Inside the giant statue's cockpit, the statue had been hit by the Howling Cannon.
As the giant statue tilted backward and fell, we inside experienced another world-turning upheaval.
My body slammed into the hard wall, with the two girls using me as a cushion in front.
"Nobita, are you okay?!" Both girls said at the same time.
"I'm fine... I'm okay," I said with some difficulty, my head pressed against the fullness in front of me.
Just as the two girls realized the position was awkward...
Suddenly, intense explosion sounds assaulted us from outside!
Stone chunks were falling everywhere in the cockpit.
Princess Spiana took out her green gem necklace and prayed desperately.
"Wise King Bauwanko I, please save this nation!"
Suddenly, the green gem necklace shot out a green beam, directing it toward the Giant Heart, which was about to stop spinning.
Upon contact with the green beam, the Giant Heart shone brilliantly and began rotating again.
Outside, the giant statue's eyes lit up once more.
The giant statue suddenly rose from the ground and grabbed a bomb-dropping airship, crushing it in one squeeze.
"Yeah! Awesome!" Inside the cockpit, Gian and Suneo, covered in dust and debris, jumped up cheering.
They had some gravel on their heads, but it couldn't hide their excitement.
…
"What? It can still move after that?"
"Quick, turn the ships around!" Professer Kos's expression darkened.
But seeing that the giant statue still couldn't attack the skyborne ships, he gradually relaxed.
The giant statue stared helplessly at the airships zipping around like a pack of wolves, eyeing their prey.
After all, it had no ranged attack capabilities.
"If it survived one shot, can it handle a second?"
"Nothing can withstand intense firepower. If it does, just fire another!" Professer Kos firmly believed this.
"Men, prepare the Howling Cannon again!" Professer Kos ordered once more.
"Yes, sir!" The orderly received the command and headed to the control room.
With the soldiers' operations in the control room, the Howling Cannon in the flagship's dog-head mouth began emitting blue light rings again.
It started charging up once more.
As the blue light rings at the cannon's muzzle reached maximum...
Professer Kos looked at the helplessly raging giant statue ahead and smirked evilly.
"Fire!"
With Professer Kos's command, the deadly blue beam shot toward the giant statue again.
The giant statue was caught off guard, but this time, prepared, it crossed its massive arms in front to shield itself.
The huge blue beam hit the statue's arms in an instant.
…
"Giant statue, hang in there!" Princess Spiana prayed with hands clasped.
Everyone else was cheering for the giant statue too!
But some things just don't go as wished.
The giant statue managed to endure until the blue beam was exhausted, but the moment it vanished...
The statue's right arm, on the outer side of the cross, broke off and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
The light in the giant statue's eyes faded, and inside the cockpit, the Giant Heart slowly stopped rotating.
"How could this happen?"
"The giant statue is the great legacy of King Bauwanko I—how could it be damaged?" Princess Spiana's face went pale in disbelief.
Doraemon went forward to check with concern, then relaxed a bit, but soon looked worried again, as if thinking of something.
"Everyone, I have good news and bad news!" Doraemon said worriedly.
"Don't beat around the bush at a time like this!" Gian snapped impatiently.
"Alright! The good news is the giant statue isn't broken—it's just out of energy! But the bad news is, recharging it will take a long time."
"And during that process, we'll probably be attacked by Daburanda's forces!"
Doraemon laid it out plainly.
…
"Hahaha! I knew it—nothing can withstand enough firepower! Not even from King Bauwanko I!" Outside, Professer Kos laughed unrestrainedly.
"Excellent, destroy them just like this, Professer Kos!" Daburanda laughed in satisfaction.
"Let's finish them off in one go!"
"Under my leadership, this nation will expand its borders and return to glory!"
"King Bauwanko I, I'll prove to you that it's not only those with Bauwanko blood who can rule this nation."
"I can do it too!"
At that moment, Daburanda exuded an aura of world-dominating dominance, a charisma that made Professer Kos and the others even more convinced their loyalty was right.
Only Lord Daburanda can lead our nation to a new future.
The current Bauwanko royal family is corrupt—they're weak and incompetent, only indulging in pleasures.
Do they care about the kingdom's common people at the bottom? Without waging wars, how can we support the growing population?
Besides, why should we, with our glorious history, be confined to this small basin?
While those humans outside occupy vast lands, especially those still in tribal forms?
Why adhere to a prophecy from hundreds of years ago and do nothing? Just because of one prophecy, must the kingdom remain in its current state?
That's just an excuse for the Bauwanko royals' weakness!
A blazing fire seemed to ignite in the hearts of Professer Kos and his followers.
…
Inside the giant statue at that time, Doraemon suggested, "Everyone, maybe we should leave first! If Daburanda attacks again, I'm afraid the giant statue won't hold up!"
"Yeah! Yeah! Let's go!" Suneo agreed, his legs shaking a bit, no longer the spirited cheerleader from before.
"Suneo, are you trying to run away?" Gian grabbed Suneo in a tight squeeze.
"N-No... it's not running away... we're just retreating strategically to find another opportunity!" Suneo gasped, struggling for breath in Gian's hold.
While Suneo and Gian were messing around as usual...
Princess Spiana spoke up. "Please, all of you go first!"
"How can we do that?" Shizuka couldn't help but say.
"But I can't drag you foreigners into this any further! You've already done so much for us!" Princess Spiana said sadly.
"Then why not come with us? We can all live together in the human world!" Shizuka grabbed Princess Spiana's hand, trying to persuade her.
"But as the kingdom's princess, how can I abandon my people? That's the duty I must bear as a princess. It's the price for the privileges I've enjoyed, isn't it?" Princess Spiana countered, leaving Shizuka speechless.
"Since the kingdom's prince has already paid his price, it's time for me, as the princess, to do the same!"
Shizuka was about to say something, but Princess Spiana interrupted her.
"Enough, no more—please hurry and leave!"
Then she turned to me and said,
"Nobita! Protect them and get them out safely, just like you saved me before!"
Princess Spiana's eyes were filled with reluctance and sorrow!