Chapter 284

The Straw Hat Pirates lingered at the ruins of the vast kingdom for about a week, exploring every corner of the ancient, crumbling civilization.

Of course, it wasn't that the kingdom itself was small. Instead, the Straw Hat Pirates had grown immensely powerful, their speed and endurance needing no further explanation. The happiest among them was Robin.

The ruins held countless documents, and after Robin painstakingly translated them, they nearly filled in the missing history of the Void Century, revealing secrets long buried for 800 years.

It turns out that, during that ancient time, while Devil Fruits already existed, the great kingdom harnessed their power for production and development. For instance, the Thread-Thread Fruit was used to weave textiles, its productivity surpassing that of hundreds of large-scale factories!

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, on the other hand, was applied to cutting-edge technologies that required high-frequency vibrations, simplifying processes that would otherwise be extremely complex.

Even the Soul-Soul Fruit found a place in that era, used to advance the field of medical treatment.

As Robin unraveled the history from the documents, Logan felt a wave of deep emotion wash over him.

It's not the Devil Fruits themselves that are evil; it's the hearts of those who wield them.

No matter how terrifying a power might seem, if used for good, it could bring about incredible achievements. From the photographs and records Robin had uncovered, it was clear that living in this colossal kingdom must have been a joyous experience for its people.

"It seems the Twenty Kingdoms were truly the villains here," Logan muttered to himself, his voice heavy with thought.

"What should we do next?" Robin asked, her gaze fixed on Logan, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Yes! With these Terra Robots, we now possess the strength to go toe-to-toe with the World Government!" Usopp's face lit up with eager excitement.

Sanji, however, remained analytical. "The only real threat to these robots is an attack from Uranus. But if they can survive a single hit by rubberizing themselves, Uranus won't be able to strike again in quick succession. That's the exact reason Mariejois fears them."

"Exactly," Logan nodded.

The power of Uranus, an ancient weapon capable of leveling entire islands, was undeniable.

If such a weapon could be fired continuously, the Four Emperors and even the Revolutionary Army would have been obliterated long ago.

But now, with the Straw Hat Pirates in possession of a legion of Terra Robots...

If Im were to find out, sleep would surely elude him.

"So, where are we headed next?" Luffy asked, his excitement bubbling over.

Logan rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "Our next move isn't about adventuring. It's about achieving everyone's dreams."

He turned toward Luffy and said, "Now that we've reached Raftel, you have everything you need to claim the title of Pirate King. The next step is making your name known to the world, to let everyone know you lead the strongest pirate crew on the seas!"

"Yes!! Without realizing it, Luffy's original dream has already come true!" Usopp added with a wide grin.

"That's right. Becoming the Pirate King is, in fact, the simplest dream among us..." Sanji chuckled.

"Haha! That's true!" Luffy laughed in agreement.

As Logan thought it over, he considered the rest of the crew's dreams.

Zoro's ambition was to become the world's greatest swordsman.

Nami's dream was to create a complete nautical map of the entire world.

Usopp sought to become a brave warrior of the sea, free and fearless.

Sanji's quest was to find the legendary All Blue.

Robin's mission was to uncover the truth behind the Void Century.

Franky desired to build and sail on a ship that would endure countless battles and reach the end of the Grand Line.

And then there was Brook, who had made a solemn promise to reunite with Laboon.

Upon reflection, Logan realized something...

Without fanfare, the dreams of Robin, Franky, and Brook had already been fulfilled.

Usopp's dream, too, was nearing its completion.

Nami and Sanji, however, were still on their respective journeys toward their goals.

Nami's dream was a massive one, requiring careful steps to achieve.

Sanji's dream...

Though not impossible, it wasn't exactly easy either.

Finding the All Blue was the key, yet at the moment... there wasn't a single clue as to its whereabouts.

Thinking of this, Logan turned back to his crewmates. "Since we've inherited the Terra Robots from Raftel, it's only right that we repay this by doing something for Raftel in return."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not suggesting we take on the World Government... are you?" Usopp stammered nervously.

"The World Government destroyed Raftel," Logan replied calmly, "and now we've gained Raftel's Terra Robots. Even if we don't provoke them, the World Government will come for us regardless."

"It's time for those parasites to pay up... SUPER!" Franky exclaimed with fervor.

"Yohohoho! Are we about to embark on an adventure to the Red Line?" Brook chimed in cheerfully.

After a brief vote, the Straw Hat Pirates decided that their next destination would indeed be... the Red Line!

A few days later, the Going Merry departed from Raftel, its course set for the formidable Red Line.

Though the distance from Raftel to the Red Line was quite far, the Going Merry was powered by multiple energy sources and could even float.

As a result, it only took the ship around ten days to reach the base of the Red Line.

The Red Line towered thousands of meters into the sky. Scaling it required a specialized bubble cable car, unless, of course, one possessed alternative means.

Little Merry adjusted the ship's weight, transforming it into the weight of mist.

With ease, the Going Merry floated upward, eventually touching down on top of the Red Line.

The Red Line was a vast, crimson, ring-shaped landmass encircling the entire world.

From a geological perspective, such a perfectly shaped division seemed impossible to occur naturally!

Logan had his own theory about this.

Based on what the manga hinted at, Logan speculated that the layout of the world 800 years ago was drastically different.

The manga mentioned that Wano Country was once the heart of the world, which suggested that it was once connected by waterways or land routes. But now, Wano is an isolated highland, far removed from its past status as the world's center.

"Maybe... there's an answer waiting here~~~"

Logan murmured to himself as he gazed at the distant city on the horizon.