"Shark Arrow!"
Hody Jones gasped for breath, droplets of water flying off him.
The water droplets were incredibly fast, but to Jinbe, they might as well have been nothing. With slight adjustments to his stance, he easily dodged the arrow-like water droplets.
Jinbe glanced back at the pockmarked ground, then turned his gaze back to Hody's face, speaking in a regretful tone. "Hody Jones, I once had high hopes for you."
"Shut up!"
Hody's peripheral vision caught sight of all the rebel soldiers who had followed him into the Ryugu Palace lying defeated on the ground. His eyes, already bloodshot from the Energy Steroid ES, glowed with an eerie red light.
"But you should not have endangered Fishman Island with your personal ambitions."
As Jinbe spoke, the image of another fishman surfaced in his mind, and his expression quickly hardened with resolve.
Hody reminded him of Arlong.
Arlong was almost like a younger version of himself—filled with prejudice against humans and driven by extreme emotions.
The difference was that Jinbe had been guided by Fisher Tiger, while Arlong had refused to listen to his advice and was eventually imprisoned in Impel Down.
One of the reasons he had accepted the World Government's offer to become a Warlord was to secure Arlong's release.
Hody was different from Arlong.
Arlong had been a follower of Fisher Tiger. Though he was radical, he deeply admired Fisher Tiger.
Hody, however, had grown up in Fishman District. By the time he wanted to join the Sun Pirates, the crew had already left Fishman Island to avoid implicating it and to rescue more enslaved brethren.
Without a guiding figure like Fisher Tiger, someone of such noble character, it was no surprise Hody had turned out this way.
After Fisher Tiger's death, Jinbe had become the second captain of the Sun Pirates and later a Warlord before returning to Fishman Island, where he discovered this promising young fishman.
Unfortunately, Hody was already an adult by then. Though he admired Jinbe, he was not as obedient as Arlong had been to Fisher Tiger.
Out of appreciation for Hody's potential and out of a sense of duty, Jinbe had turned a blind eye to Hody's activities in Fishman District.
"Surrender, Hody."
At this thought, Jinbe's heart softened again.
He had already received Reddy's promise that none of the rebels involved in the uprising would be executed—they would only be imprisoned.
As for what would happen to them afterward, that was beyond his control.
In his mind, it was better for these radical and extreme brethren to live than to die.
"Gyahahaha… Jinbe, I will never bow to lowly humans."
Hody pulled out a box, grabbed a handful of Energy Steroid ES, and stuffed them into his mouth.
As the drugs took effect, the blood-red hue in his eyes grew even more sinister.
"Gyahahaha… My power now far surpasses yours, Jinbe!"
Hody could feel the near-limitless strength coursing through his body. With a vicious grin, he unleashed a "Shark Arrow."
The water droplet was almost invisible to the naked eye.
Jinbe tilted his head slightly, letting it whiz past his ear. The wall behind him collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Under the influence of Energy Steroid ES, Hody's "Shark Arrow" had reached terrifying power, but against Observation Haki, it was utterly ineffective.
Jinbe sighed regretfully. "I should have taken you into the Sun Pirates. Staying cooped up in Fishman Island, you have no idea what the world is truly like."
A fishman's physical strength was ten times that of a human.
But against those who had mastered the two types of Haki, the fishmen's proud strength and Fishman Karate were reduced to less than half their effectiveness.
Jinbe believed that if Hody had learned the two types of Haki, he could have made a name for himself even in the New World.
But Hody had lost his last chance.
For the sake of Fishman Island's future, Hody had to lose this rebellion.
"Jinbe…"
Hody, still arrogant, tried to taunt him again.
But Jinbe gave him no more opportunities.
"Secret Technique of Fishman Karate… Vagabond Drill!"
Jinbe closed the distance in an instant and drove his fist hard into Hody's abdomen.
Hody's eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out, and he collapsed unconscious.
Jinbe caught Hody with his shoulder, his expression complicated.
He valued loyalty and justice, but he was not foolish.
The essence of Hody's rebellion was for the sake of the fishman race, not purely personal ambition.
However, Hody's ruthless methods were something Jinbe could not accept.
His journey with Fisher Tiger to free slaves had made him realize that violence could not solve racial discrimination.
If an extremist like Hody, who believed in fishman supremacy, took control of Fishman Island, it would only bring ruin.
The World Government would never tolerate Fishman Island attacking humans in retaliation, and even the Emperors of the New World might not accept someone like Hody.
In the end, this world was dominated by humans.
"Jinbe…"
King Neptune approached, accompanied by his three sons, watching as Jinbe laid the unconscious Hody on the ground. His expression was equally complicated.
"King Neptune, I apologize."
Jinbe did not elaborate. Instead, he knelt in a deep bow, sincerely apologizing.
"This is not your fault."
Prince Fukaboshi could not bear to see the revered "Knight of the Sea" lower his dignity for someone like Hody and spoke up to console him.
"I truly am a traitor to Fishman Island."
Jinbe smiled wryly and sat cross-legged, sighing. "Fisher Tiger taught us to care for our brethren, but I failed to do so."
"But…"
Prince Fukaboshi wanted to persuade Jinbe not to feel guilty over someone like Hody, but King Neptune stopped him with a shake of his head.
King Neptune understood that Jinbe was bidding farewell—to him, or perhaps to Fishman Island itself.
"I once thought that ignoring people like Hody was following Fisher Tiger's ideals. But I was wrong."
Jinbe recalled the days when he sailed with Fisher Tiger to free slaves, his face twisting into a bitter smile as he remembered the little girl who had worked so hard to survive by pleasing them.
"Dr. Reddy once told me that discrimination exists everywhere."
Jinbe thought back to his conversation with Reddy and, connecting it with the nameless little girl, felt this truth deeply.
The Sun Pirates had rescued that little girl and returned her to her homeland.
By any measure, that was an immense kindness.
Yet they were still betrayed by humans, leading to Fisher Tiger's fatal injury—his refusal to accept human blood sealing his fate.
All because they were fishmen.
Jinbe's gaze hardened with resolve. "Dr. Reddy wants to create an ideal world without discrimination. I fully agree with that. So… King Neptune, the future of Fishman Island is in your hands."
With that, Jinbe bowed deeply once more, pressing his forehead to the back of his hands in the most solemn gesture of respect for Fishman Island's future.
Prince Fukaboshi's eyes reddened, and he turned away, unable to bear the sight.
The other two princes lowered their heads, guilt in their eyes.
"You are not a traitor to Fishman Island."
King Neptune looked at Jinbe and defined his earlier decision. "The fault lies with me, the king. I lacked the courage to take responsibility."
"I am an unworthy king."
"It should have been me who led the purge, striving for a brighter future for Fishman Island."
"But I was weak. I did not dare bear that responsibility."
"Jinbe, raise your head."
"You should not sacrifice yourself for a weak king like me."
Jinbe lifted his head, surprised.
King Neptune's expression was firm now, resolute. "I am the king of Fishman Island. I will lead it to a better future. This is my atonement."
Jinbe smiled and bowed deeply once more.
"Then… I leave it to you."
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