Since Fisher Tiger's death, Jinbe had returned to Fish-Man Island.
His feelings toward humans had become complicated.
Truth be told, Jinbe had his own perspective regarding Fisher Tiger's refusal to accept human blood transfusion even at the cost of his life.
To put it bluntly, Fisher Tiger had been somewhat too emotional and extreme in this matter.
He hadn't considered the tremendous impact his death—by refusing human blood—would have on his fellow fish-men.
If Fisher Tiger's act of freeing human slaves alongside fish-men had been a magnificent deed that could promote peace between merfolk and humans, then his refusal of transfusion and subsequent death... had carved an irreparable rift between humans and fish-men.
Fisher Tiger never realized the immense prestige he held among their race.
He didn't know the violent fish-men of Fish-Man Street would obey no one's orders but his—not even King Neptune's.
He understood even less the terrifying gap in power between humans and fish-men.
Among living fish-men today, Jinbe unquestionably considered himself the strongest.
Yet this very knowledge filled him with greater dread for their future.
As the strongest fish-man, he might not last ten moves against humanity's mightiest warriors.
The disparity in top-tier combatants was simply too vast.
Were it not for Whitebeard's protection, Fish-Man Island would have long become a living hell.
Fish-Man Island couldn't survive without human assistance now.
If the fish-men opposed humanity, only two outcomes remained:
Extinction... or permanent subjugation as an inferior race!
Even with fish-men's natural tenfold physical advantage over humans, this couldn't compensate for numerical differences and the gap in elite fighters.
Moreover, Jinbe had observed human cultivation and power growth rates far surpassed fish-men's.
Given these circumstances, forcing a "one or the other" ultimatum between races was profoundly unwise.
Yet as Fisher Tiger's most trusted brother, Jinbe understood his actions all too well.
He treated those humans with genuine sincerity, only to be betrayed by them in the end.
Compared to the pain of his wounds, the agony of that betrayal was likely what Fisher Tiger found hardest to bear.
It was precisely because Jinbe understood this so well that he found it even more difficult to persuade Fisher Tiger.
Every time he recalled the scene of Fisher Tiger's death, Jinbe felt an oppressive tightness in his chest.
Fisher Tiger's death didn't just mean the dissolution of the Sun Pirates—it also signaled that some extremist supremacists among the fishmen would once again incite retaliation against humans.
And if the fishmen took such action, it would provoke retaliation from humans a hundredfold worse. In terms of numbers and technology, the fishmen would be like eggs thrown at a rock.
What's more, the fishmen were currently under Whitebeard's protection.
If those impulsive individuals committed acts of slaughter against humans...
With Whitebeard's temperament, he would absolutely refuse to continue sheltering Fish-Man Island.
In fact, it would be fortunate if he didn't come to clean house himself!
But faced with this situation, Jinbe felt like he was walking a tightrope every day, utterly exhausted—yet he had no good solutions.
The hatred between humans and fishmen wasn't something that could be changed overnight.
This resentment was ice forged over centuries, impossible to melt through normal means in such a short time.
Although Queen Otohime was now attempting to dissolve the fishmen's hatred, the results weren't particularly promising.
Meanwhile, voices opposing Queen Otohime were growing louder, especially among those in Fish-Man District.
Now someone was wreaking bloody havoc in Fish-Man District.
Regardless of how Jinbe felt about those scoundrels from the district, he couldn't just stand by.
No matter how wicked they were, they were still his people!
Jinbe's figure darted swiftly across Fish-Man Island, drawing waves of attention.
Even Queen Otohime, who was giving a speech at Fish-Man Square, noticed Jinbe's passing.
She gazed in the direction he had gone, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Before Jinbe even reached Fish-Man District, he sensed the terrifyingly low temperatures that seemed capable of freezing his very soul.
A cold female voice rang out.
"Jinbe the Knight of the sea, one of the current candidates for the Seven Warlords. Bounty: 250,000,000 Berries."
Hearing that icy voice, Jinbe's expression grew profoundly grave.
"Are you the one responsible for this carnage?" he asked.
"If you're willing to stop now and explain yourself properly, I'm prepared to spare your life."
At that moment, those following behind Jinbe caught sight of the devastation in Fish-Man District.
An octopus fishman pointed at the frozen corpse sculptures on the other side, his voice shrill with horror:
"Boss Jinbe! Look at those!"
Following the fishman's gesture, Jinbe saw that the opposite side of Fish-Man District was already piled high with frozen corpse sculptures.
As the white mist of cold air dissipated, Jinbe finally glimpsed the woman responsible for all this.
"Marine Headquarters Commodore! The Snow Woman Monet! If you're appearing here, then that means... Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral, the Executioner Jake is also present, correct?!"
As Jinbe's voice fell, a bolt of lightning that nearly illuminated the entire sky struck the ground.
Otohime had now led her group near Fishman District, their faces filled with undisguised shock as they watched Jake slowly emerge from the lightning.
That god-like figure instilled an indescribable fear in their hearts.
Logia-type Devil Fruit users often gave off this impression—after all, they were essentially incarnations of natural disasters.
"Jinbe the Knight of the Sea, I'm honored to occupy a place in your memory. But if you're here to stop me today, our conversation might take an unpleasant turn."
As Jake spoke, he tossed a charred corpse at Jinbe's feet.
The fishmen recognized it immediately—one of Hody Jones' top lieutenants!
The Giant Squid Fishman!
Icarus Muchy!