Pirate: I'm about to do something big!

"...I was enslaved by the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise for three years. I witnessed the most insane and terrifying side of these world nobles as humans. Those images are etched into my soul and I can't shake them off."

I was lucky enough to escape Mary Geoise and return to Fish-Man Island, no longer a slave. But only I know that the mark of slavery still lingers on me. I wanted to rid myself of that mark and also seek revenge, so I went back.

I wreaked havoc in Mary Geoise and found the Celestial Dragon who had enslaved me. The most ridiculous thing is that he didn't even remember ever having a fish-man slave like me.

You all know what happened afterward, and that Sky Dragon's Hoof, which represented slavery, was turned into the symbol of the Sun Pirates by me. I was deceiving myself.

Inside the temporary camp of Alyosha's unit, the fishman Fisher Tiger recounted his past—a past he had never mentioned to his crew—to his crew and the marines under Alyosha's command by the campfire.

Whether it was the marines, Jinbe and the other fish-man crew members, or even the Den Den Mushi connecting Smoker and Tina who were conducting bandit suppression operations in the mountains, all were silent.

Alyosha gestured for Captain Roy to hang up the phone, and looked at Tiger with satisfaction as he recounted his past.

The reason he accepted the mission to hunt down the Sun Pirates was because, as a transmigrator, he had an exceptional memory and remembered a lot about One Piece.

Because he remembered it, he understood the background of most of the characters in the One Piece manga, Fisher Tiger being one of them.

A man who has suffered the torment of slavery and the cruelty of being enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, after escaping, could honestly say he deserves all the revenge he can take against humanity.

You can't ask Tiger to forgive humanity and tell him that you should hate the Celestial Dragons and their subordinates, not the entire human race.

But the other party did not. Tiger did indeed still reject the entire human race in his heart, but that did not stop him from releasing thousands of slaves of different races when he wreaked havoc in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

This did not prevent him from regarding the little girl Kella as his crew member and family.

This did not prevent him from forming the Sun Pirates to combat the slave trade and liberate slaves on the high seas.

Fisher Tiger has been caught in the rain, yet he is still willing to hold up an umbrella for others who are also caught in the rain, even though the umbrella isn't very good. He did everything he could.

Such a person should not end up in such a tragic way.

With just a little guidance from his side, Fisher Tiger could do an even better job of freeing slaves.

So he came.

Because Alyosha understands Tiger, and Tiger knows he shouldn't hate the entire human race; he just can't get over his own conscience.

Alyosha didn't intend for Tiger to be able to let go right now. This kind of thing can only be resolved by Tiger himself, and it needs to be done little by little.

Unexpectedly, Stobery pulled this stunt. Plans can't keep up with changes, and Alyosha had no choice but to force Tiger into this desperate measure.

Looking at it now, well, at least the effect is acceptable.

The marines and merfolk crew members in the camp had already begun to discuss things freely.

"Um, I remember the World Government stipulates that the slave trade can only target criminals and citizens of non-World Government member states, right? Fish-Man Island is a member state of the World Government, isn't it?"

"How novel! The World Government says that anyone who sets sail without permission is a pirate, yet there are still just as many pirates."

"Boss Tiger, you...you've never told us about these things before."

"Yes, I didn't say that because I was afraid you would look down on me because I was once a slave of the Celestial Dragons."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Tiger is Tiger, and that will never change!"

"Then let your boss get some rest. We won't be here for more than a few days. Do what I've assigned you, and then leave quickly. Next time we're hunting you down, I might not be the one leading the team."

Alyosha ended the campfire conversation, the marines returned to their posts, and Jinbe and his fishman crew no longer objected to Alyosha's arrangements for them. They exchanged glances before getting up to escort Tiger back to the warship to rest.

Alyosha nodded with satisfaction as he watched Tiger being escorted back to rest by Jinbe and his crew.

The effects are pretty good so far. I'll increase the dosage over the next few days and start with Fisher Tiger's Sun Pirates to give this sea a little shock.

