Arlong

The guy who appeared before Bright was named Hody Jones. Even before regaining his memories, he was already the person Bright disliked the most on Fish-Man Island.

After regaining his memories, his ranking didn't drop at all.

Bright and Hody could barely be considered childhood friends; they grew up together in the Fish-Man District, with Hody only being two years older than Bright.

Hody idolized Arlong and completely adopted Arlong's fishman-supremacist ideology, even more extreme than Arlong's.

Arlong, at least, deeply cared for his own kind and only hated discriminating against humans. From a fishman's perspective, he couldn't really be called irredeemably evil.

But Hody was different. This guy was just as cold and ruthless towards his own kind. He adhered to an extreme ideology of the strong ruling the weak and had bullied the weaker children in the Fish-Man District since he was very young.

And Bright, being a half-breed of human and fishman, was naturally a thorn in his side.

Hody called Bright "half-breed," but it wasn't always like that in the past.

When they were children, every time Hody saw Bright, he used a more insulting term.

But even though they were both shark fishmen, there was still a huge gap between Hody, a great white shark, and Bright, a megalodon. This was true from childhood.

So, he took quite a beating from Bright when he was little. Later, he finally learned to be a bit smarter and changed his wording slightly, but his attitude didn't change one bit.

"Hody," Bright sneered, "I remember warning you many times. In front of me, watch your mouth."

He directly raised his hand.

There was really nothing to say to this guy.

A hint of fear flickered across Hody's face. His body, shorter than Bright's, instinctively recoiled. He sneered with a lack of confidence, "Are you here to see Brother Arlong? But unfortunately, Brother Arlong probably doesn't want to see you right now."

He raised his voice, "Brother Arlong, Bright is here to see you!"

"Bright?"

Laughter came from inside the house. "Hahahaha, my dear brother is here?"

A figure walked out of the room.

He wore an open floral shirt, revealing the Sun Pirates' mark on his chest. He wore a fur hat, and his nose was sharp like an arrow.

"Oh! Bright, my good brother!" The man, Bright's elder brother, Arlong, laughed heartily upon seeing Bright. "It's really been a long time."

Bright nodded at him, also feeling a sense of emotion. "It has indeed been a long time, Brother Arlong."

"Brother Arlong, you entertain this guy properly. I'll be heading back now; I have patrol duty tonight."

Casting a playful glance at Bright, Hody bid farewell to Arlong.

"Alright, take care, Hody." Arlong's smiling attitude was very friendly.

Hody left without looking back.

Bright watched his retreating back.

Unlike Arlong, this guy would cause trouble on Fish-Man Island sooner or later.

Should I find an opportunity to get rid of him?

One Hag was already too many; he didn't need a second person who might disturb his peaceful life.

"Hey, hey, hey, still can't let it go, Bright?"

Arlong laughed heartily. "You two never got along well since you were kids, but now that you're grown up, you should learn to let go of grudges, right? You're all compatriots!"

It was hard to imagine such words coming from Arlong's mouth.

"I have nothing to say to him," Bright said casually.

"Hahaha! Stubborn kid, let's go, go inside and meet the old friends!"

Arlong walked into the house with a smile.

Bright followed him.

So he didn't hear Hody Jones, who was leaving the Fish-Man District, muttering with a distorted expression, "Bright—you damn bastard! Just you wait!!"

This wasn't Bright's first time at Arlong's home. Upon entering, he saw fishmen crammed into every space.

Many of them were Bright's acquaintances, former crewmates of the Sun Pirates, and the rest were familiar faces from the Fish-Man District.

"Are we having a party?"

Bright said with a smile.

He greeted his old friends.

But only a few friends responded to him. Some turned their gazes away, and more glared at him angrily.

It seemed the situation was more serious than he had imagined.

Bright sighed inwardly.

"Hahaha, because there's something great!"

Arlong plopped down on a large chair surrounded by fishmen. "It's even better that you're back, Bright."

He said earnestly, "How about it, Bright, my brother? Come and join my pirate crew."

"..."

Bright was silent for a moment. "Brother Arlong, are you leaving the Sun Pirates?"

At this, a Fishman stood up. "What are you still pretending for, Bright! Didn't you just come from Jinbe? Did he not tell you about this?"

The news travels fast.

Is it true that everyone in this Fish-Man District, bored out of their minds, is so gossipy?

"Bright, Jinbe sent you to persuade us, didn't he?"

The one speaking was a Fishman wearing martial arts attire, with blue skin and two fins on his elbows.

