In a hidden corner of Foolshout Island.
A warship was docked steadily by the shore—large numbers of Marines, carrying rifles and swords, disembarked in orderly ranks.
Leading the way was Kizaru's adjutant, Strawberry, with Atlas naturally at his side.
...Time rewound to one week ago...
Hearing Atlas's request to participate in the mission to ambush Tiger, a look of mild surprise crossed Kizaru's face. "You want to see Fisher Tiger?"
Something like that..." Atlas shrugged, giving a noncommittal answer.
Without a doubt, Fisher Tiger was a hero, a true hero, and also one of the great tragedies of the pirate world.
If possible, he still wanted to invite him for a trip to the great undersea prison, rather than letting him die with hatred for humanity in his heart.
"...If you want to go, I can't really stop you~ After all, we're of the same rank~~" After a moment of silence, Kizaru finally acquiesced to Atlas's request.
And so, with Kizaru's tacit approval, Atlas successfully boarded Strawberry's fleet.
.....
"Vice Admiral Byakko, we are going to find the island's villagers to ask about the situation. Would you like to come with us?"
Strawberry tilted his head, seeking Atlas's opinion. Although this fleet was nominally under his command as Kizaru's adjutant, Atlas's rank was much higher than his.
Even if it was just a token gesture, asking was the proper thing to do.
Although Strawberry appeared cold and somewhat aloof on the surface, he had a firm grasp of workplace etiquette.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become one of the headquarters' elite Vice Admirals ten years later, qualified to be one of the five Vice Admirals to lead a Buster Call.
"Hmm...I'll pass. I'd rather not disturb your work."
Atlas mulled it over for a moment, then declined with a wave of his hand.
Going along would mean confirming the Sun Pirates' arrival time and scouting the terrain for the ambush.
He wasn't very good at this sort of thing so that he wouldn't butt in.
However, what he couldn't understand was why Tiger would go out of his way to notify Koala's parents in advance. He still held on to a beautiful fantasy about human nature...
Even Atlas probably would never have guessed.
He would kindly return a child, only to be reported by the villagers and, as a result, be ambushed by the Marines and severely wounded.
"I'll go back to the warship and take a nap. If you can't handle it, call me."
After speaking, Atlas casually picked one of the three warships that had no Marines left on board and walked off.
...
Soon, the Sun Pirates' ship successfully arrived at Foolshout Island.
"Koala! We're disembarking. We've reached your homeland..." Tiger extended his large, red-webbed hand and patted Koala's neat, short hair, his eyes filled with reluctance.
Thump—!
The gangplank was lowered, kicking up a cloud of dust. Tiger and Koala disembarked, one after the other.
"Uwohh, don't go, Koala~~ Keep sailing with us~~~"
"She's a good kid, even if she's human..."
"Hey! Stop crying, you guys!"
Seeing Koala's departing figure, the more emotional Fish-Men burst into tears.
"Where is your village? I'll walk you to the entrance."
Tiger looked at the overjoyed Koala, a trace of gentleness appearing on his somewhat ferocious face.
Although he had seen too much of humanity's dark side over the past three years, there were still those like Koala who remained friendly after interacting with them. But most of those were children.
If the rift between humans and Fish-Men was ever to be healed, the hope ultimately lay with the next generation, who had not yet been jaded.
"Thank you, everyone—!!!"
Koala shouted to the crew on the ship, then turned and ran on her short legs to catch up to Tiger.
A short while later.
Although Koala had been young when she was kidnapped as a slave, her fading memories still guided her.
Tiger soon arrived at the entrance to her village. Men and women, old and young, swarmed out.
When they saw only Tiger, they first froze, then their eyes filled with deep suspicion.
Tiger paid it no mind. After sailing the seas for these past few years, he had grown accustomed to such looks from humans.
"Papa, Mama!!"
Koala saw two familiar figures at the front of the crowd, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
"Koala? Is... is it really you? Uwaahh—!"
The woman, upon seeing Koala, could no longer contain her emotions. She pulled her into a tight embrace and began to sob.
