"Sizzle..."
By the shore, fierce flames blazed, generating intense heat that distorted the air and sent shivers down one's spine. Giant vines held several large fish, grilling them to a golden perfection and releasing an enticing aroma.
For Linlin's sake, El took his time with breakfast today, unlike his usual rushed meals. After casually catching a few fish, larger than most ships, and quickly preparing them, he returned to his cave to grab some seasonings. He then controlled the flames precisely to roast the fish, making them perfectly flavorful.
The scent of grilled fish filled the air, making Charlotte Linlin drool with anticipation. However, El's stock of seasonings was now completely depleted.
"Can't wait, huh? It's ready. Dig in!" El smiled, cutting off a piece of fragrant grilled fish and handing it to Linlin. "It's still hot, but for people like us, that won't be a problem!"
"Is this magic?" Linlin, sitting by the fire and drooling, blinked her large eyes, filled with curiosity about the strange vines and the ability to control flames. But before El could respond, Linlin forgot all about her question as a large piece of delicious grilled fish was placed right in front of her.
"Hehe, thanks... I'm starting now!"
With her eyes gleaming, Linlin eagerly grabbed the steaming piece of grilled fish. She bit into it with gusto, devouring it without a second thought. The saying, "Haste makes waste," might apply to most people, but not to them. The freshly grilled fish was hot enough to burn an ordinary person, but for them, it was nothing.
"Mmm... Mmm... So tasty, it's amazing!"
Though Linlin usually preferred sweets, she loved any delicious food. She quickly devoured the fish, oil dripping from her mouth, and even chewed up the bones, swallowing them whole without fear of choking. Once she finished, she looked at the remaining fish with hungry eyes. "El oniisan, I want more!"
"Take it slow, there's plenty," El chuckled, watching her. He too began devouring his share of the grilled fish.
In no time, the two of them had easily finished off several massive grilled fish. All that remained were a few fish scales on the ground—no bones or scraps in sight.
"Burp~ That was amazing..." Linlin, satisfied, patted her round belly, letting out a burp of contentment. With a bright smile, she said, "This is the first time I've eaten so much. Thank you, El oniisan!"
"As long as I'm here, you can eat as much as you want, anytime," El replied with a smile.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Linlin exclaimed with delight, her innocence shining through. "El oniisan, when Papa and Mama come back, you should come home with us!"
"Sure, if your parents agree, I'll come visit your home," El replied, smiling.
"Papa and Mama are really nice; they'll definitely agree, hehe..." Linlin giggled, full of naive optimism.
El smiled softly but didn't shatter her innocent hopes.
"By the way, Linlin, let me show you a magic trick..." An idea popped into El's mind, and he extended his right hand, curling his finger toward the ground.
In a short moment, under Linlin's astonished gaze, a small green sprout grew from the earth, quickly developing into a full plant. It blossomed with colorful flowers, stunningly beautiful.
"Wow!" Linlin's eyes sparkled as she watched the magical scene unfold. "It's so pretty!"
Pointing to the flowers blooming on the plant, El smiled and said, "These flowers are delicate. I want you to try picking a petal gently, without crushing it. This will help you learn to control your strength."
El wasn't just trying to entertain her; he was giving Linlin a valuable lesson. He wanted her to better manage her overwhelming strength to avoid accidentally hurting others or causing destruction.
"Huh? That sounds hard..." Linlin blinked her large eyes and stared at the delicate flowers. Each one was about the size of a fingernail. She grabbed one and tried to pull off a petal gently, but because of her large size and immense strength, she accidentally crushed several flowers in the process.
After several failed attempts, she looked up at El with teary eyes, feeling frustrated. "El oniisan, I've been really careful, but I still can't do it. I keep crushing the flowers!"
"To control your strength and avoid hurting those around you, this is something you have to learn," El shrugged, a bit helpless. "Your strength is too great. Just earlier, if it had been anyone else, you would've torn off their wings!"
"I didn't mean to..." Linlin mumbled, pouting as she lowered her head in shame. She had only been curious and wanted to touch his wings.
"I know, Linlin. You're a good kid," El reassured her, patting her head gently. "But both you and I are special. We're different from ordinary people, so we need to be extra careful."
"Linlin, you wouldn't want to accidentally hurt your Papa and Mama when hugging them, right?"
As he spoke, El stomped his foot on the ground. "For example, look…"
"Boom!"
The earth trembled as the ground cracked open, creating a massive fissure that stretched toward the sea. Seawater surged in, filling the crack, a sight that would make anyone break into a cold sweat.
"Wow! That's amazing..." Linlin's eyes lit up in wonder. She stood up and tried stomping the ground herself.
"Boom!"
The ground shook, and a large crater appeared, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading out from it. Rocks flew in all directions, though her impact wasn't as extreme as El's.
"Huh?" Linlin tilted her head, looking down at the crater she created. Then she compared it to the massive fissure El had made, scratching her head in confusion. "Hehe, I can't do that, can I?"
"Linlin, you're already amazing... Look, with just a bit of force, we can crack the ground wide open!" El said as he patted her head. In this short time together, he had come to understand that this future "Emperor of the Sea" was still an innocent child, filled with curiosity. She wasn't any different from other mischievous kids—she had a good heart.
It was just that her terrifying strength made her a danger to those around her, a walking disaster without the right guidance.
Unlike El, who had the self-discipline of a natural-born warrior, Linlin also suffered from a strange "eating disorder" that made her uncontrollable when she was hungry. A rampaging Linlin was a fearsome sight, beyond what most people could handle.
But El was confident he could control her—after all, she was still a child.
Looking at the innocent Linlin in front of him, El patiently guided her. "Until you can fully control your strength, you shouldn't touch others so casually. Understand?"
For natural-born monsters like them, mastering their strength wasn't easy. Sometimes, just a moment of excitement or an unconscious movement could result in unintended force. While it might seem like nothing to them, it could be disastrous for others.
For example, El could casually give someone a tap without even using a fraction of his strength, but for an ordinary person—or even a battle-hardened giant warrior—it could mean broken bones or worse.
During his time on the deserted island in the Calm Belt, El had trained hard to gradually adjust to his rapidly growing strength.
"Mm-hmm, I'll try my best..." Linlin nodded enthusiastically. She had never intended to hurt anyone, and her parents hadn't hugged her in a long time, likely out of fear of her strength.
Thinking of this, Charlotte Linlin became more determined than ever to control her strength and carefully began practicing by picking the flower petals in front of her.