Foosha Village.
At the entrance of the town, a group of heavily armed Marines advanced with determined steps, guided by several concerned residents. Leading them was the mayor, visibly anxious.
"Officer, those pirates are inside," he said urgently. "And there's also someone… very big. Beautiful, yes, but with the body of a fish and the torso of a human. She's a creature like we've never seen before. Please, make sure to arrest them. The bar owner, Makino, is still inside and hasn't come out. We're all very worried for her safety!"
"Don't worry. The Marines are here to do their duty. We'll capture those pirates."
Without wasting time, the ranks reorganized. Dozens—hundreds—of Marines armed with rifles and swords surrounded Party's Bar, closing the perimeter with precision.
...
Inside Party's Bar, the pirates had barricaded themselves as best they could, using tables, chairs, and empty bottles to block the wall Tiberion had destroyed and the remaining entrances.
The makeshift wall offered no real protection, but it was all they had.
"What do we do?!"
"Where is Mister Tiberion?! Why hasn't he come back yet?!"
"We're pirates! If they come in, they'll arrest us all!"
In a corner, Shirahoshi was trembling. Her hands pressed tightly against her chest, her body curled up, and every step heard from outside shook her like a recurring nightmare.
The fear she had once felt in Sabaody was wrapping around her again.
And then...
From the side door came a faint creak. The sound was soft, but enough to instantly silence every voice.
Makino appeared.
She emerged from the back with a calmness that contrasted with the tension inside the bar. She wore a clean robe of soft, light green fabric that covered her completely, showing only her head.
The garment hid every trace of what had happened hours before. She walked barefoot, with short and measured steps.
Her face, still slightly flushed, couldn't hide the exhaustion. Faint shadows marked her eyes, and her expression carried a quiet weariness, as if her energy had slowly drained away. Even so, she maintained her composure.
One hand rested against the wall for support; the other stayed near her chest, steady but trembling.
Her hair, loose and freshly brushed, fell naturally over her shoulders, and the light coming through the windows gave it a soft glow—she looked like an angel.
And when she spoke, her voice was so gentle it seemed to break through the panic.
"Don't worry…"
Everyone turned to her, barely breathing.
"You are under Tiberion's protection. I'll tell the Marines that you didn't harm me… that you only came here to drink and eat in peace."
The pirates stared at her in astonishment. One of them, eyes glistening with held-back tears, shouted emotionally:
"Thank you, boss! The owner truly is worthy of being the woman chosen by the chief."
"What a relief… With the boss on our side, maybe they'll let us live…"
"Yeah… as long as we stay alive, Mister Tiberion won't abandon us. I'm sure when he comes back…"
Their words were a clumsy attempt to cling to hope. The fear hadn't disappeared. It was merely crouching, silent, waiting.
Because deep down, they all shared the same questions:
What if Tiberion didn't come back?
What if, to him, they were just disposable tools?
No one said it. But everyone thought it.
"S-Sister Makino… I'm scared. Husband still hasn't returned," Shirahoshi murmured in a trembling voice, looking at Makino with big, bright eyes full of anxiety, as if she were the only safe haven left.
She could still sense on Makino the comforting scent of her husband, that masculine smell that wrapped around her like an invisible coat, giving her a fleeting sense of safety.
Makino smiled at her gently.
"Don't worry, Shirahoshi. Nothing's going to happen. You haven't hurt anyone. I'll take care of you… and when Tiberion returns, I'll hand you over safe and sound. I promise."
Her words didn't waver. She spoke with a tenderness so sincere it felt as if she'd known her all her life. Despite Shirahoshi's towering size, Makino treated her like an older sister would a frightened child.
Part of that affection was born from a deeper bond: they were both Tiberion's women. And in his absence, Makino felt it was her duty to protect her. Not out of obligation, but out of conviction. Because that's what a real woman would do.
And that's what Makino was: a woman with a broad heart, gentle and brave.
…
The sound of boots stomping hard on the floor suddenly drew near, and without warning, the door of Party's Bar was kicked open.
"Nobody move! Hands up! If anyone moves, we shoot without hesitation!"
The pirates raised their hands immediately.
"Don't shoot, please! We surrender!"
In the midst of the chaos, Makino stepped forward. Even though her body was weak, even though every step cost her effort, she placed herself between the Marines and Shirahoshi.
