On the deck of the Dawn ship, food and drinks were laid out generously. The atmosphere felt relaxed, almost like a casual outing rather than a battlefield.
Carina kept her eyes on King for a long moment. After hearing the two men casually label him a "face disaster," she frowned in confusion.
"I remember the captain's intel saying King is a Zoan user, an Ancient Zoan, Pteranodon model, right? Then where do the flames come from? Could the intel be wrong? Is he actually a Mythical Zoan user?"
Her question drew everyone's attention toward Ash.
Ash's eyes lit up immediately. The fight below had started to bore him, and now he finally had something interesting to talk about.
He cleared his throat lightly.
"The intel is correct. King is indeed an Ancient Zoan user, Pteranodon model. As for his flames, that has nothing to do with his Devil Fruit. It comes from his race."
"A special race?"
Kirk leaned forward with interest. "Something like Kuma's Buccaneer race?"
Ash paused for a brief moment.
Before his transmigration, even Eiichiro Oda had never fully explained the nature of the Buccaneer race. There had been theories connecting them to other ancient races, but nothing confirmed.
Answering carelessly here, especially with Robin present, would be risky.
He chose his words carefully.
"More or less. They are both rare races with very few survivors."
Ash cut off further questions before they could begin.
"King belongs to a race known as the Lunarians. As far as anyone knows, he is the only surviving member."
He continued, his tone steady.
"A thousand years ago, the Lunarians established a kingdom on the Red Line. That kingdom was known as the Land of the Gods."
Robin's eyes widened.
"The Land of the Gods… from a thousand years ago? Could that be connected to the Great Kingdom?"
Her thoughts raced instantly.
If that kingdom truly existed, what happened to it? Was it destroyed by the Twenty Kingdoms, the ancestors of the Celestial Dragons? And what role did it play during the Void Century?
Her gaze locked onto Ash.
Ash did not turn around.
"It would be pointless if I explained everything," he said evenly. "Discovering the truth step by step makes it far more meaningful."
Robin exhaled slowly, her expression settling.
"You're right. I'll uncover it myself."
Seeing her calm down, Ash relaxed slightly.
Out of everyone present, Robin's curiosity was the most dangerous. Her connection to Ohara meant she would never stop pursuing the truth.
Ash nodded, satisfied.
"Good. Since you handled that well, I'll give you two more pieces of information."
He raised a finger.
"There is a poneglyph hidden in the forbidden area of the Alabasta Kingdom. It is an informational poneglyph that records the location of the ancient weapon Pluton."
Then he pointed toward Wano below.
"Pluton itself is hidden beneath Wano Country."
Robin's eyes sharpened, but she remained composed.
Ash continued.
"And beneath Wano, there is also a Road Poneglyph that points toward Laugh Tale."
This time, Robin could not hide the spark in her eyes.
Her earlier caution about Ash's intentions had long faded. Instead, anticipation filled her expression.
"Go on," she said quietly.
Ash resumed.
"The wings and flames on King's back have nothing to do with his Devil Fruit."
"The original form of the Lunarian race is unknown. However, legends say that to survive the extreme environment of the Red Line, they evolved into their current form. Black wings, and flames burning from their backs."
He glanced toward King in the distance.
"This adaptation allows them to endure nearly any natural condition. Even extreme disasters have little effect on them."
Ash paused briefly before adding the most important detail.
"As long as the flame on their back is burning, their defense reaches an extraordinary level. They can withstand almost any damage."
He leaned back slightly.
"In terms of resilience, the Lunarians are considered the most formidable race in the world."