I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 449 Underwater Exploration
“I really want to go see it,” she said honestly. “As a historian, discovering the remains of an ancient civilization is an invaluable opportunity.”

“But?” Borsalino noticed her hesitation.

“But I’m not sure if others would be interested,” Robin said frankly. “After all, it’s just a legend, and 800 years have passed; that place may no longer exist.”

“Why don’t we ask everyone’s opinion?” Borsalino suggested. “I think Luffy and the others would be very interested.”

"You really think so?" Robin asked, somewhat surprised.

“Of course,” Borsalino said slowly. “Isn’t searching for mysterious ancient civilizations exactly what adventurers love to do?”

Just then, Luffy suddenly ran over from the bow of the ship.

“Robin! Borsalino! What are you looking at?” He asked curiously as he approached.

“Some ancient texts,” Robin replied simply.

"Ancient documents?" Luffy's eyes lit up immediately. "Are they about treasure?"

“It’s not treasure,” Robin said with a smile. “It’s about an ancient island called Lavara.”

“Lavara?” Luffy repeated the name. “Sounds interesting! What’s there?”

Robin briefly told Luffy the legend of Lavala. When he heard about "innate superhuman strength" and "the ability to tear through steel," Luffy's eyes lit up completely.

"Wow! That's an amazing ability!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "I want to see it!"

“But that’s just a legend,” Robin cautioned. “And 800 years have passed.”

"It's alright!" Luffy shouted. "Legends often have a basis in reality! Let's go find it!"

Luffy's voice attracted the attention of the others. Nami, Zoro, Sanji, and others gathered around.

"What legend?" Nami asked curiously.

Robin had no choice but to explain Lavala's situation to everyone again. After she finished speaking, everyone reacted in different ways.

"Born with superhuman strength?" Zoro was intrigued. "If such a race truly exists, I'd love to witness their power."

"It sounds like a fairy tale," Nami said skeptically. "How credible is a record from 800 years ago?"

“But what if it’s true?” Sanji lit a cigarette. “Discovering an ancient civilization would indeed be very meaningful.”

“And according to the nautical chart, that place isn’t far from where we are now.” Franky studied the ancient nautical chart. “It should be about a two-day voyage.”

"Only two days?" Chopper exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go check it out! Maybe we really can find it!"

“I agree,” Brooke said gracefully. “As a musician, I am very interested in all kinds of ancient cultures.”

"So, does everyone agree to go find Lavara?" Nami looked at everyone.

"I agree!" Luffy was the first to raise his hand.

“I agree.” Zoro nodded.

“No problem.” Sanji exhaled a smoke ring.

Soon, everyone except Nami expressed their approval.

"Alright," Nami sighed helplessly. "Since everyone wants to go, let's go check it out. It'll only take two days anyway."

"That's great!" Robin exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you everyone!"

"Let's change course now!" Luffy said impatiently.

Nami took the ancient nautical chart, studied it carefully, and then calculated the route by comparing it with the modern nautical chart.

“According to the markings on this ancient nautical chart, Lavala should be about 450 nautical miles southwest of us,” she calculated. “At our current speed, we should arrive by tomorrow afternoon.”

"Closer than expected!" Franky exclaimed excitedly. "I'll go adjust our course!"

Soon, the Thousand Sunny changed course and headed towards Lavala.

That evening, everyone sat around the dining table and continued their discussion about Lavala.

“Robin, does that document contain any other information?” Borsalino asked.

“There’s also some scattered information,” Robin said, flipping through the documents. “For example, the inhabitants of Lavala worship a deity called the ‘God of Strength.’ They believe this deity bestowed upon them great power.”

"The God of Power?" Sanji asked with interest. "That sounds mysterious."

“And another thing,” Robin continued. “The documents mention a huge temple in Lavara, built entirely of black stone. It is said that that stone is harder than steel.”

