Beltz finally managed to persuade Shiki.
His reasoning was sound: even if Pluton had been located, now was not the time to activate it. Shiki's personal strength and his crew's influence had far from reached their peak. Within the pirate world alone, several factions posed a significant threat to him, and beyond the pirates, the World Government watched with predatory eyes. The series of problems that would follow the liberation of Pluton had to be resolved gradually.
According to Shiki's subordinates, they had indeed discovered the massive battleship within the ruins of Ancient Wano. However, its scale was beyond imagination, and no matter how they attempted to pilot or operate it, it remained motionless—like a giant beast dormant for a thousand years, showing no signs of waking. From its appearance alone, it radiated a sense of overwhelming power, truly worthy of its title as an Ancient Weapon.
"The first thing we need to solve is the energy problem," Shiki muttered before returning to the surface with Beltz.
Pluton might be powerful, but starting it was no simple task. He suddenly recalled something from his time with the Rocks Pirates: the Galleila Band that Rocks had been obsessed with. Those guys were shipwrights from the Giant race; he wondered if they had some connection to Pluton.
Back inside the Shogun's Palace, fine beads of sweat formed on Kozuki Sukiyaki's brow, soaking the collar of his luxurious kimono. He watched Shiki nervously. Now that the pirate had found Pluton, how would he deal with him next? Occupy Wano? Open the borders?
"Let's go," Shiki said, merely glancing at him before addressing Beltz.
"Are we leaving?"
"Yeah, we need to find a place to settle down first." Shiki turned back to Sukiyaki and added, "Let us enjoy a pleasant coexistence in the days to come."
Pleasant coexistence... Sukiyaki forced a bitter smile. How could that be possible? This man clearly intended to keep Wano under his thumb. It seemed the peace of Wano was destined to be shattered. However, at least Shiki didn't seem to have the intention of occupying Wano by force for now. That was something...
Beltz and Shiki walked out of the Shogun's Palace. Watching their retreating figures, Sukiyaki's mind was in a state of chaos. What should he do now? Summon the Daimyos from other regions to crusade against this man? No, it wouldn't work. Oden had failed; what could the other Daimyos achieve together? As long as this man didn't cross the line too far... they would just have to endure. Wano was a nation very skilled at endurance.
Shiki, however, didn't care much for their thoughts. He already viewed Wano as his territory. But as pirates, they lacked the concept of managing territory—at least, this wasn't yet the Great Pirate Era where the Four Emperors ruled the seas like kings. He didn't intend to drag the Kozuki family down and replace them. Similar to a World Government affiliated nation, he simply viewed the country as his turf; the country would pay protection money, and he would provide the protection.
In a sense, the World Government was essentially a gargantuan pirate crew. One could call it the Celestial Pirate Crew. The Celestial Dragons were the main crew, while the Navy, CP, and affiliated nations were subordinate groups. Together, they formed the Celestial Grand Fleet. Understanding them as a pirate crew rather than a government made many of their actions easier to comprehend.
"Oh? There's an island here too?"
As they moved away from the main land of Wano into the inland sea, they spotted a massive island ahead. The island featured a giant skull, appearing eerie, terrifying, and somewhat mysterious in the night.
"Isn't this perfect?" Beltz said. "You stay on Hachinosu; leave this island to me. I'm planning to build a massive laboratory for Vegapunk. Those rough men of yours wouldn't understand any of that."
"Vegapunk..." Shiki mused, then suddenly said, "Don't we have a scientist right here? Fine, I'll give this island to you, and you give me the energy source for Pluton."
"..." Beltz was speechless. Were those two things even of equal value? But since he wanted the Mother Flame as well, he said, "I'll have Vegapunk try to research it, but that's not something that can be figured out in a year or two."
"Jihahahaha, I can wait as many years as it takes!"
"Better be that way," Beltz said as he returned to his room to pack. He called Rukia and Vegapunk to leave.
Shiki dropped them off at Onigashima and asked, "If there's danger inside, can you handle it?"
"What danger could there be?" Beltz looked toward Shiki's great ship and said, "Don't forget, you have a few dangerous individuals on your ship. How do you plan to handle them?"
