Boom, boom, boom.
Cannonballs shot out from the cannons, aimed at the sea, creating splashes and water columns.
Beneath the waves, a massive figure swam away into the distance. The cannonballs fell around him, with only an occasional one hitting him accurately.
But under the cover of the thick seawater, the force of any hits on Xia Qiu's body was enough to be resisted by his thick scales and muscles.
"Here it comes, here it comes."
Moor and the others hadn't swum far when they saw the black fish swimming towards them. A pirate cried out in alarm, "Lord Moor, what should we do?"
"Keep swimming."
Moor gritted his teeth and swam into the distance.
But how could their swimming speed compare to Xia Qiu's?
Boom.
Xia Qiu suddenly surfaced, aimed at a pirate, slightly shifted his body, opened his monstrous maw, and lunged.
"No, help!"
Faced with Xia Qiu's gaping maw, the pirate froze, floating on the surface and shouting for help.
Snap.
Xia Qiu bit the pirate, snapping him in half, and swallowed him. He then raised his head and took another bite, his upper body being sucked into his belly.
Then, Xia Qiu pursued them again, charging towards them.
"Run!"
Seeing this, Moor gritted his teeth and swam into the distance, the First Mate close behind.
The other pirates also scrambled towards the island.
But they were too slow. Compared to Moor and the First Mate, they gradually fell behind.
Boom.
They could clearly feel the pressure coming from behind; the giant black fish was relentlessly closing in.
"Lord Moor, help me!"
A pirate couldn't help but shout into the distance.
Save you? Ridiculous!
If I save you, what about me?
Besides, if you get eaten, you might buy me some time.
With this thought, Moor acted as if he hadn't heard the desperate cries for help and furiously swam away.
It's here.
The pirate felt a colossal body appear behind him and his face contorted in despair.
I'm dead.
Just as he thought this, bang, Xia Qiu's massive body slammed into him.
Crack.
The pirate's spine and ribs were all shattered, and he was sent flying.
Xia Qiu didn't stop, charging straight ahead.
All the pirates in his path were sent flying by Xia Qiu.
"He's not dead."
A pirate, seeing Xia Qiu swim past and continue his pursuit, breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next moment, a cannonball landed directly above his head.
Splat.
The massive cannonball smashed into his skull, crushing it. His body tilted, and he died a definitive death.
"Why so fast?"
Moor felt the figure rapidly approaching behind him, his expression grim. "Why isn't he hunting those pirates?"
"Boss, he's coming for us," the First Mate shouted.
"Then you stay and hold him off!"
Moor yelled.
The First Mate was momentarily stunned. He couldn't believe that the leader, who was usually loyal, always took the lead in battles, and had even blocked attacks for him, would say such a thing.
He had saved his life.
The First Mate gritted his teeth, drew his long saber, and turned to charge at Xia Qiu.
"Tiger Bite."
The First Mate waved his right hand, and his long saber cleaved forward, like a fierce tiger opening its bloody maw to bite the enemy.
Clang.
The long saber struck Xia Qiu's forehead, cutting through his scales and hitting his bones, leaving only a mark.
Bang.
The next moment, Xia Qiu, with immense force, slammed the saber back, then into his own body.
The First Mate's body shuddered as if he'd been hit by a ship. He didn't know how many bones were broken, and the long saber flew out of his hand.
Then Xia Qiu opened his bloody maw and bit him directly. Crunch. The First Mate's body was instantly crushed, his seven layers of sharp teeth turning him into a pulp of flesh.
Gulp.
Xia Qiu swallowed him and then pursued Moor, intending to eat him.
Bang.
A cannonball hit Xia Qiu. His body jolted, pain surged, and the hit area was significantly injured.
But Xia Qiu endured the pain and continued his pursuit, instantly appearing behind the pirate captain.
"Die for me."
Moor knew he couldn't escape. He turned around, raised his right fist, and smashed it fiercely towards Xia Qiu's head.
He had already thrown away his spiked mace to swim faster.
Now, he could only attack with his fists.
Bang.
Moor's fist landed on Xia Qiu's head with a dull thud.
Are you trying to tickle me?
The next moment, Moor's upper body disappeared into Xia Qiu's gaping maw.
Xia Qiu ate Moor in two bites. He didn't go back to eat the other pirates. Instead, he turned, swam in a circle, and headed for the distance.
A strong current had appeared, very intense.
And he was injured.
Need to find a place to digest.
Xia Qiu thought, swimming further and further away.
...
"Boss Moor and First Mate Fanny were both eaten."
On the Porcupine Pirates' ship, the pirates stared blankly into the distance.
They still couldn't accept that their boss, the first mate, and the other pirates had been attacked by a sea fish, and so many had died.
"What should we do?" one pirate asked blankly.
Their leader and first mate were dead. They were the strongest two. They didn't know what to do now.
"The second mate is still in the water. Let's rescue him and leave here first," another pirate yelled.
They immediately took action, rescuing the pirate who had fallen into the water, then quickly turned the ship around. Without daring to delay, they sailed into the distance.
...
"Pirates killed by a sea fish?"
On the island, the residents of Naruto Village stood by the sea, gazing at the scene in the distance with surprise.
Who would have thought that the pirates who had just taken their money and supplies would die by the jaws of a sea fish?
Seeing the pirates fleeing towards them in a panic, they felt a sense of schadenfreude.
Is this karma?
"That sea fish looks a bit familiar," one villager couldn't help but say.
"Although it's gotten much bigger, it's very similar to the sea fish from a while ago. Did it not leave?" a strong man asked worriedly.
"A sea fish this large nearby is definitely not a good thing," one villager said.
"For a sea fish to grow this large, it's difficult to approach the island due to water depth and pressure. At most, it would appear near the harbor. Moreover, the food nearby is limited and can't satisfy it, which is why it disappeared from our surroundings," an old man said. He was a former fisherman with rich experience. "It shouldn't approach the island."
But a young man couldn't help but ask, "If it doesn't approach the island, then how will it attack merchant ships?"
"Merchant ships are so big, how could it possibly affect them?" another person waved their hand.
The young man continued, "But what if it keeps growing? In a month and a half, it grew from seven meters to fifteen or sixteen meters. If it continues to grow... fishing boats, merchant ships, sea vessels, who knows if they can withstand its destruction. By then..."
They wanted to say that the fish might not necessarily attack ships, but just now, the fish had clearly attacked the pirates.
Its purpose was to eat them.
It was hard to say if they would attack nearby merchant ships later.
Without fishing boats to catch fish, and without merchant ships to buy salt and deliver supplies, Naruto Village would face a huge crisis.
One villager couldn't help but say, "We should report this to the Marines. A while ago, they even hunted this sea fish in this area specifically because of the Vice Captain who was killed."
The village chief nodded and said, "They're almost here. We just sent news of the pirate invasion via Den Den Mushi to Manluo Town, and they've already set out. When they arrive, we'll ask them again to eliminate the sea fish."
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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