"How's it going?" On the Dawn, Robin stood on the deck, asking MR.5 about the situation.
"We've leaked our location. I heard the Marine Headquarters forces just made a move on Andia Kingdom." MR.5 replied immediately.
"Good. Head towards the direction Boss is coming from."
"Understood."
Robin and the others had deliberately leaked the information to draw Garp's large fleet away from Andia Kingdom. Andia was still in a phase of rapid development.
If war broke out there now, it would be extremely disadvantageous. Plus, their activities within Andia couldn't withstand a serious investigation. So, exposing themselves was necessary to divert attention.
However, they managed the distance and timing well. The large Marine fleet could only trail far behind, unable to close in. After about half a day, Robin successfully rendezvoused with Rosen.
To avoid dragging the Pirate Empress into their affairs, Rosen and Hathaway disembarked from her ship while still at a distance from the Dawn.
"Should we pick a fight with them?" MR.5 suddenly seemed eager.
"Fight!" Natalie chimed in, joining the excitement.
"No, we keep fleeing. First, escape the Marines' tracking range. Then we'll find an opportunity to circle back to Andia Kingdom."...
Aboard the flagship of the large Marine fleet, a lookout peered through binoculars at the figures on the distant Dawn Pirates' ship, relaying his report: "Intelligence was wrong. Crocodile is on the ship, he didn't leave. All the main officers are present."
"Continue at full speed. Once within firing range, open fire at will." Aokiji felt a headache coming on. Earlier, they thought the Dawn Pirates' captain wasn't on board and considered capturing the others. Now it seems, that wasn't possible.
Ramirez had also calmed down considerably. Normally, he would charge across the sea to attack, regardless of the danger.
But not now. Aokiji's tough stance, combined with Ramirez's earlier mistake, had led the World Government to exert some pressure on him.
Ramirez could ignore anyone, including the Fleet Admiral, but he obeyed the World Government that had raised him since childhood implicitly.
"Report, we've lost them." After chasing into the night, Garp and the others lost sight of the Dawn Pirates. Compared to the Marine battleships, the Dawn's ship still held a speed advantage.
And with the Grand Line's unpredictable weather, the vast sea at night seemed endless. Even Garp's fleet would find it difficult to pursue such a powerful pirate crew.
If it were easy, countless pirates on the seas would have been caught long ago.
"We'll rest on this deserted island for the night. They're cunning. Tomorrow, contact nearby Marine bases to reconfirm their direction. We can't let them escape so easily," Garp issued the order.
"Yes, sir!" The Lieutenant Commander acknowledged.
Later that night, Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Aokiji held a meeting regarding the Dawn Pirates. Meanwhile, intelligence agents in Andia Kingdom brought news that weighed heavily on them.
"Is this information accurate? The recent change in Andia Kingdom's throne is closely linked to the Dawn Pirates?" Aokiji's heart grew heavy. This was a superpower, one of the World Government's key economic contributors.
The Heavenly Tribute they paid annually was astronomical. Without concrete evidence, ordinary Marines would find it nearly impossible to conduct large-scale operations or investigations in such a nation.
"It's accurate. We don't know the exact role the Dawn Pirates played, but it's confirmed they were active within Andia Kingdom at the time. Furthermore, we've heard of a masked Captain of the Royal Guard in Andia. We suspect this individual is a member of the Dawn Pirates."
"Hahaha, I told you attacking Andia Kingdom was the right move! This could very well be their operational base." Ramirez laughed loudly.
"It seems we must return to Andia Kingdom. I'll question the king myself. If this place serves as the Dawn Pirates' logistics hub, it will become a major threat in the future." Garp's expression was also grave.
A pirate, infiltrating a nation? What was their goal? To declare themselves king? That didn't seem right. That was a common tactic in the New World, a chaotic region where the Marines' control was weak.
The Four Emperors and other pirates had occupied many countries there. But the first half of the Grand Line was the Marines' backyard, where their control was very strong.
And Andia Kingdom wasn't particularly far from Marine Headquarters or Enies Lobby.
If Crocodile was involved in this, then this nation was like a sharp blade hanging over the hearts of the World Government and Marine Headquarters.
Unbeknownst to Rosen, even though they had drawn the large fleet away, Garp and the others had already uncovered some of Andia Kingdom's secrets.
Now, after evading the Marine pursuit, Rosen and his crew had circled back to Andia Kingdom's port, the construction site of the ancient weapon, the battleship Pluton.
Enel was enthusiastically explaining the details of the completed colossal vessel. Compared to the Dawn, this ship was enormous. Even top-tier Marine battleships were likely much smaller.
Its overall silhouette bore some resemblance to Enel's Ark Maxim. Rosen wasn't sure if that was Enel's personal preference or the ship's original design.
But it wasn't unpleasant to look at. Its lines were much sleeker and more elegant than Enel's bulky Maxim.
The hull was primarily metallic. Clearly, it wasn't a sailing ship. The main mast was covered in interconnected metal gears, all concealed within the mast and hull, only discoverable if you broke them open.
"This ancient weapon is incredibly powerful. Its overall propulsion, besides mechanical power, comes from four movable seawater turbochargers positioned at the bow, stern, port, and starboard. Relying on these mechanical components, this Pluton is faster than any current ship. Don't let its size fool you; once it moves, no one can catch it... And this is just its most basic function..."
As Enel explained volubly, Rosen and the others looked at the ship bristling with cannons and a main turret capable of 360-degree rotation. Slowly, expressions of shock dawned on their faces.
Speed was crucial for a ship, especially for escaping danger and evading Marine pursuit.
Enel then introduced another feature: defense. The ship was constructed with a rare memory metal. When struck by cannon fire, the hull could automatically dissipate the explosive force.
Rosen tested it. Firing a cannon at any part of the ship, even the seemingly bare main mast, left no mark whatsoever.
This meant that in a naval artillery duel, enemy fire would be nearly useless against this ancient weapon, while the Pluton's own ordinary cannons packed immense power..
And it wasn't any firepower mode Rosen knew. It was like a water projectile attack!
Indeed, it sounded harmless and had an incredibly ordinary name. But after witnessing its power, Rosen had no doubts.
The turrets were entirely controlled from the main control room inside Pluton's hull, No manpower was needed. In the central section of the ship, there was a complete control center.
Each control center had 108 screens, corresponding to the ship's 108 cannons. Pressing a button allowed the cannonball to lock onto any target freely.
At the base of each turret, numerous metal pipes extended down into the sea. These pipes could instantly draw in seawater and compress it into ordinary-looking seawater shells.
But when one of those shells, about twice the size of a human head, struck a hilltop and completely obliterated it, Rosen no longer underestimated its power.
Even the most top-tier Marine battleship's likely couldn't withstand a single shot. And this ship, hailed as an ancient weapon, carried 108 such cannons.
And this was merely one of its basic functions.
(End of Chapter)