Chapter 186

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The gloomy sky completely shrouded Water 7. Standing at a high vantage point, one could clearly see the terrifying sight of the massive tsunami surging forward. This was the energy of nature, radiating an aura of utter despair.

Ordinary humans stood no chance against such a natural disaster and could only continuously pray, hoping for the swift disappearance of this terrifying catastrophe!

On the high ground of Water 7, the refugee camp plaza was crowded with people.

"Hey! Look, what's that? Is that a person? Someone is standing at the top of the island's fountain!"

An exclamation from somewhere interrupted the elders' prayers to the Aqua Laguna.

People raised their heads, looking towards the highest point in the town.

Amid the dark sky, illuminated by continuous flashes of lightning, their faces were a mix of fear and astonishment.

It was indeed a person. Someone was defying the laws of water, standing on top of the central fountain?

With flowing blue hair, the figure looked like a young girl!

"Wait, blue hair and eyes, circle hairstyle, surrounded by water, and a cute face... Isn't that the notorious criminal, the Water Witch Aqua from the Sea Restaurant, who shocked the world a while ago?!"

Quickly, someone recognized Aqua's unmasked identity, and the news spread like wildfire, causing an uproar among the crowd.

With Aqua Laguna about to hit the town, the appearance of the Water Witch brought intense unease. To the ordinary residents who had lived on the island for years, a high-bounty criminal was naturally synonymous with "evil"!

"The name is correct, but she is a water goddess, not a water witch, meow!"

"Such a beautiful and cute girl can't be associated with a witch, even though I'm a skeleton and don't have eyes to see, yohohoho~"

"Watch closely, this will be a sight you'll never forget. With her, even the so-called Aqua Laguna will pale in comparison!"

"Big tsunami, maji yabakune. Aqua, maji yabakune."

Meowth, Brook, King, and Kanna had naturally followed to the refugee camp plaza, blending into the crowd to witness Aqua's moment of glory.

Also present were Tom and the shipwrights, curious to see what method Miss Aqua would use to deal with such a natural disaster.

Flam and some of the shipwrights, however, were deeply skeptical. Even with Aqua's exposed identity as a high-bounty criminal, they didn't believe that the seemingly foolish girl had the energy to match Aqua Laguna!

The words of the Sea Restaurant crew did not gain the residents' approval.

Leaving aside the strange combination of a skeleton and a talking cat, Aqua Laguna's terror was deeply ingrained in their bones. Even if the Water Witch came with good intentions, there was no way she could mitigate such a disaster!

Moreover, sharp-eyed individuals recognized King and Meowth, causing further alarm among the crowd.

Eventually, it was Tom, highly respected in Water 7, who stepped forward, expressing his willingness to trust the Sea Restaurant crew, which slightly eased the residents' fear of the globally notorious criminals.

Everyone quietly watched Aqua in the sky, their eyes filled with fear, worry, and a glimmer of hope.

"Borsalino-san, these people are indeed the infamous criminals who killed a Celestial Dragon!"

In the corner of the refugee camp, Navy officers gathered, cloaked in justice.

The previously suspicious lieutenant, now filled with righteous indignation, urgently pleaded with Kizaru, "Before these crazy people do something irreversible, we should arrest them as soon as possible!"

His words immediately drew agreement from the other marines, who, upholding justice, could not tolerate notorious criminals acting with impunity in their presence.

Especially with thousands of civilians in the refugee camp, there was no room for error!

Kizaru stood at the forefront, his justice cloak fluttering wildly in the chaotic wind.

"Aqua Laguna is very scary, yo."

He glanced at his anxious subordinates. "Don't worry. If things get bad, I will step in."

Recalling the not-so-negative assessments of the Sea Restaurant crew by Sengoku, Garp, and Kuzan back at headquarters, Kizaru raised his head slightly, observing Aqua surrounded by dazzling blue light.

Let me see for myself, whether you are foolishly arrogant or fearlessly righteous...

The lightning reflected in his glasses hid his lazy eyes, making his expression unreadable.

Amid his contemplation, the crowd erupted in alarm.

A massive shadow of despair loomed from afar, accompanied by extreme cold winds and the deafening roar of angry waves.

