Three thunderbirds plummeted from the sky like falling meteors, their massive bodies crashing down as bright red blood dripped and mixed with the rain, staining the ship and sea below with vivid splashes of red.
The people nearby didn't waste time being shocked. They quickly scattered for cover since the birds fell right where they were standing.
The huge bodies hit the boat hard, causing it to rock violently like it was caught in a tsunami before finally settling down again.
Each thunderbird's head had a clean hole, unmistakably a bullet wound.
Beyond and Ging were the first to react, turning sharply toward Larry's direction.
But Larry hadn't moved; instead, a single feather appeared in his hand, and beside him, Meowth held a strange-looking sniper rifle.
On his face, Meowth wore an ordinary pair of glasses, but both the glasses and the rifle were clearly no ordinary gear.
The thunderbirds had been taken down by Meowth.
The glasses, known as the [Precision Glasses], boost the accuracy of long-range attacks; the further the target, the easier it is to hit.
However, using them consumes aura continuously, and wearing them too long can lead to mental fatigue.
The rifle, called the [Weird Sniper Rifle], channels aura to automatically reload bullets and deals more damage the farther the target is.
Both items were inventions of Meowth himself, perfectly suited for the [Mind] system.
Together, the glasses improve hit rate with distance, and the rifle increases damage with distance, combining to create an effect far greater than the sum of their parts.
Under Meowth's three quick shots, three thunderbirds fell one after another, dropping like kites with broken strings right onto the boat.
"Hit meow! I hit it!"
Meowth jumped up excitedly, thrilled that the prop he'd worked so hard to develop actually worked.
His cute cat ears twitched with his movements, and his tail flicked back and forth energetically.
The sudden loss of three companions seemed to shake the remaining thunderbirds, and fear finally overcame their fighting spirit.
Flapping their wings hard, they quickly flew into the thundercloud, disappearing from sight as if they were afraid that lingering any longer would mean they'd end up like their fallen friends.
Hearing Meowth's triumphant shout and seeing the panicked thunderbirds retreat, everyone now understood what had just happened.
"Is this his ability?"
"Or is it something to do with that equipment?"
Ging scratched his chin thoughtfully, watching Meowth with growing interest.
His curiosity about the cat was definitely stronger than his interest in the thunderbirds.
Though he knew Larry's nen beasts were all kinds of strange, there was something different about this cat, maybe because it could walk upright and talk like a human?
Beyond, standing nearby, also stared at Meowth, surprise clear in his eyes.
If this was the cat's ability, it meant the nen beast could materialize guns.
The glasses Meowth wore also seemed suspicious.
A nen beast related to guns wasn't unheard of. After all, their team had a Golem that could summon all kinds of weapons.
But if this wasn't the case, then what was going on?
Like Beyond and Ging, others were more intrigued by the cat, sensing that it was more complex than it appeared.
And in fact, their instincts were right, Meowth had many more surprises in store.
After everyone recovered from the shock, Miluk quickly ordered the others to clean up the fallen thunderbirds.
"Sammy, come check if this bird's edible," he called out to the chef behind him.
Sammy, a quiet man, nodded and approached one of the downed thunderbirds.
Holding his hands just above the bird, he channeled streams of aura through his body, beginning his inspection.
All the aura gathered in Sammy's palms, glowing softly like an old light bulb flickering to life.
His hands felt like faucets, releasing a steady stream of this rich, vibrant aura that gently wrapped around the thunderbird's body.
After some time, the aura flowed back into Sammy like a returning tide, though it was clear that some had been spent in the process.
Along with the aura, bits of information about the thunderbird also entered Sammy's mind.
Using aura to envelop an object takes time, the more complex or larger the object, the longer it requires.
Plus, the aura is constantly used up during the wrapping.
Once the time is up, whatever aura remains returns to the user, bringing back clues about the food and whether it's safe to eat.
Sammy's childhood was tough.
Though he didn't grow up on Meteor Street, food was often scarce.
He frequently had to search the wilderness or less clean places just to find something to eat.
As he got older and his situation improved, that early struggle shaped his path: he became someone who chases after food, but not in the usual way.
While many food hunters look for rare or high-quality ingredients to create extraordinary dishes, Sammy's goal is different. He strives to cook ordinary ingredients so well that they become genuinely delicious.
Neither approach is absolutely right or wrong, but each reveals a distinct way of thinking about food.
Sammy's strong will comes from his past experiences, and it's closely tied to his unique ability.
His nen is truly top-tier among all the food hunters across the six continents.
If you took it to the Dark Continent, it would be even more impressive.
In fact, very few food hunters have a nen better suited for the Dark Continent than Sammy.
While Meowth's [Danger Detector] can achieve similar results, there's no denying that Sammy's ability is crucial for confidently deciding what's safe to eat in such a dangerous place.
Anyone planning to venture into the Dark Continent could really rely on Sammy's skill. It's a game-changer.
That's exactly why Beyond decided to bring a chef along.
Going to the Dark Continent isn't something to take lightly.
He could've chosen not to bring a chef at all, especially since there are plenty of emergency food options like canned goods available across the six continents.
These foods are compact, easy to carry, and would free up space for another strong fighter, boosting the team's overall combat power a bit.
But Beyond didn't do that because Sammy's ability to analyze and judge food is incredibly important.
After a few moments, Sammy opened his eyes, a spark of confidence shining in them as he said, "You can eat it!"
Miluk felt a bit relieved and instructed the team to put away the two thunderbirds they had caught and focus on eating the remaining one first.
Unlike the ingredients they'd prepared earlier, the thunderbird's corpse couldn't be preserved for long, so it made sense to deal with it right away.
Nature's competition is always shifting. Hunters can quickly become prey and vice versa.