Doflamingo ordered the crew to commence searching the vast expanse of Fairy Vearth.
The group fanned out, diligently exploring the enormous meteorite craters scattered across the lunar surface.
The old adage 'strength in numbers' proved true, as it wasn't long before someone discovered signs of unusual activity.
"Young Master! We've found something over here!" a subordinate called out, reporting the discovery.
Hearing the shout, Doflamingo, accompanied by Robin and Ibes, moved quickly towards the location. Enel, ever impatient, had already darted ahead to investigate.
Soon, they gathered around the edge of a crater, looking down at a small figure lying motionless on the ground below.
"What's this little thing? It's so small and cute!" Robin exclaimed.
They really are just robots, Doflamingo observed silently, recalling prior knowledge.
"Are they... still functional?" Ibes asked hesitantly.
"Looks deactivated," Enel replied, a note of disappointment in his voice. "See? Its chest cavity is pierced right through."
"Oh, what a pity," Robin and Ibes murmured in unison.
"They're just robots," Doflamingo stated plainly, seeing their expressions.
"What? Robots?" The revelation surprised everyone. Robots existing on Fairy Vearth? But then, considering the harsh, airless environment, it made sense; ordinary living beings likely couldn't survive here.
"Let's keep searching," Doflamingo directed. "There are probably more of its kind around."
To expedite the process, Doflamingo extended his Observation Haki, scanning the desolate landscape. It didn't take long.
"Found them."
He led the group towards the new location. As they traversed the lunar surface, they discovered more of the small automata, scattered haphazardly, clearly having fallen in some kind of conflict.
"Looking at their condition," Robin observed thoughtfully, "it seems like they were fighting to defend Fairy Vearth."
Doflamingo knew exactly what had transpired. Space Pirates, he thought grimly. Who else would be responsible for this? Still, he wasn't entirely sure what these cosmic marauders could possibly want from ruins on the Moon. Was it merely a treasure hunt?
"It doesn't matter what enemies appear," Enel declared coldly, a fierce glint in his eyes. "I'll eliminate them one by one. They won't be allowed to defile Fairy Vearth! This is our territory now!"
"Young Master! There seem to be figures ahead!" one of the sharper-eyed subordinates suddenly reported.
Doflamingo swept the area with his Haki. "Looks like Space Pirates, alright," he confirmed. "And they're currently engaged in battle."
"Space Pirates?" Even Enel looked at Doflamingo with curiosity, seeking clarification.
"There are pirates in outer space too?" Robin asked, intrigued. Ibes and the others also turned their gazes expectantly towards Doflamingo.
"Space is vast," Doflamingo replied with a dismissive shrug. "Why should pirates be surprising? Aren't we pirates, after all?"
"Yahahaha! True enough!" Enel laughed.
"Onii-chan, that's hardly an explanation!" Robin retorted, momentarily exasperated.
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's hurry over," Doflamingo steered them back on track. "Those little robots might not be able to hold out much longer against the Space Pirates' assault."
"Leave it to me!" Enel volunteered eagerly, electricity crackling around him. "Invading my Fairy Vearth? Watch how I deal with them!"
They quickly arrived at the scene of the battle. A group of the small automata, wielding an array of spears and firearms, were desperately fighting against significantly larger, imposing figures – the Space Pirates' forces.
Unfortunately, the disparity in power was immense. The battle was completely one-sided, with the Space Pirates decisively overwhelming the small defenders.
Witnessing this, Enel could no longer restrain himself and launched into action. Seeing the opportunity, Robin began examining the surrounding area for clues.
"Suffocating Cloud Stream!" Enel roared. He generated a dense, swirling torrent of clouds that rapidly engulfed the Space Pirate figures, aiming to suffocate them. He seemed quite satisfied with his maneuver, confident it would neutralize the invaders.
CLANG!
Suddenly, a sharp blade sliced out from within the cloud stream, cleaving one of the small automata in two.
"What?!" Enel recoiled, shocked and furious. He had been certain his attack would be fatal. This unexpected resistance enraged him.
"Enel," Doflamingo called out calmly, "they might not be living beings either. Notice the instrument panels on their chests? Rather than Space Pirates themselves, they're more likely robots under their command. Besides, their forms are unlike ours; they seem to be constructed in the likeness of various animals."
Alerted by Doflamingo, Enel took a closer look at his opponents. Indeed, Doflamingo was right. The enemies were clearly robotic constructs, fashioned after different creatures.
Understanding their nature now, Enel unleashed his power without mercy. "Cloud Burial!" Intense, concentrated streams of cloud matter bombarded the enemy robots. The difference in raw power was too great; the opposing machines were swiftly overwhelmed and destroyed.
