"...Sea... Navy sir... I... I'm a good citizen... Nyu~" The octopus fish-man, Hatchan, stammered as he stood in front of Jinbei and Sakazuki.
Sakazuki stared at the cowardly figure before him, who seemed like he was about to collapse onto the ground at any moment, and felt a slight twitch in his face.
Why does this feel like some Imperial soldier telling me to pass on a message?
Fortunately, Jinbei stepped in to break the awkwardness. He patted the octopus fish-man on the shoulder and said, "This one is called Hatchan. If we want to understand the current movements of Macro and Arlong, he's the best person for the job."
"So you're saying he's an informant?" Sakazuki genuinely didn't know Hatchan had done such work before. In the original story, this fish-man wasn't really an important character. His only impression of the guy was that he knew how to make takoyaki.
"Uh..." Jinbei scratched his head awkwardly. "Vice Admiral, I think you've misunderstood. Hatchan simply grew up with Chu, Kuroobi, Arlong, and the others, so he's quite familiar with their movements."
Sakazuki glanced at Hatchan and teased him slightly, "If you're a good citizen, why did you run away when you saw me just now?"
"Nyu... Ah-Chu told us that the Navy is killing people all over Fish-Man Island."
"Hatchan! Don't talk nonsense! Vice Admiral Sakazuki is wiping out those pirates who capture mermaids." Jinbei furrowed his wild, thick brows and turned toward Sakazuki with an apologetic expression.
"My deepest apologies. Hatchan is an honest fellow who repeats whatever he hears, but he's also quite kind-hearted, which is why people are willing to share the latest stories with him during their free time."
The Vice Admiral wasn't angry. In a place like Fish-Man District, it was normal for Navy extermination operations to be twisted into something negative.
[Deliberately spreading such misleading, out-of-context rumors... It looks like that fish-man called Chu is also taking advantage of the Navy's actions to stir up hostility.] Sakazuki pondered over the information hidden in Hatchan's words.
"Who is this Chu?" Sakazuki turned to Jinbei, raising his voice slightly so that the fish-men lurking nearby, peeking at them from a distance, could hear him.
Jinbei hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth. "He's currently following Arlong as a pirate."
The whale shark fish-man scanned the surrounding fish-men who were watching from afar. Some had expressions of doubt, others showed clear disgust, while some remained indifferent—but not a single one looked pleased.
A soldier of the Neptune Army pointed in the direction where Hatchan had come running from. "This isn't the place to talk. Hatchan, take us to your house."
"Eh? Okay." The octopus fish-man, though unsure why this place wasn't suitable for conversation, still followed Jinbei's instructions.
Hatchan led the two men to a shabby, run-down house. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key to unlock the door, its paint already peeling.
Sakazuki took this opportunity to scan the surroundings. Almost every house in Fish-Man District appeared severely aged, with many walls scarred by bullet holes and slashes from swords and blades.
The streets were nothing more than simple seabed sand, unlike the coral-covered, prosperous areas that were paved with bricks and tiles.
Most of the district's residents wore tattered clothing. Even those who looked somewhat put together were merely dressed in clean but old garments.
Matching their ragged clothes, many fish-men had thin, frail bodies. Even the stronger ones bore scars or stitched wounds to some extent.
The children running down the street mimicked the adults by carrying small knives or wooden sticks. Some had tattoos burned onto their skin and picked up half-extinguished cigarette butts from the ground to smoke.
Compared to other parts of Fish-Man Island, this place felt less like a city and more like a refugee camp.
The scattered food scraps and liquor bottles littering the streets added to the overwhelming sense of disorder, leaving an imprint that was impossible to erase from one's mind.
"You grew up in this kind of environment, Jinbei?" Sakazuki asked as he watched a drunkard standing at the entrance of a rundown bar, hurling curses at the world.
Not far away, a group of fish-men children sat on wooden crates, gleefully imitating the drunkard's vulgar words.
Jinbei observed his surroundings in silence for a moment before simply nodding.
The environment plays a crucial role in a child's upbringing and the shaping of their worldview. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the story of Mencius' mother moving three times had illustrated this truth.
In modern times, parents go to great lengths to ensure their children grow up in a good educational environment—scrambling for school district housing, changing their household registration, and fighting tooth and nail to get their kids into good schools, far more painstakingly than in ancient times.
