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Sunken Kingdom Arc opening: Netsujou no Spectrum (Nanatsu no Taizai Op 1)

"W-What is going on?"

This is the question on everybody's minds as the situation bared itself. Helpless in the water, the Going Merry was at this supposed new enemy's mercy. The five waterborne objects remained silent, save for the dim hum of the ray of light still being emitted by one of the strange objects.

"Why can't we move?" Zoro growled.

"You must be wondering the reason of your sudden immobilization. A single submarine of the empire's tractor beams are capable of subduing a force up to 5 tons, and that primitive vessel of yours weighs much less than that." As if the objects were listening in, another loud voice was broadcasted once again. The Straw Hats eyes widened upon that information was received.

"Did…Did they just say tractor beam?" Nami choked out.

"Show yourselves!" Sanji shouted, and as he said that, one of the waterborne vessels extended what appears to be a platform from the side of its' silver hull. A door popped open and revealed a blond woman in a rather grey suit. Gian and Robin's eyes widened when they saw her.

"YOU?!"

"I apologize for the fright earlier, I am Emissary Sara of the Great Empire of Mu, and we are-"

"WHAT IN THE-?! YOU'RE ONE OF-" Gian was at a loss for words as he tried and failed to process this information. The woman he and Robin met not even a day ago, who they rightly assumed was just another person, just dropped the biggest bombshell on them.

"Ah, good to see you again so soon Gian-san, Robin-san, I'm sure you both have many questions right now."

"Many question?! Ohhh nooo! I'm understand everything perfectly!" Gian drawled "It's not like we've just got sucker punched by the most ridiculous of revelations!"

"Really, who are you? What are you trying to say?" Robin asked, much more levelheaded yet her thoughts too were whirling around in her head wildly.

Sara bowed "Everything will be explained shortly, and if you're not satisfied with the answer then we'll see what we can do then."

"Gian, Robin, how do you two know her?" Nami whispered.

"It's a really long story…" Gian sighed and closed his eyes; this was all way too much for him right now.

"As I was saying, I am emissary Sara of the Great Empire of Mu. For years we have been hidden from sight, watching as the world moved forwards. However, our scouting vessels detected the activities of our Guardian Deity, to which we tracked it to here and found you in the midst of combat with our Protector."

"I'm Luffy, I'm the captain." The Straw Hat Boy gave a small wave.

"Luffy! Don't just give out your name so easily!" Usopp snapped.

"Y-you're not going to kill us, are you?" Chopper stammered.

"In most cases we should!" a new voice boomed and alerted the group as they turned to see a very tall, muscular man step out of the submarine. The man's hair was cropped short, and he wore nothing but a black gi with a dragon imprint on it. He raised a fist and pointed it towards the Straw Hats, his eyes hard "For daring to bring harm to Lord Manda I should see you all dead!" he shouted, much to the horror of some of the crew members.

"Wuhelm-san, the people of the surface do not know of Lord Manda, we have been away from their sight for quite some time, you know." Sara sighed "I believe they are simply acting in self-defense."

"I am simply doing my job as the vice-captain of the Fangs of Manda, and I've deemed them to be a threat." The warrior, Wuhelm, scoffed.

Robin's eyes widened again "Manda… that name was on the poneglyph back at the ruins…"

"Hold on a second!" Gian shouted "You're saying that thing is Manda?! The ruins made it seem like he's just a regular person! Nobody mentioned anything about a sea dragon?!"

"And that thing attacked us first!" Luffy shouted as well.

Sara held up a hand "I'm sure the circumstances are unfortunate. We do not dictate our Lord's actions, we merely rest under His guardianship. Rest assured, despite what Wuhelm-san stated, you will not be harmed. After all, our very own Empress and High Priest takes interest in some of you."

Wuhelm closed his eyes and sighed "Yes, that is correct. I will not defy the Empress, if she wills it, then let it be so."

"Anyway, please allow us to escort you to our Kingdom, you are the first to visit in perhaps centuries so enjoy the ride!" Sara smiled.

This led to a big surprise with the group.

"Wait, you want us to come to your kingdom? Like now?" The Straw Hats all looked at each other and gasped.

"Yes, please hurry, we would not want to keep the Empress waiting."

"GIVE US A SECOND!" the crew shouted before huddling together.

"Ok, what's going on? They were just about to kill us, but now they wish to invite us over?"

"Guys, we should be careful this may be a trap." Zoro warned.

"Hmph, why would we go through so much trouble to deceive you when we have the means to kill you where you stand?" Wuhelm scoffed as he overheard. "Of course, if you are wanting to deny our Empress' gracious invitation, then I certainly have no qualms about it."

