Finder respected Tiger greatly and was furious when he heard of his death. However, Finder understood well that as a member of the Beasts Pirates, he couldn't act recklessly.
Initially, Finder was resistant to joining Kaido's crew. He only agreed out of fear that Jack might destroy Fish-Man Island if he refused. But once he joined, things changed.
Not only did Jack keep every promise he made, but even Kaido showed considerable respect for Fish-Men.
Kaido had the mountains around Onigashima flattened to create a protective barrier and opened underwater passages. He established a Fish-Man-exclusive paradise on land and even built homes beneath the sea. On top of that, he handed over the bustling harbor of Port Itachi in Wano Country to the Fish-Men.
(T/N: Itachi Port is Kuri's port and one of six in Wano.)
Discrimination against Fish-Men? Nonexistent. Human pirates who dared to insult them faced severe punishment. Naturally, this led to some Fish-Men growing arrogant in Onigashima, though Jack quickly put them in their place. After that, they adjusted their attitudes.
Unlike human pirates, Fish-Men could freely return to Fish-Man Island with trading ships. This privilege made many human crew members envious—they hadn't seen their homelands in years.
Kaido's generous treatment wasn't without motive, he wanted more Fish-Men to join his crew. But this strategy worked wonders, creating a strong sense of belonging among the Fish-Men.
Those who joined the Beasts Pirates worked hard to recruit their kin. Many were orphans from Fish-Man Street, but they returned to the island bearing human goods, boasting about their lives with the Beasts Pirates, and sharing tales of breathtaking sights they'd never dreamed of seeing.
When a single person speaks of such wonders, skepticism is easy. But when hundreds or thousands of Fish-Men, all alive and thriving after traveling through the human world, tell the same story, doubt becomes hard to sustain.
Over the past two years, many Fish-Men decided to move to Wano with their families. Their numbers have been growing exponentially.
If Tiger were alive and had to choose between himself and the Beasts Pirates, Finder wouldn't hesitate to pick Kaido's crew.
If Tiger was the hero of the Fish-Men, the Beasts Pirates were their beacon of hope—a chance to stand proudly under the sun.
The other Fish-Men aboard shared Finder's sentiment. Their initial excitement at arriving on Fish-Man Island had settled, and the Mammoth soon reached its destination.
The grand ship entered the dark, underwater passage toward Fish-Man Island. Guards stationed nearby hurriedly reacted.
"Th-That's…"
"It's Drought Jack of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Quick, notify King Neptune immediately!"
Unlike their previous visit, this time the guards barely delayed the Mammoth's passage. In under two minutes, the massive gate opened, allowing the ship to sail into the bright waters of Fish-Man Island.
"Splashhh!"
"Hahaha! I'm back!" Jack bellowed, grinning widely.
"Jack-sama, can we head down now?" one of the Fish-Men pirates eagerly asked.
"Go ahead. Just be back at the port in three days," Jack ordered.
With that, over a hundred Fish-Men leapt joyfully into the sea. Finder, however, stayed aboard with a smaller group, keeping watch.
When the Mammoth docked, Jack and Rim disembarked, only to be greeted by an unexpectedly lively scene.
A crowd of Fish-Men swarmed the dock, their faces full of excitement.
"Look! That's the ship of the Beasts Pirates!"
"The bow and that emblem—it's Jack-sama's Mammoth! We were right!"
"Everyone, come quick!"
Jack froze, bewildered by the stark contrast to their last visit.
"Did I miss something? Weren't they terrified of us before? Now they're acting like we're family," he muttered to Rim, who seemed equally confused.
As they pushed through the crowd, they overheard the Fish-Men's eager chatter.
"Such a big ship! How many people can it carry this time?"
"Please take us with you! My neighbor's cousin's son was taken last time. Surely my family can go too!"
"Uh…" Jack was utterly lost.
"Oi, you idiots! Back off!" Finder shouted, stepping in to disperse the crowd. "This isn't a merchant ship! We're not here to ferry anyone! If you want to go to the surface, register properly, get your documents in order, and wait for Ryugu Kingdom's approval!"
It took half the day to clear the dock. Once the crowd thinned, Finder turned to Jack, still dumbfounded.
"Sorry about that, Jack-sama. I'd heard from the traders that more Fish-Men wanted to migrate to Wano, but I didn't realize it was this bad."
Finder explained further, "Apparently, some Fish-Men running stalls in Wano's night markets recently came back to visit their families. Their stories caused an uproar. For Fish-Men living in towns, it's even more impactful—they have bigger families and more connections than those of us from Fish-Man Street."
"Last time, over two thousand Fish-Men left, and that was only because the ships were at capacity. Now, it seems every Fish-Man on the island is waiting for a chance to leave."
Jack smirked, stroking his chin. "At this rate, we'll empty Fish-Man Island entirely."
"That's impossible, Jack-sama," Finder replied quickly. "Even with a few million Fish-Men here, Ryugu Kingdom would intervene if too many left."
"Hmm," Jack muttered, glancing at the hopeful faces still lingering in the distance. He spoke quietly, almost to himself.
"Without overwhelming power and control, trying to suppress the hope of so many people… There's only one outcome."
"Destruction."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg