Splitting Up: Pluton and Poseidon

It was already dark when the Void entered the harbor of Hachinosu. The lights along the harbor's edge were reflected on the water, breaking into thin, elongated dots as the ship approached, only to be scattered by the waves.

Ginny stood on the dock, notebook in hand, watching the people jump off the ship. Lin Yuan was the last to disembark. She counted the heads to make sure no one was missing. "Didn't Oden come back with you? Wasn't he on Whitebeard's ship?"

"He's back on Whitebeard's ship." Lin Yuan jumped off the ship. "The seal is broken; Pluton is below."

"Can it be driven out?"

"Haven't tried it yet. So I need to come back to find someone."

Caesar poked his head out of the laboratory, his hair more disheveled than usual, clutching a wrench in his hand. "You're back? How's it going in the Flower Capital? What does Pluton look like? Can he still move?"

Lin Yuan glanced at him. "I'll take you tomorrow. You can see for yourself."

Caesar's eyes lit up. "Tomorrow? Can't we do it now?"

"It's dark now, and there are no lights down there, so you can't see anything. Go again tomorrow during the day."

Caesar retreated into the laboratory, but the door wasn't closed tightly, and the sound of rummaging through tools could be heard through the crack. The clanging and banging continued for a while before falling silent.

In the Castle hall, a nautical chart was spread out on the table. Ginny stood beside the chart and circled several marked locations. "The Five Elders already know about your lock-picking in Wano Country. The Holy Knights have left Mary Geoise; their direction is unclear, but they're definitely at sea."

Roger leaned back in his chair, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword, but not drawing it. "They know we've broken the seal, but they don't know if we've activated it. If they think we've activated it, they'll act first; if they think we haven't, they'll ambush us at sea."

Lin Yuan, seated in the main seat, said, "Then let's start it up first. We'll assemble after it's started."

Kaido stood by the window. "How do we start it? That ship's been submerged for eight hundred years, how can it still be sailed?"

"That's why we need to find someone to test it." Lin Yuan looked at Caesar. "Go to Wano Country and test Pluton's power system and weapon system. Determine which ones can be repaired and which ones need to be replicated. Repair what can be repaired, and find a way to rebuild a complete set if it can't be repaired."

Caesar twirled the wrench in his hand. "Damn it. Give me two weeks, and I can confirm whether that ship is movable or not."

How long will it take to fix?

Caesar thought for a moment, "If it's just a broken circuit or malfunctioning ammunition, we can repair and remake it within two weeks. If a core component is damaged, it will take much longer—it may have to be disassembled and recast. The power system, weapon system, and control system all need to be checked. The power system is the core, the weapon system is the output, and the control system ensures the ship doesn't run aground."

"Go take a look first. We'll talk about it after you've seen it."

Roger: "What about Fish-Man Island? I'll handle the Sea Kings problem. They recognize me, and I can communicate with them."

Lin Yuan glanced at him. "Are you sure they're still waiting?"

Roger: "For eight hundred years, they've been waiting. Waiting for someone to talk to them. After Joy Boy left, there was no one to communicate with them."

Ginny wrote two lines in her notebook, "Pluton Activation Team - Caesar, King. Sea Kings Communication Team - Roger, Rayleigh." She looked up after writing, then added, "Caesar needs help moving materials."

Jhin: "Damn. I'll watch him take Pluton apart and put it back together."

Caesar: "I won't disassemble it. I'm just inspecting it."

Jhin: "How can we test it if you don't disassemble it?"

Caesar: "As long as it can be put back together after being taken apart, it's fine."

Roger stood up. "Rayleigh, come with me to Fish-Man Island."

Lin Yuan: "Alright. We'll set off tomorrow, splitting up. If Pluton is immobilized and the Sea Kings aren't cooperating in two weeks—then we'll think of another way. If they can move and cooperate, then we'll issue a rallying order."

The next morning. In the underground dock of Wano Country, Lin Yuan opened a door, revealing the dimly lit entrance to the Flower Capital's underground passage. Caesar stepped in first, followed by King, who carried a box of tools. Lin Yuan brought up the rear.

