Foolshout Island.
Just as Koala returned home, filled with excitement, she suddenly heard a sound. She turned her head in surprise and looked toward the direction from which the sound came.
"Dad, Mom! Did you hear that sound?"
Her parents, who were originally thrilled by their daughter's return, suddenly became stiff, unwilling to meet her curious gaze.
Finally, her father spoke. "You must have heard wrong. There's no sound."
"Is that so?"
Koala tilted her head, not saying anything more.
Her parents finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Mom, Dad! I'm telling you, there are many good people among the Fishmen!"
Koala said happily, "Mr. Tiger and Mr. Jinbei are both really good people! They not only went out of their way to bring me back but also took great care of me on the ship."
Koala unconsciously reached back to touch her spine.
Under her clothes, there was a rough protrusion.
It was the mark of the sun that Mr. Tiger had left on her, covering the mark of the Celestial Dragon that had once caused her so much pain.
Her parents' faces immediately turned even darker.
Outside the town, in the wilderness, things were very lively now.
After the warship was destroyed, a large number of Navy soldiers boarded lifeboats or swam to the island and gathered here.
However, at this time, Vice-Admiral Doberman and Rear Admiral Strawberry, who had been urgently treated, were still unconscious.
The officers who rushed over could only learn about the battle that had taken place from other Navy soldiers.
"...That Fishman named Jinbei is terrifying! He's skilled in Fishman Karate, and his Haki is incredibly strong, extremely violent. Vice-Admiral Doberman and Rear Admiral Strawberry were both defeated by him, but Tiger is much weaker! He was shot many times, bled a lot, and probably got injured in his internal organs or his arteries!"
"Given the severity of his injuries, the chances of him surviving are very low."
At that time, the officers aboard the warship also saw it: Tiger was lying on the pirate ship's deck, his body covered in blood. Around him, a group of fishman pirates were crying.
It is well-known that a fist strong enough to shatter mountains won't kill, and a sword capable of splitting the seas won't kill, but a gun can kill.
The navy reported it accordingly.
Fisher Tiger, captain of the Sun Pirates and a great criminal, is suspected to have been shot dead.
Although, strictly speaking, this mission was a massive failure. The fleet was nearly destroyed, and the two highest-ranking officers who led the mission are now still unconscious and barely alive.
However, if Tiger was truly killed, that result could still be accepted.
On the side of the Sun Pirates.
After they had moved far away from Foolshout Island, Fisher Tiger, who had previously been lying motionless on the deck, supposedly dead, suddenly sat up with his usual expression.
"How was my performance?"
"It was amazing, of course!"
The fishman pirates, who had been sobbing just moments ago, instantly erupted in cheers.
"As expected of Brother Tiger! If I didn't already know it was just an act, I'd probably have thought you were really dead!"
"I was secretly observing those navy men spying on us! Hahahaha! They were completely fooled!"
"They must really think Brother Tiger is dead by now, right?"
In response to his comrades' cheers, Tiger merely smiled. He then raised his hand and removed his heavy coat, revealing his muscular body—though it was still covered in blood, there weren't any actual wounds.
Tiger casually threw the coat to the ground. It was heavier than he had expected, and when it hit the ground, a loud thud was heard as bullets rolled out from inside. The coat was still spurting blood.
"Using a blood packet was a brilliant idea," the ship's doctor, Aladine, said with a smile. "It was worth everyone donating blood overnight."
"Let's talk about that later," Tiger said as he turned around. "First, help me treat these wounds."
There were several gunshot wounds on his back.
Jinbei's expression immediately changed. "Brother Tiger, you're really injured?"
Tiger sighed. "I still haven't mastered Observation Haki. With so many bullets, it's inevitable that some will hit."
"I'll prepare for surgery right away!"
Aladine panicked.
At that moment,
"Leave it to me."
Three people walked out of the ship's cabin.
They were Law, Kuma, and Viola.
Law opened his right hand, and a swirling vortex formed. "If it's surgery, I'm still confident in my abilities."
The three of them had arrived last night.
Kuma was responsible for ultra-long-distance transportation, and Viola confirmed the direction. It only took them less than two days to travel directly from Hive Island to the sea near Foolshout Island.
However, they hadn't made a move during the battle earlier. After all, exposing the relationship between the Sun Pirates and Ian would not be good right now.
They were just here as a safety measure.
When Tiger and Jinbei arrived at Foolshout Island, Viola had been observing them, and Kuma had been using Observation Haki to lock onto their presence from a distance.
If there had been any accidents, Kuma would have immediately brought Law over.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly.
Law expanded his ROOM space and casually removed the bullets from Tiger's body, then swiftly stitched up the wounds.
Aladine stood there, stunned.
This guy's medical skills were completely different from his own style.
"Amazing!"
Tiger couldn't help but praise.
No wonder he's Ian's subordinate.
Even though he's just an unknown young man, he's an absolute monster.
"So," Law didn't seem pleased by Tiger's praise. He merely said, "Are you willing to follow Ian's orders?"
Tiger looked around at his fellow comrades, noticing the solemn expressions on their faces.
"Hahaha! What's there to worry about?"
Tiger suddenly burst out laughing. "I'm not going to die!"
"But," Jinbe clenched his fists. "You're the only one who can lead us—"
"Alright, Jinbe," Tiger shook his head, speaking seriously. "Starting today, you are the captain of the Sun Pirates!"
Jinbe gritted his teeth, looking reluctant, but he couldn't refute his most respected older brother.
"Come on!"
Tiger gave Law a generous look.
Law pulled the corner of his mouth.
Why does this feel like a farewell?
He grabbed his sword and, with a few swift slashes, cut Tiger's body into pieces.
The surrounding Fish-Man Pirates gasped in shock; the scene was truly terrifying.
But Law wasn't done yet. He continued to slice chunks off Tiger's dismembered body, like playing a game of Fruit Ninja.
Once done, he carefully began to reconstruct the pieces.
It wasn't just a simple task of putting the severed parts together.
Nerves, bones, muscles, skin—every part that had been cut was carefully reconstructed by Law.
When the final assembly was complete, the Tiger who appeared before everyone had completely changed his appearance.
He had become shorter, more muscular, and his face looked entirely different—he had even become somewhat handsome. He looked at least ten years younger!
"This is..."
Jinbe stared in awe, "It's amazing!"
Is this... the power of a Devil Fruit?
It's truly the power of a devil in every sense—it's terrifying!
The Fish-Man Pirates gathered around Tiger, marveling in admiration.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24