"Golden Lobsterfish."
"Ron, your luck is incredible."
"I can't believe you actually managed to catch a Golden Lobsterfish under these conditions."
A look of envy flashed through Menchi's eyes.
"It's that rare?" Koshiro's interest was immediately piqued.
"The Golden Lobsterfish is completely golden in color. What makes it special is that it appears to be a fish on the outside, but its flavor is that of lobster, which is why it's named the Golden Lobsterfish—extremely delicious."
Menchi added, "Ron, you used that site I sent you last time, right?"
Ron nodded.
"In our Gourmet Hunter circles, every ingredient is assigned a capture level. For example, the Love Sardine has a capture level of three."
"But the Golden Lobsterfish is rated at level eight."
"It's quite rare. Even in a whole year, only a handful of fishermen manage to catch one from the sea."
"It all depends on luck."
Koshiro's expression suddenly turned serious.
"Mr. Ron, may I have the honor of preparing this Golden Lobsterfish?"
"Of course," Ron replied without hesitation.
He wasn't a chef himself. Preparing such a rare ingredient personally would be a waste. In Gourmet Paradise, there were both Gourmet Hunters and chefs, and the line between the two wasn't absolute. Some individuals were both—like Menchi and Buhara. However, they did lean more heavily toward the hunter side. Koshiro, on the other hand, leaned clearly toward the chef role.
Whether he handed the fish to Menchi, Buhara, or Koshiro, it made no difference to Ron. All three were traveling together, and if Menchi or Buhara had other thoughts, they would naturally work it out among themselves.
"Thank you." Koshiro's eyes lit up with genuine gratitude.
For a chef, being allowed to work with a rare ingredient was a true delight—especially something as hard to come by as this. Normally, he wouldn't even get the chance to see it, let alone cook it.
"I'll start right away." Koshiro retrieved his cooking tools from the cabin.
"Golden Lobsterfish is perfect for sashimi, and luckily I brought the right condiments for it this time."
"I'll make half into sashimi, and lightly sear the other half."
"As for the bones and head, I'll prepare a soup."
Ron waved his hand casually. "It's up to you. I'm just here to enjoy the meal."
The small boat continued drifting across the sea. They were already far from Gourmet Paradise—only a distant glow could be seen. The waves rolled continuously, but everyone aboard remained steady, especially Koshiro, who prepared the dishes while adjusting to the boat's gentle swaying.
Gradually, a fragrant aroma began to spread.
Koshiro brought a plate to the makeshift table.
"The sashimi is ready."
Ron was the first to approach. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a slice of fish, dipped it into a wasabi-based sauce, and placed it into his mouth.
A powerful burst of umami exploded across his palate.
"It really is delicious."
Sashimi is less affected by cooking skill compared to other dishes, which meant the ingredient itself was the deciding factor. The fish melted in his stomach and spread like a warm current throughout his body. Ron could almost feel his "gourmet cells" rejoicing.
The second piece still had strong effects. The third, a bit less so. By the fourth, it had almost no effect.
Ron turned to the others.
"Come try it, it's excellent."
Only then did Misty and the others step forward, each taking a small taste. The Golden Lobsterfish wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't large either—just enough for everyone aboard to sample it. As for filling their stomachs, besides Ron, Sally had also been fishing and caught plenty of ordinary fish. They weren't rare ingredients, but still perfectly edible.
Soon, Koshiro served the second dish.
"Here you go. Please enjoy."
Ron again took the first taste. The third dish was soup made from the fish head and Cuttlebone.
One sip of hot broth brought warmth to his whole body. Even with the sea breeze blowing, it didn't feel cold at all—it was just right.
"Thanks to Ron's luck today, we got a level-eight ingredient. That's not something you encounter every day," Menchi said with a smile.
Buhara patted his stomach. "As expected from the Golden Lobsterfish—it's truly excellent."
Koshiro looked at Ron again and thanked him. "Mr. Ron, thank you for letting me cook it."
"You're too polite, Mr. Koshiro. I should be thanking you for the dishes. If I had cooked it myself, the flavor wouldn't have come close, and the ingredient would've gone to waste."
Just then—
"Big brother, what's that?" Misty pointed toward the sea.
Ron followed Misty's gaze and saw a figure floating on the surface of the water, surrounded by traces of blood. Beneath the waves, something seemed to be tearing at the person.
"It's a person!"
Everyone turned to look.
Buhara stood up. The boat swayed slightly. He raised his palm and slapped his stomach hard.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A series of deep, resonating sounds rang out in the direction of the floating body. The fish beneath the surface were immediately scattered and fled.
Ron picked up his fishing rod, flicked his wrist, and cast out the hook.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound cut through the air. The hook caught onto the person's clothing, and with a motion from Ron, the body was pulled toward the boat.
Koshiro leapt up lightly and caught the person as they drew near.
"This is bad," Menchi said, her expression grim. "The injuries are severe. Without immediate treatment, he's dead for sure. But with our current supplies, the only option is amputation. The lower half has been mauled too badly."
"He's also been poisoned."
"We have to extract the poisoned blood first."
Ron gave Shizuku a look. "Shizuku, you handle it."
"Yes."
With a thought—
"Blinky."
The Nen beast appeared and produced a suction force at the wound, drawing out dark, discolored blood from the injured man's body. It wasn't until the blood returned to normal that Shizuku stopped.
Menchi took out a cleaver and moved cleanly.
Crack!
The injured man screamed briefly in pain, then passed out again. Koshiro opened the ship's first-aid kit and began staunching the bleeding.
Suddenly—
Clink!
A silver coin fell from the man's clothing.
It rolled across the deck—identical to the cursed silver coin in Menchi's hand.