One Piece: Blue Scale Admiral

All anyone saw was him casually waving his hand, and an invisible vibration spread out from his hand, enveloping the entire sea train beneath their feet. With a slight hum, the roofs of the carriages cracked open, and figures spitting blood and looking disheveled shot out like fountains, crashing heavily onto the roof of the sea train or falling into the sea. Meanwhile, the passengers who had been taken hostage inside the carriages were completely unharmed.

The people at the port erupted in cheers and applause upon witnessing this scene.

Young people and teenagers excitedly shouted the name of Kirin-sho, wishing they could rush to the sea train and get up close to their idol whom they often saw on Den Den Mushi live streams.

Some of the older folks, however, looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure with tears in their eyes, choking back sobs as they cried out, "General Lan Lin! General Lan Lin!"

On the train roof, the young man gripping the black halberd heard the words "General Lan Lin" echoing from the distant port. His tall figure trembled slightly, and a trace of sorrow appeared deep in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by composure and calmness.

He walked up to a burly, scarred man with a large beard, looked down at him, and said coldly, "You're Joseph, the army commander of the Black Drum Kingdom, aren't you? You've come here disguised as a pirate to rob the Sea Train, are you trying to sabotage the unveiling ceremony of the Sky Train?"

The scarred, burly man, Joseph, blood trickling from his lip, scrambled to his feet, gripping a heavy broadsword. A flicker of panic crossed his malevolent eyes, but he quickly revealed his true, ruthless nature, grinning and shouting, "What Black Drum Kingdom, White Drum Kingdom? I don't know what you're talking about! I am..."

Just as he was about to reveal his pirate crew's name and his own, his head felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer. He was jerked backward, blood spurting from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He was lifted off the ground, flying backward through several carriages before crashing onto the roof of the train. He became embedded in the metal roof shell and passed out unconscious.

"I have no interest in hearing some made-up pirate crew name you've come up with. You've been arrested for suspected crimes against the world and will be sent to Enies Lobby for trial and sentencing. As for your king, Wapol, he will also be impeached by the World Government and dealt with according to the law." The pentagram in the white-haired youth's eyes returned to normal, withdrawing from the unconscious Joseph, and he glanced indifferently at the distant sea.

In the far distance, a tall and imposing figure could be seen approaching on the waves, swift as the wind, with a fierce fighting spirit locking onto him from afar.

At the same time, a thunderous roar came from the other side, instantly drowning out the voices of countless people in the port of Spring Queen City, and echoing across the sea.

"Qilin! Fight me!"

The thunderous sound reverberated across the sea, stirring up a storm that caused the waves to surge and even shook the heavy sea train.

"Annoying fellow." Qilin frowned, stepped forward and pulled Joseph out from the roof of the car. With his cloak billowing behind him, his tall figure soared into the sky like a seagull, disappearing from the sight of the ordinary people in the blink of an eye.

On the sea, Lao, who had been rushing over at lightning speed, gritted his teeth upon seeing this, bent his knees, and stomped down with a loud bang. The sea surface within a radius of hundreds of meters beneath his feet shook and exploded. He shot into the sky like a cannonball, his speed increasing a hundredfold in an instant. His figure shot towards the Qilin with lightning speed and threw a punch directly at it.

"Don't go! Qilin! We must decide the winner today. The commanders-in-chief and the others have already discussed it. Whoever wins between us will become the supreme commander of the four major armies of the World United Government."

Rao unleashed a punch, and the sea of ​​clouds within a radius of several thousand meters swirled around his fist. It seemed as if the sky was about to be shattered by his punch. Countless black and red lightning bolts spread from his fist, and an aura as heavy as a mountain rose infinitely from his body, making his burly figure appear as majestic and domineering as a demon god. He had completely lost the restraint he had shown earlier when he had to crouch down on the seat of the sea train for fear of damaging it.

"Stop talking nonsense. We G5 have never agreed to any supreme commander. Is your Revolutionary Army finally showing its teeth, wanting to seize power and become another dictatorial world government? If that's the case..."

"Don't force me to wipe out your revolutionary army!"

Qilin's eyes turned cold. He suddenly threw away Joseph, whom he was holding. The black halberd in his right hand hummed and trembled as he slammed it down. With a deafening roar, the heavens and earth trembled. Countless spiderweb-like cracks spread outward from the halberd's blade, instantly covering the sky. Rao, who was rushing towards the sky, was like a small insect caught in the center of a spiderweb. He appeared extremely small in the magnificent scene of the sky shattering. As his heavy punch unleashed the vortex of clouds, it was instantly torn apart by countless cracks and shattered into flowing clouds and mist.

