But now, this earthquake has caused all their buildings to collapse!
The huge Golden Bell at the top of the Royal Palace fell in the earthquake, crashing down at the main gate and emitting three resounding tolls that filled everyone with dread.
Teach?
No sign of his presence, and he doesn't have the guts!
The nature of gambling is about equivalence. Right now, Teach has nothing to bet except his life, and he's not qualified to bet against Sage because even if he wins, he gains nothing. He'd only vanish into the ocean.
If the best outcome is mutual destruction, Teach wouldn't take that gamble.
If that were the case, why would he keep calling Sage to send Charlotte Purin to him? Why not just grab her directly?
Now they all know Charlotte Purin, being from the Three-Eyed Race, can understand the Poneglyph after her Awakening.
They just don't know if it's a racial talent or her unique ability...
Moreover, given that guy's nature, if he were to act, it wouldn't be on this scale, and it certainly wouldn't be just once.
So the question is...
What's with this tsunami?
Is Sage having such rotten luck?
Not satisfied with storms, now starting with tsunamis and earthquakes, planning to destroy the world?
Lily was puzzled, and on the Vice Island, Moriah was just as confused.
He was stationed at the Vice Island, where there was no tsunami, but the powerful earthquake had collapsed half of his ancient castle.
The taller the buildings, the more dangerous they are in an earthquake.
But that's not the most important thing!
Being flat land, the Vice Island is the nearest and most accessible agricultural island to the O'Hara Main Island, with no major rocky obstacles, and no means to resist the rising seawater.
The tides are pretty normal at the coast, but the saline seawater turning the coastline into beaches... yet now, the raging sea doesn't retreat but keeps growing more ferocious, spreading towards the island's center.
Under the rain, Moriah gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "What the hell is this!"
If this continues to spread, this flat island, almost parallel to sea level, is bound for trouble!
...
A week later.
O'hara Port.
Or rather, the O'hara half-submerged and in the process of reinforcement and repairs, with pirate ships distinct from the Disaster Standard Battleships docking, and people continuously coming down the gangways onto the port land.
"Lord Hawkins."
"Lord Urouge."
"Lord Sipher."
"Lady Misty."
At the port, the pirates and residents greeted the new arrivals on the dock respectfully.
Except for Sipher, who nodded slightly in response, the others acted as if they hadn't heard, their faces calm and distracted.
"Just...
Urouge sighed and shook his head after walking a bit, "Don't joke around."
"Alright, let's hurry up." Hawkins said blandly, "I can already foresee the captain's furious expression."
"Oh? Didn't you say this was all fate?" Urouge glanced over.
"At times like this, I don't test my luck; it could be deadly."
Hawkins added, "The damage is far too severe. The captain's property has suffered immensely, not a time for jokes."
The few 'Seven Stars' were also on missions, discovering unknown islands and patrolling established territories to see if anyone was encroaching on Sage's treasures.
But the sudden disaster prompted Lily to urgently recall them. Sailing all the way back revealed the seriousness of this matter to them!
At the Royal Palace gate, Gin was already waiting and nodded upon seeing the rest arrive, "Please follow me to the meeting room."
"Whoa, is it that serious?"
Sipher's eyes widened, pointing at the Royal Palace with visible cracks and a collapsed corner, plus the huge Golden Bell lying at the gate, "It's just lying there? Not being repaired?"
"O'hara's repairs aren't complete, and it's not just the Main Island. Right now, the captain is uninterested in dealing with such... trivial matters."
Gin pursed his lips, saying, "In any case, please tread carefully."
They all reached the meeting room together.
Many were already seated at the long table.
Just taking a glance, Sipher's heart skipped a beat. Already sensing the tension, his expression turned solemn, and his posture straightened.
The atmosphere there was even more intense.
The always gentle and smiling Marika had her eyes fully open, her expression icy.
Renedia resembled a quail, sitting with her head down, silent and still, not shouting or arguing.
Weevil sat upright, his hands crossed and placed flat on the table like a kindergarten student being scolded by a teacher.
Moriah didn't smile at all; his expression was eerily grim.
Everyone found their spots and sat down, leaving the meeting room's atmosphere even more stifling and tense.
Eeek.
The door was pushed open again, and Bella, with several maids, opened the door. Then they stepped aside, hands lowered to their stomachs, heads bowed without speaking. Looking closely, one could see their slight trembling.
Sage, with a sullen face, and Lily, looking stern, walked in.
Anger and enmity mixed together, the two Supreme King's presences were overwhelming, causing instinctive shivers in everyone just by entering.
In an instant, everyone stood, ramrod straight.
"Leave."
Sage gestured to Bella, instructing her to close the door with her group, then quickly stepped to the Beast Jade Throne in the meeting room, glanced over everyone, and grit his teeth to spit out a few words.
"Sit down; we're starting the meeting!"
As everyone sat hastily, Lily approached the long table and directly activated the Video Snail to project their territorial sea map.
"Let's cut to the chase."
Lily's words were like a strike, "The sea level has risen by one meter!"
"What?!"
Sipher's pupils contracted, exclaiming, "One, one meter?!!"
When he returned, he saw some islands submerged and assumed it was due to the large tsunami, but never considered the sea level would have risen...
What a joke!
What's the meaning of a meter?
Many islands are very flat, with minimal elevation.
Turning into a place with only one coconut tree, barely able for one person to stand, what's the difference from submersion?
Lily nodded, "The statistics are accurate. Starting with the Main Island, O'hara's port is half submerged, and the coastline has changed. The surrounding seawater has all risen. The original ground is covered by seawater, precisely one meter high from measuring!"
She began to manipulate other sea maps, first projecting the topographic maps of O'hara Main Island and the Vice Island.
On the Main Island's map, half the original port location is covered by a shadow, and the surrounding terrain is partially covered by this shadow, as for the Vice Island...
The surrounding area was covered by a shadow, like a donut, where the outer shadow marked the submerged areas, and the hollow inside represented the current state of the island.
"The Vice Island is too flat. From the size perspective, two-thirds of the area has been swallowed by seawater! Our black soil, the nearest agricultural base, has not only lost area but also seen a severe production blow!"
Lily spoke solemnly, then continued to manipulate the sea maps, pulling out one after another.
"Wakanogres, our Volcano Island, an important fertilizer source and cultivation site, half-submerged but effectively fully submerged. The flat areas are all underwater, leaving only the volcano and some high-altitude, non-arable land. This island has lost its function as an agricultural island, becoming solely a fertilizer producer."
"Stidtefear, Iron Ore Island, isn't too badly damaged, but all flat terrain is submerged. While mining operations can continue, the cost of local habitation has skyrocketed."
"And various resource islands with flat terrain are all experiencing different levels of area reduction and production decline due to the one-meter sea level rise."
Lily's voice was low, "According to reports, tsunamis and earthquakes are worldwide. So logically, I can affirm, the entire sea has risen by one meter!"