"A temple of black stone," Sauron mused. "If it truly exists, it should be easy to identify."

“But it’s also possible that it has collapsed after 800 years of weathering,” Nami said realistically.

“Or it’s covered by jungle,” Chopper added.

"No matter what, we'll know the answer tomorrow," Luffy said optimistically.

The next morning, everyone eagerly observed the sea. According to their calculations, they should reach Lavala's location in the afternoon.

"The weather's so nice today," Nami said, looking at the clear sky. "Perfect for exploration."

"The sea is calm," Franky observed the surrounding waters. "There are no signs of danger."

After lunch, Nami began checking their location more frequently. Using ancient nautical charts and modern navigation equipment, they knew they were very close to their target location.

"It should be just ahead, not far off," Nami said, pointing to the sea. "Everyone, look carefully and see if there are any islands."

Everyone came up to the deck and scanned the sea ahead with binoculars. The seawater was crystal clear, sparkling in the sunlight, but nothing could be seen except for the endless blue.

“I didn’t see anything.” Usopp put down his binoculars. “Only seawater.”

“I don’t have any here either,” Sauron shouted from the watchtower.

"Could it be that the location is inaccurate?" Sanji guessed.

Nami rechecked the calculations, then shook her head and said, "The location should be correct. Our current coordinates match perfectly with those marked on the ancient nautical charts."

"Then..." Robin asked, somewhat confused. "Where exactly is Lavala?"

Borsalino carefully observed the surrounding sea, then said, "Let's search more thoroughly. Perhaps the island is small, or there's something unusual about it." The Thousand Sunny cruised slowly near the designated location, and everyone searched for possible islands using various methods.

"Could it have sunk?" Chopper suggested. "Perhaps an earthquake or volcanic eruption occurred in the last 800 years?"

“Possibly,” Robin nodded. “Some ancient islands have indeed sunk to the bottom of the sea due to geological changes.”

“But if it really sank, there should be some traces left,” Franky analyzed. “Like the shadows of shallow waters or underwater structures.”

They continued searching for two hours, but still found nothing. The sea was as calm as a mirror, with nothing unusual except for the occasional school of fish swimming by.

"That's strange," Nami frowned. "The coordinates are correct, so why can't we find anything?"

"Could it be that the ancient nautical chart is wrong?" Sanji wondered.

“Unlikely,” Robin shook his head. “Alfred Carlson was the best geographer of his time; his nautical charts were renowned for their accuracy.”

While everyone was confused, Luffy suddenly had an idea.

“Since we can’t find it on the surface of the sea, how about we try the seabed?” he suggested.

"Underwater?" Nami looked at him in confusion.

"Yeah, right!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "If Lavala really sank, then the ruins should be on the seabed!"

“That makes sense,” Robin’s eyes lit up. “And given the Lavara people’s construction skills, even if the temple sank to the bottom of the sea, it might still be relatively well preserved.”

“But how do we get to the bottom of the sea?” Chopper asked worriedly.

“That’s easy!” Franky said confidently. “The Thousand Sunny has diving capabilities! I can make it dive to the bottom of the sea!”

"Really?" Everyone was surprised.

“Of course!” Franky patted his chest to assure him. “Although it’s not used often, I did install a diving system on the ship!”

"That's great!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "Let's go down and take a look!"

“Wait,” Borsalino cautioned. “Underwater exploration carries inherent risks; we need to be prepared.”

“Borsalino is right.” Nami also became cautious. “Besides, we don’t know how deep the water is here.”

Franky checked the ship's equipment and then said, "According to sonar detection, the sea depth here is approximately 200 meters. This is within the diving capabilities of the Thousand Sunny."

"200 meters deep?" Robin mused. "If Lavala really sank, that depth is indeed possible."

"Let's go down and take a look!" Luffy decided. "Maybe we really can find something!"

Under Frankie's guidance, the Thousand Sunny began its slow descent. The hull was surrounded by special bubbles, creating a safe diving environment.

