"Looks like that sea fish has left."
On the Marine warship stood several figures, the three at the front wearing Marine officer uniforms.
One of them was Major Kurume from Branch 19. The other two were a man in his prime, powerfully built, wearing a bull-horn helmet and wielding a giant shark-slaying blade, exuding an immense pressure.
The other was around forty years old, lean, with a long sword at his waist and a calm expression.
The previous statement had come from this middle-aged Marine.
"Colonel Lester, that sea fish stayed here for nearly four months, always in the surrounding waters. It's only been seven days since it left, I don't think it would leave so easily," Kurume said quickly.
Colonel Lester frowned and looked at the tall man beside him, asking, "Vice Admiral Bastille, what are your thoughts?"
"We've been searching for four days. I don't have time to waste here."
Bastille snorted coldly, "Just a sea fish, and it actually killed a Colonel, requiring me to come out personally. Let's turn back."
With that, Bastille turned and returned to the cabin.
"Then let's go back."
Colonel Lester waved his hand, ordering the sailors to turn the warship around and return to the base.
"Sir." Kurume looked anxious. "If Vice Admiral Bastille leaves, we won't be able to catch that fish."
"But the sea fish isn't in these waters. Vice Admiral Bastille is a Major General from Marine Headquarters, he can't stay here forever."
Lester looked into the distance and suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard of his title?"
Kurume said softly, "Bastille the Shark Slayer. Colonel Lido mentioned him before, holding him in extremely high regard."
"Lido served under Vice Admiral Bastille before coming to the East Blue base. Otherwise, Vice Admiral Bastille wouldn't have come here personally," Lester said with a distant gaze. "For him, even Sea Kings are like fish on a chopping block. He's killed countless Sea Kings. A single sea fish wouldn't even warrant his attention."
"The strength of a Headquarters Major General is truly formidable," Kurume exclaimed.
Lester nodded. "Moreover, he's already on the promotion sequence for Vice Admiral. It's just that in the recent Vice Admiral assessment, his military achievements fell behind Vice Admiral Storobelli, so Marine Headquarters arranged for Storobelli to be promoted to Vice Admiral. But as long as his military achievements are sufficient, becoming a Vice Admiral is a certainty, likely within three to four years."
"Storobelli?" Kurume was unfamiliar with the name.
Lester smiled. "He's an important aide to Vice Admiral Borsalino. Last year, he attacked the Sun Pirates and severely wounded their captain, Fisher Tiger. Not long after, Fisher died from his injuries."
"That Sun Pirates? He injured their captain?"
Major Kurume's eyes widened.
Lester nodded. "Five years ago, a Major General named Kadar led soldiers to attack the Sun Pirates, resulting in the complete annihilation of his forces. According to reports, Fisher didn't kill Kadar, but his whereabouts are unknown. A year ago, Storobelli managed to heavily injure Fisher. Although some say he resorted to a sneak attack, his strength and military achievements are sufficient for promotion to Vice Admiral."
Major Kurume asked, "I recall the current captain of the Sun Pirates is a Shichibukai. They've been making quite a stir recently."
Lester smiled. "That's right. Recently, Jinbe of the Sun Pirates became captain and accepted the Government's offer, becoming one of the Shichibukai. The Government recruited him as a Shichibukai not only because his strength is qualified but also to promote harmony between races and resolve the hatred with Fish-Men."
Kurume asked curiously, "You mentioned Vice Admiral Borsalino earlier? Currently, he's..."
"Indeed. He was just promoted this year and became one of the Three Admirals, nicknamed Kizaru."
Lester smiled. "Storobelli becoming a Vice Admiral was also largely due to Admiral Kizaru's strong recommendation."
"I see."
Kurume nodded, finally understanding the connections involved.
Lester glanced at Kurume. "I know you want to avenge Colonel Lido, but the sea fish isn't in these waters. Finding a fish in the ocean is no easier than finding an ant on an island."
"I... I understand."
Kurume's expression turned somber.
Seeing his demeanor, Lester couldn't help but nod, feeling favorably towards him.
He was loyal, searching for the sea fish for the past few days to avenge Colonel Lido, sleeping only three to four hours a day.
Although his loyalty was directed towards a deceased former superior, he was capable and valued loyalty. Colonel Lester, upon arriving at Branch 19, intended to make good use of him.
He was already planning to apply for a Vice Captain position for Kurume within a year.
...
Xia Qiu swam through the seabed, heading away from the island. His massive form was spotted by other sea fish, which immediately scattered.
Xia Qiu paid them no mind; they were too small to satisfy his hunger.
However, as Xia Qiu ventured deeper, many sea fish, two to three meters long, appeared. Upon seeing Xia Qiu, they also fled in all directions.
These sea fish weighed around two to three hundred pounds. Xia Qiu only needed to eat four or five of them to meet his minimum dietary requirements.
But Xia Qiu did not hunt them.
Firstly, he wanted to establish a relatively peaceful zone. In these waters, Xia Qiu did not hunt.
Secondly, Xia Qiu needed them to continue growing. He wouldn't eat small fish, but they would prey on smaller fish. They would eat the small fish, grow larger, and then he would eat them.
This way, the small fish would also become part of his food chain, saving him the effort of hunting.
Therefore, Xia Qiu ignored them and swam further away.
After swimming a considerable distance, Xia Qiu discovered several sea fish approximately four meters in length.
Xia Qiu still considered them reserve food and continued to advance.
It wasn't until he discovered a fish about seven meters long that Xia Qiu decided to make it his prey.
But just as Xia Qiu approached within a certain distance, the other party fled in panic.
How could I let you escape?
Xia Qiu followed closely, chasing the sea fish and rapidly closing the distance between them.
But when Xia Qiu was only three or four meters away from the other fish, he sensed vibrations coming from not far away.
There were many of them, and they weren't small.
A school of sharks?
Xia Qiu frowned, surfaced, and looked into the distance. He saw that in the sea not far away, more than a dozen fish were leaping out of the water and then back in, swimming towards the other side of the island.
Their agile forms exuded a beautiful aura under the sunlight, their constant leaps appearing nimble and lively.
Seeing them, Xia Qiu's eyes lit up slightly.
Dolphins.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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