"This is absolutely unacceptable!" Arthur shouted loudly.
Still young and impetuous, he possessed a very simple and strong sense of justice.
So, as soon as he heard that Orm was actually plotting a completely unnecessary war, he immediately said,
"We must stop him!"
"Well said!" Dane applauded him.
Then he said, "There's only one way to stop him from starting a war, Arthur. You must become the new King of Atlantis!"
"Ah, this?" Arthur's momentum instantly deflated.
He said, rather unconfidently, "Can I do it? Will Atlantis accept a half-blood as King?"
Vulko, seeing that what he had tried to persuade Arthur to do for so long had now been swayed by Dane's few words, quickly struck while the iron was hot:
"It's alright, Arthur. After all, you have royal blood just like Orm. As long as you return to Atlantis, they will naturally accept you over time."
"Moreover, you are Queen Atlanna's eldest son. Legally speaking, you should be the King. Orm's throne has actually always been controversial…"
Dane couldn't help but think at this point, perhaps this was why Orm had to start a war to prove himself. The prestige of a great victory would naturally be enough to suppress all domestic discontent.
Avenging his parents was just an image deliberately created to add a bit of persuasiveness to his motive for starting the war… Or perhaps it shouldn't be put that way. Maybe only Orm himself knew how much genuine affection he had for his mother, Atlanna.
At this moment, Vulko was still cheering Arthur on.
Dane understood Arthur's concerns. He wasn't a very studious person, so his knowledge wasn't extensive.
He worried that even if he was legally qualified to inherit the throne, he wouldn't be able to lead the people to a better life.
What a simple child, completely unlike how he would be a few years later, looking jaded and indifferent to everyone.
Seeing that Arthur was again showing signs of backing down, Vulko gritted his teeth and provoked him:
"Arthur, you must defeat Orm and become the new King! Do you want the people of two Worlds to meet again after a thousand years, only to face each other in battle?"
"No, Vulko, but I can't just go up to Orm and tell him to give me the throne, can I?"
It was then that Vulko finally revealed his true plan:
"Of course not. I have already planned it. As long as you can obtain the legendary Neptune's trident, whether you are pure-blooded or not, you will naturally become the ruler of Atlantis."
Neptune's trident, the weapon passed down through generations of Atlantean Kings… Although that was the case, it had actually disappeared with the first King after he vanished.
Later Kings could only forge a silver five-pronged trident as the King's weapon, which was the one Atlanna held.
However, this weapon was not a divine artifact and did not possess the power to summon wind and rain; it was merely a highly technological energy conversion weapon.
And ever since the Atlantean Empire split, the King of each kingdom could forge their own King's weapon.
This was also the reason why the Kingdom of Atlantis had been unable to unify the seven kingdoms for nearly a thousand years. With Neptune's trident now lost, they lacked a crucial heirloom.
Orm also had a silver trident, even more technologically advanced than Atlanna's five-pronged trident. In the battle for the throne between the two brothers, it directly broke the five-pronged trident, instantly making Aquaman emo.
But Neptune's trident was different; it was a true divine artifact, containing divine power and authority.
It possessed the power to control the sea, capable of stirring up storms, creating tsunamis, causing tides, and releasing magic lightning.
In one version, the lightning it released could even break Shazam's transformation, showing that it was a power of the same origin as Shazam's thunder.
However, the Undersea people's technology has advanced to the point where they can replicate some of Neptune's trident's power through magic technology.
For example, tsunamis: Atlanteans can create a large tsunami using certain technological equipment, though it's slightly more troublesome than Neptune's trident, which only requires a wave to control the sea… — Talk of the devil.
Just as Arthur was intently listening to Vulko explain his plan, Cortana suddenly reported to Dane.
"Dane, there's an anomalous energy signal offshore of Amnesty Bay, Maine."
"Open satellite monitoring, analyze the cause!" Dane immediately stood up and went to the screen.
The screen projected the sea surface temperature difference and air flow direction, which had very large differences from naturally formed ones, meaning it was very likely man-made.
"What's wrong?" The illiterate Arthur couldn't understand at all.
Vulko didn't understand Surface technology and couldn't comprehend it either, but he remained quiet, knowing Shazam would explain.
Indeed, Dane immediately turned to them and said,
"The energy flow and vector analysis on this show that a huge wave is about to form in this area, surging towards Amnesty Bay, and it will eventually become a giant tsunami."
He emphasized, "Very big!"
Vulko instantly understood what it was; this was Atlantean technology.
But Arthur's ears only heard "tsunami" and "Amnesty Bay," and then a person appeared in his mind. He roared, "Father!"
Arthur's father, Thomas Curry, still lived in the lighthouse in Amnesty Bay.
"It has already begun!"
On the screen, a massive wave formed on the sea surface, then rushed towards the shore at an incredibly fast speed. All objects in its path were swept up by this giant wave, pushed forward together.
There was no time to notify them for emergency evacuation!
Dane immediately said, "We're going there now!"
Arthur followed without hesitation. Vulko was somewhat hesitant; such a wave was impossible to stop, and he didn't want Arthur to be in danger.
But to ask him not to care about Arthur's biological father, he couldn't bring himself to say such a thing.
After this brief delay, by the time Vulko thought of going along, he found that the two people had already disappeared.
He was stunned. No, didn't you feel like someone was missing?
But Dane and Arthur could no longer hear; they had already arrived at Amnesty Bay, following the magic flash. A towering wall of waves could already be seen approaching from where the sea met the sky.
"Arthur, while there's still some time, hurry and find your father, take him out of here."
"What about you?"
Dane looked at the horizon where the sea met the sky: "I want to try if I can stop it."
In Arthur's eyes, Dane at this moment seemed to be covered in a sacred glow, so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at him; he almost wanted to stay.
But Thomas's face reappeared in his mind; he had to save him.
So he could only solemnly say to Dane, "You are a true hero. If we both survive this tsunami, I am willing to be your vanguard!"
"You exaggerate." Dane smiled at him: "In the Justice League, everyone is brothers and sisters; there are no superiors or subordinates."
But Arthur stubbornly said, "You have my promise!"
With that, he walked away without looking back, heading straight for the lighthouse.
Dane refocused his attention on the wave before him.
"Alright, now how do I deal with you?"
He didn't have Poseidon's authority, so he couldn't directly calm the waves. The power of the lantern ring could materialize a huge wall to block the waves, but the diverted waves would impact other coastlines.
Was there a straightforward solution?
Dane thought for a moment and decided that magic was more effective. He also knew Water control magic, and while it wasn't as effortless as authority, the effect was still good.
Plus, he wasn't short on mana now, so it was a good opportunity to test if the dream stone was truly an infinite energy source, as Morpheus had said.
So he flew to the shore, watching the wave rush towards him.
He spread his arms as if embracing it.
And many people in Amnesty Bay noticed him.
"Look! What is that!"
Someone raised their phone and zoomed in on the screen.
"It's Shazam! Oh my God! It's Shazam!"
The people below cheered, but a few minutes later, someone finally noticed something was wrong.
Heroes often come to solve disasters, so why did Shazam come?
Soon they knew. The coastline suddenly dropped sharply, and the seawater was gathered far away.
Everyone on the shore could see a tall wall of waves approaching Amnesty Bay.
"Oh God…"
They were stunned by the sight before them. Some held up their phones, filming the scene and simultaneously opening a live stream.
Ever since that guy called "Rich N" went viral, there have always been people wanting to replicate his success. Many young people, unafraid of death, are now staying in Amnesty Bay and live-streaming.
Of course, perhaps the deeper reason is their firm belief.
"Shazam will protect us!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"