On Sky Island, Souta Kiryuu was speaking to Dragon through a Den Den Mushi.
"The seas are in greater chaos than ever. The CP organizations and the Navy have nearly mobilized their entire forces to hunt for you. For now, it's better we stay quiet for a while."
Dragon had once again postponed their plan to strike the Flower Country and the Mulberry Country. In recent days, the World Government had gone mad, pouring everything into tracking the Kiryuu Pirates, which had also dragged the Revolutionary Army into heavy suppression. Dragon decided it was wiser to wait until the storm passed before resuming his plans.
"Suit yourself. I'm busy anyway," Souta replied casually. During this downtime, he intended to make a trip to the moon orbiting near the world, to see the ancient lunar city of Bilka. He wanted to test the strength of the mechanical soldiers said to be there. If they weren't even on par with Judge Vinsmoke's Germa clones, then they would be nothing but worthless junk.
When news spread that Souta planned to land on the moon, both Enel and Vegapunk were thrilled. Even Vegapunk hadn't known the moon was accessible—or that it held ancient cities. Once the Ark Maxim was prepared, Capone Bege's castle stocked up on food and oxygen, and the Kiryuu Pirates embarked on an unprecedented adventure.
"Woohoo! Souta-nii, this is insane! I thought Sky Island was already a legend, but you're actually taking us to the moon!"
Jewelry Bonney jumped excitedly onto Souta's back, brimming with joy. She felt meeting Souta was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to her and her father. Without him, she had no idea what fate would have befallen them.
"Boss, your intel had better be right! Otherwise, we're all going to die on the moon," Capone Bege muttered, uneasy. Sky Islands had long been whispered about on the seas, but the idea of landing on the moon itself was beyond anything he'd ever imagined. Following this boss was never dull—it was either battling Celestial Dragons or exploring worlds thought impossible.
"Souta, are you certain there's really a city on the moon?"
Even Vegapunk had left his laboratory for this rare chance to explore a place no one had ever set foot on.
"Otherwise, where do you think the Ark Maxim's power source came from?" Souta said as he walked to the ship's transparent energy spheres. They were identical to the storage spheres from the ancient lunar city of Bilka. It was even possible some Sky Islanders were descendants of moon dwellers.
"This is the discovery of the century! So there's an entire race of moon people!" Vegapunk exclaimed, thrilled. If the moon had an environment where life could survive, he could establish a research base there. He even entertained the idea of setting his massive brain upon the moon, building a colossal signal tower to record all human knowledge.
"Perhaps the ancient kingdom, with its technology a thousand years ahead of its time, drew its power from the moon," Souta said calmly. Eight hundred years ago, the Great Kingdom had been centuries more advanced than the Blue Sea. Yet it was annihilated by the alliance of twenty kings, erased from history. Maybe the moon lacked Devil Fruit powers, and their technology ultimately fell before Blue Sea dwellers who possessed them.
The moon now lay abandoned, barren of resources or abilities. Only power could awaken its slumbering cities and restart their production lines.
"Wait—you mean ancient technology is tied to the moon people?" Vegapunk quickly jotted down the idea. On Egghead Island, he had encountered plenty of ancient technologies distinct from anything on the seas. This connection was plausible.
"We'll only know if we explore," Souta replied. Secretly, he was more curious about the so-called Space Pirates. Were they truly interstellar travelers, or just native lifeforms? The world of pirates needed its horizons broadened. Whether it was the cosmic raiders or the underworld linked to the Yomi-no-Kuni Fruit, Souta felt this world still held countless mysteries. One day, he would descend into the underworld itself—and reach for the stars above.
···
While the seas boiled with turmoil, the Kiryuu Pirates leisurely began their lunar voyage. The trip took nearly a week, but at last they arrived at the once-inaccessible moon.
"There's actually air here!" Vegapunk exclaimed, backpack strapped tight as he set foot on the desolate surface.
"So this is the legendary Endless Earth?" Enel whispered in disbelief. Kneeling down, he scooped up a handful of soil with his golden staff, murmuring softly. His homeland, Birkal, had legends of this Endless Earth, which had filled him with longing. But in reality, it was a barren wasteland, silent and cold.
"Spread out and locate the lunar city of Bilka. It's hidden beneath the surface somewhere. Doctor, use your scanners. Enel, we'll use electricity to search," Souta ordered. What he really wanted was to encounter those Space Pirates—but the timing wasn't right. They wouldn't show up yet.
Standing on the moon, Souta gazed down at the vast Pirate World. From here, the sea planet was a massive blue sphere. No wonder both Sky Islanders and moon people called it the Blue Sea. From this vantage, he could even see several satellites orbiting the world.
Indeed, this pirate world had more than one moon.
"I wonder if life exists on those other celestial bodies. Could the Space Pirates come from there?" Souta thought, excitement stirring within him. The possibilities for future adventures were endless. He remembered the Space Pirates resembled the Mink Tribe from Zou. Could there be a connection? Regardless, he would uncover the world's full truth one day.
···
On the third day of their search, it was Enel who first discovered the ancient lunar city of Bilka. With a massive bolt of lightning, he reactivated the dormant mechanical metropolis, bringing the long-dead city back to life.
Vegapunk was ecstatic. If he could fully understand this technology, he might even activate the colossal robot he'd theorized about. Enel, however, quickly lost patience. The small mechanical moon soldiers treated him like a savior, and he booted several aside in annoyance. His dreams of an Endless Earth had been shattered—the reality was nothing like what he had imagined.
"Doctor, take everything of use back with us. I want you to build a true spacefaring vessel," Souta instructed. He made no mention yet of constructing Pluton, but he wanted plenty of agile airships. He intended to dominate the skies entirely. Depending on just one or two Float-Float Fruit users wasn't enough. He needed whole fleets of combat-ready aerial warships, powerful enough to crush both the Navy and any pirate crews who stood against him.