"Over there... is that ocean too?"
The murmured words drifted on the wind, and more and more people followed the young marine's gaze.
Across the enormous waterway that had just cleaved the Red Line open, there really was more ocean.
Sea breezes swept into the rift from both sides, carrying the distinct briny scents of two seas. They collided in the middle of the gap, stirring up tiny waves.
For the first time in history, two seas separated by the Red Line for countless years met within the same breach.
Rock hovered high in the air, his enormous Yinglong body slowly shrinking back into his Human-Beast Form. Lingering lightning still shimmered over his gold and silver dragon scales.
He looked down at the newly formed waterway beneath him and fell silent for a few seconds.
Below, Vegapunk, who had already transferred his consciousness into a clone at the scene, frantically adjusted the data. Structural diagrams flickered nonstop across the projection screen.
"Repair the main structure first! Seal these fractures back up!" he shouted without looking up. "Otherwise, it'll collapse again!"
Rock suddenly looked down. "Do we have to seal it?"
Vegapunk froze, his fingers stopping on the keyboard.
"What?"
"I asked," Rock said, pointing at the rift beneath him. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly. "Do we have to seal it?"
Not just Vegapunk, but many of the people nearby abruptly turned to look at him.
Soon, a massive structural projection spread across the ruined plaza.
All the top fighters still able to move gathered beside the rubble.
Vegapunk raised a hand, and two proposals appeared on the projection at once.
"Option one: seal it." Red markings rapidly filled the breach. "In theory, we can restore the Red Line as closely as possible to its current appearance."