"Sorry, but we're just cautious, all this came out of the blue and we're kind of unprepared." Gian admitted.

Sara nodded "That is understandable, perhaps we should've established prior contact. Originally we did plan to exact punishment upon you all for the assault against our Protector, but our High Priest was informed by me back at the ruins of the abilities of one of your crewmates: her." she pointed at Robin.

"Robin-chwan? What do you want her for?" Sanji asked.

"From what I saw, Robin-san is capable of reading and deciphering a set of language written on certain blocks. We just so happen to have some of those artifacts that the High Priest wishes to understand. So we need her to come with us."

"She's not going anywhere!" Gian demanded "All of this is too suspicious."

"Yes, we figured you would not wish for her to come alone. That's why I've contacted the Empress to have all of you formally brought to tour our Empire while she assists us."

"If this is a trap…" Zoro warned.

"Like I said, there's not need to waste all that effort when we are easily capable of wiping you out right here and now." Wuhelm growled "You should be honored to have an invitation by our Empress, you're the first surface people to travel to Mu in a very long time."

The crew looked at each other again, unsure of what to do. A group of unknown peoples suddenly appearing to them asking for aid from one of their own is a bit sudden.

"Think of this as an adventure, you guys are adventurers are you not? While Robin-san helps us, the rest of you are free to explore much of the Kingdom on your own provided you don't break any laws." Sara coaxed "It's a very ancient land, filled with unexplored land and treasures that-"

"TREASURE?!" and that was what made Nami's eyes lit up "How much treasure are we talking here?"

"I personally do not know, I never counted myself." Sara smiled.

"Wow this place sounds cool!" Luffy grinned.

"It does seem pretty neat…" Chopper laughed.

Gian looked around, it seems that the crew is warming up to the idea. He himself also has a nagging feeling of wishing to go explore this unknown kingdom, considering all the effort he and Robin went to look for it.

"Robin, it's up to you. They do seem to need you after all."

The archaeologist nodded "Yes, if they do need some help determining some of the ancient language then I see no harm in doing so."

Gian smiled "Ok, guess she's fine with going."

"Alright! Let's go explore!" Luffy cheered.

"Excellent, then I shall send signal of our impending arrival right away!" Sara clapped "I think you will find our Kingdom to be very wonderful!"

"How far away is the island that this kingdom is located on?" Nami asked "We don't want to get too off course."

It was Wuhelm that responded, giving a half laugh as he did "Girl, Mu is not located on any island on the surface. It isn't something most people can reach."

"Huh? Then how are we-?"

"Please, it is time to enter the submarines, we must be on our way." Wuhelm ushered everyone within one of the half-submerged vessels.

The inside was quite spacious, and to the surprise of the Straw Hats rather high-tech as well. Multiple control panels lined the walls of the interior, serving functions that they not yet know. A wide screen lay out in front of them, flickering on to reveal footage of the outside. Groups of other people dressed similarly to Sara are working along the vessel, calling out status and controls. As the crew observed, they soon realized that the submarine was sinking into the water.

And all eyes widened at the implication.

"Wait, why are we going underwater?" Usopp asked.

"You do wish to go to the Kingdom do you not?" Sara inquired "I am taking you there."

"But, where is- No… don't tell me that-" and the crew realized exactly what she meant.

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" was the vocal thought of everyone as they realized they were quickly diving downwards.

And Wuhelm and Sara only smiled at each other.

Later:

"If you are worried about the state of your ship, have no fear. The tractor beam emits an energy field that blocks out outside forces trying to effect whatever's inside. Your primitive vessel will be protected from the growing water pressure." Sara revealed.

"Yeah, because in the face of going to a kingdom that's not only lost to history, but also sunken underwater, what happens to a ship is the first thing that comes to mind!" Gian drawled.

The group of submarines have been steadily descending into the murky depths, one of them towing the Going Merry with them. The crew were still shell-shocked about the revelation that this Mu Kingdom they were visiting was in fact underwater. And the deeper they went, the more startling this fact is. While submarines as a whole aren't unheard of as many people do employ their use, the depth that they are reaching are far beyond the capability of any submersible vessel.

"Our submarines have been advanced to the point where they are capable of travelling at a depth that surface people have yet to reach." Wuhelm explained "With an alloy mix that is harder than steel, it's many times durable and hydrodynamic."

"I still can't believe any of this… How were you guys able to keep hidden without the outside world finding you?" Usopp asked incuriously.

"Believe it or not, there was a time when Mu was the shining beacon of the world, back when it still remained on the surface." Sara's eyes were downcast "Then, a terrible accident happened, and from that day Mu sank to the bottom of the ocean."

"No way…" Chopper whispered "How are you all alive?"

