Chapter 247: Burning Heaven
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More than half a month later, Aoki and Alice stood in front of a flat, open area.
"Alice, the rest is up to you!" Aoki said.
The design for the base was complete, and what remained was the complex and tedious construction process. Aoki had no intention of getting involved, nor was it necessary for him to participate.
"No problem, leave it to me!" Alice replied confidently, patting her chest. The motion caused her ample figure to bounce slightly, showcasing an astonishing elasticity.
Aoki waved his hand, and a pile of objects appeared on the ground out of nowhere.
"What's this?" Alice asked, her face filled with confusion as she examined the strange instruments.
"The third-generation small nearshore ocean monitoring system," Aoki explained.
"What kind of monitoring system?" Alice tilted her head, still looking puzzled.
Aoki elaborated, "Simply put, it's a monitoring device. The largest one is the main station, and the others are branch stations. By placing the branch stations into the sea, we can monitor the area around the island. There's an instruction manual included. It's straightforward; you'll understand it in no time."
Though it was called an ocean monitoring system, it also tracked activity on the water's surface. Equipped with both an alarm mechanism and an attack system, it ensured the base wouldn't be easily exposed.
This device was a prize from one of the two-star treasure chests he'd obtained after defeating the Pirate Alliance.
The difference in quality between one-star and two-star treasure chests was undeniable.
Most one-star treasure chests contained ordinary items, occasionally special snacks or low-level equipment. There were also some top-tier finds, but the odds of getting them—or pure junk—were about one in ten. The remaining eighty percent were typical, unremarkable items.
Of course, even the best items from a one-star chest were limited in quality, possessing only slightly extraordinary properties. To date, the most worthwhile items he'd found in one-star chests were the special foods.
This time, luck had been on his side. Among the more than 100 one-star treasure chests dropped by the Pirate Alliance, he had found five special foods.
In contrast, two-star treasure chests were packed with high-value items. While he might not personally use all of them, nothing he'd obtained from a two-star chest had been worthless.
The ocean monitoring system, while not directly enhancing his personal strength, was invaluable for an organization—especially one that required secrecy.
Interestingly, the system wasn't purely technological. It seemed to incorporate some form of supernatural power, though the exact nature of this power was unknown.
Alice quickly arranged for people to move the ocean monitoring system.
Aoki then took out nine additional items—balls gleaming with faint energy.
"Miraculous suits?" Alice's eyes lit up with excitement.
After using one herself, she had fallen completely in love with this magical equipment. Over the past weeks, the First Team had demonstrated terrifying power while wearing the suits during pirate hunts.
Aoki nodded and tossed the suits to her. "I'll leave these to you."
Despite the suits' immense value, Aoki didn't hesitate to hand them over. First, he and Alice had established a foundation of trust. Second, through the magical tree that controlled the suits, he could render them useless at will if necessary.
"Don't worry, Boss," Alice said with determination. "I'll make sure they go to the most suitable candidates!"
"Boss?" Aoki raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Alice grinned proudly. "Isn't that what all pirates call their leader?"
Aoki felt there were many flaws in Alice's words. Shaking his head, he said, "First of all, I don't know where you got this impression, but not all pirate groups call their leaders 'boss.' Each pirate group is different.
Secondly, we're not a pirate group!"
This time, it was Alice's turn to be stunned.
"Huh? Aren't we going to fight the Celestial Dragons? Why not pirates?"
Aoki opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find the words.
What she said… made sense.
Sometimes, you really can't avoid being called a pirate, even if you don't want to be one.
Not to mention the future—right now, most people probably already saw him as a "pirate."
With his current bounty and influence, if he kept making waves, he might soon be considered one of the Pirate Emperors.
"Forget it. That kind of thing doesn't matter," Aoki said with a shake of his head.
Whether he was a pirate or not had no real effect on his plans. His goal had always been clear.
Searching for "One Piece" and chasing after the pirate king's dream wasn't his style. It also didn't align with the mission of "Infinite Dragon Beast," which had its own agenda.
That said, something else did interest him.
The three legendary ancient weapons: Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus.
These weapons were said to be among the most terrifying forces in the pirate world.
Eight hundred years ago, a catastrophic event caused the world's sea level to rise by two hundred meters. Many believed this was caused by Uranus, a power capable of reshaping the entire world.
However, Uranus was most likely in the hands of the Celestial Dragons. Without defeating them, there was little hope of even coming into contact with it.
Poseidon, the god of the sea, referred to the Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi of this generation.
But Shirahoshi was likely just a newborn now, and she herself had no combat abilities. Poseidon's true power lay in commanding the Sea Kings, massive sea creatures with unparalleled strength.
Unfortunately, there was no practical way for him to bring an army of Sea Kings through time and space.
Among the three weapons, Poseidon was the least meaningful to him.
That left Pluto, the god of the underworld, as the most viable target.
Pluto was said to be a super battleship, though the specifics were unknown.
However, the fact that it could be compared to Poseidon and Uranus indicated it was no ordinary weapon. Poseidon could control all Sea Kings, and Uranus could destroy kingdoms with a single strike and reshape the world.
Pluto was currently rumored to be sleeping beneath Wano Country.
But Wano Country was controlled by Kaido and the Beasts Pirates.
Acquiring Pluto might be easier than Uranus, but it was still no simple task.
At the moment, Aoki lacked the power to achieve such a feat. Once the base was built and his army grew, his chances might improve.
For now, though, Aoki brushed off the matter of pirates. Alice, however, had other ideas.
"Boss, at least give our pirate group a name!" she urged, her tone persistent.
"A name?" Aoki stopped in his tracks, considering her request.
She wasn't wrong.
Even if they had few members now, as their influence expanded, they would need a name to foster unity and identity.
But what should it be?
Aoki didn't deliberate for long.
"Since our goal is to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, how about we call ourselves Heaven kings?" He paused, frowning slightly. "Actually, 'Heaven kings' doesn't sound quite right. Let's go with a similar pronunciation—Burning Heavenl!"
"The Burning Heaven Pirates? The Burning Heaven Pirates!" Alice repeated the name twice, her expression growing more excited.
Aoki couldn't help but secretly complain.
What was going on?
Did all princesses in this world dream of becoming pirates?