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For many years, Jinbe always believed that what Arlong and his crew did in Cocoyasi Village and the neighboring villages was a heinous act.
These people, who were Fishmen he knew well and grew up with, he never expected to see a future where these good boys would enslave humans and impose a horrific system on them, killing those who didn't pay for their freedom every time... colluding with corrupt humans, corrupt marine captain Nezumi, and using both force and money to plunge helpless humans into the depths of despair.
This was truly a terrible act; this was pure evil, no different from the Celestial Dragons who enslaved members of their own race for centuries, or from the humans who hunted their race to sell them in auctions.
Ever since Jinbe saw that cursed arc and what Nami specifically suffered, a feeling grew within him without him even realizing it. He truly hated people like Arlong... hated them from the bottom of his heart... He knew that what humans had done throughout past generations to their race was catastrophic in every sense of the word and unacceptable... that's exactly why becoming like those conscienceless humans is truly a disgrace.
At this moment, while reading the chapter, Jinbe felt a shiver as he saw his counterpart apologizing.
(What is he apologizing for?) Jinbe thought internally as he continued reading.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Chapter's Events:
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"LUFFYYYY!!!" Seeing Luffy, Nami shouted from afar.
"WHAT?! HE'S WITH PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI ...!!" Caimie, who was carrying her, was shocked.
"HEY!! NAMI!! HAS THE BANQUET STARTED YET?!!" Luffy asked about the banquet at Ryugu Palace.
"NNNNNAMI-SAN!" Sanji cheered happily upon seeing Nami.
"YEP, HE'S CURED." Seeing this, Chopper felt relieved.
…
"IS THIS TRUE ?!! HODY DID SUCH A THING ?!!"
"TO THINK THAT RYUUGUU PALACE HAS FALLEN INTO SUCH PERIL...!!" Hearing what happened from Nami, Jinbe felt dismayed and angry.
"WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ZORO AND THE OTHERS, THEN?!" Luffy was worried about his precious companions.
"I DON'T KNOW. I WAS GOING TO GO BACK FOR THEM ONCE I FOUND YOU..." Nami said.
"FATHER HAS BEEN CAPTURED?! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT...!" Shirahoshi started crying again.
"HACCHIN! ... WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" On the other hand, Caimie was pained to see the injured Hachan.
…
"I MUST APOLOGISE," Jinbe began to speak apologetically.
"IT SEEMS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DRAWN INTO OUR TROUBLES ALL TOO QUICKLY...!!"
"THIS MAY BE SUDDEN... BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND, WHEN I MET LUFFY-KUN TWO YEARS AGO, EVEN MORE SO THAN NOW... IT WAS SIMPLY NOT THE TIME TO SPEAK OF SUCH THINGS!" Jinbe looked towards Luffy, then to Nami
"I HARBOUR A PROFOUND GRATITUDE TOWARDS THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING A STOP TO THE TERROR... THAT ARLONG AND HIS CREW WREAKED IN EAST BLUE ...!!!"
"THIS WAS YOUR DOING, WAS IT NOT? I MUST EXTEND YOU MY THANKS ...!!!"
"BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I MUST APOLOGISE..."
"JINBE-SAN..." Hachi's eyes darkened upon hearing that. He had always hated himself for what happened at that time in Nami's village.
"FOR ELEVEN YEARS AGO, THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNLEASHING ARLONG UPON THE WATERS OF EAST BLUE..."
"...WAS NONE OTHER THAN MYSELF!!!"
"!!?" Hearing that, Nami's gaze fell on the sun tattoo on Jinbe's chest, which Arlong and his crew also had.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Jinbe's body stopped shaking after Fisher Tiger placed his hand on his shoulder.
All that remained in Jinbe's mind at this moment was how he could have any role in what Arlong and his crew did in Nami's hometown?
Arlong felt great at this moment, although he showed nothing on his face.
(So it seems Jinbe has a hand in this... How wonderful! He always used to look down on me! I always hated that! To be the cause of what happened... What a refreshing feeling!)
Arlong almost laughed violently, but he didn't want to reveal any negative feelings that would threaten his place in the group... If they knew his true feelings, they might kick him out of the group, endangering his life.
Arlong had always been hated by everyone because of the bad karma the manga put on him all the time... Even after all this time, it hadn't completely erased it.
This is what will happen to Hody Jones and his crew... Thinking about that, Arlong felt relieved that someone would share his ordeal.
But to think that an important character like Jinbe, with such a great reputation! A person who managed to save the story's protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, from a mental breakdown after his brother's death! Such actions in the manga made him an indispensable favorite, especially for Luffy fans!
He had always envied him for that... He truly envied him.
But now, Jinbe in the manga was saying himself that he was the reason for all the bad things that happened to Nami and her hometown.
Doesn't this mean he is completely innocent? His actions were driven by what Jinbe caused him... Isn't that what Jinbe is trying to say?
"I see..."
At this moment, Fisher Tiger spoke.
Arlong immediately stopped his fantasies.
"What do you mean, big brother?" Jinbe asked, wanting to know Tiger's opinion on the matter.
"For your counterpart to take responsibility means two things: he feels great sorrow about what happened, and the second thing is that he sees himself indirectly responsible for it... Perhaps he was the reason for the collapse of the Sun Pirates, which made Arlong think of leaving for East Blue afterward."
If it were as Fisher Tiger said, it could be acceptable for Jinbe; being indirectly responsible for the incident is much better than being directly responsible, and this completely contradicts his character!
That's why even Arlong and Hody, evil by nature, felt that this idea was completely reasonable.
But this does not mean that Jinbe's regret will decrease in any way... Whether directly or indirectly, being the cause of what happened to Nami made him feel extremely sad.
"It seems that Fish-Man Island has begun to sink into chaos because of Hody and his crew... Do you like to see such a future, Hody?"
With cold eyes, Fisher Tiger asked Hody, who trembled from the cold gaze.
"Certainly not!! I hate my counterpart for what he does... I hate those scoundrels for adopting such extremist ideology... I bet they will be severely beaten by the Straw Hat Pirates."
Hody Jones gathered his courage and said what Fisher Tiger and the others wanted to hear, but in reality, he loved to see it.
…
Far from Fish-Man Island, in Ohara:
Seeing a great character like Jinbe apologizing to Nami and her companions, Bell-mère felt conflicting emotions at this moment.
She quickly turned the manga pages, ignoring the scenes of chaos on the island caused by Hody Jones's followers who were threatening civilians at that moment.
She also ignored Sanji, who was still in his "perverted chef" mode and had prepared coffee cups for the women, completely ignoring the men present, even his captain.
And her gaze fell directly on Nami, who asked Jinbe what he meant by saying... He unleashed Arlong upon East Blue...
"It's inconceivable that Jinbe is the man behind Arlong..." Bell-mère felt that what Sanji said at this moment was completely wrong.
What Jinbe had done so far, it was clear that he was a strong character who supported justice, and had strong, unwavering principles, even among pirates; he was a man of great virtue.
Bell-mère bit her lip as she saw Sanji's strong stance at this moment defending Nami... Yes, Nami had suffered a lot because of Arlong; this was an unchangeable fact.
For Jinbe to be the cause of all that, this would greatly disappoint her.
…
On the other hand, Jinbe was sweating like his counterpart in the manga as he saw what Sanji said.
Depending on what you say next… I may not be able to forgive you…
These were the words of Sanji, who had just been acting like an idiot among them... This terrible mood swing made him, even as just a manga reader, nervous.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 934: Sun Pirates.
Chapter 935: Tiger and Otohime.
Chapter 936: An Inherited Desire.
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