The doctor wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, right! The spaceship is equipped with the latest life support system. With this little device, you'll be able to breathe on the Moon. Even in the Moon's low-oxygen environment, the ship will function perfectly!"
(A minor adjustment, scientifically plausible, and it doesn't affect the plot.)
Reed raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's not bad."
Moria peeked out from the shadows, grinning.
"Hehehe~ Captain, are we really going to the Moon? I remember when I first met Enel, he was always shouting about reaching the Infinite Continent."
"Who knows," Tesoro shrugged. "Either way, we're not busy."
At that moment, Enel returned in a flash of lightning, carrying a giant roasted Sky Island shrimp.
"Hahahaha! This god can't wait! When do we set off?"
Reed looked at him curiously.
"Enel, why are you so excited? And why are you so fixated on reaching the Infinite Continent?"
Enel paused to think.
"They say that place used to be a temple of the gods. I think I heard that somewhere… but I can't quite remember."
Are you ready to become a god in the vast expanse of the universe?
"Am I not already a god?" Enel asked, puzzled, looking at Reed.
"Over there, only you can become a god. No one else can," Reed said, his eyes heavy with meaning.
Reed glanced at Perona, who was playing in the water with Laboon, then at Moria, who was checking his weapons.
"All right, make sure everything is ready for departure. We leave tomorrow."
The next day, aboard the Ark Maxim.
The massive golden ship slowly lifted off, parting the sea of clouds on either side. The people of Sky Island looked up in awe, waving their farewells.
"Farewell, our king! May our king return victorious!" shouted a chorus of voices, repeated countless times.
Reed turned suddenly, staring at Tesoro.
"Was it you… no, did you teach them this?"
Tesoro waved helplessly.
"I've said it before. This has already become our industrial culture. Who started it first doesn't matter, Captain."
Before Reed could respond, Tesoro pulled out a Den Den Mushi, signaling a temporary ceasefire.
"This is Tesoro. What's the matter, Nakata?"
"Gwajji gwajji jiliguwala."
Tesoro growled into the Den Den Mushi.
"What?! The World Nobles are causing trouble at the slaughterhouse auction again?! Tell them if they can't handle it, I won't pay a single penny of next month's military budget!"
Reed sat in the captain's chair, blood mist curling from his fingertips into a small whirlpool.
"Tesoro, don't worry about that. Communications will be limited for a while."
Tesoro pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses.
"Understood. It's already been taken care of."
The Marine Corps' budget, the World Government's bottom line, and Reed's oversight could all still be negotiated. This was not Reed submitting the funds to the World Government for allocation. Instead, he directly gave the money to the Marines. Initially, this was Reed testing the World Government, seeing just how important the Marines were in their eyes. Reed hoped the World Government would contact him directly, asking him not to interfere with military expenditures. This was exactly the kind of breach Reed wanted to avoid.
Perona floated closer, her teddy bear brushing against Reed's cheek.
"Lord Reed, how much longer until we reach the Moon?"
"According to the Doctor's calculations, about ten days," Reed said, rubbing her head.
"If you get bored, you can play with Laboon."
The Ark Maxim sailed through space. Outside the portholes stretched the vast starry sky and endless darkness. Enel floated at the top of the cabin like a living lamp, illuminating the entire ship. He called it "God's Blessing."
I told you, we're going to the Moon. Enel is a special weapon, and he must come.
Enel soared toward the Moon.
Perona, clutching her teddy bear, floated beside Reed.
"Lord Reed, how much longer? Laboon is so bored he started gnawing on the golden deck…"
Reed glanced at Laboon, who was grinding his teeth in frustration.
"The Doctor says we're about to enter the Moon's gravitational field."
Suddenly, the ship trembled violently.
"Warning! Warning!" The Doctor's mechanical assistant blared. "Unknown energy field interference detected!"
Tesoro staggered, almost falling.
"What's happening?!"
Enel transformed instantly into a bolt of lightning, streaking toward the control panel.
"Hahahaha! Let this god take a look… hmm? This is…"
Through the portholes, the previously dark expanse of space now shimmered with countless glowing patterns, stretching across the Moon's surface like a massive circuit board.
Reed narrowed his eyes, gathering blood mist in his palms.
"Everyone, prepare for battle."
Reed hated this feeling of losing control.
The Ark Maxim slowly descended onto the Moon's surface, guided by the energy field. As the hatch opened, the unusual low gravity made Perona exclaim in surprise. She floated gently upward.
"Waaaah!"
Enel hovered proudly beside her.
"Mortal, now you understand the convenience of being a god, don't you?"
Reed stepped onto the Moon first, his blood mist forming a stable base under his feet. The surface was pockmarked, as expected, but each crater bore patterns resembling circuit boards. He kicked one, and the bottom flattened, only to cave in again moments later.
"Stay close to me. This place is unfamiliar; we don't want any accidents."
The blood mist spread across the Moon's surface. Reed was searching for a small green figure a little old man. Could it be Lieutenant Specey? He looked like an old man, true, but honestly, all the Moon robots looked like little old men; the tiny mustache just made them appear older by a year.
The blood mist scoured the shadows of a crater and found the target.
"Enel, strike him," Reed commanded.
Release.
"Here!" Enel's fingertips sparked with lightning, sending a precise bolt directly at Lieutenant Specey.
"Crack!"
The motionless robot, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly jumped up. Its mechanical joints clicked and clacked. A single strike had reactivated it. It even gave a proper salute.
Lieutenant Specey.
The robot examined its own body, then let out a jubilant "Wah!" (robots don't cry, but the effect was the same).
"I'm alive! Wah! I'm so moved!"
It then knelt, hugging Enel's legs with its short arms, electronic eyes gleaming.
"Thank you for waking me, Boss! From today onward, you are my new leader!"