Chapter 168 The War on Onigashima, Pluton!
Brett began his downward excavation work.
This wasn't particularly difficult. For Brett, ordinary soil and rock weren't much harder than foam—a casual swipe of his claws could open a large hole in the ground.
However, Brett still felt this excavation speed was too slow.
He needed to speed up.
"Demon Tile True Fist!"
Brett punched downward.
The concentrated vibration penetrated the ground below like a laser, carving out a deep cavity.
Brett nodded with satisfaction.
This excavation speed was more appropriate.
Keep working!
While digging downward, Brett expanded his Observation Haki, straining to listen for any unusual sounds.
Since it was a legendary ancient weapon, it would naturally have extraordinary sounds, right?
Though Brett's Observation Haki wasn't known for its range, he could only rely on it now.
Just like that, down and down Brett continued digging.
While Brett was still working hard on his excavation, in Wano Country's inland sea, at the Beasts Pirates' base near Onigashima.
A ship with its mouth wide open, singing all the way, slowly approached Onigashima.
On Onigashima's side, warships had already left port and sailed toward the enemy.
"Linlin!!"
On the bow of the warship at the front of the Beasts Pirates fleet, Kaido roared furiously, "You dare invade my territory without permission—you should know what fate awaits you!"
Behind this man stood three tall figures.
Besides King, who had accompanied him to Whole Cake Island, there was a fat man smoking a cigar and a tall young strongman.
Doflamingo stood slightly behind these three.
He stared intently at the gaudy ship rapidly approaching.
On that ship's bow, the woman who had brought him indelible painful memories was clearly visible.
"Kaido!!"
Charlotte Linlin held her great sword Napoleon. Her voice was like thunder, no less imposing than Kaido's. "You ruined my wedding, stole my groom, and made me lose face in front of everyone!"
"You don't think this matter ends here, do you?!"
"That's because you stubborn old hag wouldn't listen to reason!"
Kaido sneered back, "Doflamingo is my man! Just taking him back was already giving you face!"
"Mamama! You little brat, you really have the guts to say that!"
Charlotte Linlin laughed angrily, "Then let me remind you of my terror!"
"If you've got the guts, come at me, you damned old hag!!"
Kaido drew his kanabo, roaring as he swung it.
"Kou Kong - Teki!"
"Fight!! Give these bastards some payback!"
Charlotte Linlin also raised her great sword Napoleon high.
"Ikoku!!"
BOOM!
A tremendous roar announced the beginning of war.
Two of the three strongest pirate crews in the New World now began full-scale conflict.
On nearby Onigashima, a figure in white and red quickly ran to the shore, looking toward the battlefield with some excitement.
"How lively!"
Then she lowered her head somewhat dejectedly, looking at the two broken shackles on her hands.
"Damn old man!"
So what if it was lively? It had nothing to do with her.
Back to Brett.
The excavation work continued.
He felt he'd already gone down at least a thousand meters—definitely below sea level now.
He could faintly hear some special sounds from below.
Besides the sounds, a more obvious change was the rapidly rising temperature, becoming extremely scorching.
Like standing beside a steel furnace.
Ordinary people probably couldn't continue downward at this point, but Brett was different.
He had invincible adaptability.
Continue down!
Another punch downward, Brett carved out another deep opening.
But this time, light came through the cavity.
Brett's heart leaped with joy—had he found it?
He hurried downward.
But when he reached the hole's exit and looked down while gripping the rock walls, he realized he was wrong.
"Whoa."
Brett couldn't help but exclaim.
Bright red to dark red colors, constantly rolling and surging, gurgling bubble sounds, scorching temperature, rising heat.
It was magma.
Below was an expanse of magma sea.
At this depth—barely below sea level—there was already a magma sea of this scale.
Wano Country's geography was truly miraculous.
But Brett understood how Kaido and the others were knocked into the magma layer in the original work.
