Mieko raised an eyebrow as he looked at the utterly bewildered Arthur Wilson, a faint, hard-to-spot hint of confusion flickering across his face.
He had no interest in digging into whether Sky Island residents originated from the Moon; likewise, he couldn't muster the slightest enthusiasm for chasing that illusory "Infinite Earth." What he truly wanted was the exquisite set of design blueprints for the Ark "Maxim"!
Just imagine it: a sea-and-sky amphibious craft that could perfectly sync with his lightning power—able to soar through the heavens and also race across the ocean. How could Mieko not be tempted?
Even though he couldn't be certain the Ark "Maxim" blueprints were definitely in Birka's royal family's hands, with Enel's dimwitted brain, there was absolutely no way he could have designed such a masterpiece on his own. That meant the likelihood the blueprints came from Birka was extremely high—this was precisely why Mieko had summoned Wilson to question him.
If the design blueprints weren't on Birka, then it was very likely they had fallen into the hands of Angel Island's "God," Gan Fall.
However, even if the blueprints were practically within arm's reach, Mieko still had to make a trip to Angel Island. Because to build an Ark "Maxim" that could complement his abilities, the amount of gold required would be staggering—an ocean of it. And only that "God's Island," Upper Yard, which had been hoisted up into the sky from the Blue Sea below by a gigantic Knock Up Stream, contained such an abundant supply of gold.
"Forget it. Since you don't know anything about it, then let it go. Go back right now and thoroughly search Arthur Westin's belongings—see if there's anything like design blueprints hidden among them. The moment you find something, bring it to me immediately…" Mieko set down his teacup, stood up, and fixed his gaze on the visibly uneasy Wilson, waving a hand as he issued the order.
"Yes, sir! I'll go back at once and have people search everything, top to bottom!" Wilson wiped away the cold sweat beading on his forehead from sheer nerves. His obese body looked as if it had just been relieved of a thousand-pound burden, and he jogged out in a hurry.
After Wilson's bloated figure vanished from sight, Odin turned toward Mieko, full of questions, and asked in confusion, "Lord Mieko, why are you so obsessed with finding those design blueprints?"
"If the Sky Island residents really did come from the Moon, then they must possess some kind of flying technology beyond what we currently understand. In this chaotic Great Pirate Era, having a ship that can soar through the sky would save us an enormous amount of trouble," Mieko explained in a low voice. He didn't try to hide anything—wearing a faint smile, he slowly elaborated.
After hearing that, Odin's face relaxed in understanding, and he nodded. "So that's how it is…"
"It's about time. We should go train," Mieko reminded him.
Mieko actually valued this subordinate of his, only in his early twenties. Even though Odin was still weak for now—and if he went down to the Blue Sea's Grand Line, where monsters were everywhere, he'd have no foothold at all—he wasn't without potential. Besides, Mieko was short on talent at his side right now, and on Sky Island it wasn't easy to find a capable subordinate. He couldn't do everything personally all the time.
Especially since he couldn't stay on Sky Island forever. Sooner or later, he would have to leave behind a powerful subordinate to guard his territory. That was why he had chosen Odin: young, and by Sky Island standards, already outstanding.
…
An open stretch of land at the edge of Birka Forest.
"One hundred thirty-three, one hundred thirty-four…" While rapidly doing push-ups, Mieko calmly asked Odin—who was gripping a greatsword on the other side and slashing again and again—"You know the training method for Mantra, right?"
Mantra was essentially Observation Haki. It was just the special name Sky Island used.
"I do!" Odin stopped what he was doing, took a small breath, and then nodded.
Mantra wasn't some secret art that never got passed on. Several Guard Captains in Birka's Royal Army had mastered it, and he had learned it as well—he just hadn't reached the level where he could always predict an opponent's movements.
For some people, Mantra awakened through sheer chance; for others, it came from hard work and relentless training. Odin was the latter.
"One hundred fifty-five, one hundred fifty-six…" Mieko kept pounding out push-ups, silently counting in his head. Then, testing the waters, he asked, "Then have you ever heard of Armament Haki?"
"Armament Haki? No…" Odin froze for a moment. Then he planted the greatsword into the Island Cloud and shook his head. "I think I've heard that 'Observation Haki' is another way to refer to Mantra—that people from the Blue Sea call it that—but I've never heard of any Armament Haki!"
"Then tell me the training method for Mantra," Mieko said. He gave a small nod. Although he was a bit disappointed he hadn't found a method for training Armament Haki, thinking about how he'd already gained access to Observation Haki made him feel somewhat comforted—his future plans would be far more convenient.
And if he thought about it another way: if Odin truly had mastered Armament Haki back then, then even if Mieko had been lucky enough not to die after being chopped in half, he probably would've been left with wounds so severe he'd never recover.
…
Meanwhile, inside Birka's royal palace.
Inside a lavish, magnificent hall, more than a dozen guards were rushing back and forth, hauling heavy crates and carefully searching every last corner of the palace.
"Move it! All of you, search properly! Not a single spot gets missed—turn everything over and search it thoroughly!" Wilson stuck out his round belly and kept barking orders, pointing as he went to make sure the guards didn't overlook anything.
"Father, we're just looking for a few design drawings. Do we really have to make such a huge production out of it?" Looking at the great hall that was practically being emptied, a young man in his early twenties curled his lip and complained, his face full of irritation.
Wilson spun around at once, shot the young man a glare, and shouted, "Shut your damn mouth! This is something Lord Mieko personally demanded. If anything goes wrong, forget the throne—our father-and-son lives won't be safe either!"
"But… what kind of design blueprints are they, exactly? I've lived in the palace for years and I've never heard of any design blueprints being hidden here…" The young man's expression shifted. He shrank his neck and muttered softly.
"Who knows? Maybe it's some secret passed down through the kings for generations. Brother King Westin didn't even have time to tell us before he died!" Wilson shook his head, then walked up to a crate that had just been carried out and began rummaging through it himself.
For his throne—for the lives of his entire family—he had to find that set of blueprints.
(End of Chapter)
If I see that this fanfic has support, I will upload 20+ chapters to Patreon!!
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]