Chapter 304: [304] : Pluton Resurrected! Hachinosu Surrounded!

~ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

<><><><><><><><>

A metallic clang echoed as the massive body of the Ancient Robot, dormant for so long, began to stir.

The movements were slight, but enough to make Vegapunk’s jaw drop.

Ever since this Ancient Robot invaded the Holy Land of Mariejois and was captured by the World Government, it had remained completely inert.

No matter how they studied it, no matter what energy source they tried, it never showed the slightest reaction.

And now—it was moving.

“SUGEEEEEEEEEEEE! IT’S MOVING! CAN IT FIRE LASERS??”

Luffy’s eyes had completely transformed into stars as he excitedly pounced onto the Ancient Robot’s body.

But for now, the robot’s movements were limited; it made no further actions or responses.

<><><><><><><><>

“This robot once invaded Mariejois, but it seems to have run out of energy and didn’t cause any casualties,” Vegapunk explained at the opportune moment.

“EH?? OUT OF ENERGY? APPLE-UNCLE, CAN’T YOUR MOTHER FLAME WORK?”

Hearing that the robot couldn’t move anymore, Luffy’s face fell with immense disappointment.

(Apple-Uncle was Luffy’s nickname for Vegapunk, based on the apple-like antenna on his head, a device used to receive information from the massive brain created by his Brain-Brain Fruit ability—Punk Records.)

The existence of the Mother Flame was something Luffy knew about after Vegapunk officially joined the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet.

He knew that an energy source like the Mother Flame was essential to activate the power of the Ancient Weapons.

On Egghead, the Uranus used by Imu to attack them was powered by the Mother Flame that York had stolen and given to the World Government.

Of the three Ancient Weapons, besides the biological weapon Poseidon, both Pluton and Uranus required a vast energy source to activate—just as a powerhouse’s attacks, whether Devil Fruit abilities or Haki, required stamina as fuel.

Without a massive energy source, the Ancient Weapons were just piles of scrap metal.

And the attack power of both Pluton and Uranus had already surpassed the Emperor limit, reaching the Legendary-Class.

A single strike could completely erase an island from its very foundation, even causing the sea level to rise.

One could imagine how much energy was needed to drive them…

Normal energy sources couldn’t even start up the Ancient Weapons, let alone fire them.

But the Mother Flame possessed the immense energy to awaken them and unleash their terrifying attacks.

Though Luffy’s thinking was often erratic, he wasn’t stupid.

A Mother Flame that could even resurrect an Ancient Weapon should, by all rights, be able to make this Ancient Robot move with ease.

<><><><><><><><>

“It can’t be done. This Ancient Robot can’t accept external energy. We still haven’t figured out how to make it move,”

Vegapunk shook his head.

The Mother Flame had enough energy to start an Ancient Weapon and fire a terrifying attack beyond the Emperor limit.

If the Mother Flame’s energy could be input into the Ancient Robot, it would absolutely be enough to make it move freely. After all, no matter how advanced the technology of this Ancient Robot was, the energy it needed couldn’t possibly be greater than the energy needed by an Ancient Weapon that could cause the sea level to rise.

But unfortunately, this Ancient Robot had no energy input port.

Without a port, there was no way to input external energy into its body.

Otherwise, this Ancient Robot wouldn’t have been left in the pile of failures in the factory layer by Vegapunk.

Whether for research or for driving it, Vegapunk had no clue about this Ancient Robot.

And now, this Ancient Robot, under the influence of Rowen’s power, had moved.

“Does it require… spiritual power?”

Rowen looked at the Ancient Robot, his eyes flashing with a scarlet light.

The ability to store a Haki knot proved this point.

A Conqueror’s Haki knot—was not something a robot that consumed normal energy could store.

Just like Rowen, who had always used specially modified Transponder Snails to store his Haki knots.

An inanimate object that couldn’t use spiritual power could not store a Conqueror’s Haki knot.

Transponder Snails were special creatures that used a spiritual power channel for signal transmission, the best carriers for storing Haki.

The Ancient Robot, which could also store Haki, was naturally not a simple inanimate object. The fact that this Ancient Robot could become friends with Joy Boy and had its own thoughts also showed this.

Rowen had never regarded the Ancient Robot as an inanimate object—

This Ancient Robot could be said to be a special creature that required a special energy source to move.

The special energy it needed was undoubtedly spiritual power.

Plus it wasn’t simple spiritual power. After all, if it were simple spiritual power, Conqueror’s Haki, as the manifestation of spiritual power, would be able to make this Ancient Robot move.

What this Ancient Robot needed was probably the most special and strongest power of the Nika Fruit—the power of the Drums of Liberation.

Both Zunesha and the Ancient Robot had started to awaken after hearing the sound of the Drums of Liberation—and the source of the Drums of Liberation’s power was the heartbeat of the Nika form user.

Though Rowen could not yet completely stimulate the power of the Drums of Liberation, there was no doubt that compared to Conqueror’s Haki—the Drums of Liberation was a more pure form of spiritual power.

To awaken the powers that had once followed Joy Boy and fought against Imu and the twenty kings, such as Zunesha and the Ancient Robot, what was needed was probably the true power of the Drums of Liberation.

<><><><><><><><>

“SPIRITUAL POWER AS AN ENERGY SOURCE?”

Vegapunk seemed to have discovered a new research direction, nodding continuously.

