Raleigh wasn't entirely sure, as the effects of Uranus and the Ark Maxim seemed somewhat similar. First, both attacked from high altitudes, primarily using energy-based assaults.
Uranus was still held by the Celestial Dragons, practically their ultimate treasure. However, Raleigh was now determined to build a replica of the Ark Maxim.
He carefully packed the blueprints and tucked them into the drawer he had opened earlier.
Then, Raleigh approached the ship model, raising his hands to grip it.
"Lift!"
With a forceful heave, Raleigh lifted the entire model from its fixed base.
"Raleigh-sama, why are we taking the ship model too?" Enel, watching Raleigh move the model, asked in disbelief.
Raleigh had to explain once more: "Although we have the blueprints, they're quite complex. To board the Ark Maxim sooner, I've decided to take the model with us! It'll serve as a reference during assembly."
As Raleigh removed the model from its stand, he felt immense pressure.
Just before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and hurried over to the skeleton he had seen earlier.
Raleigh had sensed something odd about the skeleton—it seemed as though the person had been trying to leave something behind before death, hence that seated posture.
One could tell this skeleton must have been quite handsome in youth.
Raleigh leaned in, meticulously examining the only possible written records in the stone chamber.
"What is fate? How laughable—to wait eight hundred years for some elusive destiny?"
"A mere concept of fate has driven so many heroes to willingly face death. What kind of terrifying thing is fate?"
"Fate is far too dreadful. I finally understand, but alas, too late."
"Joy Boy, if there's a next life, I won't be your comrade."
Perhaps because it was using a notebook made of the same material as the blueprints, the pages hadn't crumbled apart.
The most complex section with the most text had, in fact, been contaminated by the blood on the skeleton's chest, making it illegible.
Only a few simple pieces of information could be discerned for judgment.
Raleigh was utterly astonished by all of this.
He never expected to find the name Joy Boy from eight hundred years ago in Shandora.
Naturally, all the powerful figures knew that eight centuries ago, there was an exceptionally strong individual who came incredibly close to overthrowing the rule of the Celestial Dragons.
As for the destiny he spoke of, whether it was from eight hundred years ago or something else, Raleigh expressed deep understanding.
After all, this world truly needed a Sun God.
However, for now, Raleigh had no intention of altering the plot too much, nor did he wish to follow the original storyline blindly.
Besides, Monkey D. Luffy hadn't even been born yet. Once Luffy was born, he could have Garp send him over for training, thereby strengthening their forces.
The best scenario would be for Garp to group Luffy, Ace, and Sabo together, effectively bundling the top talents of the next few decades.
"Destiny? I don't believe in it."
Raleigh had always been indifferent to fatalism, which was why his system was straightforward and brutal.
Coming to the world of One Piece, lying low in the early stages and striking hard later suited Raleigh's personality.
As for being crushed by destiny like others—many had indeed tried to resist fate, but even more tragic outcomes made them lose faith.
That was why the world of One Piece only truly began when Luffy set sail. Everything before that was merely preparation for Luffy's rapid growth.
"Unlimited Vearth? What is Vearth? It can give life to mechanical minions? My goodness, my lightning is so useful!"
Beside Raleigh, Enel was also reading a foreign biographical novel he had found.
However, many terms left him utterly confused about their meanings.
"If I'm not mistaken, Vearth in that context probably refers to electrical energy."
"Secondly, it seems your Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability can provide ample energy to some mechanical minions. In other words, if you don't activate them for a long time, they might go into self-hibernation due to 'lack of charge'."
"Yes, it's truly unimaginable. Could they have created such advanced devices so many years ago?" Enel couldn't quite grasp why people from ancient times could develop such technologically advanced tools.
"This isn't very strange, because they aren't natives of our world. They had developed on the moon for many years before coming to the Blue Sea, so naturally, they're different."
It was actually quite easy to understand—they could fly from the moon on the Ark Maxim, which speaks volumes about the ship's capabilities.
"By the way, Enel, try controlling this ship."
Raleigh placed the Ark Maxim model on the ground, waiting for Enel to operate it.
Crackle, crackle...
Electric sparks danced chaotically across Enel's body, the distinctive sizzling of lightning permeating the air.
Raleigh, standing close to Enel, could feel a slight tingling sensation on his skin.
"According to the blueprints, you need to manipulate the control lever to operate it."
Enel stood cautiously on the deck of the Ark Maxim model, streams of electric current flowing from his feet through the golden connections, channeling into the ship's power room.
To some extent, this ship model wasn't actually a model—it was merely a scaled-down version constructed according to real specifications.
Aside from not matching the actual size of the Ark Maxim, its internal structure was identical to the real vessel.
It was simply proportionally reduced, making people mistake it for a toy model.
Enel carefully transmitted a stable electric current into the power output device, using his Observation Haki to perceive the flow of electricity within the ship's structure.
"Raleigh-sama, it seems this Ark is much better than we imagined," Enel said excitedly.
Now all mechanical components had been awakened, beginning the charging and startup procedures.
Click, click, click.
With every bit of electricity input into the ship's body, a dull mechanical clicking sound could be heard transmitting from within the Ark to the outside world.
Until the electricity reached a certain part, when it suddenly accelerated.
Enel sensed that the electrical circuits within the ship were completely clear, so he increased the current, preparing to activate the Ark Maxim.
As the electric current continuously intensified, the remaining parts of the Ark Maxim gradually began to move.
The fans on both sides, originally designed for lift-off power, and the rear fan started spinning rapidly.
The Ark Maxim slowly began to rise from the ground.
While excitedly watching the surrounding scenery gradually shrink below, Enel maintained a stable frequency of his electrical input.
Enel wasn't yet very proficient in operating the Ark Maxim, so to avoid falling to the ground, he could only maintain his stationary position in the air.