"Boom!"

The next instant, the sky shattered, the earth collapsed, and unimaginable terrifying shockwaves swept down, crashing down on Rao's tall and imposing body like a volcanic torrent. Blood gushed from his mouth as he plummeted from the sky like a meteorite, crashing straight into the deep sea, thousands of meters below the surface, and plunging into the seabed.

Joseph, the army commander of the Black Drum Kingdom who had been thrown thousands of meters away, finally fell from the sky and was caught by the Qilin again. Joseph's expression had become dull and foolish, and he looked at the Qilin as if he were looking at a god.

The Qilin didn't even glance at him, but silently gripped the halberd in its hand, looked down at the vast sea below, and flew towards the City of Seven Waters.

"Dad, I will definitely protect this world and I will never let you down!"

Chapter 849, Side Story 3: Infinite Energy

The City of Seven Waters.

Alice wandered among the strangely dressed, oddly sized, and differently shaped pedestrians, admiring with excitement and curiosity this city that the world spoke of as the only one that had completely conquered the sea and been transformed into an unsinkable city by a group of great shipwrights and scientists.

It is said that no matter how many meters the sea level rises each year, it cannot harm the city beneath its feet. This is because it has transcended the ordinary island form and, through the tireless efforts of shipwrights and scientists, has become a large ship floating on the sea, just like those miraculous sea trains, steadily drifting on the ocean, becoming an apocalyptic ark that countless people yearn to settle in.

Today, the place is even more bustling, crowded with people from all over the world, including representatives from various countries, chambers of commerce, and regions, all waiting for the birth of a major technological product that will affect the future of countless people.

That's the 'sky train' that Franky mentioned earlier.

An aerial train, as the name suggests, is a train that can travel in the sky. Just as a sea train travels on the ocean, this soon-to-be-unveiled aerial train will travel in the sky, connecting countless island nations around the world without any obstacles.

Alice was filled with excitement at the thought that if trains could travel through the sky and bring hope to people in this world that was gradually being submerged by the sea, she would be eagerly anticipating the upcoming unveiling ceremony.

"Steamed meat, steamed grilled meat, delicious steamed grilled meat, welcome to sample for free..."

In a cheerful mood, Alice was drawn to the delicious aroma of grilled meat wafting from a food stall not far away. Her stomach, which hadn't eaten since taking the train for most of the day, suddenly rumbled with the tempting smell of the grilled meat. A blush quickly rose on her pretty face, and she hurriedly covered her stomach, afraid that others would hear it.

She wanted to leave quickly, but the aroma wafting to her nose seemed to have a magical power, holding her back and preventing her from leaving. Alice's gaze swept past the crowd scrambling to buy grilled meat at the stall, and she couldn't help but lick her lips, her throat bobbing as she felt even hungrier.

However, when she checked her pockets, she was horrified to find that she didn't have a single beri of money on her. She had nothing on her except a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric telephone snail). This discovery made Alice feel even more embarrassed.

"I'm so hungry! I really want to eat all the food here." She stared longingly at the meat skewers being turned over on the stall, glistening with oil and aroma. "I've heard that the Water City's Water Meat is fatty but not greasy, melts in your mouth, and eating it is like drinking soup. It's delicious and juicy, and you can eat a lot of it without gaining weight, mmm..."

She closed her eyes in pain, clutching her head, and kept muttering, "Brother, come back quickly! I want to eat some juicy meat!"

Just as she was feeling hungry and craving something to eat, her hand suddenly touched the small notebook in her pocket. She suddenly remembered what Franky had told her: if she needed help, she should call the Den Den Mushi number he had left.

Alice took out a small notebook from her pocket, opened it, looked at the three Den Den Mushi numbers on it, and fell into deep thought.

These three numbers didn't indicate the owner's name or any other information; they only had three lines of numbers. This was my first time in Water Seven, and I was seeing Franky for the first time as well, let alone Franky's friends.

The thought of having to borrow money from several strangers to buy barbecue made Alice blush with embarrassment, and she shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"No, no, I can't do that. It's just barbecue, right? When Lao comes back later, I'll ask him for money to eat my fill. I'm not going to lose face in front of outsiders!"

"Squid-boiled meat~, delicious squid-boiled grilled meat~, only 200 Berries a skewer~"

"Shui Shui... No way! I'm a member of the Revolutionary Army who was invited to attend the unveiling ceremony, and I will never disgrace the Revolutionary Army!" Alice clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Watery meat~, free samples~"

"Boss! Give me...give me a skewer, the kind that's free to sample!"

