The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 114 The Cumanso Family's Return

Swordfish, as high-speed chasing predators, have an extremely powerful cardiovascular system.

Even if pierced in the heart, head, and gills, it still retains considerable mobility and will only become exhausted or go into hemorrhagic shock after a few minutes to a dozen minutes.

Despite Leo using several Weak Point Strikes in a row, it still took a whole process of controlling the fish before he managed to pull it up.

This swordfish had already been speared by Rinaldi once, and then Leo pierced it with a barrage of arrows while it was speeding along the ship.

After Leo launched his attack, the other crew members followed suit, throwing their weapons... leaving them covered in wounds.

"Poor thing," Leo said, half-jokingly. "If it had behaved itself, it wouldn't have died so tragically."

Peglelini's lips twitched: "I saw that you didn't hold back at all when you struck."

Leo rubbed his hands together: "I always want to hunt fish when I see them, it's an old habit of mine."

Peglerini gave a dismissive laugh or a snort: "Your quirk is quite admirable."

Leo squatted down and asked Pegrelini, "What do we do with it after that? Just kill it?"

At this moment, Captain Rinaldi came over, pointed to one side, and said to Leo, "Go back to your post."

The alert has been lifted, and the crew members must return to their posts. Although Leo has performed a great service, he must not break the rules.

Leo suddenly remembered that he was still at work and quickly ran back to his workstation.

After he left, the father and son didn't rush to deal with the fish, but instead stared at Leo's retreating figure.

"Do you still think he's a good lookout?" Rinaldi asked his father.

"Antonino already told you... he's a master fisherman," Peglerini replied.

"But he can't go on the runway."

"What does that have to do with him being a good hunter?"

"Why don't we let him give it a try?"

"Those who come to help can't go on the runway, that's the rule."

"I'm the captain, I think he can do it."

"This has nothing to do with the Silverfin; it's a rule of the Cumanso family."

"Now that I'm the captain, can't I set a few new rules?"

"The purpose of making you captain is to cultivate your sense of responsibility and to push you to grow quickly. The rules are not in this set of rules."

"cut""

The fishing boats returned to port precisely at noon.

When returning to shore, the motors are turned on, and the rowers can rest, but they cannot leave their posts.

Leo was sitting at his workstation reviewing what he had learned the night before when he suddenly felt a darkness above his head.

Rinaldi appeared in front of him: "Antonino is right, you are very good at fishing."

Leo started daydreaming: "Is it a promotion for me?"

Rinaldi shook his head: "Many people got injured when they came to help before, and some didn't go back. The family has a rule that outsiders can't go on the runway."

Leo thought of one of the stories Andrei had told that day—

In July 1992, a fisherman was dragged into the sea by a 250-kilogram swordfish and died from the swordfish's long snout.

Bianchi came to Messina that year.

He said the atmosphere throughout the Strait of Messina was very tense, and people spontaneously organized many memorial activities; there was hardly any talking on the Silverfin.

Leo could understand why the Cumanso family had set this rule.

If he were the captain, he wouldn't entrust dangerous tasks to someone who came to help, so he stopped worrying and asked Rinaldi, "Then what brings you here?"

Rinaldi looked at the runway and said, "I can't make you a thrower, but I can teach you some of the skills a thrower needs. Do you want to learn?"

Leo pointed to himself and asked, "Can I learn?"

Rinaldi smiled, a smile more like that of a young man just coming of age than the captain of the Silverfin: "Sharing maritime experience and ancient navigation techniques is our Cumanso family's way of giving back to everyone who has helped us. We will teach anyone who comes to help if they are willing to learn."

Leo nodded vigorously, expressing his willingness to learn, and said with deep emotion, "If only all Sicilian captains were as selfless as you."

"7

Marzamemi doesn't allow outsiders to board local fishing boats, which is a stark contrast.

Rinaldi shrugged: "Because no fishing boat in Sicily is like ours... There's always the risk of our family craft being lost. Times are changing, this experience isn't rare anymore, it's even outdated. We can't afford to pay for it, and if we keep it hidden... who will help us in the future?"

"But for me, this knowledge is invaluable," Leo said earnestly.

"So get up quickly," Rinaldi urged. "Hurry up, I'll teach you something useful; your foundation is too weak."