They will do whatever it takes to provide their children with a better growth environment.
This was precisely why Sakazuki had developed a newfound respect for Jinbei.
To grow up in such a lawless place, where crime ran rampant, where there was practically no sense of security, and where hatred for humans permeated the air like poison—and yet still uphold a heart that sought justice and wished to protect Fish-Man Island—was truly remarkable.
The whale shark fish-man turned to Sakazuki, his voice sincere and resolute. "I apologize if this is unsightly, Vice Admiral. Although Fish-Man District is in turmoil now, I believe that with everyone's efforts, it will get better."
Hearing this, Sakazuki's opinion of Jinbei rose even higher.
With a tinge of lament, the Vice Admiral remarked, "Perhaps it will be a long and arduous journey, but one day, I want to see the children of Fish-Man District walk into schools under the gaze of equality and kindness."
"Jinbei-boss? Navy sir? Why are you standing at the door instead of coming in?" A certain airhead's clueless voice yanked them out of their contemplation of the future.
Hatchan's home, like its exterior, was dirt-poor, yet this lone octopus fish-man had at least managed to keep it tidy and clean.
Jinbei glanced outside warily before turning to Sakazuki. "Vice Admiral, when you loudly asked about Chu on the street earlier, won't that alert them?"
The seasoned Navy officer rhythmically tapped his fingers on the wooden table. "You're worried that our presence will be exposed? That Arlong and Macro's crews—or even Macro himself—will realize the Navy has entered Fish-Man District to investigate?"
"Exactly. Vice Admiral, you were too hasty. I know that having the Navy's actions twisted into accusations of indiscriminate slaughter doesn't sit well with you, but now Arlong and Macro will definitely be on high alert about the Navy's movements, making further investigation much harder." Jinbei shared his concerns frankly.
Sakazuki pointed toward the door, the corners of his mouth curving into a knowing smirk. "I want them to know that the Navy has begun its investigation into Fish-Man District."
"Hatchan, does Macro know Arlong well?" Sakazuki casually took a cup of water that the octopus fish-man handed him and asked in a soft voice.
"Nyu? Arlong became a pirate, so he and Macro's crew may have interacted, but they aren't exactly close." After thinking for a moment, Hatchan gave a precise answer.
The Navy Vice Admiral nodded at this, his smile deepening. He then turned to the house's owner, who had just sat down cross-legged.
"Can you find Arlong's base?"
Ever the chatterbox, Hatchan frantically waved his hands. "Nyu! I won't tell you where Arlong-nii is!"
Though he grew up in Fish-Man District, he had at least some sense—wasn't the Navy's job to catch pirates?
Even if the general before him seemed incredibly strong, and even with Jinbei-boss beside him, he, Hatchan, would never betray his friends, even if it cost him his life.
Sakazuki stood up and patted the tense Hatchan on the shoulder. "Relax. I'm not here to capture him. I just need you to pass him a message. How about it? That's not a difficult request, is it?"
"Eh?" Hatchan, who had already prepared himself for a heroic sacrifice, opened his tightly shut eyes.
The Forest of the Sea was an underwater forest located northeast of Fish-Man District. The terrain here was complex, making it a naturally hidden place.
Because many sunken ships were carried here by the ocean currents, it was also known as the "Graveyard of Ships."
With countless shipwrecks as cover, Arlong and his crew took advantage of the terrain and chose a massive sunken ship as their base.
Thanks to the Sunlight Tree Eve, which transmitted sunlight from the surface to Fish-Man Island, many beautiful corals thrived here, and fish and whales often came to feed.
Hatchan advanced cautiously, stopping from time to time and looking around to see if anyone was following him. Although that Marine officer had promised not to send anyone after him, the octopus fish-man still remained cautious and didn't let his guard down.
After confirming several times, Hatchan stopped his detour through the wreckage and sped toward a massive three-masted sailing ship with a gaping hole in its bow.
"Arlong?" Hatchan called out softly to the fish-man pirate with great renown in Fish-Man District.
"Chu?"
The interior of the ship was pitch black, yet no one responded to his call.
"Kuroobi?" Hatchan panicked. "Where are you guys?"
In his moment of distress, he failed to notice several webbed hands reaching out from the darkness behind him.
"Mm?!"
His arms were suddenly seized, and he was dragged deep into the ship's hold. He was about to struggle when a voice, chillingly familiar, echoed above him.
