Chapter 875 Postscript [Lin Qi]
Today, twenty years later, there are two worlds.
The world of Qinghai and the world of the White Sea ten thousand meters in the sky.
The former is made up of the vast oceans and the islands dotted along the great routes, as well as the cities that are now emerging on the red earth continent that surrounds the world.
With the "empty city" on the five Tianshan Mountains as the hub, the city network composed of various "sky islands" that have existed in the sky since ancient times has formed this real new world distributed on the White Sea - and the transportation network connecting these white cloud islands, a miraculous feat, was accomplished by the cooperation of the legendary engineer and inventor Franky and the weather queen Nami.
Together, they planned a transportation system that would accommodate most of the sky islands. Then Nami used the Haiyun technology to build a set of "highways", and Franky created the "Franky Sky Train" specifically for these complex highway systems. It is said that these Haiyun highways also added Franky memory alloys, so they have strong self-repair capabilities. This was most effectively demonstrated in a targeted attack that destroyed a highway a few years ago.
The attacker attempted suicide but failed. According to the Ranger Association's investigation, the driving force behind the sabotage was several member states of the World Government, but all the royal families of the latter firmly denied it and directly held the Dragon Snake Flower Alliance accountable. The next day, the Queen of the Flower Kingdom, as a representative of the Three Kingdoms Alliance, visited the Free International, a staunch partner of the Dragon Snake Flower Alliance for 20 years, and had a cordial meeting with the leader of the Free International, Drago...
Yes, the World Government still exists. However, as the diplomatic influence of the Dragon Snake Flower Alliance grows, the number of member states of the World Government is also decreasing. Twenty years later, the World Government has become a small, loose alliance in name only, with only a bunch of small noble kings who are reminiscing about the glorious history of the world's aristocracy twenty years ago and are enjoying themselves.
Correspondingly, the navy that once served the World Government has gradually become an unofficial civilian organization. Most of those who uphold the flag of the Navy of Justice are only some old soldiers from the old days. After all, in this era, young people who want to stand out and do justice can try to join the Ranger Association, which has a good reputation, many benefits, and a high status... Join the navy? What for? It is said that someone in the navy directly proposed to cooperate with the Ranger Association. The radicals even simply believe that the navy should be merged into the latter in this era, becoming a nominally independent but de facto subsidiary association, so as to better pass on the flag of justice. It is said that Admiral Smoker was very angry about this.
The reason why Xiaoda remembered some stories about the navy was because she was on her way to the Ranger Branch in this empty city in the South Sea. She was browsing her phone and saw some discussions about the navy. Daily insults to the navy and the world government can be said to be a cultural custom in today's era. Xiaoda's parents were pirates before they obtained the official ranger status. In the old days twenty years ago, they were hostile to the navy and the world government. She was quite interested in browsing these discussions.
Speaking of pirates, in fact, in today's "ranger era", there are also pirates, mainly divided into two types. One is that some official rangers seem to have a special feeling for the "pirate flag", so they spontaneously formed a specific small circle. Although they are rangers, they still like to call themselves pirates. When these people get together and chat, they always mention Luffy; the other is the real pirate on the sea - we have to admit that in today's era of "flooding" of rangers, those guys who dare to burn, kill, plunder and cross the sea in the traditional sense can be said to be quite hardcore. It cannot be said that they are not afraid of death, but they can only be said to be quite desperate. Their end is usually to become a fresh entry in the resume of a single-flower ranger or a double-flower ranger.
Yes, there are too many Rangers. Punishing evil and eliminating evil is a real "Ranger" behavior that is more conducive to the promotion of Rangers than completing the tasks assigned by the association. Therefore, it is not uncommon for Rangers to travel thousands of miles to kill a certain evil force without asking for any money. If you don't do it, there are many chivalrous people who will do it. These days, Rangers are also very competitive.
Thinking of the ranger's promotion, Xiaoda remembered his exam the day after tomorrow and couldn't help but quicken his pace.
Although it is difficult to become a formal ranger, more than ten years have passed and there are many single-flower rangers in the world. Therefore, the most common way to get promoted is to take an exam, which is held every year at the headquarters of the Ranger Association. If you pass the exam, you can wear a double-flower badge. As for how to become the smallest, highest-level ranger with three flowers, there are many different opinions. Every three-flower ranger in the current association is a world-famous legend: Pirate King Luffy, King of Hell Zoro, Weather Queen Nami... Flamebeard Ace, Demon God Yamato... Hawkeye Mihawk, Red-haired Shanks...
"Please show me your Ranger badge."
Hearing this, Xiaoda came back to his senses, took off the ranger badge with a lily on it from the back of his "phone", and handed it to the staff at the front desk of the branch.
At this moment, the originally noisy association hall suddenly became quiet. Even the staff member opposite Xiaoda suddenly looked towards the gate with a nervous look.
Xiaoda's observation Haki could hear the nervous swallowing sounds coming from the hall one after another. There were also people who were trying to avoid something in a panic and bumped into tables and chairs, making noises, and then were blamed by their companions in a low voice... Xiaoda looked back in confusion, and when she saw the tall and arrogant figure, her heart skipped a beat.