"His old man is already listening to me; does he still want to resist?" Shiki clicked his tongue. "If he truly won't listen, I'll just have to kill him."
"I suppose." Beltz felt it would be a waste and added, "Wait, if you really decide to execute him, why not hand him over to me instead?"
"To you?"
"Yeah. Maybe I'll have a better way to handle him then."
"As you wish."
Shiki left not only Beltz on Onigashima but also the supplies Beltz had bought recently and a large number of pirates. The island was full of jagged rocks, and the giant skull cast long shadows, giving off an ominous vibe. Here, Beltz and the others would establish a massive laboratory. With the large amount of money Beltz still held, he could support Vegapunk's experiments in the short term. They needed labor and materials, and the pirates Shiki left behind served as perfect workers. Beltz had been on Shiki's ship for a while now, and after the battle at Hachinosu, every single one of them respected him. They executed his orders faithfully.
As for Vegapunk, he couldn't stay idle for a single minute. Even in an open-air environment, he was hunched over a computer tinkering with something.
Seeing that time was about right, Beltz returned to the Soul Society first. He had promised Rukia that they would visit Hueco Mundo. However, he didn't have the ability to go there on his own. Among the three realms, only the Garganta of the Hollows allows free travel between worlds; other races require tools. Soul Reapers use the Senkaimon, and Quincies use the Gates of the Sun.
Thus, Beltz had to go to a Quincy outpost to borrow a Gate of the Sun. The true Gate of the Sun was within the Wandenreich, but the Quincies had many outposts with smaller gates that could still facilitate travel.
After arriving in Hueco Mundo via the Gate of the Sun, Beltz returned to One Piece to bring Rukia along. They had spent quite a bit of time in One Piece, but fortunately, Beltz had a large reserve of stored time, and his increased strength made his storage efficiency much higher. They had stayed for over half a year, yet they hadn't even consumed a third of the reserve. If Beltz became even stronger, he might be able to stay in One Piece indefinitely—perhaps even for decades while bringing someone along. But that wasn't enough yet; he might want to build a major power in the future, so bringing only one person wasn't very useful. Better to bring Rukia back first and store more time.
"So this is Hueco Mundo?"
It was Rukia's first time there, and she was somewhat shocked by the sight. Hueco Mundo was full of desolation and loneliness, covered in white sands of Reishi. In the endless desert, not a single living soul could be seen. Only a crescent moon floated in the sky, emitting a cold, lonely glow. She had changed back into her black Shihakusho and stood in the desert with Beltz. The cool moonlight shone on her pale face, and her purple eyes reflected the desolate world. She lightly stepped on the Reishi sand beneath her feet, feeling a bone-chilling cold.
"Yeah," Beltz said softly. "Is it completely different from the Hueco Mundo you imagined?"
"It is a bit different," Rukia said, looking around. "I thought it would be more terrifying."
"Sometimes, vastness, emptiness, and loneliness are the most terrifying things in the world," Beltz replied, then cautioned her, "The Soul Reaper vanguard has already arrived in Hueco Mundo. I'm going to find them. Do you want to come with me?"
"No," Rukia shook her head. "It wouldn't be good if I were discovered. I want to walk around Hueco Mundo a bit. That way, when I go back, I'll have stories to tell."
"But in such a huge place, what if I can't find you?"
Hearing this, Beltz reached out and tapped Rukia's forehead. In the next moment, Rukia felt as if something had been injected into her mind.
"What did you do?"
"I planted a marking seed in the ocean of your subconscious. This way, no matter where you are, I can determine your location," Beltz said. "Your progress in cultivation over the past six months has been great. Most Hollows in Hueco Mundo won't pose a threat to you now, but you must still be careful."
"I know," Rukia nodded.
She knew Hueco Mundo was a dangerous place, but if she returned to the Seireitei, she would say she had been living alone in Hueco Mundo. She couldn't very well have no actual experience or stories of living there. Beltz was relatively at ease; Rukia's progress over the last half-year had been very noticeable. Beltz strongly suspected that the Hogyoku within her was working, reading her inner desire to become stronger and actually accelerating her growth. That ability was truly broken. Even Vegapunk had benefited from it.