As Vista fought against the two giants, Nicholas and his group made their way onto the main island.
"What is that!?"
Simon, looking at the towering structure of the Gate of justice, bearing the emblem of the World Government, was left speechless.
Previously, due to mist and clouds, they hadn't seen the Gate of justice clearly. But now, standing close to the massive structure, the sense of awe was overwhelming.
"This way, let's attend to our business first," Nicholas said, proceeding towards the location of the Judicial Tower.
Along the way, they passed through residential areas of the main island, which surprised them. The houses seemed abandoned for many years, emanating a scent of decay.
As Nicholas and his group approached the Judicial Tower, lightning began to strike the previously serene island.
The footsteps were light but conspicuous in the dead silence of the atmosphere.
"Who's there?"
The captain of the G-5 Marines, trembling, asked with a quivering voice, seated atop a dog.
Not that he didn't want to run, but his legs had gone weak; he couldn't even move the sitting dog.
"Oh, you guys have courage, huh? Not even choosing to run in such a situation. Admirable, as the watchdogs of the Judicial Island" Nicholas's indifferent voice came from around the corner.
He was aware of the presence of a team here, but everyone else seemed to be running away from the island due to the lightning strikes.
"Are you trying to capture us?"
"Ahem, misunderstanding, misunderstanding. We're just passing through! We'll leave immediately!" The G-5 captain stammered, realizing the danger.
BOOM!
As he spoke, a lightning bolt struck just three centimeters in front of him. The captain screamed and jumped off the dog, scampering away with his team, carrying their trembling dogs.
Nicholas paid little attention to those who fled, continuing towards the Judicial Tower.
Standing atop the tower, Nicholas looked at the massive Gate of justice and smiled. It seemed that the once formidable Judicial Island was now just a facade.
…
Leaving the main island, Nicholas bid farewell to the two giant guards, arranging to visit Elbaf in the future. They returned to the Water Capital shortly after.
Leaving the main island behind, they resumed work on the ship's design. Under Tom's diligent work, the basic structure of the ship was already outlined. Next came the fine-tuning and optimization of the ship's design.
Nicholas expressed his satisfaction with the design, while Levanoth was left astonished. He knew the value of sea-prism stone, a strategic material of the World Government.
Nicholas promised to resolve the issue of acquiring Sea-Prism Stone himself.
Once the design was finalized, they proceeded with construction plans. The ship would consist of three and a half levels: the bottom for power, storage, and the aquarium; the second for female quarters; the kitchen; the library;...
"Hey, you guys aren't done yet? It's time for dinner," a tall, green-haired woman reminded them, tapping on the door.
"Coco, don't rush; I'm about to finish this design," Tom said, absorbed in his work.
"Don't eat the cold food later. Be careful not to get sick and die," she said, turning away.
Levanoth excused himself, taking Nicholas to dinner.
Along the way, Nicholas couldn't help but ask, "President Levanoth, your Galley-La is truly powerful. Not only do you have Tom, the master shipwright of Fish-Man Island, but also a mermaid."
Levanoth's expression turned somewhat awkward. He clarified that Coco was Tom's secretary, not an employee of Galley-La, and elaborated on the complex relationship between Tom and Coco.
Nicholas, puzzled, remarked on Coco's beauty, to which Levanoth explained the societal complexities and prejudices surrounding relationships between merfolk and fishmen, which had caused Tom's hesitation in accepting Coco.
Nicholas found himself perplexed by the situation.