Finn turned and walked out of the Fleet Admiral's office, rounded a corner in the corridor, and soon arrived at his own Admiral's office.
The moment he pushed the door open, Finn saw Hina sorting documents and Jinbe sitting on the sofa, waiting with visible unease.
Hina had just returned with him from the North Blue. She hadn't accompanied Finn to the Fleet Admiral's office, but had rushed back to organize the documents that had piled up during their absence.
As for Jinbe, after Hina had returned, he'd hurried to the office to wait for Finn.
The thoughtful Hina had already prepared tea and pastries.
The moment Jinbe saw Finn, he immediately stood up to salute.
However, Finn raised his hand and pressed down lightly, stopping Jinbe's movement.
He didn't bother with the documents scattered across his desk. Instead, he sat down opposite Jinbe. "Don't be anxious. If you have something to say, just sit down and speak slowly."
Jinbe nodded, then sat down and asked hesitantly, "Admiral, regarding the Marines' position on what happened in Mary Geoise..."
"No need to beat around the bush. You want to ask about Fisher Tiger, right?" Finn said directly.
Seeing this, Jinbe nodded. "Yes, Admiral. What is the Marines' attitude toward Brother Tiger?"
"The Fleet Admiral and the others, including myself, all admire and respect Fisher Tiger," Finn said softly. "Although he committed arson in Mary Geoise, his original intention and the ultimate goal he achieved—at least in our view—are noble."
This wasn't to manipulate Jinbe's feelings. Finn genuinely believed this.
In this world, countless people had thought about what to do in Mary Geoise, how to rescue the slaves. But when faced with reality, at least until now, only Tiger had dared to actually do it.
That was worthy of admiration.
Jinbe's face brightened when he heard Finn's words. "Then the wanted notice for Brother Tiger..."
"It won't be cancelled. The Marines don't have the authority to cancel it. And to tell you the truth, Jinbe, the Marines will eventually take action against Tiger. This has nothing to do with justice. It's purely about the Marines' interests and position. No matter how much we admire him in our hearts, first, his existence blocks the Marines' advancement. Second, he's now raised a pirate flag. Finally, it may sound hypocritical and disgusting, but if the Marines don't take action against him, his end will be even worse. This is a fact," Finn said without hesitation.
Jinbe's expression shifted several times in succession—unwillingness and helplessness flickering in his eyes—but finally it slowly transformed into determination.
He was deeply grateful that his Admiral hadn't offered hypocritical words of comfort, but had told him everything straightforwardly and clearly.
It shattered whatever hope he'd harbored about this matter while also strengthening his resolve.
He just felt guilty. He felt guilty that although Admiral Finn valued and cared for him so much, he'd made the decision to leave the Marines and potentially even become their enemy.
He truly felt sorry for the Admiral's investment in him.
Finn didn't speak again. He simply sat there quietly, picked up the pastries and tea from the table, and ate calmly.
After about half a minute—not too long, nor too short—Jinbe took a deep breath. "Admiral, although it's extremely shameless and I'm deeply ashamed, please allow me to resign from the Marines!"
Finn still didn't speak. Instead, he took a sip of tea and finished the pastry in his mouth. Then he sighed. "So that's your choice, as I expected."
Jinbe nodded silently, though he didn't dare look into Finn's eyes.
"And then? Are you going to find Tiger? Are you going to transform from a Marine into a pirate?" Finn asked.
Jinbe nodded without hesitation. "Admiral, you have treated me with sincerity, and I do not wish to deceive you. Brother Tiger saved my life and raised me. I truly cannot ignore him, let alone become his enemy. If I leave the Marines this time, I will definitely go to the New World to find Brother Tiger and work for him. If you cannot accept this, you can arrest me and imprison me in Impel Down. I, Jinbe, will never resist, nor will I attempt to escape!"
At this point, Jinbe had made up his mind. He didn't want to ignore Tiger, nor did he want to hide anything from his Admiral.
To be honest, he even secretly hoped his Admiral would lock him up in Impel Down. That way, he wouldn't have to think about anything, wouldn't have so much hesitation and painful internal conflict.
Of course, he also knew this was just an option to escape reality.
"As I expected," Finn murmured softly.
Jinbe looked at Finn in surprise, and Finn continued, "Ever since what happened in Mary Geoise, I knew you'd leave as soon as I returned, Jinbe..."
Jinbe looked ashamed when he heard this and lowered his head, unable to meet Finn's eyes.
"Look up. There's nothing to be ashamed of. You're just practicing what you believe in. Even though it doesn't meet my expectations, there's no need to feel shame," Finn said firmly.
Upon hearing this, Jinbe slowly raised his head and looked at Finn, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Two choices." Finn held up two fingers. Facing Jinbe's surprised gaze, he said, "First, as you just proposed, I'll revoke your position as a Marine right now. You'll immediately go to the New World and find your brother Tiger. From this moment forward, there will be no more friendship between us. You'll be a pirate, and I'll be a Marine. When we meet at sea, there will be no holding back. We'll fight to the death."
A hint of sorrow flashed across Jinbe's eyes, but before he could speak, Finn continued.