"It was due to the ingenuity of our people that we are able to adapt to that change. And perhaps it was for the better." Wuhelm responded "You will see all of this shortly."

The submarines took another dive, this time deep into an undersea trench. Such a high amount of water pressure would crush most ships and submersibles, yet the Mu submarines remained intact.

"At a depth like this, you've been living down here this whole time?" Sanji asked.

Gian and Robin were both silent, soon they would see just what kind of kingdom this supposed lost place was, or maybe not so lost after all.

Then, the Straw Hats noticed it; faint specks of light could be seen in the distance. The crew braced themselves, but what was revealed was something even they did not expect.

And as the trench opened to a deep undersea plain, the water in front of them shimmered faintly, but the submarines went head on into the mysterious force, and were consumed by it.

Blinding light was what struck the Straw Hats, and as they regained their senses, the most awestruck thing they've ever seen presented themselves.

"WHOOOOOOAAAAA!" Luffy gasped in delight.

"I don't believe this…" Zoro looked around, seeing what his captain saw.

The ocean floor was sunlit, an impossible feat, and the waters around them was teeming with marine life. A few dark shadows swept across the sea floor; even Sea Kings thrived in this environment.

"How? At this depth light shouldn't even be able to reach? Yet the sea floor here is brighter than near even the surface!" Sanji gasped.

Sara smiled at that "When Mu first descended to the depths, the people lived in utter darkness. It was only due to the talents of our scientists that we were able to harness the heat energy of the planet itself."

"So you're saying that-"

"Yes, the "sun" you see here is composed purely of geothermal energy. It in combination with our barrier allows the preservation of warmth of our Kingdom. Besides, if you look closely, the sea level here is not quite the depth you think it is." and the Straw Hats realized that the ocean surface is indeed a lot closer to them, actually being visible even though they've dove hundreds of miles down below!

A loud bellow then sounded as another shadow passed over them, causing the sea life to scatter. Wuhelm and Sara along with the handful of technicians, all bowed and dropped to one knee. The screen of the submarine then showed a serpentine form slither through the water at an astonishing speed.

"WAAAH! IT'S THE SEA DRAGON!" Usopp screamed.

"Surface-dwellers, it would be wiser to bow in the presence of Lord Manda rather than to call out His name." Wuhelm reprimanded.

Underwater, the Straw Hats witness the full grandness of the dragon beast they fought near the surface. Manda's full length was greater than that of the submarine itself, its elongated body dancing gracefully through the water as he passed overhead at a speed faster than that of the submarine.

"Even Sea Kings shy away from the glory of Lord Manda, we are forever under his guardianship." Sara murmured.

"Where is the dragon going?" Luffy asked "Oi! Dragon! Come back!"

"Luffy!" Usopp snapped "That thing tried to kill us!"

"Lord Manda does not answer to a mortal's call, certainly less so a call from an ingrate child!" Wuhelm scowled.

"Wuhelm-san, remember they are guests." Sara chuckled "They are not acquainted with our customs. Even we know little about Lord Manda, only the Empress and High Priest are worthy of his gaze."

Gian frowned as he observed the beast swimming away, the moment he saw the creature again a feeling in his heart began to blossom. His emotions were jumbled, for this sense was not unlike what he's felt with Mr. 0.5 and Ryugetsu.

"But Manda can't be a Kaiju-Zoan user, we're underwater. No matter how powerful a Kaiju-Zoan is, it's still affected by the weaknesses of a Devil Fruit." He thought.

The submarines carried forwards, eventually reaching an underwater shelf that extended upwards. That's when the vessels began their ascent as they drew closer to the surface.

And when they broke through, the true wonders of the kingdom began.

"I'm seeing this right? We're all seeing the same thing?" Gian blinked.

"There's land… at the bottom of the ocean…" Nami stammered.

"WOOOOWWWW MU IS SO COOL!" Luffy's eyes lit up.

"Well, I was hoping you'd be amazed, you're the first surface dwellers to ever see the continent where our Kingdom resides after all." Sara grinned "This land may be lost to those above, but to us it is home."

And the landmass was lush as well, past the sand dunes near the coast line, the crew could see yards upon yards of grassland. The submarines then began to travel along the coast, all the while the Straw Hats admiring the beauty of the landscape. Then they reached the mouth of a thundering river, and each submarine promptly sailed against the current easily.

"There's even a river underwater, what else does this have?" Gian looked around.

"This is amazing…" Robin let out a sigh.

"Just how durable are these submarines?" Usopp questioned; they've been smashing against the river along with rocks easily and just plowing through them!

Along the riverbanks they could see many small homes, with the structure similar to many farms they'd normally see on the surface. With fruit orchards and rice farms, the variety was immense.

