After he swam back to shore from the Sea Turtle Cave, the sky was still as clear and blue as ever. Endless waves gently washed the reefs along the shore, as though nothing had happened to this stretch of ocean.
But after that earth-shattering upheaval, many coconut trees had toppled, lying every which way across the ground. The devastation made Zhang Ming heave a deep sigh.
Perhaps it would take decades, or even centuries, for time to erase the scars of battle.
On the beach, the already battered wreckage of the plane had finally been swept away by the enormous waves.
This relic of human civilization, which had brought Zhang Ming to the Island, had ultimately vanished into the river of history without leaving a single trace.
Old Zhang could not help getting a little sentimental. "The plane's just... gone?"
Instead, lively fish had been stranded in pools of all sizes, along with plenty of seashells and other marine creatures.
Zhang Ming was in no hurry to gather this seafood, because his faithful comrades-the stones the giant turtles had become-still stood on the beach.
"Awoo!"
"Woo!"
The sea turtles gathered around the boulders, calling out again and again.
Sadly, two of the turtle boulders had cracked, perhaps because the earthquake had been too violent, or because their injuries in battle had been too severe. They had become stone forever.
Old White Turtle slowly stepped forward, examined them for a while, then silently shook its head.
Once the stones cracked and could no longer be restored, they were surely dead.
War always demanded sacrifices...
The sea turtles understood what death meant, too. They knew the pain of parting forever, and for a while, the beach was filled with mournful cries of "awoo, awoo."
Zhang Ming pressed his palms together, bowed slightly,