Raine walked up to Rocks, pointed at the sparkling sea, and said, "Sail approximately thirty nautical miles southeast, to where the rapid warm currents converge. There, you'll find a fish called the Bluefin Tuna."
"Because it constantly chases warm currents, its flesh is firm and rich in fat, especially the belly part, which is known as the 'marbled wagyu of the sea' and is an excellent ingredient for top-tier sashimi."
He paused, then Raine added, "However, its swimming speed is incredibly fast, comparable to a cannonball, and its size is enormous, making it impossible for ordinary fishing boats to catch."
"Comparable to a cannonball?"
Gatz excitedly licked his lips and hoisted his ship's anchor onto his shoulder.
"Challenging! I like it! Captain, give the order!"
Rocks laughed heartily.
"Hahahahaha! Good! That's the one! Dolum, adjust the course! Silvers, go to the crow's nest! Gatz, prepare your harpoon! Today, we're going to hunt a 'cannonball' and bring it back to give our Head Chef a treat!"
"Oh!"
The crew roared in unison, their morale high.
Under Dolum's control, the dilapidated pirate ship clumsily turned its direction and sped full throttle towards the southeast Raine had indicated.
Silvers, like a nimble monkey, quickly climbed to the crow's nest at the top of the mast, raised his monocular, and his sharp gaze swept across the sea.
Approximately an hour later, Silvers' voice came from above, calm and clear: "Three o'clock ahead, the sea is abnormal! Signs of large creature activity!"
Everyone's spirits lifted.
As the ship approached, they saw that the water flow in that area had noticeably quickened, and beneath the surface, a massive dark green shadow was rapidly darting, leaving trails of white spray.
Its dorsal fin displayed a magnificent azure blue, shimmering with a metallic luster in the sunlight—it was indeed a Bluefin Tuna!
"Good heavens! It's huge!"
Gatz looked at the enormous figure, at least ten meters long, and instead of being surprised, he was delighted. He stood at the bow, muscles tensed, ready to throw.
"Now!"
Silvers' voice rang out again.
Gatz roared, using all his strength to hurl the giant harpoon, tied with a thick rope, from his hand.
The harpoon, with a whistling sound, shot through the air like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for the shadow underwater.
However, the Bluefin Tuna's reaction speed was astonishingly fast.
Just as the harpoon was about to strike, its massive tail fin suddenly flicked, and its entire body instantly shifted several meters sideways at an incredible angle, narrowly dodging the attack.
The harpoon plunged into the sea with a splash, creating a huge spray.
"Damn it! Too fast!"
Gatz hit the ship's rail in frustration.
The Bluefin Tuna seemed to be enraged; it no longer fled, but instead turned around and charged straight towards the pirate ship.
Its massive body cut a white line through the water, moving so fast that it created a surge in front of the ship's bow.
"Oh no! It's going to hit us!"
Dolum's face changed drastically, and he gripped the helm tightly.
"This old ship can't take a hit like that!"
Just as the mountain-like fish head was about to collide with the hull, Rocks, instead of retreating, advanced. He lunged to the bow, a wild grin on his face.
"Bring it on!"
He neither used a weapon nor adopted any stance; he simply swung his right fist at the churning sea in front of him.
Buzz—
An invisible, visible shockwave, centered on Rocks' fist, suddenly spread forward.
The seawater in front seemed to be violently slapped by an invisible giant hand, instantly exploding outwards to both sides, forming a temporary depression.
The Bluefin Tuna, charging at high speed, crashed into this area of sea affected by the shockwave.
Its massive body violently shuddered, as if it had hit an invisible wall. Its speed abruptly decreased, and the enormous inertia caused it to tumble in the water, revealing its white belly. It had clearly been knocked unconscious.
One punch.
The power of just one punch, through the seawater, knocked out a giant sea beast comparable to a cannonball.
Gatz, Silvers, and Dolum were all dumbfounded.
They knew their Captain was strong, but they never imagined he would be this strong.
Rocks retracted his fist, shook his hand, as if he had just done a trivial little thing.
He shouted at the stunned Gatz, "What are you standing there for? Pull it up!"
"Huh? Oh! Right!"
Gatz awoke as if from a dream, and quickly, with Dolum, used all their might to drag the unconscious behemoth onto the deck with ropes.
The enormous Bluefin Tuna occupied nearly half the deck space. Its scales shimmered in the sunlight, full of a sense of vibrant power.
The crew cheered for the successful hunt and were awestruck by Rocks' power.
Only Raine, he walked to the side of the huge fish and squatted down.
He didn't look at Rocks; all his attention was drawn to this perfect ingredient.
Raine extended his small hand and gently stroked the smooth skin of the fish, feeling the firmness and elasticity of the muscles beneath. Then he looked up at Rocks, who was also looking at him, his eyes shimmering with a light called satisfaction.
"This fish belly, it's good."
Rocks looked at Raine's professional inspection, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He knew that his promise had ignited the little Head Chef's desire to create.
An unprecedented feast at sea was about to begin, awaited by the entire crew.
On the deck, Raine stood beside the enormous Bluefin Tuna, appearing exceptionally small.
But the aura he exuded at that moment made everyone hold their breath.
Raine untied the thick cloth wrapped around his chef's knife, revealing the long, narrow, gleaming blade inside.
It wasn't a famous sword, but simply a companion forged from the finest steel, personally sharpened by Raine, and maintained day and night.
"Gatz, hang it up, head down."
Raine issued his first command.
"Got it!"
Gatz immediately sprang into action, and with Dolum, used pulleys and ropes to slowly hoist the multi-ton behemoth.
Raine walked to the fish's tail, took a deep breath, and the long knife in his hand moved.
There were no fancy moves, only speed, precision, and steadiness.
With a flash of the blade, the huge tail fin was neatly sliced off.
Then, Raine cut along the fish's spine with a single stroke, his movements flowing smoothly, without the slightest pause.
Accompanied by a soft swish, the thick fish skin, along with the fat beneath, was completely peeled away, revealing the pink, distinctly textured flesh inside.
Every one of Raine's movements was precise to the extreme, as if he wasn't dissecting a fish, but performing a delicate work of art.
The crew watched, dazzled; they had never imagined that preparing food could be so visually captivating.
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