Sir! Don't close the net!

Jones's tone betrayed a hint of displeasure.

Although it was a change of topic, I was genuinely annoyed.

"Don't worry, you'll see him tomorrow..."

Heidi's tone was incredibly calm, but Jones grew increasingly dissatisfied.

“Boss, I’m not trying to be mean… but that guy was definitely ignoring us on purpose. He knew Deadman Sea was our territory, and he came over without a word, but he also ruined the business of the people we were protecting, right in front of us!” Jones paced back and forth in front of the captain’s cabin door with his arms crossed.

"If it gets in the way, just destroy it."

Heidi's crisp and decisive words stunned Jones, who remained silent for a long time before putting his hands on his hips, letting out a long exhale, and shrugging his shoulders.

"That's true! Sorry, boss, I asked a silly question."

"Whatever, I've just brought you more pointless questions."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At night, the Sheep Village Logistics Building was brightly lit under the gas lamps, and the young black goats, Yunzhong, were running back and forth carrying all sorts of documents.

"Hurry up! The minister is going to the Dead Man's Sea tomorrow! Although we don't know what Minister Li Yili's real purpose is, the big one is coming soon!"

Abu Jean carried a megaphone and ran around to each floor.

Contrary to his usual behavior, Al didn't join the work. Instead, he stood by the swimming pool on the roof of the Sheep Village Logistics Building, smoking a cigarette, gazing at the Sea of ​​Dead that stretched to the horizon.

Sparks flickered and spread along the tangled tobacco towards the depths of the cigarette, filling the air with white but pungent smoke.

El let out a long sigh.

"Executive El has put everyone on high alert!" Abu Jean, carrying a megaphone, shattered the silence on the rooftop. "No one will close their eyes until Minister Li Yili returns!"

"Thank you for your hard work," El said, snapping off a cigarette and exhaling a puff of choking smoke.

"It's alright, it's alright, it's all for Minister Li Yili!" Abu Rang patted his chest.

“It’s all for Minister Li Yili…” El murmured, then raised the cigarette in his hand towards Abu Jean, “It’s for the past, isn’t it?”

"Huh?" Abu Jean stared blankly at El for a while before he realized what was happening, scratched the back of his head, and nodded. "It's for the old days... ah."

"

Abu, how long has it been since you said that everything was for the Black Goat, everything was for the old days? El casually threw the cigarette butt in his hand on the ground and stomped on it, grinding it left and right.

"This……"

Before Abu Jean could answer, El continued.

“Lately, all we’ve been talking about is Levi Strauss Richard. Minister Levi, don’t you have any thoughts on this?”

Abu Jean opened his mouth wide.

It wasn't until a cold sea breeze swept over him that Abu Jean snapped out of his daze and shivered violently. "Executor El, what... what do you mean?"

Al didn't answer, but instead took out a new cigarette from the cigarette case, put it in his mouth, and gazed intently at the distant walls of the Sea of ​​the Dead.

He spoke slowly after a long pause.

"Ah...it's like the walls of a prison."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Bert, I’m back—ugh—”

To avoid worrying Bert, Zieg forced himself to smile as cheerfully as usual, but when he raised his voice, it felt like many drums were beating in his ears, and a dizzying feeling of nausea washed over him. Zieg immediately leaned against the wall and began to dry heave.

"Zig, are you alright!" Bert immediately put down the spoon in his hand and rushed to Zig's side, gently patting Zig's back.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Zieg wiped his mouth, straightened up, and looked a little pale.

"I'm sorry, Bert, I'm a little tired today and don't have much of an appetite for dinner. Oh... by the way, Bert! Tomorrow I'm going to Dead Man's Sea with Minister Li Yili! My dream is about to come true!"

Bert paused in his patting of Zieg's back. "Really? That's great. Then go and get some rest. Don't cause Mr. Li Yili any trouble."

"Um--"

Watching Zieg's tired back, Bert scratched the back of his head, gently pulled out a chair, sat down at the table, and poured the soup from the pot into a bowl.

