Fisher Tiger stared at the two teenagers in front of him in disbelief.
A year of inhumane abuse as a slave had long since taught him to be wary of humans. Yet, now that freedom was within reach, he couldn't stop himself from asking,
"Why... as a human, would you save a fishman like me?"
"Do I need a reason? Isn't it just the right thing to do?"
Yemu's response caught Tiger off guard.
Then Yemu turned and glanced toward Gasparde, who stood frozen in the distance, not daring to move, simply watching. Yemu continued speaking.
"Everyone in this world has their own understanding of justice and evil—whether they're Marines, pirates, humans, fishmen, or any other race. But the Celestial Dragons and the World Government? They have nothing to do with justice. Their evil is undeniable. And right now, we—just starting out as the Sky Pirates—need a way to make our name known. So I came here, and I saved you."
"Besides, it's fate. If you want to form a strong pirate crew, you need strong partners. The sea is vast—nothing is too strange to encounter—but for us, on our very first voyage, to meet you, Fisher Tiger?"
"I've done what I came to do. Now it's your turn. Fisher Tiger, fate brought me to you. Will you seize it? Will you become one of us—join the Sky Pirates as my partner and friend?"
"Partner... friend..."
Nearly thirty, already a revered leader on Fish-Man Island, admired by all fishmen, Tiger now felt strangely small in front of this teenage boy.
But he wasn't some naive kid in his teens. He couldn't just throw away his future over a few bold words.
"Should I say yes...?"
"No—I can't. Humans can't be trusted..."
"But..."
Tiger looked down at himself and thought of everything he had endured.
Even after all the abuse, what lingered in his heart wasn't hatred—it was fear. Fear of the Celestial Dragons. The darkness within Mary Geoise had stolen all his strength.
But now, seeing the corpse of a Celestial Dragon lying not far away...
Something shifted in him.
If it were only about himself, maybe he'd still refuse. But for the sake of his people, he would take the risk.
In that moment, the hesitation vanished. His spirit seemed to reignite. He wasn't just a slave anymore—he was once again the famed explorer and adventurer, the pride of Fish-Man Island.
"I want to go to Mary Geoise... and rescue my fellow fishmen who, like me, have been enslaved by the Celestial Dragons."
Tiger's gaze locked onto Yemu, searching for something.
Yemu's eyes grew serious as he listened.
"That's your dream? No problem. As a captain, helping partners and friends fulfill their dreams—of course I will. So..."
He extended his right hand toward Tiger.
In that moment—though they had just met—Tiger suddenly felt that maybe this boy really could do it. Maybe he really could help him save his people... maybe even change the world.
Without hesitation, Tiger reached out with his left hand. Their hands clasped tightly.
"Hahaha... Welcome, Tiger. You're the third member of the Sky Pirates. From now on, we're partners—and friends."
A smile finally appeared on Tiger's face.
It was the first time he had felt such genuine happiness since being captured and sold into slavery by humans.
"Alright, we can chat later. Let's get this collar off you first."
Yemu reached out and gripped the collar tightly.
Since his Armament Haki couldn't destroy it from the inside, he had no choice but to break it from the outside.
Clasping his hands around the lock, Yemu said,
"This might burn a little—hang in there."
The moment the words left his mouth, the power of the Mera Mera no Mi surged through his palms. The temperature spiked, rising from zero to nearly 2,000 degrees.
Hot enough to melt anything.
But just as the heat flared up, a sharp, urgent beeping suddenly rang out.
It was the warning signal—the collar was about to explode.
Tiger's expression changed instantly. He had seen what happened to slaves who died from these collars.
And the memories were horrifying.
But at that moment, looking at the calm, unwavering boy in front of him, Tiger chose to believe.
And just as the beeping came to an end, a thunderous explosion erupted—
—but it wasn't at Tiger's neck. It exploded in the sky above their heads.
A massive blast followed by a surge of flames lit up the sky, the blinding light reflecting in the eyes of everyone present.
"Damn, that was intense. Not only is the blast that strong, but they even added accelerants to make it burn hotter..."
Yemu looked up at the flames and muttered.
Tiger twisted his neck in disbelief, feeling the weight around it gone. He was free—truly free.
At that moment, he broke down in tears.
The nightmare he never dared to recall—his life as a slave—was finally over.
"Ah... uuuu..."
Tears streamed down his face like rain.
Yemu hadn't planned to interrupt him. He wasn't heartless. But time was short.
From the distance, Enel suddenly spoke up.
"Someone's coming. Fast. Must be the guy with the Pika Pika no Mi you mentioned..."
Tiger immediately stopped crying and looked up. He knew exactly who Enel was talking about.
Yemu handed him the chain that bound the four CP9 members and pointed to the distance.
"Take this. Our ship's over there. Make sure these four don't die—we're not done with them yet."
Tiger was stunned.
"Captain... you're not coming?"
"No rush. I want to see what top-tier power in this world looks like."
Seeing the worry in Tiger's eyes, Yemu added,
"Relax. Even if we can't beat him, there's no way he's keeping the two of us here."
"Alright then, Captain... see you soon."
Tiger nodded. Since the captain had said so, he didn't waste any time. Grabbing the chain, now free and energized, he dove into the sea with the four CP9 agents in tow.
"A dragon returning to the sea..."
Feeling the incredible speed with which Tiger swam beneath the surface, Yemu finally relaxed.
Then, he turned and walked toward Gasparde.
The Rear Admiral tensed in alarm.
"No need to panic. You got your own Den Den Mushi? Hand it over."
Without hesitation, Gasparde pulled out a Den Den Mushi that looked almost like him and handed it to Yemu, who tucked it away inside his coat.
"Good... You're smart. You understood what I told you earlier. I'll contact you later. For now—let's make it convincing."
Gasparde immediately understood what Yemu meant—because he saw the iron fist raised before him, big as a cooking pot.
"Bang—"
A massive force slammed into his abdomen. Gasparde felt like his guts were going to burst, and the wave of Conqueror's Haki surged straight into his brain.
He couldn't hold on—vomiting bitter bile, eyes rolling back, he passed out cold.
And just as that performance ended flawlessly...
A streak of golden light fell from the sky and landed behind Yemu.