As they entered the underground dock, the light from the illumination shells shone down from above, illuminating the entire hull of Pluton. Caesar stood below the bow, looking up at the colossal ship from eight hundred years ago, three pages already turned in his notebook, a wrench clutched in his other hand. He walked around the hull, tapping the outer walls with his fingers as he went, listening to the echoes to assess the condition of the metal.

"The keel is intact. The entire keel is cast from a single piece of metal, not pieced together. It is over 300 meters long, with no seams in the middle. The casting technology is superior to any shipyard today. The metal coating has oxidation but no corrosion. It should be an alloy special to Wano Country, mixed with Seastone powder—corrosion-resistant and impact-resistant, which is why it has lasted for eight hundred years without rotting."

He walked to the side of the ship and looked up at the neatly arranged gun barrels. "The gun emplacements are intact. There are at least forty-eight guns on the entire ship, arranged in three layers, even denser than the configuration of a naval capital ship. If ammunition is plentiful, a single salvo can cover the entire harbor." He jumped onto the deck and paced back and forth on the hull. "The deck plating is also made of the same alloy, with uniform thickness and no cracks. There is a ram at the bow and six sets of propeller ports at the stern, the internal structure of which is intact and not blocked."

Jin followed behind him, his footsteps echoing in the empty cabin as he stepped onto the metal deck. "Can this ship really sail?"

Caesar: "It can run as long as the materials aren't damaged. But whether the power system can even turn is another matter."

He crawled into the ship's interior, walked along the narrow passageway to the middle of the hull, and stopped in front of a huge device. The device's outer shell was made of cast metal, its surface covered with pipes and interfaces, its structure complex, but its overall condition was surprisingly good. Caesar crouched down, removed the inspection panel of the outer shell, and exposed the core structure inside.

"The propulsion system is a compressed energy device." He shone his flashlight into the wiring inside. "The principle is similar to the shellfish technology of the Sky Island, but on a much larger scale. You can think of it as connecting hundreds of Impact Dial in series, driven by the same energy source. When it starts, it releases the compressed energy to drive the propulsion port. There are at least two backup energy circuits in the cabin. If the main circuit fails, it can switch to the backup—provided the backup circuits are not broken." He bent down to check. "There are three breaks in the energy circuits. As long as they are reconnected, the propulsion system will work."

How long will it take to connect?

"Three days. After connecting, we need to test low-speed operation to confirm there are no problems before increasing the speed." Caesar stood up, walked to the other side of the hull, and pushed open a heavy iron door, revealing the interior of the gun compartment. "The gun barrel structure is intact, and the firing mechanism is similar to traditional artillery, but the ammunition compartment is sealed with no external interface. The ammunition stored inside should be solid shot. Given the casting technology at the time, the maximum power shouldn't be too outrageous, but the material is stronger than ordinary cannons, so there's no need to worry about it exploding. As long as we can replicate the compatible ammunition, these cannons can fire normally. In addition, the main gun at the bow is obviously one size larger than the guns on the sides. Judging from the length and caliber of the barrel, it was probably designed to deal with large targets, rather than ordinary ships or ground fortifications."

He closed the gun emplacement door and walked back to the passageway. "The control system is on the top deck of the ship, and the control console is embedded in a metal panel. I haven't been inside yet, but judging from the condition of the power and weapon systems, the control system should also be intact."

Jin stood at the entrance of the passage. "What materials do we need to move?"

Caesar laid out the list. "Welding torch, spare energy circuit, metal plates, sealant—and Seastone powder. The gun barrel is still usable, but the ammunition compartment needs refurbishment. As long as the materials arrive, I can get this ship moving within two weeks. But I must warn you: it's been submerged for eight hundred years and hasn't been corroded by seawater, but its design wasn't intended to maintain full functionality after being submerged for eight hundred years. If some components can't withstand the startup load and explode—then we'll have to start repairs from scratch, at least doubling the timeline."

Jin didn't reply, and turned to walk towards the exit of the passage.

