It hurts.
Xia Qiu swam away, the pain from his wounds becoming all too clear now that the fight was over.
Too strong.
Xia Qiu hadn't expected his opponent to be so powerful, capable of fighting underwater and even gaining the upper hand for a time.
His strength, while not as great as mine, allowed him to pierce my scales and muscles underwater. His power far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
His speed in the water was much faster than an ordinary person's. I was caught by him the moment I let my guard down.
His combat experience was evident in how he constantly maneuvered his body, looking for openings to attack. He possessed rich combat experience.
If I were just a fish without a human soul, I would surely have been killed by him.
More importantly, his strength was diminished when fighting underwater.
He was strong.
His physical condition surpassed the limits of humans in my previous life.
But then again, in the world of One Piece, the human body has an extremely high ceiling.
For example, Zoro, at the age of nine, could squat with a thousand-pound stone held in both hands and did 583 repetitions, still continuing.
For example, Buchi, a fighter from the Black Cat Pirates, could crack the ground without being hypnotized. When hypnotized, he could shatter a cliff and throw giant rocks.
For example, Krieg, who was pursued by Hawk Eyes and returned from the Grand Line, was criticized for relying solely on his equipment and being weak.
Even so, he could throw a small warship into the air with one hand.
The physical prowess in the world of One Piece is often overshadowed by Devil Fruits, Haki, swordsmanship, and other techniques, but in reality, it remains incredibly powerful.
This was before even entering the Grand Line. Once in the Grand Line, the power levels change drastically, creating a completely different landscape.
I mustn't be careless.
The opponent I encountered was merely a Vice Captain from a branch, and I was already in such a predicament.
Within a branch, a Vice Captain cannot be in charge; only a Captain can be responsible for a branch.
But even a Captain of a branch is far inferior to a Captain from Headquarters or a division.
In the systems of the Marines, Pirates, and Sea Humans, I am relatively weak.
I need to be more careful from now on.
Xia Qiu thought as he swam away, intending to find a place to digest the enemies he had eaten and then heal his injuries.
However, he hadn't swum far when a heat flow began to appear.
At first, it was small, not much different from before.
But after a short while, the heat flow gradually grew larger, spreading throughout his body.
When the heat flow reached its peak, it encompassed his entire body, its scope far exceeding his imagination.
Not only that, but the heat flow turned from warm to scorching, covering his body as if it were burning him.
This change made Xia Qiu murmur to himself.
More heat flow, and it was hotter – something he had never experienced before.
However, the increase in heat flow did not cause the pain associated with bone growth; meaning, he was not accelerating his growth within the heat flow.
This was somewhat different from the patterns he had observed.
Xia Qiu attributed it to the different Evolution Energy from the human body, but he couldn't pinpoint how it was different.
At the same time, under the influence of the heat flow, his wounds began to itch, a sign of healing.
Xia Qiu swam away, and the bloody scent from his wounds attracted nearby Sea Fish.
Splash.
Xia Qiu opened his mouth wide and swallowed all the Sea Fish, continuing to swim away. By the time he reached the shipwreck, his bleeding had stopped.
As soon as Xia Qiu arrived, the nearby Sea Fish scattered. Xia Qiu slowly swam to the side of the shipwreck and lay down on the ground, pressing himself against it.
Given Xia Qiu's size, he could no longer enter the ship's cabin and could only rest outside.
Xia Qiu lay there motionless, waiting for the heat flow to subside.
An hour later, the heat flow slowly receded.
Whoosh.
Xia Qiu burst out of the depression, his body wriggling. His body surged forward, and immense power erupted from within.
Xia Qiu could feel the powerful force unleashed as his body twisted.
Xia Qiu suddenly swam downwards, his tail flicking. A rock by the shipwreck…
Bang.
The rock was sent flying, tumbling across the sandy ground.
My strength has increased.
Xia Qiu swam a few laps and found that his speed had become faster.
His physique hadn't grown, but both his strength and speed had increased.
This unique change was caused by eating, and the change that occurred after eating was that Xia Qiu had consumed human flesh.
Was human flesh really that effective?
After eating one person, who weighed around 200 jin, the energy he gained was greater than any previous change from eating.
What did this mean?
Did the evolution energy of humans far surpass that of sea fish? Or were the two types of energy fundamentally different?
Or was it because the person he ate was powerful, leading to such a result?
Furthermore, why did the evolution energy make him stronger instead of growing larger?
Xia Qiu had many questions but couldn't verify them.
But if it could be confirmed...
Xia Qiu's eyes flickered, and a bold idea formed in his mind, but he immediately suppressed it.
...
"Berio was killed by a fish?"
In Manluo Town, behind a desk, a man in a Marine uniform asked in surprise.
Kurume stood before him, head bowed, and said, "I apologize, Colonel Lido. It's because we couldn't catch the black fish that Lieutenant Colonel Berio went into the sea to fight it. He was killed after being unable to defeat it."
"Even Berio couldn't deal with the black fish, so there's no way you could have caught it."
Lido frowned and said, "I will report Berio's death and try to have him buried under the grounds of dying in the line of duty. As for you."
Kurume quickly said, "I failed in my duties. I beg you to relieve me of my post, Colonel Lido, but I still wish to be a Marine. Please allow me to start as a soldier."
"No need."
Lido shook his head and then said, "Berio was your superior, and you were supposed to follow his orders. This matter has nothing to do with you."
Kurume shouted, "But my mistake was not stopping him."
"I know his personality. How could you have interfered with his actions?"
Colonel Lido looked at Kurume and said, "I know you were his confidant and had a deep relationship with him. You are sad that he is dead, but our branch still needs someone to collect the security fees. You used to handle things for Berio, so I will promote you to Major and put you in charge of collecting the security fees."
"I..." Kurume's expression was hesitant.
Seeing his reaction, Lido shouted, "You are a Marine soldier. How can you be so indecisive?"
"I understand."
Kurume said seriously, "I will complete the mission well."
"You will be responsible for collecting the security fees next month. I will file the information with the East Blue branch. Work hard," Colonel Lido nodded and said, "Since Berio was killed by a fish, we naturally have to kill the fish for revenge. After you take office, patrol the waters near Naruto Village and see if you can find that fish. Kill it and bring it back."
"Yes."
Kurume stood up straight.
"You may go," Lido waved his hand.
"I take my leave,"
Kurume turned and left the room, gently closing the door, a smile appearing on his lips.
He had been promoted.
From Captain to Major.
And this position was only temporary. Compared to what he had done, the position was somewhat low.
As long as he worked well for a year, becoming a Vice Captain would be a natural progression.
Kurume walked away triumphantly, vowing silently in his heart.
Sooner or later, I will become a Captain, then transfer to Headquarters, and finally become a General.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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