"That geothermal sun must allow for farming down here as well." Sanji mused "They've managed to create an entire society with just that!"

"And we thought the Grand Line had its wonders, this is something else entirely!" Gian was still awestruck.

"Please try to keep your emotions low" Wuhelm gave a smile, the first they've ever seen him give "We haven't even reached the city yet."

"City?" Robin echoed.

"Of course, what's a Kingdom without a city backing it up?" Sara smiled and pointed into the distance.

Everyone was so captivated by the surrounding countryside, that when they finally realized the city was just off in the distance, they were blown away by the scale of the civilization. Multiple buildings, some rising high into the air while others remain low, dotted the skyline. Ornate designs made each building unique, their stone seemed very recently made despite the possibility of being thousands of years old. As the submarines sailed closer, they realized the river actually passed alongside the city. An intricate system of what appears to be trains intersected throughout the buildings, creating a network of transportation.

The moment the submarines entered the port, the crew could finally see the people of the Kingdom. They looked very similar to Sara, but wore clothing more akin to robes and colorful fabrics. Shops you'd expect to find in a normal city, and more you can't find were readily available all around. In the distance, right at the center of it all, is a large pyramid shaped structure. It towers above all else, looming over the entire city.

To say the excitement and awe in the crew was high would be an understatement.

"And now we've officially arrived, allow me to welcome you formally!" Sara bowed "Straw Hat Pirates, welcome to the Heart of the Mu Empire!"

Footsteps could be heard marching towards the docks they were located at, and the Straw Hats were alarmed to see a unit of 30 heavily armored people stomping towards them. Each of the soldiers were covered with a blue-green tint of armor, it's designed scaled and each carrying a large triangular shield and a long serrated spear.

At the head of the small army is a soldier who stood a foot taller than the rest. His own armor was more ornate and jagged, his head covered by a dragon shaped helmet. Unlike the other soldiers he carried no spear and shield, rather a large two handed sword is strapped to his back. His gaze was sharp as he observed the hesitant crew, who promptly took a step back.

"I-I I thought you say we weren't going to get captured!" Usopp shuddered before getting prodded by Sara.

"Just wait a minute, Usopp-san, we have introductions first."

The soldiers then stopped and gave a hard salute, crossing their shields with the spears they were holding. Wuhelm did the same, albeit with his arms crossed instead. The lead solider raised his hand to ease them.

"Vice-Captain, I see that the escort has been a success."

Wuhelm bowed "Yes Captain Tal'shir, the surface people that the Empress wishes to see have been delivered."

"Well done, please return back to the palace and make your report." The muscular warrior saluted at the command before running off in the direction of the giant pyramid.

Tal'shir then bowed towards the group "Please excuse the display, as captain of the Fangs of Manda, we are expected to be fully armed at all times. Allow me to escort you to where you shall be staying, the Empress and High Priest have already been informed of your arrival."

As the crew looked at each other uneasily, the captain spoke again "I assure you, no harm to come to you provided that you adhere to our laws. We may be ancient in terms of society, but we are still a society."

"So, this isn't an arrest?" Gian asked.

"I am simply escorting you all to seek your audiences with the empress, please do come along I would prefer not to keep her waiting."

"Ok, we'll come along." Luffy said without a hint of thought.

"LUFFY! DON'T MAKE DECISIONS SO FAST!" Nami snapped.

"Then I shall be taking the surface dwellers from your hands, Emissary, if that's alright with you." Tal'shir stated.

"Of course, captain, it is about time I return to my duties as well. The High Priest is waiting to hear from me."

"Wait, you're just leaving us?" Nami asked.

"Sorry, Nami-san, in addition to being Mu's Emissary I'm also a priestess that assists the High Priest, I'm a rather busy girl!" Sara smirked "But I'll try to catch up with you all later!" with that she departed.

"Now, if you'll follow me, we will be on our way." Tal'shir then beckoned with his hand, and with no other way of getting around, the group decided to follow.

Later:

Mu was simply astounding, the Straw Hats have never seen anything like it! The overarching architecture are made from a material not seen at the world above, emitting a shine from the light of the geothermal sun. The city was absolutely massive, with a mix of methods to get around. Advanced looking train tracks crisscrossed some of the landscape, some reaching out of the city to the countryside. Within some alleys were watery canals, all connected to the same river they travelled up in.

The people of Mu are exactly identical to the people at the surface, although their choice of fashion were different. It was a vibrant color pallet of fabrics and designs, the Mu certainly had plenty of time to develop their choice of clothing while they've been down here.

"You've certainly kept busy down here," Gian noted "Everything has developed to this level."