The terrifying Aqua Laguna had reached the waters near Water 7!

In the face of the hundreds-of-meters-high waves, the slender figure of the young girl standing at the highest point seemed as fragile and insignificant as an ant.

Just as everyone's faces were filled with horror, a brilliant blue beam shot into the sky, tearing through the oppressive darkness.

Amid the flashing lightning, a mysterious and intricate magical array appeared in the sky above Water 7.

Aqua, now serious, was surrounded by clear water, her goddess robe gently flowing. Under the blue light of the magic array, she emitted a calming, sacred aura.

Covered by this sacred aura, everyone in the refugee camp felt the agitation caused by the approaching disaster gradually subside.

Looking up again, Aqua Laguna no longer seemed so terrifying.

After all, she was a genuine goddess. When Aqua remained silent, the aura she naturally exuded was indeed extraordinary.

"This is the full extent of my divine power. Submit, you false god!"

With her energy at its peak, Aqua's wise eyes snapped open, and a torrent of divine power surged into the magical array.

The loud roar of waves came from behind Water 7. The crowd turned to look and were instantly scared out of their wits.

Even those who firmly believed in Aqua, like Meowth and Tom, had their eyes bulge in shock, their jaws dropping.

What did they see?

Another towering wave, as high as Aqua Laguna, was forming, heading towards the already battered Water 7!

Sizzle.

Lightning surged in the sky, a bolt striking down near Aqua, transforming into dense electric arcs.

"You idiot goddess! What the hell are you doing? Didn't you say dealing with Aqua Laguna would be a piece of cake?!"

In the electric arcs, Zyhark's furious voice echoed.

Aqua, puffing out her chest and completely ignoring Zyhark's scolding, proudly said, "That's right. A mere wave claiming to be a water god must learn what a world-destroying tsunami truly is!"

"...So that's why you made an even bigger wave? Do you expect Water 7 to thank you for being caught between two waves?"

The electric arcs formed into Zyhark's exasperated face.

He had preemptively used his elemental powers and Observation Haki to monitor the entire island, fearing that the foolish goddess might screw up at a critical moment.

Despite all precautions, Aqua's bizarre logic still managed to "surprise" him immensely!

"Well, it's too early for thanks. Wait, I... I... huh?!"

As Aqua finally realized the gravity of the situation, her divine image crumbled, her expression turning frantic. "What do we do? What do we do? It's too late now. I can only cancel the summoned tsunami, ahhhh!"

Fortunately, Zyhark, who had anticipated her reaction, swiftly covered the surroundings with bright lightning to block all view.

Otherwise, if the residents below saw this scene, who knew what it would take to gain their faith...

"So, in the end, you didn't contribute at all!"

Zyhark sighed deeply, grateful for having taken preventive measures before Aqua's action.

As Aqua fumbled to control the tsunami, he transformed into lightning again, merging into the dark thunderclouds above.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The relatively calm thunderclouds flashed violently, collapsing and compressing towards the center.

In an instant, a black ball containing destructive energy broke through the clouds, descending towards Aqua Laguna.

This was the ultimate island-destroying technique, requiring the power of natural lightning to activate—Thunder Greeting!

As Aqua Laguna was about to engulf Water 7, the roaring thunder echoed, and the black Thunder Greeting exploded with extreme violent energy.

Boom!!!

The deafening explosion reverberated through Water 7, and the blinding lightning dispelled the endless darkness, illuminating the entire sky!

In this apocalyptic scene, everyone in the refugee camp instinctively closed their eyes.

As the noise faded and a gentle sea breeze caressed their faces, they cautiously opened their eyes.

The sight before them left them thunderstruck.

Where Aqua Laguna should have been wreaking havoc, the sea was now bathed in the soft light of the setting sun.

Just like every peaceful afternoon before, the sea shimmered gently, exuding harmony and tranquility, with no trace of impending disaster!

The stark contrast made the residents, who had suffered from Aqua Laguna for years, feel like they were dreaming.

Splash, splash, splash.

At that moment, the clear sky suddenly brought heavy rain, making the once silent world noisy again.

—Thanks to Aqua's desperate efforts, the island-destroying tsunami finally transformed into an unexpected downpour.

