After leaving the volcano, they returned to the forest.
For ordinary people, the forest of Whale Island is quite dangerous, but for Law, the threat level is zero.
After descending the mountain, Law and Kuro arrived at the largest lake in the forest.
As soon as they reached the spot, numerous watchful gazes turned toward Law and Kuro… these belonged to the animals gathered around the lake.
The lake's surface was dotted with floating aquatic plants, and the shoreline was lush with a variety of peculiar vegetation.
Law took out a fishing rod and glanced at Kuro, who, without needing instructions, leaped over and hooked himself onto the line.
It wasn't clear what grade of ingredient the Master of the Swamp was, but Kuro was very interested. Eager to indulge his appetite, he cooperated without complaint.
Before Law could cast the line, Kuro dove into the lake on his own, sending splashes of water everywhere as he searched for traces of the Master of the Swamp.
Law casually sat down on the grass, watching as the lake gradually returned to calm.
After about four or five minutes, the fishing line tensed, and a force transmitted from the other end.
Noticing this, Law infused a bit of his Aura into the rod and line, then gave a slight tug, pulling Kuro and his prey out of the lake and onto the shore in one swift motion.
Once ashore, the Master of the Swamp thrashed wildly, much like a carp.
Kuro hadn't killed the Master of the Swamp outright, preserving some of its freshness. He landed alongside it and quickly stood up, admiring his catch.
Law set down the fishing rod and approached the still-vigorous Master of the Swamp.
It was about the size of a shark, with several dorsal fins that bore some resemblance. Beneath its body were multiple pairs of segmented hook-like legs, and its scales were sparse… only a patch on its belly, while the rest of its body was covered in a shell-like armor.
The Master of the Swamp's body was a mix of blue and green, and its unsightly appearance was enough to kill anyone's appetite.
Not wanting to let the Master of the Swamp continue its tantrum, Law condensed a marble-sized Nen Bullet and flicked it with his finger. The bullet pierced the Master of the Swamp's head, and its body instantly went still.
Stepping forward, Law touched the dead Master of the Swamp, and the White Smoke Font immediately provided information about it.
"Grade-C."
Law felt a bit disappointed. Grade-C ingredients offered him no benefit at all. At the very least, he needed Grade-B ingredients to see even the slightest improvement.
The Master of the Swamp's ugly appearance had already dampened his appetite, and now, learning it was only Grade-C ingredient, he completely lost interest.
"Hurry up, I want to eat beggar fish!"
Kuro paced back and forth, his gluttonous nature flaring up, his impatience growing.
Seeing Kuro's eager anticipation, Law swallowed back the suggestion of letting him eat it as sashimi. Considering Kuro had endured the ordeal of having his tail set on fire earlier, he decided to reward him.
With that in mind, Law immediately began preparing the Master of the Swamp.
Cleaning, dismantling, removing the shell, and extracting the most tender parts.
Using his Nen Ability, he perfectly infused the meat with seasonings. He then gathered a few wild fruits from nearby, preparing all the necessary accompaniments.
After that, he wrapped everything tightly in a large lotus leaf, dug a pit, and started a fire.
To speed up the burning process, Law expanded his Domain, compressing and injecting oxygen into the pit. The flames roared to life instantly.
Soon, the firewood burned out. Law placed the lotus-wrapped fish into the pit, covered it with soil, and waited fifteen minutes before digging out the steaming-hot bundle.
Kuro stared at the golden-brown lotus leaf bundle, drooling.
Law placed the bundle, which is about the size of a millstone, on the ground and began peeling it open layer by layer, like an onion. The aroma grew from faint to rich, spreading in all directions.
When he reached the final layer, tender white fish meat lay atop a bed of wild fruits, with a clear broth seeping beneath.
Gone were the Master of the Swamp's head, hook-like legs, and shell… only pure fish meat remained.
Paired with the fruity fragrance, it actually revived Law's previously ruined appetite.
Kuro, however, couldn't wait any longer and lunged forward, only to be swatted away by Law.
"No manners."
Law raised a finger, cut off a small piece for himself, and tasted it. The texture was tender and smooth, and the flavor was surprisingly good… not inferior to Grade-B ingredients, even approaching Grade-A.
After quickly swallowing the first bite, Law couldn't resist cutting another piece and chewing it slowly.
Meanwhile, Kuro rushed over, his face full of indignation.