"In order to survive in such a hostile environment, we had to be ready for things. They said that during the earliest years of our descent below the sea, it had been difficult and lives had been lost." Tal'shir explained "If not for our perseverance, we would've surely perished years ago."

"Speaking of perseverance, I have a question about the field we've entered through," Robin remembered "Is that the secret of how you were able to live down here for so long without discovery?"

Tal'shir nodded "The barrier was the creation of Mu's best scientists, when the signs of cataclysm had arose, we quickly realized we needed a way to survive it. Since the only way to escape it is under the ocean, we needed something to protect the land we live on even underneath the sea. Thus, the barrier was created as a way to separate the space between the continent and the pressure of the deep sea."

"So you're saying that this dome essentially preserved the last bit of surface that you once knew?" Nami asked.

Tal'shir closed his eyes "I can't even begin to imagine the pain my ancestors went through as the Kingdom they lived in was forced beneath the sea, but if it weren't for them, we would not have as much as we do now."

"Down here, we were able to cultivate our tech and advance our society. The barrier protected us from the rest of the ocean, but we still needed to live. The technology to harness geothermal energy was done through a generator our scientists built. In addition to that, we soon realized that in order to live at the bottom of the ocean, we needed to conform to it. The submarines you've ridden in were the response to that, but we've also invented special diving suits that can withstand even the pressure of water down here."

"This is amazing!" Chopper was in awe.

"MU IS SO COOL!" Luffy cried.

"But what's the reason for all these armed soldiers?" Usopp pointed shakenly to the group escorting them "no one knows you're down here right?

"Perhaps it is a memento of ages past, but even down here, you can never expect anything to be as it is. We must always be prepared for an attack and be ready to defend our Kingdom, even when it appears to be peaceful." The captain shook his head "That being said, what you see here is only a fraction of Mu's military. In addition to our fleet of Submarines, there are other troops stationed around the Kingdom, totaling up to roughly 800 000 if I'm not wrong."

"That many? You have enough to hold your own against multiple kingdoms if you needed to." Zoro said "And you're a part of that army?"

"We are, and there are more members of the Fangs of Manda as well, around 500 active members." Tal'shir confirmed "However, our role is more than that of merely foot soldiers. The Fangs of Manda are the last line of defense for the throne and the Empress. We raise our flag under her name, as well as that of Lord Manda."

"So you're like bodyguards, huh?" Zoro noted "But what's the importance of that giant snake?"

"Zoro! Don't be so rude!" Usopp snapped.

Tal'shir brushed it off "Lord Manda has been the Protector of the Mu Empire since its dawn. A large part of our survival is due to His Guardianship. We live because he watches over us." He said.

"They're really devoted huh?" Gian whispered to Robin.

"Religion is usually a catalyst for the development of a kingdom, it seems to be no different here." The archeologist responded.

"Still, to have maintained it for so long, it just goes to show how much development has went through this society." Gian said again.

"Indeed, perhaps we'll find out more soon."

The group continued to tour various parts of the city until they reached its center. The pyramid shaped building loomed over them, a massive construct in the skyline. The Straw Hats could see more soldiers, dressed differently from the Fangs of Manda, patrolling the area, as well as a number of Mu civilians.

Two massive gates made of black stone rose up before them as they've reached the palace's base. Tal'shir and the rest of his troops did one more salute before the doors began to creak open.

A boy about 12 years old peeked his head out, his eyes lit up immediately as he saw who is approaching. He rushed out to greet the army enthusiastically. The boy is of middle height, short brown cropped hair and dressed in a simple vest and pants. A large circular brace is attached to his left arm as he ran forwards.

"Captain Tal'shir! You came back! Er- I mean, Captain! You've returned from your escort!" the boy fumbled.

The captain of the Fangs of Manda remained stone faced, though the faintest of smiles could be seen.

"Kubo, inform the Empress and High Priest that our guests have arrived safely at the palace."

"Immediately, sir!" the boy saluted and ran off.

Tal'shir gave a smile at that "Kubo is still young, but he has heart. It is his dream to be a member of the Fangs of Manda, but he's got some ways to go. For now, he's still in training."

The crew were then escorted within the palace, pass the great halls gleaming with pure jade-like stone. The entire structure was supported on either side by large pillars that jutted skyward. All this lead to a massive space with guards similar to the ones escorting them on either side, their spears held tight.

The crew's gaze trailed up the towering staircase that served as a way to ascend upon a raised throne that overlooks the entire room. Upon the throne sat a woman whose pale skin is contrasted by her scarlet hair. A dazzling array of ceremonial pearls hung as a headpiece around her forehead, while her red robes made her look even more like a ghost.

