Chapter 460: Open Fire

Half a day later.

Crocodile and his group boarded the Sky Island, and it was here that they first saw that colossal behemoth hovering high in the sky, resembling both a warship and an irresistible fortress of war.

"What... is this?! A ship flying in the sky? How is that possible?!"

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Isn't the size even more terrifying? How long is this thing? One thousand meters? No, definitely more than that!"

"I feel like one shot from this thing could blow the Marine Headquarters into the sky!"

While everyone was astonished, none of them noticed Crocodile's stunned gaze nearby:

"This is... Pluton!"

Even seeing it for the first time, he spoke its name.

Yes, Pluton.

Crocodile's understanding of Pluton was limited to a few fleeting glimpses within translations of the Poneglyphs.

The most evil warship in history, capable of destroying a nation with a single shot, an invincible steel behemoth...

When such exaggerated terms appeared in the records of that ancient kingdom, The Weight Within required no further words to prove itself.

Crocodile had no doubt about Pluton's power; what shocked him was that Gao Wen, silently and without fanfare, already held a trump card sufficient to overturn the World Government.

The reason pirates across the seas chose to respond to the World Government's call was, half due to the desire to obtain precious evacuation quotas from the World Government.

The other half was fear of the Ancient Weapons.

A single strike that left a crater hundreds of miles in diameter in Britannias, annihilated Kaido of the Hundred Beasts, and indirectly caused a global rise in sea levels, accelerating the world's submersion.

This was already a weapon capable of ending the world in a substantive sense; originally, only the World Government possessed it, but now Gao Wen did too, coupled with the legendary powerhouses already stockpiled in Britannias...

If Crocodile previously had only fifty percent confidence in whether Gao Wen could replace the World Government to become the new hegemon, then now that confidence had risen to ninety percent.

More importantly, Pluton's appearance here was undoubtedly a massive mockery of his nearly twenty years of lying low in Alabasta.

"When did you obtain it?!"

"It was just manufactured over these past few months."

Gao Wen's tone was indifferent:

"However, this warship, built using Pluton's blueprints as a foundation combined with numerous technologies, has surpassed the original Pluton; its name now is Avalon."

"Avalon..."

Crocodile murmured, unable to help but curl his lips into a self-mocking smile, realizing once again that he had underestimated Gao Wen.

This man, who within a mere three years fought his way through the Grand Line, rising from an unknown nobody in the East Blue to the Lionheart King whose name echoed across the world, possessed not only strength comparable to gods and demons.

This capacity for calculation was his truly terrifying aspect.

Crocodile suddenly realized.

Starting from becoming a Warlord of the Sea in the East Blue, everything that happened to Gao Wen afterward might have been part of his plan all along.

After failing to seize intelligence regarding Pluton in Alabasta, he turned instead to Water Seven to snatch Pluton's blueprints, and when the situation became untenable, he released fake blueprints to clear his own suspicions while securing the real Pluton blueprints, escaping unscathed right before the Marines' eyes.

Afterwards, he fought his way into the New World, conquered Britannias, and at that time...

Crocodile's breath caught in his throat:

"Your goal was Pluton from the very beginning?!"

Gao Wen glanced at him and said lightly:

"If you think so, then it is so; although this thing holds little significance for me now."

Crocodile's mouth twitched.

What do you mean 'if I think so, then it is so'?! What do you mean 'holds little significance for you'?!

This is Pluton, a weapon capable of shaking the world, and something I spent twenty years seeking in vain; don't describe it so casually!

However.

It was only at this moment that Crocodile remembered: the Gao Wen before him had recently withstood a direct bombardment from an Ancient Weapon, yet remained completely unharmed...

Could it be that even an Ancient Weapon is powerless against this monster?!

Gao Wen paid no attention to Crocodile's expression, his tone still indifferent:

"However."

"Since it has already been built, we might as well let this world witness just how magnificent Pluton's firepower truly is!"

Crocodile raised his eyes to look at the steel behemoth before him; his gaze held shock, a hint of anticipation, but mostly clarity.

If he had made a different choice back then and chosen to defect to the World Government, what awaited him in the end might have been Pluton's firepower, or the pursuit of this monster.

No.

Perhaps Gao Wen wouldn't even need to act personally; those monsters within the Knights of the Round Table could easily tear the Cross Guild to shreds!

As if he could see through Crocodile's thoughts, Gao Wen turned and walked toward the distant shipyard:

"Let's go."

"Since you've already joined the crew, I'll take you to meet those monsters."

"They are quite enthusiastic; I hope you can accept it!"

"Enthusiastic?!"

Crocodile was somewhat confused, yet inexplicably felt a chill.

It seemed...

Britannias was not such a good choice after all!

……

Time flew by, and half a month later.

Late at night.

High above the offshore waters of Britannias, dark clouds gathered thickly; flashes of lightning streaked across the sky from time to time, followed immediately by restless claps of thunder!

Crash—!

Lei Guang tore through the sky, illuminating the vast ocean.

It also revealed the densely packed pirate ships drifting along the borders of Britannias.

This time, in order to compete for the limited spots to land on the moon held by the World Government, nearly every major power had chosen to dispatch troops.

"The Navy has emptied its ranks; almost every notorious figure from the New World has arrived. Even with a rough estimate, the warships swarming here exceed twenty thousand, and the number of participants has reached an unprecedented several million!"

Big Mom stood on the deck, ignoring the rain lashing against her body, gazing toward distant Britannias with a grotesque grin:

"This is the Great Pirate Era—no, this is the greatest war in history!"

"And it is also the funeral for that monster, Britannias!"

Such a force was already sufficient to conquer every power; even Britannias was no exception!

"Mama~ Mama~"

Beside Big Mom, King stood with arms crossed, gazing toward distant Britannias; flames seemed to burn within his pupils, yet he still chose to lie low.

"Knight Gao Wen, I shall let you live a little longer."

"I will personally avenge my elder brother Kaido and take your head."

Big Mom could not help but speak:

"No rush; we have plenty of time. This time, the entire world wants him dead; no one can stop it."

"However..."

A strange glint flashed through Big Mom's eyes:

"That boy Katakuri should be coming too, right?!"

She looked left and right; seeing none of the figure she expected, she gave up and quietly waited for the moment the war would begin.

……

……

"What exactly is Britannias up to?!"

"Even at this stage, has Gao Wen still not appeared?!"

Within the Navy camp.

Akainu stood on the deck, slowly lowering the telescope in his hand, his face Solemn.

In recent days, they had continuously dispatched small boats to infiltrate Britannias in an attempt to gather intelligence from within, yet none had ever returned.