With Artoria keeping watch, Zhang Da Ye could finally relax. He spread himself across the bed in a starfish sprawl, bouncing the mattress twice and startling Tom awake.
The cat shot straight up, claws hooking into the ceiling, before dropping back down once he realized it was only Zhang Da Ye.
Zhang Da Ye caught him in one arm, intending to tell Tom not to cause trouble today. But in the end, he kept quiet.
Knowing Tom's nature, a warning might backfire—better to just hold him close and sleep.
By morning, daylight was pouring in. Tom had already slept enough and wriggled to escape from Zhang Da Ye's arm, but failed. All he managed to do was mess up the bedsheets into a crumpled heap.
Frustrated, Tom lay sprawled on his belly, chin propped on one paw while his tail flicked lazily behind him.
Rui Meng Meng got up on schedule. Stepping outside, she expected the newspaper in the mailbox but found nothing. Looking around, she spotted Artoria on the roof, waving. The delivery gull had dropped the paper directly into her hands after spotting someone perched above.
"Da Ye stayed up keeping watch all night. He's resting now," Artoria explained.
"No wonder. I'll make breakfast then, and switch with you afterward," Rui Meng Meng said, carrying back five bottles of milk.
Zhang Da Ye had even ordered a share for Shark Chili yesterday. He was already considering bulk orders by the barrel—not only for breakfast, but also to make desserts.
The tavern passed a peaceful day. Shark Chili woke up smoothly, though elsewhere, something small yet significant happened.
The missing Celestial Dragon, Saint Mjosgard, had safely returned to Mariejois.
What most people didn't know was that Princess Otohime of Fishman Island was in the process of reforming him. The world had just lost one cruel master and gained an outlier Celestial Dragon who refused to keep slaves.
Naturally, not everyone welcomed that news.
…
The next morning, Zhang Da Ye washed up with Tom and Shark Chili.
Tom was quick and neat as always. Shark Chili, however, was a sight to behold—wielding an oversized toothbrush as he carefully scrubbed each massive tooth, producing loud "scritch scritch" sounds.
Then he grabbed a towel and began "washing his face," which, given his size, looked more like washing his whole head.
Spitting out water, foam still at the corners of his mouth, Zhang Da Ye asked, "Shark Chili, should I buy you some oil or something to maintain your parts?"
"No need," Shark Chili replied. "Soap works fine, same as humans. Bathing too. I'm a robot who can move freely underwater—I've never had to worry about rust or water damage."
"And toothpaste? That huge brush must use half a tube each time."
"Correct. I want to try different flavors too." In truth, he didn't need toothpaste at all, but he'd heard it killed bacteria and protected teeth, so he wanted to give it a try.
"Alright, I'll stock up on a variety for you," Zhang Da Ye nodded. He wasn't sure bacteria could corrode metal teeth, but it was an easy request. He'd just buy a few crates of every kind of toothpaste later.
After breakfast, Tom tugged at Zhang Da Ye's shirt, pointing at Shark Chili. Then he spread his paws wide in a big circle in front of his chest.
"You want to see Shark Chili's Super Shark Giant?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
Tom nodded eagerly, eyes fixed on Shark Chili.
"No problem," Shark Chili said, patting his chest. "It's been a while since I stretched him out anyway."
"Then let's head to the beach. We'll switch today's training to swimming, and check Shark Chili's underwater combat ability while we're at it."
Everyone agreed. After a bit of preparation, they went to the shore.
Making sure no one else was around, Zhang Da Ye signaled Shark Chili to begin.
Shark Chili put a hand to his mouth, tilted his head to the sky, and shouted, "Super Shark Giant!"
A flash of light streaked across the distance. The sea split as a massive serrated dorsal fin sliced through the waves like a blade, charging toward shore with frightening speed.
As it neared land, the colossal machine burst from the water, landing with a thunderous crash that made the ground tremble.
Thankfully, the Sabaody Archipelago's surface—being tree roots coated with resin—absorbed some of the shock, so the impact wasn't catastrophic.
Before them stood a ten-meter-tall robot, mostly blue with gray and red accents. It resembled a scaled-up Shark Chili, but with sharper, harsher lines, giving it a far more menacing look.
"That's huge!" Everyone craned their necks, circling its massive foot, which alone was taller than they were.
Shark Chili hesitated, not stopping them. Still, he felt uneasy seeing people pat and tap at the robot's foot—it reminded him of the time Jinbei once struck the Shark Giant and caused a malfunction. Of course, it had long since been reinforced.
Tom hopped off Zhang Da Ye's shoulder and tapped on the giant foot. Solid. Disappointed, he slid down the slope of the ankle and landed back in Zhang Da Ye's arms.
"Alright, everyone step back," Shark Chili called out. "Cockpit, open!"
The Shark Giant turned, bending slightly as a hatch opened five or six meters above the ground.
Shark Chili leapt up inside. "Now, get ready! Double Super Transformation!"
The enormous shark head detached, locking onto the left arm as a shark cannon. The chest fins detached and combined into a massive seven-meter blade—the Shark Fin War Cutter.
The Shark Giant's own savage head snapped into place as both it and Shark Chili completed the transformation in unison.
"So cool!" Rui Meng Meng gasped.
"I'd love to pilot that myself," Zhang Da Ye admitted, envious. It was practically a rough version of a Gundam. "Hmm… maybe if I ask, it's not impossible."
"If you want to try, it's not out of the question," Shark Chili's amplified voice boomed from the giant's mouth. "Cockpit, open! Come aboard—we're going to hunt a sea beast."
Artoria leapt up into the hatch easily. Rui Meng Meng managed it with a push off the leg joint. With more training, she could probably reach the head in a single jump someday.
Zhang Da Ye grabbed Tom, gave his arm a playful swing, and tossed him up before the cat could react.
Then he climbed in himself, using the joints as stepping stones.
Inside the cockpit, Zhang Da Ye felt cramped. The small cabin was fine for two, manageable for three, but four made it tight. Still, it didn't interfere with Shark Chili's control.
Now transformed, Shark Chili gripped a shark-head control stick with one hand, the other hovering over rows of buttons, looking every bit the professional pilot.
Artoria studied the panoramic display screen showing views in all directions.
Meanwhile, Tom sulked on Rui Meng Meng's head, annoyed that Zhang Da Ye had thrown him instead of carrying him up. He resolved to ignore his master for at least five minutes.
"Hold on tight, everyone—we're diving!" Shark Chili announced, steering the Shark Giant as it leapt back into the sea.
…
The Shark Giant could be piloted by others, though without transformation capabilities. Even Gedo once used it. Its cockpit could fit more than one passenger—Kabuto and Xiaoxiang once rode together in another giant on a journey.
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