In the deep ocean, a school of shimmering silver fish, numbering in the thousands, moved with the current.
These fish had spindle-shaped bodies, entirely silver-white. The rear half of their backs and bellies, near the tail fin, were covered in bony spines.
They had mouths, with seawater entering and exiting through their gills.
Tuna.
A species with an extremely high reproductive capacity. A single 50-kilogram female could produce five million eggs in a year.
Furthermore, their spawning period was exceptionally long, and they grew quickly.
Tuna had a broad diet and were found in many sea areas, making them one of the most numerous species of sea fish.
They were also, in this world, fish that lived in the ocean but rarely displayed aggression, and were covered in sharp teeth.
Seeing them.
Xia Qiu charged out directly, swimming against the current towards them.
Splash.
Xia Qiu's arrival caused the tuna to scatter, but there were too many. A dozen or so tuna were still swallowed by Xia Qiu.
These fish were eaten by Xia Qiu, and then he began to pursue the surrounding tuna.
One bite, and several tuna were gone.
But the tuna were too fast.
The tuna's gill muscles had atrophied. To breathe, they needed to swim constantly, allowing fresh water to flow over their gills and provide oxygen.
Therefore, they were always swimming, with an average speed of thirty to forty kilometers per hour, and a top speed that could reach one hundred and sixty kilometers per hour.
During their high-speed swimming, the tuna's body temperature was high, exceeding that of the surrounding water.
And their feeding intake was high; one meal could account for about 18% of their body weight.
These tuna sped up and swam towards the distance. Xia Qiu chased a relatively large school, and after eating them, he dejectedly retreated.
Hundreds of tuna were enough.
Xia Qiu had recently discovered the migration routes of tuna schools. He had captured over a dozen schools and eaten thousands of tuna.
Although the amount of food wasn't enough to fill his stomach, it was sufficient for his evolution.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
On Xia Qiu's back and belly, sharp spines were growing. These spines were shaped like equilateral triangles and were extremely hard, resembling some of the spines on the rear half of the tuna's back and belly.
The first time Xia Qiu ate tuna, he felt subtle changes in his body. After attacking a few more schools, he found that he had grown spines.
These spines were very useful, providing him with more attack methods.
Currently, Xia Qiu's primary attack methods were his teeth, his head's ramming horn, the spines on his fins, and his tail whip.
It wasn't enough; his body and belly were still vulnerable spots.
If he grew spines, it would give his belly more offensive capability.
Imagine Xia Qiu swimming rapidly, attacking other large fish, his spines scraping across their bodies, leaving wounds around them.
If there were someone like Berio, attacking his belly while circling him, he could then attack with his belly.
So, in the time that followed, Xia Qiu continuously preyed on tuna.
At this time, Xia Qiu discovered that by consuming certain sea fish, he could grow corresponding organs.
This was a rather good method.
This way, he could selectively attack certain sea fish.
But it was still too little, too small.
Xia Qiu was very dissatisfied with the current size of his spines, so he planned to continue hunting and wait for the next tuna school.
Xia Qiu slowly swam into the distance, beginning to hunt other sea fish.
Xia Qiu's current length had reached eighteen meters, and his weight was close to fifty tons.
Such a size was already enormous.
His appearance hadn't changed much from when he was fifteen meters long.
The ramming horn on his head was even larger, and his body was more resilient.
Xia Qiu was very cautious, venturing deeper into the ocean bit by bit, ensuring he could capture enough food.
Therefore, within the range he could reach, there were basically no natural predators.
Occasionally, a few sea fish over twenty meters long were no match for Xia Qiu.
After consuming humans, Xia Qiu's physique had become very strong. At the same size, Xia Qiu possessed completely overwhelming combat power.
But it wasn't enough; his strength was still too weak.
He needed to continue getting stronger.
As Xia Qiu thought this, he suddenly sensed a peculiar smell in the seawater.
What is this?
Xia Qiu smelled the scent and felt an intense hunger in his belly, a powerful desire to eat.
What is it?
Xia Qiu wondered, glancing into the distance. The smell was coming from that direction.