His name was Kuroobi, one of the future cadres of the Arlong Pirates. He said sternly, "Are you siding with Jinbe now?"

Bright calmly replied, "I just don't want the Sun Pirates, which Big Brother Fisher Tiger painstakingly built, to fall apart."

This was what Jinbe had asked him to do.

Although they had been saved, Arlong was very dissatisfied with Jinbe's compromise with humans. He decided to leave the Sun Pirates and form a new Fishman Pirates.

"Don't talk nonsense, Bright! It was Jinbe who destroyed the Sun Pirates!"

Another Fishman shouted loudly, "That weakling Jinbe bowed down to those lowly humans! He surrendered to the World Government that killed Big Brother Fisher Tiger and became a running dog for humans!"

Bright frowned.

"Alright, alright, no need to say it like that."

A Fishman stepped forward to smooth things over. He had six arms and the Sun Pirates' emblem was printed on his forehead. His name was Hachi. "No matter what, Boss Jinbe saved us."

"There's no need for persuasion, Bright,"

Arlong looked directly into Bright's eyes. "Since Jinbe has forgotten his hatred, then I will avenge Big Brother Fisher Tiger! Avenge us Fishmen against humans!!"

He shouted fanatically, "With blood and death, we will make humans understand that we Fishmen are the truly superior race!!"

Bright felt a sense of sadness.

How many years of hatred had accumulated to turn Arlong, who had led them to sneak onto the sea surface with shining eyes looking at Sabaody Archipelago, into this?

"Help me, Bright!" Arlong extended his hand to Bright, saying eagerly, "If it's you, you can surely make humans unforgettable for eternity!!"

Facing Arlong's invitation, Bright shook his head. "I'm sorry, Brother Arlong, I don't want to be a pirate anymore. I just want to stay peacefully on Fish-Man Island."

"What did you say!!"

His calm answer instantly sent Arlong into a rage. He almost lunged forward and grabbed Bright's collar. "Bright! What are you talking about! Someone like you, someone so full of talent!! You're planning to do nothing?"

"Have you also forgotten Big Brother Fisher Tiger's hatred, forgotten the bullying humans inflicted on us Fishmen? What made you so weak!"

Bright pursed his lips.

What could he say? Say that in about ten more years, Monkey D. Luffy would change everything?

But even if Arlong believed such a preposterous claim, he wouldn't care. He just wanted revenge on humans.

"I just said it, Brother Arlong! This kid is already siding with Jinbe! Siding with humans!"

The Fishman who had questioned Bright earlier shouted loudly, "Don't forget, he wasn't a complete Fishman to begin with, he's also human!"

Bright was silent for a moment.

Humans called him a Fishman, yet Fishmen called him human.

Truly lamentable.

"Is that so? I see--"

Arlong released Bright, stepping back with a cold laugh. "Has the weakness rooted deep in your human bloodline also affected you, Bright?"

"How pathetic. Leave here, Bright, and don't appear before me again! You are not welcome here!"

It was useless to say anything now, wasn't it? Everyone glared at him.

Bright could only choose to leave.

Walking down the main street of the Fish-Man District, Bright felt a little melancholic.

What should he do about Arlong?

Honestly, the lives of a group of humans in the East Blue had nothing to do with him.

Even if they were characters in the plot, main characters, what did it matter? What did it have to do with him?

If he hadn't recovered his memories, he certainly wouldn't have any qualms.

But the problem now was that his memories as a human from his past life had awakened.

His current self was not only split in bloodline but also a fusion of human and Fishman in thought.

Could he stand by and watch Arlong harm a group of innocent humans?

And ultimately lead himself to hell because of it?

Even if he wanted to stop it, how could he?

Arlong's hatred for humans was deeply ingrained. It was impossible to change him with words.

So, should he fight Arlong for the sake of a group of strangers?

"This is so annoying."

Bright felt a headache coming on.

He even had a new worry now.

Because of something Arlong said, something he had been actively avoiding was now flooding his mind.

Was this really okay?

Was living a quiet life on Fish-Man Island without doing anything really the life he longed for?

Would the world after Monkey D. Luffy became King truly be a world where all Fishmen and Mermaids could smile?

Why did it feel like he had a lot of worries even after returning home?

"At times like this, I should go talk to her."

Bright decided to go find his childhood sweetheart.

Thanks to readers '20220415233846283' and 'Wai Ji Ji' for their 100-point tips, thanks to readers '20210201171236227' and 'Tattoo 365' for their 500-point tips, thanks to 'Clover Under the City Town' for their 5000-point tip, thank you all!