From the magic circle stepped out a black robot, about one meter sixty tall. In its hand was a toothbrush the size of a toilet brush, scrubbing diligently at its sharp teeth.
"The life of an actor is in their face. The life of a shark is in its teeth. I am B-series Robot No. 9, Shark Chili. Nice to meet you all."
Name: Shark Chili
Alias: Shark Monster
Origin: From the world of "Iron Armor Little Treasure." Created by Dr. Takayuanji, he is the B-series Robot No. 9, the one with the longest transformation time and the greatest destructive power.
(TL/N: It's a children's toy. I did not expect this at all xD)
Because he learned too much of humanity's darker side, Dr. Takayuanji carved an X-shaped scar across his face and sealed him away. Later, Kabuto used the power of the Peace Star to erase Shark Chili's scar, befriended him, and inspired him to change. In the end, he joined forces with the other B-series robots to defeat the Peace Star Guardians who sought to destroy the earth.
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng temporarily stopped their training and came over to see the new companion, while Tom slipped away to hide in secret.
Zhang Da Ye glanced at Shark Chili's head. Sure enough, there was no longer the X-shaped scar. A reformed Shark Chili should be easy to get along with, right?
"Hello, Shark Chili, I'm—Tom, stop it!"
But Zhang Da Ye was a step too late. Tom had already sunk his teeth into Shark Chili's metallic shark tail fin.
"Ouch!" Shark Chili didn't expect such a sudden ambush. His tail swung violently, trying to shake off the attacker.
In truth, he didn't even need to. Tom was already clutching his jaw, pitifully in pain, his teeth scattered all over the floor. Shark Chili's tail, after all, was solid metal, impossibly hard.
Zhang Da Ye quickly scooped Tom up. "Sorry! Tom probably mistook you for a real fish. Sorry, sorry. Is your tail okay?"
Shark Chili twisted his tail forward to check. On the fin were neat rows of bite marks. "This kind of damage is nothing, it'll repair quickly. But… what kind of cat is this? Incredible! More importantly, what about its teeth?"
"As long as you're fine. Tom is… uh, Tom, what kind of cat are you exactly?" Zhang Da Ye suddenly realized he didn't know either.
Tom just shook his head, still covering his mouth. A cat is a cat, who cares about breed.
"Well, anyway, Tom's a very special cat. As for his teeth…" Zhang Da Ye gathered up the fragments and shoved them back into Tom's mouth. "There. That should do it, right?"
Tom blinked, moved his mouth a few times, then opened wide to reveal two perfectly neat rows of small, white teeth.
Shark Chili was thrilled. His stubby fins grabbed Tom's paws. "As I thought! A miraculous cat! Please, you must teach me how to care for my teeth!"
Technically, Shark Chili's "hands" were more like a shark's pectoral fins with an added thumb, looking a bit like winter mittens where the four fingers weren't separated.
His greatest concern was always protecting his teeth, so Tom's miraculous recovery ability made him jealous.
Zhang Da Ye wanted to explain it was an ability you couldn't just learn, but for now introductions were more important. "Let's sit inside and talk."
They gathered around the little round table. It was worth noting that Shark Chili's legs, before transformation, didn't even have knees. He always walked with short, shuffling steps. How he managed to sit down was anyone's guess.
"I'm Zhang Da Ye, the owner of this little tavern."
"Artoria, tavern guard and part-time swordsmanship teacher."
"I'm Rui Meng Meng, tavern waitress. I'm learning cooking from Tom, and swordsmanship too."
After the three introduced themselves, Tom hopped onto the table, patted his chest, then gave Zhang Da Ye a look, asking him to introduce on his behalf.
"This is Tom, my pet. Right now he's our private chef, and sometimes plays the piano. He's got a lot of skills—you'll see in time."
"Got it," Shark Chili nodded. "I'm Shark Chili. Before I came here, I was about to ask Tenerina out on a date. That's when I received a program."
"A program?" Zhang Da Ye was surprised. For Tom and Artoria it was a contract, for Rui Meng Meng it was a pact, and now with the robot it became a program. Somehow, that did make sense.
Shark Chili lifted his fin. "Yes. The program said if I installed it, I could travel to another world. My goal here is to undergo enough training and experiences to become strong and excellent, then return to pursue Tenerina."
Tenerina was B-series Robot No. 10, the only female-like robot of the ten. Shark Chili liked her very much.
But Zhang Da Ye remembered: wasn't Shark Chili already the strongest fighter among the B-series robots? Even without transforming, he could chase down a train possessed by the Peace Star and stop it with one hand.
The reason he often lost to Kabuto was partly because Kabuto had too many upgrades, but mostly due to sheer bad luck. Whenever he was about to win, some mishap would happen—that infamous "protagonist's halo."
And besides, he was also a corporate executive, by far the most successful in his career among robots, often receiving gifts and love letters from women. He was mature, popular, and powerful—wasn't that already excellent enough?
Thinking of this, Zhang Da Ye asked, "Aren't you already really strong?"
Shark Chili shook his head. "Not strong enough. Against the Peace Star Guardians, even though we won, it was too close, too lucky. That means I wasn't strong enough! Same with losing to Kabuto. True strength is about crushing victory, not losing to luck!"
"…Uh, okay." Compared to Shark Chili's burning determination, Zhang Da Ye felt he had been a salted fish before his own transmigration. At least now he had goals and was working out daily, building the tavern.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"As a B-series robot, the way for me to grow stronger is through training and battles. Or, through mechanical modification. But I'm very satisfied with the body Dr. Takayuanji gave me, so I won't consider modifying it lightly."
B-series robots could indeed grow stronger through training. Kabuto, once beaten soundly by Shark Chili, later managed to defeat him after rigorous training. Of course, being a protagonist helped, but it still proved their growth potential.
"As for becoming more excellent, I believe my appearance is already perfect. What I need is more experience and knowledge to make myself more charming." Shark Chili was very confident in his looks, which explained why he'd been so upset when the doctor carved that scar on him.
Zhang Da Ye suddenly realized—even robots knew better than him how to become more appealing.
"In any case, I'll start by getting used to this world. I'll pay for my food and lodging through my work. From now on, please take care of me!"
A/N: Personally, I think Shark Chili looked even cooler with the scar…
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