In the morning, the eldest sister of the Chamber of Commerce complimented her. If she could pass this test, the fourteen-year-old girl would break the record and become the youngest double flower ranger! Xiao Da did not comment on this. In fact, this so-called record-breaking seemed so insignificant in front of the deeds of this woman in front of him...
"It's Lin Qi..."
"She actually showed up here..."
"We are so lucky! We should go down now and try our luck on the 21st floor..."
"He suddenly rose like a meteor, and in just two short years, he became a ranger with three flowers gathered at the top..."
"Nonsense, don't you even look at her name? This name, this overbearing behavior--"
“Shhh!!”
The rangers in the hall tried their best to suppress their whispers, and consciously moved away when the tall, young, black-haired woman passed by with an expressionless face.
Xiao Da was also watching Lin Qi, who everyone had implicitly agreed was the daughter of the Great Sage Lin... Yes, she was most likely Lin Qi's daughter. This widely circulated rumor was basically tacitly accepted after she became a Three Flower Ranger in the second year of her debut. Lin Qi, who became a Ranger in her first year of debut, was actually very low-key. Although she was harassed a lot because of this low profile, most of them were quietly ignored; the change happened in her second year with her earth-shattering record - she spent a year to defeat all the two-flower rangers registered in the Ranger Association, and named several three-flower rangers in succession. After a duel that took place at an unknown time and place, she received the joint recognition of many three-flower rangers. After becoming a three-flower ranger with an undisputed resume, she completely stopped pretending.
She no longer kept a low profile, and her domineering style immediately reminded the whole world of one of Lin Dasheng's wives. It was also after that that people gradually discovered the stone sculptures of some of the people who had harassed her that sank to the bottom of the sea.
Her name is Lin Qi. She is domineering and has a beauty that cannot be described in words. She is also suspected of having the ability to turn people to stone...
Xiaoda was convinced that Mr. Lynch did have a daughter with the empress.
She hesitated. It was a rare occasion for her to meet the other person. Should she go and say hello?
I heard my father say before that he met this sister when he was a child, although I was still in my infancy at the time and I don’t remember it at all...
While she was thinking, Lin Qi, who treated everyone as if they were air, was carefully led into the branch by the staff. Even if we don't talk about her suspected identity as the child of Lin Qi and the Empress, she can directly show her face in any ranger association in the world with her face as a three-flower ranger. Of course, she doesn't need to show her ranger badge like Xiao Da, a single-flower ranger, to go through the process.
"Name: Zelda; Age: 14; Authority: Single Flower Ranger... I have signed up for this Double Flower Exam. Identity confirmed."
The staff at the front desk returned the badge to Xiao Da and said with a friendly smile, "So you are the famous genius ranger in the South China Sea in the past two years! Are you going to take the double flower exam at the age of fourteen? It's incredible. You have a bright future..."
"Thank you." Xiaoda took the badge back and casually stuck it on the back of the "phone". "So, when is the nearest train to Xihaikong City?"
"The exam is the day after tomorrow morning. It's a rare trip to an empty city, why don't you take a walk?" The staff member said with a smile, checking the "tablet" at hand. There was a lily badge with a slightly different color and pattern on the back. "Let me see... The nearest train is at 12:30 noon, which is more than an hour away."
"More than an hour..." Xiaoda nodded. It seemed that she could have lunch and walk around this empty city in the South China Sea. After the exam, she planned to go home and bring some souvenirs from the South China Sea for her father. However, are the things in the empty city of the South China Sea considered specialties of the South China Sea? As she was thinking this, she did not notice that the staff's expression became stiff. When she turned around, she found that someone was standing behind her, blocking her way.
Lin Qi, who appeared out of nowhere, crossed his arms, looked down at Xiao Da, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Zelda?"
Zelda noticed that almost all eyes in the hall were focused on them, which made her a little nervous. She didn't know whether it was because of the gazes of these people or the playful look of the sister in front of her. She mustered up the courage to look up, then avoided the gaze with a bit of inferiority and nodded.
"Ace's daughter?" Lin Qi said again. Her gaze lingered on the pair of horns emerging from Zelda's white hair. In fact, she had already confirmed the other party's identity. "Are you going to take the double flower exam? Let's go. We're on the same way." She raised her chin, and there was an unquestionable tone in her voice. After she finished speaking, she didn't wait for Zelda's response and turned around and walked out the door.
The crowd parted. After watching Lin Qi leave, everyone looked at Zelda.
Ace's daughter? Is that the Three Flower Ranger Ace?!
Most people who can become rangers, even if they are single-flower rangers, have mastered the Observation Haki and may have heard a little bit of the conversation between Lin Qi and Zelda just now.
Zelda didn't wait for these people to react and ran out immediately.
