Ideas

It hurt.

Xia Qiu swam into the distance. Now that he was out of combat, the pain from the wounds on his body became crystal clear.

He was too strong.

Xia Qiu had not expected his opponent to be this powerful, capable of fighting underwater and even gaining the upper hand for a time.

Strength—while not greater than Xia Qiu's, it was still enough to pierce his scales and muscles underwater, far surpassing that of an ordinary person.

Speed—he swam far faster than an ordinary person. The slightest lapse from Xia Qiu, and he would catch up.

Combat experience—he constantly spun his body, waiting for opportunities to attack. He clearly possessed abundant combat experience.

It could be said that if Xia Qiu had merely been a fish without a human soul, he would definitely have been killed by him.

More importantly, his strength was diminished when fighting underwater.

He was strong.

His physical attributes exceeded the limits of humans from Xia Qiu's previous life.

But in the world of One Piece, the limits of the human body were incredibly high.

For example, when Zoro was nine, he could hold up a thousand-jin stone with both hands while doing squats. He did 583 of them and was still going.

For example, Buchi, a combatant of the Black Cat Pirates, could crack the ground without being hypnotized. After being hypnotized and unleashing his limits, he could shatter cliffs and hurl boulders.

For example, Krieg, who had returned from the Grand Line after being pursued by Hawkeye, was criticized for relying solely on equipment and being weak.

Even so, he could toss a small warship into the air with one hand.

The physical abilities in the world of One Piece were often overshadowed by powers such as Devil Fruits, Haki, swordsmanship, and techniques, but they were still immensely formidable.

And this was before entering the Grand Line. Once one reached the Grand Line, strength underwent earth-shaking changes, presenting an entirely different sight.

He could not let his guard down.

The opponent he had encountered was merely a Commander from a branch, yet Xia Qiu had already ended up in such a state.

Within a branch, a Commander could not even serve as the person in charge. Only a Captain could be responsible for a branch.

Yet even branch Captains were far inferior to Headquarters Captains and division Captains.

Among the Marines, pirates, and sea folk, Xia Qiu was comparatively weak.

He needed to be even more careful from now on.

Thinking this, Xia Qiu swam farther away, intending to find a place to digest the enemy he had eaten and recover from his injuries.

But before he had swum very far, a warm current began to emerge.

When it first appeared, it was rather slight and not much different from before.

But not long afterward, the current gradually grew stronger and spread throughout his body.

At its peak, the warm current enveloped his entire body, covering an unimaginably large area.

Not only that, it changed from warm to scorching, spreading across his body as though it were burning him.

This change made Xia Qiu uneasy.

There was more of it, and it was hotter. He had never experienced this before.

Yet the increase in the warm current did not bring the pain of bone growth. In other words, he was not growing faster within the current.

That differed somewhat from the pattern he had observed.

Xia Qiu attributed it to the Evolution Energy brought by the human body being different, but he could not determine exactly how it differed.

At the same time, under the effects of the warm current, his wounds began to itch, a sign that they were healing.

Xia Qiu swam into the distance as sea fish were continuously drawn close by the bloody scent spreading from his blood.

Splash.

Xia Qiu opened his mouth and swallowed all the sea fish whole, then continued swimming away. By the time he reached the shipwreck, the bleeding had stopped.

The moment Xia Qiu arrived, the nearby fish scattered in every direction. He slowly swam to the side of the shipwreck and lay against it on the seafloor.

Given Xia Qiu's size, he could no longer enter the cabin and could only rest outside.

Xia Qiu lay there without moving, waiting for the warm current to fade.

An hour later, the warm current slowly receded.

Whoosh.

Xia Qiu shot out of the depression, swaying his body as he lunged forward. Powerful force suddenly burst forth within him.

Xia Qiu could feel the immense strength erupting with every twist of his body.

Xia Qiu suddenly dove downward, swung his tail, and struck a stone beside the shipwreck.

Bang.

The stone was sent flying, rolling across the sandy seafloor.

His strength had increased.

Xia Qiu swam several circles and discovered that his speed had also become faster.

His body had not grown larger, but both his strength and speed had increased.

This unique change had been caused by eating. The difference from his previous changes was that Xia Qiu had eaten human flesh.

Was human flesh really this effective?

He had eaten one person weighing around two hundred jin, yet the energy he gained was greater than from any of his previous meals.

What did that mean?

Was a human's Evolution Energy far greater than that of sea fish? Or were the two types of energy fundamentally different?

Or was it because the person he had eaten had been powerful, resulting in this outcome?

And why did Evolution Energy make him stronger rather than make him grow?

Xia Qiu had many questions, but no way to verify them.

But if he could confirm it...

Xia Qiu's gaze flickered. A bold idea arose in his heart, but he immediately buried it deep inside.

"Berio was killed by a fish?"

In Manluo Town, a man in a Marine uniform sat behind a desk and asked in surprise.

Kurume stood before him with his head lowered. "I'm sorry, Captain Lido. Because we were unable to capture Black Fish, Lieutenant Colonel Berio went into the sea to fight Black Fish himself. He was killed after being defeated."

"If even Berio could not handle Black Fish, there was no way you could have captured it."

Lido frowned. "I will report Berio's death and try to have him buried as having died in the line of duty. As for you..."

Kurume hurriedly said, "I failed in my duties. I ask Captain Lido to remove me from my position, but I still hope to remain a Marine. Please let me start again as an ordinary soldier."

"No need."

Lido shook his head, then said, "Berio was your superior. You were required to follow his orders. This matter has nothing to do with you."

Kurume shouted, "But I was wrong not to stop him."

"I know his temperament. How could you have interfered with his actions?"

Captain Lido looked at Kurume. "I know you were his confidant and were deeply attached to him. You are grieving over his death, but our branch still needs someone to collect the Security Fee. You used to handle matters for Berio. From now on, I will promote you to Lieutenant Commander, and you will be responsible for collecting the Security Fee."

"I..." Kurume hesitated.

Seeing his expression, Lido shouted, "You are a Marine soldier. What kind of look is this, being so indecisive?"

"I understand."

Kurume said seriously, "I will complete the mission properly."

"You will be responsible for collecting next month's Security Fee. I will register the information with the East China Sea division. Work hard." Captain Lido nodded. "Since Berio was killed by a fish, we naturally have to kill that fish to avenge him. After you take office, patrol the waters near Naruto Village. See whether you can find that fish, kill it, and bring it back."

"Yes."

Kurume straightened his body.

"You may go." Lido waved his hand.

"I'll take my leave."

Kurume turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He had been promoted.

From lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander.

And this position was only temporary. Compared to what he had done, the rank was actually somewhat low.

As long as he worked properly for a year, becoming a Commander would be only natural.

Kurume walked away smugly, secretly making a vow.

One day, I will become a Captain, then transfer to Headquarters, and finally become a general.