Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the basement of Sakazuki's home, he gathered together with Bullet and Enel.
On the massive display screen before them, the projection of Pluton's design lit up the room. With a tap, it showed detailed parameters and a simulated video of its destructive power.
As Bullet watched the footage of the weapon blasting through the Red Line, his eyes gleamed with excitement. "This thing's not bad. Does it really have that much power?"
"Of course," Enel replied confidently. "Unless external factors interfere, the accuracy of this simulation is over ninety-nine percent. Based on the data of known islands, no matter what the structure is made of, nothing can withstand it. After all, this is an Ancient Weapon. Each one of them is a force that can destroy the world."
He clicked his tongue. "But the cost of building it…"
Sakazuki stared at the long list on the screen, with its budget estimate shrunk a hundredfold. His brows furrowed deeply. "We were too naive. This expense... we can't sustain it."
The annual military funds the World Government allocated to the Marines were already stretched thin. Most went to soldiers' wages and reserves, leaving almost nothing to spare.
What they had collected so far came from the years of savings by Sakazuki and the base commanders stationed across the Four Blues. Even if everything was poured into this project, it still wouldn't be enough. Worse, many of the required materials were missing, and some were strictly controlled by the government.
There was no easy way to get them.
Enel shrugged helplessly. "Then simplify it. There's no better option."
Sakazuki looked at the displayed model. "Can it be split?"
"Yes." Enel agreed. "What do you want to remove?"
The admiral narrowed his eyes. "Everything except the main cannon and its power source."
Enel's fingers danced swiftly across the console. On the screen, the model shrank piece by piece until only a huge cannon connected to an energy core remained, looking strange and incomplete.
"There. Done."
Sakazuki asked, "Does this reduce its power?"
Enel tapped the screen twice and reviewed the updated simulation data. "Hmm... no, there's no difference. The extra parts don't affect the cannon's power."
Sakazuki studied the weapon. "Then we'll proceed with this. No ship. Just create this colossal cannon. Amplify the output, refine the firing mode, increase its range, and enhance the targeting system. Building a ship around it would only distract from the true purpose. What we need is the weapon itself."
He spoke firmly. "It must be constructed with the goal of piercing the world, able to strike any island. This will be the weapon that intimidates the future. Once complete, it will be mounted atop the Red Line, aimed at the world. No need to hide it. Let everyone see it, let them fear it."
Enel smirked. "A dictator? A tyrant?"
Sakazuki chuckled. "Call it what you want. Only the result matters. When an insurmountable mountain stands before them, people will end their disputes and understand the meaning of peace. The feeling of a blade hanging over their heads will force them to make the most rational choices. One day, this sea will give birth to a ruler who dominates the world."
Bullet let out a twisted grin. No one could be uninterested in ruling the world.
It was like seeing an old stone etched with the words: Mandate of Heaven, Eternal Prosperity. A worthless rock, useless for even cracking nuts. But once that stone was in your hand, Heaven's Mandate belonged to you.
Ambition like that was carved into their bones.
Enel, too, was stirred. "I'm starting to boil with excitement. But what about that old fish-man? Should we get rid of him and those two brats? At the end of the day, the blueprints came from him. And now the government has him. If they share the same idea, it'll be troublesome."
Sakazuki disagreed. "No need. That old man is already dead. He died at Enies Lobby a few days ago. The government didn't get the blueprints. And even if they did, they wouldn't build it. Pouring years of Heavenly Tribute into a weapon? Those pampered nobles would never allow it."
He continued after a pause, "There are three Ancient Weapons. Pluton is this one. Poseidon is the Mermaid Princess. Only Uranus remains unknown, with very little information recorded about it. Perhaps the government's secret to suppressing the world lies with Uranus. After all, it is said to have the power to 'cleanse the world'…"
Enel smacked his lips. "Is it really that powerful? I've heard this line so many times it's boring. But the world doesn't look like it's been cleansed."
Sakazuki's tone turned heavy. "That's because the islands that vanished were buried in the river of time. The seas are far more closed-off than you think. What we take for granted, ninety percent of the world would find unbelievable. In the Four Blues, even kings and nobles hardly know about the fish-men. Ordinary people in their kingdoms know even less."
He glanced at them. "How many of the islands that disappeared in the Sgri Sea can you remember? Aside from those near the New World, most people in the Blues likely never even knew such a place existed. After a few decades, when those who remembered are dead, that sea is reduced to nothing but a name. No one will recall that twenty thousand marines, several islands, and countless civilians were buried there.
"On many islands, records go back only decades, maybe a century or two. Beyond that, there's nothing. Time buries everything. Once the government has such weapons, they fear nobody. They could cleanse at will without worry. They understand the rules of this world, and they control those rules. They rewrite the world as they please. An island vanishes from the charts, and year by year, it simply ceases to exist. Time itself is the most terrifying force."
Enel sucked in a sharp breath. "You're giving me chills. But... it does sound true…"
Sakazuki smiled faintly. "Have you heard of Rocks?"
Bullet answered this time, "When I was about eight, I heard people talking about the God Valley incident. But I was too young to remember clearly. Just fragments."
Enel shook his head, then nodded. "Never heard of him directly, but grandpa told me stories. He mentioned that name a few times."
Sakazuki's smile lingered. "Rocks… years ago, he was the strongest pirate who overshadowed the world. The ones you know best, Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, they were all part of his crew. Even Roger and Redfield had to avoid him back then. But so what? No one remembers him. Roger's name will last far longer than Rocks' ever did. People only remember the first."
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