The afternoon sunlight filtered through gaps in the parasol, casting dappled light and shadow across the beach.
Boer reclined in a lounge chair, wearing those black beach shorts, his lean, muscular upper body bare. The parasol shaded most of him, leaving only his long calves and his feet resting on his flip-flops exposed. His eyes were closed, his posture as languid as a large cat sunning itself.
In truth, though, his consciousness never rested for a moment.
Invisible magnetic force extended from him, reaching deep beneath the sea and into the raised continental shelf. Like countless gentle hands, it softly supported the newborn land, then relaxed, pressed back, and cushioned at the right moments-releasing the stress accumulated during the uplift.
It was a delicate balance.
Too fast, and it would trigger an earthquake.
Too slow, and the stress would build up again.
He had to constantly sense the condition of every inch of rock, like a master musician plucking the strings of the earth.
The morning was for creation.
The afternoon was for harmonizing.
Half a meter to a meter of uplift each day.
At that rate, it would take at least another ten days before this region was ready for Akainu and Aramaki to work on.
Ten days.
Boer silently calculated, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"I'll just treat it as a vacation."
"Boer-"
Carina's voice came from behind him, soft and sweet, with a hint of wanting credit:
"Look!"
Boer opened his eyes and turned his head.
Carina was crouching beside him, a neat row of mangoes arranged before her. She had frozen them with the Ice Fox Fruit's power, and a thin layer of frost still coated their skins, sparkling in the sunlight.
Her face wore a "praise me" expression, and her fluffy white tail