Just as Jiang Hai was wondering what was happening, a massive figure suddenly swam swiftly toward him from the distance. When Jiang Hai glanced over, a smile curled on his lips—he knew exactly what it was.
When Dasha's scarred, hideously ugly face appeared before him, Jiang Hai swam closer. Recognizing him, Dasha's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
Jiang Hai swam upward, settled onto Dasha's broad back, gripped its dorsal fin, and gave it a few gentle pats. It had been quite some time since he last saw his old companion.
Sensing Jiang Hai's presence, Dasha spun in circles, clearly thrilled.
"You've been guarding this sea area. How are you doing?" Jiang Hai asked with a smile.
Dasha was perhaps Jiang Hai's closest pet, second only to Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, and Ban Ya. Jiujiu, since learning to fly, had become somewhat aloof—gone all day, returning only at night. But that was fine. After all, it was America's national bird, so no one dared trouble it. Jiang Hai had learned to take it easy.
Among his pets, Dasha had undergone the most dramatic transformation. When Jiang Hai first caught it, it was just an ordinary sand tiger shark. Now, after being nourished by Jiang Hai's constant infusion of spiritual energy and its own relentless feeding, Dasha had grown into a true ocean giant.
The undisputed king of the seas was the great white shark. Typically four to six meters long and weighing more than two tons, the largest known specimen measured 7.2 meters and tipped the scales at 3,200 kilograms. Great whites were regarded as the ocean's most fearsome predators.
But compared to Dasha, they were nothing more than prey.
Dasha now stretched well over ten meters—perhaps twelve or thirteen—with a body mass nearing ten tons. Its sleek black body gleamed, its eyes shone with intelligence. Even a killer whale would be no match for it now. Dasha had become the perfect, intelligent killing machine.
Ever since Jiang Hai saw his mountain lion transformed by spiritual energy, he had grown curious about extinct legends. He had no idea how far Dasha's evolution would go, but he knew the outcome would be extraordinary.
The largest shark to ever exist, the Megalodon, was said to have reached eighteen meters in length and weighed sixty to eighty tons. It was considered the most powerful marine predator in history—even surpassing the mighty Pliosaur. Unlike dinosaurs, which needed to surface for air, the Megalodon roamed the deep freely. Though it did not live during the dinosaur era—it existed from about 28 million to 2.5 million years ago—it remained a legend of the seas.
Looking at Dasha, Jiang Hai couldn't help but imagine: If one day it grew to that size, wouldn't that be something?
With a chuckle, Jiang Hai patted Dasha again, channeling a surge of spiritual energy into its body. Feeling the gift, Dasha grew even more excited. But Jiang Hai soon stopped and pointed toward the humphead wrasse that had vanished from sight.
Dasha tilted its head, thought for a moment, then seemed to understand. Jiang Hai's pets were all highly intelligent. Dasha likely guessed that Jiang Hai was asking where the wrasse had come from.
Without hesitation, Dasha turned and swam out to sea. Its speed far surpassed Jiang Hai's, so before long they had left the shallows behind. Following Dasha's lead, Jiang Hai soon spotted a massive school of fish ahead. And "massive" was no exaggeration—each one was enormous.
As they drew closer, Jiang Hai grinned. Of course—these weren't just random fish. It was Dasha's mate and the fourteen dolphins.
Dasha's wife, though not as massive as Dasha himself, had also absorbed great amounts of spiritual energy. Her gleaming eyes were already as big as Jiang Hai's head.
The fourteen dolphins spotted Jiang Hai and grew excited, though they remained in formation. Jiang Hai, at first puzzled, soon realized what they were doing. They weren't just swimming—they were driving schools of fish straight toward his fishing grounds.
Among the catch, Jiang Hai spotted two valuable Atlantic Blue Lancers.
"So it was you who herded those humphead wrasse here?" Jiang Hai asked with amusement, patting Dasha's head.
Dasha's response was clear: pure joy. Sharks consumed enormous amounts of spiritual energy, which had made them remarkably intelligent—much like the dolphins, who were naturally smart and had grown even sharper under Jiang Hai's influence.
