In her understanding, that symbol was without doubt solid proof that a civilization had existed before the Void Century.
It was like a key, one that might unlock a historical mystery sealed away by time for far too long.
On the other side, Momonosuke's eyes were wide, his face filled with shock.
He leaned over the side of the ship, staring at the massive object before him, and could not help crying out,
"My goodness! This thing is even bigger than Kaido's Onigashima!"
His young voice stirred a faint but clear echo across the vast deck, as if announcing their arrival to this mysterious sea.
Kin'emon was startled and quickly reached out to pull at his young lord's sleeve, his expression tense as he warned,
"Your Highness, be careful! Everything here feels strange, and this weapon gives off an ominous aura that makes one deeply uneasy…"
His wary gaze swept across the surroundings, ready at any moment to respond to whatever danger might appear.
At that moment, beneath the sky, Marco's figure appeared somewhat lonely, yet still carried an authority he had been born with.
He was the last person to board the enormous warship.
He had only just completed the extremely complex and exhausting lifting operation, and faint traces of blue flame still lingered on the powerful wings behind him, like fragments of stars glittering in the night sky. The light was weak, yet captivating.
Those blue flames were the symbol of his power, and also the unique mark of him as a phoenix.
However, the instant the soles of his boots lightly touched Pluton's cold, hard deck, a strange sensation spread through his entire body like an electric current.
His sharp senses immediately detected that something was wrong.
"This is…?!"
Marco's voice was filled with confusion and shock, and his originally calm expression instantly turned grave.
His eyes widened, his pupils shrinking sharply, as if he had witnessed the most unbelievable sight in the world.
For a moment, his whole body froze in place, as though fixed by a spell.
Only after a long while did he slowly drop to one knee, his movement carrying a faint tremble and a hint of awe.
His palm pressed firmly against the deck, feeling the mysterious and powerful suction coming from beneath.
"The hull is absorbing my flames of regeneration…"
He murmured, his voice filled with deep disbelief.
Following his gaze, everyone saw the ghostly blue patterns beneath the deck moving like living snakes.
They seemed to possess their own consciousness, greedily opening invisible mouths and devouring the energy leaking from his body.
That energy flowed like a thin stream, continuously pouring into the mysterious patterns before disappearing without a trace.
From above, Ron quietly looked down at the shocked crowd.
His eyes were deep and calm, as though everything was under his control.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a meaningful curve.
"Welcome to Pluton—the weapon that can end an era. Naturally, it can also devour the power of an era."
His voice was loud and firm, echoing through the quiet space like a declaration to fate itself.
Just then, a gentle breeze slowly brushed across the bridge.
The wind seemed to carry the memories of time, lightly lifting the hems of everyone's clothes.
The first ray of sunlight in eight hundred years pierced through layers of cloud and mist, falling upon Pluton's cold armor.
The warm light gradually drove away the chill around them, bringing a trace of life and hope to this mysterious and unknown place.
Bathed in sunlight, Pluton looked like a giant beast awakening from slumber, ready to begin a brand-new journey.
Just as everyone's attention remained completely captured by Pluton's unmatched aura, trapped within the waves of shock it brought, the once-calm sky was suddenly torn apart by three terrifying presences, each one like something rising from the depths of hell.
The cracks spread across the blue sky like hideous wounds, making everyone feel a chill in their hearts.
"Gurararara! You're holding such a grand and lively banquet, yet you didn't invite this old man?"
That booming roar exploded through the air like thunder.
Whitebeard's iconic giant weapon, Murakumogiri, descended with mountain-crushing force and slammed heavily onto the deck.
The impact was so powerful that even Pluton's nearly indestructible hull trembled faintly, as though the giant warship itself feared the majesty of this legendary powerhouse.
The bold smile on Whitebeard's face vanished the instant his gaze took in Pluton's full form.
A solemn light flashed through his weathered eyes, and the veins on the back of the hand gripping his naginata bulged like coiling dragons, revealing the strong emotions surging inside him.
Before everyone could recover from Whitebeard's arrival, a figure wrapped in rolling thunderclouds and giving off an eerie pink glow suddenly descended.
She was like a god falling from the heavens, or a disaster star bringing destruction.
"Mamamama! So this is the legendary super toy with enough terrifying power to sink an entire continent in one shot?"
Big Mom's unique voice echoed through the air, carrying a bit of teasing and disdain.
She stood atop Zeus, who flashed with mysterious lightning, looking down upon everything before her like an empress above all others.
Every step she took seemed to make the surrounding space tremble.
But the most shocking scene came next.
Kaido's mouth split wide open in excitement as he looked at everyone. The blue dragon scales on his body had not fully faded yet, still leaving behind a mysterious and ferocious aura.
Like a meteor falling from the sky, he smashed directly through layer upon layer of clouds and plunged down with thunderous momentum.
His enormous dragon-form claws scraped against the deck the instant they touched it, producing an ear-piercing sound as if they were about to tear through the hard surface entirely.
"You've got to be kidding me! This is the Ancient Weapon Pluton?!"
Kaido's roar erupted like a volcano, shaking the enormous battleship until it buzzed as though it might fall apart at any moment.
His bloodshot eyes widened as he stared hard at Pluton, flames of anger burning inside them.
"This thing was secretly hidden under my Onigashima the whole time?! And I had no damn idea!"
As he spoke, the wine gourd clenched in his hand was crushed to pieces in his rage, fragments scattering everywhere.
Cloudy liquor dripped down the scales covering his body and splashed into small droplets on the ground.