Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the underground chamber of Sakazuki's residence.
Sakazuki, Barrett, and Enel were gathered together.
A giant equipment screen displayed a simulation of Pluton.
Upon clicking, various parameters and a power simulation video could be shown.
Watching the simulation of the attack that tore through the Red Line, a glint of excitement flickered in Barrett's eyes:
"This thing is quite something."
"Does it really have that much power?" Enel asked.
"Of course," Enel replied.
"Unless external factors intervene, the simulation accuracy reaches over ninety-nine percent."
"Based on the data analysis of known islands, regardless of their composition."
"None of them can withstand it."
"After all, it's an Ancient Weapon."
"Each one is capable of destroying the world."
"It's just the cost... tsk."
Sakazuki frowned deeply, looking at the long list on the screen and the estimated budget reduced a hundredfold:
"I was too optimistic."
"This expense..."
"It's unsustainable."
The World Government's annual military expenditure for the Marines, after paying soldiers and setting aside reserves, leaves very little, and it cannot be diverted.
The manufacturing funds collected were accumulated by Sakazuki and the Marine soldiers from the Four Seas branches over the years.
However, even with all of it invested, it wouldn't be enough. Furthermore, some materials were missing, and others were strictly controlled by the government.
There was no easy way to obtain them.
Enel looked helpless:
"Streamline it."
"There's no other good solution."
Sakazuki looked at the model on the screen:
"Can it be disassembled now?"
Enel nodded:
"Yes, what should be removed?"
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes:
"Everything except the main cannon and the energy source."
Enel rapidly tapped on the equipment, and the model on the screen continuously shrunk.
Finally, only a main cannon and its connected energy source remained, looking rather peculiar:
"Done."
Sakazuki said:
"Is there a difference in power compared to before?"
Enel tapped the screen twice and looked at the real-time updated simulation data:
"Hmm... No."
"The extraneous parts do not affect the main cannon's power."
Sakazuki looked at the main cannon:
"Let's proceed with this optimized version."
"We're not building a ship."
"We will build this giant cannon."
"Increase its power output, optimize its form, range, and targeting."
"Building a ship is putting the cart before the horse."
"We only need the weapon."
"We will build it with the goal of piercing the world and striking any island."
"This will be a weapon to awe the world in the future."
"We will mount it on the Red Line, aimed at the world."
"No need to conceal it, let everyone in the world see it and fear it."
Enel teased:
"Dictator? Tyrant?"
Sakazuki chuckled:
"None of that matters, only the result does."
"Only when an insurmountable mountain stands before the people."
"Will all disputes end, and will they know peace."
"That feeling of a sword hanging over their heads will lead them to the most rational choices."
"This sea will eventually produce a hegemon who rules the world."
Barrett grinned; no one wouldn't be interested in ruling the world.
It was like seeing a broken stone inscribed with "By the mandate of Heaven, eternal prosperity," that broken stone... you couldn't even crack a nut with it.
But when that broken stone was in one's hand, "Heaven's mandate... is with me!!!"
These were ambitions etched into one's bones...
Enel also became somewhat excited:
"I'm starting to feel fired up."
"What about that old Fish-Man and those two brats, should we take care of them?"
"After all, the blueprints came from him."
"And he was captured by the Government. It would be troublesome if the Government also had such ideas."
Sakazuki shook his head:
"There's no need. That old man is already dead."
"He died at Enies Lobby a few days ago, and the Government didn't get the blueprints."
"Even if they did, they likely wouldn't build it, investing years of Celestial Gold into weapon manufacturing."
"Those nobles, accustomed to privilege, wouldn't agree."
"There are three Ancient Weapons."
"Pluton is this one, Poseidon is the Mermaid Princess, and Uranus's whereabouts are unknown, with very little recorded information."
"Perhaps the secret the Government holds 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 that so many times my ears are starting to get calluses."
"The world doesn't seem to show any signs of having been cleansed."
Sakazuki said softly:
"That's because the islands that disappeared have been swallowed by the river of time."
"The extent to which information is blocked at sea is far beyond imagination."
"What we now take for granted is unbelievable to ninety percent of the world's population."
"Kings and nobles in the Four Seas, many don't even know the existence of the Fish-Man race."
"Let alone the citizens who form kingdoms."
"How many of the islands that disappeared in the Skypiea sea can you remember?"
"Except for those in the seas adjacent to the New World, the people of the Four Seas might not even know of that place."
"After a few decades, when the people who remembered it are dead."
"That sea will only have a name left."
"No one will remember that over twenty thousand Marines, several islands, and countless civilians were buried there."
"Records on many islands only go back a few decades, or one or two hundred years."
"Beyond that, there's nothing. Time can bury everything."
"So, once the Government possesses such a weapon, they will be fearless."
"Even if they cleanse at will, they won't have to worry."
"They understand the rules of this world and manipulate them."
"They arbitrarily alter the world as people perceive it, claiming there were never islands here on the sea chart."
"Year after year, there truly will be no islands here."
"Time is the most terrifying thing."
Enel gasped:
"You're making me feel a chill."
"But it does seem to be true..."
Sakazuki smiled:
"Do you know Rocks?"
Barrett nodded:
"Around eight years old, I heard people discussing the God Valley Incident."
"But I was too young to remember much."
"Just a vague impression."
Enel shook his head, then nodded:
"I haven't heard of him, but Grandpa Maurice told stories."
"He mentioned him a few times."
Sakazuki smiled:
"Rocks, the strongest pirate who dominated the world years ago."
"The Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, whom you are most familiar with, were all his crew members."
"Even Roger and the Red Earl at the time had to avoid his might."
"But so what?"
"No one will remember him."
"But Roger's name will be remembered by people for far longer than others."
"People will only remember the first."