As the depth increased, the surrounding seawater gradually darkened in color. Sunlight filtered through the water, creating beautiful beams of light. Various marine creatures swam around the boat, including colorful tropical fish and elegant sea turtles.

“The underwater scenery is so beautiful,” Robin exclaimed.

“It’s truly beautiful.” Sanji was also captivated by the scene before him. “It’s like another world.”

When the Thousand Sunny descended to a depth of 100 meters, Franky suddenly shouted excitedly, "Look everyone! There's something wrong ahead!"

Following his pointing finger, everyone looked and indeed discovered some unusual structures on the seabed ahead. These appeared to be man-made rocks, neatly arranged on the seabed.

“Those are architectural ruins!” Robin exclaimed excitedly. “We found them!”

"Is it really Lavala?" Nami exclaimed incredulously.

As the Thousand Sunny continued to approach, the underwater scenery became increasingly clear. There was indeed a huge complex there, and although it was covered by seawater and seaweed, its original grandeur was still evident.

The most striking feature is a massive temple in the center. As the documents state, it was built entirely of black stone and has maintained its complete structure even after 800 years underwater.

“This is incredible!” Chopper exclaimed. “There really is such a place!”

"And it's so well preserved." Zoro was also amazed. "Those black stones are indeed very special."

The temple is surrounded by the remains of other buildings, including residences, plazas, and even traces of a harbor. Despite 800 years of sea erosion, the outline of the entire ancient city is still clearly visible.

"This is the legendary Lavara!" Robin's eyes gleamed with excitement. "A true ancient civilization!"

"Can we go in and explore?" Luffy asked eagerly.

“Theoretically, yes.” Franky checked the equipment. “The Thousand Sunny can dock on the seabed, and then we can use diving equipment to go in and explore.”

“But we must be very careful,” Borsalino cautioned. “Underwater exploration is extremely risky, and we don’t know if those structures are structurally sound.”

"It's okay!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "We'll explore together and look out for each other!"

“Alright then.” Nami was still a little worried, but she was also amazed by what she had discovered. “Let’s go see what secrets this mysterious Lavara holds!”

The Thousand Sunny gently landed on a flat area on the seabed, not far from the black temple. Through the ship's observation windows, everyone could clearly see the details of this ancient building.

The temple's architectural style is unique, possessing both the solemnity of ancient civilization and an indescribable sense of mystery. The black stone surface is carved with intricate patterns and designs, which appear lifelike even in the seawater.

“I’ve never seen this architectural style before.” Robin carefully observed the temple’s structure. “It blends features from various ancient civilizations, yet it also has its own unique innovations.”

“Those carvings look like they’re telling a story,” Brooke said, pointing to the patterns on the temple walls.

“Yes,” Robin nodded. “I need to observe it closely to decipher its details.”

“Let’s prepare the diving equipment!” Franky began checking the equipment. “It’s time to uncover Lavala’s secrets!”

Thanks to Franky's meticulous preparations, the Straw Hat Pirates all donned specially designed diving gear. This gear not only ensured their safety underwater but also included communication devices for easy communication underwater.

"Is everyone ready?" Franky gave everyone's equipment a final check. "Underwater exploration is no joke; any negligence could lead to danger."

"No problem!" Luffy excitedly fiddled with his diving helmet. "I can't wait to see that temple!"

“Remember, we must maintain formation and not scatter,” Borsalino reminded him slowly. “The underwater environment is complex, and it’s easy to get lost.”

“And you have to be especially careful about the structure of those ancient buildings,” Robin added. “After 800 years of seawater erosion, some parts may no longer be very stable.”

At the special entrance of the Thousand Sunny, everyone entered the sea one by one. The underwater world was even more breathtaking than what could be seen from inside the ship; the enormous black temple stood silently on the seabed, like a sleeping behemoth.

(End of this chapter)