Chapter 6: Battle with the Salt-Eating Sharks (Part 2)
The team members responded in low voices, slowly swimming backward. Uncle Kate stayed at the rear, covering their retreat while using Observation Haki to monitor the movement of the Salt-Eating Sharks.
Almost as soon as the hunting team began retreating, massive waves surged toward them—much larger than before. It seemed the earlier attack had only been a probe.
The Salt-Eating Shark King had realized its tasty prey was trying to escape.
It split the shark swarm into two groups, directing them around Uncle Kate, aiming to cut off the retreat and encircle the hunting team.
So it really is that Salt-Eating Shark King giving orders! Uncle Kate thought grimly.
"Not enough time! Fall back to me! Now!!" he shouted.
By now, the shark swarm was less than ten meters away.
Uncle Kate's eyes sharpened. He turned his body, raised his right hand, and gripped his spear tightly—then struck out with more than a dozen rapid thrusts.
Invisible shockwaves exploded from the tips of his spear, crashing into the oncoming sharks on the right.
Blood and flesh burst into the sea as blood dyed the waters red.
The shark swarm paused, then charged madly toward Uncle Kate.
A faint grin tugged at his lips. Beasts will be beasts. I'll deal with this side first, he thought.
…
But trouble struck on the left. As Uncle Kate attacked the right-side sharks, the group on the left suddenly lunged at the retreating hunting team.
There were too many of them. In just an instant, the team couldn't hold the line. One of the men was even bitten and lost a leg.
Other members suffered injuries as well.
With that delay, the right-side sharks also closed in. The situation quickly devolved into chaos. The hunters regrouped around Uncle Kate, giving the sharks no openings.
The Salt-Eating Sharks charged in frenzied waves. The hunters' spears clashed against the sharks' gaping maws in a flurry of violent impacts.
Even from the island, two hundred meters above, Luo Han could clearly see the white bursts of energy erupting from the collisions.
Brother Ryan watched anxiously, eyes full of worry.
Cole and the younger children paled when they saw one hunter's leg bitten clean off.
No one said a word—they just bit their lips, staring hard at the brutal scene below.
Another spear thrust—another shockwave exploded toward a shark. Splat!—blood spilled.
Uncle Kate's attack saved a team member who had nearly lost his head.
He glanced around. But there were too many. Even more Salt-Eating Sharks were swimming toward them from the distance, likely summoned by the Shark King.
Staring at the motionless Shark King lurking in the distance, Uncle Kate knew this couldn't go on. His team wouldn't last. He had to kill the Shark King in a single strike. Otherwise, with its intelligence, it wouldn't give him another chance.
Closing his eyes, Uncle Kate made his decision.
A pulse shook the air—Luo Han flinched. Below, the sharks suddenly stopped moving. Something had terrified them. No matter how the Shark King roared, they didn't move.
Ripples of energy burst outward from Uncle Kate's bloodstained form, spreading through the sea.
Gripping his spear tightly, Uncle Kate took a battle stance—his right hand drawn back, spear clutched tight. A powerful aura erupted from him, arcs of lightning crackling in the air.
It was a phenomenon known as "void lightning," caused by intense energy so dense it physically rubbed against the air and sparked.
Seeing this side of Uncle Kate, Luo Han was stunned. And this man didn't even have Conqueror's Haki! If he did… just how strong would he be?
No wonder Conqueror's Haki could make the weak faint.
The scene shifted back…
Uncle Kate, now fully charged, calmly locked eyes on the distant Shark King.
The beast sensed something was wrong.
Its primal instinct told it to flee—but its intelligence hesitated.
Uncle Kate didn't hesitate.
He unleashed his finishing move in a single breath.
BOOM…
A sonic boom roared through the air as a blinding white current shot straight toward the Shark King. The fear in its eyes reflected the oncoming death.
The white current pierced through the Shark King and shot deep into the ocean.
It carved a river-like trench across the surface, stretching for over ten kilometers.
Splash! Splash!
With the Shark King dead, the swarm scattered in terror. The sea returned to stillness.
The hunters stood frozen, mouths agape as they stared at the white "river" stretching into the sea. Even after ten seconds, they remained stunned by the sheer force of that single blow.
"Enough already! Stop standing there like idiots! Get back! Somebody stop Ette from bleeding out—he's already lost a leg!" Uncle Kate's voice rang out, his body swaying slightly but holding firm.
Hurry up and get back. What, waiting for another shark attack? I only had one shot left. If they come again, I won't be able to stop them… Uncle Kate thought to himself, silently cursing.
With renewed admiration for their captain, the hunting team swam back quickly, then climbed the ropes back up to the island.
Luo Han, Cole, and the others finally snapped out of it, clinging to the stone pillars as they watched the hunters return—especially Uncle Kate.
Soon, the team was back on land.
"Dad! Ah… ah… Dad…" Twelve-year-old Philo cried as he hugged Uncle Ette's one remaining leg, his voice choking with sobs.
"It's okay. I'll be able to spend more time with you now," Ette said, patting his son's head with a smile—one filled with regret, but also relief.
Philo just cried harder, clinging to his father.
"Someone help Ette dress his wounds!" Uncle Kate ordered.
The hunters nearby quickly took out herbs and bandages to tend to the wound.
Watching all of this, Luo Han felt a pang in his heart. At the same time, his desire for strength burned even brighter. As the saying goes—"You never know which will come first, tomorrow or an accident." Only overwhelming power can allow you to calmly face the unexpected.
Uncle Kate glanced at Luo Han thoughtfully. Then he shook his head and began giving orders: wounded team members should rest, and the rest were to deliver the harvested salt back to the islanders.
…
On the way back…
Luo Han and Cole didn't speak. What they had seen today needed time to process.
Soon, they reached their homes. Luo Han said goodbye to Cole and stepped inside.
Granny Mo wasn't home. She was probably at the divine tree plaza collecting resin.
Luo Han returned to his sleeping chamber and lay down on the stone bed.
He replayed the earlier scene in his mind—that blinding white river slash still vivid in his memory.
It was as if it were happening again before his eyes.
It had to be that move—a fully charged strike that erased everything in its path.
(END CHAPTER)
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