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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Eighty-One: Ambition
In the forest, three massive figures raced into the distance, chasing a gigantic wild boar. Close behind were a green lion with horns and a yellow-black striped giant tiger.
The wild boar was much larger than both the lion and the giant tiger, fleeing in panic.
Their enormous bodies created a powerful gust of wind, causing all nearby creatures to scatter in fear.
Suddenly, the lion and the tiger split apart; the tiger veered off at an angle, disappearing into the distance while the lion continued its pursuit.
After running for a while, the lion maintained a certain distance from the wild boar, never getting too close.
Boom.
Just as they were about to enter the woods, a tiger appeared, knocking the wild boar to the ground and starting to gnaw on it.
The lion trotted over leisurely, lying down not far away, waiting quietly.
After a while, having consumed a quarter of the wild boar, the tiger slowly retreated, creating some space.
The lion then approached, grabbed hold of the wild boar, and ran off into the distance while the tiger followed at a leisurely pace.
Upon reaching the coast, the lion placed the wild boar on the shore and let out a loud roar, "Roar! Roar!"
This lion was none other than Moo Moo. Accompanying his call, Xiaqiu immediately surfaced from the water, opening its mouth wide.
Moo Moo pushed the wild boar into the sea, and Xiaqiu bit down before diving beneath the waves.
Moo Moo nodded in satisfaction and moved over to some nearby fish, transforming into a manatee to munch on them. He glanced at the distant tiger and shifted his body slightly to make room in his area.
The tiger observed the scene and slowly approached, settling down next to Moo Moo to eat some sea fish.
Earlier, she had only eaten a bit of wild boar, leaving room in her stomach for fish.
Having consumed too much meat, she decided to change things up with some fish.
That fish truly was a worthy pet, providing food for its owner—quite impressive.
After finishing the sea fish, Moo Moo lay lazily on the ground. The tiger glanced at Moo Moo before retreating a short distance to rest on the other side.
...
"Not enough."
After devouring most of the wild boar, Xiaqiu sensed the presence of Heat Flow. Once it faded away, she felt a twinge of disappointment.
It had already been a month, and her body still showed no significant changes.
However, she could feel the Heat Flow gathering at the back of her head, at the junction where her gill and Pectoral Fin were located. This area was undergoing transformation.
The nature of this change likely pertained to the differences between mammals and herself at the back of her head.
If all went as expected, it would involve her neck.
As a chordate with a long spine, her vertebrae were divided into trunk and tail vertebrae. Behind her head was just a continuation; she had no neck, making it impossible to directly sway her head side to side or nod up and down. She could only make slight movements by shifting her trunk vertebrae.
If evolution continued in this manner, she might develop additional cervical vertebrae.
In other words, she would grow a neck.
This part is located between the Pectoral Fin and the gills. My own Pectoral Fin, Pelvic Fin, and Anal Fin all have bones extending from the spine.
The Pectoral Fin is positioned right between the gills, and the area where it connects to the spine is called the shoulder girdle. However, compared to mammals, the shoulder girdle connection is not very tight.
Most fish do not have cervical vertebrae between the shoulder girdle and the skull; they are directly connected.
Whales have a segment at the connection point between the shoulder girdle and the skull.
Xiaqiu, while feeding on whales, has developed some bone segments, but there are only a few vertebrae that cannot support head rotation.
If evolution occurs here, I could turn my head and move it freely.
However, cervical vertebrae pose more harm than benefits for fish.
For instance, they disrupt streamlined bodies; a swinging neck would slow down movement. Additionally, excessive pressure on the neck could lead to issues due to the weight of the Fish Body above the cervical vertebrae.
But I am different from most fish. First of all, my body shape is not laterally compressed; it resembles that of a Catfish—round and wide—without the phenomenon of height being four to five times its width.
This results in strength being distributed around rather than concentrated above and below the cervical vertebrae.
Secondly, my muscles are well-developed, allowing me to control my head effectively without losing control due to movement.
Finally, my reinforced bones are tough enough to support my body without any issues.
Xiaqiu eagerly anticipates developing a neck so that I can turn my head directly without needing to twist my body using my vertebrae.
When that time comes, I will resemble Tiktaalik—a creature from the Devonian period that possessed a neck and was one of the closest fish to amphibians.
Moreover, there were pores on their heads, likely indicating that they possessed lungs as functional as gills.
Xiaqiu was looking forward to her transformation, but time seemed to move slowly.
After a month, she only felt the phenomenon of Heat Flow gathering in her neck, and not much had grown there.
Xiaqiu had an idea of what the reason might be.
Growing her neck was part of her overall development; for every meter she grew, it would mean an increase in weight of about six to ten tons.
As her body became stronger, her rate of growth slowed down, and more of her Evolutionary Energy was consumed by her body.
So she still needed some time.
However, the creatures in the Grand Line were even larger, and there was more Evolutionary Energy available, which would significantly enhance her evolution rate.
In addition to that, Xiaqiu was also trying to use Haki.
But she couldn't use it at all; she had no idea how Haki existed or how to activate it.
Xiaqiu tried many methods but couldn't bring forth Haki.
She felt like Ace, who had unconsciously used Conqueror's Haki at the age of ten but hadn't used it again for seven years.
Furthermore, Rayleigh had described Conqueror's Haki while teaching Luffy; it was the user's spirit that could only be controlled and could not be increased through training, but could be enhanced through personal growth.
So what she needed to do first was to gain control and then increase her spirit.
Xiaqiu set this matter aside but was soon drawn to something else.
Moo Moo had made a friend.
Xiaqiu watched from the shore as Moo Moo and the tiger became friends over the past month. At first, the tiger had only hidden in the woods, observing Moo Moo, and Xiaqiu thought it was waiting for an opportunity to attack.
However, as they grew familiar with each other, Moo Moo offered the tiger some sea fish he had prepared. After that, they hunted together and returned together.
Now they even shared meals and rested side by side.
Had they become friends?
Not just friends; that tiger seemed to be female. Xiaqiu had seen her...
In other words, this was likely not just a friendship but a romantic relationship.
With this thought, a wave of jealousy surged within Xiaqiu.
I don't even have a girlfriend, and you found one.
A mere younger brother, yet so audacious.
But soon, Xiaqiu felt a sense of comfort. Although Moo Moo could no longer swim and had to stay on land, he had food and a friend; his life was quite good.
Xiaqiu knew he wouldn't stay here for long. The magnetism here was too weak to capture the Pirate Ship, and he couldn't obtain Enhanced Energy.
After awakening his Conqueror's Haki, Xiaqiu's mindset began to change.
Initially, he wanted to grow stronger and prey on humans without a clear purpose. Reality and reason had suppressed his ambitions, preventing him from envisioning a goal.
His original code of conduct was to act from the heart, quietly amassing wealth. However, after accumulating riches, perhaps it was time to show off a bit; otherwise, if he continued to play the fool for too long, he might truly become one.
He no longer wished to experience the life of Xiaqiu in the East Sea. Boredom and loneliness could be deadly.
Now, he possessed the Conqueror's Haki, the qualities of a king.
This proved that he was anything but ordinary.
As his strength continued to grow, perhaps he should not let life remain mundane. He should not just be a passerby but become a part of history.
Ambition was born within Xiaqiu.
No!
It was an ambition that should have existed long ago, shedding its restraints and beginning to take root deep within his heart.
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