Law's 800-meter-long sword hadn't reached the mantle, and Straw Hat's big fist wasn't strong enough to pound Kaido to the earth's core.
It wasn't that deep to begin with.
But naturally, it was already quite extraordinary.
Such shallow depth yet such massive magma reserves—if Brett hadn't seen the movies and knew otherwise, he might even suspect this country was one of the End Points.
"Could it be," Brett descended from his excavated passage, flame clouds wrapping around him to let him float above the magma sea, "that Pluton is hidden beneath this sea?"
Would he need to personally search in the magma?
Brett's mouth twitched.
Even with invincible adaptability, Brett didn't want to casually try bathing in magma.
Anyway, let's try searching with Observation Haki first.
Brett began circling above the magma sea.
If Pluton was really hidden here, he'd eventually discover some clues.
He could only patiently search now.
Ordinary people naturally couldn't conduct search work in such an environment, but Brett could.
The magma's heat didn't trouble him much—he couldn't even feel how scorching it was.
He flew back and forth above the magma sea with his Observation Haki active.
Then finally.
Brett suddenly stopped. He heard it—extraordinary sounds coming from the magma pool below.
The sound of steel!
The sound of weapons!
The sound of extraordinary steel and weapons!
This was it, right!
Brett grinned, then took a deep breath, covered his entire body with Armament Haki, and dove headfirst into the magma.
He really wanted Kaido and Akainu to see his heroic figure bathing in magma—what was a true strongest creature!
After the magma pool swallowed Brett, nothing changed. It still emanated scorching heat, still kept rolling.
Until several minutes later, the magma pool's surface exploded and Brett flew out again.
He gasped heavily.
Unlike the sea, there was no oxygen in magma—even as a Fish-Man, he couldn't breathe.
But—
"Incredible!"
Brett's eyes sparkled with extremely excited light.
He'd really found it!
Pluton was here!
The ultimate evil warship created by ancestors eight hundred years ago, capable of destroying the world—Pluton was here.
"Too bad I can't move it now."
Brett sighed.
Even he couldn't move such a massive warship from below.
No one could move it out.
Pluton's situation wasn't simply being submerged at the magma's bottom.
Sukiyaki had said all the walls around Wano Country needed to be torn down, and only after the country opened would Pluton see daylight again.
Brett felt they'd probably need Zunesha's power.
But this trip was completely worthwhile.
He'd confirmed Pluton's exact location and seen it with his own eyes.
Brett didn't hesitate and returned the same way.
Following his excavated passage, when he'd gone halfway up, he thought for a moment and punched the smooth rock wall beside him.
The passage began collapsing.
Brett repeated this action while continuing upward.
It was enough for him alone to know Pluton's whereabouts—no need to let Kaido, who was already desperately searching, benefit as well.
By the time he reached the room containing the Poneglyph, the passage had completely collapsed.
But even so, traces remained, so Brett simply threw a heavy punch at the room's center.
CRASH!
The entire room trembled, then shattered. Walls collapsed, the ceiling fell, and the room directly caved in.
Brett continued his destruction while going up.
Then water came.
In the passage leading up near the original Wano Country towns, Brett smashed all the walls in this section. Water that had been separated by walls instantly flooded in, completely submerging everything.
Brett nodded.
This should be about right.
The room housing the Poneglyph had become ruins and was completely flooded, let alone the passage leading below.
Even Fish-Men would probably be helpless.
As for how Brett himself would go down next time—
He'd figure it out later. Who knew when that would be?
After nearly destroying this downward passage, Brett leaped out from the castle tower.
Next, he should go to Udon to find stonemasons.
First, he needed to find someone to ask for directions.
When he landed, he saw a man appear before him.
"Who are you!"
The man had a topknot leaning forward, squinting eyes, and his unsheathed katana pointed directly at Brett.
Oh, seemed like he'd encountered another named character.
"Could you tell me how to get to Udon?"
Brett asked very politely.