~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!
<><><><>
The Maxim slowly docked at the shores of Abrulet Island. The crew disembarked.
As soon as they stepped onto the island, the perceptive Fujitora tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "Strange. This island is eerily quiet."
Noir turned to Enel. "Can your Observation Haki pick up anything?"
The usually boisterous Enel was uncharacteristically silent. Then, he clutched his head in frustration. "It's weird. I hear a lot of noise, but I can't pinpoint the locations!"
Noir was surprised. Enel's Observation Haki could cover the entire island. Even if the precision wasn't perfect, he shouldn't have trouble identifying specific locations.
Reha stepped forward with a grin. "That's thanks to one of our comrades. He developed a device that disrupts Observation Haki."
Noir was even more bewildered. Such a device existed in the One Piece world? That could throw the power balance into chaos.
Reha, sensing Noir's concern, quickly added, "It only scrambles signals over a wide area, including the direction of Observation Haki. It's useless at close range."
Noir breathed a sigh of relief. If someone used this device in close combat, their opponent's Observation Haki would be practically useless.
"So, Noitem has scientists capable of creating something like this?" Noir asked, intrigued.
Reha nodded proudly. "The former king taught us many skills. This scientist excels in research. known as the 'Mad Scientist.'"
Noir gave a strained smile.
That nickname screams 'obsessed with research.'
Maybe the scientist could help with the Iron Man suit blueprints I have?
Perfect! I've been looking for a skilled scientist.
Noir clapped Reha on the shoulder. "Let's go, Reha. You know the way, right?"
Reha's shoulder almost dislocated from the force of the clap, but he replied enthusiastically, "Yes, Your Highness! Follow me!"
Then, the burly, bearded man pulled a delicate, light blue bow from his small satchel.
The Underworld Pirates stared at him, bewildered. They hadn't pegged Reha as the sentimental type.
Reha, noticing their odd looks, flushed. "It's not what you think!"
He clipped the bow onto his hair. "Wear this, and a signal will transmit directions directly to your brain."
Noir interrupted, exasperated. "Then why didn't you give these bows to Robin and Kalifa earlier?"
Reha froze, his face draining of color.
Eventually, with Reha leading the way, they reached the Noitem remnants' hideout.
Noir stared at the sheer cliff face, its peak lost in the clouds. "Are you sure? This is the entrance?"
Reha nodded firmly. He walked up to the cliff and pressed his hand against a seemingly random spot on the rock.
That's it?
Just as Noir was about to question him, the cliff face began to transform.
The rough, textured rock shimmered with blue light, morphing into a cold, metallic gate. The imprint of Reha's hand glowed on the surface. A disembodied voice echoed:
"Identity confirmed. Welcome, People of Noitem."
Noir jumped, staring at the gate in disbelief. It had been so long since he'd heard a genuine mechanical sound in this world that he almost thought it was his System.
The crew watched in stunned silence as the gate retracted, revealing a dark passageway illuminated by a futuristic blue light.
It had a distinctly cyberpunk feel.
With a sense of wonder, Noir followed Reha into the passage.
As soon as they were inside, the cliff face shimmered blue again, returning to its unremarkable appearance.
The passage was narrow, but Noir couldn't shake his awe. Seeing something this advanced felt surreal in this world.
They finally reached the end of the narrow passage, and their view suddenly opened up.
They were in a vast, brightly lit space. The ceiling appeared transparent, offering a clear view of the outside world: the sun, clouds, and sky.
The technology here was less overt than at the entrance but still far more advanced than anything in the outside world, evidenced by the small, metallic creatures scurrying around.
Noir picked one up, examining it with a puzzled expression. "What is this?"
It had long jaws, two mechanical horns on its head, glowing red eyes, and sharp teeth.
It looked like… a Mechanical Dragon?
The usually stoic Wyper's eyes lit up. "That's so cool!"
Enel, clutching his head, let out a delighted whoop. "It's a robot! Awesome!"
Robin took the small mechanical dragon from Noir, her expression impassive. "It's ugly."
She tossed it aside. Wyper and Enel scrambled after it, their eyes glued to the discarded toy.
Reha, watching their antics, explained with a smile, "That's one of the scientist's inventions. A small transport robot."
Noir paused. So, it's basically… a delivery bot?
He'd thought the Noitem remnants had suffered all these years…
Suffered, my ass!
They'd skipped the steam and electrical ages and jumped straight into the age of automation!
A loud voice boomed through the vast space. "Alert! Intruders!"
Noir jumped, startled. "Who the hell?!"
Fujitora, standing beside him, muttered, "I'm going deaf…"
Before they could react, a group of armed people rushed in, weapons raised and aimed. Their expressions were hostile.
Their clothing was simple, but their weapons were high-tech firearms.
Their appearance reminded Noir of Wakanda.
The leader of the group eyed Noir and his crew suspiciously, whispering, "Why didn't the alarm trigger?"
"Where did these people come from? How did they get in undetected?"
Suddenly, someone noticed Reha standing behind Noir. "Reha-sama! Why are you with them?!"
...
Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
Apply this discount code : C8BD2
There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!