Port Battle

"Your opponent is here!"

Seeing a powerhouse from the direct intelligence agency trying to destroy the stone bridge, the red Fish-Man giant roared and charged forward.

The muscles all over his body surged as he used his chest to block the huge slash the opponent kicked out!

Sig could now be certain that this man was none other than Fisher Tiger—the hero who had forged this mass slave escape.

Although the slash knocked him to the ground and sent his planted feet sliding more than ten meters, Tiger still stood firm, without a single wound on his chest.

"What a troublesome monster."

The two fighters from the direct intelligence agency—whether they were from CP0 or CP9, Sig could not tell—were feeling rather troubled as well.

The stone bridge was merely a gangplank for boarding and disembarking at the port. To Fish-Men and Mermaids, it was actually of little significance. Even without it, Fish-Men and Mermaids could swim onto the ships themselves.

If speed was not a concern, they could even escape by diving straight into the water without using ships...

For humans, however, aside from those "experts," even people who could swim and were accustomed to the water would have great difficulty boarding without a gangplank. They would either have to swim over or use a small boat first. For ordinary people with average combat strength, losing the gangplank would make the port a dead end!

Tiger's act of stepping forward to protect the gangplank also awakened the fighting spirit in many pirates...

Even after being slaves for so long, there were always people whose remaining fighting spirit could still be drawn out!

Tiger also inspired many pirates and other slaves with combat ability to turn back and fight, covering the escape of more slaves!

That was why the four berths and four paths to freedom at the port were being firmly held by the slaves.

If everyone who came here had only thought about escaping as soon as possible, the port would have been retaken long ago.

In particular, quite a few Fish-Men were now following Tiger's orders, constantly pushing ships over from the sheltered harbor to ensure that everyone could be ferried away one ship at a time.

As for how many could ultimately escape, that would depend on luck...

Sig had initially wanted to find a ship and board it immediately. After all, this was the freedom he had longed for, and besides... he really was no powerhouse!

However, halfway across the stone bridge, Sig looked back and saw Tiger pressing the heads of two intelligence agents together. He could not help hesitating.

He had been singing pirate songs to rally everyone else, only to flee without stopping himself. That would have been rather awkward.

What convinced Sig even more was that he observed those who immediately fled onto ships and those who stayed behind to hold the line for a while...

Well, aside from the weak, the former group consisted of people with little sense of responsibility, or those who had been scared witless and had lost their fighting spirit.

Would escaping with these people really give him a lower chance of success?

After all, they would certainly still have to face pursuit once they reached the sea!

Moreover, once they had escaped onto the open ocean, it would be safer to travel with "strong individuals" while the Marines coordinated the pursuit. This was different from the logic of escaping amid the chaos inside Mary Geoise without drawing too much attention. Once they were pursued at sea, they would all share a single identity: "runaway slaves from among the Celestial Dragons' slaves."

Under the cover of that identity, their strength no longer mattered. Every department of the World Government would hunt them according to the standards for the most important fugitives!

Whether they were powerhouses or ordinary little girls, they all represented the dignity of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government!

There was no such thing as being inconspicuous because of weakness... And Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, was not far away.

Thus, Sig also turned around and fought his way back, cutting down several cannon fodder who tried to charge into the stone bridge's area while helping maintain order for those boarding the ships.

At the same time, Sig began observing them as well—Whose ship would be best for me to board?

Even setting aside the World Government's wanted notices, once he reached the sea from here, he would have to face the Grand Line!

Sig did not believe that, with his current strength, he could navigate it alone or raise a flag high enough to recruit a crew.

The good news was that many of the Celestial Dragons' slaves had once been famous pirates on the open sea. Humiliating powerful people from the outside world was one of the Celestial Dragons' many twisted pastimes.

Although most of these slaves had had their fighting spirit worn away, those still fighting at a time like this could mostly be considered outstanding figures in the first half of the Grand Line.

Moreover...

They had already been separated from their companions. If they still had ambition, then this was precisely the time to recruit a new crew. They certainly would not reject someone with some strength who also shared their plight.

As for whether he should become a pirate?

As a runaway slave of the Celestial Dragons, Sig did not have many career options...

Of course, Sig also had to eliminate those cold and heartless individuals. Otherwise, they might kill him in the future simply to keep his identity as a runaway slave secret.

Even without that concern, there was no reason to choose a cold and heartless captain!

Based on Sig's observations of the pirate slaves in Mary Geoise over the past few years, the pirate world did indeed contain quite a few pirate groups that were "loyal and affectionate" and had "deep bonds."

For pirates, however, deception and treachery were more common. Today, the first mate killed the captain; tomorrow, the captain executed a crew member who disagreed with him; the day after that, they slaughtered one another over treasure...

The sea was already heartless enough. Sig at least hoped that the "ecosystem" aboard the ship would be a little better.

As for how to judge a future captain's temperament from their performance in battle?

For others, it might be difficult to observe. After all, being ruthless toward enemies did not mean being the same toward companions...

But for Sig, whose observational ability had been granted by the "Spectator," there were clues to follow. By examining their expressions, eyes, and instinctive movements when killing enemies, Sig could make a rough assessment of their personalities.

Of course, he could not see everything, and his conclusions were not always accurate. After all, Sig was merely a "Spectator," not a higher-Sequence "Telepathist" or "Psychiatrist"...

Gradually, Sig still had not chosen a captain, but he could feel the pressure around the stone bridge growing heavier and heavier—Mary Geoise seemed to be organizing its forces to retake control of the port!

At the same time, some of the slaves who had originally insisted on fighting began turning around and fleeing.

After all, their earlier actions had been driven by a surge of fighting spirit. They could not truly be expected to sacrifice themselves...

That sentiment spread as well, and it was clear they were about to lose their position!

"Boss, we should retreat too! Anyone who hasn't made it over yet won't be able to get away!" A ray Fish-Man grabbed the overzealous Tiger.

Tiger looked around at the state of the port and said somewhat unwillingly, "I'll cover the rear, boys! Retreat! And... humans! If you want freedom, seize your final chance!"

Tiger insisted on covering the rear himself, ensuring that the retreat would not trigger a panic.

Sig chose a ship pushed over by the Fish-Men underwater and scrambled aboard. Among the slaves boarding it, the one leading them was a blond swordsman. Sig had seen him several times before, protecting unfamiliar people around him...