The great cause of liberating slaves would be meaningless if only Fisher Tiger's Sun Pirates, led by a fish-man, were doing it.

"It's still early, and the world is in chaos, so let's take it one step at a time."

Alyosha returned to his tent, made his bed, and fell asleep fully clothed.

Five days passed quickly, and Alyosha's troops lingered on Forsythe Island for quite some time.

Over the course of those five days, Tiger's health improved day by day; such a natural physique is something that can't be envied.

The little girl, Kera, gradually became more cheerful, and she finally understood that Tiger didn't want to abandon her, but just wanted her to go home.

Having realized this, Kerla kept running back and forth between his fishing village and the temporary camp where Alyosha and the others were stationed on the shore.

The marines in the temporary camp also grew fond of Koala, a lively and cheerful little girl, and the atmosphere between the marines and the fishman crew in the camp became much more harmonious because of Koala.

Of course, Alyosha himself wasn't idle either.

While Tiger's health was improving, Alyosha became Tiger's mentor, a fish-man dedicated to fighting the slave trade and freeing slaves.

"Mr. Fisher Tiger, now you should have the answers to the three questions I asked you earlier. So, Mr. Tiger, you have at least three things to say."

Alyosha, dressed in a black shirt and white jacket, holding a pen and paper, sat in front of Tiger with a friendly smile, like a psychologist listening to a patient.

But this made Tiger feel even more stressed, as if he had returned to his childhood when he was studying in Fishman Street.

Swallowing nervously, Tiger tentatively replied, "Shouldn't I have already divided the rescued slaves into different classes in my mind?"

Alyosha shook his head. "Not that sentence."

"Shouldn't I have strictly ordered my crew not to harm humans without cause, even when fighting them?"

"That's not it either."

"If only more people could help me fight the slave trade and free the slaves..."

Tiger's last reply was barely audible, but Alyosha still heard it and smiled with satisfaction.

"Yes, Mr. Tiger, this is the problem you most need to solve. You see combating the slave trade and rescuing slaves as your own business, the business of the Sun Pirates, but in fact, this is a cause that requires everyone's participation. Humans, fish-men, mermaids, long-armed tribes, long-legged tribes, giants, and even Devil Fruit users should all join in!"

Tiger was stunned. He hadn't expected Alyosha to be so excited when he heard his last reply, with a look of relief that said, "You finally understand."

But he still didn't understand.

"But Mr. Ran, you should know that I am a great pirate, a great pirate wanted by the Navy and the World Government."

"So what? You feel like you're fighting alone? Then why do you have so many crew members following you? You should turn your ship into a fleet."

Tiger was speechless. Alyosha took out a slave trade price list from his notebook and handed it to Tiger.

Ignoring the top line which states that the target customers are criminals and citizens of non-World Government member states, below this line are the slave prices for each race on the high seas, as Alyosha mentioned earlier. Human slaves are the lowest, at 50 Berries, while giants and merfolk are the highest. The price for Devil Fruit users is based on the market price, which is basically determined by the power the user possesses.

Tiger was familiar with this price list, but he didn't understand Alyosha's intention in handing it to him.

"Consider this the test I've given you. Based on your answer just now, here's my advice: take another look at this price list and think about how to turn your Sun Pirates into a fleet. Where will the new crew members come from? Where will the ships come from? And most importantly, a stable rear."

Tiger understood a bit, but he was also troubled because the most difficult thing to solve was to stabilize the rear supply.

Alyosha noticed Tiger's dilemma and decided to speak up for him.

"How long has it been since you returned to Fishman Island, Mr. Tiger? That's the hometown that gave you birth and raised you."

"But I had already severed ties with Fishman Island when I left."

"Then take advantage of this injury to go back and recover properly, and sincerely apologize to everyone in your hometown who cares about you. If you are truly a great hero in their eyes, then I think they will accept your apology, as long as you are sincere."