I accidentally added too much water today, so the soup isn't thick; it's like a cheap mirror barely reflecting his blurry face.

"That's really... fast..."

Bert's shoulders slumped slightly, just as he was about to start when a knock came from behind him.

Bert was taken aback. He put down his cutlery, turned around, and went to the door. He opened the door, but there was no one there. There was only a package with a card tied to it.

Bert looked around, bent down, picked up the package, and flipped the card over.

The words on the card were reflected in his slowly opening eyes.

You become Levi Esti Richard.

Chapter 141 The Abandoned City

Before the first rays of sunlight had even set, the shore where people used to throw wishing bottles was already crowded with people. They were not employees, but residents of Instas, the world's largest seaport. They had put aside all their work to come here and witness this historic moment.

The entire Instasus region stood still for this day, for this moment.

Some of the projectiles had been removed, steel bars were driven deep into the sand, and cement was poured down to build a flat and solid foundation. On this foundation, a projectile far more imposing and sophisticated than the others looked down on all the other projectiles.

The residents of Instas were more enthusiastic about heading to the Sea of ​​the Dead than anyone could have imagined. Even though Abu Jean shouted over and over again from the shore that it was afternoon and there was still plenty of time before heading to the Sea of ​​the Dead, not a single Instas resident was willing to leave.

"Ha...it's really lively, it's like a farewell party for heroes," Jones remarked, resting his chin on his hand.

The coastline was crowded with people, but one place was as silent as a vacuum: the dock where the Mercury Queen was located. All the residents of Instasus unanimously avoided the dock where the Mercury Queen was located, preferring to crowd at a distance and curse rather than approach the dock where the Mercury Queen was located.

Jones knew very well that this tacit estrangement was not due to fear, but simply rejection.

"Speaking of which, they call us the Exiles," Jones said, resting his chin on his hand. "Are they afraid that if we stay with them too long, we'll also be 'cursed' and exiled?"

The other pirates also shrugged. They had already passed the initial period of indignation, and even the period of numbness, reaching a point of indifference. Their demeanor was one reason, but there was another, more important reason, though it might sound like self-deception…

Being ostracized by a group of people who use other people's faces all day long, being called an exile by such a group of people... surprisingly, it's not so humiliating.

“But… Mr. Li Yili is really putting on airs, making all the residents of Instas wait for him alone,” Jones tugged at his ear. “The other little guy has already arrived.”

Beneath the massive projection device, employees of Sheep Village Logistics and Fire Spirits were running back and forth, preventing overly enthusiastic Instas residents from crossing the danger line while struggling to separate them and transport the necessary components to the projection device. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Sieg's figure, much thinner than the others, stood out conspicuously.

In the past, a thin boy like this would have been simply ignored by the crowd, but now, no one thought of it; all the residents of Instas had their eyes following the thin boy's back.

“These guys… they really don’t help at all except cheering,” Jones couldn’t help but complain.

Because of the crowding of Instas residents, Sheep Village

The logistics and fire sprite operations are not going smoothly.

"It's not like their wish is about to come true, why are they so excited?" the other pirates couldn't help but mutter.

Jones frowned instinctively.

"Yeah, it's not like... their wish is about to come true..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"This is way too exaggerated."

As the secretary, Alma looked at the dense crowd thronging the beach and felt a chill run down her spine. She had lived in Instas for so many years and had never seen the residents of Instas act so uniformly. Even when throwing wishing bottles, the residents of Instas did not act in such a unified manner.

Human society is inherently characterized by the inability to unify wills. Everyone makes different choices due to varying external factors. Just like throwing a wishing bottle, even if a wish could be granted, many people are hesitant to openly make a wish due to the intimidation posed by Austin and his ilk.

What lies before her now is not only unified action, but also a highly concentrated will, so concentrated that for a moment she even has the chilling illusion that what gathers before her are not the inhabitants of Instas, but some enormous creature.

