Ren walked to Rocks's side and pointed at the shimmering sea surface. "Sail about thirty nautical miles southeast. That's where a swift warm current converges. There's a type of fish there called the Azurefin Tuna."
"Because it constantly chases the warm current, its meat is firm and rich in fat. The belly portion, in particular, is known as the 'marbled wagyu of the sea' and is the perfect ingredient for top-tier sashimi." Ren paused, then added, "However, it swims incredibly fast, comparable to a cannonball, and it's enormous. Ordinary fishing boats can't possibly catch it."
"As fast as a cannonball?" Gatz licked his lips in excitement, hoisting his anchor onto his shoulder. "Sounds challenging! I like it! Captain, give the order!"
Rocks laughed loudly. "Hahahaha! Good! That's our target! Dolum, change course! Silver, to the crow's nest! Gatz, get your harpoon ready! Today, we're hunting a cannonball to give our Head Chef something to work with!"
"OOOH!" The crew roared in unison, their morale soaring.
Under Dolum's command, the battered pirate ship clumsily changed direction, heading full-speed toward the southeast. Like a nimble monkey, Silver scrambled up to the crow's nest at the top of the mast, raised a spyglass, and scanned the sea with his sharp gaze.
About an hour later, Silver's calm, clear voice came from above. "Three o'clock! Abnormal activity on the sea surface! Signs of a large creature!"
Everyone's spirits lifted.
As the ship drew closer, they could see the water current in that area was noticeably faster. Beneath the surface, a massive dark blue shadow was darting about, kicking up white waves. Its dorsal fin was a magnificent azure color, shimmering like metal in the sunlight. It was the Azurefin Tuna!
"Whoa! That thing's huge!" Gatz exclaimed, more thrilled than scared at the sight of the creature, which was at least ten meters long. He stood at the bow, muscles tensed, ready to throw.
"Now!" Silver's voice rang out again.
With a roar, Gatz hurled the massive harpoon, tied with a thick rope, with all his might. The harpoon tore through the air like a black bolt of lightning, aimed straight at the shadow below.
However, the Azurefin Tuna's reaction speed was astonishing. Just as the harpoon was about to hit, its massive tail fin whipped, and its entire body shifted several meters sideways at an impossible angle, narrowly dodging the attack. The harpoon plunged into the sea with a loud splash, sending up a huge spray of water.
"Dammit! It's too fast!" Gatz slammed his fist on the ship's rail in frustration.
The Azurefin Tuna seemed to have been angered. It stopped fleeing and instead turned, charging straight for the pirate ship. Its massive body cut a white line through the water, creating a bow wave with its incredible speed.
"Look out! It's going to ram us!" Dolum's face paled as he gripped the helm tightly. "This old ship can't take a hit like that!"
Just as the mountain-like fish head was about to collide with the hull, Rocks moved forward instead of back. He dashed to the bow, a wild grin on his face.
"Bring it on!"
He used no weapon, nor did he take any particular stance. He simply threw a right punch at the churning sea before him.
VWOOM—
An invisible, visible shockwave erupted from Rocks's fist, spreading forward rapidly. The sea in front of them seemed to be slapped by a giant, unseen hand, instantly blasting apart to the sides and forming a temporary cavity.
The charging Azurefin Tuna slammed headfirst into this shockwave-affected area. Its massive body shuddered violently as if it had hit an invisible wall. Its speed dropped drastically, and the immense inertia sent it tumbling in the water, exposing its white belly. It had been knocked unconscious.
One punch.
With the power of a single punch, he had stunned a giant sea beast as fast as a cannonball, right through the water.
Gatz, Silver, and Dolum were all stunned. They knew their captain was strong, but they never imagined he was this strong.
Rocks pulled back his fist and shook his hand as if he had just done something trivial. He yelled at the dumbfounded Gatz, "What are you staring at? Haul it up!"
"Huh? Oh! Right!" Gatz snapped out of his daze. He and Dolum worked together, using all their strength and a system of ropes to drag the massive, unconscious creature onto the deck.
The giant Azurefin Tuna took up nearly half the deck space. Its scales glittered in the sun, radiating a sense of powerful vitality. The crew cheered their successful hunt, awestruck by Rocks's power.
Only Ren walked over and crouched beside the massive fish. He wasn't looking at Rocks; all his attention was captivated by this perfect ingredient. He reached out a small hand and gently stroked the fish's smooth skin, feeling the firmness and elasticity of the muscle beneath. Then he looked up at Rocks, who was watching him, his eyes shining with a light of satisfaction.
"This belly meat... is not bad."
Seeing Ren's professional inspection, Rocks couldn't help but burst out laughing. He knew his promise had ignited a creative fire in his little Head Chef.
An unprecedented feast at sea was about to begin, with the entire crew waiting in anticipation.
On the deck, Ren stood beside the giant Azurefin Tuna, looking exceptionally small. But the aura he radiated made everyone hold their breath.
Ren unwrapped the thick cloth from his kitchen knife, revealing a long, narrow blade that glinted coldly. It was not a famous sword, just one forged from the finest steel, personally sharpened and maintained day and night by Ren—his partner.
"Gatz, hoist it up, head down," Ren gave his first command.
"You got it!" Gatz immediately sprang into action. With Dolum's help, they used pulleys and ropes to slowly lift the multi-ton behemoth.
Ren walked to the fish's tail, took a deep breath, and his long knife moved. There were no flashy moves, only speed, precision, and stability. With a flash of the blade, the massive tail fin was cleanly sliced off. Next, Ren made a single, fluid cut along the fish's spine without any hesitation. With a soft shiiing, the thick skin and the layer of fat beneath were peeled away in one complete piece, revealing the pink, beautifully textured flesh underneath.
Every one of Ren's movements was executed with extreme precision, as if he were not dissecting a fish but creating a delicate work of art. The crew watched, mesmerized. They had never imagined that preparing an ingredient could be such a spectacle.
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