Chapter 324: Great Panic in Japan!
Chapter 324: Great Panic in Japan!
"Latest issue of the Mainichi Shimbun!"
"Super Sandstorm 'Stops' in Hachiōji!"
"Come buy a newspaper! Hachiōji City experiences the most terrifying Sand Tornado in history!"
One by one, twelve or thirteen-year-old boys with dark skin and dusty hats pushed bicycles beside them, shouting loudly at passersby.
Whenever an adult approached with a Coin or Paper Money, they would smile broadly and pull out a brand new 'Osaka Mainichi Shimbun' from their satchels.
Men and women who bought newspapers would either walk to the side of the road alone or gather in twos and threes. Residents in major Japanese cities were all very concerned about the Sandstorm that had suddenly appeared in the past few days.
"Oh my god, it's incredible..."
"Such a huge tornado, isn't Hachiōji City completely finished?"
"Fortunately, it's far from us... It's too terrifying!"
Soon.
When they saw the pictures in the newspaper, gasps of astonishment rose and fell on every Street.
Although limited by the technology of box cameras, the pictures were somewhat lacking in detail and were in black and white, but the angles were quite good.
One was a low-angle shot, the other a high-angle shot.
The former, from bottom to top, fully displayed the Height of the Sand Tornado, like a tiny Human looking up at a towering Giant.
The latter seemed to have found a mountain body far from the urban area, clearly capturing the appearance of the Sand Tornado standing in the city center.
Given the general characteristics of Japanese cities, which are densely packed wooden structures, coupled with a dense Population and narrow roads, one can imagine the Doomsday scene there now.
The same Photos and similar Report content were also being distributed through newspapers published by various Newspaper Agencies in Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Sapporo, and Kobe.
In Tokyo, the Capital, the newspapers with the largest circulation were naturally the 'Asahi Shimbun', founded in 1879, and the 'Niroku Shinpo', founded only twelve years ago.
"How can there be such a huge Sandstorm?"
"It's not going to come to Tokyo next, is it? No way!"
"This is impossible. Can a Desert as small as Tottori create a Sandstorm of this Scale? Even if you moved all the Sand from there, it wouldn't be enough..."
If people far from Hachiōji City viewed all this with a Mindset of curiosity, then the Citizens of nearby Towns were genuinely panicking.
Especially the cities directly adjacent to Hachiōji City, such as Hino City, Tama City, Akishima City, and Akiruno City, where a Flow of People moving their entire families had already appeared.
A Nervous Atmosphere began to permeate throughout Tokyo.
Meanwhile, the various Departments of the Japanese Government were in complete chaos.
Large numbers of distress calls and Intelligence Information began to arrive from the affected cities that Crocodile had previously passed through.
Based on the preliminary Data feedback from the surviving Officials in various Places alone, the death toll exceeded five thousand, while the number of seriously and lightly injured was countless. A large number of houses were completely destroyed. This didn't even include Hachiōji City, as communication there was still cut off.
Currently, the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Cabinet were discussing whether to have the Emperor and key Government personnel leave Tokyo temporarily to avoid the situation.
[Thump thump thump...]
Just then, an attendant from the Cabinet Secretariat rushed into the Meeting Room, which was covered with Tatami, and looked at Prime Minister Kato, who was sitting in the main seat.
"Prime Minister, a Report just came from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The Sandstorm Tornado in Hachiōji City has dissipated, but there seems to have been a massive Earthquake there..."
"Earthquake?"
Prime Minister Kato and the Ministers of State on either side exchanged glances.
"Director, it can't be an Earthquake! This is a Great Fissure nearly three hundred meters long. If an Earthquake with that much Energy really happened, there would definitely be strong tremors here in Tokyo!"
Inside the Japan Meteorological Agency, an Earthquake expert shouted urgently, his face red.
"Then tell me, how did this Great Fissure appear?"
Director Nitani, who was nearly fifty, knew the logic of what the other person said, but besides an Earthquake, what else could create such a large opening in the ground?
Look at the latest Photos that came over. Leaving aside the central Zone that was almost leveled, the massive cut, like a Blade slicing through the City, was truly too shocking and terrifying.
"This..."
The Earthquake expert looked at the Photos on the table and couldn't speak, thinking to himself, "Yes, besides an Earthquake, there seems to be no other Natural Phenomenon that can achieve this Effect."
But his Professional knowledge strongly negated the fact before his eyes.
"Director, I want to go to Hachiōji City myself!"
While the Japanese Government and even the entire nation of Japan were plunged into Panic and Shock, here on the Sea Star Mainland, the Committee Members of the Multiverse Strategy Committee Command Center were also discussing this Matter.
"Crocodile has already captured Muzan Kibutsuji and Nakime and is bringing Gus and Mekko back. However, he killed all the 'Twelve Kizuki' on the grounds that they were too troublesome. Those were excellent Experiment Materials!"
Chairman Fernandez sighed repeatedly. He could already imagine the complaining tone and Gaze of Director Fritz.
"I don't think that matters. As long as Muzan Kibutsuji is in our hands, we can have as many Demons as we want. Compared to that, Crocodile's Ability actually counters these Demons, which is something to note."
Kong Ming felt that if there was a need to send Muzan out on a Mission in the future, they could use Crocodile's ability to intimidate him.
"Then let Crocodile personally escort him and Nakime to Impel Down. As for how to Control them, I'm sure they'll find a way there."
Chairman Fernandez said with a Smile.
"That's a good idea. It just so happens that there are still two months until the official start of the war, which is enough Time for him to go back and forth." Kong Ming nodded in agreement.
"It's just that Crocodile made a bit too much of a fuss this time. Look, these are the latest Newspapers collected by the dispatched Investigators!"
Vice Chairman Burwo Gabriel, who was in charge of Administration, pointed at the opened Newspapers on the Meeting Table, his tone quite displeased.
"As we said before, the Aokigahara Forest, which served as the source of the 'Super Sandstorm', will definitely be a key target of investigation by the Japanese Government!"
"Leave this Matter to Cipher Pol. After all, they are the Professional ones. Our only requirement is not to be discovered within two months."
Chairman Fernandez said dismissively.
Although Crocodile's actions this time seemed reckless, he also tested the depth and capabilities of the Japanese Government or this World.
Clearly, they had no Strength or Means to resist a Logia User, or rather, they had no concept of this kind of Natural Disaster-like Supernatural Power.
Just like the Content reported in these Newspapers, they were completely treated as Natural Disasters.
Actually, this point was quite strange.
Although Muzan Kibutsuji and the 'Twelve Kizuki' were not very Strong compared to their side, they all possessed Superpowers.
But their secrecy work was too good. Not only did most of the Citizens completely treat them as Legends, but even the Japanese Government didn't seem to have noticed.
Regardless, at least his level of importance towards the Japanese Government was rapidly declining. Even if they were discovered in advance, what could they do?
At most, send out one or two High-Level Combatants to block them...
This Other World, although it had a large Population, good Technology, and interesting Specialty Resources, seemed to lack any High-End Combatants. This was their major weakness!
(End of Chapter)