Looking again at the cannon barrels standing across the deck, they were nothing like the ordinary cylindrical barrels people were used to seeing. Instead, they had perfect geometric edges, like carefully carved works of art.
The barrels looked like solidified black crystal, giving off a cold and majestic aura that made it impossible not to imagine the terrifying destructive power hidden within them.
"So this is… the power even the World Government fears so deeply?"
A complicated light flickered in Robin's eyes. Her fingertips dug unconsciously into her palm as an indescribable emotion surged through her heart.
At this moment, the obscure words recorded in the Poneglyphs suddenly seemed to come alive, flashing again and again in her mind and resonating powerfully with the giant warship before her.
She felt as though she could sense the wheel of history rolling forward. Forgotten secrets were gradually surfacing, and they were about to pull back the veil covering an entirely new world.
The ring on Ron's ring finger suddenly released an extremely faint yet strangely eye-catching glow.
Looking closely, one could clearly see the Float-Float Fruit pattern embedded within the ring. It seemed almost alive, flashing on and off rhythmically like breathing.
The pattern was delicate and mysterious, every line seeming to contain endless secrets.
Ron lowered his head slightly, his gaze calm and focused.
He slowly reached out with his slender fingers and gently rubbed the smooth surface of the ring, the movement light and unhurried.
Then, with that casual touch, something miraculous happened.
His entire body slowly rose into the air, as if freed from the restraint of gravity.
The wide sleeves of his robe fluttered wildly in the sea-scented wind, rustling like an eagle about to spread its wings and take flight.
"Wait here."
Ron's voice was steady and powerful. The words were brief, yet carried unquestionable authority.
Before his voice had fully faded, his figure shot toward the enormous warship like an arrow released from the bowstring.
He moved incredibly fast, stirring a whistling gust of wind behind him, and in the blink of an eye, he had already pulled far away from everyone.
"Wait!"
Yamato shouted anxiously.
She carried the heavy kanabo on her shoulder and stepped forward, wanting to chase after him.
But just as she was about to move, a strong hand suddenly pressed down on her shoulder.
She turned and saw Marco.
Blue flames burned around his body, leaping like living things. Behind him, the phoenix spread its enormous, magnificent wings, their feathers glowing strangely in the firelight.
Marco's expression was serious as he said, "Don't disturb Ron."
His voice was firm and calm, yet it made Yamato stop without realizing it.
As Ron drew closer and closer to the giant battleship Pluton, a chilling pressure spread more and more strongly.
That pressure was like an invisible hand clutching everyone's heart, making even breathing difficult.
The space around the hull also began to change subtly, twisting faintly as though kneaded by an unseen giant hand.
When he reached a certain distance, people could clearly feel a prickling sensation on their skin, like tiny electric shocks.
It was as though countless fine needles were lightly piercing their flesh, making them shiver despite themselves.
Finally, Ron landed steadily on the deck.
The instant his feet touched it, something unbelievable happened.
The deck suddenly lit up with ghostly blue pathways of light.
Those glowing lines were complex and interwoven, flowing slowly beneath the black armor like blood vessels inside a human body.
They flickered with mysterious light, as if telling ancient stories.
Ron stared closely at the glowing lines, curiosity and investigation showing in his eyes.
When he slowly reached out and touched the outer shell of the bridge, the entire giant ship suddenly released a deep, earth-shaking rumble, like a sleeping beast being awakened.
The sound rolled outward like thunder, echoing through the empty space and making everyone's heart tremble.
Gradually, the rumbling of Pluton, like an abyssal beast stirring awake, began to settle.
The ghostly blue light paths dimmed inch by inch, their glow growing weaker and weaker, until the final hum of circulating energy slowly sank into silence.
The giant battleship Pluton once again lay quietly at the center of the ancient city, like an old man who had slept for a thousand years, as if that heaven-shaking awakening had only been a fleeting dream.
"Come over."
Ron's voice broke the silence.
He stood on Pluton's towering bridge, his figure straight and unshakable. His black robe fluttered lightly in the fading sea breeze, the moving hem seeming to beckon everyone closer.
Hearing his voice, the others snapped out of their shock and hurriedly moved toward the massive ship.
Their eyes were filled with expectation and curiosity, eager to uncover the truth behind this mysterious warship.
Yamato moved with incredible agility, leaping onto the deck first like a gust of wind.
She gripped her kanabo, Takeru, tightly. The moment the heavy weapon lightly touched the hull, a clear, pleasant ringing suddenly sounded, like the whisper of some ancient power waking from sleep.
"This material… it's definitely not ordinary steel, and it isn't normal wood either!"
Her voice echoed across the empty sea, carrying a strange and mysterious feeling.
Yamato slowly crouched down, her gaze fixed intently on the ink-black deck before her.
Her fingertips gently brushed across its surface, and a strange warmth quietly entered her body through her fingers.
It felt as though countless tiny electric currents were moving through her blood, making her brows knit slightly as curiosity and caution rose in her heart.
At the same time, Robin stepped onto the unknown warship with the steady, cautious pace unique to an archaeologist.
Her eyes were sharp as a hawk's, missing no detail.
When she finally saw the exquisite ancient writing carved into the deck, text that carried both stunning beauty and endless age, her once-steady breathing instantly grew hurried.
Excitement and shock flashed in her eyes as she said, her voice trembling slightly,
"This is a writing system even older than the Poneglyphs… Look at this symbol!"
As she spoke, her slender, faintly trembling fingertip carefully pointed toward a unique spiral pattern.