Trembling but resolute, she stood in front of the mermaid with her arms outstretched.
"Officers, please! Don't hurt her. She… she's my younger sister."
The Marines stopped, confused by the scene.
Makino took a deep breath and stepped forward again, facing dozens of men armed with rifles and swords. She was just a woman from the village, with no training or protection. But in her voice, there was something stronger than fear: conviction.
"They only came here to eat and drink! They haven't hurt anyone! I am a witness to that!"
And then, from the crowd watching from the rear, a familiar figure appeared.
"Wait! Officers, please!"
It was Woop Slap, the mayor.
Upon hearing Makino's voice, he pushed his way through the Marines until he stood in front of the officers, panting, his face tense.
"She's from our village," he said, pointing at Makino. "She's the owner of this bar. A kind young woman who's always been there for us. She has no connection to those pirates. Please, don't mistake her for one of them!"
"Enough, miss. Don't defend pirates. They're experts at lying."
"Sure, if they cooperate peacefully, we have no right to hurt them. But if they resist… we'll turn them into sieves."
"Soldiers! Arrest all of Tiberion Hanma's accomplices!"
Makino tried to say something else, wanted to defend her people… but Woop was quicker. He stepped forward and covered her mouth with his hand, holding back her impulse.
"What are you doing, Makino? Be quiet!" he whispered in anguish.
"Do you have any idea how many Marines came this time to capture them? If they weren't truly dangerous, there wouldn't be this much commotion…"
His voice trembled, but his words were full of sincerity.
"What matters is that you're safe. During all the time you didn't come out, everyone in the village was very worried about you. We even thought that…"
His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.
"But… from what we can see, you only got a good scare. That eases our hearts."
Makino tried to push the mayor's hand away, but her body didn't respond. All the strength she once had… she had given it to Tiberion. Now only a deep emptiness remained, preventing her from even resisting.
Motionless, she watched helplessly as the Marines began to take Shirahoshi and the others out of the bar, one by one.
Tears clouded her vision.
She wanted to do something, say one last word, defend them somehow… but she couldn't anymore.
It was all useless.
Shirahoshi looked back wistfully, her eyes resting on her "big sister," Makino.
Perhaps, in that moment, something inside her had changed. Maybe she was beginning to understand.
She knew that if she refused to follow those hard-eyed soldiers, she might put Makino in danger. And that's why she didn't resist.
Despite the fear, despite the uncertainty, she walked meekly toward the exit alongside the Marines.
"Do you know where my husband is?" she asked once outside.
She looked around anxiously. There was no sign of Tiberion anywhere. And the most unsettling thing… she couldn't even feel his presence.
"Your husband? And who would that be?" one of the Marines replied indifferently, though his eyes remained fixed on her. Silently, he thought he had never seen such a large and beautiful creature.
"Hehe, officer… Miss Shirahoshi's husband is none other than Tiberion Hanma," clarified another of the pirates as he was escorted under guard.
"By the way… does anyone know how Mister Tiberion is doing right now?"
"Hmph. Stop dreaming about Tiberion Hanma. He was swatted away by a slap from the Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma. By now, he's probably drowned in the sea," scoffed one of the Marines coldly.
The Marines escorting them belonged to a local division. Their impression of Tiberion was purely negative: they saw him as a monster, a ruthless criminal. They didn't know—nor did they care to know—who he truly was.
But if they had been Marines from Headquarters, the story would've been different.
Because to many of them, Tiberion wasn't a monster.
He was the man who dared to dismember and publicly execute a World Noble.
And because of that, they secretly respected him.
At the very least, they didn't hate him like these ignorant soldiers… who would never understand how despicable the World Nobles could be, yet still condemned the one who dared defy them.
H-Husband… had been struck and thrown into the sea?
Upon hearing those words, tears began to slide down Shirahoshi's cheeks.
But she didn't cry out loud.
She remembered what Tiberion had told her:
"As my woman, you must be strong."
Holding back her sobs, she wiped her eyes with a trembling hand, and although the tears continued to fall in silence, she forced herself to take a deep breath.
She had to obey. She had to be strong for him.
And so, she closed her eyes, concentrating, trying to connect with her power—her ability to speak with the Sea Kings.