"..."
Seeing this long-overdue reunion, a smile subconsciously appeared on Tiger's face. He then turned to walk away.
"Thank you—!!"
Koala's tearful shout came from behind him. He didn't look back, just raised his palm and waved behind him as a farewell.
However, just as Tiger was walking through a grove...A loud shout stopped him in his tracks.
"Don't move! I am a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral!"
Rustle—!
Countless Marine soldiers suddenly appeared, aiming their rifles at Tiger.
"We received a report from the residents of a certain island, informing us that you would be coming to this island!!!"
"The adults in the village you just visited are also aware that a small 'commotion' would happen here. As a condition..."
"We will spare the little girl who was once the 'property' of a Celestial Dragon."
Strawberry was smart. He didn't expose the villagers of this island; instead, he blamed it on some non-existent islanders.
He was clearly afraid that if Tiger escaped, he might retaliate.
But this was just nonsense. Anyone with a brain knew it was the people from Koala's village who reported him. Tiger knew this as well.
At this moment, his expression was incredibly grim as he stared at the cold-faced Marine before him.
"You are well aware of your crimes..." Strawberry was unmoved. His raised arm slowly fell!
The order to fire!
Bang—!
Bang! Bang!
A dense volley of gunfire erupted, unleashing a fierce barrage on Tiger's body!
—Back at the shore, where the Sun Pirates were.
The massive sound of gunfire reached the ears of the Fish-Men. They stared at each other, stunned.
"What was that gunfire...Did it come from the direction Boss Tiger just went?"
"Hey! Look at the sea! Marines surround us! It's a trap."
Strawberry had brought three warships this time. He had only taken the troops from one ship ashore.
The other two were, naturally, to prevent the Fish-Men from escaping by sea on their pirate ship!
"See... This is the true face of humanity!" Arlong's expression grew even more ferocious, his hatred for humans intensifying.
"Boss Tiger is in danger! Everyone else, abandon ship and jump into the sea! I'll go support Boss Tiger!"
Jinbe, though furious, kept a cool head. For them —the Fish-Men —the sea was the best escape route.
"Damn, the ship's been sunk! Steal one from the Marines!" Arlong roared.
Although they didn't need a ship to escape, if Boss Tiger were injured, having no boat to fall back on would be fatal!
Fully-armed Marines surrounded Tiger, unleashing merciless firepower on his body. A large amount of blood splattered, his strong body already mangled.
"What's going on? Why hasn't he fallen yet?" Looking at Tiger, who was still glaring furiously, the Marines were terrified.
What stubborn willpower! What terrifying life force!
"Hey! Don't let your guard down! This is the man who dared to attack Mary Geoise alone."
Strawberry shouted sharply from the side.
Without a doubt, Tiger's bounty was 230 million berries. While the attack on Mary Geoise was a factor, his own strength was not to be underestimated.
A Fish-Man's physical strength is ten times that of a human's, to say nothing of a prime specimen like Tiger!
If not for the ambush and the heavy artillery suppression, Strawberry alone would have likely accomplished little!
"You... you...Damn you, humans!"
Under the rain of cannon fire, Tiger struggled to his feet, letting out furious roars as he ran toward the shore, straight into the attack!
The Sun Pirates weren't far, which is why Jinbe and the others had noticed the commotion so quickly.
Soon, Tiger, bathed in his own blood, finally rendezvoused with Jinbe and the others.
"Fish-Man Karate Secret Art: Buraikan!!"
Jinbe shouted, gathering a ball of water in the centre of his palm. The water ball expanded and was then fiercely thrown at the pursuing Marines!
Boom—!
A massive explosion rang out, and a terrifying mist filled the air. The Marines, led by Strawberry, were thrown into chaos, unable to see.
Fish-Man Karate was the most suitable martial art for the Fish-Man race, and its effectiveness was doubled in the ocean.
Although he was on land, he wasn't far from the sea, and the abundant moisture in the air allowed Jinbe to use his power.
