Stroroberry held his long sword, his Moon Walk steps following each other.
The long sword in his hand was imbued with Haki, its surface flashing with sword qi as he charged downwards.
"Jinbe!!!"
Jinbe's eyes widened in fury.
"Sakagami!"
His feet unleashed powerful force, lifting him into the air towards Stroroberry.
He spun 360 degrees in the air, using the rotational force to kick at the piercing long sword.
"Five Thousand Sheets of Tile! Spinning Kick!!!"
BOOM!
-----
Evening.
Aboard a warship sailing through a storm.
A group of fish-men surrounded Fisher Tiger on the operating table, urging him to accept a blood transfusion to live.
This warship had been seized by Arlong and his crew, and Jinbe had also returned to the ship.
However, his condition was not good either, with several slashing wounds and blood flowing from his head.
Tiger, lying on the operating table, once again refused a human blood transfusion, shouting angrily.
"Don't transfuse me!!!"
"I will not live by the grace of this blood!"
His contorted face, his voice choked with sobs and trembling.
"That is dirty blood."
"That is the blood that has always looked down on us fish-men."
"I will not accept the kindness of humans."
"Let alone their pity!"
"I will not bow down to humans!!!"
"Hoo... Hoo... Hoo..."
He was panting heavily.
Looking at Tiger like this, even Arlong was shocked.
For so long, Brother Tiger had always...
"Brother Tiger... what happened to you?"
Hearing Arlong's question, Tiger closed his eyes, trembling.
His hand unconsciously pressed against the tattoo on his chest as he said painfully.
"That was... a long time ago."
"Not long after my last journey, I was captured."
"I was imprisoned in Mary Geoise for several years."
"I was... a slave."
The surrounding crew members looked at Tiger in shock.
"What!"
"Boss Tiger..."
"How is that possible!!!"
"Boss..."
Tiger wept tears, his face full of pain.
"What I saw there was human madness."
"Although I managed to escape, I could not stand by and watch those who were also slaves."
"Listen to me..."
"I have always lived as I pleased."
"But it has severely hampered Princess Otohime's efforts."
"She was right..."
"Everyone yearns for peace."
"But what can truly change all of this is the next generation, like Koala, who knows nothing."
"So... please."
"Don't tell the fish-men on the island anything."
"Neither about the tragedy that befell us, nor about our anger towards humans."
"Don't let it out."
"Those who live can change the future; the dead leave only hatred."
"It's utterly ridiculous..."
"Although my mind is clear, my heart has been swayed by demons..."
"My body refuses this blood on its own."
"I can no longer love humans..."
"Please, conceal all of this, do not let hatred continue."
His trembling voice gradually subsided.
"Also..."
"Apologize to Princess Otohime for me..."
"It was my fault..."
His mind began to drift.
In the final moments of his life, the fragments that flashed through Tiger's mind were those days in Fish-Man District.
Looking at the younger brothers who called him "Brother" appearing before his eyes.
"I'm so happy..."
He reached out to touch them, but as soon as he raised his hand... it fell limp.
He breathed his last.
"Brother!!!"
-----
In the 1510 Sea of Year, the fish-man hero "Fisher Tiger," who climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and freed slaves, died refusing a human blood transfusion.
Looking back at the life of this fish-man hero.
"In his youth, he was loyal and righteous, dominating Fish-Man District—left Fish-Man Island for adventure—was captured and became a slave—escaped and freed slaves—returned to Fish-Man Island, taking the radical faction that hated humans—opposed the World Government, died in resistance."
His later life was contradictory.
He led the radical faction, yet his resolve was not firm, always evading, and he did not kill those pursuing him from the government.
But he was not weak either; he chose to stand against Princess Otohime by becoming a pirate. Although he also worked to eliminate racial discrimination, his methods were more radical than Princess Otohime's.
He hated humans, yet he did not want to pass on that hatred to the next generation.
He knew that only resistance could achieve equality, but resistance would inevitably have an indelible impact on the next generation.
However, he had no choice; the demon in his heart controlled him, preventing him from standing by idly.
Looking at the entire world's social environment and historical legacy issues.
His resistance was bound to fail.
But... this is a necessary process for the development of civilization.
Grudges, races, discrimination, these barriers will not slowly dissipate with the passage of time.
Instead, someone must take that step for it to leave a mark in the development of history and gradually expand.
There are no saviors, no heroes...
Only pioneers who shed blood and sacrificed themselves on the path of revolution.
The traces left by Tiger, through generations of development and dissemination.
In decades, in centuries, one day, Fish-Man Island will be liberated... will welcome the sunshine that belongs to them.
However... it is ultimately too slow...
"Do not leave for the next generation what can be resolved by the current generation." - Sakazuki
-----
Outside Folleshad Island.
Aboard three docked warships.
Kizaru was smoking on the deck of a warship and suddenly noticed something.
"Hmm?"
After Fisher Tiger's death, Arlong, unable to accept it, prepared to sneak back to Folleshad Island and kill all the humans there.
But as he approached the island, he saw three warships. Arlong grinned ferociously.
"Let's start with you!!!"
BOOM!
A column of water erupted from the side of a warship, shooting skyward.
It struck the deck, and a fist, tens of times stronger than an ordinary human's, continuously attacked the Marine soldiers.
Arlong's ferocious and crazy face roared.
"Damn humans!"
"Become fragments!"
"Shahaha!!!"
He seemed to be losing his mind, relentlessly slaughtering Marine soldiers.
BOOM!
He knocked over another group of soldiers who lunged at him, then suddenly looked up at the fluttering Marine flag and wanted to tear it down.
He leaped and rushed towards the highest point of the mast.
"Shahaha!!!"
Kizaru, on the middle warship, took a drag from his cigarette and said sarcastically.
"Yakamashi ne (You're so noisy)~"
He raised his index finger, and a light condensed.
WHOOSH—
A beam of golden light instantly pierced Arlong's chest as he flew into the sky.
BOOM!
He exploded violently, sending him crashing onto the ground near the shore, unable to get up.
Kizaru disappeared from the warship as a light particle, reappearing suddenly in front of Arlong.
He stepped on Arlong's chest.
Pressing down on his struggling form, rendering him immobile.
"You are Arlong~"
"Hmm?"