The Island of the Future?
At the mention of that name, confusion surfaced in Robin's dark blue eyes.
She had never heard of such an island before.
That thought flashed through her mind as she glanced down at the unfathomably deep ocean below, instinctively edging a little closer to Yuuki.
The only reason she was able to float in midair was because of her captain's power.
As a Devil Fruit user, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally fall into the sea beneath them.
"Future Island—Egghead."
"It is a forbidden zone under the control of the World Government, known as the 'future five hundred years ahead.'"
"And the research laboratory of the legendary Dr. Vegapunk is located here."
Yuuki gazed toward the island ahead, its silhouette half-concealed by haze and cloud, a deep interest shining in his eyes.
For someone as mysterious and renowned as Dr. Vegapunk, Yuuki naturally had a great deal of curiosity.
The Magic Eye Cross he had given to Kuma was specifically so that once Kuma returned to Egghead, he would be able to determine the island's location.
Under normal circumstances—
using the cross as a beacon, Yuuki should have been able to appear directly at the bearer's exact location.
And yet—
instead of teleporting inside the island, his Spatial Magic had only brought him to the sea outside it.
It wasn't because he hadn't wanted to enter directly.
Rather—
some kind of force seemed to be interfering with the tracking magic.
As a result, Yuuki could only roughly determine the direction of the cross.
Interference with magical power?
Was this Vegapunk's handiwork?
For the first time, Yuuki felt that perhaps he had slightly underestimated the man known as the greatest brain in the world.
Robin's face was filled with shock.
Of course she had heard Vegapunk's name before.
Precisely because she knew who he was, the revelation was even more startling.
And when she heard Yuuki say this place belonged to the World Government, a trace of fear rose in her heart.
"Relax."
"The moment you joined the Magic Eye Pirates, you no longer need to fear the World Government."
Sensing her tension, Yuuki chuckled softly before continuing,
"Didn't you want to know the truth of the Void Century?"
"You may be able to find part of the answer here."
Robin's spirits jolted.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous crash erupted from the sea below.
A gigantic Sea Beast burst up from the ocean surface.
Its entire body gleamed with a metallic sheen, its mouth especially sharp, its overall shape resembling a monstrous shark.
It lunged upward, jaws wide open, aiming straight for Yuuki and Robin in the sky.
"A Sea King—?! No… it's made of metal?"
Robin tensed, startled by the metallic texture covering the creature's entire body.
"Dark Magic—Black Hole."
Yuuki calmly watched the mechanical Sea Beast rushing toward them.
He extended a finger and pointed downward.
Bzzzz—
A black sphere of magic, no larger than a fist, appeared at the tip of his finger.
In the next instant—
an indescribably terrifying gravitational force erupted from it.
The metallic Sea Beast, which had only just emerged halfway from the sea, was violently dragged upward by the immense suction.
Then—
its massive body, several hundred meters long, was forcibly pulled into the gravity field generated by the Black Hole.
SKREEEE—!
SCREEECH—!
The ear-piercing sound of metal being compressed and crushed rang across the sea.
Robin quickly covered her ears, a pained expression crossing her face.
Fortunately—
the shrill noise did not last long.
In only a few breaths—
the enormous mechanical Sea Beast, hundreds of meters in length, had been compressed into a giant metallic sphere less than ten meters across, now floating beneath Yuuki's feet.
Blood mixed with chunks of flesh seeped from the seams in the metal sphere, spilling into the ocean below and dyeing the water crimson.
Inside one of Egghead's laboratories—
a figure abruptly stood up.
He wore a dark blue long coat decorated with vertical yellow and light-blue stripes.
His entire head was encased in a translucent mechanical helmet marked with the number 01.
Staring at the image on the screen before him, he muttered in astonishment,
"The metal used in the Sea Beast Weapon was compressed this easily…"
"So, this is the power recorded as 'magic.'"
"Incredible…"
"The frequency of this power is indeed different from that emitted by Devil Fruits."
After a brief moment of shock, the figure quickly sat back down and began furiously typing at the keyboard, apparently analyzing the energy.
"Quite astonishing indeed."
"Perhaps we can use this opportunity to test the weapons' combat data."
A distinctly mechanical voice suddenly sounded through the earpiece.
Clearly—
the 01 unit was not the only one monitoring the events at sea.
Outside Egghead—
Yuuki flicked a finger.
The compressed iron sphere was sent flying away, crashing into the ocean below with a massive splash before sinking into the depths and disappearing.
"That thing just now…?"
Robin asked softly.
"Just a modified Sea Beast Weapon."
Yuuki replied calmly.
"Let's go."
"They should already have someone waiting for us."
Whoosh!
Yuuki took Robin with him and sped toward Egghead.
As the two drew closer—
the island that had looked as though it were shrouded in mist and smog became clearer and clearer.
It was almost as if the clouds surrounding the island shifted according to the observer's perspective.