"I will carefully consider your suggestion, Mr. Ran."

"It's good that you know the answer yourself. Now let's go back to the first two answers you gave."

"Didn't you say that these two answers weren't what you wanted to hear, Mr. Ran?"

"Because you didn't answer the question correctly, Mr. Tiger. Once you figure out why you're fighting alone, all the previous questions become irrelevant. You should know why I was able to lead the team to capture you on Forchart Island, right?"

Tiger nodded with a wry smile.

What else could it be? It's just that the island's residents tipped off the Navy because he's a notorious pirate with a bounty of 230 million Berries on the Navy's wanted list, and a naturally evil fish-man.

But with his own injury, and seeing the records on the bookshelf in Alyosha's room, and Alyosha's comforting and guiding him, Tiger seemed to realize that he couldn't blame others; the problem lay with himself, including in the management of the crew.

"You advocate peace and believe in peace, which is not wrong, but peace is not something that can be achieved by talking, but by fighting."

"By fighting? Mr. Ran, are you saying I'm not strong enough?"

"Not being strong enough is only one aspect. Another aspect is that you need to know what you're doing, and you need to let everyone who follows you and believes in you know what they're doing. Tiger, why are you sitting here?"

"Because I lost to you, Mr. Ran?"

"Hmm, so why are you thinking about the question I asked you?"

"Because Mr. Ran, you seem to know how to help me."

"That's right~"

Alyosha applauded Tiger, which pleased Tiger, who felt he had finally gained Alyosha's approval.

"The only rule of the sea is that the strong reign supreme, but why one becomes strong and how one becomes strong are equally important. Do you know the process I follow when my fleet sets sail to fight pirates?"

Tiger shook his head.

"First, warn them, explain the crimes they have committed, and make them lay down their weapons and surrender. Do not fire the first shot. Once the pirates fire, they will not have the chance to fire a second shot. Those who surrender will not be killed, and prisoners will not be killed. Then, they will meet up with the arriving detention troops and escort these pirates back to the Marine Headquarters for trial."

Tiger seemed to understand. Now he realized that although Alyosha's marines were not as strong as his own crew in terms of individual combat skills, they could easily subdue his crew when working with ability users.

They know what they are doing; their sense of justice is pure and they don't need to have any psychological burden.

However, Tiger's crew was different. They would go with Tiger to attack slave ships, but they didn't understand why Tiger rarely killed slave traders. On this point, the crew had a lot of complaints.

"Mr. Tiger, you need to let everyone know what you're doing, how many of the slaves these slave traders are selling are from non-member states, and how many are from member states. You need to get everyone's support, to know that you're defending the slave trade laws enacted by the World Government! Because that's what I'm doing too~"

Alyosha emphasized his last sentence, and a thought flashed through the mind of the fish-man Tiger.

He understood!

As they were talking, a commotion arose outside the boat.

What was that sound?

"Smoker and Tina must have finished the bandit-suppression mission I assigned them. Shall we go out and check it out together?"

Alyosha stopped his conversation with Tiger and invited him to leave the captain's lounge with him.

Standing on the deck, the two saw Smoker and Tina leading a group of bandits out of the forest. In Smoker and Tina's group, Tiger also saw his underling, the saw-toothed shark man Arlong, and the other crew members.

They chatted and laughed with the marines beside them, celebrating the successful completion of the anti-bandit operation on Forchart Island.

Behind Smoker and Tina's group were the residents of the island who had suffered greatly at the hands of bandits. They followed behind, their faces showing both tears and laughter, but none of them cast fearful or hateful glances at the marines or fish-men; only gratitude.

Tiger stood on the deck, staring blankly at the scene. This beautiful scene, which seemed to exist only in the mouths of Queen Otohime of Fishman Island, was actually being seen on such a small island.

Then look at Alyosha standing beside him.

He seemed to be used to such scenes.

Yes, these are all marines personally trained by Alyosha, and he knows their true nature better than anyone else.

Tiger has another epiphany!