As soon as Jinbe heard that the Fish-Man had been killed, his brows drew together.
"That Fish-Man was killed?" he asked immediately. "But by whom? And why was he killed? Could he not have been handed over to the authorities for proper punishment?"
Nami shook her head slowly. "I can't tell you the name of the person who killed that Fish-Man. That would be betraying him." Her fingers tightened slightly over the blanket. "I don't know what your relationship was with that Fish-Man, but you would definitely harbour ill intent toward the one who killed him. And that person… is like a saviour to our village. He removed that scourge from our home."
Her gaze hardened.
"As for reporting it to the authorities, that was completely out of the question. That Fish-Man was working with the authorities. He was exploiting our village under their protection."
The words hung heavy in the room.
Jinbe fell silent.
From her tone alone, he understood that she would not reveal the killer's name so easily. Nor would she willingly speak about who that Fish-Man truly was.
After a brief pause, he asked more gently, "If I may… can you tell me what you suffered because of that Fish-Man? Perhaps I can help in some way. Or at the very least, I can offer my apology—to you and to the villagers you mentioned, who suffered under him."
Nami lowered her eyes.
She shook her head again.
She did not want to relive those memories. The weight of years of fear, the forced smiles, the endless counting of money—it pressed at the edge of her thoughts. She stayed quiet.
Jinbe realized he had hit another wall.
His mind began racing.
A few seconds passed. Then something clicked.
He looked directly at her and said, "Was that Fish-Man named Arlong… and the person who killed him Gojo Satoru—the man with a bounty of around fifty million Berries?"
The moment those names left his mouth, Nami's eyes widened.
She stiffened.
That reaction alone was enough.
Jinbe understood immediately.
The oppressor of Nami and her village had been Arlong. And the man who killed him—Gojo Satoru—was the same human who had just defeated him in battle.
So that was why she called him a saviour.
Anticipating that Nami would again refuse to confirm anything, Jinbe spoke before she could.
"I am injured and lying here because I fought a human," he said calmly. "And that human was none other than Gojo Satoru. I fought him with my full strength… and he defeated me."
He exhaled slowly.
"So your concern that I might retaliate against him, or seek revenge, is misplaced. I know for a fact that by the time we meet again, he will be even stronger than he is now." His eyes softened slightly. "You may speak freely. If what you are saying is true… then perhaps I can forgive him for killing one of my brethren."
Nami studied him for a long moment.
His tone held no anger. Only seriousness—and something else.
Responsibility.
Finally, she nodded faintly. "Very well. I will tell you everything."
And she did.
She spoke of the Arlong Pirates. Of how they took over Cocoyashi Village. Of the fear that spread through the streets. Of the heavy tribute demanded from every household. Of how she was forced to draw maps for years, enslaved under the pretense of buying her village's freedom.
Her voice trembled at times but did not break.
She told him how the Marines were complicit. How reports were ignored. How Arlong ruled openly while pretending to be under control.
And then—
She told him how Gojo arrived for Arlong's bounty. How he confronted Arlong. How he killed him.
And in doing so, he liberated Cocoyashi Village.
When she finished, the fire had burned lower in the hearth.
Jinbe sat in silence.
Guilt tightened in his chest.
He was the one who had requested Arlong's release years ago. He was the one who had sent him to the East Blue, believing distance would soften his hatred toward humans.
Jinbe's massive hand clenched into a fist over the blanket.
"I should have known…" he muttered to himself.
"I did not receive any reports of tyranny from the East Blue. I thought he and the others were living quietly… without causing chaos. I believed that if there were no complaints, then they had changed."
His jaw tightened.
"But they were using the Marines as a cover. They hid their crimes behind corrupt authority. And in doing so… they deceived me."
The weight of that realization settled heavily over him.
Somewhere beyond the castle walls, the wind howled through the snow.
Inside, silence lingered between them.
…
Nami looked at the guilt clearly written across Jinbe's face and understood it in her own way.
She spoke gently, "You don't have to feel guilty about this. After meeting you and talking to you, I can say this much—every Fish-Man is not the same. It's not like I'm going to hate all Fish-Men just because of the behaviour of one." She paused slightly. "But of course… I will be wary in front of them."
Jinbe nodded slowly.
He understood her position. Caution was natural. Trust was not something rebuilt in a single conversation.
The weight in his chest, however, did not lessen.
He wanted to tell her everything—to reveal his connection with Arlong, how he had once requested his release, how he had believed in him, and how he had allowed him to go to the East Blue thinking distance would soften his hatred. He wanted to confess that part of the suffering she endured traced back to his own decision.
But before he could speak—
The clash between the Straw Hats and Wapol had intensified. The tremors in the ground, the faint echoes of explosions, the vibrations through the castle walls—everything signalled that the fight had reached its peak.
Nami swung her legs off the bed.
"For now, I need to go support my crew," she said firmly.
Without waiting further, she left the room.
Jinbe remained seated.
Having mastered Observation Haki, he could sense the battle clearly—the positions of fighters, the bursts of strength, the shifting momentum. From what he could tell, one side was clearly dominating.
He turned his head and looked out of the castle window, snow drifting slowly past the glass. In the distance, flashes of combat broke through the white landscape.
At that moment—
Purupurupuru… purupurupuru…
The sound of a Den Den Mushi rang sharply through the room.
Jinbe reached into his belongings, pulled out the snail, and connected the call.
Immediately, a voice came from the other side.
"This is Commodore Brannew. Warlord Jinbe, what is the situation with Gojo? Were you able to capture him?"
Jinbe's tone was calm.
"No. I lost to him. And he left."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"Are you serious?" Brannew exclaimed. "You—a Warlord of the Sea—were not able to defeat a rookie pirate?"
"That is the truth," Jinbe replied evenly. "I fought him. At the end of the battle, he overpowered me and defeated me. That is a fact."
Brannew's chair scraped loudly in the background.
"But how is that possible? You are a master of both Haki—Observation and Armament. And you still lost to him?"
Jinbe did not hesitate.
"He has mastered both kinds of Haki as well. His Observation Haki is superior to mine." He paused slightly. "And his Armament Haki—which was inferior to mine at the start—became superior by the end of the battle."
Silence.
Then Brannew's voice rose in disbelief.
"You're telling me he refined his Haki beyond yours? You—who have trained for decades? Are you joking with me?"
Jinbe's expression remained unchanged.
"Do I look like someone who would joke with you?" he asked flatly. "This is a fact. I fought him. He overpowered me. I was defeated. It is as simple as that."
Without waiting for further argument, Jinbe disconnected the Den Den Mushi.
The room returned to silence.
…
On the other side of the line, Brannew stood frozen.
His first instinct was immediate: Increase Gojo's bounty.
But just as the thought formed, he suppressed it.
If news spread that a Warlord of the Sea had been defeated by a rookie pirate who had been sailing for less than a month, it would send shockwaves across the world. It would destabilize the delicate balance maintained by the World Government. Panic would rise. Confidence in the Warlords would crumble.
No.
They could not raise Gojo's bounty—not openly. Doing so would indirectly acknowledge the truth and grant him recognition.
Still… the information could not be ignored.
Higer-ups needed to be informed.
A rookie pirate.
Less than a month at sea.
And he had defeated Jinbe.
Brannew's face darkened as he stared at the reports before him.
The world was shifting faster than anyone had anticipated.
----
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