There were about ten or so dolphins, the longest reaching about seven meters and the shortest just over three meters.
They were very large.
A seven-meter-long dolphin was considered quite large within the dolphin family.
Besides the Orcinus and Pseudorca genera, few dolphins in the dolphin family could grow this large.
However, the dolphins before him had moderately long beaks and a relatively distant melon, so they weren't orcas. They looked more like common bottlenose dolphins.
On Earth, the longest adult length for a common bottlenose dolphin is around two and a half meters, making it impossible for them to grow this large.
But in this world, there were Island Whales larger than islands, and Island-Devouring Monsters that swallowed islands like goldfish. Elephants could carry entire countries on their backs.
Seeing such dolphins, Xia Qiu was not surprised.
Dolphins were perhaps the most intelligent animals in the ocean. Besides them, other intelligent creatures included cephalopods like octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish.
Dolphins had a large brain-to-body ratio, with many deep sulci and well-developed brain cells.
Most importantly, they possessed a powerful sonar system.
They could emit ultrasonic waves and use echolocation to locate targets.
Furthermore, dolphins' sonar sensitivity was very high; the dolphin family had the highest sonar sensitivity among mammals in the order Cetacea.
They could detect a 0.2mm diameter metal wire and a 1mm diameter nylon rope several meters away, distinguish between two signals separated by 200ps, and locate schools of fish hundreds of meters away.
At the same time, their sonar had strong discriminatory abilities. They could differentiate between various fish species, different materials, and could even distinguish between their own vocal echoes and those replayed by humans.
Moreover, their sonar had emotional expression capabilities, and they could communicate with each other using their sonar systems.
It was the sonar system that Xia Qiu desired.
His eyesight far surpassed that of sea fish, but as his hunting range expanded into deeper waters where light was dim, it became difficult to see his surroundings clearly.
However, if he possessed a sonar system, he could accurately capture prey and evade enemies.
His ability to sense vibrations required significant vibration intensity; the larger the vibration, the clearer his perception.
Moreover, vibrations were easily obscured and interfered with, limiting their detection range.
He needed a superior detection system.
Both the positioning and discrimination capabilities of the sonar system were exactly what Xia Qiu needed.
Capture them.
Xia Qiu had this thought and accelerated towards the distant dolphins.
This pod of dolphins had noticed Xia Qiu long ago and hadn't taken him seriously, maintaining a certain distance.
But when Xia Qiu charged towards them, his speed suddenly increased. They sensed this and accelerated their swimming.
Whoosh.
Their speed was incredible; their streamlined bodies granted them extreme velocity.
Dolphins were very fast, capable of reaching speeds of thirty to forty kilometers per hour, a speed that most sharks couldn't match.
But Xia Qiu was different.
Xia Qiu's body contained immense power. The size of his fins and the strength of his muscles far exceeded those of fish of comparable size.
This resulted in his extreme speed, allowing him to rival the fastest sharks, the Great White Sharks, reaching speeds of forty-five kilometers per hour.
Whoosh.
Xia Qiu rapidly closed in on the pod of dolphins, steadily narrowing the distance.
Faster, faster.
Xia Qiu approached the dolphins and soon found himself behind them.
Faced with Xia Qiu's pursuit, the pod of dolphins suddenly scattered, swimming away in different directions.
Were they trying to split up and escape?
Xia Qiu continued his pursuit but realized the dolphins weren't fleeing. After creating some distance, they maintained a constant pace, swimming side-by-side.
Were they trying to lure me into attacking one while the others escaped?
Xia Qiu closed his nictitating membranes and charged at one of the dolphins. This dolphin swam at full speed, and Xia Qiu pursued with all his might.
But just as Xia Qiu got within two or three meters of it, he suddenly found himself surrounded by dolphins.
The other dolphins were on his flanks and behind him, completely encircling him.
What is this?
