Sunny the cat clamored for fish, but Eust received the task reward from the Task Fruit. A strange power transformed his body, not only significantly alleviating the soreness in his arms but also enhancing his physical fitness.
Eust immediately retorted, “Sunny, a lying cat is not a good cat. Explain why we just received the task reward.”
Sunny covered its face with one paw and bashfully said, “Meow, I was wrong. Can’t I be forgiven? I was just hungry. Eust, would you really let me starve? Aren’t you hungry too? Meow, this was all for your sake, meow!”
Feeling hurt by being called an “idiot,” Eust seized the opportunity to propose a deal to Sunny: “Sunny, if you stop calling me an idiot, I’ll forgive you and immediately start a fire to roast fish for you. How about that?”
Sunny tilted its head, thought for a moment, and replied, “Meow, as long as you don’t do anything stupid, I won’t call you an idiot anymore. Deal? Meow. Now hurry up and make the roast fish, meow!”
Eust, happy to possibly shed the “idiot” nickname, asked a more important question: “Hold on, Sunny. How do you feel about the slight physical enhancement from the task reward? I feel like my physical condition has improved by about 5-10%.”
Sunny answered, “Meow, you asked the right cat. As the Task-Assigning Cat, I naturally know about the task rewards. The so-called slight physical enhancement isn’t a fixed value but a range, directly related to the task’s difficulty, meow!”
“Meow, this task was extremely simple, yet it rewarded a slight physical enhancement. It’s likely because I’m still under beginner’s protection, with doubled rewards. You should thank me, Eust. And how many times do I have to tell you, I’m hungry, meow!”
“Okay, okay, Sunny. I’ll go handle it now and make sure you get your roasted fish soon. Just wait here.”
Eust, understanding the task rewards better, agreed to handle the Fish Dodo he had defeated, noting his own hunger as well. But dealing with such a large fish wasn’t easy.
Eust needed to find a “kitchen knife” first, but without even a “hatchet,” a regular metal knife was out of the question.
He had two options: find hard shells or suitable stones, using his past life experience that both could serve as makeshift knives.
Eventually, Eust found suitable stones that, when broken, formed sharp, hard stone flakes, perfect for the job.
With the makeshift knife ready, dealing with the fish presented a new challenge. The Fish Dodo’s “defense” was impressive, even in death. Eust had to exert great effort to remove the scales and internal organs, more taxing than killing the Fish Dodo itself.
It made him reflect that being a chef in the pirate world wasn’t easy. Even with sharp knives, processing such fish would be challenging, let alone with his “stone-age” tools.
Fortunately, chatting with Sunny helped pass the time. A talking cat is worth having, after all. Not that anyone could take Sunny from him in the pirate world.
Gathering dry branches, kindling, and starting a fire was simple for Eust. Once the fire was roaring, he began roasting the fish.
Feeling hungrier from the exertion, Eust watched as the fish turned golden, eager for the meal.
Ignoring the drooling, impatient Sunny meowing for Eust to hurry up, Eust knew there’d be plenty of fish to eat.
For the first batch, Eust roasted six pieces of fish, each weighing two to three pounds, enough for him and Sunny. The rest would be smoked for preservation.
After roasting, Eust handed a piece of golden fish to Sunny, placing it on a clean leaf. Seeing Sunny dig in, Eust took a piece for himself.
The freshly roasted fish tasted excellent, seasoned slightly with seawater. Though a bit bland, it was still delicious, possibly due to the fish species.
To his shock, after finishing his first piece, Eust found that Sunny had already devoured the remaining five pieces.
Astonished, Eust saw the two-pound cat eat far more than its weight without changing in size. Sunny, meowing cutely, demanded more food, recounting its hunger woes.
Eust asked where the fish had gone, only for Sunny to disdainfully dismiss him. Left with no choice, Eust continued roasting, this time asking about Sunny’s appetite.
Learning Sunny could eat the same amount again, Eust prepared eight more fish belly pieces for roasting.
Allocating five pieces to Sunny and the rest for himself, Eust continued cooking. Sunny, eyes gleaming, watched without rushing him but drooling all the same, revealing its foodie nature.
This batch finally filled Sunny’s belly, while Eust, eating at his own pace, couldn’t match Sunny’s speed.
Watching Sunny eat, Eust saw it devour each piece gracefully but incredibly quickly, each two-pound piece gone in seconds, leaving Eust’s jaw hanging.
Though Eust ate quickly himself, it still took him under a minute to eat each piece, far outpacing an ordinary person from his past life, but Sunny needed only ten seconds.
After eating, Sunny complained about Eust’s slow pace, but Eust didn’t mind. He knew he was still an ordinary person, even with improved physical fitness, barely reaching 10 Douriki, slightly weaker than a trained marine. He wondered about Sunny’s strength.
Curiosity led Eust to ask, “Sunny, you want to be the strongest strategist cat. How strong are you now?”
Sunny, still grooming, replied, “Meow, I have two forms. In my current leisure form, my combat power isn’t high. Switching to my battle form greatly increases my strength. With your current strength, I could easily defeat several of you. But my battle form consumes a lot of energy, so I can’t maintain it for long, meow!”
“Meow, I’m still young. When I grow up, I’ll be even stronger. Plus, with the Task Fruit’s help, you’ll get stronger too. You should thank me, meow!”
“Wow, Sunny, you’re amazing! My apologies!” Eust was surprised, not expecting such power in Sunny’s small body. He’d thought the strategist cat would gain intelligence but didn’t anticipate such combat strength.
Could it be that in the pirate world, the more you eat, the stronger you become? If he could eat ten pounds of fish, shouldn’t he be strong too? Yet, his memories told him he was still weaker than a regular marine.
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