabilities. The potential for secondary creation from these discoveries promised to propel their kingdom's technology to unprecedented heights.