Lin Qi did not wait for her. There was a vast expanse of white island cloud outside the branch gate. Zelda opened her observation Haki to search and released the Fire Cloud Roger in the Weather Stick. Then she hurriedly caught up with Lin Qi who was walking towards the edge of the island cloud. In front of her, on a sea cloud highway that was not in the sky train station, a sky train with the Dragon Snake Flower Alliance flag on its front slowly stopped and opened its door just in time for Lin Qi to arrive.
Lin Qi walked straight in.
Zelda drove the Fire Cloud Roger and hesitated for a moment when she saw the sky train. It was because Lin Qi didn't seem to notice her following, which made Zelda wonder if she should follow into the train. If she got the wrong idea, it would be so embarrassing... As she was thinking about this, Lin Qi poked her head out of the door of the train that had not been closed, and glared at Zelda who was hesitating in mid-air with dissatisfaction.
Zelda stuck out her tongue, urging Roger to hurry up and quickly flew into the open door of the sky train. Soon, the train started moving and the door closed behind her.
The carriage was empty except for Lin Qi, who was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed. After flipping through two pages of a magazine placed aside, she tapped the table with her fingers. Soon, several waitresses came in with covered plates, filling up most of the table.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
"Drinking?"
Zelda was stunned for a moment before realizing that Lin Qi was asking her, and quickly said, "No..."
Lin Qi had already broken the necks of two bottles of wine with a snap of her fingers, pushed one of the bottles directly in front of her, grabbed the other bottle, tilted her head back and drank it down in one gulp.
"Why aren't you talking?" Lin Qi drank the wine in one gulp, threw the bottle into the trash can in the corner, crossed her legs, picked up a piece of steak with a fork, shook it gently, handed it to Zelda, raised her eyebrows and smiled, "You should call me sister."
She smiled faintly, as if the lilies were blooming and the ice and snow were melting, finally relaxing Zelda's slightly tense nerves. She opened her mouth and bit the steak on the fork handed to her by Lin Qi.
"Last year I challenged your parents to a duel. I heard that they named you Zelda. Really..." Lin Qi shook her head. "It's a pity that you were not there at the time, otherwise we would have known each other."
"I..." Zelda mumbled, took a bite of the steak and ate it, then asked in confusion, "Is my name weird?"
"How should I put it..." Lin Qi smiled mischievously, "I think you are very suitable to be friends with my brother."
"Sister Lin Qi's younger brother?" Zelda was very curious.
Lin Qi said: "My name is Finch. Boya Finch."
"Ah?" Zelda's eyes widened in stupidity, "Lin Qi is a pseudonym!"
"I learned it from my old man!" Lin Qi, no, Finch, didn't know what he was thinking of, and curled his lips, "Also, strictly speaking, 'Lin Qi' is not a pseudonym."
Zelda muttered, "It's easy to confuse it with your father's name..."
"Let him be a jerk, who cares?" Finch said. "As for you, I heard you registering at the chapter house just now. You're only fourteen years old. You came out to be a ranger at the age of fourteen?"
"You're only a teenager..." Zelda continued to mutter, and when she noticed Finch glancing at her, she immediately said cutely, "I also learned this from my parents! My mother said that her biggest dream when she was a child was to escape from home, and I am fulfilling her wish..." Under Finch's calm gaze, Zelda lowered her head and muttered, "I want to prove that even without their protection, I can do amazing things! I want them to look at me with new eyes..."
"Then you should replace your bloodline." Finch sneered, "Your father Ace and mother Yamato both have combined abilities, one is natural fire, and the other is a mythical beast. As their child, it would be even more difficult for you not to be powerful."
Zelda glared at Finch resentfully. Although this seemed to be the truth, this sister was being too blunt in her words.
"Where's Sister Finch?" Zelda changed the subject, "They all say that you inherited the Medusa ability from the Queen, but there are also other rumors that your ability is actually something else..."
Finch teased, "I do have other abilities. Do you want to try them?"
She reached out and lifted Zelda's chin, and a line of foam flowed out from her fingertips... Zelda shuddered all over, shocked and shy, and sat stiffly on the spot with a red face, causing Finch to laugh.
This was the first time Zelda saw Sister Finch smile like this, and for some reason, she felt happy too.
The sky train sped along the straight sea-cloud "highway" between the vast white sea and towards the West Sea, like a steel dragon soaring in the clouds.
In the carriage, Zelda and Finch were talking and laughing, and the conversation became more and more harmonious.
Suddenly, Finch took out her Three Flower Ranger badge and stuck it on the back of the unfolded "tablet". After clicking on the notification in the Ranger software and browsing through the prompts, the smile on her face gradually faded.
What happened? Zelda was curious and wanted to take a peek, but she didn't dare. She opened her "phone" and entered the Ranger software and soon understood. A new topic was quickly pushed to the top of the hottest list, and the number of views and replies soared at a visible speed... The focus of the topic was a task that was just released a few minutes ago. A task that named a specific Ranger to complete.
"Mission requirements: Obtain at least 100 ml of fresh blood from Boa Hancock, the Queen of the Nine Snakes"
"Posted by: Navy"
"Designated Ranger: Three Flower Ranger, Lin Qi"
(End of this chapter)