Chapter 5: Battle with the Salt-Eating Sharks (Part 1)
"Alright! Tools ready? Let's go down…" Uncle Kate's booming voice rang out just as loud as ever.
"All ready!" the hunting team members responded in unison.
"Then let's move out."
Uncle Kate and the hunting team secured their ropes to specially fixed stone pillars. With one hand gripping the vine baskets and the other holding their fishbone spears, they rappelled straight down the cliff wall.
Soon, the hunting team reached the bottom of the island. Below the island was a shallow sea area, only about one meter deep, without any rocky footing.
The shallow seabed extended outward in a graceful arc. From the island's edge, the sea depth only increased by ten meters over a span of ten kilometers. In other words, the water was about eleven meters deep ten kilometers out.
But past that point, the seabed dropped off suddenly into a cliff plunging tens of thousands of meters deep, home to countless giant Sea Kings.
Luckily, the sea salt was distributed across the seabed within the ten-kilometer radius—otherwise, things would be far more dangerous.
This sea salt was formed from water expelled by the divine tree's desalination process. Over time, it gathered into blocks of rock salt scattered across the ocean floor.
All the team needed to do now was dive in and collect the salt blocks—but it wasn't completely safe…
Dark green seaweed covered the salt blocks and sand on the ocean floor, making the sea around Ring Tree Island appear inky green. It gave off an eerie feeling, but the hunting team was clearly used to it. Gripping their tools tightly, they entered the water in pairs, alert and prepared.
They swam toward waters six meters deep. The deeper the seabed, the more concentrated the salt, and the easier it was to extract.
But deeper also meant more danger.
Brother RyAnne and the island youth watched the dark green waters below nervously, as though something terrifying was lurking beneath the surface.
Luo Han stared too. Though most of the hunting team were family members of the children watching from above, everyone on the island had taken care of him like family over the years. He already saw them all as kin.
Each pair of hunting team members worked in tandem—one to mine salt, the other to keep watch. Once the vine baskets were full, Luo Han and the others on the cliff would haul them up by rope. Then they'd switch roles—mining and guarding.
Time passed slowly in the tense atmosphere.
Most of the team had already taken turns. Only Uncle Kate remained at the forefront, floating just above the water's surface, his gaze intensely focused below.
It was as if his eyes could pierce through to the ocean floor.
They're coming, huh? He narrowed his eyes. Quite a few of them. Uncle Kate's expression grew more serious.
"Hey! Bastards! The little fish are coming—don't let those beasts near the mining teams!" Uncle Kate's voice roared across the sea.
At that moment, the team members steeled themselves, standing ready.
Although Luo Han and the others on the island couldn't see what was happening underwater, the sudden shift in the hunting team's stance made them focus their attention on the distant sea.
The group on the cliff wasn't just hauling salt—they also served as lookouts.
"Not good! Salt-Eating Sharks incoming! Uncles, be careful!" someone shouted from the side.
Salt-Eating Sharks were known for their craving for salt, which is how the islanders had named them.
Every time the hunting team harvested sea salt, they faced attacks from these sharks—sometimes few, sometimes many.
Judging by the current situation, this didn't seem like a massive swarm. The team should be able to handle it.
Luo Han thought to himself.
In the distance, a sharp, arrow-shaped ripple cut through the sea, racing toward the hunters.
"Pull the ropes! Warn the team!" Brother Ryan shouted. Though the hunters had likely already noticed the sharks, he still gave the command for good measure.
Luo Han quickly yanked on the rope connected to the team below.
Tugging the rope served as an emergency signal—danger incoming.
Looking along the line, a large group of Salt-Eating Sharks was speeding toward the hunters at the front.
These sharks were about the same size as great whites on Earth—three to four meters long. Not especially big, but far more vicious and bloodthirsty. Their dark green coloring made them nearly invisible in the green waters. Only those watching from above could spot them as they moved.
Thanks to the warnings from Luo Han, Cole, and the others, the hunters mining below began surfacing.
They grouped up in pairs, quickly forming an arrowhead formation aimed directly at the oncoming shark swarm.
Clearly, the hunting team had already noticed the threat.
Facing the sharks, the team members gripped their spears and began slowly retreating. Uncle Kate remained at the rear of the formation, overseeing everything.
"Everyone, stay in pairs and cover each other!" he called, eyes locked on the eerily calm surface.
"They're here! Thirty on my right—direct attack!"
"Another thirty on the left, including one that's six meters long! Close ranks and attack together!"
Uncle Kate gave sharp, precise instructions.
On the right, the hunters tensed their arms, pulling back with fishbone spears four meters long. Veins as thick as middle fingers bulged on their forearms like compressed springs. The moment the sharks got close—they struck.
In a flash, invisible ripples blasted toward the shark swarm.
BOOM!!!
The explosive force of the spears hitting the water created shockwaves, the sound of compressed air bursting outward. It was like the sharks had hit an invisible iron wall—they scattered back.
The closest sharks now had shallow cuts across their bodies. Clearly, the focused strikes hadn't done fatal damage.
Boom… splatter…
The left side was also pushed back. The six-meter-long shark there was slashed clean in two by Uncle Kate's spear. A burst of bright red blood spilled into the sea.
The remaining sharks quickly swam toward deeper waters, clearly frightened.
Cheers erupted from the island!
Chubby Cole and the others jumped and waved excitedly, as if they'd personally scared the sharks away.
Only Luo Han and Brother Ryan didn't cheer—because the shark swarm didn't scatter randomly. Instead, they all swam in the same direction—fast.
Something over there was controlling them, keeping them from fleeing in fear. It had to be the king of the Salt-Eating Sharks.
Out at sea, the sharks hovered about a kilometer away—still watching.
Suddenly, Uncle Kate's eyes narrowed. So big! At least ten meters long. And just now… even my Observation Haki didn't sense it. Such a terrifying ability to mask its presence… he thought grimly.
This was bad.
"We're done for today! Everyone, return immediately!" Uncle Kate ordered.
(END CHAPTER)
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