RNP 55: Soaring into the Sky
55: Soaring into the Sky
Winters on Gaya Island are not particularly cold to begin with, and now, with the island's unprecedented vitality, it feels even warmer.
A month has passed since the public execution in the central square of Mogu Town.
A month is enough time to change the appearance of many things.
The location of the gold convoy had already been decided, situated in a narrow strip of land connecting the east and west sides of Gaya Island.
A solid foundation has been laid, and the workers' shouts continue from dawn till dusk, every single day.
Oro stood at the window of the captain's cabin on the Golden Dawn, looking down at the nascent settlement.
"Lord Oro."
A soft voice came from behind her, and Taylor came in carrying a stack of documents. Sunlight streaming in from the window shone on her light blue scales, refracting into delicate halos.
"This is the work briefing of the security fleet this week, as well as the material flow report of the supply and marketing cooperative."
Oro turned around and took the document from Taylor's hand.
The secretariat, composed of six mermaid girls, has become an indispensable assistant to Oro in handling the political affairs of Gaya Island.
They were not only in charge of paperwork, but also played a remarkable role in all aspects of ocean-related matters.
"Thank you for your hard work, Taylor."
After offering his words of comfort to Taylor with a smile, Oro lowered his head and quickly began to scan the briefing.
The briefing revealed that the security fleet, overseen by the Rumba Fleet led by York and Brook, had "persuaded" another foolish pirate crew to join this week, and now Oro is coming to put a "fuse" on them.
Once the pirate crew is fully absorbed, the size of the security fleet will be further expanded, with an expected increase to nearly 1,300 people and eight ships.
The security fleet is responsible for daily patrols and handling security incidents in and around the island, while the Lumba Fleet not only supervises them but also provides them with strong support, specializing in dealing with tough cases that the security fleet cannot handle.
"Are York and Brooke having any trouble?"
Oro asked casually, and Taylor smiled and shook his head:
"Not at the moment. Mr. York is very efficient, and Mr. Brooke... well, he has a unique style and is quite intimidating."
"There hasn't been a situation where Lingling's intervention is needed yet."
Mentioning Lingling, Auro's lips curled into a slight smile. This "firefighter" could be said to be the most relaxed one among them.
Aside from daily training, Lingling spends most of her time helping Gails taste newly developed pastries or helping to move some particularly heavy building materials.
"And what about Gals?"
"Sister Gails just finished replenishing the food supply for the supply and marketing cooperative today."
"The delicious pastries and specialty foods she created were almost always sold out as soon as they hit the shelves, which greatly stabilized the supply of goods and the morale of the people on the island."
"Right now, she should be handling administrative documents, supposedly to set up ranks for the workers in order to prevent the emergence of foremen."
Oro nodded. Besides spending an hour each day using her "Eat Fruit" ability to prepare goods for the supply and marketing cooperative, Gails also...
She did indeed take on more and more administrative assistance work, and her meticulousness and reliability made Oro very reassured.
After reading the briefing, Oro raised his head and turned his gaze to the distance, looking beyond the bustling construction site towards the azure sea.
What he truly cared about was something else entirely.
"Taylor, has the situation on the seabed been confirmed?"
Oro's voice turned serious, and upon hearing this, Taylor's expression also became serious:
"After a month of observation by my sisters and me, we can now be completely certain that the unusual current that Coral and I discovered earlier is one of the driving forces of the upwelling current."
"The timing, exact time, and precise coordinates of the ocean current outbursts have all been mapped."
She handed over a very detailed nautical chart, on which the observation data was marked with fine strokes.
"According to calculations, the most recent upwelling current will erupt in three days."
"You did a great job, you were a huge help."
Oro put away the sea chart, having already made up his mind.
"Gails and I will depart in three days. Her work will be handed over to you. Everything on the island will continue as usual."
……
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
In a secluded bay on the west side of Gaya Island, a rather strange-looking boat is moored on the water.
The ship was not large for Oro and Gails, and was made entirely of tough wood mixed with a small amount of gold. The hull lines presented a streamlined shape that was conducive to resisting impacts.
This is a "special boat for rising ocean currents" designed by Oro and built in the past month.
Gails was standing by the ship, dressed in clothes that allowed her to move around easily. Her light blonde braids and high ponytail swayed gently in the sea breeze.
Lingling stood next to Gails, pouting in dissatisfaction, and kept pestering Gails:
"...You two didn't even take me! Humph! If there's anything good to eat on the Sky Island, you'd better bring it back for me!"
"Alright, alright, Lingling, I'll definitely bring you back something delicious."
Auro chuckled and patted Lingling's pink hair, then turned to Taylor, York, and Brooke beside him and said seriously:
"The island is in your care while we are away."
"Proceed according to plan. Major decisions shall be made jointly by Taylor, York, Brooke, and Lingling."
"Don't worry, Captain!"
Brooke patted his ribs, about to speak, when York's shout drowned him out.
Oro and Gale boarded the specially made boat and sailed it to the designated location.
Oro can indeed achieve short-distance flight or gliding by precisely manipulating gold, but that is extremely physically demanding, and he is currently unable to sustain long-distance air travel.
Taking advantage of the power of nature is undoubtedly the wisest choice.
"It's almost time, Gails, be careful to hold on tight."
Auro checked the time and reminded Gails.
Before he could finish speaking and before Gails could even respond, the seawater around the small boat began to boil violently.
Huge white foam surged up on the once calm sea surface, followed by an indescribable, enormous force that erupted from the seabed!
"boom!"
A massive column of water, its diameter immeasurable, shot skyward with a deafening roar!
The specially made hull emitted a tooth-grinding groan as the golden keel stubbornly resisted the terrible impact.
"Hurry up!"
Oro stood steadily at the bow, doing his best to maintain the ship's balance, while Gale gripped the side railing tightly, the strong wind whipping her light golden hair wildly.
As Gails gazed at Oro's composed golden figure, her heart pounded. She felt a little scared, but mostly she was filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement.
The small boat was violently rocked by the ocean current, surrounded by deafening sounds of water and wind. Occasionally, an unlucky fish would be swept up and flash past them.
"Auro! Look up!"
Gails raised her hand and pointed upwards, her voice filled with excitement.
As Oro looked up, at the far end of his vision, in the previously empty azure, white outlines resembling cotton candy began to emerge.
That's... clouds? No, it's a pure white ocean!
The upwelling current has reached its final destination!
The Sky Island is right before our eyes!