"It's been a long time, Hatchan."
"Arlong!" The octopus fish-man lifted his head and looked up, his face filled with joy. "It's me, it's me! Tell them to let go of me!"
The fish-man called Arlong had a tall and burly physique, towering over the other fish-men standing behind him.
His pale purple skin set him apart from the others, making him even more striking.
But the most distinctive feature was his razor-sharp, dagger-like nose, which was jagged like a sawblade, a defining characteristic of his sawshark fish-man species.
As a "wolf of the sea," Arlong possessed a mouth full of fangs as sharp as razors. His outermost teeth were large and solid, while his jaws housed multiple rows of smaller, serrated replacement teeth.
His slightly open mouth, equipped with an incredibly strong bite force, made his bloodthirsty grin all the more terrifying.
He pressed down on the black round cap atop his head. His muscular upper body was clad only in a dark vest, revealing the contours of his well-built physique.
Arlong's eyes were dark and menacing as he stared fiercely at Hatchan below. "Did you lead the Marines here?"
"How could I!? I didn't, no way, Arlong-nii, you've got it all wrong!" Hatchan struggled desperately. "I was extra careful when I came here! There's no way a Marine followed me this time!"
A sly glint flashed through Arlong's vicious gaze. He looked down at Kuroobi, the ray fish-man who had quietly emerged from the direction Hatchan had entered.
Compared to the naive Hatchan, who was easily frightened by intimidation, the naturally cautious Kuroobi was a subordinate he could truly rely on.
With a high sense of alertness, the ray fish-man subtly shook his head at his leader.
Only then did Arlong wave his hand at the fish-men holding Hatchan down, laughing heartily.
"Hahaha! How could I ever doubt you? It was just a little joke, Hatchan."
Hatchan, being his usual good-natured self, didn't take offense and waved his hands dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine! We're all brothers, I don't mind at all!"
Before Arlong could respond, Chew, the archerfish fish-man standing beside him, spoke with obvious hostility.
"What did you tell the Marines? The location of our base? Or about our recent work in Fish-Man District?"
"I..." Hatchan looked helpless, about to deny it, when Kuroobi, standing behind him, spoke sternly, arms crossed.
"Don't deny it, Hatchan. My subordinates saw you talking with Jinbe and a Marine on the street about Chew's identity."
Hatchan turned toward his childhood friend, his voice filled with grievance. "I didn't reveal anyone's location! And I didn't expose anyone's identity either! It was Jinbe-nii who told the Marine!"
Arlong's expression grew increasingly sinister. He suddenly spoke. "Jinbe? Jinbe said it?"
The ray fish-man nodded, backing up his childhood friend Hatchan for the first time since entering.
"Hatchan is telling the truth. It was indeed Jinbe-nii who brought a Marine Vice Admiral into Fish-Man District. And it was him who, after confronting the Marine in the main street, exposed Chew's identity."
"Jinbe..." The sawshark fish-man clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
Arlong's face was dark as if it could drip ink, and he gritted his teeth, growling.
"Jinbe! I never thought even someone as 'upright' as you would betray Fish-Man District!"
Even if they stood on different sides, Arlong had believed that as a fellow fish-man, and a former comrade in the Sun Pirates, Jinbe wouldn't allow humans to interfere in Fish-Man District's affairs.
But he never imagined Jinbe would personally lead the Marines into Fish-Man District to investigate.
"So then, Hatchan, why did you come here this time?"
Arlong leaped down from the second level, landing heavily behind Hatchan.
For the first time, Hatchan could feel just how furious Arlong-nii was.
His voice trembled slightly. "The Marines asked me to deliver a message to you."
"Hm? What did the Marines say?"
Arlong suddenly turned, his jagged nose nearly touching Hatchan's face.
Hatchan, caught under the weight of Arlong's fierce glare, practically wailed. "The Marines want you to surrender without a fight. They say there's no point in resisting."
In the reflection of the octopus fish-man's wide eyes, Arlong's fury surged.
The veins on his forehead bulged violently. He jabbed Hatchan in the chest with a firm finger, punctuating every word with seething rage.
"O--ver--my--dead--body!"
________________________________________________________
unlock 40 ADVANCED CHAPTERS on patreon and stay ahead of the curve!!
www.patreon.com/c/iamsuzu
(copy the link in the SYNOPSIS)