When the sea level within Wano Country matched that of the outer seas, the ancient site of Wano, buried for hundreds of years, emerged before Nicholas and his crew.
Gazing at the old buildings, which shared the same architectural style as those in Wano, Nicholas and his crew couldn't help but look on with curiosity.
"Captain, there's a huge entrance over there!" Simon, the sniper, was the first to notice the massive opening that appeared as the inner sea of Wano receded, revealing the ancient site.
Nicholas also noticed that this large opening appeared naturally formed. Given its unique location, it could be considered a natural harbor. Moreover, Nicholas sensed that this massive tunnel extended to the deepest parts of the island where Wano is located!
Without hesitation, Nicholas floated toward the entrance, and the others quickly followed, steering the Sea Sovereign behind him.
Upon entering the cavern, Nicholas noticed it was a vast space. The years of submersion had left the cave filled with damp air. However, Nicholas wasn't concerned about this. What caught his attention were the signs of human presence in this naturally formed cave.
"Is this... the place where Pluton is hidden?!" Brook said in amazement as he examined the surroundings.
When they reached the deepest part of the cave, everyone was stunned by the enormous object that had been quietly waiting to be reactivated over the centuries.
The cave was naturally dimly lit, but Nicholas found a mechanical device. When he activated it, electricity surged from his hand, and one by one, the lights that hadn't been lit in over a century flickered to life, illuminating the entire area.
As the bright lights revealed the true shape of the massive object, everyone present gasped in awe!
It was colossal. In terms of size, only the Noah of Fish-Man Island could rival it. However, Noah was made of wood, whereas this giant beast reflected a metallic sheen under the lights. The two gave off entirely different impressions.
This ship was nothing like a conventional seafaring vessel. It lacked masts and sails, looking more like a futuristic ship, filled with a sense of advanced technology.
Landing on the deck, Nicholas placed his hand on the hull. With a surge of energy, the terrifying warship, which had once roamed the seas, bared its fangs again, and an entryway opened at the top.
"Let's go inside and take a look!" Nicholas called to the others, leading the way into the ship's interior.
Inside the ship, Nicholas was first struck by the vast space and the various instruments resembling a scene from a sci-fi movie. Despite the passage of time, the warship had not decayed; everything seemed as pristine as when it was first built.
What caught Nicholas's attention was the absence of any skeletons inside. He speculated that during the upheaval back then, the World Government hadn't gained enough advantage, allowing those who followed Joy Boy enough time to prepare adequately.
Once the World Government regained some strength, they immediately started to purge Joy Boy's remnants. However, it was already too late. Even with massive resources and a century-long slaughter, they could not prevent these people from passing down the truth of history.
While Nicholas pondered how this warship left the battlefield and ended up hidden in Wano, Brook suddenly called out in surprise from a distance, "Captain, come quick! This seems to be the control center!"
Nicholas hurried over and saw Brook standing in front of a chair. A complex control panel lay in front of the chair, and a touch screen on the armrest displayed a handprint icon glowing intermittently.
Seeing the screen, Nicholas instinctively placed his hand on it.
"Beep beep beep—Access Denied! The Dawn Goddess cannot be activated!"
Hearing the robotic electronic voice, Nicholas quietly withdrew his hand. It seemed that the ship recognized only a specific master.
"What do we do now? Where do we find someone who can activate this ship?" Simon scratched his head, looking troubled.
Hundreds of years had passed—who knew where to find someone who could activate the ship?
The others also looked troubled. After all, having such a powerful weapon but being unable to use it was quite frustrating.
"Well, I think I have an idea. It's not a big deal," Nicholas said confidently.
He had a rough idea of how to activate the warship. If his guess was right, a certain handsome guy from the East Blue or his father or grandfather could be the key, considering their strong genetics, as all three generations showed potential to be top-tier powerhouses of the sea. If the great kingdom still existed, these three would likely hold titles equivalent to dukes or princes.
Even if they didn't work, they could always kidnap the princess of Alabasta. Vivi, as the descendant of those who knew the secret of Pluton and possibly piloted it back in the day, should have the authority to activate it.
If none of that worked, they could bring in Vegapunk and gain control of the most formidable battleship in history from the source.
Soon, they found the ship's armory. Looking at the large nuclear weapon symbol on the door, Nicholas fell into silence.
Now he understood why this ship was called the most dangerous warship in shipbuilding history and why it was said to be capable of destroying an island with a single shot.
If the armory was filled with high-yield nuclear warheads, then yes, obliterating an island with one shot wasn't an exaggeration in the world of One Piece.
In fact, Nicholas's earlier confusion about the ship being named the "Dawn Goddess" despite being an ancient weapon capable of instilling despair seemed to be resolved.
Initially, Nicholas found it odd that a ship reputed to bring destruction would be called the "Dawn Goddess." But after seeing the armory, he thought that calling it the "Dawn Goddess" made sense to some extent. After all, if it could "plant a sun" on the ground, wouldn't it bring dawn even at night? Why not call it the "Dawn Goddess"?
[AN - The funniest line i have heard today]
Moreover, the name "Pluton" could simply be a title given by later generations to this most fearsome warship.