Beside the woman however, was a figure that could not be any more different. A dark cloak encompassed the tall figure, whose face itself is shrouded by a hooded mask in the shape of a fanged snake. Only the figure's eyes are revealed as he observed the crew beneath them. His hand rested on the obsidian colored staff in his grasp, its similar snake-like tip seemingly glaring at the crew as well.

Tal'shir along with the rest of the armored guards immediately dropped to one knee, as the woman continued to observe wordlessly.

"Umm, should we bow as well?" Gian asked "I mean its courtesy."

"Don't worry about it, we'll make an exception this time!" a cheery voice chirped above them, and the crew saw the same Emissary that brought them here waving at them from atop the stairs. Sara was now dressed in a white silk robe and her blond hair no longer tied.

"Foreigners, Her Majesty Empress Mulines will now see your presence." A deep voice emitted from the masked figure beside her. The empress raised a hand, causing the guards to ease up.

"Welcome, visitors from the surface, I hope your trip down here isn't too turbulent." The Empress's voice was soft yet authoritative, a voice that commanded the attention of people yet subtle.

"It was pretty good." Luffy shrugged.

Mulines looked over the group, observing each of them "I originally didn't believe the reports of a group of sailors that were able to be defiant against our Kingdom's protector, but now that I have seen you I can tell you are all of considerable power. Priestess Sara here has informed me of your names already, she tells me you are pirates, yes?"

"Yup, I'm Luffy, the captain." The rubber boy responded again.

"In ages past, the people of Mu once dealt with Pirates, though now we don't have much to for you to take. It is quite interesting to see such a young boy command his own crew, then again we were informed of your strength." the Empress nodded "However, there are two of you that we've taken particular interest in." she then raised a hand and pointed out Gian and Robin.

"Priestess Sara has told me of the encounter you two had, more specifically, your talents."

"Her talents, actually." Gian corrected "I don't know how to read whatever it is that's written on the block."

"Indeed, that would seem to match the observation. Miss Nico Robin-san, by now we've informed you of the reason you were all brought along, yes?" the Empress asked.

"Your Priestess has informed us of the reason." Robin confirmed "She says you have similar scripture of those on the poneglyph."

"Excellent, further content will be explained by our honored High Priest." The woman gestured to the man beside her, who bowed slightly and walked forwards.

"Greetings, I am Axor, High Priest of the Mu Empire. We once came from the same surface you live in currently, but an unfortunate event caused us to forever dwell the bottom of the sea, never to see the surface again. Though we have developed our kingdom down here, there are still many remnants of the surface world we are reminded of."

"One of this is a set of stones written by a Royal Family with former ties to our Kingdom. They serve as a bond of everlasting connection and friendship with the surface we once knew. However, their last words are written in a form of inscription that even our best scholars have yet to decipher. These mysterious scriptures are some of the last bit of contact with the surface people we have, in a way it is a way to remind us of our roots. If anything, it give us some closure that our life in the depths once came from a more splendid time."

"You want me to unlock the meaning behind these inscriptions?" Robin deduced.

"It is to my understanding that you yourself is quite interested in the history behind these monoliths, and while history isn't my strong suit, I am quite fond of stories of our past. I wish to learn of the meaning behind these mysterious scriptures in hope that they may have the secrets of what we've done to ensure the cataclysm from ages past, so that no one may reenact them again for the sake of our people. To this end, I propose a cooperation pact." Axor nodded "You help us understand the scripture, and we will in turn allow you take with you any secrets that you yourself find in the process. In addition to that, we will also share any history of Mu that you might have questions of, though my old self has only a faint grasp of some of our past as well."

Robin pondered this for a moment; knowing the detail behind the poneglyphs have always been her goal of one day reaching the True History behind the Rio Poneglyph. How some of them ended up deep beneath the sea in a lost kingdom like this, she simply must know.

"Very well, I accept the terms."

"You have our gratitude, Miss Nico Robin." Axor bowed slightly "It would bring peace to this old man's heart that our Kingdom may forever treasure the bonds of the surface that still bind us to this day. We will start tomorrow, for now Her Majesty will distribute the hospitality."

The Empress clapped at that "Well met, I am glad that the meeting with the folk of the Surface shall be that of cooperation. Please, enjoy yourselves in our Kingdom during your short stay here. For now, Mu welcomes all of you!"

With that, she gestured once again, and the soldiers within the great hall all clanged their weapons once more before marching out of the hall, the Straw Hats in turn are escorted as well.

"Wow, this is going to be so much fun!" Luffy exclaimed "Everything down here is so cool!"

"I wonder what kind of stuff they needed Robin for." Chopper mused "But in the meantime I want to look around here! Mu's been here for this long means their medical technology must be very advanced!"

