The Aralon Pirates remained on the moon for half a month, filling every inch of Capone Bege's inner fortress with treasures and technology, thanks in no small part to the storage abilities of Kibakun the Burster, who allowed them to haul even more. Even the Ark Maxim was loaded to the brim before Dr. Vegapunk finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed it was time to depart.
Souta Kiryuu and Enel had ensured Birka City was supplied with enough lightning energy to run for years. They even left behind moon-born mechanical soldiers as guardians of the ancient city, along with a Den Den Mushi communicator—though it was uncertain whether a signal from Skypiea could truly reach the moon. As a final precaution, Souta ordered the machines to detonate a massive bomb if space pirates attacked, using the explosion as a beacon fire to alert Skypiea. In this way, reinforcements could arrive swiftly.
Souta remembered that even in the Blue Sea there was a mechanical island that had inherited lunar technology. Dr. Tsukimi, its eccentric caretaker, had kept robots identical to those of the moon. One fateful night, during a lunar bombardment by space pirates searching for Birka's ruins, Tsukimi had been frightened mid-meal and tragically choked to death. His loyal robots buried him, then ascended to the moon in balloons to exact revenge—only to be swiftly destroyed by the invaders, until Enel himself appeared upon Infinite Earth.
"Don't worry. We'll have another chance to set foot on the moon," Souta told Vegapunk, Bonney, and the others. In his heart, he had already resolved to capture those mysterious space pirates and uncover their origins. If they truly hailed from other moons or distant planets, then the possibilities were staggering. The thought alone stirred an adventurer's blood.
"Hehe~ This lady has walked the moon herself! That's even cooler than Roger reaching Raftel!" Bonney boasted proudly from atop her cloud-riding white sheep, sparking laughter from the crew. Even Law and Kuma couldn't hide their excitement. After all, they might be the first Blue Sea dwellers in history to step foot on the moon—a moment of monumental significance.
"Papa Kuma, your Paw-Paw Fruit ability must safely return all of this to Skypiea," Bonney urged eagerly. Under Souta's arrangements, Kuma carefully sent items of varying size back to the sky island—tiny fruits, massive crates four or five meters tall, and everything in between. The experiment would prove whether his ability could transport objects between the moon and Skypiea. If some items arrived while others failed, they could measure the ability's true limitations. If everything arrived intact, next time they could test even larger, heavier objects.
After all, Kuma had already demonstrated he could launch a cyborg like Franky or a twelve-meter giant like Morley with ease.
"I've done all I can. Once we're back on Skypiea, we'll know the results," Kuma said gently, patting Bonney's head. He wanted nothing more than to be the perfect father, but the truth could only be revealed once they returned.
Meanwhile, Dr. Vegapunk was still testing communications with the moon's mechanical soldiers through the Den Den Mushi, calculating the distance between the moon and Skypiea. These results would directly influence his future projects. As for Bruno's Door-Door Fruit ability, it was hopelessly limited. Since the Door World only mirrored the existing structures of Earth, there was no path leading to the moon.
By the time the Aralon Pirates returned, nearly a month had passed on the Blue Sea. The upheaval caused by the Sorbet Kingdom incident had largely been quelled by the World Government, but beneath the surface, the seas churned with hidden currents.
Under careful manipulation, the Government directed global attention toward the one Emperor who had not participated in the Sorbet war—the Whitebeard Pirates. Negative rumors spread like wildfire: that Edward Newgate's body was failing, that his powers had weakened, that his death was imminent. The Navy and Cipher Pol agents painted a picture of an Emperor whose prime had long passed.
At a shabby bar in the New World, whispers filled the air.
"I heard Whitebeard's hidden injuries have caught up to him. He can barely use Haki anymore—no better than Shiki the Golden Lion, with his legs cut off and a rudder stuck in his skull," sneered a wiry, sharp-eyed man as he spread the rumors.
"Once Whitebeard dies, an Emperor's seat opens up. Just imagine the territory! Who wouldn't be tempted?" another pirate grinned greedily. The Four Emperors had carved up nearly the entire New World, leaving smaller crews with only scraps or forcing them into vassalage. Survival in the New World was harsher than anywhere else.
"And what about the Aralon Pirates? They vanished for a whole month. The black market's offering fifty billion Berries for their base—same price once offered for the Ope-Ope Fruit!" someone else chimed in.
"Think they'll make a move on Whitebeard's crew? If they want the Emperor's throne, they'll have to."
The bar buzzed with speculation, most drawn by the staggering bounty on Souta Kiryuu's crew. A few, however, saw potential and dreamed of joining them. But if even the World Government and the Navy couldn't find the Aralon Pirates, how could anyone else?
Meanwhile, the Government's suspicion fell squarely on the likes of Gild Tesoro and Donquixote Doflamingo. CP agents dogged their every step, furious that these powerful underworld figures might funnel resources to Souta's crew. Tesoro in particular had already supplied the Aralon Pirates with valuable materials and Devil Fruit users after the Celestial Dragon incident in Sabaody. Though CP agents uncovered traces, they found no evidence—thanks to Baccarat's Luck-Luck Fruit, which shielded Tesoro from exposure.
Still, the Celestial Dragons personally warned him not to involve himself with Souta Kiryuu again. The words left him trembling with rage, smashing countless bottles of priceless red wine.
"Souta Kiryuu… you'd better get the Float-Float Fruit soon!" Tesoro growled through bloodshot eyes. If not for his beloved Gran Tesoro, he would have torn those agents—and the arrogant Celestial Dragon who threatened him—limb from limb.