A few minutes later, in front of a barbecue stall, Alice's cheeks were stuffed full of fragrant barbecue. Her hands were busy grabbing skewers of meat and stuffing them into her mouth. She was eating happily, but there was panic in her eyes and she was complaining in her heart.

'Oh no, I'm broke! I didn't bring a single beri.'

'But... this grilled meat is so delicious! I can't stop eating it! Ugh! I shouldn't have tried it for free!'

"Help! Someone tell me to stop! Oh no, someone pay for my meal! I don't want people to think I dine and dash; that would be so embarrassing!"

'Brother Lao, where are you? Come pay the bill!'

A dozen minutes later, the owner, an elderly woman with gray hair wearing an apron, smiled and said to Alice, who had finished eating and drinking, "Guest, the price is 8,400 Berries. I see you are a stranger here, so I suppose this is your first time in Water Seven? Since you are a first-time customer, I will only charge you 8,000 Berries. If you are satisfied with your meal, I hope you will come again next time."

Alice nodded quickly and said gratefully, "Thank you... thank you, boss."

As he spoke, under the benevolent gaze of the stall owner, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scooter) and a notebook, and stammered to the yakiniku (grilled meat) stall owner, "Sir...sir, could I...could I call a Den Den Mushi to have my friend bring me money? I...I don't have that much money on me..."

Alice had never been so nervous. Her hands were trembling, and her voice was shaking and stuttering. She was panicking, afraid that the shopkeeper in front of her would suddenly change his expression and become a fierce demon, shouting that someone was trying to dine and dash, and that she would be arrested by the Water Seven sheriff and thrown into prison to wait for Raoh or the Revolutionary Army to come and ransom her.

"I...I'm sorry, I really didn't lie, I...I..." She looked nervously at the boss in front of her, her face flushed red, almost as if she was about to burst into flames.

"It's alright, sir, don't be nervous. Even if you really don't have any money with you, you can pay me back next time you come to eat."

To Alice's surprise, the owner of the barbecue stall was even kinder than she had imagined. Instead of pressuring or questioning her, he gently waved his hand, indicating she could pay next time. This deeply moved Alice, tears welling in her eyes. Swearing she wasn't trying to dine and dash, she quickly dialed the number on her phone's Den Den Mushi (communication phone) notebook, not caring whether the number belonged to a man or a woman.

Anyway, they're all Uncle Franky's friends, so borrowing 8,000 Berries from them shouldn't be too difficult, right? Once Raoh comes back, I can return the money and then treat them to a meal to express my gratitude.

Thinking of this, Alice's panic subsided.

The Den Den Mushi rang for quite a while before being answered. Alice was surprised to see that the Den Den Mushi simulated the face of a young woman in her late teens, who smiled and said, "Hello, this is City Hall. I'm Emily. May I ask who you are?"

"Hello...Miss Emily, I...I'm Alice. Uncle Franky gave me this number, saying to call if I need help..." Alice said awkwardly.

"Are you Uncle Franky's friend? I know, where are you now? I'm coming right now."

The girl named Emily had a very gentle smile. Although she looked younger than Alice, Alice inexplicably felt a strange sensation from Emily's smile, as if she were being gently watched by Betty's mother. This made Alice feel a little uncomfortable, so she quickly told Emily where she was.

She didn't have to wait long. Just a few minutes later, a slender young woman in a black suit and tie walked through the crowd and quickly came to her. After getting to know her, she skillfully took out some Berries to pay for her bill and then very familiarly took her arm.

Alice was quite surprised by Emily's attire and couldn't help but look curiously at this girl who was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, black high heels, and had her hair tied in a ponytail, looking exceptionally capable and dashing.

This was the first time in her life she had ever seen a woman wearing such a formal suit.

In her mind, people who wore black suits were usually serious and rigid officials, people who were difficult to communicate with and get along with. However, the young woman in front of her, although dressed in a serious suit, did not lose her youthful beauty at all, and always had a lively and bright smile on her face, making people feel genuinely friendly at first glance.

The smile on the other person's face quickly eased Alice's tension and embarrassment. Looking at Emily gratefully, she said, "Thank you so much, Miss Emily. Without your help, I would have been mistaken for someone who ate and dashed. I really don't know how to thank you. Oh, by the way, my brother has to go out for a bit. I'll pay you back as soon as he gets back..."

“You’re being too polite, Alice.” Emily took her arm and led her through the street toward the Upper City, smiling as she said, “You’re Uncle Franky’s friend, so you’re my friend too. If we’re all friends, it’s just a barbecue, no big deal. By the way, is this your first time in Water Seven? Let me show you around the city.”

