One Piece Space Fruit - Chapter 52
“Don’t think you can scare me with that!”
Behind Evan, Arlong roared in anger, his sharp hands forming claws as he sprinted forward, his massive body lunging.
“Arlong, stop!” the Fish-Man escort exclaimed.
Evan frowned slightly but continued walking forward, unfazed. Just as Arlong was about to reach him, Evan raised a finger, ready to release his spatial abilities.
“Hmm?”
Sensing something, he lowered his hand.
“I’m going to tear you apart!”
Arlong bared his sharp teeth, his claws glinting coldly.
Just as those claws were about to strike Evan’s unguarded back, a droplet of water shot past Evan’s head, hitting Arlong’s thick hand and exploding.
Caught off guard, Arlong staggered backward, unable to comprehend how such a soft droplet could possess such power.
“Trash! Are you going to attack Tiger’s guest?”
Another shark Fish-Man emerged from the alley, wearing wooden clogs, a loose kimono, and sporting black hair with eyebrows and sideburns resembling fierce winds. He had sharp fangs protruding from the corners of his mouth and carried a pipe.
With sharp eyes and a powerful voice, he made even the previously arrogant Arlong flinch while the escort sighed in relief.
Evan watched the Fish-Man, who had intervened, finding him to be a commanding presence.
“Brother Jinbe, I didn’t mean anything by it, just wanted to spar with this guest,” Arlong hastily explained, looking a bit fearful.
“Humph! You’re a disgrace. You’re a soldier of the Fish-Man Royal Guard. Act like one! Get lost!” Jinbe scolded, showing no mercy.
Arlong fell silent, casting a cold glance at Evan before turning away.
Jinbe approached Evan, bowing slightly in apology, “Please forgive Arlong’s behavior. He’s always been arrogant and unruly.”
Evan observed the Fish-Man, who referred to himself as “old” despite being only around thirty. He found it amusing and recognized Jinbe, the future Shichibukai.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind,” Evan said with a meaningful smile, walking past Jinbe.
Jinbe remained still, watching Evan’s retreating figure with a cautious gaze, feeling an unprecedented sense of unease. He couldn’t gauge Evan’s strength but had a terrifying intuition that if he hadn’t intervened, Arlong would likely be dead.
“This human boy…is dangerous!”
The Fish-Man escort led Evan to Tiger’s residence and left. Evan knocked, and Tiger, seeing him, greeted him with a wide smile.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll grab some drinks,” Tiger said cheerfully, heading upstairs.
Evan looked around the spacious, well-lit house, appreciating its simplicity and comfort. He sat down at a large wooden table, picking up a colorful shell that felt cool and carried the scent of the deep sea.
“Been on adventures for years, the house got quite dusty. Just cleaned it recently,” Tiger remarked, seeing Evan with the shell. “The kids around here gave it to me.”
“You’re quite popular here,” Evan said with a smile.
“Look at your bounty. You’re the one making waves,” Tiger replied, handing Evan a bounty poster.
Evan saw his face above a staggering ten billion Berry bounty. “Oh? Ten billion?” he remarked nonchalantly, tossing the poster aside. “The Marine sure thinks highly of me.”
Already having a five billion bounty, the increase didn’t surprise him much, though it confirmed his adversarial position against the Marine.
“You caused quite a stir at the Holy Land,” Tiger noted, his own bounty of over two billion paling in comparison.
“Those inhuman, self-proclaimed nobles, the Celestial Dragons, deserved it,” Evan said coldly.
Tiger was taken aback but then laughed heartily, “Indeed, the Celestial Dragons deserve to die!” His eyes turned red with anger.
Evan had a hunch about Tiger’s past and poured him a drink.
“This drink is on me,” Tiger said sincerely, raising his glass.
Evan clinked glasses with him, downing the strong, fiery liquor, feeling it warm his entire body.
Tiger’s expression turned solemn. “To be honest, before I decided to climb the Red Line to free slaves, I was also captured and branded with the Celestial Dragons’ hoof.”
He pulled down his shirt, revealing a scarred red brand on his chest, a symbol of his past enslavement.
“I know the hellish torment of being a slave.”
“That’s why I risked my life to free them,” Tiger said, his face contorted with pain, gripping the brand tightly.
“It’s over now,” Evan said softly, patting Tiger’s arm.
“Yes, this time we won,” Tiger agreed, looking at Evan with gratitude. “I never imagined anyone, especially a human, would fight alongside me that night.”
“Celestial Dragons—how many are too scared to resist?” Evan shook his head. “Do you hate humans?”
Tiger didn’t hesitate, “I do. Growing up in the Fish-Man District orphanage, I saw too many ugly sides of humans—Marine, pirates, slavers. They all wanted to exploit us.”
“Although the queen advocates for peace with humans, I disagree.”
“As long as human nature remains, there can’t be peace between Fish-Man Island and the outside world.”
Tiger clenched his fists, his voice strong.
For years, mermaids were prized for their beauty, and Fish-Men were seen as valuable slaves due to their strength. The Great Pirate Era worsened the situation, making Fish-Man Island a target for slavers.
Thus, attitudes towards humans split into two factions.
One, led by Queen Otohime, advocated for peaceful coexistence.
The other, led by Tiger, favored resistance.
“Tiger, do you know why Fish-Men and humans can’t coexist?” Evan asked.
Tiger fell silent.
“In my country, there’s a saying: ‘Weakness invites aggression.'”
“It means if a nation is weak, it will be bullied. Isn’t that true? Fish-Man Island is weak, with no foundation, and has things others covet.”
“Tiger, if you leave Fish-Man Island, what do you plan to do?”
“Since the Marine has put a bounty on me, I might as well go all out and form a pirate crew to fight back…”
“Reckless bravery!”
Evan slammed his glass on the table, spilling its contents.
Tiger paused, confused by Evan’s anger.
“Have you thought about forming a pirate crew? You’d just be seeking revenge, creating more prejudice against Fish-Men, giving slavers more opportunities.”
“You’d be free, but Fish-Man Island would still suffer. You’d also weaken Fish-Man Island by taking its best fighters.”
“If I don’t form a pirate crew, what should I do?” Tiger asked, downing a bottle of liquor, leaving Evan puzzled.
Yes, the reasoning was clear, but what then? Hide? Surrender?
Evan felt a bitter realization about why many chose to become pirates. It wasn’t about right or wrong but necessity.
The world either pushed or forced people into becoming pirates, whether out of defiance, survival, or oppression.
The World Government sought complete control, masking its deeds as justice while erasing inconvenient history.
Those who resisted, regardless of their reasons, were labeled pirates.
The Revolutionary Army was just an organized resistance, still weak compared to the Marine.
“If there’s no other option, we’ll create one,” Evan’s eyes brightened with determination. “Let’s create a place of peace, free from pain and strife. Let’s build ‘Akatsuki.'”
“What?” Tiger was shocked.
“I want to form an independent organization called ‘Akatsuki.’ Interested?” Evan smiled, raising his glass, confidence and conviction shining in his eyes.
The idea of Akatsuki wasn’t about ambition or seizing power. It was about living freely, doing what they wanted, loving who they wished.
Despite the tragedies and conflicts he endured, Evan’s vision remained clear.
He wouldn’t lash out at every Marine or the world. He kept his modest dream alive, striving step by step toward becoming the strongest.
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