Alma shook her head violently to shake off the fantasy that was making her hands and feet cold, and turned to shout at Al, "It's not good to keep so many people waiting. Why don't we call Minister Li Yili over first?"

After pondering for a while, El raised his eyebrows slightly. "Secretary Elma, I need to remind you that the time to go to the Sea of ​​the Dead was set yesterday. It's impossible to hastily move the time forward just because so many people are gathered here. We're not performing a stage play. Even if we were, we wouldn't move the time forward."

“Yes, Miss Alma, the departure times are all precisely calculated, it’s impossible to depart early,” Eddie, the person in charge of the submarine, also poked his head out and said, “Unauthorized early departures might lead to unexpected accidents.”

“But we can’t just leave the Instas residents here… can we?” Alma looked a little awkward.

“Secretary Alma, I must remind you of something. Going to the Sea of ​​the Dead is Sheep Village Logistics’ own operation, not for the sake of the Instas residents,” Alma said, arms crossed. “In fact, their actions are now even hindering our work. It’s already more than enough that we haven’t driven them away.”

Alma opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say to refute Al's statement.

Because El was absolutely right. Going to the Dead Sea was their own plan, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the residents of Instas.

“Executive El, you’re right, but as you’ve seen, this is an unexpected situation. Although Minister Li Yili may have anticipated it, that doesn’t mean we don’t need to report the situation,” Elma pinched the bridge of her nose. “So my personal idea is to first inform Minister Li Yili and explain the current situation.”

After frowning and hesitating for a moment, El nodded. "Secretary Elma, you're right. Then I'll trouble you to make the trip, Secretary Elma."

"Leave it to me—"

Alma nodded, glanced at the crowded residents of Instas, and fled as if on cue to board the carriage prepared by Sheep Village Logistics. She passed through the vacuum zone around Mercury Queen Pier and headed straight for the lighthouse perched on the cliff along the empty road.

As she walked, Alma instinctively peered towards the city. A lonely, cold wind blew along the deserted streets, and countless ripples floated on the walls of the Dead Sea that stretched to the horizon, as if trying to peel something away.

The more Alma thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. A city had simply come to a standstill, like a used mask that had been casually tossed aside.

Chapter 142 The Sea Surface is Just the Sea Surface

Standing in front of Li Yili's lighthouse room, Alma suddenly felt much more relaxed. Even though there were two Valkyries living inside who she would never want to meet again in her life, she couldn't wait to knock on the door.

"Um—this is Alma! Is anyone awake?"

Accompanied by a series of clanging sounds of bottle armor, heavy and disordered footsteps gradually approached. As soon as the door opened a crack, a strong smell of alcohol swept across Alma's face like a rain of arrows.

“Minister Li, Minister Li Yili…” Alma’s lips twitched as she looked at Li Yili, who was leaning against the door, her hair disheveled, and her eyes bloodshot. “You didn’t… drink a lot of… alcohol last night, did you?”

I heard that the Valkyries are not only unable to get drunk, but also extremely fond of alcohol. Li Yili is supporting two Valkyries. Just think about it, and you can imagine what the two Valkyries would do if they had plenty of money and didn't have to do anything.

So this strong, eye-burning smell of alcohol must have been caused by those two Valkyries. After all, Li Yili wouldn't drink all night long in front of the Dead Man's Sea!

"Separated—"

Li Yili had barely opened her mouth when she let out a heavy burp, immediately knocking Alma aside and staggering to her knees, where she began to vomit violently, her hands supporting her on the ground.

Alma stiffly turned her head to look at Li Yili, who was vomiting.

This guy... looks like he's been drinking all night. If you draw a tube of blood from him... there probably wouldn't be a single drop. I wonder if he'd spontaneously combust if you threw him a match.

Alma couldn't help but have a rather dangerous idea.

"Ha... I'm alive again."

Li Yili

He wiped the vomit from the corner of his mouth and turned to look at Alma.