Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 41
Karlos was whistling as he drove the boat against the waves. The engine's roar drowned his whistle almost completely, the vibration rattling the wood beneath his feet.
Today, he was happy about what he caught. His styrofoam box was filled with lively crabs that kept snapping their claws, and his smaller container was filled with tiger prawns, some still jumping.
And now, before going to the fish port, Karlos headed to a fishing spot where he usually fished. The place had deeper water with shades of deep blue, so he knew that his line wouldn't get tangled or snap against corals and reefs, unlike in shallower areas.
He stopped the engine and continued whistling as he set up his bait. He had taken a few sand fleas from the beach to use as bait. The small creatures wriggled in his hand. He carefully hooked one before throwing the line as far as possible in a clean arc.
This was his daily routine. After collecting crabs and prawns, Karlos fished in this spot to catch big fish. He mostly caught species like trevally and mackerel, dependable for income. But sometimes, he got lucky and hooked bigger fish such as Yellowfin Tuna.
Well, to be precise, he had only caught a Yellowfin once before, and it was incredibly big and strong.
Karlos whistled and waited for the fish to take the bait. Sure enough…
The fishing rod started twitching, and Karlos felt the pull, a familiar rush of excitement each time he had a good catch. He adjusted his position and calmly reeled in with practiced rhythm, letting the drag tire out the fish instead of forcing it too soon. Based on its strength, this one was probably around 10 kilograms, not too light, not too heavy, but enough to fetch a decent price.
A few minutes later, Karlos saw the fish and recognized it immediately. It was a Dorado. It had three common names: Dorado, Mahi-Mahi, or Dolphinfish. Its most obvious characteristic was its large forehead and shimmering golden-green scales.
"Sweet. This fish is expensive."
Karlos placed the fish in the bucket without water and cut its gills to bleed it. This was the best way to maintain the quality of an expensive fish like Mahi-Mahi.
Once he was done, he hooked another sand flea and threw it into the water with the same steady hand. Just a few seconds later, another fish had already taken the bait. Karlos didn't even have time to stretch or sip water from his plastic bottle as he grabbed the fishing rod again.
This time, he caught a beautiful red snapper. As its name suggested, it had a reddish-pink color that gleamed brilliantly under the morning sun, along with sharp teeth. Another delicious and expensive fish, weighing around 8 kilograms, a prize that made Karlos grin with satisfaction.
He was about to set another bait when his eyes caught something in the distance. The reflection of the sun made it difficult to see clearly as the water sparkled, but as the shape drew closer, Karlos recognized a fin.
"Is that a shark? And it's moving fast!"
Karlos braced himself as he realized the shark was coming directly toward him. He gripped the side of his boat tightly until his knuckles turned white.
"It's attacking a big fish!"
The shark was following a large fish, possibly to eat it. Both predator and prey were charging in his direction like a deadly chase scene unfolding across the waves.
Suddenly, a huge fish leapt straight into his boat! It was massive, bigger than Karlos himself. Its sheer weight made the hull thud loudly under the impact.
The boat shook violently as the fish thrashed, seawater splashing everywhere. Karlos felt as if the boat might capsize if he didn't act fast. He grabbed the paddle next to him and smashed the fish's head with every ounce of strength he had. The echo of wood hitting bone cracked sharply. The paddle splintered into pieces across the floor, but Karlos struck again, desperate to stop the thrashing. If he didn't, the boat could capsize, leaving him in the water where the shark was circling.
It took three solid blows before the fish finally went still.
Breathing hard, Karlos finally had time to assess his situation. He looked over the edge of the boat and froze. A massive great white shark was circling, its dorsal fin cutting through the water like a blade. Its enormous body was a reminder that he was facing one of the ocean's greatest predators.
The shark seemed frustrated that its prey had leapt into Karlos's boat instead of becoming its meal. Its slow, angry circles gave the impression of a predator refusing to surrender its claim.
If the boat tilted or capsized because of the fish's weight, Karlos knew he had little chance of survival. The shark could easily make him its next meal, or worse, he might drown in the open sea. There was no island nearby, only endless blue in every direction.
Karlos gripped the steering handle and nervously started the engine. The great white's fin followed close behind. Karlos' body moved on instinct as his heartbeat thundered in his chest, desperately searching for a way to escape.
He pushed the engine harder, hoping the shark wouldn't ram the boat out of spite.
Thankfully, another boat appeared on the horizon. Relief washed over Karlos at the sight. Even if others couldn't do much against a shark, their presence alone gave him courage.
"Hey Karlos! What the heck have you caught!?"
"That's a huge fish!"
"Dear Goddess, is that what I think it is?"
The fishermen on the other boat shouted in shock as they saw the enormous fish lying in Karlos's boat.
"This? This is a…"
Karlos froze. Now that he had the chance to actually examine the fish, he realized what it was. His eyes widened. It wasn't just a big fish, it was a Bluefin Tuna. The legendary catch every fisherman dreamed of.
A freaking Bluefin Tuna! The most expensive tuna in the world. No wonder the other fishermen were stunned.
"Bluefin Tuna!"
"How did you catch that!?"
"This fish… it was being chased by a great white shark, huh?"
Karlos looked around, but the shark was nowhere to be seen.
"Karlos, you're really lucky! That fish is worth a fortune!" they shouted.
"Did you guys see a shark following me? I swear it was right behind me…" Karlos asked.
"Shark? No, we didn't see any."
"We were watching your boat from a distance, and we didn't see any fin or shark at all."
"Huh?"
Karlos frowned in confusion. He was certain he had seen a great white shark. The image of its massive fin slicing through the waves was still vivid in his mind, far too real to be a mere hallucination.
Was he imagining it?
"You should bring that fish back to the port as soon as possible. You don't want it to spoil."
"Have you bled it yet?"
"Ah, right. Thanks for reminding me."
Deciding to forget about the shark for now, Karlos stood and began bleeding the huge Bluefin Tuna. His hands trembled, not from fear this time, but from overwhelming excitement.
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