Vander Decken IX left, and the cell was plunged back into darkness.
Not long after the two of them departed, a relieved exhale suddenly sounded from within the pitch-black cell.
For the merfolk slaves, whatever kind of life awaited them in the future, it had to be far better than the prison life they were suffering now!
All sorts of forces had gathered on Fish-Man Island. Virgo and the others, who had only just arrived, had no intention of acting rashly. After following Jinbe to the Fish-Man Island branch, they met Arlong, one of those involved in the incident, at the base.
In Arlong's account, the Red-Haired Pirates had practically become demons. When Shanks' crew faced an "inspection" by the New Marines, they had attacked without a word and gone straight for the kill.
Between the lines, he repeatedly emphasized the Red-Haired Pirates' identity as "pirates," cloaking his own actions in a mantle of "justice."
Managing a massive organization was simply too difficult. No matter what Tsugikuni Yoriichi's original intentions had been when he founded the New Marines, once the organization took in all kinds of people, its nature was bound to become more complicated.
The human heart had never been controllable. The pursuit of personal gain was human instinct.
Arlong was precisely that sort of person. The New Marines' rules might have restrained his behavior to some extent, but they had no way to control his heart.
When questioned by Virgo and the others, Arlong acted exactly like a devoted and responsible New Marine.
The simple-minded Jinbe and Smoker were easily deceived by Arlong. As for Aramaki, who had come along with them, he did not dwell on such minor details at all. He simply did not care that much about the matter. He knew what his duty was,