I Owe You Again
Jinbe recognized the face as well, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Brother Fisher Tiger, watch out!"
"He's Rear Admiral Ron, the one who could go toe-to-toe with Whitebeard!!"
Ron, however, gave him a slight smirk, his tone casual.
"Yo, Sashiberiana."
Fisher Tiger slowly clenched his fist, his expression complex and unreadable.
Ron walked over to Strawberry.
"Thank you for your hard work. Leave this to me."
"Understood, Rear Admiral!"
Without any hesitation, Strawberry drew his sword and turned to the outer perimeter to organize the Marines to block the remaining Fish-Man.
Ron raised his chin and looked at Fisher Tiger.
"Fisher Tiger, shall we continue?"
Fisher Tiger glanced at the densely packed Marines all around him.
He hadn't forgotten that door from three years ago.
But now, he has a whole ship full of brothers behind him.
"Certainly!"
He stomped on the stone slab beneath his feet, shattering it, and threw a straight punch at him!
Ron raised one hand and caught the punch steadily.
Boom!
The dirt road beneath their feet cracked like a spiderweb, and the violent shockwaves forced the surrounding Marines to retreat repeatedly.
Fisher Tiger gritted his teeth and strained forward with all his might.
Ron, however, blocked his fist with one hand, without taking a single step back.
Click!
The crack at their feet widened again.
An Air Door, no bigger than a fingernail, silently pressed against Fisher Tiger's ear.
"Fisher Tiger, haven't seen you in three years, you've certainly been causing quite a stir."
Ron's voice came from inside.
Fisher Tiger's pupils contracted sharply.
It's that trick again!
How did you end up here?
"Nonsense, it's a naval mission."
Ron pulled back his fist and threw another, their fists colliding with each other with another deafening roar.
"I've heard a lot about what you've been doing these past few years."
"They rescued merchant ships, sheltered escaped slaves, and delivered food to disaster-stricken villages."
Ron blocked Fisher Tiger's punch.
"At least I haven't heard of you burning, killing, or looting."
"That's good, we haven't gone astray."
Fisher Tiger paused for a moment.
He glanced around, and the Marines only saw the two men exchanging punches; they had no idea they were talking.
The Air Door in Mary Geoise from three years ago seemed to reappear before my eyes.
This guy actually remembers what he said back then.
Bang!
Ron suddenly increased the force, Fisher Tiger slipped and was thrown back several meters, his shoes carving two deep furrows in the ground.
Fisher Tiger steadied himself and charged forward again, his fist slamming into Ron's shoulder with a whooshing sound.
The two exchanged blows, creating waves of air.
The miniature Air Door remained pressed against Fisher Tiger's side, and the sound came through intermittently.
"It seems you really listened to what I said back then."
"We... we just did what we were supposed to do."
"Then let's continue."
Ron blocked a straight punch, and his voice suddenly became more somber.
"And Fisher Tiger, can't you Fish-Man swim?"
Fisher Tiger was taken aback.
Of course we will.
"Then why waste time fighting the navy on land?"
Fisher Tiger's eyes flickered slightly.
"I don't want my Marines to die in vain. You also need to keep an eye on your own crew."
"Fight back if you can, but don't kill them."
Ron's voice was soft, yet clear.
"If you want to leave, then fight your way into the sea."
"The sea is your territory, I won't make things difficult for you."
Fisher Tiger was silent for two seconds.
I owed you one thing back then, and I owe you another one today.
Just remember that.
"If I hear you burning, killing, and looting again next time, things won't be so easy to talk to."
The miniature Air Door closed silently.
Fisher Tiger looked up and met Ron's gaze for a moment, both of them clenching their fists simultaneously.
Seeing this, the nearby Marines quickly raised their shields and retreated, fearing they would be caught in the ensuing battle.
Ron suddenly opened his mouth.
"Fisher Tiger! Take another punch from me!"
He took a step forward and unleashed a powerful punch!
Boom!!
At the moment their fists collided, Ron slightly reduced his strength.
Using the force of the recoil, Fisher Tiger was thrown backward, falling straight towards the coast.
Several crew members were helping the injured man evacuate to the sea, but the Marines behind them were closing in.
If this drags on any longer, someone might really die here.
Jinbe!
"Take everyone to the sea!"
"Clear!"
Jinbe immediately turned around and, in a few leaps, rushed to the shallows!
He slammed both palms into the seawater!
Boom!!
A colossal wave crashed onto the shore, hurtling fiercely towards the naval formation!
Strawberry swung his twin swords in quick succession, cleaving through the oncoming torrent of water.
"Hold the line! Block the coast!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hachi and the other crew members rushed towards the beach. The Marines quickly reorganized their defenses, and the two sides collided on the mudflats.
Several Fish-Man were wounded, but they still supported each other and charged forward, none of them looking back.
Arlong had just crawled out of the rubble, still holding his knife, ready to fight back.
Fisher Tiger leaped down to his side and grabbed his shoulder.
"Walk!"
"But brother--"
That's enough.
Fisher Tiger's voice was deep. "We're here to take Koala home, not to kill her."
Arlong gritted his teeth, his face full of resentment, but in the end he followed Fisher Tiger and jumped into the sea.
The navy's small boat immediately rowed over, but a sudden, rapid undercurrent surged beneath the surface of the sea.
"Fish-Man Jujutsu- Jitsu: Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!"
Jinbe grabbed a current of water, twisted his waist, and hurled it fiercely at the pursuing naval boat!
Boom!
A raging torrent of water rushed towards them, instantly tossing and turning the small boats about!
"Hold on tight! Don't fall!"
The Marines clung desperately to the ship's gunwale.
But as soon as the first wave passed, the water surged up again, heading straight for the teetering boat!
Ron raised his hand and gently stroked the surface of the sea.
Click.
A huge Air Door opened in front of the small boat, and the rushing undercurrent plunged into the door, only to be carried away to the uninhabited sea in the distance a second later.
The current swallowed up the Air Door, and the small boat finally stabilized.
A young Marine looked up at Ron in the distance and let out a long sigh of relief.
With only a brief delay, Fisher Tiger led his crew one by one into the deep water, disappearing beneath the azure surface.
Strawberry stared at the broken swords and shields scattered on the mudflats, his face grim.
No Marines were killed in action, but more than a dozen were wounded and are being carried off the ship for treatment.
If we were to pursue them into the deep sea, the Fish-Men would have the advantage of terrain, and it would only increase casualties.
"Rear Admiral Ron, should we continue the pursuit?"
"Fall back."
"But..."
Ron pointed to the small boat that was rocking violently on the sea.
"They've already dived into the deep sea, and you're telling the Marines to jump down and fight the Fish-Men?"
"I can't swim."
Strawberry fell silent.
"The warships nearby..."
"Notify them to stop the pursuit."
Ron glanced at the wounded soldiers being carried away.
"Save lives first. I'll write the report."
Strawberry glanced up at him, then finally sheathed his sword.
"Clear!"
"Cease pursuit, assess casualties, and treat the wounded!"
In the deep sea.
Jinbe glanced back at the increasingly distant coastline.
"Brother Fisher Tiger."
"Um?"
"That Ron... I have a feeling he never really intended to keep us here."
Fisher Tiger was silent for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled softly.
"That kid..."
"It's always been like this."
"Before?"
Jinbe was taken aback.
Fisher Tiger did not answer immediately.
"Let's go to the eastern reef group first."
"The ship should already be waiting there."
He glanced back at what was behind him.
"I'll tell you all about it once we're on the ship."