"Queen… why are you suffering so much? Who hurt you?!"
"If it was Lord Tiberion, then we've said nothing. But if it was someone else, just give the order, Queen, and we'll gather all our brothers to destroy them! Even if they're hiding on a remote island… we'll tear that island from the sea!"
Under the waters near Foosha Village, the sea wouldn't stop stirring. In the depths, a group of Sea Kings circled restlessly. Their enormous eyes shone with nervousness.
"Sniff... M-My husband was thrown into the sea… can you find him?"
Using her Observation Haki, Shirahoshi established a mental link with the Sea Kings. Though one-sided, the bond was clear: her soul was speaking to them from the depths of her fear and sorrow.
"Don't worry, Queen! Leave this to us."
"We'll give the order to all the sea creatures in the East Blue. As long as Lord Tiberion is in these waters, we'll find him. We promise!"
"And if he's no longer here… if he's crossed into other seas… with just one order from you, Queen, every sea beast in the world will obey your call. Wherever he is, we'll bring him back."
"Mhm, t-thank you all… please, find my husband soon…"
Though the fear still lived in her heart, Shirahoshi felt a faint sense of comfort. A soft warmth lit up in the middle of her sadness.
She was no longer alone.
…
On a Marine warship, heading toward Foosha Village...
The air on the deck was suffocating.
Every Marine present was witnessing a scene impossible to describe with words.
Their faces were pale as marble, their scalps numb, and an involuntary tension ran through them from head to toe, even causing their buttocks to clench in terror.
No one blinked.
Before them, a sight that defied all logic: Sir Crocodile, one of the feared Seven Warlords of the Sea, a monster known worldwide for his power and cruelty… reduced to utter silence.
Not by a long battle.
Not by visible wounds.
He had been subdued from behind, with no time to defend himself. Completely overpowered.
He had been violated.
After his "attack," Tiberion slowly lowered his arms, letting the steam rise from his skin. Every muscle throbbed with force, glowing with each pulse, radiating a wild and incandescent aura.
On the ground, Crocodile lay curled up, motionless, in a fetal position.
He made no sound.
His eyes, wide open, were empty. There was no fire, no rage, no identity. What was once pride, strength, and arrogance… had completely vanished.
It wasn't a simple defeat. It was internal annihilation.
Crocodile didn't just doubt his power… he doubted his very existence—his manhood, his purpose, everything he had ever believed himself to be.
Reality had struck him with such devastating force that it had erased his very essence.
Tiberion slowly turned his head. His gaze, tinged with red, fell upon the Marines on the deck. Without raising his voice, he spoke with a coldness that pierced to the bone:
"Hey… you saw it too, didn't you?"
The simple question froze everyone. It was as if they had been yanked from a nightmare without warning.
Suddenly, panic consumed them. Held breaths, trembling legs, eyes wide in terror. Instinct overpowered all training:
Flee!
A thunder of footsteps, screams, and falling bodies echoed across the deck. Without a word, the Marines began throwing themselves overboard. One after another, without hesitation.
Like rats fleeing a burning ship. Orders, hierarchy, and honor no longer mattered. They had seen something they weren't meant to see, and they knew with certainty that if they stayed there… they'd be next.
But their escape didn't last long.
They hadn't made it more than a few meters into the water when the ocean's surface tore open. Massive silhouettes burst forth violently. Gigantic jaws, colossal eyes. Sea Kings.
An entire pack.
Without mercy, without warning, they lunged at the desperate Marines swimming below. In seconds, the water turned red. The vast, merciless sea had claimed its tribute—as if obeying a higher will.
Did they know what they were doing? Had they been waiting for them? It was as if fate itself had prepared the sacrifice.
On deck, Tiberion watched the scene with narrowed eyes. His expression was cold, unchanging. The wind tossed his red mane, and only a tight loincloth wrapped around his waist covered his groin. He pressed his foot against the splintered wood, flexed his muscles, and launched himself into the sky.
Like an inverted meteor, he rose several meters, and mid-flight, he landed nimbly on the back of one of the Sea Kings—one shaped like a giraffe.
The creature, far from resisting, bowed its head in submission.
Without changing the tone of his voice, Tiberion gave his order:
"Take me to Foosha Village. Quickly!"
________
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