"Tsk..."
"It's a Sea King, so why does it look like a sheep?"
"I wonder if it'll taste like mutton when we eat it?"
Sean couldn't help but complain as he watched the clawing, snapping Sea King lunging toward him.
The Sea King species were truly bizarre; it was as if every single single one of them belonged to a different species entirely. Based on their physical characteristics alone, it was impossible to view them as the same kind of creature.
Slowly drawing Hekireki from his waist, Sean didn't even bother to use Shikai. With a casual flick of his wrist, several streaks of blue light slashed through the air.
In the next instant, the massive, charging body of the Sea King came to a dead stop. The light of life quickly faded from its eyes. A few seconds later, the hundred-meter-tall section of its body that had been breaching the surface crashed back down, sending a wall of water dozens of meters into the air.
'He's gotten even stronger!'
That was Lucci's immediate thought after witnessing the scene. While Lucci could also easily kill a Sea King of that size, he couldn't achieve that same sense of effortless grace that Sean possessed.
"Lucci, tell the navigator to shut down the warship's auxiliary power rotors. At the same time, send a squad to reinstall the Seastone!"
"Move quickly. If more Sea Kings swarm us, things will get troublesome!"
Nodding, Lucci immediately ordered the Marines to carry out the task. However, he was still somewhat confused.
"Commodore, even if more Sea Kings surround us, it shouldn't be a problem. I can—"
"You can handle them easily, right?"
Lucci nodded. Seeing Sean so urgent, he truly didn't understand. Even if a few more Sea Kings appeared, Lucci could dispose of them effortlessly, even without Sean's help. He wouldn't give them a chance to damage the ship or the Marines on board.
"Lucci, you can indeed handle them easily, but if you just kill them, we can't take the meat with us..."
"Even with this one, we can only take a portion."
"Now, here is the interesting question: what happens to the parts we can't take?"
This was something Lucci had never considered. However, the answer wasn't hard to guess.
"They would likely be eaten by other Sea Kings?"
"Exactly. The number of Sea Kings isn't infinite. I plan to hunt them frequently in the future and bring the meat back to the 16th Branch to improve the diet of all the Marines. After all, this meat is highly nutritious. For those who train, it's an absolute tonic."
"Does the Commodore mean we should avoid waste?"
"Precisely. Killing a few Sea Kings isn't hard, but if you kill them and can't take the meat, you're just giving a free meal to other Sea Kings. So, why bother killing them?"
When put that way, it actually made sense. Lucci nodded, beginning to understand Sean's logic.
Meanwhile, Sean shifted his attention back to the Sea King floating near the warship.
'System, start today's settlement. Target: the Sea King I just killed. For the multiplier project, I choose Quality. Begin!'
[Settlement project confirmed. Determining Random Multiplier...]
[Ding! The multiplier is 68. Multiplier Applied.]
'Hmm, while it's not a massive multiplier, it's certainly not low. It looks like the meat from this Sea King will be quite effective!'
"Report! The Seastone at the bottom of the hull has been reinstalled!"
Just as Sean finished the settlement, a Captain ran up to the foredeck to report.
"Good. Have everyone come help butcher this Sea King. Take as much as we can carry—don't let any of it go to waste!"
"Yes, Commodore!" the Captain answered excitedly.
He was finally going to get to eat Sea King meat. Once he returned to Headquarters, he'd have something to brag about to his colleagues for years.
That said, butchering a Sea King three hundred meters in length was a grueling physical task, even for people in the world of pirates. Over a hundred Marines jumped onto the creature's carcass, working tirelessly for three hours before they finally had to stop.
They didn't stop because they were finished, but because the warship was full. There were piles of meat stacked all over the deck; it was absurd. If another ship were to pass by right now, they wouldn't think it was a warship—they'd think it was a cargo ship.
Looking at the vast amount of meat they had to leave behind, Sean felt his heart bleed. He wondered which lucky Sea King would get to feast on the leftovers.
He didn't know it yet, but because he left that meat behind, a hegemon-class Sea King would eventually emerge in the Calm Belt...
Of course, that was a story for another time.
Currently, the warship was filled with laughter and joy. Under Sean's orders, the two chefs had pushed themselves to the limit. Various types of sashimi were just the appetizers; they followed with "Eighteen Ways to Prepare Sea King," serving dish after dish.
While there was plenty of variety, the actual flavor was... rather ordinary. Fortunately, the meat itself was so delicious that it masked the chefs' lack of skill.
'It looks like finding a proper chef needs to be moved up on my priority list...'
Regardless, everyone ate their fill. However, after the meal, Lucci noticed something.
"Commodore, is there something wrong with this Sea King's meat?"
"What do you mean?"
"After this meal, I feel as though my Doriki has increased by at least ten points."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I am very sensitive to my own Doriki!"
Sean hissed. He knew that with the quality increased 68-fold, the nutritional value would be off the charts, but this was exaggerated. Ten points of Doriki from a single meal? Was this an immortal's elixir?
"Lucci, you know the Six Powers Art: Te-awase, right?"
"I'm not as proficient as some of my colleagues, since it's not a combat skill, but I do know it. Though compared to their precision, I might have a margin of error of plus or minus one point."
"Great. You few, come over here!" Sean nodded and called out to several Marines who were lying on the deck with round, full bellies.
"Yes, Commodore!"
"Tell me, what was your last recorded Doriki before leaving Headquarters?"
"14!"
"18!"
"15!"
"49!"
"17!"
The five of them reported in quick succession. Sean nodded. Generally, the average Doriki for an ordinary Marine was around 10, while the elite Marines at Headquarters fell within the 10 to 20 range. As for the one with 49, he was one of the men Lucci had requested from Zephyr at the Elite Training Camp.
"Lucci, I'll leave the rest to you!"
"Understood!"
Lucci knew exactly what Sean wanted him to do.
"Six Powers Art: Te-awase!"
The Human Doriki Tester
Lucci immediately took his stance, effectively becoming a human Doriki tester.
"Just treat Lucci as your testing equipment," Sean commanded. "Take turns stepping up and check your current Doriki levels!"
"Uh..."
"Stop hesitating! Lucci is using a specialized technique from the Six Powers designed specifically for measuring Doriki. Back before the Marines had actual testing machines, this was how it was done!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
The five of them quickly stepped forward one after another. The final results left Sean thoroughly surprised. While their gains weren't as massive as Lucci's, every single one of them had seen an increase in their Doriki—some by two or three points, others by as many as five or six.
After just one meal? This was absurd!
"Lucci, I have a very important mission for you!"
"What is it, sir?"
At the mention of a "mission," Lucci immediately straightened up, his expression turning solemn. He placed an extraordinary amount of importance on his orders.
"Once we arrive at the 16th Branch, I'll ask old man Sengoku for a proper Doriki testing machine. Until then, you are responsible for testing every marine and keeping a detailed record. Remember, you are to conduct a round of tests after every single meal!"
Sean continued, "I need to determine if this is just a first-time boost or if the effects are sustainable. Furthermore, we have enough meat to feed the 16th Branch for two months, but due to storage limitations, most of it will have to be cured into jerky. Consequently, you'll also need to track whether the jerky provides the same results as the fresh meat. Is that clear?"
Lucci was quite surprised to find himself cast as both a human testing tool and a data clerk. But to him, a mission was a mission. Regardless of the nature of the work, he would execute it to perfection.
"Yes, Commodore!"