Leaked documents have revealed the true purpose of the newly unveiled tunnel between Mudwick Isle and Rigatonia: a plot to sink Rigatonia into the depths of the Blurgarian Ocean.
The documents were obtained by a shadowy source known only as "Deepthroat," who may or may not be a disgruntled mole with a taste for fermented cheese. They lay out the Goblin Council of Elders' original plan to undermine the breakaway nation's foundations, crumble it into the sea and end the Reformed Pastafarian threat for good.
The scheme, codenamed Operation Sinkhole Surprise, had goblin engineers secretly excavating a vast cavern under Rigatonia, to be collapsed at a strategically opportune moment.
As the tunnel neared the island's center, the engineers ran into an obstacle: sinking an entire landmass is a lot of work. Faced with relocating millions of tons of rock and soil, they abandoned the plan and rebranded the tunnel as a gesture of goodwill.
"It was simply too much work," said one engineer on the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being made to clean Grungle's bathtub for eternity. "Sinking an island seemed a bit extreme, even for us. A tunnel is a less messy, and less illegal, way to deal with the Rigatonia problem."
The Reformed Pastafarians and the international community have condemned the plot. Rigatonia's leaders accuse the Council of attempting to drown a sovereign nation, and have demanded reparations for the emotional distress of nearly becoming a reef.
The Council has issued a public apology and promised compensation for any damages. The apology was delivered through the tunnel.
