Moving a Road Poneglyph was a monumental task that defied standard logistics. At the port of Wano Country, hundreds of workers labored in unison to transport the massive stone, which resembled a small, blood-red mountain. They carefully moved it from the docks to the Flower Capital high above. Once there, under the watchful eye of Sasaki and pulled by four powerful, giant dinosaurs, the artifact was whisked away in secret toward the Shogun's Residence.
By the time the convoy reached the residence, King and the other members of the Tobi Roppo were already waiting. Standing alongside them were two young girls who bore a striking resemblance to Lily. Though they shared her features, their styles were vastly different: one wore a dark, gothic lolita outfit with jet-black hair, while the other dressed like a noble princess with hair as red as fire.
The veteran officers were curious about these newcomers, but out of respect for Lily's presence, they kept their questions to themselves. King, acting as the Vice Governor of the Beasts Pirates, was fully aware of their origins. He looked at the gathered subordinates and gave a sharp command.
"You're dismissed," King said. "We will take it from here."
The subordinates quickly bowed and retreated, leaving only the high-ranking cadres. King turned his attention to the two girls. "Scarlet, Vortex, it's your turn."
Scarlet, the girl in the gothic attire, licked her lips with a predatory grin. "It is an honor to serve you, King-Big Brother."
Vortex, the noble-looking girl, crossed her arms with a look of slight boredom. "Don't waste time. We shouldn't keep Kaido-Big Brother waiting."
Vortex stepped toward the massive Road Poneglyph and placed a slender hand against the cold stone. In an instant, the air hummed with power. Shimmering silver metal surged from her arm like a liquid tide, completely enveloping the Poneglyph. The metal then compressed, shrinking the mountain-sized stone until it was contained within a silver box only a meter wide.
Scarlet followed suit, waving her hands as dozens of bats erupted from her shadow. They swarmed the silver box, gripping it with their claws and lifting it effortlessly into the air.
The Tobi Roppo stood frozen in shock. While they knew Lily possessed the powers of the Time-Time Fruit—having seen Kaido take it from Kozuki Hiyori—these new "Maiden Knights" displayed powers that were equally familiar.
"If I'm not mistaken," one of them whispered, "that girl Scarlet has Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit power. And the other... that's Wapol's Munch-Munch Fruit."
The realization hit them like a physical blow. If Kaido was arming these girls with such specific abilities, it meant the Beasts Pirates now possessed a method to seize Devil Fruit powers from their users, much like the Blackbeard Pirates. Combined with the fact that they held the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton, the crew felt an overwhelming surge of confidence in their future.
"Follow me," King commanded, leading the group deep into the heart of the Flower Capital.
They arrived at a hidden underground passage that none of the officers had ever seen before. Even the normally stoic Ulti couldn't help but speak up. "King-Big Brother, what is this place?"
"This is where the true secrets of Wano are kept," King replied. "It's easier to show you than to explain. Keep moving."
The group followed him into the darkness. After ten minutes of walking, golden light began to pour through stone windows along the passage walls. King paused. "You have one minute to look. Don't waste it."
The officers rushed to the windows and gasped. Beneath the surface of the sea, illuminated by a strange, golden glow, lay an entire city.
"What you are looking at," King said solemnly, "is Wano Country as it existed 800 years ago."
Fukuro, a former CP9 agent with a deep knowledge of world history, turned pale. "The Void Century? This is Wano from that era?"
"Exactly. Now, move. Kaido is waiting," King urged.
They continued until they reached a massive, ancient shrine. Kaido sat at the center, flanked by Queen and Lily. Opposite them sat two other massive stones—one a vibrant red and the other covered in centuries of moss.
Fukuro's jaw dropped. "Those are... those are Road Poneglyphs! There are three of them here!"
"You've arrived," Kaido grunted, turning his head as the bats delivered the third stone.
The stones were arranged with the red coordinate Poneglyph in the center, flanked by the one from Sky Island and the new arrival from Fish-Man Island. The Tobi Roppo were mesmerized. Even Pudding, who had lived among Big Mom's treasures, had never seen three gathered in one place.
Ulti leaned in, squinting at the odd carvings. "Father-Big Brother, what do these actually say?"
Fukuro answered before Kaido could. "It doesn't matter. To read these, you need to know the Ancient Language. That knowledge is a taboo that destroyed Ohara. Only Nico Robin of the Straw Hats is left who can decipher them."
Page One frowned. "So they're just useless rocks to us?"
"Hardly," Fukuro corrected. "By holding three, we've effectively blocked anyone else from becoming the Pirate King. This red one likely holds the final coordinates to Laugh Tale."
The room buzzed with excitement until Queen erupted into a boisterous laugh. He looked at the bewildered officers with a smug grin.
"Who told you," Queen chuckled, "that the Beasts Pirates don't have a way to read these?"