The surviving small automata recognized that help had arrived. Seeing their adversaries fall, they turned towards Enel and began expressing their gratitude through gestures and mechanical whirs.
Doflamingo observed the fallen Space Pirate robots thoughtfully. What exactly were these Space Pirates searching for on the Moon? And was sending only these robotic foot soldiers truly sufficient for their goal?
"Doffy! Doffy!" Ibes's voice pulled him from his contemplation.
"What is it, Ibes?"
"Robin seems to have found something just now. She's calling us over," Ibes explained.
"Is that so?" Doflamingo remarked with a smirk. "Our archaeologist is certainly fast!"
"Indeed!" Ibes replied with a gentle smile.
They quickly made their way over to where Robin was examining a section of the lunar surface.
"Onii-chan, you're here!" Robin greeted them. "Look! There seem to be signs of artificial destruction here! Like someone was digging."
Doflamingo surveyed the area, arms crossed. "This must be the Space Pirates' work," he deduced. "I suspect they were searching for something specific on the Moon. Judging by these signs, they've been at it for quite some time, apparently without finding what they were after."
"Maybe," Robin suggested thoughtfully, "we should ask those little robots?"
"An excellent idea," Doflamingo praised, patting her head approvingly. "Let's go ask them."
They approached the group of automata, who were still gathered around Enel, expressing their thanks.
"Enel," Doflamingo prompted, "ask them if they know the location of any ruins."
Enel didn't hesitate, turning back to the small robots and initiating communication, likely through mimicking sounds or simple gestures interpreted by the machines.
After a moment, Enel turned back. "Doffy, they want us to follow them."
"Interesting. Then let's go see together!"
The automata led the group across the desolate landscape to a nearby, unassuming pit in the ground.
"Is this the place?" Doflamingo inquired. The small robots nodded in unison.
"Are there ruins here?" Enel asked skeptically, peering into the hole.
"Perhaps they're underground," Ibes suggested softly.
"Divine Judgment!" Doflamingo declared, unleashing a powerful blast of lightning from his hand. The electrical energy struck the pit, blasting away layers of rock and dust, revealing the clear outlines of buried structures below.
"Let's go take a look!" Doflamingo announced, leading the way down into the newly revealed opening.
Inside, drawing upon some knowledge or intuition, Doflamingo extended his hands again. "Discharge!" Arcs of electricity leaped from his fingertips, flowing through the dormant subterranean city. Lights flickered on, ancient machinery whirred to life, and the slumbering Lunar City – Birka – awakened.
Mechanical voices echoed through the activated city: "Welcome to the Lunar City, Birka." "Thank you for your generous contribution. You shall be our sole God." The city's systems acknowledged Doflamingo's infusion of power.
"Wow! Look at all the little robots!" Robin gasped, amazed as countless automata powered up around them. "And this... this is..." Her eyes widened further as she spotted intricate murals covering the walls, her voice trembling with excitement. "Ibes-neechan, come look quickly! This must be the history of the Skypieans!" She struggled to contain her archaeologist's fervor.
Enel and Doflamingo, however, shared little interest in ancient history depicted on walls. Their eyes scanned the awakened city for potentially valuable technology or powerful artifacts.
"Everyone," Doflamingo announced to the crew, "feel free to explore. Look around for anything interesting."
He observed the newly activated automata now bowing respectfully towards him, a pleased smirk on his face. While not formidable fighters, these robots certainly had their uses. Sometimes, machines were far more reliable than people.
Robin eagerly began deciphering the murals, quickly understanding the story they told – the history of the ancient Skypieans, Birkans, and Shandorians, their life on the Moon, the depletion of resources, and their eventual migration down to the 'Blue Sea' world below. Uncovering another piece of lost history filled her with profound satisfaction, and she now looked upon the small, diligent automata with genuine affection.
The exploration of Fairy Vearth, despite the initial excitement, proved somewhat monotonous in the end. Enel had achieved his dream of reaching it, experiencing both sharp disappointment at its desolate reality and perhaps a sense of closure. Having seen the truth of the 'Endless Vearth,' he finally let go of his lifelong obsession. His ambition now lay firmly fixed on the world below; his new goal was to stand at the pinnacle of the Blue Sea alongside Doflamingo.
Over the following period, Doflamingo and his crew explored the lunar surface more broadly, discovering the ruins of several other ancient cities, similar in structure to Birka but largely dilapidated.
After dedicating significant time to searching these ruins, they ultimately found nothing that exceeded Doflamingo's expectations or offered a game-changing advantage. Deciding there was nothing more to gain by lingering, Doflamingo prepared for their return journey. He couldn't afford to waste more time on the Moon; he needed to check on the Family's situation after his extended absence. As for the Moon ruins and the newly awakened automata, he decided to leave them under the robots' own guardianship for now.