"This really is a once in a life time chance!" Nami agreed.

While the others exclaimed over their situation, Gian turned to Robin and found her staring into the distance. The archaeologist had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Something on your mind?"

"Tomorrow I'm about to perhaps understand something that's been lost to history all this time. I'm not sure what I'm going to find, but I can't shake the feeling that the truth is deeper than I originally thought." Robin responded.

"Ease up for now, you have until tomorrow." Gian coaxed "Besides, whatever you find, if it's good information then won't it be good in its own way?"

"I suppose so." Robin nodded before they exited along with the rest of the crew to the rooms they will be staying in for the duration, leaving the palace hall with only the Empress, Axor and Sara, all silent as they watched them leave.

"How wonderful, to think that we have been lucky enough to encounter an Oharan, this is good development indeed." Axor mused once everyone had exited the premise.

"Can she really decipher the seal?" Sara asked, and at this moment, the air around them grew darker as Axor raised his staff. During this time, the Empress remained motionless and wordless, but with that motion the ruler of Mu suddenly stood up before walking towards the wall behind the throne.

"For so long, the secrets behind Mu's true calling lies hidden from me, the members of the Kozuki family who crafted that incantation forever locking us away from it." Axor recited, as Empress Mulines withdrew from the sleeves of her robes a curved dagger, to which she pressed to her palm. A sliver of blood appeared before she pressed the wound into a hand-shape indent on the side of the wall. Immediately the wall split in two and began to scrape open. Once wide enough, the Empress stood motionless, her eyes, once proud and noble were now pure white with no pupil. Her mind no longer her own, Axor smirked before waving his staff once more, this time the Empress's eyes drooped shut and she slumped to the floor.

"The Dorei-Dorei no Mi, one of the last artifacts we have of the surface." Axor's voice now held a sinister tone "A useful tool, necessary for my plans. Tomorrow, the time for Mu's rebirth shall come!"

"High Priest, will this really allow us to return to our roots?" Sara asked with some slight hesitation. The High Priest's eyes gained a soft tone as he brought a hand up.

"You do wish to see it, do you?" he said, tracing the outline of her face "the land which we came from, the lands which we once were respected? It will come to bear fruit in time." He turned and entered the darkness, though not before issuing one last order.

"Do bring Her Majesty back to her quarters, she requires her rest." Axor's voice was haughty, as Sara paused slightly before nodding and picking the prone Ruler of Mu up. Her dreams, to forever leave the abyss and set foot onto land, real land and to feel the sun's- the real sun's- rays on her skin is enough for her to carry on.

As Sara left, Axor entered the darkroom, and with a tap of his staff, lit the torches that illuminated the dark room. A room filled with nothing save for an altar that rises up even further, he ascended to observe the 3 black shiny blocks arranged in a straight line.

"Soon, soon you will be unlocked. The Secrets of Dark Mu, so that our Kingdom's influence shall spread across the seas once again." He proclaimed before walking off, the three cobra shaped statues surrounding the altar glowing ominously in the flames…

A/N: wow, this chapter took a lot longer than I thought it would. I didn't expect world-building to be so complicated, and I'm not done with it just yet. This chapter introduced a lot of new characters that will be playing big roles as the arc goes on, as well as a glimpse of some of the troubles going on behind the scenes that will soon take center stage! In the meantime, Gian and company will be exploring the kingdom, though soon they'll see that not all is well in the undersea paradise.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter! From the looks of it this arc may stretch to 6 chapters as there's still a few things that haven't appeared yet. I'm actually debating that, after this, I'm going to skip the Long Ring Long Island arc just because by this point it contributes way too little to how things are going to go, so a lot of it is going to be cut or removed altogether. That aside, keep on waiting for the next one!

Responses to reviews:

To Raidentensho (sorry for forgetting this last chapter):

Strong World is going to be one of the arcs I'm doing, it'll actually introduce a Godzilla monster that you wouldn't have associated there. But the one with the flower will not be, as are most other movies I deem not adding to the story's progression. Strong World is there simply because it has strong ties to canon, the same for Film: Z and maybe Film Gold.

To The Storm Master 567:

G: It's like nobody here's actually spoken to women before.

I have plenty of friends that happen to be women, so you're wrong.

The real conflict will come soon!

To pokemonking0924:

Oh don't worry, Sanji will find out soon enough.

And there's a reason that Manda is able to communicate with Gian slightly, and you'll see why by the end of the arc.

And good on you to start your own story! I haven't kept up with Monster Hunter lately so I'll have a lot of research to do!

