Chapter 24: The Origin of Ring Tree Island (Part 2)
"And from that point on, there were no more Sea Kings in the surrounding waters, and people began to settle peacefully on Ring Tree Island!"
Everyone listened in amazement, marveling at the divine tree's wisdom and power. None of them had ever expected that their ancestors came here by accident—stranded after a storm.
Until now, most had simply assumed their families had always lived here. They never imagined that Ring Tree Island itself was created by a great tree struggling to survive.
Luo Han felt deeply moved. Even a tree could possess such a fierce will to survive and grow stronger.
How could he, a human, not fight on in this harsh world and strive to grow as well?
"But doesn't that mean there's no meat to eat anymore?" Cole asked from the sky, confused. "If all the fish left, and we only eat the divine tree's fish cake powder… wouldn't that be awful?!"
Uncle Kate burst out laughing.
"That's why I say the divine tree is wise. Using its roots, it dug out several underground tunnels hundreds of meters wide, deep beneath the seabed.
These tunnels exit far from the island. Every time the Fish Scale Fruit ripens, the scent flows through the tunnels, drawing deep-sea fish toward Ring Tree Island.
Large Sea Kings might destroy distant seabeds, but they can't reach the divine tree itself anymore.
As the fish approach and the salinity in the water decreases, they lose strength. The scent of the Fish Scale Fruit drives them mad with desire.
By the time they reach Ring Tree Island, they're too weak to move and float powerlessly on the lake's surface."
So that's why the Fish Scale Fruit Festival is also called the Harvest Festival, everyone thought in unison.
"It's said that in the early days, when the divine tree first surfaced, its growth was slow, and some Sea Kings did attack.
But those who were stranded on the island—our ancestors—fought them off.
The divine tree, in gratitude and to keep them close, spent years creating tunnels to draw fish here.
With a steady food source, the settlers made Ring Tree Island their home."
"Is that how the Rainbowfish got here too?" Ryan asked. Everyone was curious—they were freshwater fish, after all.
"Rainbowfish weren't always called that. No one remembers their original name.
They're a rare type of fish that can survive in both salt and freshwater. They were drawn here by the divine tree, unaffected by the fresh water.
In the beginning, catching them was a struggle. They were fast and plentiful, and we tried for years without success.
Eventually, they settled near the lake bottom and were treated as a common food source.
Later, we discovered they fed on the old bark of the divine tree's roots—and that this actually stimulated the tree's growth.
So people stopped catching them. Helping the divine tree grow was a benefit to everyone on the island.
But Rainbowfish are lazy. If left alone, they'll stay in one spot and eat until nothing's left—even the living roots themselves.
That's why we now assign people daily to drive them toward the old bark areas.
And over time, the fish that ate enough divine bark began to glow—literally. Their scales, flesh, and bones emitted rainbow-colored light.
They also fully adapted to fresh water. Once removed from it, they'd die within ten breaths."
"Eventually, people realized the Fish Scale Fruit transformed the body, and Rainbowfish replenished energy.
That's how Ring Tree Island and its people managed to survive and thrive."
…
After a long silence, everyone looked toward the divine tree with newfound respect.
To them now, it wasn't just a tree that provided food—it was a partner, fighting beside them.
Kate saw their changed expressions and smiled warmly. Growing up on such a miraculous island, wasn't it only right to protect it?
He glanced over at Luo Han and Cole. The future of Ring Tree Island rested in their hands now.
"Captain, what about the Salt-Eating Sharks?" a hunter asked from another ark.
Everyone perked up. Come to think of it, why were Salt-Eating Sharks the only creatures around the island?
Could it be that they also fed on the divine tree's roots, gaining the ability to survive in salt-rich water?
"Salt-Eating Sharks were drawn by the salt the divine tree expelled.
Because of the tree's desalination, a large amount of salt accumulates around the island.
The sharks treat this place as their nest. When they're not out hunting Sea Kings in the deep sea, they're beneath the island.
That's why we're attacked during salt collection—it's like we're stealing their food."
By now, the arks had reached an area about 30 km from the island.
Luo Han's extended Divine Sense picked up several large Sea Kings hidden deep in the ocean about 10 km away.
"We're almost at the boundary between the high-salinity zone and regular seawater.
Stay within 1,000 meters of each other. If you spot any Sea Kings, alert me immediately," Uncle Kate instructed.
The arks drifted slowly into the patrol zone.
"Uncle Kate, if there are no Sea Kings in the nearby waters, how are we supposed to hunt them? I thought that was today's goal…" Luo Han asked, confused. Wasn't this supposed to be a hunting mission?
"Yeah! No Sea Kings means no meat!" Cole chimed in. As usual, food was his only concern.
"Don't assume patrols are easy," a nearby hunter—about the same age as Ryan—warned. "One wrong move out here, and you could die instantly. This isn't like fighting Salt-Eating Sharks."
"Jack's right," Ryan added. "Even though the surrounding waters are high in salinity, in the past ten years, Sea Kings have been spotted near the boundary often.
Probably the same ones that attacked the divine tree before. Big Sea Kings are intelligent."
"Then why don't they approach Ring Tree Island?" Luo Han asked, nervous at the thought of enormous Sea Kings lurking nearby.
"Uncle Witt and I think it's because the divine tree has stabilized. Now, the Fish Scale Fruits only ripen every four years.
Sea Kings with intelligence come through those deep tunnels, but without the scent triggering their frenzy, they stop at the boundary."
"They seem to hate the highly saline water. It keeps them from getting closer."
Kate shared their theory—it was the only thing that made sense.
"That's a relief. If they got any closer, Ring Tree Island wouldn't stand a chance," Luo Han said, visibly relaxing. The others did too.
"Haha, but even so, instinct sometimes pushes a few Sea Kings across the boundary.
That's why we patrol—to stop them before they get close."
Seeing Luo Han tense up again, Kate added:
"Don't worry. It's almost like the divine tree's salt is specifically designed to repel Sea Kings.
The bigger they are, the more it affects them. Entering the salt zone is like a Devil Fruit user touching seastone.
They go limp—though not completely. They can still move slowly."
"So if we can't drive them off… we do this."
Kate reached into a pouch and pulled out a handful of fine white salt. He tossed it into the sea.
"This high-purity salt attracts Salt-Eating Sharks. They'll come feast on the weakened Sea Kings.
Facing death, the Sea Kings will either retreat—or get eaten."
"But the blood might attract even more Sea Kings—possibly driving them mad.
Only the Salt-Eating Sharks can calm them down. They're deep-sea predators of Sea Kings—like ants on land.
In large numbers, even a lion becomes the hunted."
Luo Han hadn't realized that Salt-Eating Sharks hunted Sea Kings in the deep sea.
That meant there were probably a lot of them under Ring Tree Island…
"All right! Even though we can handle it, be cautious.
When Sea Kings enter the salt zone, they often surface first—then dive again.
During that moment, they'll devour anything in sight. If you're swallowed, your odds of survival drop to almost zero.
And if you fall in the water, beware the feeding sharks."
Kate's tone turned serious.
After that, Luo Han and Cole followed him on patrol.
Nothing unusual happened, and by evening, they returned safely to Ring Tree Island.
Their first Sea King hunting trip ended perfectly—though if not for Uncle Kate's incredible story, the afternoon would've been kind of boring.
Sigh… Luo Han thought. He had hoped to see Uncle Kate's Giant Kingdom secret technique again—Elbaf's mighty "Hakoku ."
Maybe next time…
(END CHAPTER)
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