This scent.
Xia Qiu's appetite grew, controlling his desires.
Let's go see.
Xia Qiu thought, flicking his body and swimming towards the target location.
...
"Colonel Lido, that Sea Fish is very cunning. I wonder if we can lure it here."
On the Marine warship, Kurume gazed into the deep ocean, where countless fish swarmed around, disturbing the surrounding waters. Even the hull of the ship was making slapping sounds.
"This capture agent emits a strong scent of blood and a unique attractant. It can draw in large Sea Fish with keen senses that feed on flesh. It's specifically designed for large Sea Fish. Whether it's a Sea Fish, a Sea Beast, or even a Sea King, they will all be drawn here."
Beside Kurume, a burly man in Marine uniform spoke, "As long as it's nearby, we can lure it over. Then, I will be the one to kill it."
"With Colonel Lido taking action, this Sea Fish is nothing to fear."
Kurume said quickly.
The burly man was Colonel Lido. He smiled and said softly, "Kurume, I will give you all the credit for killing it this time."
"If successful, it will be Colonel Lido's merit. I dare not claim it." Kurume replied hastily.
Lido waved his hand. "I'll credit it to you. This Sea Fish has already been classified as a threatening Sea Beast. Killing it will be enough merit for you to be promoted to Vice Captain."
Although Xia Qiu was currently a Sea Fish and not a Sea Beast, it possessed extreme growth potential and immense threat.
In just a month and a half, it had grown from seven meters to fifteen meters.
It had also killed Lieutenant Colonel Berio and threatened the safety of a small village.
Therefore, upon receiving the news, Lido reported the security information, embellishing it slightly. The villagers, for their own safety, also described the situation.
As a result, the Marine's East Blue branch listed this Sea Fish as a target for elimination, classifying it as a Sea Beast.
Killing it and resolving the problem would yield a significant amount of military merit.
Currently, Kurume was still a Major, but he had already accumulated some merit.
Half a month ago, he had defeated the Porcupine Pirates and killed their leader, Moor. This was a considerable achievement.
However, this merit was not enough for him to be promoted to Vice Captain.
But if he could kill another Sea Beast, he would basically be there.
Hearing this, Kurume's expression became somewhat excited. He quickly said, "Colonel Lido, my current strength is still weak, I'm afraid I'm not capable enough..."
"Strength is not important."
Colonel Lido interrupted Kurume, glanced at him, and said with a smile, "What's most important is that you can get things done, and that you can do things for me."
"I will definitely fulfill my duties, be loyal to you, and obey your orders."
Upon hearing this, Kurume immediately replied.
"Very good."
Colonel Lido nodded, very satisfied with Kurume's words. What he wanted was Kurume's loyalty.
The reason Lido was willing to help Kurume, not pocketing any of the merit from Kurume's defeat of the Porcupine Pirates, and even planning to give him the credit for killing the Sea Fish, was because of his strong execution capabilities.
Berio was dead, but the collection of security fees at the branch base had not encountered any trouble.
On the contrary, several villages had praised Kurume, and even the sailors under him spoke highly of him.
Not only that, but after defeating the Porcupine Pirates, he had directly brought back the Pirate Ship, repaired it, and sold it, generating a huge fortune.
The treasures plundered by the pirate crew were also brought back to the base, and Lido himself had acquired a large portion of them.
He was a qualified subordinate, and his responsibilities already warranted the rank of Vice Captain. Coincidentally, with Berio's death, Base 154 also needed a Vice Captain.
As for whether his rank advancement would threaten him?
His strength was very poor. He had sparred with him and found that he couldn't even withstand one of his moves. At most, he was at the Major level.
The fact that he could kill Moor, who had a bounty of five million, was likely due to the heinous acts committed by the Porcupine Pirates, but his actual strength wasn't high, and he had also borrowed the capabilities of the warship.
With Kurume's strength, he was simply incapable of handling the dangers faced by Base 154.
In the face of such an absolute power gap, Lido was not concerned about his rank promotion.
Lido thought, then looked towards the water's surface, waiting for the Sea Fish to arrive.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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