Something's Fishy

Although Roger was responsible for most of the suffering Tom now endured, he was a shipwright—a shipwright through and through.

Building the world's strongest pirate ship for the Pirate King had been one of his lifelong goals.

Atlas lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Roger was a remarkable man, but what he did was little more than childish stubbornness. The world will never run according to his wishes, nor will it follow some so-called prophecy."

Tom's heart jolted. "What are you after, Marine?"

"A single spark can start a prairie fire."

Water 7.

An abandoned shipyard.

Weevil was still flushed with excitement after watching the spectacle.

Miss Bakkin, walking ahead of him, looked disgusted instead. Her downturned mouth kept muttering, "What was all that? Just the trial of some stinking Fish-Man. Still..."

"People are truly ugly inside. Only endless wealth can be trusted!"

They had just watched Cipher Pol take Tom away. Far from trying to stop them, the people of Water 7 had cheered.

"Listen closely, my foolish son. Making money is what matters. Your mother is the only person in the world who cares about you!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Weevil nodded vigorously, then asked in confusion, "But the Marines killed my father. Shouldn't we go get revenge?"

"Revenge? You may be his son, but that man never cared for you! He died without even knowing you existed!"

Miss Bakkin's voice rose to a shrill pitch. "Besides, can the two of us take revenge on the Marines now? One retired Marine Admiral was enough to send us running last time."

At the mention of that fight, Weevil hunched his neck, lingering fear on his face.

"That Marine from last time..."

Flap, flap—!

A black crow flew toward them and came down to land.

Sensing something, Miss Bakkin held out her