Meanwhile, on the vast, boundless sea, a prison ship flying the Marine flag was cutting through the waves, sailing towards the unknown darkness.
Deep in the hold, suppressed whimpers and the clanking of chains were the main melody; the air was thick with despair and fear.
On this heavily guarded ship, a petite and agile figure was using the ventilation ducts as a passage, undertaking an adventure that concerned everyone's fate.
"Hmm?!" A patrolling Marine soldier seemed to catch a glimpse of a shadow flickering in the corner and looked warily at the empty corridor to the side.
"Just now... was someone there?
" he muttered, ultimately shaking his head and attributing it to hallucinations brought on by the long voyage.
In a dim cabin on the lower deck crowded with Slaves, the ventilation grille on the ceiling was gently moved aside.
A little girl—leaning out like a nimble cat.
A boy with an unusually tall and burly build but a simple and honest face, who had been waiting below for a long time, carefully reached out his hands and steadily caught her as she jumped down.
"Big Brother Ivanko! Mission accomplished!"
The little girl didn't bother brushing the dust off her clothes. Grinning with a smile that revealed a missing front tooth, she excitedly reported to another figure in the room.
That boy had a large head that was slightly exaggerated in proportion to his body; it was the young Ivankov.
"Hee-haw!!!" Hearing this, young Ivankov clenched his small fists in excitement and jumped up.
"Well done, Ginny! Now, it's up to the 'Information House' to see if they can receive the 'voice' we sent out!"
Little Ginny jumped down from Kuma's warm, thick palms and patted Kuma's sturdy arm like a little adult: "Thanks, Kuma!"
Kuma just scratched the back of his head simple-mindedly, revealing a somewhat shy yet incredibly reliable smile.
However, the faint glimmer of hope had just lit up when it was shrouded by the clouds of despair permeating the cabin.
"Shut up! You brats, stop doing stupid things!" a slave covered in old and new scars warned in a low, fierce voice.
"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"
Another slave curled up in the corner, echoing with a trembling voice:
"Yeah... if the Marines find out we're up to something, we'll suffer too... maybe... maybe they're just transporting us to do labor?"
"Suffer? Labor? Don't be naive!"
"Hee-haw!!!" Young Ivankov was like a lit firecracker; his suppressed anger erupted instantly. He rushed in front of those two cowardly Slaves, and though he was still young, his aura was like a lion's:
"You big idio—ooots—!!! Open your eyes and look clearly! We don't even know where this ship is heading! What awaits us ahead will only be a fate more terrifying than hell!
Or are you counting on 'I'm lucky, I'll be saved without trying'? Good things like that only happen in dreams! Don't underestimate our own strength, and don't underestimate the power of miracles!!!"
"Big Brother!" Little Ginny looked at Ivankov's impassioned speech, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Ivankov's roar was like a giant stone thrown into stagnant water, not only awakening the dormant light in the eyes of some Slaves but also completely alerting the Marines on the ship.
Woo—woo—woo—
The piercing alarm instantly resounded throughout the room, and red warning lights flashed frantically, illuminating the dim cabin in a blood-red glow.
Broadcast: "Slave Cabin B-7! Slave Cabin B-7! All Slaves, lie down on the spot immediately! Repeat, lie down on the spot immediately!
You lowly scum, parasites of society, do you think you can pull any tricks on a Marine warship? If you don't behave, we'll throw you all into the sea to feed the fish! Soldiers, go and suppress them immediately!"
The broadcast carried the Marine officer's contemptuous and violent insults, accompanied by the sound of dense, heavy footsteps approaching the cabin.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the world.
As the information Ginny risked her life to transmit crossed the ocean, the so-called "Information House," which was actually the World Economic Journal, did indeed receive it.
Inside a secret base of CP, the intelligence agency directly under the World Government, a transaction regarding the "truth" was intensely underway.
A figure in the form of a birdman—Morgans, the president of the World Economic Journal—strode in boldly, unceremoniously extending his "wings" toward the CP Agents in suits.
"The usual rules: shocking intelligence for a hefty 'hush money'!" Morgans' voice was high-pitched and confident.
A CP Agent sneered, his eyes full of contempt:
"Shocking intelligence? What trivial matter is it this time? A local tabloid like yours with a name that sounds like playing house... how could you possibly have such powerful intelligence-gathering capabilities?"
Another agent took a direct step forward, threatening with murderous intent:
"Morgans, I advise you to stop while you're ahead. Some things aren't for you to touch. Do you... want to be completely 'erased' from the world?"
"Erased?!" Instead of backing down, Morgans spread his wings in anger, his voice rising an octave,
"Try it if you have the guts! Let's see if your blades are faster or if my news spreads faster!"
However, in his heart, a voice was screaming frantically: 'God Valley... the Celestial Dragons' Hunting Game... large-scale Marine movements... this is the super big news that can subvert the world order!!!
No matter what, I must find a way to leak this news to Hachinosu Island, to those lawless fellows of Rocks! It's time for this world to get lively!'
The chain of information had been connected, and the gears of fate began to turn faster.
The cries from the cages and the undercurrents of the press were quietly converging into a storm that was about to sweep the world... The once quiet streets of God Valley had now turned into a battlefield filled with the scent of gas and gunpowder. Amidst the chaotic ruins, a woman with messy curly hair and a panicked expression was tightly holding a child with curly hair and thick lips, desperately weaving through the broken walls.
The child in her arms also felt the surrounding danger. Beneath the curly hair, a pair of black eyes looked helplessly at the drastically changed surroundings. The tightly pursed thick lips trembled slightly, not daring to make a sound.
"Shh... don't be afraid, Teach, Mama is here..." The woman panted as she whispered words of comfort, yet her pace didn't dare to stop for a second. The sound of heavy leather boots and the shouts of Marine Soldiers behind her followed like maggots on a bone, chasing closely.
Using her familiarity with the terrain, she suddenly ducked into a narrow alley, temporarily shaking off the pursuers' line of sight. Leaning against the cold, damp wall, she gasped for breath, her heart pounding so hard it almost burst through her chest.
After resting for a while, she looked toward a certain direction on the horizon—the direction of the sea, the direction that man might come from. There was no anticipation in her eyes; instead, they were filled with determination and pleading.
"Rocks... you must not come!"
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