Half an hour ago.
Transformed into a colossal qilin beast, Rorschach forcefully activated an extraordinarily large-scale wind manipulation ability—far beyond what he could currently control.
In a short span, he gathered the air currents from more than ten miles around Water 7, concentrating them onto his own body while coating himself in Armament Haki, before unleashing it all in one explosive burst.
The power that erupted in that instant was truly overwhelming—like a tidal wave capable of shattering mountains.
Even a world-ending super tsunami was torn apart by that immense force.
However, after pushing himself beyond his limits, Rorschach's stamina was completely drained. He reverted from his qilin beast form back to his human form and plummeted from mid-air.
He had barely managed to leave a thin air membrane around himself to block the intrusion of seawater.
All he needed was to recover a little strength, and he could break free from the sea.
But then, an unexpected change occurred—one Rorschach had not foreseen—just after he sank more than ten meters into the water.
A massive fish, whose origins were unknown, seemed to have been waiting for him all along.
Mere moments after Rorschach hit the water, a fat fish resembling a pufferfish opened its enormous mouth and bit down on him.
That single bite became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
The sharp teeth of the pufferfish-like creature punctured the air membrane surrounding Rorschach, causing seawater to flood in and completely submerge him.
With his Armament Haki fully depleted, he had no strength left to resist the sea's suppressive force. His body instantly went limp.
The pufferfish monster clenched him in its jaws and sped through the water, covering several kilometers in no time.
Rorschach had no idea where this bizarre fish was taking him.
By this point, he had already swallowed several mouthfuls of salty seawater, and his consciousness was slipping away.
And then—another unexpected event left Rorschach utterly stunned.
Just as the pufferfish monster was swimming along, seemingly preparing to take Rorschach to its lair, a large blue frog suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
The frog, covered in scars and wearing only a loincloth, was swimming freestyle. It stretched out its human-like front limbs and delivered a powerful punch to the pufferfish monster's round belly.
The impact caused the creature's eyes to bulge as it involuntarily opened its mouth, spitting Rorschach out.
The frog then paddled over, grabbed the semi-conscious Rorschach with its front limbs, and began swimming toward the surface.
A few minutes later…
Beneath Water 7, in an abandoned train station that had been deserted for years, the loincloth-wearing frog unceremoniously dropped the unconscious Rorschach in front of an old woman whose face was flushed red from drinking.
Kokoro Granny held a bottle of liquor in her hand, chugging it down in large gulps. When she saw the navy youth dumped in front of her, she scratched her head.
"Yokozuna, where did you pick up another person this time? Hic~."
The frog, called Yokozuna, squatted on the ground, gesturing with its front limbs while letting out a series of "Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit" sounds.
"Oh, you saved him from a puffer whale's mouth? Hic~. Well done! Another drowning person rescued. Tom would be proud of you."
"Ribbit ribbit!"
Yokozuna squinted its eyes, looking quite pleased.
Kokoro Granny swayed as she stood up, walking unsteadily toward Rorschach. She squatted down, flipped open his eyelids, and checked his breathing.
"Hmmm…"
Kokoro Granny fell into deep thought.
Then she tilted her head back and took another big gulp of liquor. After nodding to herself, she staggered slightly before plopping down on the ground beside Rorschach.
"Still alive, huh? He seems to have a lot of vitality. Where did this boy come from? I've never seen him in Water 7 before… Strange. Could he have been washed here by Aqua Laguna from somewhere else?"
"No, no! That's not right, Granny!"
A little girl with green hair tied into twin buns, looking no more than four or five years old, came running over with her short legs.
Beside her followed a rabbit that let out soft "meow meow" sounds.
"Tymnie, Gonbe, hic—where did you two run off to? You need to stay hidden in the abandoned station, okay? Don't go running around. Aqua Laguna hasn't fully passed yet."
Kokoro Granny slurred her words, clearly intoxicated.
The little girl she called Tymnie hopped over, squatted in front of Rorschach, and curiously examined him with bright, sparkling eyes. As she did, she turned to Kokoro Granny and said:
"Granny, you're wrong. Aqua Laguna is already gone. The danger in Water 7 has passed."
"What? Aqua Laguna is gone? Little kids shouldn't lie! There's no way the tide could have receded that quickly. It's the Gods of Water! I've been here the whole time and never felt any tsunami hit."
Kokoro Granny struggled to open her eyes properly.
"It's true!" Tymnie, like a little sprite, circled around Rorschach before running over to Kokoro Granny. She tilted her small face up and grinned. "Granny, I'm not lying!"
She pointed at the unconscious Rorschach lying on the ground. "This big brother turned into a monster, then into a giant lion, and he scared Aqua Laguna away!"
"He turned into a monster, then into a giant lion, and scared away Aqua Laguna?"
Kokoro Granny blinked in confusion before bursting into laughter.
She ruffled her granddaughter's hair and chuckled. "Tymnie, you're adorable."
"I'm telling the truth! I didn't lie!" Tymnie pouted in frustration.
"Meow meow!" The rabbit raised its tiny paws.
"Ribbit ribbit!" The frog, Yokozuna, slapped his scarred belly with his front limbs, then made a sumo pushing motion before pointing at Rorschach.
"Huh? You're saying he used sumo techniques to defeat Aqua Laguna? Hahaha! Yokozuna, you're adorable too!"
Kokoro Granny giggled uncontrollably.
At that moment, the little girl, the rabbit, and the frog all deflated, slumping into a row as they dejectedly stared at Rorschach on the ground.
Suddenly, Tymnie perked up, her eyes shining with excitement. She looked at Kokoro Granny with anticipation.
"Granny, if you don't believe me, then wake this big brother up! He'll tell you the truth."
"Alright, I'll wake him up."
Kokoro Granny struggled to her feet, wobbling as she clutched her bottle of liquor.
She took another careful look at Rorschach before crouching down. Prying open his mouth, she shook the half-full bottle of high-proof liquor in her hand.
First, she took a large swig herself, let out a loud hiccup, and then poured the rest straight into Rorschach's mouth.
The moment the burning alcohol hit his throat, it felt like his insides were set ablaze. A wave of scorching heat rushed straight to his head.
His body shuddered uncontrollably, and in an instant, his eyes snapped open, fully alert.
The first thing he saw was a massive grin stretching ear to ear and a flushed, drunken face looming over him.
He screamed in terror. "A MONSTER!"
"Hic—I'm no monster! I'm a mermaid."
"Don't lie to me! Wait—huh? The monster can talk?!"
"How rude! I'm your savior, you know. Couldn't you at least say thank you?"
"S-Sorry… Thank you for saving me, Monster Granny."
(End of Chapter)
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