Chapter 216: Man Will Surely Conquer Nature

The next day.

When Rorschach woke up in the guest building of the Carrera Company, the entire Water 7 had undergone a drastic change overnight.

The sky, which had been clear and vast the night before, was now covered with thick, fortress-like clouds.

It was broad daylight.

Yet, within a radius of several dozen kilometers, both the sea and the vast island of Water 7 were shrouded in a dark, gloomy atmosphere, as if dusk had already fallen.

The sea breeze blowing in from the ocean had intensified to the point where it could easily push a person backward.

The waters beneath Water 7's high walls surged violently.

Waves crashed against the shore.

Even from hundreds of meters away, the roaring sound of the waves could be heard, rising and falling relentlessly.

All business operations and outdoor activities across Water 7 had come to a complete halt.

Under Iceburg's command, the shipwrights of Carrera Company were working urgently to evacuate the residents of the lower city.

Except for the able-bodied individuals who could assist, all the elderly, women, and children were gathered at the City Hall—essentially the Carrera Company's headquarters.

This location was at a high altitude, safe from the direct impact of the tsunami.

Iceburg, Barry, and the others were nowhere to be seen, clearly already engaged in disaster relief efforts.

Hibari had gotten up early and had been waiting downstairs for quite some time.

Upon seeing Rorschach appear, he quickly ran over.

"Did Law and Penguin go to help evacuate the disaster victims?"

As Rorschach fastened his white Justice cloak, he asked.

"Yeah, they set out early this morning. Brother Rorschach, we should go too. Iceburg-san said that this year's Rakurana might be different from previous years. The entire lower city could be completely submerged, and even the upper city, despite its high walls, might be affected."

Hibari was visibly anxious.

They were all dressed in Marine uniforms.

The pure white Justice coats, in moments like this when a natural disaster was about to strike, often served to calm the panic of the affected civilians.

"Let's go!"

Lower City.

The buildings here were densely packed and old, their outer walls covered in grayish-black grime—marks left behind from surviving countless tsunamis.

"Hurry! Everyone, speed up! We must evacuate every last resident from the lower city within two hours!"

Standing on the damp streets, Iceburg shouted instructions loudly.

Around him, groups of burly men were helping residents out of their homes.

Those with mobility issues or lacking the strength to move were either carried on the backs of these strong men or cradled in their arms and placed onto the Blu transports waiting in the waterways to ferry them to safety.

Given the emergency, the Blu merchants of Water 7 were cooperating fully, offering their Blu creatures to Iceburg free of charge.

"These Blu are still too small. If we had the Emperor Blu from Franky's family, we could transport at least a few hundred people at once."

Barry was drenched in sweat as he carried a toothless old woman on his back, trudging through the uneven streets toward a dumbfounded Blu.

"Don't mention that pervert! Not only did he steal money from the Carrera Company, but he also took two Emperor Blu with him. He's a disgrace to Water 7!"

Tilestone, carrying a child under each arm, ran even faster than Barry.

"Yeah, a 10-billion-Berry shipbuilding order! If we had completed that job, I could've gotten at least a million Berries. Haha, imagine how much I could drink at Bruno's bar with that!"

After placing the evacuees onto the Blu's small boat, the two men wiped the sweat from their foreheads and looked toward the bustling crowd on the long street.

Among the crowd, a group of towering figures, standing three to six meters tall and wearing protective goggles, stood out prominently.

They were none other than the entire Franky Family.

Seeing this, Barry snorted coldly, "Seriously, Iceburg and Rorschach are too kind. If it were up to me, these scumbags from Franky's family should all be arrested."

"Well… Iceburg probably wants to let them atone for their crimes by helping out. Right now, every extra hand makes a difference."

In the crowded alleys and streets, Law led a group of Marine soldiers, urging residents to evacuate as quickly as possible.

"Do you people not realize the situation?! Stop dawdling! Are you not afraid of dying? Leave those pots and pans behind! Get yourselves out first!"

Law frowned as he watched the chaotic crowd, where many people were clutching large bags filled with cups, bowls, and plates.

Some carried pigs and sheep, while others clutched cats and dogs.

That was still acceptable.

What Law couldn't tolerate was that some people were carrying stools, tables, chairs, and even sofas and mattresses.

All these unnecessary items clogged the already narrow streets, severely hindering the evacuation process.

Suppressing the urge to use his ability to relocate everyone by force, Law turned to Iceburg in the distance.

"Hey! Iceburg, how long until the tsunami hits?"

Iceburg was holding onto a Den Den Mushi, clearly in the middle of a call.

"Rakurana has already reached Queen Spring City. It's less than two hours away from here and could accelerate at any moment!"

After speaking with the person on the other end, Iceburg replied hoarsely to Law's question.