Xia Qiu's heart leaped, and in the next moment, the dolphins charged towards him.
They want to ram me?
Do they think I'm a shark?
Although most dolphins were smaller than sharks, they weren't afraid of them.
Except for orcas, other dolphin pods possessed significant fighting capabilities when encountering sharks.
They are fast, and as long as it's not a Great White Shark, most sharks can stay away from them.
Even if they encounter sharks, they will charge in groups, driving the sharks away.
Generally, sharks will not actively attack dolphins; the risk outweighs the reward. Occasionally, if a shark attacks and manages to eat one, it will be driven away.
However, if it's an Orca, the "big brother" among dolphins, then it becomes the shark's killer.
Orcas are not inferior to sharks in one-on-one duels or group battles.
Orcas possess immense strength, sharp teeth, and considerable intelligence.
When Orcas attack sharks, they will flip them over, exposing their bellies. Sharks may enter a state of tonic immobility.
Some Orcas even attack the shark's heart, causing cardiac arrest.
More importantly, Orcas even know 'karate.' They stir the ocean currents with their tails, creating a vortex that forces the shark to surface due to buoyancy. Then, they twist their bodies and strike with their tails, similar to a palm strike in karate, capable of even stunning sharks.
But I am not an ordinary shark.
My body is massive, with tough scales and thick muscles. How could they possibly knock me away?
Xia Qiu ignored them and swam forward with all his might, biting down on a dolphin.
Snap.
Xia Qiu directly swallowed the dolphin into his mouth, crushing it.
The moment he bit down, the remaining dolphins rammed into Xia Qiu's body.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
Xia Qiu felt forces coming from above and to his right, while the dolphins on his left began to ram into his lower right side.
One pushing up, the other pushing down, forcing him to flip over.
They are really smart.
Dolphins can communicate through their sonar systems to strategize.
They can surround, cross over, and ram.
Moreover, the Orcas among them can even use themselves as bait, luring me into shallow waters to attract sea lions and seals. Once they arrive, other Orcas can hunt them.
Under their impact, Xia Qiu's body swayed slightly. Although their strength was insufficient to flip him over, it managed to halt his movements.
But at this moment, Xia Qiu rotated along the direction of the dolphins' impact.
Boom.
His massive body suddenly slammed down during their second collision, and his pectoral fins also swept down fiercely as his body rotated.
Spinning palm strike.
Boom.
The dolphin that had rammed his lower side on the left was crushed beneath him.
Thump.
His pectoral fin struck a dolphin, directly stunning it.
Then Xia Qiu turned his body, biting towards the dolphin on the left. As he turned, he swung his tail, his thick tail sweeping across and hitting two dolphins.
Bang, bang.
The dolphins were sent flying.
And Xia Qiu's mouth had already latched onto a dolphin.
Crunch, crunch.
Xia Qiu ate the dolphin, and the dolphins' actions had no effect.
But the next moment, five or six dolphins suddenly swam away into the distance, widening the gap.
Xia Qiu didn't chase them. He had already taken down enough dolphins, enough for him to feast on.
There was no need to chase those dolphins.
Xia Qiu gnawed on the dolphins, swallowing them into his belly. Blood stained the surrounding sea.
After eating seven or eight dolphins, Xia Qiu reached his maximum intake. It would likely take over two hours to digest.
Xia Qiu slowly returned to his habitat, waiting for the evolution to begin.
...
"What a powerful fish."
On a large rock on the northwest side of the island, a girl with short orange hair sat there. She held a telescope, staring at the distant sea. She saw the huge black fish hunt the dolphins, then dive into the ocean and disappear. She lowered the telescope, a look of confusion on her face. "Is there such a large sea fish around here? It swims very fast and is very ferocious. It's not a shark, nor a whale. What kind is it?"
The girl thought for a moment, shook her head, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's about to rain. It's time to go back."
She stood up, leaped on the rock, left the seaside, and ran towards home.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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