“The research is up to you. Build the Seraphim bodies as soon as possible,” Rowen said, looking at Vegapunk.

Vegapunk, at this moment, was completely immersed in his own world, constantly muttering something.

Rowen didn’t disturb him.

Scientists, especially genius scientists, had a different way of behaving than average people.

The current Vegapunk clearly had some research ideas; it wouldn’t be good to interrupt him.

Rowen led Luffy and the others out of here.

“Rowen.”

As soon as they stepped out the door, a figure came up to them.

“Ace!” Luffy grinned and greeted him.

“Luffy, you look well,” Ace smiled and greeted Luffy.

“How is it? Did you find it?” Rowen looked at Ace.

“Pluton has been obtained,” Ace reported, looking at Rowen.

“Very good,” Rowen smiled and nodded.

<><><><><><><><>

One of the Three Ancient Weapons, Pluton, was hidden in Wano Country.

Now that Wano Country was Rowen’s territory, and with the information Robin had obtained from the Alabasta Poneglyph, finding Pluton was not a problem.

He hadn’t gone looking for it before because he didn’t have a suitable energy source. Even if he found it, he would have just gotten a pile of scrap metal.

Pluton had been buried in Wano Country for hundreds of years. Whether it would be damaged to some extent by rashly unsealing it from its burial place was unknown.

Now that the Mother Flame was in hand, and with the genius scientist Vegapunk under his command, it was time for Pluton to reappear in the world.

The power of Uranus was immense. Even Rowen had consumed a large amount of stamina and Haki to neutralize its attack.

For Rowen, who still had to face Imu in direct combat, burning through so much stamina and Haki just to counter Uranus was a terrible trade-off.

Rowen’s stamina and Haki were very precious; they couldn’t be wasted in such a place.

Naturally, he also needed the power of a corresponding Ancient Weapon to deal with the power of Uranus.

And Pluton was the most suitable weapon.

After all, Poseidon—as a biological weapon—its strength was not in direct attack, but in commanding all Sea Kings, turning the sea into its own territory. In terms of direct attack power, it was inferior to Pluton and Uranus.

Thus, of the Three Ancient Weapons—Imu possessed Uranus.

And Rowen possessed the two great Ancient Weapons, Poseidon and Pluton.

<><><><><><><><>

“How is Pluton’s condition?” Rowen asked.

Pluton was still in Wano Country.

“Shaka is leading Queen, Franky, and the others in assessing and repairing it. With the manufacturing blueprints in Franky’s hands, everything is going smoothly,” Ace smiled.

Though Vegapunk’s main body was still here, Vegapunk’s three main research satellites, Shaka, Edison, and Pythagoras, had already gone to Wano Country. With Punk Records, the research ability of these three satellites was no less than Vegapunk’s main body.

Plus the Pluton manufacturing blueprints in Franky’s hands, assessing and repairing this Pluton.

Because of Rowen, Pluton’s blueprints were not destroyed. The existence of the blueprints was very important—with the blueprints, Vegapunk could know all the manufacturing details of Pluton, including the composition of Pluton’s energy system.

Knowing this, it was very easy to use the Mother Flame as a new energy source to drive Pluton, adding it to Pluton’s energy system.

<><><><><><><><>

BEEP! BEEP!

Rowen came to a large screen and connected the signal.

BEEP!

The large screen flickered, and Shaka and Franky appeared on the screen.

“SUPERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Franky made his signature pose and slogan.

After Vegapunk joined and moved the entire island of Egghead to the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet’s main base, this place had been modified.

With Vegapunk’s ability to make Transponder Snail signals cover the entire sea, allowing the whole world to receive broadcasts, connecting the video signals of Wano Country and here was a piece of cake.

“How is it, Franky? The process of putting the Mother Flame into Pluton.”

Rowen looked at the energetic Franky and smiled.

“SUPERRRRRRRR smooth!!! Soon, Pluton will be able to start up!”

Franky’s face was a little excited.

The manufacturing blueprints for Pluton were passed down from his master, Tom.

They represented the strongest shipbuilding technology of Water 7.

To let such a strong ship reappear in the world was an honor for them.

“With the manufacturing blueprints, the process is indeed much easier. According to my calculations, Pluton’s attack power is no less than Uranus,”

Shaka smiled.

“Very good,” Rowen smiled.

Pluton’s attack method was naturally not cannonballs.

In the One Piece world, there were no cannonballs that could destroy an island in one shot.

Pluton’s one shot was an energy beam similar to Uranus.

Using the Mother Flame as an energy key was the most suitable.

Next time they fought and Imu activated the power of Uranus, Rowen could also directly activate the power of Pluton to counter it.

He didn’t need to consume his precious stamina and Haki anymore.

<><><><><><><><>

“Pluton’s matter, I’ll leave it to you,” Rowen smiled.

“AWOOO! LEAVE IT TO US!” Franky was full of pervertedness.

Then, Rowen cut off the video signal.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Another large screen, the video signal began to flash.

“Arara… those guys’ counterattack is really surprising. As expected of Hachinosu Island,” Kuzan’s voice came from the screen.

“How scary~ The Blackbeard Pirates,” Borsalino’s lazy voice also sounded.

“Mr. Rowen… Hachinosu Island has been surrounded by us,” Issho said slowly.

<><><><><><><><>

~ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep