Chapter 152: Uranus: The Secret of Uranus

The meeting with Otohime didn't last long. After all, this was a monumental undertaking, so massive that even Claudius himself couldn't estimate how much profit or benefit could be drawn from it.

A few basic agreements were tentatively reached, such as hiring the tens of thousands of idle fish-men from Fish-Man Street to work as laborers, addressing issues with merchant fleets, and ironing out smaller details. However, the full scope of their discussions was left for future talks.

After concluding the meeting, Claudius decided to take some time to explore Fish-Man Island.

King Neptune and Princess Otohime graciously invited Claudius to stay in Ryugu Palace, and after giving it some thought, he accepted. He had heard that not too long ago, Princess Otohime had given birth to a little princess named Shirahoshi. Naturally, Claudius was curious about her.

But, of course, not in the way one might assume. Claudius had no inappropriate thoughts about Shirahoshi; rather, his interest lay in her unique status. After all, Shirahoshi wasn't just any princess, she was the legendary Ancient Weapon, Poseidon, a living entity said to possess world-shattering power.

That being said, Claudius couldn't help but feel a little perplexed about one thing: how had Princess Otohime, with her petite frame, managed to give birth to someone as massive as Shirahoshi?

He had done some research before arriving on the island and knew that the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island reproduced as mammals do, through pregnancy and live birth. But no matter how much he thought about it, the logistics of Shirahoshi's birth baffled him. Naturally, Claudius wasn't about to ask Princess Otohime directly. Some curiosities were best left unspoken.

Shirahoshi's special status as Poseidon tied into the legend of the Ancient Weapons, three legendary powers that could change the course of history. The first of these was Pluton, said to be a massive warship with firepower capable of obliterating entire islands with a single strike.

Claudius already had some knowledge about Pluton. For one, he knew that Master Tom, the legendary shipwright, had inherited the blueprints for building it. Those blueprints had been passed down through the generations in the shipbuilding hub of Water 7.

However, Claudius wasn't particularly interested in Pluton at the moment. Even if he were to acquire it, it wasn't something he could use freely. In all likelihood, it would have to be handed over to the World Government anyway.

In addition to Tom, there were rumors that the actual Pluton warship itself was hidden somewhere in the vast deserts of Alabasta. The Nefertari royal family, who ruled the kingdom, were said to possess records of its location in the form of an ancient Poneglyph.

Claudius believed this was likely true. After all, why else would Alabasta frequently find itself at odds with the World Government? It couldn't merely be because they had declined to ascend to the Celestial Dragon class 800 years ago. There had to be more to the story.

Claudius suspected that the World Government's lingering concerns about Alabasta stemmed from their supposed ownership of Pluton. While the Nefertari family might never use such a weapon recklessly certainly not against their own people during a civil conflict like Crocodile's coup, Claudius reasoned that in a dire enough situation, they might unveil it as a trump card in a war against an external threat.

Moreover, Claudius had always wondered why the Nefertari family had refused to join the other 19 royal families in moving to Mariejois and becoming Celestial Dragons. Was it simply a matter of pride, or did it have something to do with safeguarding Pluton?

Whatever the case, Claudius was certain that there was a deeper story hidden in Alabasta's history.

The second Ancient Weapon, Poseidon, was much simpler in nature compared to Pluton. It wasn't a man-made object but rather an ability passed down through the royal bloodline of Fish-Man Island. Every few generations, a member of the royal family would awaken the power to communicate with and command Sea Kings, the massive creatures that ruled the ocean depths. These Sea Kings were capable of immense destruction, earning the title of "kings" of the sea.

This generation's Poseidon was none other than Shirahoshi.

Claudius mused on how easily people underestimated the power of Sea Kings. While ordinary Sea Kings were formidable, the true leviathans of the deep, those colossal creatures larger than entire islands were an entirely different matter. Their numbers were unknown, but their presence was enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest sailors.

He chuckled at the thought. "The people of Fish-Man Island really don't know the cards they're holding, do they? With a power like Poseidon, they could dominate the seas, yet they've allowed themselves to be bullied and oppressed for centuries. Truly baffling," Claudius muttered to himself.

But his train of thought didn't stop there. The final Ancient Weapon, Uranus, was arguably the most mysterious of the three. Unlike Pluton and Poseidon, which had clear origins and functions, Uranus was shrouded in secrecy.

Claudius had managed to piece together some details about Uranus during his years in Mariejois. According to his research, Uranus was in the hands of the World Government. In fact, it was one of the primary reasons they had been able to maintain control over the world for 800 years.

From what Claudius had gathered, Uranus was not a ship in the traditional sense but rather a massive aerial weapon a sort of flying fortress. It was said to have the ability to unleash devastating attacks from the sky, living up to its name as the "King of the Heavens."

Based on various records and his own speculations, Claudius believed that Uranus was likely a relic left behind by the moon people, an ancient race known for their advanced technology. Thousands of years ago, these moon people had descended to Earth, leaving behind their knowledge and bloodlines, which eventually became the inhabitants of Sky Island.

Even the enigmatic Enel had stumbled upon their ruins when he ventured to the moon.

As for Uranus' current location, Claudius had no solid evidence, but he had his suspicions. He believed it might be hidden beneath Mariejois itself.

The reasoning was simple: Uranus was too large and too valuable to store anywhere else. Mariejois, as the seat of power for the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, was the safest and most logical hiding place. It would explain why the holy city held such significance beyond its geographic position.

"Why else would they call it the Holy Land?" Claudius mused. "Could it be because Uranus itself is buried beneath their feet?"

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Mariejois wasn't just a political and symbolic center; it could very well be the resting place of one of the greatest weapons in the world.

Still, Claudius kept these thoughts to himself. Without concrete evidence, he had no intention of prying into matters he wasn't yet ready to confront.

As he wandered through Fish-Man Island, Claudius found himself shaking his head in disbelief. The islanders truly didn't realize the potential of the power they held. With Poseidon in their hands, they could have ruled the seas and turned the tides against any oppression.

"Just one Poseidon is enough to rewrite the balance of the entire world," Claudius thought with a wry smile. "And yet, here they are, struggling to find their place on the surface."

He chuckled softly, the irony of it all not lost on him. If only they had recognized their strength earlier, perhaps history would have taken a very different course.

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