Hearing this, Law immediately spread his right fingers, forming an invisible vortex of air.

"Then we have one hour!"

"This amount of time is nowhere near enough to evacuate everyone here. These people are as stubborn as mules! I keep telling them to prioritize their lives and leave those worthless belongings behind!"

"So tell me, why did you wait until the tsunami was practically slapping us in the face before evacuating the citizens?!"

"We never expected this time for Rakurana to arrive so swiftly. This was my miscalculation! I'm sorry!"

A look of guilt appeared on Iceburg's face.

"What good is an apology now?! Listen up, I'm about to use my ability to forcibly transfer these people onto the Blu. To prevent any accidents, send people over to the Blu right away!"

Iceburg thought for a moment before nodding solemnly. Then, he immediately shouted, "Franky Family! Did you hear what Major Law said? Everyone, get to the Blu immediately and wait there!"

"No problem, Iceburg-san, we're on it!"

Zambai didn't hesitate and led a group of people, rushing toward Barry's side.

At that moment, the sea breeze around them suddenly intensified.

The powerful gusts made it nearly impossible for the shipwrights on the long street to keep their eyes open, forcing them to stagger backward.

Then, they saw a tall and slender figure draped in a snow-white cloak descend from the sky, hovering in mid-air.

"No need to go through all that trouble, Iceburg-san. Let me handle this."

A young Marine with silver hair and blue eyes slowly extended his arms, as if embracing the sky.

"Air Barrier!"

As he moved, the air within a radius of hundreds of meters swirled chaotically like raging ocean currents, converging into a vast, thick, transparent barrier that descended upon the densely packed crowd below.

Rorschach spread his fingers and then clenched them into a fist.

"Air Bubbles!"

The flowing, invisible barrier descended like a colossal, hundreds-of-meters-long blanket, covering the people below. Then, under Rorschach's control, it divided into multiple segments, forming transparent bubbles that enclosed the citizens—along with all the belongings they carried.

Since ordinary people couldn't see the invisible air, they could only feel the fierce winds howling around them.

As a result, Barry, Iceburg, and the members of the Franky Family could only look up in confusion, watching Rorschach's actions.

Seeing Rorschach arrive, Law finally lowered his raised right hand.

In the next instant, a spectacular scene unfolded before the eyes of everyone in Water 7.

Hovering mid-air, Rorschach stretched out both hands and made a gentle lifting motion toward the ground.

"Hoo—!"

A powerful wind pressure surged through the area.

The residents, now encased in transparent air bubbles, screamed in surprise as they were lifted off the ground, soaring rapidly into the sky.

Each spherical air bubble encased a panicked individual. Under the astonished and awestruck gazes of the Carrera shipwrights, the bubbles floated over the buildings of the lower city, ascending dozens of meters toward the top of the towering walls.

And it wasn't just this street.

On the adjacent streets, similar exclamations and screams echoed through the air.

One by one, the invisible bubbles lifted the residents of the lower city. In just over ten seconds, hundreds of men, women, children, and elderly were transported to the high walls above.

At that moment, countless pairs of eyes filled with shock and disbelief gathered on the lone, snow-white figure hovering in mid-air.

"Everyone! Do not panic!"

Rorschach's lips curled into a confident smile.

His strong and striking face exuded absolute assurance.

His silver hair, along with the Justice cloak draped over his back, billowed wildly in the stormy winds.

His calm yet commanding voice resonated across the entire lower city.

"I am Rear Admiral Rorschach of Marine Headquarters. I will ensure each and every one of you reaches safety—no one will be left behind."

"Stay calm. You will not be harmed."

"Believe in Iceburg, believe in Water 7, this ancient and beautiful city. Believe in the Marines. And most importantly, believe in yourselves!"

"If we work together, we will overcome Rakurana!"

"Man will surely conquer nature!"

Rorschach's voice rang clearly in everyone's ears.

His reassuring tone carried an almost magical quality, swiftly calming the panic-stricken crowd.

Among the people, countless eyes filled with gratitude gazed at the young man who flew over the city, effortlessly controlling the air currents and lifting people into the sky with a mere wave of his hand.

"His name is Rorschach. Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Rorschach."

A girl dressed in a sea train attendant uniform stared intently at the young man passing above her. Her eyes sparkled, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"Mom! Look! It's the big brother who bought us Waterwater Barbecue!"

Inside one of the floating air bubbles, a little girl named Emily excitedly gestured to her mother.

Beside her, gripping the handle of a worn-out cart, was Margery.

She refused to let go of the cart.

It was something her husband, Tommy, had crafted with his own hands.

At this moment, Margery's eyes reflected that snow-white figure.

She saw the two bold, black characters printed on the Justice cloak.

It read—"Justice!"

(End of Chapter)

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