"Out of the way, Zeo! Let me handle this!"
A fish-man clad in the Neptune Army uniform shoved Zeo aside and shouted at Jack:
"Uncle! Please, I'm begging you—help Arlong!"
"Arlong's been captured by the Marines and locked up!"
Jack tilted his head, scrutinizing the fish-man before him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"And you are...? Another nephew? I don't remember you."
"It's me, Uncle!"
"If you're Zeo's uncle, then you're obviously my uncle too!"
It wasn't until the fish-man removed his helmet that Jack recognized him—it was Hody Jones, who had appeared before him once before.
"Hody? What did you just say?" Jack's eyes narrowed.
"Arlong's been captured? When did this happen? How did you find out?"
Before Jack could react, several towering fish-men from the salvage crew stepped forward and surrounded Hody Jones.
"Hey! You lot, back off!" barked Finder.
"This matter is for Jack-sama to decide. Don't forget your place!"
The fish-men exchanged awkward glances before retreating with forced smiles, leaving Jack frowning. He turned to Finder.
"Arlong... I think I've heard you mention that name before," Jack mused.
"Is he really that strong?"
Finder shook his head and spoke in a low voice.
"Arlong's strength used to be on par with mine. But since being trained by King-sama and yourself, I've grown significantly in the past two years. Unless Arlong has seen a similar level of growth, he wouldn't be a match for me."
"Among ordinary people, he's certainly strong. But compared to the true heavyweights of the Beast Pirates? He doesn't measure up."
Finder added with a sneer, "Also, Arlong's a notorious supremacist among fish-men. He despises humans, which has earned him plenty of followers among our kind. They call themselves the Arlong Pirates."
"But there are also many who dislike him—like me. I've never gotten along with him."
Turning back to Hody Jones, Finder asked disdainfully, "How did you find out Arlong's been captured? The papers haven't mentioned it. How do you know something we don't?"
Hody Jones hesitated, glancing around nervously, before lowering his voice.
"I overheard King Neptune and Queen Otohime discussing it while I was on duty at Ryugu Palace."
"Jinbei sent a letter to Queen Otohime—it was delivered by a messenger who's already returned to Fish-Man District."
"Oh?" Jack exchanged a glance with Finder, who nodded. Finder and a few others immediately set off for Fish-Man District, leaving Hody standing there, bewildered about whether he should follow or stay put.
"Hody, was it?" Jack's voice cut through the tension.
"Whether or not I save Arlong depends on what I decide. Don't interrupt me again."
Jack seized Hody by the collar, lifting him effortlessly off the ground as he growled:
"When I'm speaking, don't interrupt me."
Turning to Zeo and the others, Jack's tone grew colder.
"Zeo might be my nephew, but until you join the Beast Pirates, you're not considered part of the family."
"If you've chosen to make your own way, don't come running to me for help. Understand?"
Faced with Jack's imposing figure and menacing glare, Hody and his group nodded mechanically.
"Good. Now scram. Zeo, come here!"
Zeo shuffled forward hesitantly, only for Jack to deliver a resounding slap across his face.
"Smack!"
"Use your brain! Stop letting others manipulate you!" Jack barked.
"You've got an uncle like me, and you're still playing second fiddle to some nobody?"
"Did you really think I kept you here on Fish-Man Island just to be someone else's lackey?"
"Rim!" Jack called out, motioning to his subordinate.
"For the next few days, my dear nephew is in your hands. Teach him well—make him understand why I left him on this island!"
"Yes," Rim replied with a nod.
Soon after, Finder returned, accompanied by a purple-skinned fish-man with dorsal fins on his back. The newcomer's face lit up as he spotted Jack.
"You must be Jack-sama! I've heard so much about you during my time back. I've also learned about the Beast Pirates' stance toward fish-men—it's admirable."
The fish-man bowed deeply before continuing.
"I was planning to seek you out when the next merchant convoy arrived. I never expected you to come here on behalf of the Sun Pirates!"
"My name is Ax."
Jack smirked at Ax's sincerity.
Ax blinked in confusion. Jack sighed and shook his head.
"Never mind. Tell me—what happened to your crew?"
"And while you're at it, I want to hear about Fisher Tiger. I'm curious about him."
Three days later, with the fish-men's help, the Mammoth was fully coated and ready for the journey. But Jack hesitated.
Through Ax's stories, Jack had gained a clearer picture of Fisher Tiger and the Sun Pirates' situation.
Despite his higher bounty, Jack couldn't deny the weight of Tiger's reputation. The fish-man's audacious act of climbing the Red Line bare-handed, freeing slaves from Mary Geoise, and openly defying the World Government had made him a legend.
But Fisher Tiger was a walking contradiction.
Ax had been forthright, revealing not only why Tiger died but the truth behind his demise.
Jack couldn't understand it. A man who'd suffered as a slave to the Celestial Dragons still chose to follow a pacifist ideal, refusing to kill.
That same ideal led to Tiger being ambushed and fatally wounded by the Navy. His hatred for humans ultimately sealed his fate.
To Jack, it was a tragic tale, one filled with contradictions.
"His life was like a tea table crowded with nothing but tragedy," Jack muttered.
Much of what Ax described reminded Jack of Queen Otohime—both were dreamers who sought to change the world through compassion.
Standing on the deck, Jack gazed at the mermaid women playing in the water nearby, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Why is it that the two most famous figures among fish-men are so naive?" he wondered aloud.
"Do they really think they can change this world with love?"
"Ugh..." Jack sighed, shaking his head.
"And the Sun Pirates... how many of them are just little shark arms following Tiger's ideals?"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg