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Chapter's Events:
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[Fishman Island]
"He did what nobody's ever been able to do before!!"
"He put the Tenryuubito in their place!!"
"Fisher Tiger is the hero of Fishman Island!!!"
When the earth-shaking news reached Fishman Island, the citizens felt first shock and disbelief, then an overwhelming sense of pride.
[Ryuguu Palace]
"So he actually went and did it…!!"
Neptune was at a loss for words in that moment. His mind drifted back to the last time Fisher Tiger had come to Ryugu Palace.
"You mean to free the slaves?!" Hearing those words from Tiger, Neptune was struck by surprise and disbelief.
"I cannot bear it…!! The life of a slave is a hell – do you deny it?!" This was Tiger's answer. He didn't hide it, for he was eager to find a reason to do what he had decided.
"Even now, as we stand here, they are suffering torments no person should have to face…!!" Fisher Tiger's heart burned, for he had experienced it himself. He knew exactly what it meant to be a slave in Marigoa.
"I have made my decision!!!" Tiger's resolve in that moment was crystal clear.
"What in the world did you witness…"
"…on your latest journey…?!!" Neptune's curiosity deepened. What could Tiger have gone through on his last journey to change him so much? What had he seen to make him into a different man?
"…Humans, Your Majesty!!!" That one word—humans—summed up most of the scars he carried in his heart.
"..."
From the side, Queen Otohime's tears fell steadily as she covered her mouth with her hand. With her innate ability to sense emotions, she could feel the scars that were scratching at Tiger's heart in this very moment.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
In Marineford's grand hall, the atmosphere grew heavier as a highly sensitive subject surfaced in this flashback.
No one spoke. The only sound was the turning of pages. Sengoku sat at the head of the table, glasses sliding slightly down his nose as his eyes scanned the panels. This flashback had left him speechless.
"Damn it… These are the kinds of scenes that make public opinion boil over more than anything else in this world… What is the Sky Sword for this time?" Sengoku muttered, wiping his glasses again.
Zephyr stopped reading, raising an eyebrow in irritation.
"To think a fishman would be born with the will to challenge the authority of the Celestial Dragons… Fisher Tiger? Truly the first of his kind."
No one could tell whether Zephyr was praising Tiger or not. His expression remained rigid, betraying nothing.
Tsuru closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating the deeper meaning before saying:
"Acts like this trigger a chain reaction… but the ones who always pay the price are the innocent. Of course, I don't know under what circumstances those slaves became slaves in the first place, but I… I don't like enslaving people…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper for the last part.
Still, no one in the room—sharp-eared as they were—missed what she said.
They all chose to act as if they hadn't heard.
Long ago, they had already lost all respect and fear for the Celestial Dragons, even if they wouldn't openly admit it.
To lighten the mood, Borsalino let out his usual slow laugh:
"Oooh… How scary this Fisher Tiger fellow is… Returning safely after freeing so many slaves from Marigoa… He must be strong—at least Admiral level…"
"Admiral level? Hmph, you must be joking, Borsalino…" Sakazuki scoffed after hearing that, though he didn't deny the possibility that Tiger was indeed very strong. Still, he refused to believe Tiger was Admiral-level—a level that represented the peak of existence on the seas.
Even so, Sengoku's voice grew more forceful:
"Freeing slaves from Marigoa… This is a direct declaration of war against the World Government."
Whether Tiger had his reasons or not, to Sengoku it was still an explicit declaration of war—on the World Government, and by extension, on the Marines.
"And who am I? I'm the Fleet Admiral of the Marines!"
"Doing something like this in defiance of the rulers of the world… it reminds me of a certain legendary figure erased from history…" Zephyr said before quickly closing his mouth when Sengoku looked at him. He knew better than to speak of the topics forbidden by the World Government.
Even among the highest ranks of the Marines, what was forbidden remained forbidden.
…
In the Art Store of Sorbet, the atmosphere was entirely different.
If the Marines represented the side of the World Government, then the Revolutionary Army was the exact opposite—they embodied the will to overthrow it.
A group of revolutionaries sat around a large round table reserved especially for them. Each held a manga volume in hand, reading the exact same chapter, the exact same scene.
Crocodile cast a sidelong glance at the towering Kuma, then spoke in a questioning tone:
"Freeing the slaves? Heroic gestures like that don't always end with a happy ending."
He looked toward Kuma knowingly—he knew his story. Kuma had been a slave from a young age, as had his entire family—not for any crime, but simply because of his bloodline.
The Buccaneer bloodline was cursed by the World Government to a fate of slavery.
A fate worse than death.
Kuma's deep, steady voice came without him lifting his eyes from the page:
"But it's enough to change many destinies."
Tiger's internal struggle resonated with Kuma, stirring complicated emotions and a newly awakened feeling. It was as if he were looking into a mirror—though the face, fins, and red skin were different, the man's spirit was the same as his own.
He, too, had been a slave and a liberator.
With a wide smile, Ivankov slammed a hand on the table:
"Fisher Tigeeeer~! He's got the palm of freedom, just like Kuma!!"
Dragon, reading silently, exhaled softly:
"The world needs more of them… Courage is what both humans and fishmen lack."
"When only one person rises up, the World Government will have an easy time taking him down. I pity Fisher Tiger… even without finishing this flashback, I can already tell where it's heading." Dragon's voice was tinged with sadness. He truly admired the fishman.
Garp, munching on a piece of cake, burst into laughter:
"Bwahahaha! Celestial Dragons running scared from a wild red-skinned fishman? That's a sight I'd like to see for myself!"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes:
"So it's tied to humans… This is going to widen the rift between races. Princess Otohime's mission will become harder—or more accurately, impossible."
Ivankov waved a hand:
"Hey, Dragon, you always talk about freedom—you even called us the Freedom Army at first, until you switched to 'Revolutionary Army' after it appeared in the manga… But even here, under the sea, hearts remain imprisoned."
Dragon turned the page slowly, looking at his comrade:
"Every story like this… sharpens the clarity of the goal. The world must know—there's no good in rulers who treat us as slaves."
"I like the approach Rob is taking… I think I'm starting to understand why he hasn't made a formal move against them yet," Garp said.
"This manga needs the people at its core to be alive, or it loses its meaning."
"That's why I believe… when this manga ends, the World Government will fall with it."
…
In the Art Store of Fishman Island, glowing shells in the ceiling cast a soft light over the faces gathered around wooden tables. The new volume lay open to the scene between King Neptune and Fisher Tiger, and everyone read in silence, a touch of sorrow in their expressions.
Neptune stopped reading, his eyes trembling with a mix of surprise and unease:
"I never thought one of our kind would stand up to those tyrants with such courage… But the World Government will use this to hurt our race even more… sigh."
The Right Minister, wiping sweat from his brow, said in a trembling voice:
"But, Your Majesty… won't these actions invite the World Government's wrath? Don't you see the danger?"
The Left Minister responded with a faint smile:
"The danger has been there for generations… But today, hope was born."
"At worst, we'll be excluded from the next Reverie… My counterpart said the same," Neptune replied blankly.
…
Fisher Tiger sat in silence, staring at his panel as if reliving that moment. His hand clenched the edge of the table, his voice low:
"That couldn't have been an easy decision… but it was necessary."
Jinbe leaned forward, his features set in seriousness:
"If young fishmen read this story, they'll understand that freedom isn't given… It's taken."
"But, Jinbe, we were born free to begin with… My counterpart must have been enslaved… He must have truly gone through hell," Tiger said, clenching his fist tightly.
Just imagining himself enslaved and treated like an insect without dignity by those snot-nosed Celestial Dragons made him want to copy Luffy and punch one to death!
Arlong slammed the table in anger:
"Finally, someone teaching humans a lesson…! They deserve worse than this! As expected of big brother Tiger! I'll follow you to the death!!"
Tiger didn't enjoy seeing Arlong so fired up, but he didn't object.
Even if he never did something like his counterpart had, deep down, he knew he had the courage to.
…
Tom laughed deeply:
"Tahahaha! Even under the sea, stories of freedom find their way. Fisher, you've made a legend. I never thought I'd witness such heroic deeds from a man of my own race!"
Den, studying the scene intently, said:
"But humans and fishmen… if they can't find a way to coexist, these stories will remain the spark of a pointless conflict… We can't win against humans…"
Franky's eyes lit up with excitement:
"Suuuper! To challenge the World Government like that! Fisher Tiger in the manga must be an iconic character!"
Iceburg, watching Tiger from afar, pointed to the page:
"But remember, Franky… heroes don't always survive."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 939: Wherever there is light, there will be shadows.
Chapter 940: Koala.
Chapter 941: Treachery and Betrayal Are an Inherent Nature in Humans.
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