On a sea area.
Robin was stunned for a moment when she heard the destination Shiro mentioned.
"Go... to the moon!?"
Sky islands are hard enough to reach, once considered "non-existent" places. But the moon!?
Although she trusted Shiro deeply, the idea of going to the moon was a little too bizarre, even for her.
"What's the matter? Don't worry, Robin. We won't be delayed for too long this time. After we come back, we have other things to do!" Shiro said, looking up at the sky.
He wondered if that guy Enel was still on the moon. As someone with the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, Enel could become a formidable force in the entire Grand Line if he fully developed his abilities. After all, no one could entirely ignore lightning, unlike Luffy.
Shiro now fully grasped the development of his lightning powers. The so-called insulators could still be overwhelmed by sufficiently high-voltage thunder. As for Luffy, if he could truly disregard the Goro Goro no Mi, it only proved that his Devil Fruit was special enough—special enough to withstand the might of thunder.
But Shiro wanted to know: would Luffy's Nika powers truly make him immune to Shiro's lightning? After all, when compared to Shiro's thunderous abilities, even Enel's Goro Goro no Mi fell short in both development potential and sheer power.
Of course, these were just thoughts. Until Luffy awakened his Nika form, he was just a joke before the real top powerhouses.
As for Luffy's Haki and physical skills, even after two years of training with Rayleigh, they were still not top-notch compared to those who had experienced the "lovely" training of other legends.
"I'm not worried about time. If I'm with you, two years is nothing. But the sky islands are difficult enough to reach, and the moon seems impossible," Robin responded thoughtfully.
She and Shiro had an unusual bond. Even though they hadn't seen each other often, and it had been years since they last met, they still shared a close connection.
For Robin, Shiro was one of the few bright spots in her harsh past. And for Shiro, Robin had been a source of motivation during his difficult early days.
"Is there anything truly impossible in this world?" Shiro said, brushing off Robin's concerns.
With a flash, the submarine they were on vanished, replaced by a sleek, high-tech spaceship.
"Is this... a ship? Where did this and the submarine come from?" Robin asked, wide-eyed at the sudden transformation.
"This is just one of my abilities. Don't worry, Robin. It won't take long before you understand my powers better. By the way, I forgot to mention—I'm much stronger now!" Shiro said without any modesty.
"Yes, Shiro, with a bounty of 3.58 billion Belly, is naturally strong—and still as narcissistic as ever," Robin chuckled softly.
Though she hadn't seen him in years, she knew how much Shiro's strength had grown. The news only covered his achievements, but she knew she would soon learn more about his current abilities.
"It's called confidence! Come on, Robin!" Shiro urged as he examined the small spaceship, already familiar with its operation.
He opened the hatch and guided Robin inside. The spaceship was small, equipped with two slim spacesuits and just one seat. Despite its size, it was capable of reaching the moon.
As the ship ascended, both Shiro and Robin felt the intense weightlessness. Though Shiro could handle it, it was still slightly uncomfortable. Robin, however, was visibly struggling.
In response, Shiro quickly took the seat, which completely neutralized the gravity's effects.
"Robin, come here!" Shiro called, patting his lap.
Robin hesitated, blushing as she looked at Shiro and then down at herself. After a moment, she reluctantly moved closer and sat down, finding unexpected comfort and security.
"Hold on, we'll be there soon!" Shiro reassured her, though he himself was struggling to maintain his composure.
The spacecraft continued its rapid ascent. As they passed through the sky island, Robin was once again amazed by their speed and altitude. Could Shiro really be heading to the moon? And if so, what was his purpose?
After ascending beyond the sky island, the ship entered the dark, soundless expanse of space. Even Robin, usually strong and composed, huddled closer to Shiro.
When the darkness lifted and light returned, they had completely left behind the sky islands and the entire world of pirates. The azure beauty of the One Piece world was fading into the distance, replaced by the cold, cratered surface of the moon growing closer and closer.
Cold light filtered into the spaceship, and Robin stared outside, witnessing the terrifying sight of a massive thunder dragon roaring across the lunar surface.
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+65 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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