Dragon had been talking nonstop, walking Tiger through their group's plan. Meanwhile, Ortoren handed Tiger the prison break blueprint, letting him see for himself the escape guide written by the Warden of the Grand Prison. The plan wasn't very complicated, and after about half an hour Dragon had finished his explanation.
Tiger shifted his gaze from the blueprint to Dragon and Ortoren.
"So, the only thing missing now is me?"
Ortoren smiled.
"Exactly. We've arranged everything from start to finish. Tiger-san, you won't need to worry about Fish-Man Island being dragged into this. Once we carry out the plan, all the blame goes to the Great Pirate Shiki. After that, the Revolutionary Army under Dragon will step forward and take full responsibility."
"So all I need to do is pull that Shiki guy out of Impel Down, then lead a few fish-people brothers to help you receive the freed slaves from the Holy Land, right?" Tiger asked after thinking it through.
"Exactly. The risk to you is minimal," Dragon confirmed.
Tiger fell silent. Ortoren and the others didn't rush him.
After five or six minutes, Tiger shook his head.
"No."
Dragon frowned, ready to try persuading him, but Tiger continued before he could speak.
"I want to personally take part in the operation at the Holy Land. I want to set that fire myself. The rage inside me won't be released unless I turn that place upside down!"
The Tiger before them was nothing like the calm man from moments ago. Veins bulged on his temples, his fists closed so tightly that the documents crumpled in his grip. His whole body radiated a terrifying, almost demonic aura, as if he might devour someone the moment they said the wrong word.
Dragon and Rayleigh stared at him in shock. What happened to him just now?
But soon, Tiger forced his emotions down. He took a deep breath.
"If you agree to this condition, I'll work with you."
"No problem!" Ortoren answered immediately.
Dragon and Rayleigh exchanged a look. They had no objections. Someone willing to take on more responsibility? They'd never refuse that.
Tiger finally smiled, though there was a trace of sadness in it.
"I'm grateful you came all the way here and were honest with me about something this important. Since we're working together, I won't hide anything. Years ago, when I was sailing as an adventurer, I was captured by slave hunters because I let my guard down for a moment. After that, I was taken to the Holy Land, where… where I was enslaved for a long time."
Dragon and Rayleigh's expressions grew heavy.
No one said a word, but Tiger didn't mind. He continued,
"In that place, I saw the darkest horrors this world has to offer. I saw the madness and cruelty of you humans…"
He paused, looking at Ortoren.
"Don't misunderstand. I mean humans, not you."
"No misunderstanding. Go on. I'm a noble Mink," Ortoren laughed.
Dragon and Rayleigh: ???
Hold on—you two are doing a whole routine here.
So out of everyone present… the only humans are the two of us?
"Three years!" Tiger ground out the words through clenched teeth. "Three years I was imprisoned and tortured in that hell. During those three years, I saw too many slaves suffering horrors just like mine. Many couldn't endure it. Like broken toys, they died in the Holy Land and were thrown away like garbage. Eventually, I found my chance and escaped that damned place. I made it back to Fish-Man Island."
Tiger lifted his head and looked at all of them.
"From the moment I returned, vengeance filled my every thought. My rage tormented me constantly, but I knew I couldn't act rashly. Too many would be affected… so I waited. I waited for the right moment to become a flame of vengeance and burn that filthy, disgusting so-called 'Holy Land' to the ground."
His voice rose with passion, then he paused and continued in a low tone,
"I thought I'd have to keep suppressing that hatred for a long time. I never imagined I'd meet people like you here on Fish-Man Island. I don't know what your goals or demands are, and I don't care anymore. I've already gotten the answer I needed from you. As long as I can unleash my rage and hatred upon that damned Holy Land, that's enough."
"So the thing you said was weighing on your heart—this was it?" Dragon murmured.
"That's right." Tiger nodded calmly. "So whatever you want to gain from this, I don't care. Even if you're using me, it's fine. All I need to do is light that fire, and that's enough!"
"Rest assured, Tiger," Ortoren said earnestly. "No matter how this situation unfolds, I, Benn Ortoren, will ensure your safety and that of Fish-Man Island!"
"Exactly," Rayleigh added with equal gravity. "This is a partnership, not exploitation."
Dragon smirked and shrugged. "Like I said, in the end, the Revolutionary Army will take responsibility for this. Rest assured."
As they spoke, the three men extended their hands, stacking them together before turning their gaze toward Tiger.
Tiger responded with a bright smile, placing his hand atop theirs without hesitation. In perfect unison, they declared, "Happy cooperation!"
With the alliance sealed, Tiger was clearly the most eager of them all. He immediately piped up, "So what are we waiting for? Let's get moving! I won't brag, but in the Fish-Man District, I can rally a few thousand brothers with a single shout! If that's not enough, I can just shout again!"
"Hold on, hold on! I still need to notify my partners and assemble a fleet of sufficient size. These ships will require batch-by-batch coating and must stand by here on Fish-Man Island. Fortunately, I've made prior arrangements, so it shouldn't take too long—roughly a month," Dragon quickly interjected.
He hadn't come alone to meet Ortoren this time, but even so, the ships he brought weren't enough. He still needed to gather more comrades to help.
Rayleigh then said, "Once your people arrive, just wait for me at the port of Island 13 in the Sabaody Archipelago. I'll assemble a team of coating craftsmen to coat your ships as quickly as possible."
"Fish-Man Island is on me!" Tiger waved his hand decisively, taking full responsibility for that front.
Ortoren smiled and added, "I'll go fetch Shiki's stand-in agent, Issho. Once everyone's ready, we'll launch the operation immediately—first break out the prisoners, then set Holy Land ablaze!"
With these preliminary preparations settled, the group decided to disband and attend to their respective tasks.
Ortoren and Rayleigh returned to the Sabaody Archipelago. Rayleigh would handle the coating arrangements, while Ortoren awaited the arrival of Issho so they could take on the major undertaking together.
Dragon, however, had no need to travel. He stayed with Tiger, preparing matters on Fish-Man Island while waiting for the Revolutionary Army fleet to assemble.
Even so, Ortoren couldn't shake the feeling that Dragon had his own intentions regarding Tiger. Thinking it over, he figured Dragon must have taken a liking to Tiger's character and strength, as well as his influence on Fish-Man Island, and hoped to bring him into the Revolutionary Army.
Ortoren welcomed the idea. Tiger had no real future as a pirate, and his past made it impossible for Ortoren to recruit him into the Navy—even mentioning it would feel awkward. And once they burned down the Holy Land, Tiger naturally couldn't remain on Fish-Man Island, or risk dragging it into trouble. Joining Dragon's Revolutionary Army really was a viable path.
As they parted, Ortoren patted Tiger's arm (he couldn't reach his shoulder) and smiled meaningfully. "If any of your men ever become a Shichibukai in the future, for the sake of this collaboration, I can give them free—"
Tiger blinked and glanced at Dragon, puzzled. "You have to pay fees to be a Shichibukai?"
"Yeah." Dragon nodded matter-of-factly. "The Shichibukai are supposedly a policy issued by the World Government, but in reality, this guy turned it into their G-5 membership system. If you don't pay your dues, how else are you gonna become a prestigious VIP member?"
"What kind of nonsense is this? I don't get any of it…" Tiger muttered, utterly confused.