"Second, you join the Marines' secret plan. But I'm telling you the truth now—once you join this plan, there's no turning back, and you'll have no other choice. If you try to leave again, it won't be a peaceful parting with me. It will be true betrayal." Finn's voice grew harder. "Jinbe, after joining this plan, you can still choose to leave the Marines and go to the New World to find your brother Tiger. You can do whatever you want, and the Marines won't interfere. I'll give you a year and a half. After that time, the Marines will definitely take action against Tiger. You'll be by his side, and you can choose how he dies. Jinbe... I don't want anything else. I just want him to die, as long as he never appears in this world again. That's what I want. Do you understand me?"
Jinbe was stunned.
But of course he understood what Finn said at the end.
The Marines only wanted Tiger to die. In other words, if Jinbe joined the plan, Admiral Finn would give him and Tiger a year and a half to arrange their affairs and do what they wanted.
When the time came, the Marines would take action against Tiger.
As for Jinbe, all he had to do was give the Marines a satisfactory outcome. For example, arrange for Tiger to "fake his death" so he would never appear on the seas again.
In summary: within this year and a half, he could persuade and support Tiger, do whatever he wanted, but after that time, Tiger must disappear from this world.
Of course, Jinbe could also feel Finn's care for him in these words. With Mary Geoise suffering such a massive incident, the World Government must want to find Brother Tiger and execute him immediately.
But even under such pressure, Admiral Finn had still managed to secure a year and a half. How could Jinbe not feel the friendship and care in that?
In fact, when Jinbe had been planning to leave the Marines and find Tiger, he'd already prepared himself for death. The longer he stayed at Marine Headquarters, the more he understood how powerful the Marines truly were.
He also knew very well that if the Marines really wanted to kill Brother Tiger, Brother Tiger wouldn't be able to survive for long.
Before this, he'd been planning to find Tiger and face this disaster together.
And now, Admiral Finn had given him a new choice.
Joining the Marines' secret plan might give Brother Tiger a glimmer of hope. At the same time, he wouldn't have to actually betray the Marines, and he wouldn't let down Admiral Finn's care and friendship.
There was still a year and a half to handle these final arrangements.
What should Jinbe choose? Was there even any need to think about it?
"Admiral, I choose the second option. The Marines' secret plan," Jinbe said firmly.
Finn smiled for the first time since entering the room. "Good. Your choice is within my expectations."
Jinbe smiled slightly. "I was wondering why I couldn't see any hesitation or confusion in the Admiral's eyes. It turns out you'd already arranged everything for me."
"You think too highly of yourself and Tiger. You're just a Captain in the Marines, and he's just a pirate. How could you make me hesitate and feel confused?" Finn said dismissively, then continued, "Are you certain you want to join? This plan is very demanding."
Jinbe said firmly, "I'm certain!"
Finn took a deep breath. "Very well. After this conversation today, you will leave Marineford. You can take your men with you. I will then declare that you've betrayed the Marines and chosen to desert."
What?
"After this, you'll be a pirate and follow your big brother Tiger. You don't need to worry about Marine affairs for the time being. I'll give you a year and a half to arrange Tiger's death. After that time, the Marines will eliminate Tiger immediately. This concerns whether Fleet Admiral Kong can serve as Commander-in-Chief of the entire military. You should understand how important this is to the Marines, so don't harbor any false hopes. If you don't arrange it, I will arrange it for you." Finn's tone turned serious, carrying a note of solemnity.
This time, he wasn't joking at all.
Jinbe knew Finn was deadly serious, so he nodded. "Yes, I understand."
After a brief pause, Jinbe asked, "And then?"
"Then, you'll be responsible for taking over the Sun Pirates, continuing to maintain your identity as a pirate, and building your own reputation. We'll arrange for you to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea..." Finn said with a smile.
Jinbe looked at Finn with a shocked expression. "One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"That's right. The Warlords. You should know the Marines have always strongly resisted this plan issued by the World Government, but we lack the ability to stop it. Therefore, after the Warlord system was implemented, the Marines immediately launched a secret plan with the highest level of classification. This plan is to secretly control the Warlord organization and minimize the harm this system causes to the world. This is what you'll be doing," Finn said seriously.
Jinbe asked in surprise, "So the White Hunter Smoker, Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, the World's Greatest Swordsman Mihawk, and Crocodile—are they all actually part of the Marines?"
"No." Finn waved his hand. "Smoker is a Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters. Like you, he's a participant in this secret plan. The others are not, but we'll slowly arrange them in the future. Jinbe, this matter is extremely important to the Marines. At the same time, if you become one of the Seven Warlords, it will also greatly benefit Fish-Man Island. In short, you must work hard."
"Yes, Admiral! I understand! I will definitely not disappoint your expectations and investment in me," Jinbe said without hesitation.
"Good." Finn nodded, then looked into Jinbe's eyes and spoke softly. "When Smoker left, I gave him a message. Now that you're leaving, I want to give you the same message. I hope you can keep it in your heart and never forget that you are a Marine."
"Admiral, please speak," Jinbe said very seriously.
"My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is justice." Finn finished speaking, took a sip of tea, then continued, "Don't let your heart fall into darkness and evil. Understand?"
"Yes, Admiral! I will keep your words in mind and never forget them!" Jinbe stood at attention and saluted sharply.