The setting sun merged with the dense raindrops, creating a magical phenomenon—a massive rainbow spanning the entire Water 7 appeared.

Underneath the rainbow stood Aqua, who was still feeling a bit jittery after the ordeal!

"Mom! A rainbow! There's a rainbow!"

A child's joyous shout brought the adults back to reality.

They looked at the divine figure standing under the rainbow, all doubts dissipating, transforming into pure, devout faith.

"Miracle! This is a true miracle! Thank you, Water Goddess Aqua, for your protection!"

"Thank you, Water Goddess Aqua, for your protection!"

More and more people knelt towards Aqua, calling out her name, expressing their gratitude in the most sincere way.

Another rain and so many believers... This idiot really lucked out...

Returning to his companions in a flash of lightning, Zyhark shook his head with a smile.

Although there were some hiccups, the goal of gaining believers through Aqua Laguna was perfectly achieved!

In the corner of the plaza, Kizaru calmly observed the joyful civilians.

"What a pity. They are just lookalikes of the Sea Restaurant crew. The task of inspecting the Sea Train is over. Prepare to set sail for headquarters."

He started walking away lazily.

"But, Borsalino-sama, she..." The lieutenant tried to argue.

Kizaru stopped, not turning back, speaking in a lazy tone, "The wanted poster says Water Witch, clearly not the same person the civilians call the Water Goddess."

"I'll report it that way later. Any responsibility, I'll bear it alone."

With that, Kizaru continued walking.

The task was just the Sea Train, and he wouldn't do anything extra without pay!

The marines stood stunned, listening to the civilians' cheers, unable to speak for a long time.

The truth was evident; they knew who the hero was. But for now, they couldn't accept that this hero was the notorious criminal they had a duty to arrest!

The intense conflict and contradiction tore at their hearts, making the definition of justice as ambiguous as Kizaru's motto.

Until Kizaru walked away, the lieutenant, lost in his thoughts, finally decided to face reality.

Taking one last deep look at Aqua under the rainbow, he quickly followed.

"Borsalino-sama, you are right. The one we need to capture is the heinous Water Witch!"

...

As the night fell, bringing tranquility back to the disaster-free Water 7, Tom, Iceburg, and the shipwrights returned to the shipyard to continue their work.

With their identities exposed, Zyhark and his crew couldn't stay long, so the shipwrights decided to work through the night to complete the final touches on the Infinite Dream by sunrise!

Late at night, in the inn, Aqua quietly knocked on Zyhark's door.

"Hey, Zyhark! Tom said we can set sail tomorrow. But we don't have the funds to pay the 2 billion, right?" Aqua whispered mysteriously.

Zyhark stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, calmly gazing at the night sky.

"Aqua, when did you start being so considerate? Are you thinking of me taking you to get money and maybe some personal loot?"

He immediately saw through Aqua's intentions.

"No, no, no, not at all!"

Aqua's reaction was intense, waving her hands in denial.

Her wise eyes rolled, thinking of an excuse, "I just want to go to Skypiea to teach that idiot birdman who labeled me a Water Witch a lesson!"

Zyhark turned, his deep gaze making Aqua feel guilty.

"I don't recall mentioning Skypiea?"

"...Ahaha, ahahaha."

Aqua scratched her head, awkwardly trying to hide her greedy thoughts of taking some gold.

Zyhark walked to the bed, sitting down, and after a moment of silence, he spoke slowly, "Aqua, we are now globally wanted criminals, and Tom is just an innocent shipwright."

"Villains don't need a bottom line, so I never planned to pay the 2 billion."

Aqua frowned slightly, unusually silent, not mocking Zyhark's ingratitude.

Sometimes, uh, many times, uh, most of the time, she seemed foolish. But witnessing so much darkness in the world, she wasn't entirely a fool.

"Just so you know, Zyhark, I won't harm believers." The goddess said firmly.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, they'll see what true evil looks like," Zyhark chuckled.

"Have you picked a place?" Aqua asked, smiling.

"Flam's dismantling yard. It's far from Tom's workshop and usually empty."

"The panty freak? Hehehe, nice choice~"

(End of Chapter)