Chapter 128: Assault on the Holy Land! The Death of Imu!
A pitch-black steel colossus floated amidst the clouds, blotting out the sky.
High above, a hundred-meter-long avian failed to evade in time and crashed headfirst into the hull of Pluton, knocking itself unconscious before plummeting into the sea below.
"Mr. Tom, this altitude still isn't enough—we need to go a few thousand meters higher. Queen, Judge, Caesar, stop standing around! Get moving and help out!"
The three hurried down to the lowest level of Pluton's hull to test the latest flight system, but the results were far from ideal.
It could fly—
But not high enough!
Pluton frequently collided with birds in the sky, some of which were even larger than Sea Kings.
That was dangerous.
The flight altitude had to be increased—at the very least, it needed to exceed the typical flight range of avian species.
Moreover, flying too low meant it could easily be seen from the ground, making a surprise attack on the Holy Land impossible.
"Milord, the three of us may know a bit about mechanical modifications, but upgrading Pluton is beyond us. This is advanced technology from the Ancient Kingdom," Caesar grumbled, unable to help but complain to Chu Yang. Compared to mechanical engineering, their expertise lay in biological modifications.
Chu Yang understood their frustration—he himself was at a loss. The knowledge he had learned from the Marvel universe was practically useless here.
The systems weren't even remotely similar!
Pluton was the most advanced weapon of the Great Kingdom 800 years ago, filled with cutting-edge technology from that era.
It would take an immense amount of time for Chu Yang to fully grasp and master it.
If not for Tom's years of studying Pluton's blueprints, even getting the flight system operational would have been an uphill battle.
"What now?"
Chu Yang frowned. Granting Pluton the ability to fly was a crucial step in his plan.
"We have no choice but to find Vegapunk."
"But ever since he left Punk Hazard's lab, I haven't received any updates on his whereabouts."
Caesar spread his hands, indicating his helplessness.
Queen and Judge also admitted they had never contacted him.
Chu Yang wasn't sure about the current timeline—whether Vegapunk had begun researching the Ancient Kingdom's technology on Egghead Island.
With no intelligence to rely on, his only option was to gamble.
Fortunately, Egghead Island was in the New World. While tracking it down would be troublesome, it wasn't an impossible task.
Dozens of shadow clones departed from Pluton simultaneously.
Two days later—
As Chu Yang waited for news, Dragon suddenly approached him with a peculiar expression.
"Our comrades on the ground reported that an old man has found them… says he's Vegapunk."
Chu Yang was momentarily stunned.
Then it hit him—
Vegapunk was after Pluton!
He wanted access to its core technology!
"I nearly forgot—Pluton is the perfect bait…"
Chu Yang shook his head with a smile. "How could Vegapunk pass up the chance to study the pinnacle of civilization?"
"He gained knowledge from the Ancient Robot left behind by the Great Kingdom—Pluton will only provide him with more."
Vegapunk, born in the frigid land of Karakuri Island, had spent his life chasing a singular dream: infinite energy.
He believed that all human wars stemmed from the struggle for resources. If humanity had access to limitless energy, true and everlasting peace could be achieved.
"Should we go meet him? It could be a trap," Dragon cautioned.
Dragon and Vegapunk were old acquaintances. After the destruction of Ohara, they had even mourned Professor Clover together.
"No matter how big the trap, I'm going."
Chu Yang smiled, unfazed.
Without alerting anyone else, he and Dragon left Pluton and made their way to the mainland.
Vegapunk had chosen to meet at a Revolutionary Army outpost near Winter Island, on a massive bridge that had recently been liberated.
When Chu Yang saw Vegapunk, his head was still enormous—he hadn't yet undergone the separation process.
Resembling Albert Einstein, Vegapunk inexplicably gave Chu Yang a sense of familiarity.
The two sat and chatted for a while, finding common ground with ease.
After all, Chu Yang was a bona fide scientist himself—especially in the fields of mechanical engineering and energy.
Nuclear reactors? He knew them like the back of his hand.
