"Heh, interesting."
Mio's eyes gleamed, and a faint, excited smile curved the corner of his lips.
"If it's really a trap… then it's terrifying."
If everything happening in the world now had already been set into motion eight hundred years ago, then the entire world had been caught in an invisible snare for centuries. Wasn't that horrifying enough?
At this moment, Mio couldn't help but wonder—what kind of existence was this person named Joy Boy?
"All the secrets are on that final island… Seems like once we return, I'll have to prioritize collecting the red Poneglyphs as well," Mio murmured to himself before shaking his head and snapping back to the present.
Eight hundred years was simply too distant.
But regardless of whether it was a trap—he would shatter it.
"Let's go and investigate the nearest ruin," Mio ordered, taking the lead as the others followed close behind.
The moon's surface here didn't differ much from the one in his past life—dry, barren, pockmarked with craters. As Mio walked, his mind remained restless, thoughts spinning with questions about the ancient past.
Before long, the group reached a nearby ruin.
In front of them was a deep crater. At the bottom, faint outlines of ancient buildings were visible.
Mio, Robin, and the others descended into the crater. Once at the bottom, they discovered more buildings, intricate totems, and murals decorating the stone walls.
What stood out most was the architecture—it had a distinct technological aesthetic.
"These murals…" Mio muttered, brows furrowing. He couldn't understand much of the design, but he could make out one detail—the figures painted in the murals had wings.
They looked remarkably like Sky Islanders.
"So, the Sky Islanders really were moon immigrants…" Mio whispered.
Shaking his head, he turned to Robin, who was already analyzing the murals.
While she worked, Mio explored a nearby building—only to find something surprising.
"Sir, there are dwarves sleeping in these chambers," Erica reported. "They don't seem organic… more like technological life forms. Artificial."
Mio nodded in acknowledgment. These beings looked like the mechanical soldiers Enel activated in the original manga. Their military uniforms and designs suggested they were manufactured units. Their specific function, however, remained unclear.
They spent a while exploring the ruin. Apart from the murals and robotic dwarves, most of the site seemed to be a mechanical factory, similar to industrial complexes.
A few minutes later, Robin finally completed her translation.
"Sir, according to the murals, this place belonged to a lost civilization known as Piruka."
"Piruka?" Mio echoed, intrigued.
Robin nodded. "Yes. It was a technologically advanced city. But due to a lack of resources, they migrated from the moon to another planet—our world. During their migration, they brought a wealth of advanced technology. One of those technologies appears to be… Pluton."
Mio's eyes sharpened. "Pluton?"
Robin confirmed, "Yes. According to the mural, they traveled on a colossal vessel, capable of immense destructive power. The ship's design and capacity closely match the descriptions of Pluton from legend."
Hearing this, Mio nodded. It made sense.
"If Pluton was derived from Piruka's technology, and the people of that civilization reached our world… then perhaps some of them settled on Sky Island, while others went to Qinghai. Some may have even become the Celestial Dragons."
"If those who arrived in Water Seven merged with the local population, their descendants may have modified the ship they brought with them—and that's how Pluton came to be."
Mio's thoughts deepened further. "And if some of them became Celestial Dragons… they might hold the knowledge or power to control Uranus as well."
He frowned.
"If both Uranus and Pluton existed at the same time, were they used to overthrow the Great Kingdom? Or did they serve opposing sides? Was Pluton used to defend the kingdom, while Uranus was used by invaders?"
"Could this really be a war between an alien civilization and the original inhabitants of our world?"
"If so… then One Piece might be less a tale of pirates and more a history of rebellion—a native uprising against an alien ruling class."
His mind flicked to Noah—the mysterious ship created under unknown circumstances. According to the story, it symbolized a promise between Joy Boy and Fishman Island.
"But if Noah was built by the Piruka people, and Joy Boy was a Qinghai native… then what was Joy Boy's identity in all of this?"
Mio rubbed his temple, the gears in his mind spinning. His thoughts drifted to Shanks—a man who was both a pirate and someone with direct access to the Five Elders.
"That guy definitely knows something," Mio muttered. "Whether he learned it from Roger or discovered it on his own, it's clear the straw hat wasn't passed down to him without meaning."
"Erica," Mio said suddenly. "Go call Mashi over."
Whether the Great Kingdom's downfall had links to the Piruka civilization or not, Mio was starting to see a clearer picture.
Any great civilization has internal power struggles. Those who overthrew the Great Kingdom might have been its own ruling class—perhaps those very same people who became today's World Nobles.
This ruin had given them plenty. But there were more ruins to explore—maybe even more answers waiting.
But first, Mio had one idea.
He would have Mashi charge these dwarves with lightning, just like Enel once did.
"Let's wake them up."
"Yes!" Erica nodded and left quickly.
A moment later, Robin stepped beside Mio.
"Captain, you seem to be deep in thought. Did you figure something out?"
Mio smiled faintly. "Not figured out. But I have my theories."
Inside, though, he felt exhausted. If he could, he would head straight to the Final Island and uncover the truth himself.
Guessing and piecing it together like this was far too mentally taxing—even for him.