Since Leo couldn't leave his post, Rinaldi would give him lessons near his workstation.

"You just witnessed the entire process of hunting a swordfish. You should be able to see that the rope is the key to the whole process. In fact, the rope plays a crucial role in all fishing activities."

Rinaldi held up a rope about the thickness of his forearm and explained to Leo, "When it comes to swordfish hunting, rope control is the core of the entire hunt. Swordfish can charge, counterattack, dive deep, or circle around the boat in an instant, and the rope is the only link between the hunter and the prey. If you don't know how to control the rope, at best the prey will break free, at worst the rope will whip you and injure you, and in the most serious cases you will be dragged into the sea... Therefore, rope control is a core skill that all crew members must learn, and it is also the most important part of fishermen's daily training. I will teach you a few training methods, and you can practice them every day when you get back."

Leo nodded: "Understood."

Rinaldi handed one end of the rope to Leo, then slowly moved towards the bow of the boat, pulling on the other end: "I'll teach you how to 'read the rope' first. Close your eyes and feel the changes in tension in the rope. Stop when you can't feel it anymore."

"OK."

"Can you feel anything in your hand?"

"have."

"Is it available now?"

"have."

"Okay, then feel it, am I pulling it?"

I can't tell...

""

"Again, savor it slowly."

"The rope is our second pair of eyes. You need to practice more when you get back, so that your hands and skin are in sync with the rope." Once you have a proper connection with the rope, the next step is to have a real battle with the fish.

Riccardo spread his feet apart, lowered his center of gravity backward, and said to Leo while holding the other end of the rope, "But it's not your hands that control the rope, it's your whole body. You have to learn to fight the fish with your body. Follow me and do this movement. We'll use the rope to do a strength contest. If you go back and no one is there to train with you, you can tie the rope to a tree and train by yourself."

"Okay!" Leo imitated Riccardo's movements during the stance training.

"The force of a big fish charging and struggling to escape is often extremely explosive, and it can happen at any time. After learning to use your body to control the rope, you need to conduct long-term simulations of sudden rope control. Stand firm, I'm going to start the simulation."

"bring it on!"

At the bow of the ship, Gatti, looking utterly bored, sighed like a little adult.

She wanted to go find her brother Rinaldi several times, but she held back.

But he was so bored that he went to his father's cabin: "Could you take Captain Rinaldi off the ship?"

Peglerini asked, "Why?"

Gatti said angrily, "Ever since he became captain, he spends less and less time playing with me, he doesn't smile as much, and he's becoming more and more like you, but he's only 18 years old!"

He pointed angrily to the stern: "Look, he's actually doing the same thing as you, teaching people!"

Peglelini rubbed the little bird's nest on Gatti's head: "This is the Cumanso family's way of giving back for their respect and help. When you grow up, you will also be a captain and give back to the fishermen who have helped us."

Before her father could finish speaking, Gatti ran out irritably: "Here we go again with the long lecture... I don't want to grow up, I don't want to be a captain, I don't want to become a boring person like you!"

Throwers need to have a great deal of experience.

But experience cannot be acquired in just one or two hours.

Rinaldi taught Leo the training methods one by one and instructed him to practice diligently when he got back.

"Next up is simulated throwing practice." Rinaldi glanced at the land. "This should be the last lesson for today."

They are about to enter the port.

Leo also looked back and said reluctantly, "Time flies."

I haven't learned enough yet!

Rinaldi shrugged: "Perhaps my teaching skills have improved."

Leo smiled and praised, "You and your father are both excellent teachers!"

Rinaldi picked up the rope again: "Your throwing accuracy is fine, but swordfish only appear for a moment, not every time you encounter one. They won't hunt juveniles or pregnant fish. This applies not only to swordfish but also to other fish. So, reaction time in a split second is very important. Let's do a reaction throwing exercise."

Fishing is never an activity of extermination; fishermen also have awe and respect for the sea, which is an essential lesson in life.

Rinaldi handed Leo a harpoon: "Take a look at this and see if it's handy. I'll tie the rope to it; you'll be using it to throw planks into the sea later."

Leo pointed to the black box he had brought: "Can I use my own harpoon?"

It's been moved all this way, so I should at least have a chance to use it.

Rinaldi nodded: "Okay."

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