"Brother Shak! What are you thinking?! You're actually going to human territory?!"
Compared to the shock among the citizens of Merfolk Island over Otohime's decision, the reaction in the Fish-Man District was even greater.
Most of those living within Merfolk Island were peaceable citizens. They might not support the ideas and proposals from above, but they would not oppose them either. At most, they simply would not participate.
The Fish-Man District was different. It had originally been a slum, a gathering place for thugs, with more than its share of violent individuals. Shak had subdued the place through force as well.
Their hatred toward humans was also deeper than that of those outside. Thus, when they heard that Shak had answered Otohime's call, a group led by Arlong and Jinbe came straight to him.
They did not understand why their boss would do such a thing.
"Yeah, Brother Shak. The sea is our domain. These days, whenever pirates see us, they behave themselves and don't dare cause trouble on the island. Isn't that good enough?"
"Arlong, Jinbe, don't be so extreme. I hate those human scum too. Even being torn to pieces would not be enough punishment for them. But there are good people among humans, just as there are bastards among fish-men.
You need to understand that many of the people trafficking fish-men and merfolk are our own kind."
Fish-men and merfolk rarely left Merfolk Island. Aside from those captured while traveling outside, the rest were sold by fish-men themselves.
"Anyone who harms our own deserves to die. But Brother Shak, a human country..."
Arlong was different from Hody Jones. From the perspective of the humans in Cocoyasi Village, Arlong was a bastard, but from the perspective of fish-men, he had never persecuted them. On the contrary, he had