Vegapunk, on the other hand, lacked the theoretical knowledge in that domain. Every word Chu Yang spoke fascinated him.
Meanwhile, Dragon scouted the surroundings, checking for potential threats. The ease of this meeting was almost suspicious.
In truth, Vegapunk's visit hadn't raised alarms within the World Government.
Or rather, with the Navy's recent defeats, the government was too preoccupied with internal crises to monitor Vegapunk.
The information about this outpost had actually been extracted from the World Government's intelligence network by Vegapunk himself.
"Are you sure about this? Once you board that ship, you'll be completely severed from the World Government. If we fail, your fate will be grim."
"If you stay within the government, no matter what happens in the future, you won't suffer much."
Speaking as an old friend, Dragon voiced his genuine concerns.
Vegapunk's response was simple:
"I need Pluton."
In the world of pirates, the pursuit of dreams often outweighed everything else. People were willing to pay any price to achieve their aspirations.
Vegapunk, who had long yearned for infinite energy, was unwavering in his resolve.
Dragon and Chu Yang exchanged glances. Chu Yang stood up, extending his hand toward Vegapunk.
"Then welcome aboard. I have a feeling we'll have a lot to discuss."
Vegapunk shook Chu Yang's hand, smiling.
"I'm looking forward to working with you. Your ideas have already given me great inspiration."
Wasting no time, the three immediately returned.
The moment Vegapunk stepped onto Pluton, his eyes were filled with nothing but awe.
"So this is the greatest masterpiece of that era… I can't even put its beauty into words."
"Come with me—I'll take you to the lab."
Chu Yang led Vegapunk inside, stopping at the midpoint between the living quarters and the power core.
For convenience, he had asked Tom to convert the area into a research lab, which also served as Tom's personal workshop.
Tiger had assigned many Fish-Men to assist him.
"This place is great, though a bit cramped," Vegapunk remarked tactfully.
"Once the war is over, Pluton will have plenty of free space. You'll be able to use it however you like," Chu Yang replied with a smile.
"You seem confident. Do you truly understand what you're up against?"
Vegapunk's expression grew serious.
"I'm not Joy Boy. Just because he failed doesn't mean I will."
Chu Yang's response was filled with meaning.
"If that's the case, then I won't suggest wasting time in Elbaf."
"When Ohara was destroyed, the library's books were smuggled there by the Giants. But for you, that probably doesn't mean much."
With that, Vegapunk turned and pushed open the lab door.
Inside, Queen and the others were hard at work. The moment they saw Vegapunk, they froze.
"You?! What are you doing here?"
Queen removed his sunglasses, rubbing them in disbelief.
Vegapunk glanced around with a nostalgic expression.
"Seeing you three here reminds me of MADS. Looks like we'll be working together again."
Caesar scowled. "You can leave anytime if you don't want to be here."
The three had always been equals in the lab, but with Vegapunk here, he would undoubtedly overshadow them.
They all understood this—and their attitudes reflected it.
But Vegapunk wasn't bothered in the slightest, smiling as he inspected their research.
To his surprise, their work on bloodline factors wasn't inferior to his own independent research over the years.
This only solidified his decision to stay.
Three days later—
Pluton's flight system saw a dramatic improvement.
By incorporating an anti-gravity system, Vegapunk drastically reduced energy consumption while enhancing stability.
Pluton's altitude had increased by a staggering ten thousand meters.
Standing on the deck, Chu Yang could faintly make out the outline of Skypiea.
If research funding ever runs tight in the future, a trip to Jaya Island's "City of Gold," Shandora, might be worthwhile.
"The time is almost right..."
Dragon held a newspaper in his hand. The headline announced that Cobra, King of Alabasta, had officially declared his withdrawal from the alliance of World Government member nations.
He refused to pay the Heavenly Tribute and also rejected the order to lead his soldiers to Mary Geoise.
Cobra's actions acted like a fuse, sparking a wave of imitation among nobles worldwide. With the Navy crippled, the World Government's control was rapidly weakening.
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