And so Jiang Hai's fisheries thrived. Partly due to the abundant seaweed, and partly because Dasha and his companions roamed far across the Atlantic, herding valuable fish back to Jiang Hai's waters. Over time, they ventured further and further afield.
The humphead wrasse, native to the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, had strayed into the Atlantic, only to be intercepted by Dasha's team. Though reluctant at first to remain in these colder waters, they soon discovered the rich aquatic plants and small fish imbued with spiritual energy, and decided to stay.
Of course, Jiang Hai could only imagine the details. But one thing was certain: Dasha and his team had done an excellent job.
"Well done!" Jiang Hai praised, patting Dasha once more.
After playing with Dasha a while longer, Jiang Hai returned to the shallows and swam back to shore. He had been in the water for over an hour without realizing it, and Qi Jie and the others were worried something had happened. But once he returned, their worries faded.
Handing over the seafood, Jiang Hai glanced at the unfamiliar red shrimp. He knew the wrasse had been brought by Dasha and his crew, but where had these shrimp come from? Curious, he handed the catch to Qi Jie and the others before heading to the dock to ask Edward Anderson.
Edward was just about to head to bed when Jiang Hai called.
"Boss, what's the matter?" Edward asked, rubbing his eyes.
"I saw a lot of these shrimp today, but I've never seen them before. Do you know what they are?" Jiang Hai asked, showing him the shrimp.
Edward blinked in surprise. "Is this… Argentinian red shrimp? How could they be here?"
The fishermen nearby gathered around.
"Yeah, that's Argentinian red shrimp," Andrew Christian confirmed. "I caught some in South America. But they're only found in the Southern Hemisphere, near Antarctica. What are they doing here?"
"I'd like to know that too," Jiang Hai admitted, scratching his head. "And there are a lot of them."
Edward, however, grinned. "Whatever the reason, boss, you've found a treasure. These shrimp aren't cheap."
Argentinian red shrimp, wild-caught from the icy waters off Argentina, were prized worldwide. Their meat was sweet, tender, and of high quality. Because they grew so large—some longer than a human hand—many high-end restaurants in China even sold them individually.
There were countless ways to prepare them—grilled, boiled, even as sashimi, though Jiang Hai himself wasn't into raw seafood. Regardless, they were worth a fortune.
"I saw plenty more on the seabed. Looks like I've found another way to make money," Jiang Hai said with a grin, handing the remaining shrimp to the fishermen before heading back.
By then, the meal was nearly ready. Qi Ya had worked her magic again, preparing the marinated steak and fresh seafood.
As Jiang Hai returned, he grabbed a thick steak, taking a massive bite. At once, his eyes narrowed with pleasure—the beef from his manor was unbeatable. Juicy, rich, and sweet, it melted in his mouth with every bite. Nowhere else could offer steak like this.
"Did you figure out what's going on with those shrimp?" Qi Jie asked as she grilled fish, her eyes on Jiang Hai. She thought the shrimp looked almost too big, making her hesitant to try them.
"No problem," Jiang Hai replied between mouthfuls. "They're Argentinian red shrimp. Don't know how they got here, but they're safe to eat—and I hear they're delicious."
"Really?" Qi Jie asked, pouting slightly, but curious.
She handed the grill to Afra, took a shrimp, and began deveining it with a thin needle she carried. Normally, shrimp this size should be frozen immediately, but since they were eating right away, it didn't matter.
Once prepared, Qi Ya carefully grilled them over a low fire, ensuring the shells crisped while the juices stayed locked in. Jiang Hai wasn't much of a cook, so he left it to her expertise.
By the time the shrimp were ready, the squid had also been cut, brushed with sauce, sprinkled with chili, sesame, and coriander. The aroma was irresistible.
Jiang Hai took a toothpick, speared a piece, and popped it into his mouth. His eyes narrowed once more—nothing compared to the seafood from his manor.
(To be continued.)