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance to the passageway, and Caesar's voice came from inside the ship's cabin. "We can sail out of the dock within two weeks. But whether we can move, fire our cannons, and hit our targets after that is another matter entirely."

"Let's get out of the dock first."

Fish-Man Island Port. Lin Yuan opened another door and escorted Roger and Rayleigh to the Fish-Man Island. As the door closed behind them, Roger was already walking towards the edge of the dock.

He stood at the end of the pier, facing the sea, with his eyes closed. The sea breeze blew from afar, lifting the hem of his coat. The mermaids and Fish-Men of Fish-Man Island's harbor watched him from a distance, but no one approached. Rayleigh stood a few steps behind him, neither urging him nor speaking.

At first there was nothing. Only waves and wind on the sea. Then, after about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a huge dark shadow began to appear on the distant sea.

Sea Kings. Not one, but many. Their backs slowly emerged from the water, stopping about a kilometer from the harbor. The largest one raised its head slightly, as if sizing up the people on the shore.

Roger didn't speak, but he tilted his head as if listening to something. Rayleigh noticed his brow twitch slightly.

After a while, Roger opened his eyes. "They said—'Eight hundred years ago, after that person left, no one could speak to us anymore. You are the second.'"

Who was the first one?

"Joy Boy."

Rayleigh paused for a moment, then asked, "Are they willing to help?"

Roger didn't answer immediately. He stood there for a moment before speaking, "They said—'If you're going to Mary Geoise, we can't help you on the surface. The sea is our territory.'"

"So that means you agreed?"

"They won't charge, but they will blockade the seas surrounding the Red Line, cutting off the navy's sea support routes."

Roger stood there for a while longer, then turned and walked back to the dock. "Go back and tell Lin Yuan — the Sea Kings have confirmed it."

Evening. In the Intelligence Room of Hachinosu, Ginny sat at the table with three Den Den Mushi in front of her. One was connected to Wano Country, one to Fish-Man Island, and one was a spare.

Lin Yuan's voice came through the Den Den Mushi in Wano Country: "The power system's energy circuit is being repaired, progress is normal. Ammunition replication is proceeding simultaneously, and the first batch of shells is expected to be completed in two days. Pluton can be shipped out of port in as little as two weeks."

Ginny jotted it down. "What about Roger?"

From the direction of Fish-Man Island, Roger's voice came through another Den Den Mushi: "The Sea Kings have confirmed their cooperation. They will act on their own and form a blockade in the waters surrounding Mary Geoise."

Ginny wrote in her summary, "Pluton can be activated in two weeks. Sea Kings is confirmed to be able to cooperate. The rallying order is pending."

She put down her pen and glanced at the sea outside the window. In the distance, a merchant ship was docking, and workers were unloading cargo at the edge of the harbor—everything was as peaceful as usual. But Ginny knew that this peace wouldn't last long.

Two weeks later, one evening, in the underground dock of Wano Country, Caesar stood in the control room of Pluton. Several rows of indicator lights were lit on the control panel in front of him, their green glow flickering steadily in the dim space. He reached out and pulled a lever, and a deep vibration emanated from the depths of the ship, transmitting through the metal floor beneath his feet to his entire body.

Caesar looked at the indicator lights that had illuminated. "The power system is operating normally. The low-speed test has passed. Next, we'll conduct two more medium-speed tests. If there are no problems, we can set sail. The first batch of ammunition replicas has been completed, and the remaining batches are being rushed into production."

He straightened up. "Within two weeks, this ship will be able to leave the dock."

Jin poked his head in from the entrance of the passage. "Where can it go?"

"First, clear the passage, then conduct trial runs outside the port. As long as the power system operates stably at low and medium speeds, the rest is just a matter of operation."

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of the passage, looking at the indicator lights that had lit up. "Two weeks later, Pluton will depart. The Sea Kings will also be in place. At that time, issue the assembly order."

Ginny's voice came through the Den Den Mushi: "So what should I do now?"

"Wait." Lin Yuan

(End of Chapter 106)