Storm

"Manda, you stay on deck."

"All passengers and ordinary sailors, please return to your cabins immediately and do not remain on deck."

"Storm is coming!"

On deck, the sailors of the Fishing Boat hurried about, spreading the news.

The dark clouds appearing on the horizon heralded the coming downpour.

This is an extremely rare event that is unlikely to occur within the core territory of the Seven Seas Alliance.

Even with Sea People towing the boats to protect them from the oncoming Storm, the deck was by no means a safe place.

Many people followed instructions and went down into the cabin to take refuge.

However, some people refused to leave, and some even cursed at the sailors who came forward to warn them, "Look ahead, there's Sea Storm!"

"I must record this once-in-a-lifetime scene on my canvas."

A sailor stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Sir, you can't..."

"Let me go, that's exactly what I need!"

"I will leave this Storm in my skills!"

With a flick of his wrist, the painter sent a spray of paint flying from the tip of his brush, knocking the sailor to the ground.

He angrily cursed:

"You vulgar thing! You can't even appreciate what's precious!"

The painter ignored the sailor lying on the deck.

He dragged his easel forward, his eyes burning with fervor, ready to be the first to face the approaching Storm.

"Storm! Let the Storm rage on!"

Bang! Linsey knocked the guy unconscious to the ground and then helped the sailor who had fallen on the deck up.

Amid the sailors' repeated thanks, Linsey tossed the painter directly into the cabin before heading down with Wala Wala beside him.

He asked warily:

"Wala Wala whoever is sabotaging the ship in their pursuit of so-called art, right?"

The girl immediately nodded:

"You guessed right!"

"Some people who crave melodrama, tragedy, or cruel beauty can actually do such things."

Linsey frowned:

"If this happened to ordinary people, how could they resist these awakened ones?"

Wala Wala's eyes darkened. "There's a saying that the strong should have the right to humiliate the weak."

"Fortunately, there are still more normal people in this world, including the Awakened."

"Such things are not allowed in the Seven Seas Alliance. If someone commits such a crime, they will be handed over to the Art Review Committee once discovered."

Linsey asked curiously, "What are the sentencing standards for this kind of investigation?"

Wala Wala answered with her head down:

"Generally speaking, it's about repaying blood with blood, but sometimes it leans towards the awakened."

"..."

The two walked quickly into the cabin.

Instead of returning to her own cabin, Wala Wala followed Linsey to Ala Song.

They pushed open the door and entered the cabin.

The one-armed painter leaned against the wall, his gaze piercing through the porthole as he looked towards the darkening sky.

The Seven Seas Alliance's Fishing Boat are able to weather storms.

But for passengers, this experience is hardly pleasant.

When Ala Song saw the man and woman enter, he straightened up and sat back on the bed, his eyes becoming teasing.

He first raised his one arm to Linsey:

"Mr. Linsey, I did not reveal your whereabouts."

Linsey shook her head slightly:

"Actually, it's my fault."

"Escaping may be effective for a while, but it cannot truly solve the problem."

Linsey gestured for Wala Wala to sit down.

The three gathered in the cabin, Linsey casually took out some fish slices from her bag to serve everyone. At the same time, she adopted a more serious tone, saying, "Wala Wala, we really do need to have a good talk."

Sensing Linsey's seriousness, the girl responded with equal seriousness:

"Linsey, just consider it my obsession!"

"I believe the truth should not be buried!"

"How can one accept that someone who has achieved great things should instead be timid, silent, and even have their rightful reputation and achievements stolen by treacherous villains?"

"..."

If we're talking about the answer given on deck, Wala Wala's argument was a bit far-fetched.

So this is a serious response.

It has indeed touched Linsey's heart.

After finishing her speech, Wala Wala didn't urge Linsey to give an answer, but instead sat down next to Linsey.

"I know my behavior is hard for you to accept, but please give me a chance!"

"No matter if the sky tears apart, the ocean boils, or even if we travel to the ends of time and space, to the Far Shore of the Dead Sea, I will use all my sincerity to express this unwillingness to give up!"

The Essence of 'Wala Wala' contains the power of emotions.

At this moment, the girl's true feelings were revealed.

The other two people in the room could clearly sense that Wala Wala's request was not for the pursuit of fame, fortune, or artistic achievement.

She was yearning to make up for some regret that she could not have.

Snap! At that moment, Ala Song snapped his fingers and tasted Linsey's fish slices.

"Speaking of which, I'm a little hungry too."

The one-armed painter's gesture was merely a polite one, intended to ease the atmosphere in the cabin.

Upon tasting the food from the Perfect World, his expression immediately changed to one of astonishment. "My God! What kind of fish is this? I've never tasted anything like it before..."

Wait a minute, why am I suddenly praising the food? Ala Song was about to offer his praise, but he suddenly realized and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I'm curious too."

"Miss Wala Wala, a young talent like you, don't you want to experience the Storm outside?"

"I hear it's quite lively on deck. In the world of the Seven Seas Alliance, creating a successful painting can fetch a good price; and for you personally, it will improve your skills."

The Storm has another meaning in the context of the Seven Seas Alliance.

The tranquility of this sea is actually the result of the artist's music soothing effect.

Therefore, Storm are not merely rare weather phenomena, but also a symbol of resistance against authority, and such works are especially popular in the Seven Seas Alliance.

Wala Wala said with a serious expression, "Scenes of Storm are indeed rare."

"But my purpose in choosing to dedicate myself to art is not to sell my works, but to save myself."

This answer left Ala Song momentarily stunned; he finally uttered a sigh:

"Compared to those crazy guys on deck, someone like you is more deserving of being called an artist."

"..."

Splash—

The atmosphere inside the cabin eased slightly.

But outside the porthole, the sky was growing darker and darker.

The rain poured down, and the cabin rose and fell with the curve of the sea.

The sounds that surged in were louder than thunder, drowning out all other noises, and the continuous raindrops pounded into the room from the porthole.

"This rain couldn't have come at the worst possible time..."

Linsey leaned over, trying to close the porthole.

"Ugh—!!!"

The Storm roared like thunder, but Linsey could discern a mournful wail within it.

"This is... the voice of the Sea People."

Linsey immediately realized something was wrong.

The Sea People were the sole source of power for the ship, making them arguably the most important thing for everyone on board.

If Sea People safety must be guaranteed!

Linsey immediately opened the map.

"This... is he dead?"

The Sea People markers on the tugboat ahead have now disappeared.

Further ahead, in the direction from which the Storm was coming, a bunch of Red Marker were approaching!