When they landed at the outer edge of Future Island—Egghead, the full scope of the island finally revealed itself.
The outer perimeter looked much like any ordinary island.
Palm trees and tropical vegetation grew in abundance, while reefs lined the shore.
But the inner region—
was like an entirely different world.
Countless buildings radiated a futuristic aesthetic.
Transparent structures shaped like flying saucers and rockets enclosed towering constructions.
All kinds of dragon-shaped creatures soared through the sky above the city.
And there were also gigantic robots of all kinds.
With his perception, Yuuki could instantly tell that the dragons and monsters flying overhead were merely virtual projections, not real entities.
Even for Yuuki, a transmigrator, the sheer science-fiction atmosphere of the place was astonishing.
As for Robin—
someone born in this world—
the impact was even greater.
"So, this is what they call the future five hundred years ahead…?"
"It's unbelievable."
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, staring blankly in disbelief.
Then—
BZZZZ—
BZZZZ—
A mechanical vibration sounded from ahead.
In the next instant—
a gigantic figure nearly seven meters tall suddenly flew in from the distance and crashed onto the ground with a thunderous boom.
It landed directly in front of Yuuki and Robin.
"Bartholomew Kuma?!"
Robin immediately became guarded.
But when she saw the familiar figure clearly, her eyes widened in shock.
"Why is he here?!"
Yuuki observed the figure with interest.
"That isn't Tyrant Kuma."
"And he's far from the only one."
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Several more figures tore through the air.
Three additional identical units flew in from ahead and landed around them, surrounding the pair on all sides.
"Four identical Bartholomew Kumas?"
Robin finally realized something was wrong.
Her body stiffened.
"What exactly is going on?"
At this point in time—
the World Government's humanoid weapons, the Pacifistas, had not yet appeared on the world stage.
Other than Vegapunk himself, very few people even within the Marines knew of them.
"Intruders detected."
"Hostile targets locked."
"Beginning attack."
The eyes of the four Pacifistas glowed faintly as a harsh mechanical voice rang out.
The next second—
all four simultaneously opened their mouths.
A dazzling yellow light gathered within them.
Then—
four thick laser beams erupted forth, blasting toward Yuuki and Robin at the center.
Robin's face instantly turned pale.
"This is no way to welcome guests."
Yuuki's voice turned cold.
At the same time, he raised a hand and grasped at empty space.
Light Magic—Convergence!
The four thick laser beams froze in midair.
As if time itself had stopped.
Inside one of the laboratories—
an incredulous shout suddenly rang out.
"That's not scientific!"
"He actually stopped light itself!"
"How is that even possible?!"
"The power known as 'magic' is fundamentally different from every Devil Fruit energy pattern we've collected."
"He isn't interfering with the beams…"
"He's controlling them."
The furious clattering of keyboard keys echoed endlessly.
Meanwhile—
on the battlefield—
Yuuki manipulated the suspended beams through Light Magic.
Ever since his battle with Admiral Kizaru at Sabaody, his understanding of magic—especially elemental magic—had deepened even further.
As long as the enemy attacked him using attribute-based powers—
he could use magic to seize control of those attacks.
SHING! SHING!
The four thick laser beams rapidly contracted and transformed in midair.
In the blink of an eye—
they had become four floating swords of light.
Then—
the four swords vanished.
In the next instant—
they were embedded in the chests of the four Pacifistas.
Electric sparks erupted wildly from the severed wires inside their bodies.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions burst from all four units.
Black smoke billowed upward as shattered components scattered across the ground.
Ignoring the four destroyed Pacifistas, Yuuki raised his head and looked toward the massive laboratory stretching upward into the clouds.
"If you insist on playing these meaningless games…"
"I don't mind stretching my limbs a little."
His voice was calm.
But he was certain that with Vegapunk's control over Egghead and its systems—
the man could hear every word.
Beside him, Robin quietly let out a breath of relief.
Ever since stepping onto Egghead, an inexplicable tension had weighed on her heart.
She did not know why Yuuki had brought her here.
But she knew—
he must have had his reasons.
Splash!
A massive burst of water exploded from the sea behind them.
Hearing the sound, Robin turned around.
A colossal robot was rising from the ocean.
Flames burst from behind it, propelling it through the air before it landed not far from them.
CLACK!
The glass cockpit on its head opened.
A beautiful woman with short golden hair, wearing a purple jacket and pink bodysuit, stepped out.
If one looked closely—
the number 02 was visible on her outfit.
"Honestly!"
"Do you two have any idea how much money it takes to build Sea Beast Weapons and Pacifistas?"
"Our laboratory is always strapped for funds!"
"We're constantly short on budget!"
Her tone was full of dissatisfaction.
"As for those four Pacifistas, fine, whatever."
"But that Sea Beast Shark?"
"The only commands I gave it were reconnaissance and report."
"I already disabled its attack and cannon fire directives!"
The golden-haired woman shouted loudly in frustration.
(End of Chapter)
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