"What..." "How is his defense so strong..." "He's a monster..."
Bang!
Jinbe's proud stance finally faltered as his head slumped onto the sandy beach, exhausted. The ocean had already sapped Jack of much of his strength, yet even in this state, Jinbe's strongest attack barely managed to ruffle a single hair on him. This monstrous body of his—it was beyond anything Jinbe had encountered. He was thoroughly convinced.
"Boss Jinbe!" "Captain Jinbe!"
As the battle concluded, the Sun Pirates' crew members rushed forward to their leader. Willy led a group of a dozen fish-men, casually trailing behind Finder as they merged with the pirates from Jack's Mammoth ship. Slowly, they advanced toward the shore.
Jack took note of the numbers. To his surprise, the Sun Pirates' crew matched his own fish-men in size, numbering around two hundred. It seemed that some of the Sun Pirates must have slept through his arrival, given their absence earlier.
Still, the more, the merrier. These fish-men were clearly elites. Jack took a few steps forward, addressing the group with a booming voice:
"Comrades! If you wish to join the Beast Pirates, step aboard my ship now!"
"Follow me to the New World, to Onigashima! To Wano!"
"There, you'll find a second home in this world!"
"From this moment on, you will be members of the Beast Pirates! No one in this world dares to underestimate us!"
"You've all heard of our Governor-General, haven't you? Kaido! The man crowned an Emperor of the Sea, and hailed as the world's strongest creature by land, sea, or air!"
Jack smirked, his tusks gleaming. "Though, give it a few years, and that title will be mine. For now, though, there's no denying Kaido is the apex of the seas!"
"Whitebeard may be called the strongest man, but let's face it—with his age, which pirate crew has the brightest future? You all can figure that out, can't you?"
Jack waved a hand, and Finder's fish-men immediately stepped aside. Jack gestured toward them, his voice firm:
"If you doubt me, ask them yourselves about the Beast Pirates' treatment of fish-men. I won't waste words. The choice is yours."
The moment Jack finished speaking, Willy stepped forward eagerly.
"I'm joining the Beast Pirates, without a doubt! Since Tiger's death, the Sun Pirates have been on a downward spiral. Always suppressing our true nature, bottling up our hatred, freeing slave after slave... I've had enough!"
"And you all—Jack-sama is right. The Beast Pirates are on a different level from the Sun Pirates."
"If we join them..."
"The World Government and Navy will have to think twice before moving against us!"
"And who knows? We might even get a chance to drag those celestial scum—the Tenryūbito—down from their thrones!"
"When that time comes..."
Willy's words left many of the fish-men visibly conflicted. Their expressions wavered, uncertain. Sensing the tension, Finder stepped forward with a sly grin.
"Aladine, Biste, you lot..."
His grin widened into a laugh. "I've got some news for you. I thought you'd never return to Fish-Man Island in this lifetime, so I've already brought your families to the New World—to Wano!"
"They're living there now, running small businesses and getting along quite well with the humans."
Finder paused, turning toward Aladine. "By the way, Aladine, remember your younger brother?"
"After you disappeared, he ended up in the Fish-Man District, staying with me. While he's not suited for fighting, he's got a knack for business. He's pretty much monopolized the grilled skewer trade in Wano. Though... he does tend to pass off duck meat as lamb occasionally. You'll have to teach him better yourself!"
Finder chuckled and continued, "As for the others, most of them live in an area Kaido-sana designated exclusively for fish-men. Not a single human resides there."
"What?! Finder..."
Aladine and a few others stared at Finder in shock, their expressions softening into gratitude. They had left Fish-Man Island to protect their families, never intending to return. That Finder had gone out of his way to bring their loved ones to safety spoke volumes about his loyalty and friendship.
Hearing firsthand from their comrades who had joined the Beast Pirates about the fair treatment, living conditions, and opportunities in Wano, many fish-men began stepping forward. Bowing to Jinbe, they spoke with heavy hearts:
"Boss Jinbe, we're sorry. We want to stay with you, but we want to reunite with our families even more."
Jack, observing this, gave Finder a thumbs-up and asked quietly, "When did you manage to pull that off?"
Finder shrugged nonchalantly. "First trade ship to Fish-Man Island, I sent someone to fetch them. After all, with such a good place available, why not take care of the ones I know first?"
Jack stared at him for a moment before chuckling.
Damn. Abusing power for personal connections... and doing it flawlessly.
As the fish-men crossed over to Jack's side, Jinbe turned to Aladine.
"Aladine, you should go too. I know you've been worried about your brother."
Jinbe's voice was steady. "I won't hold it against you. If you have the chance to live under the sun, free of discrimination, take it. If I didn't have so many responsibilities, I'd go too."
Aladine hesitated, guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders. But after a moment, Jinbe placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Go, Aladine. You're stronger than Finder. With the Beast Pirates, you can secure a better position and ensure an even brighter future for our people."
Aladine nodded, wiping tears from his face as he transformed his tail into legs and walked to the other side.
One by one, more fish-men followed, leaving Jinbe with fewer than fifty loyal members at his side. He clenched his fists, his heart heavy. The Sun Pirates had truly fractured today.
Still, Jinbe told himself, If it's for a better future, Tiger would have approved.
Nearby, Hatchan—Hachi—approached Jinbe with a serious expression.
"Boss Jinbe, is it true that you plan to become a Warlord to free Arlong?"
Jinbe nodded firmly. "It is. Not just for Arlong's sake, but to improve relations between humans and fish-men as well."
Hachi's expression softened. "Then we'll stay with you. No matter what."
Jack, who had been silently observing the exchange with his Haki-enhanced senses, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This Jinbe... whether he's stubborn or steadfast remains to be seen. But with that strength, he could be a top-tier fighter in the Beast Pirates. Maybe I should try to bring him over too.
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg