A Clash of Ideals / We Must Send Her Back to Her Homeland

"Whee!"

"My name is Koala, and I'm eleven years old!"

"Thank you so much three years ago!!!"

Despite her fear of the tall and strange Fish-Man, Koala forced a smile and bowed in gratitude.

Chapter 226 Ideological Divergence

The Grand Line.

A huge carp-headed sailing ship slowly sailed on the sea. The pattern on the sail was a sun burning with raging flames, unlike traditional Pirates flags which had a skull and crossbones at the center.

Suddenly, an angry roar came from the ship.

Why must we share a ship with humans?!

"Even if they're kids, they're still human. It's really annoying!!"

A giant Fish-Man with a long, sharp, serrated nose and a fierce appearance was cursing and swearing on the deck, his tone extremely impatient.

"Hey! Arlong, don't get so worked up. It's just a favor we're doing."

Fisher Tiger, standing nearby, tried to dissuade him.

Although he established a no-kill policy from the very beginning of the Sun Pirates, hoping to eliminate the barriers between the Fish-Man on board and humans.

However, after three years, the most radical Arlong did not change at all, and even became more extreme, with his views on humanity becoming more and more biased!

"Laugh!"

"Laugh!"

Young Koala looked at the enraged Arlong, trying his best to hide his fear, and forced a mechanical smile onto his face.

Bang--!!

"Stop grinning like that, you little human kid are really infuriating!!"

Seeing Koala's forced smile, Arlong was instantly enraged and slapped her hard to the ground with his thick hand.

"Hey! Brother Arlong, what are you doing? She's just a child!!"

The other Fish-Man couldn't stand it any longer and rushed forward to stop the Arlong from launching another attack.

One octopus-like Fish-Man even used all six arms to grab the Arlong's body!

Sizzle--!!

Just then, a sound of tearing cloth came from behind.

It turned out that Koala had torn off a piece of cloth from the hem of her trousers, knelt down, and tightly gripped the cloth with her small hands, meticulously wiping it onto the deck.

He kept muttering to himself.

"I'm sorry! I'll get back to work!"

"I will keep cleaning non-stop, so please stop hitting me."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"...!?"

All the Fish-Man on the Sun Pirates fell silent. They knew very well that this little girl had probably suffered such severe psychological trauma in Mary Geoise that the wounds had not healed even after three years.

"What's wrong with you..."

Suddenly, Jinbe caught a glimpse of blood in his eyes, and he quickly knelt down and asked Koala, who was kneeling, in a low voice.

"Sorry..."

"Hey! You're bleeding..."

"Laugh!"

"Heh! No matter what happens, I won't cry, so please don't kill me!!"

Koala still wore that same mechanical smile.

"Hey! Don't do this, you are..."

Are you afraid of us?

Jinbe fell silent; he could sense the fear and numbness emanating from Koala.

"Yes..."

"But because I wanted to see my mother, I still mustered up the courage to board the ship..."

"If I stop, you might kill me, right?!"

"I'll come in handy, so please don't kill me..."

Koala, his hands still moving despite his filth, raised his still-bleeding face and pleaded with Jinbe with a smile.

"The slave's way of life was deeply ingrained in her, in Mary Geoise..."

"The slaves around here will be killed if they cry out, or if they take a short break while cleaning."

"Constantly living in fear, lest I be the next one killed, I trust no one..."

Aladdin, the ship's doctor who had been silently observing everything, said in a deep voice.

Pain was evident in his eyes. Human joys and sorrows are not shared; perhaps only someone who had experienced similar things could truly understand the grief of the little girl before him.

"Take it slow. Emotional trauma isn't something that can be healed so easily."

Hahaha!

"You really understand her, Brother Aladdin..."

"I truly empathize with the slaves!!"

The Arlong couldn't help but mock, mercilessly reopening Aladdin's wound, "Actually, you wish you could kill her right now, didn't you!?"

"After all--!"

"He's human, just like those bastards who raised you!!"

"Hey! Arlong, that's enough..."

