Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the basement of Sakazuki's house.
Sakazuki, Bullet, and Enel were gathered together.
On the massive equipment screen appeared the simulated image of the Pluton.
Clicking on it displayed all parameters and a power simulation video.
Watching the simulation of the weapon blasting through the Red Line, Bullet's eyes gleamed with excitement:
"This thing is impressive."
"Does it really have this much power?"
Enel said:
"Of course."
"Unless there are external factors, the simulation accuracy is above ninety-nine percent."
"Based on the known island data, no matter what kind of structure the island is made of..."
"None of them can withstand it."
"After all, this is an Ancient Weapon."
"Each one exists to destroy the world."
"It's just the cost... tsk."
Sakazuki looked at the long list on the screen and the rough budget—even after shrinking it by a hundred times—frowning deeply:
"We were too optimistic."
"This cost..."
"We can't afford it."
The annual military funds given to the Marines by the World Government, aside from soldiers' expenses and some reserves, left almost nothing to spare—definitely not enough to reallocate.
The collected construction funds came entirely from what Sakazuki and Marines across the Four Seas had saved over the years.
But even putting everything into it wasn't enough. And some materials were simply unavailable—worse, some were strictly controlled by the government.
There was no good way to obtain them.
Enel looked helpless:
"Then simplify it."
"There's no better way."
Sakazuki looked at the model on the screen:
"Can it be broken down now?"
Enel nodded:
"Yes. What do we remove?"
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes:
"Remove everything except the main cannon and the power source."
Enel's fingers flew across the controls, and the model on the screen kept shrinking.
In the end, only a single massive cannon connected to a power source remained, looking strange and bare:
"Done."
Sakazuki asked:
"Does this affect its power?"
Enel tapped the screen twice, watching the real-time simulation data update:
"Hmm... no."
"Removing the extra parts doesn't affect the main cannon's power."
Sakazuki looked at the cannon:
"Then we go with this optimized version."
"No shipbuilding."
"Just build this giant cannon."
"Increase its power, optimize its output, range, aiming systems, everything."
"Shipbuilding is secondary."
"What we need is the weapon itself."
"Build it with the goal of piercing through the world and striking any island."
"This will be the weapon that shakes the world in the future."
"Later, we'll mount it atop the Red Line, aimed at the world."
"No concealment. Let everyone in the world see it and fear it."
Enel teased:
"Dictator? Tyrant?"
Sakazuki chuckled:
"Those titles don't matter. What matters is the result."
"Only when people face a mountain they cannot cross..."
"Will all disputes end. Only then will they understand what peace is."
"That feeling of a sword hanging over their heads will force them to make the most rational choices."
"One day, this sea will give birth to a ruler who dominates the world."
Bullet grinned wickedly. No one could resist the temptation of world domination.
This was ambition carved into the bones...
Enel was also getting excited:
"Things are heating up."
"What about that old fishman? Should we get rid of him? And those two brats too."
"After all, we got the blueprints from him."
"And the government captured him. If they get similar ideas, that could be trouble."
Sakazuki shook his head:
"No need. That old man is already dead."
"He died on Enies Lobby a few days ago. The government didn't get the blueprints."
"And even if they did, they wouldn't build it. Diverting years of Heavenly Tribute into weapons?..."
"Those nobles, addicted to privilege, would never agree."
"There are three Ancient Weapons."
"Pluton is this. Poseidon is the Mermaid Princess. Only Uranus is missing—there's little information about it."
"Maybe the secret the government uses to suppress the world... is Uranus."
"After all, it can 'cleanse the world'..."
Enel clicked his tongue:
"Is it really that powerful?"
"I've heard this talk so many times my ears are numb."
"But the world doesn't seem to show any traces of being 'cleansed'."
Sakazuki said quietly:
"That's because the islands that disappeared... were buried in the river of time."
"The sea is far more isolated than you can imagine."
"What we take for granted—ninety percent of the world finds unbelievable."
"Many royals in the Four Seas don't even know the fishmen exist."
"Let alone the commoners in their kingdoms."
"Of the islands that vanished in the Skegli Sea, how many names can you remember?"
"Aside from the seas near the New World, the people in the Four Seas probably never even knew those places existed."
"After a few decades, when those who remember die off..."
"All that remains is a name."
"No one remembers that over twenty thousand Marines, multiple islands, and countless civilians lie buried there."
"Most islands only have records going back decades, maybe a hundred years or two."
"Earlier than that? Nothing. Time buries everything."
"So once the government has such a weapon, they'll have no fear."
"Even if they cleanse at will, there's no need to worry."
"They understand the rules of this world and control them."
"They rewrite the world as people know it—'there was never an island here' on the maps."
"Year after year, eventually there really isn't an island there."
"Time is the most terrifying thing."
Enel shivered:
"Why do I feel cold just hearing this."
"But it does make sense..."
Sakazuki smiled:
"Do you know about Rocks?"
Bullet nodded:
"When I was eight, I heard people talk about the God Valley Incident."
"But I was too young to remember much."
"Just some vague impressions."
Enel shook his head, then nodded:
"Never heard of it, but Grandpa Morris told stories mentioning it a few times."
Sakazuki smiled:
"Rocks—years ago, he was the strongest pirate who dominated the world."
"Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido... all were his crew."
"Even Roger, the Redfield, and others had to avoid him back then."
"But so what?"
"No one remembers him."
"While Roger's name will be remembered far longer than anyone else's."
"People only remember the first."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total