Law glanced at him and divided the fish on the lotus leaf into two equal portions. "Old rules… half each."
Kuro didn't argue, grabbing his half and devouring it in huge bites, his muffled noises full of satisfaction.
While Kuro wolfed his portion down, Law ate only a little before stopping. He rewrapped the remaining fish in the lotus leaf.
Noticing this, Kuro stuffed the last of his share into his mouth, chewed quickly, and swallowed in one gulp before asking, "For the brat?"
"Yeah."
Law responded, picking up the wrapped fish and the fishing rod as he headed toward Whale Island's village.
Kuro followed and remarked, "You're really generous when it comes to people and things."
"The true meaning of good food lies in sharing." Law glanced at Kuro.
"Tch." Kuro scoffed, "I've never seen you be that generous with me even once."
"Really? No?" Law retorted.
"Was there?" Kuro glared.
Law thought for a moment, then peeled off a ping-pong-ball-sized piece of fish from the lotus bundle and tossed it at Kuro.
Kuro caught the tiny morsel, his face twitching.
He fell silent for a second, almost ready to fling it back in a show of pride, 'I won't take scraps!', but quickly reconsidered.
With the mindset that even a mosquito's leg is still meat, he stuffed the fish into his mouth.
"So generous." He said sourly after swallowing.
"You flatter me." Law replied humbly.
The two soon left the forest and entered the village on the plains.
Law stopped beside a road marker stone in the village, waiting for Gon to arrive.
Twenty minutes later, a figure came sprinting toward the marker… Gon.
He dashed all the way without stopping, panting heavily by the time he reached Law.
"Here."
Law handed the still-warm lotus bundle to Gon.
Gon took it, sniffed lightly, and gasped, "It smells amazing! What is it?"
"Special fish I made. Take it back for dinner." Law said.
"Thank you, Boss Law." Gon blinked, drool already leaking from the corner of his mouth. His stomach had long been conquered by Law's grilled fish.
"Go on back before Mito scolds you again." Law said, ruffling Gon's hair.
Gon glanced back toward home, then toward the distant forest, reluctance flashing across his face. Hesitantly, he said, "Then... I'll go."
"Yeah. I'll teach you more fishing in a couple of days." Law said with a smile.
Gon's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said happily, "It's a deal!"
…
The sun set, and night fell.
Gon placed the fish Law had given him on the dinner table, drawing the attention of Mito and Grandma Bertha… Mito and Ging's grandmother, Gon's great-grandmother.
"What's this?"
Mito set out the bowls and chopsticks, eyeing the lotus bundle the size of a washbasin, its enticing aroma filling the air.
"Really delicious fish!" Gon answered.
Mito frowned and asked, "Who gave it to you?"
She knew Gon inside out and knew there was no way he could've made this himself.
Gon hesitated under Mito's intense stare before mumbling, "Boss Law."
Hearing this, Mito's expression darkened, "The one who took you into the forest?"
Gon shrank like a kid caught misbehaving, keeping his head down.
Seeing his silence, Mito grabbed the lotus bundle, ready to toss it into the trash outside.
At this time, Bertha stopped Mito and said, "It smells wonderful. You can tell it was made with care… how can we waste it?"
"It might be poisoned." Mito said threateningly.
Bertha sighed, shook her head, and took the bundle from Mito, placing it back on the table.
Gon peeked up, relieved to see the fish returned, then cautiously watched Mito.
Bertha unfolded the lotus leaf, releasing the full aroma of the fish, which quickly filled the room.
The rich, mouthwatering scent made Mito's eyes flicker with surprise.
Bertha picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the still-warm fish, and chewed slowly. Her slightly drooping eyelids lifted, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to soften.
"Mito, try it."
Mitt looked at Bertha's expression and wondered, 'Is it really that good?
She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece, and froze the moment it touched her tongue.
'It's so delicious!'
She couldn't resist taking another bite. The tangy fruitiness blended perfectly with unknown spices, the flavors seeping through the tender fish into her taste buds.
Despite having eaten countless types of fish in her life, she'd never tasted anything like this.
The quality of the fish itself was excellent, but the cooking technique was what made it truly exceptional.
Gon watched Mito and Bertha's reactions, thinking, 'Maybe next time I bring Boss Law over, Aunt Mito won't chase him with a kitchen knife?'
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Law sipped mushroom soup, completely unaware that the fish he'd given Gon had just won over Mito's stomach.