Seeing that the Arlong was becoming increasingly agitated, Fisher Tiger finally spoke up to stop it.

"To be honest, how did your mother raise you?"

The Arlong, already enraged, ignored Fisher Tiger's advice and presented its hideous face to Koala, asking him questions with hatred.

"Your parents look down on Fish-Man too, huh? Hahaha!!"

"That's how human societies are; they believe that only the human race is the most remarkable in the world!"

As he spoke, the Arlong couldn't help but stand up, raise his hands high, and shout excitedly to the sky, like a fanatical madman.

"Children are influenced by what they see and hear from a young age, so naturally they become arrogant..."

"This situation won't change unless someone breaks it."

Fisher Tiger was filled with mixed emotions. It was a vicious cycle, with each generation passing on their stubborn ideas, always regarding the Fish-Man as ordinary fish.

But...

They are a sentient race with flesh and blood, possessing intelligence comparable to humans!

"You must have seen too much during these three years of sailing!"

"The arrogant and contemptuous look that humans cast at us!"

"If it weren't for Boss Fisher Tiger, I don't know what I might have done!!"

The Arlong's expression grew increasingly ferocious, its eyes filled with contempt and hatred for humanity.

"Only a portion of humanity despises us; others may not feel the same way!!"

Jinbe clearly had a different opinion. He had a more rational mind than Arlong, and his view of humanity had changed from being extreme at the beginning to being peaceful now.

He deeply realized this.

A small number of evil people cannot represent an entire race!

"Enough! This argument ends here!!"

Seeing that the debate between the two was getting more and more heated, Fisher Tiger interrupted them in a deep voice.

He didn't want the Sun Pirates he had worked so hard to build, to fall apart. As the leader, he had to shoulder the responsibility of unifying the team.

"And bring this brat to my room!"

Pointing to Koala, who was still wiping the floor, Fisher Tiger gave an order to the group of Fish-Man.

"Boss! What are you doing in your room?!"

Fisher Tiger offered no explanation and walked silently toward the room.

Although the other Fish-Man were very puzzled, out of respect for Fisher Tiger, they obediently carried Koala to Fisher Tiger's room.

Bang--!!

The door slammed shut.

Ah--!!!

Soon, a scream that almost pierced eardrums came from the Bedroom!

Before anyone could react, the unconscious Koala was thrown out.

Thick white smoke billowed from the thin back, and copious amounts of blood seeped from it, filling the surrounding air with the smell of burning flesh...

Chapter 227 We must send her back to her hometown.

"Aladdin, quickly stop her bleeding!"

Fisher Tiger then emerged from the dark room and spoke in a deep voice to the ship's doctor Aladdin.

"Although it was somewhat rough..."

"But as long as that mark remains, things that can be forgotten can never be forgotten!!"

"..."

Everyone remained silent; they all knew exactly what Fisher Tiger meant by 'brand'.

Among them were many who had also escaped from Mary Geoise three years prior, and they naturally knew the devastating impact that indelible mark had on their minds and bodies—a memory too painful to recall.

The Sun Pirates' flag originated from this; psychological wounds may not heal quickly, but physical marks can be covered up with another mark!

"Laugh!"

Suddenly, Koala, who had just been bandaged up by Aladdin, jumped up from the deck, instinctively maintaining a smile while desperately holding back tears.

"Ah! She's fainted..."

"I'm sorry, but--"

"I didn't cry, so please don't kill me. No matter what you do to me, I won't cry..."

"Cry it out!!!"

Fisher Tiger roared, interrupting Koala's words.

"What's wrong with crying?! Don't lump us in with trash like the Celestial Dragons!!"

"Laugh!"

"Laugh!"

Koala remained unmoved; she no longer trusted anyone.

If it weren't for her unwavering belief in seeing her mother again, perhaps life would have lost all meaning for her.

"..."

"Watch closely!"

Fisher Tiger suddenly calmed down, pulled a Flintlock from his waist, and waved it in front of Koala.