"It's Arlong!"
Amano An's expression turned cold instantly.
She could let Fisher Tiger escape… but Arlong?No — he had to stay. He'd taken a life, and that was unforgivable.
Before Arlong could even toss aside the marine's body, An's fist had already shot forward — but Fisher Tiger moved first, blocking the strike for him. Blood immediately spilled from Tiger's mouth.
The impact was brutal. The force cracked his ribs, twisting his insides. Compared to this, the earlier blows were nothing but warm-up strikes.
"He stays," Tiger said firmly, standing protectively in front of Arlong. "I'm their captain."
That was out of the question.
Tiger understood perfectly what An meant, but he refused to abandon his crewmate.
"Everyone, hurry! Get to the sea!" Tiger roared, grabbing Arlong and hurling him back toward the fishmen.
"Fire!"Gunfire erupted all around them.
Marines raised their rifles, unleashing a storm of bullets. Jinbei and the others charged forward, knocking marines aside while shielding their comrades.
"Captain Tiger! Come this way!" Jinbei shouted, his voice echoing through the chaos.
An's eyes locked on Arlong — she shadowed his every move, unrelenting.Tiger tried to block her path again, but the effort cost him. Several bullets tore through his body, painting his uniform crimson.
Seeing Tiger fall enraged Jinbei and the fishmen. Their counterattack exploded with ferocity, and the battle instantly spiraled beyond control.
Fishmen were ten times stronger than humans. Against such power, even trained marines were overmatched. Weapons meant little when brute strength and Haki turned every swing into devastation.
An knew this — she could probably subdue them if she truly wanted to, but at what cost?If she went all out, half her men would die.
She couldn't allow that.
"Don't kill anyone!" Tiger's deep voice thundered again. They were close to the coast now — once they reached the sea, the Navy would be powerless.
Tiger's long arms swept wide, throwing aside anyone who got near. But his towering frame made him an easy target, and within seconds he was riddled with bullets.
An frowned. "You'll die if you keep this up. Leave Arlong. He killed someone — you can't save him."
Each swing of her fist sent gusts ripping through the air, carving deep pits in the earth. Even a glancing blow from her could shatter Tiger's bones.
Tiger coughed blood but still stood tall. "Will the world really become better… if there are more people like you?"
He could feel her sincerity — she didn't fear or look down on him. She didn't pity him either.To Amano An, fishmen and humans were the same.It was the same as three years ago — nothing had changed.
An sighed in frustration. This was never how she wanted things to go. She'd planned to tip off Jinbei earlier, give the Sun Pirates a chance to escape without bloodshed.Tiger never killed unnecessarily — she knew that.But Arlong's impulsive violence had destroyed that fragile balance.
Fine. If this was how it had to be…
"Open fire! Cover the wounded! Don't let the pirates escape!" An barked, her voice carrying across the battlefield.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Tiger immediately realized what she was doing — An was deliberately creating an opening. She wasn't ordering her men to chase him directly. She was letting him go.
Still, he was trapped in the middle of the crossfire, surrounded on all sides. Guns aimed squarely at him, nowhere to run.
"Captain!" Jinbei shouted, rallying the others. "We're coming!"
"Retreat! Suppressive fire!" An commanded again, giving Tiger a narrow path to flee. No one questioned her orders.
Tiger gave her one last look — gratitude shining in his eyes — then turned, dragging his bleeding body toward the shore. Blood soaked through his clothes, leaving a trail of red in the sand.
"After them!" a marine yelled.
Jinbei spun, launching a powerful punch. "Karakusa Wa Zhengquan!"
A shockwave burst from his fist, hurling marines backward with a deafening blast.
"Ahhh!"
The two forces clashed — pursuit and retreat blurring into chaos. The Sun Pirates' escape was brutal, but in the end, An ensured it happened.The warship went down beneath the waves, the fishmen vanishing into the deep.
An had anticipated this. She'd ordered extensive medical supplies prepared aboard her ship — she always planned ahead.In the One Piece world, the strong didn't die easily. Even riddled with bullets, a body could endure, heal — given time.
Dozens of marines were injured, including Rosinante.True to form, he'd fallen into the sea — entirely by accident — nearly drowning before a fishman dragged him out.Typical Rosinante.
Once the fighting ended, An had the fleet regroup and rest.
But peace didn't last. A few days later, word came in: Fisher Tiger was dead.
An felt… nothing. They'd barely known each other.She'd helped him for Jinbei's sake, not his own.If he was gone, then so be it.
Back at Forshat Island, she waited for her superiors to contact her — and for Kizaru to call, which he inevitably did.
"Ah, An~" his lazy drawl echoed through the Den Den Mushi. "He slipped away from you again~ Terrible, isn't it? My poor subordinate, wounded by your negligence~"
An yawned, glancing at the faint scratches on her arm. "I'm the one who's going to get killed if I keep taking your missions. You want me to file this report? The Marshal of the Fleet and Sengoku will both chew me out."
Kizaru chuckled, amused. "Polusalino would never doubt a cute young lady like you~"
Before An could retort, a loud explosion and the sound of chaos erupted outside — gunfire, screams, panic.
She sighed. "Looks like another idiot came back for revenge."
Grabbing her Den Den Mushi, she stepped outside — and sure enough, Arlong was there.Charging into the marines like a rabid beast, cutting them down without mercy.
"Bring him in," Kizaru's voice drawled through the receiver. "If he gets away again, it would be… troublesome~"
"He won't," An replied curtly, hanging up.
She tossed the Den Den Mushi to Rosinante, picked up a loose cannonball from the ground, and shouted, "Move!"
Every marine who heard her instantly scrambled out of the way — experience had taught them better than to stand too close when An was serious.
She hurled the cannonball. The sonic boom shattered the air, the black sphere streaking toward Arlong faster than any artillery round.
It struck before he could even move.
The explosion shook the entire port. Smoke billowed — and through it, a small, gloved hand clamped down on Arlong's head, slamming it into the ground. His fangs shattered like glass.
An brushed the dust off her palms, her tone cold. "Idiot. You actually had the nerve to come back."
Arlong's bloodied face twisted in fury and grief. He screamed, his voice breaking."I came to kill every human who betrayed Brother Tiger!"
Tears streamed down his face, his words laced with hatred.
"Fisher Tiger is dead! Killed by you inferior humans!"
An kicked him square in the chest — the crack of breaking ribs echoed across the square.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" she hissed, crouching beside him. Her fingers dug into his jaw, forcing his gaze up to meet hers. "Didn't Tiger forbid killing? Didn't you break that promise? You're the reason he's dead."
Arlong's eyes widened in horror.For the first time, realization — and unbearable guilt — flashed across his face.