The difficulties of development

Raising his hand, the Hardening gradually spread along Yago's palm, and Bertholdt's face was about to be submerged.

"Wait, Yago, I have one last question. Why did Annie choose to help you? Was it really because of our three years of relationship?" Bertholdt finally asked the question that had been buried in his heart all along, his voice filled with bitterness.

The Hardening stopped, Yago smiled and said, "Bertholdt, if I told you that Annie and I knew each other back in the Liberio Internment Zone, would you believe me?"

"What? Yago, you're from..." Bertholdt was utterly shocked, instantly realizing something from Yago's words: Yago, he was also from Marley?

But before he could utter the words "Bertholdt Marley," the Hardening sealed Bertholdt off.

Yago took one last look at Bertholdt, who was encased in Hardened Crystal, before turning and leaving.

Bang! The iron gate slammed shut, and in the dim light, Bertholdt inside the Crystal still wore that same surprised expression.

Yago took a deep breath as he stepped out of the Bunker. The future was uncertain, and Paradis Island needed to develop as quickly as possible. Therefore, Zeke's help was becoming increasingly important.

However, Yago didn't completely trust Zeke, and how much trust Zeke had in Yago was also a question. The two seemed to have their own agendas, like two foxes cooperating yet wary of each other.

Yago turned his head. Next to the Bunker was a newly built firing range. The equipment captured from the Marley Soldiers was being studied there by craftsmen and blacksmiths called upon from the Walls. The sporadic, popping sounds of gunfire could also be heard from the firing range.

With this thought in mind, Yago started walking towards the shooting range.

Inside the firing range, a muscular, unshaven man with a wire between his teeth and bloodshot eyes was examining a Marley Soldiers's rifle.

The table in front of the burly man was already piled high with parts from dismantled firearms.

"Hey! Lynch, what's up?" A familiar voice came from behind, but Lynch didn't turn around, spitting out the wire from his mouth. "What are you doing here, kid?"

Yago, ever the friendly type, pulled up a stool and said with a smile, "Come chat with you, huh? I heard you've dismantled quite a few Rifle. How about it? Can you build them? That shouldn't be too difficult for you, the chief Omni-Directional Mobility Gear researcher, right?"

"Go away, kid, don't try to pick a fight. It's not that easy," Lynch said irritably, then picked up the Rifle and said, "The rest of the gun is fine, but I don't know what material the spring inside is made of. It seems to be a special kind of steel that's very difficult to manufacture. Even the alloy with Black Gold Bamboo added can't achieve this level of hardness."

"And these bullets? It's incredible how they manufacture them so perfectly identically; they're incredibly sophisticated."

Lynch's brows were furrowed as he spoke, clearly indicating that replicating the Rifle was difficult; Yago's expression was also somewhat grave.

The difference is evident here: the Military Police Brigade and Garrison Regiment on Paradis Island still use Flintlock and their ammunition is fixed-pack paper ammunition manufactured entirely by hand, while Marley and other countries across the sea have long since entered the era of military industrialization, with high-powered machines replacing manual labor.

Technological strength is currently the weak point of Paradis Island. Compared with other countries, Paradis Island's existing military strength is practically nonexistent.

They can't even replicate the most basic standard-issue Rifle, so the situation is quite dire. If this continues, Paradis Island will have no protection other than the Rumbling.

"We still can't get around this, Zeke. I hope you don't let us down." Yago could only choose to believe that Zeke could truly provide help.

As Yago stepped out of Lynch's lab, he saw two figures at the firing range.

Sasha crouched on the ground, holding a long gun wrapped in strips of cloth, one eye closed as if aiming at something.

Bang! One shot, reload, bang! One shot!... Sasha fired five shots in quick succession. If you walked up to the target Sasha had just shot at, you would see that the target, which was the size of a washbasin, only had one bullet hole in the bullseye.

Those who don't know her might think Sasha was only shot once, but don't be mistaken, the truth is that Sasha hit the bullseye with all five shots, and each shot passed through the same bullet hole.

Sasha was a natural sniper. Coris, standing to the side, was so shocked he was speechless. He was a renowned sniper in the Marley Navy, but at this distance, Coris could only guarantee that every shot was within the eight-ring.

Coris had never seen a sniper as exceptional as Sasha.

"Master Coris, how was it? You hit them all! Remember to treat me to a meal!" Sasha proudly slung the Sniper Gun over her shoulder.

Coris smiled. "Okay, I'll cook seafood for you sometime. I used to learn a few tricks from a really good young chef next door."

But Sasha scratched her head in confusion and asked, "Seafood? What's seafood?"

Coris was taken aback. They were on Paradis Island, surrounded by the sea, and this kid didn't even know what seafood was?

"Sasha, don't you know the ocean?"

"The ocean? What's the ocean? Are there animals in it? Can you eat them?"

Coris fell silent, a voice within him seeming to ask, "What... what have we Marley done?"

The eastern port of Marley Capital was now filled with dozens of Warships of various sizes. This was Marley's strongest fleet, the First Fleet, which was about to set sail for the battlefield to teach those ungrateful Middle Easterners a bloody lesson.

In the First Fleet, a Guard sounded its horn, accelerated, and sailed out of the harbor. Strangely, the Guard was not heading in the direction of the battlefield that the First Fleet was heading to.

In the captain's cockpit of the Guard "Courage," a dark-skinned, thick-lipped crew member gripped the helm, while beside him sat the captain, already thoroughly drunk.

Bang! The door to the command room was opened, and Soldiers dressed in the same Marley Navy uniform walked in. His emotionless black eyes looked at the snoring captain, and he took off his helmet, revealing short blond hair and a handsome face.

"Onyankopon, how's it going? Have you contacted Zeke yet?" The voice was clear and even somewhat crisp; it was actually a girl's voice! This didn't match her androgynous appearance at all.

The Black crew member nodded and replied, "Yes, but there hasn't been a reply yet. By the way, Yelena, didn't Zeke say at first that there was no rush to help Paradis Island? Why is he in such a hurry now? He wants us to take action with the first Reconnaissance Fleet?"

The girl called Yelena looked out at the sea from outside the command room and said, "Because, the situation seems to have changed a bit now."