"Spear Wave: Swarm of Rain!!!"
Jinbe pressed his advantage, taking a fist-fighting stance with his fingers held together.
The moisture in the air was drawn to him, and countless jets of water shot from his palm!
Shoom—!
Among the Sun Pirates, although the crew loved Tiger, it didn't mean Jinbe's strength was inferior.
On the contrary, Jinbe's mastery of Fish-Man Karate was, without a doubt, the strongest in the entire pirate crew!
"Damn it! It's Jinbe of the Sun Pirates!" Strawberry cursed, watching his soldiers fall around him.
He knew very well that they probably couldn't stop these guys today. Not unless Vice Admiral Kizaru intervened personally!
Vice Admiral Kizaru... Vice Admiral Kizaru...Strawberry felt like he had forgotten something.
Meanwhile, Arlong and the others, who had dived into the sea, resurfaced. Seeing the dying Tiger, their eyes widened in fury.
"Brother Jinbe, hurry and bring Boss Tiger onto the ship! We stole a warship! There are no Marines stationed on it!"
.....
As far as the eye could see, there was only the vast, open ocean. A Marine warship sailed slowly. There wasn't a single Marine in sight on its decks.
Inside the medical bay.
A tall, red sea bream Fish-Man lay covered in blood on a medical bed, surrounded by a group of anxious Fish-Men, all staring nervously at the ship's doctor, Aladdin.
This was the Sun Pirates, having just escaped from Strawberry.
As children of the sea, as long as the power gap wasn't too massive, once the Fish-Men touched the ocean, almost no one could stop them from escaping.
"Boss, don't say such foolish things!!!"
Hatchan, the octopus Fish-Man, looked at the dying Tiger. His mouth opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something, sweating profusely in panic, fumbling with his hands.
"Boss Tiger, you've lost too much blood. If you don't get a transfusion, your life..."
"But, Boss, your blood type is rare. No one on our crew has the same type!"
Aladdin, the ship's doctor, concluded after checking Tiger's condition.
"However, the blood stored on this Marine ship happens to have a match for your blood type, Boss Tiger."
Aladdin said, holding up a blood bag, looking relieved.
Fortunately, as the ship's doctor, he checked the supplies in the warship's medical bay first.
Knowing the blood types of everyone in the pirate crew, he had quickly found blood that matched Tiger's.
"But...The blood stored on this Marine ship... huah...It must be human, right... huah..."
Tiger gasped for air, his voice intermittent.
The Marines' bullets had clearly damaged his lungs. Combined with the massive blood loss, he was already showing signs of respiratory failure.
"That's right! Humans and we have the same blood! Human blood will work! Saving your life is what's important!"
Aladdin clearly didn't catch the emotion in Tiger's voice.
It was ironic.
They, who had never been seen as the same species by humans, had the same substance flowing in their veins.
"So let's start the transfusion..."
"Don't give it to me! I don't want to live on thanks to that kind of blood!"
"Huah..."
Suddenly, Tiger, lying on the bed, exploded, his face contorting as he roared.
"That is filthy blood! It's the blood of those who have despised us Fish-Men for so long!"
"I will not accept their charity! And I will not accept their pity!"
Facing death, Tiger, who had always suppressed his emotions, finally broke down, unleashing his hatred for humanity.
"I will never! Yield to humans! huah..."
"...?!"
"Boss Tiger...Boss..." The members of the Sun Pirates were stunned. In front of them, Tiger had always played the role of the calm, collected big brother.
He had never even shown any open hostility toward humans. Even in battles with the Marines, he had set a "no-kill" rule for them.
Although they had fought dozens of battles, large and small, with the Marines over the past three years, they had not killed a single Marine!
Not one! So, when the crew suddenly saw Tiger like this, they felt a strong sense of dissonance.
It was as if... A secret was about to be revealed before them!
"I never wanted to tell you... On my final journey...huah...I was once a slave!"
Tiger roared with what felt like his last ounce of strength, tears of anger and humiliation streaming from his eyes, trailing down to his ears.