The content recorded in that newspaper certainly surprised Taro,
but the newspaper itself and the debris on that piece of "ground" were what truly shocked him!
There were no signs of decay on the debris, and combined with the publication date of the newspaper, this told Taro a startling fact:
the area between that layer of "membrane" and that piece of "ground"
had locked time!
Only this could explain why a newspaper from over 500 years ago was still brand new!
Although this explanation was a bit far-fetched and hard to believe, Taro couldn't think of any other possibilities!
Could the power of Dark King's single shot not only sink an island and open a spatial tunnel but also lock time?
Taro's heart skipped a beat in an instant!
As fellow ancient weapons, Poseidon's ability to command giant Sea Kings was understandable,
but if everything here was caused by a single shot from Dark King,
then the gap in power between these two ancient weapons was far too large, wasn't it?
Dark King's power was simply so formidable that it was beyond comprehension!
Taro felt that something must have gone wrong somewhere;
he didn't dare believe, nor was he willing to believe, that Dark King could be this powerful!
Being this powerful and completely outclassing Poseidon was just freaking ridiculous!
As his thoughts became more active, Taro also realized that the judgment he had made earlier probably had a tiny, slight "error"!
His ability to reach this place might not have been solely because he was a living being!
His clothes, shoes, and his saber, thunderstorm, were still with him,
but the newspaper he had clearly been holding in his hand had not come here with him!
This showed that the "membrane" and the "ground" didn't differentiate simply based on whether something was a living being.
This was a more sophisticated and precise means of identification!
That membrane "registered" everything about Taro, the living being, upon "entry," including himself and the items he carried!
When the "ground" allowed Taro to "enter," it automatically identified that for this "entry," the newspaper was not in the registered list of items!
So, the newspaper was shut outside the "door" and didn't arrive here!
Realizing this, Taro finally breathed a sigh of relief!
Since this "identification System" existed, it further indicated that this couldn't have been the result of Dark King simply firing a single shot.
This outcome clearly bore the marks of human intervention!
Pondering to himself, Taro quickly walked to the edge of this space.
Today's experiences had shocked him enough,
so much so that when he saw the sight before him, he was only slightly surprised.
A massive transparent bubble isolated the seawater, and schools of deep-sea fish swam quickly past Taro's eyes,
with several giant sea beasts occasionally cruising leisurely.
Looking at this scene, Taro finally understood where he was!
This was ten thousand meters deep in the sea!
Then, what was below should be that place!
Taro took a few more steps forward, leaned close to the edge, and looked down,
and below was indeed Fish-Man Island!
That shape, like a flatbread with a bite taken out of it, was something Taro remembered very clearly!
So, his current location must be the roots of the sun tree eve!
Actually, after realizing that there was a spatial corridor within the Circular Waterfall, Taro had thought that its end might be connected to Fish-Man Island.
After all, he had previously speculated that Fish-Man Island was once part of the "original" Enies Lobby!
However, he didn't expect that this end wasn't on Fish-Man Island itself, but slightly offset, at the roots of the sun tree eve!
Just then, the Internal Energy he had sent to scout in other directions also returned feedback!
Behind Taro was the thick main root of the sun tree eve, and further away, just like in front of him, was the bubble's membrane!
Above him was the thick rock wall of the Red Line!
The sun tree eve was completely and tightly encased by the Red Line!
This cut off Taro's idea of scouting upward along the trunk!
It also meant there was no way to go from here to Vegapunk's research lab,
and of course, it was even more impossible to reach the canopy of the sun tree eve, Lord Imu's Secret Garden!
Taro searched throughout the roots of the sun tree eve, wanting to try a reverse operation to see if he could return to the bottom of the Circular Waterfall from here.
However, he didn't succeed; this spatial corridor seemed to be a one-way street!
Yes, seemed!
Because the "light" that had established Enies Lobby's reputation as the "Never-Night Island" had clearly been transmitted through.
This showed that this spatial corridor was indeed two-way!
Taro tried every possible spot but still couldn't find the entrance to the spatial corridor that, theoretically, should indeed exist.
Eventually, he discovered that near the thickest roots of the sun tree eve, the temperature would rise sharply!
The core temperature of the roots was so high that it was difficult for him to withstand even with his Internal Energy!
Taro tried to use his Internal Energy to scout over there,
however, that scorching heat seemed capable of burning everything to ashes;
even his Internal Energy would instantly lose connection.
He wasn't sure if that Internal Energy had been directly "annihilated" by the high temperature or if it had already entered the "return" spatial corridor!
However, in the entire root area of the sun tree eve, only this place that Taro couldn't approach could possibly house the spatial corridor!
After figuring this out, Taro sat cross-legged on a root at the edge;
the amount of information he had acquired today was too large, causing his brain to stall from the processing load; he needed to take a breather!
The connections between Alabasta, Fish-Man Island, Dark King, and Poseidon were much, much deeper than Taro had anticipated!
At the same time, Vegapunk's Breakthroughs in the field of ancient weapons were far more startling than the research he had shown in the direction of Devil Fruits!
Looking at it this way, the "ideas and career" Vegapunk spoke of were probably not just as simple as being shocking!
This Genius scientist might already be infinitely close to "possessing world-destroying power"!
Taro urgently wanted to see Vegapunk again, but in the short term, it was impossible!
So, he could only exert his efforts in the direction of Alabasta and Fish-Man Island!
Thinking of this, Taro stood up, his Internal Energy surging out to protect his whole body,
and then, like an arrow from a bow, he charged out of the bubble.
The bubble wrapping the roots of the sun tree eve was much tougher than those produced by Bubble Coral.
Taro could feel a very obvious resistance; he tightened his fists and surged his Internal Energy once more, finally penetrating the bubble and rushing into the deep sea.
He was going to see Neptune to find out if the Ryugu Kingdom had left any records!
Without the protection of the bubble, the immense pressure of the ten-thousand-meter-deep sea caused Taro's protective Internal Energy to vibrate violently.
He hesitated no longer, fully unleashing the Internal Energy in his Meridians to push the seawater away from him,
and then, transforming into a Falcon, he dove straight down toward Fish-Man Island!
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