The fish were small, even on the smaller side. Their heads were pink, with a ring of orange "fur" around the gills and yellow scales covering the rest of their bodies.
It was odd, fish with fur? The thick strands around the gills made them look a bit like lions at first glance. Larry recognized these fish from the anime opening; according to the narrator, they were considered "rare animals."
After getting a good look, Knuckle's expression darkened and his fists clenched without him realizing it. "Those are yellow lionfish, very dangerous fish," he said.
As Morel's apprentice and a hunter of beasts and sea creatures, Knuckle knew a lot about rare fish. Unlike most beast hunters who were mainly interested in discovering new species, Knuckle's motivation was different: he had a deep bond with animals and wanted to find stronger creatures. Fierce fish like the yellow lionfish naturally caught his attention.
"Individually, they're not strong, actually, quite weak," he explained. "But they have a special ability: the bigger their school, the stronger they become." That's why yellow lionfish always travel in large groups, appearing as a powerful school of fish.
After Knuckle gave a brief introduction, most of the group got a general idea of the kind of fish they were about to face. Everyone seemed to understand, except for Larry, who grew thoughtful. He couldn't help but notice how much the yellow lionfish resembled the "Wishiwashi" from Pokémon.
In Pokémon, the Wishiwashi is described as individually very weak, but when they band together, their combined power can rival that of a sea monster. This closely mirrored the yellow lionfish's special ability.
As Knuckle explained, "The bigger the school, the stronger they are. And this school we're facing now? It's unusually huge." He stared at the massive group of yellow lionfish closing in, a flicker of fear crossing his usually fierce face.
Facing such a force head-on would be nearly impossible, it was better to avoid them if possible. But the yellow lionfish moved quickly, and changing course wasn't an option anymore.
Just then, Larry suddenly turned to the other side and noticed strange fish leaping out of the water and falling back down. They were getting closer to the ship with every jump.
These fish looked even weirder than the yellow lionfish, long and slender, with thick heads and tails but an extremely thin middle section. Their tails resembled arrow feathers, making the whole fish look like a living arrow.
These were arrowfish, which propel themselves forward by stretching their bodies and flying through the air like arrows. Knuckle admitted he'd never seen fish like these before but could tell they weren't weak.
On the ship's left and right sides, two large schools of fish were closing in simultaneously. It was hard to say if this was good luck or bad luck.
Since avoiding the confrontation was no longer possible, Morel stepped forward, gripping a large pipe confidently. "If we can't escape, then we fight!" he declared.
Morel was known for facing challenges calmly and confidently, making smart decisions under pressure. As he once said, "Victory and defeat are part of any battle. Facing it with absolute confidence and determination, that's what fighting with telekinesis is all about." It was exactly because of his steady nature, impressive strength, and sharp mind that Morel became the new president of the Hunter Association in the original story.
"Yeah, being scared without even seeing the fog would be pretty unreasonable," Cluck said calmly.
Faced with these dangers, they could easily ask Larry for help, and the problem would be solved in no time. But as hunters, they weren't the type to rely on others when trouble came.
Cluck nodded slightly, and a surge of pure telekinetic energy flowed from her body, making the feathers on her arms flutter wildly. This time, her use of telekinesis was different from before, she wasn't just controlling weak white pigeons that served as scouts.
Instead, she spread her fingers, palm facing upward, and gathered pure aura in her hand. The invisible energy shifted visibly, rapidly expanding from a small orb into massive, powerful seagulls.
These birds were a manifestation of her aura. In truth, Cluck's ability fell under the Emission category, and she specialized in shaping her aura into various bird forms.
Since Manipulation is closely related to Emission, she developed a technique that allowed her to manipulate her birds with less aura, conserving energy while still summoning powerful avian allies.
Controlling birds is one thing, but creating them out of thin air naturally takes more aura, so Cluck reserves this ability for battle situations.
Depending on the scenario, she carefully chooses which bird to use. For example, when attacking fish, seagulls are the obvious choice. In an instant, lifelike seagulls appeared from her hands.
These newly formed birds flapped their wings like arrows, sharply focused on their target, the school of yellow lionfish. Although the number of seagulls was small compared to the large school of lionfish, this smaller group allowed Cluck to maintain precise control.
The yellow lionfish are strong when grouped together, but there are always lone individuals scattered around. In one-on-one encounters, a yellow lionfish simply can't match a seagull. The seagulls' slender beaks gleamed with a cold, piercing light, as if capable of piercing steel with a single peck. Each strike could take down one or more fish at a time.
Watching Cluck's attack on the yellow lionfish, Morel shifted his focus to the swordfish rapidly approaching. Suddenly, he raised his big pipe to his mouth, took a deep drag, and blew out a steady stream of smoke.
Morel's telekinesis ability belongs to the manipulation system, allowing him to control the smoke he exhales in various forms. He could shape the smoke into a rabbit for scouting or into a human figure for attacking.
The smoke even has a mimicry effect, capable of confusing opponents by imitating other people. Thanks to his love for the ocean, Morel developed exceptional lung capacity, enabling him to release a large volume of smoke at once.
The white smoke swayed gently in the underwater breeze but didn't disperse; instead, it quickly solidified into human-shaped figures. Each figure looked similar, somewhat like ninjas, these were the Purple Smoke Machine Troop.
As he continued exhaling, fifty of these smoke soldiers appeared around him in the bLarry of an eye. Being surrounded by them gave a strange sense of security.
Though he could summon up to 216, Morel preferred controlling about fifty at once for precision. Complex commands were beyond their capability, so fifty was the perfect balance. Facing the swift swordfish, he knew creating more would compromise his control, so he stuck to that number.
Because their bodies are made of smoke, the Purple Smoke Troopers are surprisingly light. Standing on the boat, they leap with great force to get close to the arrow fish.