To Lelouch-strife:

Well, considering a romance has to actually start from nothing and not be completely out of place and random means that it needs to be built up. Remember, Gian didn't meet Robin until chapter 29, and didn't have a long interaction with her until chapter 44. They're only starting to realize something is happening 2 chapters ago. At this point the romance is coming steadily but it still needs to take it's time, I did say later in the story didn't I? Remember kids, Gian and Robin may love each other but they're more in love with adventure, Oda himself said this.

G: Oda never said that.

He didn't say anything about you since you don't exist but it's true for everyone else.

To Karsap:

King Caesar will be appearing later, much later.

To We are Venom:

I HAVE NEVER EXPECTED WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT CHAPTER TO HAPPEN, EVERYTHING JUST WENT SKYWARD.

G: REMEMBER, I WILL BE A PART OF THAT HERE, NOT IN THE REAL WORLD BUT HERE I WILL EVENTUALLY BE A PART OF THAT!

To Chance Green G King:

There is a chance that some of the more obscure kaiju may be used. By the time of my second original arc comes around you may see that.

And thanks for the opening suggestion! Haven't actually seen Black Clover yet, so I'll have to ease into it. But the song is pretty great!

To C.S Skywalker:

Thanks! Glad you're liking it so far! The opening took a while to decide, but I eventually settled on the one I got since I recently got back into Sins once season 2 started.

To JayH120:

Yeah, Usopp's opponent was chosen as I really didn't just want the Monster Trio to get the usual fights by this point. The character I've given is going to also develop him a little bit, I hope.

G: Whipped? I haven't yet to actually get there yet!

It'll happen, soon.

G: But I like my free will…

Nope, whipped. That's final.

Yeah, by that point of the story will also be when Gideon reappears, though Gian and him won't meet much initially, by the end of the arc they'll see each other for the first time.

To Kristopher b:

Here's the thing… I've never actually played World of Warcraft….

G: UNPRECIDENTED ACTIONS

Oh get over it. Yeah, my knowledge of the game and universe is limited to just some of the characters and how the game's like. But you're more than welcome to try writing it!

G: God you're lazy…

I have to maintain your ego here, where else do I have time to do other stories? Flare and the gang are all decaying in that RWBY story I've left in the dust…*

G: Shhh, we don't speak of them here.

To Solana Leonhart:

G: Oh, she doesn't know about Infinity War, does that mean I can spoil it?

I mean it's been 2 weeks by now… then again not everyone watches Marvel movies.

G: Still how have they not seen one advertisement about it? It's not like the Avengers aren't the biggest thing right now.

Some people are just interested in different things. Its fine, considering what happened through the movie you actually have to prepare your heart.

G: PEEETTTTTERRRRRR! *cries

But I'll check them out if I'm ever in the mood of reading!

To Matt:

There's a reason Chopper isn't able to understand Manda, and it'll be explained later.

To Zillafan:

G: Does it though?

Does it though?

Well I haven't see Rampage yet, that and I'd rather just limit the monsters to Godzilla monsters and maybe other Toho creations. Gamera may make an appearance but that's a whole other story

To 64thVansull:

G: did he read ahead?

REPEAT AFTER ME: GIAN DEMANDS YOUR SILENCE

Yeah, I'm not revealing much here, though you can keep making theories!

G: A GAAAAAAME THEORY

Stop

To TheGodfather93:

Thank you! This means a lot! I'm glad people actually enjoy this! I had some reservation about writing an OC story originally considering the general reputation of them, but I'm glad it's turning out ok so far! The same goes with battles, I'm not exactly the most descriptive writer so I tend to just focus on what I want to happen and go from there. It's something I'm still improving on.

And as for proofreading, I'm at least going to be honest I'm horrible at that. I'm trying to correct it, and it might actually be a safe bet to find a beta reader soon once I figure out how that whole system works.

Anyway, thank you for the review!

To Bicorn:

G: Yeah that intro song we had for that arc wasn't the best… we really need to find better song choices…

You're right, I was out of ideas and just went with a random song. The same for the one after. I might go back and change them soon.

But on the case of Kaiju-Zoan Full Transformations, Gian really doesn't use it unless he really needs to, save for a few silly moments. He knows the amount of damage he can do in that form, and try to limit it as much as possible. Considering most opponents they've fought thus far outside of other Kaiju-Zoan users aren't necessary for the transformation, you won't see it as much as you think you would. That's why the Partial Transformation is there, to gain access to some of the Kaiju's Power yet not completely decimate everything around you.

And that's all for now! We'll see you next time! Don't forget to review if you love Malasadas!

*disclaimer: RWBY: 4 Knights of Remnant isn't cancelled I just haven't had the time to carry on with the plans I've got for it, not to mention some things may be changing for the story. So to the 5 people that are following that one, fear not I will return to it some day!