Bowing the Head in Greeting

Chapter 029: Prostration in Admiration

Leo had brought quite a few fishing rods and iron hooks, but relying on these things to catch fish in the Calm Belt was far too underestimating the intelligence of the fish there.

The Calm Belt was not as resource-scarce as others imagined.

In fact, aside from the lack of wind, the resources on the islands within the Calm Belt might actually be more abundant than those outside, because no outside humans had come to plunder or exploit them.

The fish resources here were stronger than outside, as only a more robust ecosystem could support the appetite of the giant Sea Kings.

Of course, small fish, large fish, large predatory fish, sea beasts, Sea Kings, and giant Sea Kings formed a very distinct ecological chain.

And aside from the microorganisms and algae in the sea, the most plentiful were probably the ordinary fish.

These fish could be hooked purely out of curiosity—when the shiny, polished hooks reflected sunlight, they were easily mistaken for small fish.

Almost no bait was needed; shortsighted but greedy fish would take the hook.

So this time, Leo didn't prepare any bait for them, instead letting them rely on their own fishing skills.

In the real world, there was a group of people who loved using a method called lure fishing, where "lure" was a transliteration of the English word for fake bait. They used special materials to craft fish-shaped lures, then cast and retrieved the line to mimic small fish, attracting large predatory fish.

The technique was the same as what they were doing now.

This was also their only chance to survive after the shipwreck.

Because the fish resources were so abundant, people started catching fish soon after receiving their rods. The pirates cheered and celebrated; normally, such recreational activities had nothing to do with them, as they were the lowest rung on the ship. The vessel would never set aside a room just to store fishing rods for them.

So even fishing rods were only accessible to a select few—those with exceptional skill or the officers. Otherwise, you couldn't even touch them; they were strategic resources on the ship.

That was also why so many crew members became gambling addicts—the ship lacked basic entertainment.

As people started catching fish, more and more fish came looking, as if the school had found a new food source. For things they'd never seen before, fish—especially predatory ones—had an almost instinctual urge to bite.

And in the Calm Belt, large predatory fish were especially abundant. In this ecosystem, if you didn't eat quickly, you might not live to eat at all.

They were greedy and reckless, so the chance of hooking them was naturally high.

Moreover, these predatory fish, once caught, could still be quite dangerous and lethal, somewhat like swordfish. Their long, sharp beaks, driven by powerful tails, could shoot straight at the fisherman like a cannonball. Fishing for swordfish was far more dangerous than fishing for sharks.

And in the world of One Piece, fish larger than swordfish were everywhere, far more dangerous in terms of strength, teeth, and appearance.

But these pirates had already made it to the Grand Line; dealing with fish of this level was effortless. As soon as a fish was hooked, someone nearby would raise a wooden club and bring it down hard on the fish's head. That blow was forceful, knocking the fish out instantly. Nearby, pirates who had been drooling with anticipation would use hooks to hang the fish from the mast, slowly cutting open its belly with a fishhook, removing the innards, and distributing them to those who hadn't caught anything.

Now, they had bait.

The entire ship was orderly, without even the earlier conflicts. This was how a pirate crew should be.

Perhaps this was the original appearance of the Cutlass Pirates?

"Why did you hand out the fishing gear?" Rindou stood beside Leo, not asking for the reason, but the fundamental question.

Why give them fishing gear, let them have entertainment, let them relax, even turn it into a festive fishing contest?

Why?

"In all my years on this ship, I've never seen them like this." Great Bay Blade William stood next to Leo. Compared to William, who was five meters tall, Leo was like a blade of grass beside a mountain. William's voice was also loud; even his normal speech sounded like a shout from an ordinary person.

His words made Rindou glance at him strangely. Rindou was shorter than Leo—Leo was nearly 1.9 meters, half a head shorter than the Empress—while she was only 1.7 meters, reaching only Leo's chest, and even shorter than William.

But their combat strength was completely reversed.

She seemed thoughtful. Could it be that these fishing rods had injected something different into them?

"Rindou, do you know what makes people happy?" Leo asked with a smile.

"Wealth? Women? Gambling? Or something else?"

"All these things share a common term: stimulation."

"They lack stimulation at sea. In the long stretches of the Calm Belt, they're bored out of their minds. Now, even though we've taken them captive, their environment hasn't fundamentally changed. They lack stimulation—whether it's fighting or fishing, both can bring them joy."

"This is something I just observed."

Leo raised two fingers as he spoke, slowly guiding Rindou into his line of logic.

"And what are the benefits of doing this?"

"First, they'll subconsciously form a conditioned reflex—when they think of me, they'll think of these stimulations, reducing their hostility toward me. Second, it eases the tension between us, keeping them from being so wound up. Otherwise, something terrible might happen on this ship."

Leo had heard about what humans could do in confined spaces due to psychological pressure back in modern society. In this brutal world that relied solely on force, such atrocities would likely be even more violent and cruel, not less.

Leo had to help them.

They hadn't noticed it yet, but now, everyone on the ship felt refreshed.

Including Great Bay Blade William, who had seen through everything.

He asked gratefully, "Sir, is there anything else I can do?"

He had been coldly observing every move Leo made, but only now did he truly acknowledge Leo's actions and wanted to do something for him.

The human heart is made of flesh. As the negligent captain of this ship, William could easily crush Leo, yet he deeply bowed in submission to Leo's command.

PS: My head's a bit dizzy today. Luckily, ibuprofen is doing its job. There's a second chapter coming, but I'll rush this one out first.

PS1: Second chapter to the right.