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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred: F-Crocodile
The bright moonlight spilled over the surface of the sea, leaving a silvery reflection that shattered with the rolling waves.
Above the surface of the sea, a massive black fish swam toward the distance.
It was heading toward Alabasta.
Xiaqiu chose to attack at night, primarily due to the lifestyle of crocodiles.
Crocodiles sleep in a manner strikingly similar to dolphins, employing a method known as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, allowing them to maintain partial awareness by alternating between halves of their brain.
Most crocodiles bask on the water's surface during the midday sun, spending only a small portion of their time on land. By nightfall, they typically reside in the water, though they may not necessarily be asleep; sometimes, one can see their eyes glowing red in the darkness.
F-Crocodile was no exception. Particularly due to their docile nature, they are often used as modes of transportation, primarily during daylight hours.
However, crocodiles must spend a significant amount of time in water to keep their skin moist. Those F-Crocodiles used for transportation are exposed to the desert during long treks under the sun.
Thus, at night, they cannot remain exposed on land and will return to rest in the river.
F-Crocodiles used as transportation are few; those that are not typically stay in the water at night like most crocodiles.
Moreover, because there are fewer people at night and visibility is reduced, the likelihood of being detected is greatly diminished.
Therefore, Xiaqiu chose to move at night, ensuring success without fail.
For Xiaqiu, who mastered both unihemispheric sleep and fragmented sleep methods, there was no need to worry about day or night.
Riding the waves, Xiaqiu swiftly approached Alabasta.
He moved quickly, taking even less time than before, and in just over an hour, he approached Alabasta.
In the central part of Sainting Island, a long river flowed into the island, stopping two-thirds of the way in.
The river could accommodate massive warships, even naval battleships could pass through with ease.
Xiaqiu lingered at the river's mouth, trying to find traces of crocodiles.
Crocodiles were divided into freshwater and saltwater species; the latter typically lived at river mouths and coastal areas. If they were present, they should be in the section of the river that led to the ocean.
However, there were none.
Xiaqiu found no signs of crocodiles and decided to enter the river.
But before diving in, he surfaced to breathe.
The river had a lower salt content, creating a significant osmotic pressure difference that made it uncomfortable for him to inhale. This was especially problematic when filtering through his gills.
However, Xiaqiu could store gas and didn't need to breathe through his gills for the time being.
He continued to venture deeper.
Xiaqiu continuously emitted sound waves to sense his surroundings. As he delved further in, he picked up several signals.
"Up ahead on the water's surface."
Xiaqiu detected several sound wave signals just above the water's surface, floating there.
According to the signal feedback, their lengths ranged from seven to eight meters, with some exceeding ten meters.
"It must be them."
Xiaqiu observed their figures and slowly approached.
They had sensory skin, highly sensitive to changes in water pressure at close range.
Therefore, if Xiaqiu made any sudden movements, it would alert them and cause them to flee.
Fortunately, the river was wide, reaching several hundred meters at its broadest point, and at the estuary where it met the sea, it was nearly a kilometer across.
Xiaqiu continued to inch closer, moving forward little by little, trying not to draw their attention.
The occasional ripples it created were merely perceived by them as fluctuations in the river water.
However, as the distance closed in, the pressure of the water increased, yet they remained unresponsive.
Two hundred meters, one hundred meters, fifty meters.
They still floated calmly on the water's surface.
As Xiaqiu drew even closer, only thirty meters away, these creatures finally began to react.
Boom.
Xiaqiu charged forward, its massive body crashing through the river, causing the water to churn and surge. The immense pressure of the water prompted the creatures within to stir.
As they approached the riverbank, Xiaqiu was already closing in.
Indeed, it was the F-Crocodile, with banana-like protrusions at the tip of its snout, its head, and its tail—three in total, one more than the Banana Crocodile.
Crunch.
Xiaqiu lunged directly at an F-Crocodile attempting to flee, sinking its teeth into it.
The crocodile thrashed violently, but it was futile; Xiaqiu had a firm grip and turned to leave, heading out of the river.
Booming sounds echoed as Xiaqiu departed without concealment, carrying a tremendous presence as it exited the river and entered the ocean.
Crunch.
Xiaqiu's jaws closed around the F-Crocodile, tearing off a large chunk of its body. The crocodile twitched a few times before coming to a halt.
Its body was impressively large.
The height of the F-Crocodile could reach one-sixth of its length, which was quite astonishing compared to what Xiaqiu knew about crocodiles.
Of course, most crocodiles on Earth have longer tails, while the F-Crocodile had a shorter tail that curved upward, rising twice as high as its torso.
This resulted in an F-Crocodile measuring around eight to nine meters being predominantly body mass, with its tail taking up less proportion, making it appear even more towering.
Xiaqiu was eating a F-Crocodile, which weighed around four to five tons, just enough for a single meal.
The taste was not very good.
After finishing the F-Crocodile, Xiaqiu felt somewhat dissatisfied but did not leave immediately, waiting for the crocodile meat to digest.
After a while, Heat Flow appeared, spreading around.
There was a lot of energy!
The energy contained in the F-Crocodile was nearly twice that of similarly sized marine fish and terrestrial mammals.
More energy meant faster evolution.
Xiaqiu eagerly hoped to grow limbs, especially strong ones.
This energy dispersed into the surroundings and gradually faded over time.
Once the crocodile meat was fully digested, Xiaqiu re-entered the river, only to find those crocodiles still floating nearby.
Xiaqiu slowly approached again. When within thirty or forty meters, it rushed in and bit down on a F-Crocodile before turning and fleeing.
Pushing it along, Xiaqiu made its way to the sea before finally starting to eat.
After consuming two F-Crocodiles, Xiaqiu felt satisfied.
However, it needed to reduce its feeding frequency. In the future, Xiaqiu would avoid their mating and spawning periods, aiming to eat one at a time every now and then, or even lower the frequency further.
One goal was to avoid raising their alertness too high, and the other was to not interfere with their reproduction.
As long as they could grow legs within the designated time, they would not go extinct and would be able to satisfy their regular feeding needs.
At this point, Xiaqiu set the timeframe to two years.
Previously, it had taken half a year for a six-limbed mammal to grow a neck that measured one and a half meters in length.
The neck was only slightly thinner than the thickest part of its body, yet it was robust and much thicker than its limbs.
Given that the Evolutionary Energy of the F-Crocodile was twice that of a six-limbed mammal, it would take just over a year for two F-Crocodiles to grow limbs, making two years more than sufficient.
There was no need to rush.
Thinking this, Xiaqiu moved back in the direction it had come from, propelled by the surging Heat Flow throughout its body.
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