Alice was distracted by her words and quickly forgot her embarrassment at not having money for food. The two girls, who were about the same age, soon found common ground and chatted and laughed all the way. Before long, they became like old friends who could talk about anything.

When Emily heard that Alice was a member of the Revolutionary Army who had been invited to the event, she didn't seem very surprised, which surprised Alice. She couldn't help but take Emily's hand and ask, "Emily, aren't you surprised? I'm a member of the Revolutionary Army."

Emily smiled gently, a smile so tender that Alice felt Betty's mother's gaze upon her, and she couldn't help but shiver.

Emily replied, "What's so surprising about that? Today, Water Seven is a gathering place for representatives from all over the world and various kingdoms and regions. If this were a decade or two ago, the appearance of the Revolutionary Army might have caused a sensation, but now..."

"The Revolutionary Army, together with the Naval Headquarters, the G5 Navy, and the Dawn Navy, constitute an important force for maintaining world peace and are already recognized worldwide as a legitimate and just force. Come, let me take you to meet the representatives from various countries who have been invited to attend the unveiling ceremony."

She smiled brightly, straightened her tie, and led the bewildered Alice onto the red-carpeted stage. They walked along the wide, flower-strewn aisle into the magnificent city hall.

Along the way, well-dressed nobles or merchants kept coming up to greet Emily with smiles.

"Hello, Mayor Emily."

"Mayor Emily looks even younger than she has in the past year."

"Mayor Emily is young and promising. To become the mayor of Water Seven at such a young age reminds me of General Bluescale's youthful brilliance. Did Mr. Espargo go to his research lab again?"

Hearing the greetings and whispers around her, Alice's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look at the girl beside her who looked even younger than herself. "Emily, you...you're the mayor of Water Seven?"

Emily smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am the current mayor of Water Seven. The previous mayor was Mr. Espargo, and I was his secretary during his tenure. In recent years, Mr. Espargo has been busy with research on the aerial train project and resigned from his position as mayor, which was then taken over by me. To be honest, the pressure is immense, considering I am only sixteen years old this year."

"You became mayor at sixteen, and in a world-famous city like Water Seven at that. Emily, you're amazing!" Alice's eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at Emily.

As the two chatted and laughed, they arrived at the City Hall. Alice noticed that there were quite a few people gathered there, at least several hundred. But despite the large number of people, it wasn't noisy. The well-dressed VIPs stood respectfully in the hall, their gazes subtly fixed on a few figures standing in the center.

Alice looked over there and was surprised to find that the people surrounded by these important figures were also women, and several of them were beautiful women who would make even other women sigh with admiration.

She was familiar with the appearances of these women, as she often saw them in news broadcasts or in newspapers.

A queen with blue hair flowing like waves, wearing a crown, exuding a noble and elegant air.

A female general with cascading black hair, dressed in a snow-white military uniform with golden tassels on her shoulders, and with a heroic air in her eyes.

A female swordswoman with fiery red hair, short hair, dressed like a man, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.

"It's Queen Vivi of the Kingdom of Alabasta, Admiral Hibari, the Commander-in-Chief of the G5 Navy, and Ms. Sera, the Vice President of the Hunter's Guild." Alice's voice became much softer when she saw the people in front of her.

These women, so beautiful and charming, possessed a status and power that were no less than that of their revolutionary army's commander-in-chief, Dorag.

Especially Lord Hibari, whose G5 Navy is now the largest and most powerful military organization in the world.

Not only is she incredibly powerful with a multitude of admirals under her command, but she is also the daughter of Admiral Akainu, the disciple of Admiral Zephyr, the Admiral of the Dawn Marines, and the wife of that man, earning the love and respect of countless people.

His son, Kirin, is the most dazzling and powerful being in this great age of exploration. Alice clearly remembers that even their revolutionary army's commander-in-chief, Mr. Dragon, once said that the strongest in the world today is no longer them, these old guys, but the dazzling G5 Kirin General, just like his father.

That's why her warlike brother couldn't forget that person. Every time he heard news of the other party, he couldn't wait to go and challenge him, and then... he was defeated time and time again.

Just then, Emily released her arm and stepped forward to the group of people, including Hibari and Vivi, who were talking in hushed tones. She smiled politely and said, "Commander-in-Chief Hibari, Your Majesty Vivi, President Sera, I think everyone has arrived. Perhaps we can begin the unveiling ceremony of the Sky Train."

Lark turned around and glanced at the graceful Emily. His vision blurred, as if he had returned to more than ten years ago when he came to Water Seven with Rorschach and the others. When he saw the girl in front of him, she was only five years old.