I Can Fish Up Everything!

The line hadn’t snapped the instant the boat was pulled, so it was wishful thinking for this swordfish to believe it could break the line now.

Besides, nothing short of a half-ton monster could break this line.

This was actually a bit of a shame for Gu Nan. ’The golden fishing rod seems to be the top-tier equipment in the game. If that’s the case, how am I supposed to catch those monsters that are over half a ton?’

Normally, a sea creature over a thousand pounds would likely have to be released. It might not sell for much and have little economic value, but as an angler, he still wanted to challenge himself.

’If the game doesn’t offer a legendary rod down the line, I’ll just have to buy one myself.’

By now, the large swordfish had already run out over three hundred meters of line. Gu Nan had actually noticed something the moment the boat started to move.

The fish’s speed seemed to suddenly slacken, and the pull wasn’t as fierce as it was at the start.

Plus, this swordfish’s Power wasn’t as great as the four-meter-plus Indian marlin he’d caught before, so he was quite experienced in dealing with this kind of fish.

The two crewmen at his side stared nervously. Seeing Gu Nan straining, they held their breath.

And it was a struggle. Even though he’d caught bigger fish, any catch over three hundred pounds was never going to be easy.

"Holy shit, do I feel the boat moving?" After five or six minutes, the swordfish, still full of energy, was pulling the boat faster and faster, finally snapping the two men out of their stupor.

"Damn, how big does a fish have to be to drag a fishing boat like this?"

"Now I get why he went to the bow to fish. He’s letting the fish tow the boat to wear out its stamina faster!"

"What a great idea! That’s the only way you’d have a chance of landing it. Normally, how could a single person with a single rod, without an electric reel to help, possibly land a fish that can pull a boat?"

The two crewmen had an epiphany. It was a strategy they probably wouldn’t have thought of themselves.

After all, when people go after monsters like this, there are usually several people to take turns on the rod. If needed, the captain would also drive the boat in pursuit. There’s really no need to get creative.

For that reason, the two crewmen were all the more impressed by Gu Nan’s fishing instincts. They’d heard about plenty of contestants who had hooked big fish only to have them throw the hook or snap the line and get away. Some even got so exhausted that the fish broke their rods.

So far, not a single contestant had managed to land a fish over four hundred pounds by themselves.

Gu Nan focused on the fight, automatically tuning out the muttering behind him.

’Barring any surprises, this swordfish will definitely be bigger than that sunfish. I just wonder if anyone else can land something even bigger.’

’It’s highly unlikely. The fact that I can land something this big by myself is mostly due to the rod, followed by my 5% recovery speed bonus.’

’The increased stamina and Power, on the other hand, didn’t make as much of a difference as I thought.’

The end of the competition drew nearer. At some point, the fishing boat had stopped being towed. A crewman nearby gripped a harpoon, nervously waiting for the great fish to get closer.

The two other swordfish that had been swimming alongside the big one were long gone. They had tried to save their companion but had no idea how.

After following for a long time, they finally departed, helpless.

"Here it comes, here it comes! Holy cow, no wonder it could pull the boat. It’s huge!"

"It’s gotta be four meters long!"

Amid the crewmen’s cries of astonishment, a massive, barrel-shaped creature appeared in their sight.

"Hooo..."

Gu Nan let out a long breath, slowly steadying his slightly ragged breathing.

A moment later, as the fish drew nearer, his breathing had evened out.

But Gu Nan didn’t relax in the slightest. Having fought his fair share of giants, he knew the fish could still escape with a final struggle.

Even though the great fish’s stamina was constantly being drained, it also recovered quickly.

The crewman holding the harpoon had an excited look on his face. He’d never killed a fish this big with his own hands before; this would be a first.

The fish was quickly pulled alongside the boat. Facing the exhausted creature, which was lying on its side, the crewman hurled the harpoon with all his might, accurately piercing its vitals.

’If he’d missed that shot, I’d have to wonder if he did it on purpose.’

SPLASH! SPLASH!

The great swordfish felt its life ebbing away. It thrashed its tail and head, making a final, desperate struggle.

Blood stained the surface of the water, but after only a few minutes, the fish went completely still.

Gu Nan, still holding the rod, dragged the fish from the bow around to the side of the stern. The crewmen scrambled to loop a rope around its tail and use the crane to hoist it aboard.

Its body was so immense that a person standing next to it looked tiny in comparison.

"Buddy, congratulations! This time, the championship is yours for the taking."

"A fish this big... feels like it could be over six hundred pounds!"

Gu Nan, taking a drink of water, smiled and shook his head. "Not that heavy. I’d guess it’s just over five hundred pounds."

The swordfish’s bill was nearly a meter long, which meant its body was around three meters. It didn’t look any fatter than the Indian marlin, which is why he guessed it was a little over five hundred pounds.

Afterward, Gu Nan had a crewman start heading back to shore while he himself took his rod and continued to troll off the stern.

’Winning the championship would at least let Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao feel a bit vindicated. But if I could land a Meter Level Dahuang croaker on top of this, wouldn’t that let them vent all their frustration?’

’And this competition is a great chance to boost my profile. I can use the opportunity to promote my own seafood shop, and maybe I’ll get more customers in the future.’

’Lately, so many wealthy clients have come to buy my catch. It’s enough to get my heart racing.’