Ace had originally planned to set sail that day, but the situation forced him to put that aside.
None of them knew the exact location where Pluton was sleeping, but one thing was certain, it lay somewhere beneath Wano Country.
There was also a Road Poneglyph hidden within ancient Wano. Based on what Rolan had seen before, he believed Pluton might be located beneath it.
Before they arrived, Rolan had already transmitted the exact location of the red Road Poneglyph to Kuro using electromagnetic signals. With that information, Kuro retraced Rolan's path without hesitation.
"This must be the Road Poneglyph Rolan mentioned. I didn't expect it to be this deep underground," Crocodile said as he looked at the massive red stone before them.
"This is already beneath Wano, so where's the ancient weapon?" Enel turned into lightning and darted through the confined space, scanning everything around him.
There was no sign of anything resembling a warship.
His words left everyone confused.
Yamato frowned.
"This space is too small. There's no way something like Pluton could fit here."
Kuro shook his head slightly.
"Do you really think this is the bottom of Wano Country?"
Ace blinked, caught off guard.
"Isn't it?"
They had already descended hundreds of meters. By all logic, they should have reached the underground layer of the island.
Yamato nodded as well.
"We've been going down this whole time. This should count as beneath Wano, right?"
Kuro adjusted his glasses before speaking.
"The Wano you see now isn't the real Wano."
The statement stunned everyone.
"What do you mean?" Ace asked.
A faint reflection flashed across Kuro's lenses, hiding his expression.
"Doesn't the structure of Wano feel unnatural to you? Most islands in this world might have cliffs at most, but here, you need to climb a massive waterfall just to enter. That alone defies natural formation."
Ace crossed his arms, thinking it over.
"Now that you mention it, yeah, it's strange."
Kuro pointed toward a large opening nearby.
"Look through there. You'll understand."
Ace and Yamato rushed over and peered outside.
Their expressions changed instantly.
"This... what is this?"
Enel and Crocodile followed, curiosity getting the better of them.
Below them, submerged in seawater, was an entire city.
Even after centuries underwater, the structure of the buildings remained visible. Though parts had decayed, the layout still showed how prosperous it once was.
Schools of fish swam freely through the ruins, turning the drowned city into a living ecosystem.
Ace spoke slowly, disbelief clear in his voice.
"So there really was a country beneath Wano... judging by the architecture, this must be Wano from over 800 years ago."
Kuro faced them and continued.
"The current Wano was built on top of this one."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Over 800 years ago, Joy Boy stayed in Wano. To protect him, his allies built massive defensive walls around the island, hundreds of meters high, sealing the entire country inside."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"As time passed, rainwater had nowhere to drain. The water level kept rising until it overflowed the walls and cascaded outward. Eventually, the original land was submerged."
"The people rebuilt Wano on the mountains above the old country. That's the Wano you see today."
Silence filled the space after his explanation.
"Nani..." Ace muttered, his eyes wide.
He had climbed that waterfall himself before. The idea that it was man-made felt unreal.
Yamato was just as shocked. Even without seeing the outside world much, she understood how impossible such a structure should have been.
"The waterfall... it was created by people?" she said quietly. Then her eyes sharpened.
"Does that mean Pluton is beneath the ancient Wano?"
Kuro nodded.
"That's the most likely answer."
He wasn't completely certain, but the information came from Kozuki Sukiyaki, making it highly reliable.
After seeing the submerged city themselves, none of them doubted it anymore.
Yamato suddenly pointed downward, excitement in her voice.
"So Pluton is right under us?"
"Not necessarily," Enel replied. "What we saw is only part of ancient Wano. There's no guarantee it's directly below this spot."
Kuro, however, shook his head.
"Pluton is a weapon capable of destroying an island in a single shot. Its size won't be small. This Poneglyph sits at the center of Wano. If we break through here, we should reach it."
Hearing that, Yamato instinctively pulled Ace into a tight embrace, pressing his face into her chest.
"Ace, hurry and break it open."
Ace struggled and finally pulled himself free, taking a deep breath of air. His face was slightly red, and he clearly hadn't processed what she said.
Kuro glanced at Crocodile and gave a small nod.
Crocodile clicked his tongue but stepped forward anyway. He placed his hand against the ground.
"Sables Erosion."
The earth beneath them began to dry and crumble, turning into sand at a rapid pace.
Within seconds, the solid ground transformed into a miniature desert.
But nothing appeared beneath it.
A brief silence followed.
"Maybe it's not here..." Yamato began.
Before she could finish, the sand suddenly began to spiral inward.
A vortex formed at the center, pulling everything down.
Moments later, a dark, bottomless passage revealed itself beneath their feet.
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